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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M32

M32 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M32 right now?

M32 is located in the constellation Andromeda. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 36° toward the north-east, with an apparent magnitude of 8.13.
Twilight begins at 18:16 local time. At that moment, M32 will be 36° above the horizon toward the north-east.

Open the interactive guide to M32’s position and path tonight

M32 visibility on 2026-10-03

M32 Visible all night

M32 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M32 rise	14:18
Sunset	16:47	21°
Civil sunset	17:15	25°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:45	30°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:15	36°
Moonrise, 56.5% illuminated	21:14	69°
M32 transit	23:02	86°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:38	38°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:08	32°
Civil sunrise	04:39	27°
Sunrise	05:06	23°
M32 set	07:46
Moonset	12:53	-8°

Track M32 position throughout the night

← 3 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M32 changing position in the night sky.

M32 - Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy

M32 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by Guillaume Le Gentil in 1749 and later included in Messier's catalog. M32 is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).

M32 spans about 6,500 light-years across and contains several billion stars. The galaxy is approximately 2.65 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.1, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M32 — 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 M32

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

M32 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M32

Time	18:16
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	36°
Azimuth	62°

Here you can see the current position of M32 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 M32 Visible Throughout the Year?

M32 will remain visible until March 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	14:14
Set	07:42
Elevation at transit	86°
Transit time	22:58
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 00h 42m 41s", Dec: 40° 51' 55s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Andromeda

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M32, 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 M32 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M32

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	00h 42m 42s
Declination	40° 51′ 55″
Magnitude	8.13
Constellation	Andromeda
Elevation	35.8°
Azimuth	62.4°

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