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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M102

M102 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M102 right now?

M102 is located in the constellation Draco. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 40° toward the north-west, with an apparent magnitude of 9.89.
Twilight begins at 18:16 local time. At that moment, M102 will be 40° above the horizon toward the north-west.

Open the interactive guide to M102’s position and path tonight

M102 visibility on 2026-10-03

M102 Visible all night

M102 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M102 is always above the horizon
M102 transit	13:27	72°
Sunset	16:47	52°
Civil sunset	17:15	48°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:45	44°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:15	40°
M102 is always above the horizon
Moonrise, 56.5% illuminated	21:14	17°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:38	7°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:08	9°
Civil sunrise	04:39	12°
Sunrise	05:06	14°
Moonset	12:53	71°

Track M102 position throughout the night

← 3 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M102 changing position in the night sky.

M102 - Spindle Galaxy

The Spindle Galaxy (M102) is a lenticular galaxy located in the constellation Draco. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M102 is known for its edge-on orientation and bright central bulge.

M102 spans about 85,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 50 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 10.7, making it visible with a small telescope.

M102 — 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 M102

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

M102 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M102

Time	18:16
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	40°
Azimuth	316°

Here you can see the current position of M102 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 M102 Visible Throughout the Year?

M102 will remain visible until November 10, 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	M102 is always up
Set	M102 is always up
Elevation at transit	72°
Transit time	13:23
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 15h 06m 29s", Dec: 55° 45' 47s
Magnitude	10
Constellation	Draco

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M102, 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 M102 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M102

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	15h 06m 29s
Declination	55° 45′ 48″
Magnitude	9.89
Constellation	Draco
Elevation	39.6°
Azimuth	315.9°

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