Messier 26 is an open star cluster located in the constellation Scutum. It was discovered by the astronomer William Herschel in 1783 and is approximately 5,000 light-years away from Earth. The cluster contains around 100 stars, with its brightest members being of spectral type B, which are hot and blue. This star cluster has an estimated age of about 100 million years. It is relatively small, spanning about 15 light-years across. Messier 26 is often studied for its stellar population and dynamics, providing insights into the formation and evolution of star clusters in our galaxy, the Milky Way.