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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M72

M72 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M72 right now?

M72 is located in the constellation Aquarius. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.
Twilight begins at 18:57 local time. At that moment, M72 will be 22° above the horizon toward the south-east.

M72 visibility on 2026-08-18

M72 Visible from sunset until morning twilight

M72 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 21% illuminated	09:49	-64°
M72 rise	16:54
Sunset	17:55	11°
Civil sunset	18:24	16°
Twilight start	18:57	22°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:32	27°
Moonset	20:26	34°
M72 transit	22:14	40°
Astronomical observing session ends	02:51	8°
Twilight end	03:26	2°
M72 set	03:34

Track M72 Position Throughout the Night

← 18 August 2026 →

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

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 M72

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Object name	M72
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M72 coordinates	20.89109, -12.53706
Center coordinates	20.89109, -12.53706

M72 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M72

Time	09:37
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-64°
Azimuth	338°

Here you can see the current position of M72 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 M72

M72 will remain visible until December 15, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Tue, 18 August 2026
Twilight start	19:28
Twilight end	02:44
Twilight duration	7h 17m
Rise	16:54
Set	03:34
Elevation at transit	40°
Transit time	22:14
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 20h 53m 27s", Dec: -12° 32' 13s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Aquarius

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M72, 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 M72

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	20.89109°
Declination	-12.53706°
Magnitude	8.96
Constellation	Aquarius
Elevation	-63.7°
Azimuth	338°

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