Object Analysis

Messier 26 (M26) is an open cluster of stars in the constellation of Scutum. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. It is located approximately 5,000 light-years from Earth. M26 is a relatively compact cluster, spanning about 22 light-years across.

The cluster contains about 90 stars, with the brightest being a magnitude 11.9 giant. It is estimated to be 89 million years old. A curious feature of M26 is a region of low star density near the center, which was long thought to be a physical "hole" in the cluster but is likely an obscuring cloud of interstellar dust sitting in the foreground.

In a telescope, M26 is a pleasant sight, appearing as a compact, granular group of stars. It is located near the much brighter Wild Duck Cluster (M11), so it is often overlooked, but it offers a fine example of a middle-aged open cluster in the dense star fields of the Scutum Shield.