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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)

Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) right now?

Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 24° toward the north-west, with an apparent magnitude of 7.90.
Twilight begins at 19:04 local time. At that moment, Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) will be 24° above the horizon toward the north-west.

Open the interactive guide to Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)’s position and path tonight

Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) visibility on 2026-10-03

Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) Visible from sunset until before midnight

Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is always above the horizon
Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) transit	12:24	73°
Sunset	16:47	43°
Civil sunset	17:15	39°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:45	35°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:15	31°
Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is always above the horizon
Moonrise, 56.5% illuminated	21:14	10°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:38	11°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:08	14°
Civil sunrise	04:39	17°
Sunrise	05:06	20°
Moonset	12:53	72°

Track Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) position throughout the night

← 3 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) changing position in the night sky.

M101 - Pinwheel Galaxy

The Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M101 is known for its large size, well-defined spiral arms, and high surface brightness.

M101 spans about 170,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 21 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.9, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M101 — 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 Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)

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

Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)

Time	19:04
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	24°
Azimuth	321°

Here you can see the current position of Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) 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 Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) Visible Throughout the Year?

Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) will remain visible until October 17, 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	M101 is always up
Set	M101 is always up
Elevation at transit	73°
Transit time	12:20
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 14h 03m 12s", Dec: 54° 20' 56s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Ursa Major

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of Pinwheel Galaxy (M101), 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 Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M101

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	14h 03m 13s
Declination	54° 20′ 56″
Magnitude	7.9
Constellation	Ursa Major
Elevation	24.3°
Azimuth	321°

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