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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M26

M26 Observation Details

M26

M26 Daily Motion

M26 will rise at 02:33, during twilight, and will ascend to 36° by the time twilight ends at 06:26.
M26 will be visible until November, 12, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

M26 Visibility Timetable on March 26

M26 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Moon Rise, 21.3% illuminated05:3129°
Moon Set15:27-22°
Astrosession begin21:21-55°
M26 rise02:33
Astrosession end05:5333°
Civil sunrise06:5839°
Sunrise07:2640°
M26 transit08:0041°
M26 set13:27

Track M26 Position Throughout the Night

← Wed, 26 March 2025 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M26 changing position in the night sky.

M26 - Open Cluster

M26 is an open cluster located in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. The cluster contains a rich population of stars of various ages and types.

M26 spans about 22 light-years across and contains around 90 stars. The cluster is approximately 5,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.0, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M26 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M26 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M26 photo taken with red filter
These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

M26 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter
These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

M26 color image
DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M26

Double-click to unlock the map.
Object nameM26
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M26 coordinates18.75518, -9.38361
Center coordinates18.75518, -9.38361

M26 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M26

Time23:58
Latitude39.9625
Longitude-83.0061
M26 elevation-29°
M26 Azimuth-77°
Here you can see the current position of the M26 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M26's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M26

Time
DateThu, 27 March 2025
Twighlight start21:22
Twighlight end05:50
Twighlight duration8h 29m
Rise02:29
Set13:23
Elevation at transit41°
Transit time07:56
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 18h 45m 18s", Dec: -9° 23' 00s
Magnitude9
ConstellationScutum
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M26, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M26 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.