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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M68

M68 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M68 right now?

M68 is located in the constellation Hydra. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

Open the interactive guide to M68’s position and path tonight

M68 visibility on 2026-10-03

M68 is Not visible tonight

M68 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M68 transit	11:01	26°
M68 set	15:29
Astronomical observing session begins	18:15	-30°
Moonrise, 56.5% illuminated	21:14	-65°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:38	-31°
M68 rise	06:28
Moonset	12:53	20°

Track M68 position throughout the night

← 3 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M68 changing position in the night sky.

M68 - Globular Cluster

M68 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Hydra. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. The cluster contains a rich population of old stars.

M68 spans about 106 light-years across and contains around 100,000 stars. The cluster is approximately 33,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.8, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M68 — 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 M68

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

M68 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M68

Time	19:00
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-39°
Azimuth	264°

Here you can see the current position of M68 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 M68 Visible Throughout the Year?

M68 will become visible again around November 2 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Sun, 4 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:13
Astronomical observing session ends	03:36
Astronomical observing duration	9h 23m
Rise	06:28
Set	15:25
Elevation at transit	26°
Transit time	10:57
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 12h 39m 28s", Dec: -26° 44' 34s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Hydra

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M68, 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 M68 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M68

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	12h 39m 28s
Declination	-26° 44′ 35″
Magnitude	7.96
Constellation	Hydra
Elevation	-39°
Azimuth	263.7°

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