Messier 26

Messier 26 (M26) is a open cluster in the constellation Scutum, with an apparent magnitude of 8.9. It is about 5,400 light-years away.

Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More

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<a href="https://constellationmap.org/messier/m26/"><img src="https://constellationmap.org/img/messier/m26-finder-chart.png" alt="Finder chart for Messier 26 in the constellation Scutum" width="800" height="800" loading="lazy"></a>
<br><small><a href="https://constellationmap.org/messier/m26/">Messier 26</a> · Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a></small>

Facts

Catalog	Messier 26 (M26)
Type	open cluster
Constellation	Scutum
Apparent magnitude	8.9
Distance	about 5,400 light-years
Right ascension	18 h 45.3 min
Declination	−9.38°
Best month	August (at about 9 pm)

Sources: star positions, magnitudes and colors from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue; constellation boundaries and star names from the IAU; areas and distances from Wikidata; stick figures by M. van der Sluys. How the maps are made.

How to find M26

M26 is in Scutum. From 40° N it is highest in the south in August evenings, about 41° up. From 35° S it reaches about 64° in the north. You need a telescope and a dark sky to see it.

Scutum constellation →

Other Messier objects in Scutum

Wild Duck Cluster (M11)

The Messier catalog →

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Messier 26

Facts

How to find M26

Other Messier objects in Scutum

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