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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M71

M71 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M71 right now?

M71 is located in the constellation Sagitta. Although M71 is currently 28° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.
Twilight begins at 18:28 local time. At that moment, M71 will be 63° above the horizon toward the south-east.

Open the interactive guide to M71’s position and path tonight

M71 visibility on 2026-09-06

M71 Visible from sunset until early morning

M71 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M71 rise	13:01
Moonset	14:58	22°
Sunset	17:29	52°
Civil sunset	17:56	57°
Twilight start	18:28	63°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:00	67°
M71 transit	20:00	71°
Moonrise, 31.2% illuminated	23:22	42°
M71 set	02:59
Astronomical observing session ends	03:12	-2°

Track M71 Position Throughout the Night

← 6 September 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M71 changing position in the night sky.

M71 - Globular Cluster

M71 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Sagitta. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and later cataloged by Charles Messier in 1780. The cluster is relatively loose for a globular cluster.

M71 spans about 27 light-years across and contains around 10,000 stars. The cluster is approximately 13,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.2, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M71 — 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 M71

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	M71
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M71 coordinates	19.89614, 18.77839
Center coordinates	19.89614, 18.77839

M71 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M71

Time	15:25
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	28°
Azimuth	87°

Here you can see the current position of M71 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.

When Is M71 Visible Throughout the Year?

M71 will remain visible until December 29, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Mon, 7 September 2026
Twilight start	18:58
Twilight end	03:11
Twilight duration	8h 13m
Rise	12:57
Set	02:55
Elevation at transit	71°
Transit time	19:56
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 19h 53m 46s", Dec: 18° 46' 42s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Sagitta

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M71, 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 see when M71 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M71

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	19h 53m 46s
Declination	18° 46′ 42″
Magnitude	6.10
Constellation	Sagitta
Elevation	27.7°
Azimuth	86.8°

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.

Observation Settings