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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Dumbbell Nebula (M27)

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is Dumbbell Nebula (M27) right now?

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is located in the constellation Vulpecula. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 58° toward the south-west, with an apparent magnitude of 7.40.
Twilight begins at 19:15 local time. At that moment, Dumbbell Nebula (M27) will be 58° above the horizon toward the south-west.

Open the interactive guide to Dumbbell Nebula (M27)’s position and path tonight

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) tonight

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) visibility on 2026-10-22

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Visible from sunset until early morning

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 71.9% illuminated	14:01	48°
Sunset	16:21	73°
Civil sunset	16:49	75°
Dumbbell Nebula (M27) transit	17:05	75°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:19	75°
Astronomical observing session begins	17:49	73°
Dumbbell Nebula (M27) set	00:18
Moonset	01:36	-13°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:55	-28°
Dumbbell Nebula (M27) rise	09:48

Track Dumbbell Nebula (M27) position throughout the night

← 22 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe Dumbbell Nebula (M27) changing position in the night sky.

M27 - Dumbbell Nebula

The Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Vulpecula. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. M27 is one of the largest and brightest planetary nebulae known.

M27 spans about 3 light-years across and is illuminated by a hot, central white dwarf star. The nebula is approximately 1,360 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.5, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M27 — 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.

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Dumbbell Nebula (M27)

Time	19:15
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	58°
Azimuth	252°

Here you can see the current position of Dumbbell Nebula (M27) 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 Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Visible Throughout the Year?

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) will remain visible until January 1, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Fri, 23 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	17:48
Astronomical observing session ends	03:53
Astronomical observing duration	10h 6m
Rise	09:48
Set	00:14
Elevation at transit	75°
Transit time	17:01
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 19h 59m 36s", Dec: 22° 43' 15s
Magnitude	7
Constellation	Vulpecula

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of Dumbbell Nebula (M27), 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 Dumbbell Nebula (M27) is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M27

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	19h 59m 36s
Declination	22° 43′ 16″
Magnitude	7.4
Constellation	Vulpecula
Elevation	58.4°
Azimuth	251.8°

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