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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Checkmark Nebula (M17)

Checkmark Nebula (M17) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M17 right now?

M17 is located in the constellation Sagittarius. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

Open the interactive guide to M17’s position and path tonight

M17 visibility on 2026-10-03

M17 Visible from sunset until before midnight

M17 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M17 rise	11:33
M17 transit	16:41	36°
Sunset	16:47	36°
Civil sunset	17:15	36°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:45	34°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:15	32°
Moonrise, 56.5% illuminated	21:14	6°
M17 set	21:49
Astronomical observing session ends	03:38	-65°
Moonset	12:53	15°

Track M17 position throughout the night

← 3 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M17 changing position in the night sky.

M17 - Omega Nebula

The Omega Nebula (M17), also known as the Swan Nebula, is an emission nebula located in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and later included in Messier's catalog in 1764. The nebula is a region of active star formation.

M17 spans about 15 light-years across and is illuminated by a group of young, massive stars. The nebula is approximately 5,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.0, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M17 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

DSS color images combine blue, red and often near-infrared exposures into a composite view.

The images come from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under contract with NASA, using data from UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), European Southern Observatory (ESO), National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M17

Open the step-by-step guide Open the full sky map

Checkmark Nebula (M17) Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of Checkmark Nebula (M17)

Time	22:08
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-4°
Azimuth	252°

Here you can see the current position of M17 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool lets you track its movement throughout the night with accurate, up-to-date information.

When Is Checkmark Nebula (M17) Visible Throughout the Year?

M17 will remain visible until October 23, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Sun, 4 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:13
Astronomical observing session ends	03:36
Astronomical observing duration	9h 23m
Rise	11:29
Set	21:45
Elevation at transit	36°
Transit time	16:37
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 18h 20m 47s", Dec: -16° 10' 17s
Magnitude	7
Constellation	Sagittarius

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M17, including its daily appearances and transit times. The vertical axis shows the hours of the day and the horizontal axis spans the year. The reddish area marks when the object is above the horizon, while the white line marks its daily transit.
You can also see when M17 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M17

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	18h 20m 47s
Declination	-16° 10′ 18″
Magnitude	7
Constellation	Sagittarius
Elevation	-3.6°
Azimuth	252.4°

Data Credits

The deep-sky information on this page comes from the OpenNGC project developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed catalog data for nebulae, galaxies, clusters and other deep-sky objects.

For details or contributions, visit the official repository: OpenNGC GitHub.

Observation Settings