Open star cluster · Sagittarius

Messier 23

M23 · NGC 6494

Above the horizon after darkHighest after dark 20:20 · southwest · 13°

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Where is Messier 23?

Times for LondonChange city

Look southwest, about 13° up at 20:20 in Sagittarius. It sinks lower through the evening and sets at 22:22.

From London tonight, Messier 23 is above the horizon after dark. It’s highest soon after dark, around 20:20, in the southwest at 13°.

At magnitude 5.5, with its light spread out, it needs binoculars and a dark sky.

This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.

From a very dark site, a faint hazy patch.

A scatter of stars; often the best view.

Many separate stars. Use your lowest magnification.

What you’re likely to see, not what a space telescope photographs. General guidance from catalog brightness and size, not a forecast for tonight.

Messier 23 (M23) is a open star cluster in Sagittarius, with a total brightness of magnitude 5.5 and an apparent size of 17′.

Sources: OpenNGC (CC BY-SA 4.0); star chart: Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences