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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M56

M56 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M56 right now?

M56 is located in the constellation LYRA. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 72° toward the south-west, with an apparent magnitude of 8.40.
Twilight begins at 18:58 local time. At that moment, M56 will be 72° above the horizon toward the south-west.

Open the interactive guide to M56’s position and path tonight

M56 visibility on 2026-10-03

M56 Visible from sunset until early morning

M56 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Sunset	16:47	78°
Civil sunset	17:15	82°
M56 transit	17:37	83°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:45	83°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:15	79°
Moonrise, 56.5% illuminated	21:14	45°
M56 set	01:21
Astronomical observing session ends	03:38	-17°
M56 rise	09:49
Moonset	12:53	33°

Track M56 position throughout the night

← 3 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M56 changing position in the night sky.

M56 - Globular Cluster

M56 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1779. The cluster contains a rich population of old stars.

M56 spans about 84 light-years across and contains around 230,000 stars. The cluster is approximately 32,900 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.3, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M56 — 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 M56

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

M56 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M56

Time	18:58
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	72°
Azimuth	253°

Here you can see the current position of M56 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 M56 Visible Throughout the Year?

M56 will remain visible until December 27, 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	09:49
Set	01:17
Elevation at transit	83°
Transit time	17:33
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 19h 16m 35s", Dec: 30° 11' 04s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Lyra

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M56, 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 M56 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M56

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	19h 16m 36s
Declination	30° 11′ 04″
Magnitude	8.4
Constellation	Lyra
Elevation	71.7°
Azimuth	253°

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