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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M72

M72 Observation Details

M72

M72 Daily Motion


M72 will be visible until December, 11, 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.

M72 Visibility Timetable on July 04

M72 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Moon Rise, 59.3% illuminated14:42-60°
M72 rise22:19
Astrosession begin23:058°
Moon Set01:3430°
M72 transit03:3538°
Astrosession end04:0737°
Civil sunrise05:3630°
Sunrise06:1026°
M72 set08:51

Track M72 Position Throughout the Night

← Fri, 4 July 2025 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M72 changing position in the night sky.

M72 - Globular Cluster

M72 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Aquarius. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. The cluster is known for its relatively low concentration of stars towards its center.

M72 spans about 106 light-years across and contains around 100,000 stars. The cluster is approximately 53,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 9.3, making it visible with a small telescope.

M72 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M72 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

M72 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

M72 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

M72 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 M72

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Object nameM72
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M72 coordinates20.89109, -12.53706
Center coordinates20.89109, -12.53706

M72 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M72

Time07:32
Latitude39.9625
Longitude-83.0061
M72 elevation14°
M72 Azimuth121°
Here you can see the current position of the M72 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M72's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M72

Time
DateFri, 4 July 2025
Twighlight start23:01
Twighlight end04:02
Twighlight duration5h 1m
Rise22:19
Set08:51
Elevation at transit38°
Transit time03:35
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 20h 53m 27s", Dec: -12° 32' 13s
Magnitude9
ConstellationAquarius
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M72, 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 M72 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.