M103 Position and Visibility Tonight
Where is M103 right now?
Twilight begins at 18:57 local time. At that moment, M103 will be 20° above the horizon toward the north-east.
M103 visibility on 2026-08-18
M103 rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| M103 is always above the horizon | ||
Moonrise, 21% illuminated  | 09:49 | 26° |
| Sunset | 17:55 | 15° |
| Civil sunset | 18:24 | 17° |
| Twilight start | 18:57 | 20° |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 19:32 | 23° |
| M103 is always above the horizon | ||
| Moonset | 20:26 | 29° |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 02:51 | 67° |
| M103 transit | 02:53 | 67° |
| Twilight end | 03:26 | 66° |
| Civil sunrise | 03:59 | 64° |
| Sunrise | 04:28 | 62° |
Track M103 Position Throughout the Night
← 18 August 2026 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
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
DSS Red
DSS Near-Infrared
DSS Composite Image
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
| Object name | M103 |
| Field of view | |
| Limiting magnitude | |
| M103 coordinates | 1.55606, 60.658 |
| Center coordinates | 1.55606, 60.658 |
M103 Passage Through Night
Current position of M103
| Time | 09:37 |
| Latitude | 37.3541 |
| Longitude | -121.955 |
| Elevation | 27° |
| Azimuth | 327° |
Annual motion of M103
M103 will remain visible until March 31, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.
| Date | Tue, 18 August 2026 |
| Twilight start | 19:28 |
| Twilight end | 02:44 |
| Twilight duration | 7h 17m |
| Rise | M103 is always up |
| Set | M103 is always up |
| Elevation at transit | 67° |
| Transit time | 02:53 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 01h 33m 21s", Dec: 60° 39' 28s |
| Magnitude | 7 |
| Constellation | Cassiopeia |
You can also view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.
Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M103
Coordinates and Visibility
| Right Ascension | 1.55606° |
| Declination | 60.658° |
| Magnitude | 7.40 |
| Constellation | Cassiopeia |
| Elevation | 27.4° |
| Azimuth | 327.1° |
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.