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M56
globular cluster in Lyra
M56 is a small, faint globular cluster in Lyra, sitting in a rich star field midway between Albireo and Gamma Lyrae. It is not one of the showpiece globulars, but it lies in an attractive Milky Way field, and M57 is a short hop away.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M56
- Type
- globular cluster
- Constellation
- Lyra
- Size
- 7′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.3
- Distance
- about 32,900 light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Jul
- Typical prime months
- Apr to Sep
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband)
Pick a saved location or share your device location. Your coordinates are used only to calculate tonight and are not stored. To save locations, use the planner.
How to image M56
- Only 7 arcminutes across, so use 1,200 mm or more for a real close-up.
- A mid-width frame of about 600 mm can show it as part of its star field.
- It is well placed from northern sites in summer evenings.
Framing: what focal length?
M56 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 9% |
| 2,000 mm | about 17% |
| 3,000 mm | about 26% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M56 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 65° | High in the sky |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 75° | High in the sky |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 85° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 85° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 25° | Stays low |
Also worth imaging
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