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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M48

M48 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M48 right now?

M48 is located in the constellation Hydra. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

Open the interactive guide to M48’s position and path tonight

M48 visibility on 2026-10-03

M48 Visible from early morning until sunrise

M48 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M48 transit	06:36	47°
M48 set	12:17
Astronomical observing session begins	18:15	-58°
Moonrise, 56.5% illuminated	21:14	-42°
M48 rise	00:50
Astronomical observing session ends	03:38	31°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:08	35°
Civil sunrise	04:39	39°
Sunrise	05:06	42°
Moonset	12:53	-8°

Track M48 position throughout the night

← 3 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M48 changing position in the night sky.

M48 - Open Cluster

M48 is an open cluster located in the constellation Hydra. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771. The cluster contains a mix of young, hot stars and older stars.

M48 spans about 23 light-years across and contains around 80 stars. The cluster is approximately 1,500 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 5.5, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies and easily seen with binoculars or a small telescope.

M48 — 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 M48

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

M48 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M48

Time	18:16
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-58°
Azimuth	352°

Here you can see the current position of M48 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 M48 Visible Throughout the Year?

M48 will remain visible until May 11, 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	00:50
Set	12:13
Elevation at transit	47°
Transit time	06:32
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 08h 13m 43s", Dec: -5° 45' 01s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Hydra

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M48, 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 M48 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M48

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	08h 13m 43s
Declination	-5° 45′ 02″
Magnitude	5.8
Constellation	Hydra
Elevation	-58.1°
Azimuth	351.5°

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