Globular cluster · Sagittarius

Messier 54

M54 · NGC 6715

Low after darkLow · south · 6° at 20:20

Join the waitlistSkyMate is coming to iPhone

Where is Messier 54?

Times for LondonChange city

Low in the south, at most 6° up around 20:20 in Sagittarius.

Rises: 16:04
Highest: 18:59
Sets: 21:54
Best after dark: 20:20 · 6°

Can I see Messier 54 tonight?

From London tonight, Messier 54 stays low while the sky is dark: at best 6° above the south horizon around 20:20. You’ll need a clear, flat view in that direction.

At magnitude 7.7, with its light spread out, it needs a telescope and a dark sky.

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

What does Messier 54 look like?

Eyes

Not visible

Too faint to see by eye.

Binoculars

A small, fuzzy ball of light.

Telescope

The edges break up into stars at medium magnification in larger telescopes.

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

About Messier 54

Messier 54 (M54) is a globular cluster in Sagittarius, with a total brightness of magnitude 7.7 and an apparent size of 5.1′.

Nearby in the sky

Its constellationSagittarius Another globular clusterHercules Cluster Another globular clusterM22 2° awayAscella 3° awayMessier 70 GuideBinoculars or telescope: what to start with

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