July 18, 2025
Tonight, Messier 55 is well placed and culminating in the south around midnight. This globular cluster will be found near the teapot asterism of the constellation Sagittarius.
Messier 55 was discovered in 1752 by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille. It was added to the Messier catalog in 1778. While M55 can be visible through a set of 50mm binoculars, to resolve individual stars you will need at least a medium-sized telescope, as it sits 17,600 light-years away from Earth.
Image created using Stellarium. M55 image courtesy of ESO’s VISTA telescope.
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