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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M103

M103 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M103 right now?

M103 is located in the constellation Cassiopeia. Although M103 is currently 8° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.
Twilight begins at 18:26 local time. At that moment, M103 will be 24° above the horizon toward the north-east.

Open the interactive guide to M103’s position and path tonight

M103 visibility on 2026-09-07

M103 Visible all night

M103 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M103 is always above the horizon
Moonset	14:56	9°
Sunset	17:27	19°
Civil sunset	17:55	21°
Twilight start	18:26	24°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:58	28°
M103 is always above the horizon
Moonrise, 21% illuminated	23:21	59°
M103 transit	01:35	67°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:13	62°
Twilight end	03:45	59°
Civil sunrise	04:17	56°
Sunrise	04:44	52°

Track M103 Position Throughout the Night

← 7 September 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M103 changing position in the night sky.

M103 - Open Cluster

M103 is an open cluster located in the constellation Cassiopeia. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. The cluster is known for its bright stars and rich star field.

M103 spans about 15 light-years across and contains around 172 stars. The cluster is approximately 8,500 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.4, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M103 — 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 M103

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	M103
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M103 coordinates	1.55606, 60.658
Center coordinates	1.55606, 60.658

M103 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M103

Time	13:29
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	8°
Azimuth	359°

Here you can see the current position of M103 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 M103 Visible Throughout the Year?

M103 will remain visible until March 31, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Mon, 7 September 2026
Twilight start	18:54
Twilight end	03:07
Twilight duration	8h 13m
Rise	M103 is always up
Set	M103 is always up
Elevation at transit	67°
Transit time	01:35
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 01h 33m 21s", Dec: 60° 39' 28s
Magnitude	7
Constellation	Cassiopeia

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M103, 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 M103 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M103

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	01h 33m 22s
Declination	60° 39′ 29″
Magnitude	7.40
Constellation	Cassiopeia
Elevation	8°
Azimuth	359°

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