Messier 26 is an open cluster in Scutum, 5,990 light-years away
Messier 26 (M26, NGC 6694, MWSC 2987) is an open cluster in the constellation Scutum , 5,990 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 8.9 and spans 14′ of sky, about 24 light-years across. It is an easy target in binoculars, and it is highest in the evening sky in August.
Open cluster: a loose group of a few dozen to a few thousand young stars born together from one cloud of gas. They drift apart over a few hundred million years and lie in the disk of the Milky Way.
Finding Messier 26 from λ Aql
λ Aql
Messier 26
SCUTUM
Messier 26 lies 6.9° southwest of λ Aql , the magnitude 3.4 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Messier 26 is highest in the evening in August
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -59° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 41° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -27° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -54° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -69° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -79° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -62° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 46° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 50° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -89° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -64° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 52° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 56° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 0° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -28° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -81° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 56° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 80° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 61° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -71° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -57° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 87° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -25° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -47° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -61° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -0° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 56° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 79° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 61° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -51° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 53° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 69° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 59° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 51° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 81°N.
Messier 26 is 5,990 light-years away
The light seen from Messier 26 tonight left it about 5,990 years ago. It ranks 36 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of Messier 26
Messier 26 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M26, NGC 6694, MWSC 2987 Type open cluster Constellation Scutum Right ascension (J2000) 18h 45.3m Declination (J2000) -09° 23′ Magnitude 8.9 Apparent size 14′ True size 24 light-years Distance 5,990 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month August Best with Binoculars Messier marathon order 89
