M26
NGC 6694
Properties
Position & Identifiers
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M26 · 6.0′ diameter · N up, E left
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About M26
Description
M26 is a small, moderately rich open cluster in Scutum, about 5,000 light-years from Earth. It contains roughly 90 stars spread across about 22 light-years, with an age of about 89 million years. The cluster is notable for a region of lower star density near its center, caused by an intervening dark nebula that obscures the background.
Observing Tips
Located about 1 degree southeast of the much more impressive M11 (Wild Duck Cluster). In binoculars it appears as a small, faint fuzzy patch. A 4-inch telescope at 80-100x shows a small, compact cluster of faint stars. It is somewhat overshadowed by its spectacular neighbor M11. Look for the slight void in star density near the center caused by the dark nebula. Best observed from July through September.
History
Discovered by Charles Messier on June 20, 1764. It is one of the lesser-known Messier objects, often skipped by observers heading straight for nearby M11.
Fun Facts
The dark region near M26's center is caused by a foreground dust cloud that dims stars behind it by about 1.4 magnitudes. This gives the cluster an unusual 'hollow' appearance that puzzled early observers. Without this obscuring cloud, M26 would appear noticeably richer.
Community Photos (1)
Credit: Hillary Mathis, Vanessa Harvey, REU program/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA. License: CC BY 4.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Feb 28, 2026