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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M5

M5 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M5 right now?

M5 is located in the constellation Serpens. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

M5 visibility on 2026-08-25

M5 Visible from sunset until early morning

M5 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 90.2% illuminated	16:07	55°
M5 transit	16:13	55°
Sunset	17:46	49°
Civil sunset	18:14	45°
Twilight start	18:47	40°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:20	34°
M5 set	22:18
Moonset	01:54	-39°
Astronomical observing session ends	02:59	-47°
M5 rise	10:03

Track M5 Position Throughout the Night

← 25 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M5 changing position in the night sky.

M5 - Globular Cluster

M5 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Serpens. It was discovered by Gottfried Kirch in 1702 and included in Messier's catalog in 1764. M5 is one of the oldest known globular clusters.

M5 spans about 165 light-years across and contains over 100,000 stars. The cluster is approximately 24,500 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 5.6, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies and easily seen with binoculars or a small telescope.

M5 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

DSS color images combine blue, red and often near-infrared exposures into a composite view.

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

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

Finder Chart for M5

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Object name	M5
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M5 coordinates	15.30938, 2.08269
Center coordinates	15.30938, 2.08269

M5 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M5

Time	23:30
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-14°
Azimuth	284°

Here you can see the current position of M5 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool lets you track its movement throughout the night with accurate, up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M5

M5 will remain visible until September 19, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Wed, 26 August 2026
Twilight start	19:14
Twilight end	02:54
Twilight duration	8h 39m
Rise	10:03
Set	22:14
Elevation at transit	55°
Transit time	16:09
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 15h 18m 33s", Dec: 02° 04' 57s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Serpens

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M5, including its daily appearances and transit times. The vertical axis shows the hours of the day and the horizontal axis spans the year. The reddish area marks when the object is above the horizon, while the white line marks its daily transit.
You can also view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M5

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	15.30938°
Declination	2.08269°
Magnitude	5.95
Constellation	Serpens
Elevation	-14.1°
Azimuth	283.8°

Data Credits

The deep-sky information on this page comes from the OpenNGC project developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed catalog data for nebulae, galaxies, clusters and other deep-sky objects.

For details or contributions, visit the official repository: OpenNGC GitHub.

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