Ring Nebula (M57) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is Ring Nebula right now?

Ring Nebula (M57) is located in the constellation Lyra. At the current time, it is above the horizon at an altitude of 80 degrees toward the southwest from your location, with an apparent magnitude of 8.80.
Twilight begins at 04:03 local time, and at that moment, M57 will appear at an altitude of 80 degrees toward the southwest.

M57 Visibility on April 09

M57 Not Visible Tonight

M57 Rise and Set Timetable

	Time	Elevation
Astrosession begin	19:07	-13°
M57 rise	20:52
Moon Rise, 61.5% illuminated	00:17	35°
Astrosession end	03:10	69°
Twighlight end	03:43	76°
Civil sunrise	04:14	82°
Sunrise	04:42	85°
M57 transit	04:50	86°
Moon Set	09:33	33°

Track M57 Position Throughout the Night

← Thu, 9 April 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M57 changing position in the night sky.

M57 - Ring Nebula

The Ring Nebula (M57) is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered by Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix in 1779 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M57 is one of the most famous planetary nebulae in the sky.

M57 spans about 1 light-year across and contains a central white dwarf star surrounded by a shell of ionized gas. The nebula is approximately 2,300 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.8, making it visible with a small telescope.

Finder Chart for M57

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	M57
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M57 coordinates	18.89306, 33.02858
Center coordinates	18.89306, 33.02858

M57 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M57

Time	04:03
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
M57 elevation	80°
M57 Azimuth	-111°

Here you can see the current position of the M57 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M57's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M57

M57 will be visible until December, 24, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

Date	Fri, 10 April 2026
Twighlight start	19:04
Twighlight end	03:03
Twighlight duration	8h 60m
Rise	20:48
Set	12:43
Elevation at transit	86°
Transit time	04:46
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 18h 53m 35s", Dec: 33° 01' 42s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Lyra

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M57, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M57 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.
You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric & Physical Parameters of M57

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension	18.89306°
Declination	33.02858°
Magnitude	8.80
Constellation	Lyra
Elevation	79.6°
Azimuth	-111.1°

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.

Observation Settings