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

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M27 right now?

M27 is located in the constellation Vulpecula. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

Open the interactive guide to M27’s position and path tonight

M27 visibility on 2026-09-15

M27 Visible from sunset until early morning

M27 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 9.3% illuminated	08:37	-28°
M27 rise	12:17
Sunset	17:15	57°
Civil sunset	17:42	63°
Twilight start (−12°)	18:13	68°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:45	72°
Moonset	18:55	74°
M27 transit	19:30	75°
M27 set	02:44
Astronomical observing session ends	03:21	-6°

Track M27 position throughout the night

← 15 September 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe 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.

Finder Chart for M27

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Object name	M27
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M27 coordinates	19.99344, 22.72103
Center coordinates	19.99344, 22.72103

Dumbbell Nebula (M27) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Dumbbell Nebula (M27)

Time	03:00
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-3°
Azimuth	302°

Here you can see the current position of 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?

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

Date	Wed, 16 September 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:39
Astronomical observing session ends	03:16
Astronomical observing duration	9h 37m
Rise	12:13
Set	02:40
Elevation at transit	75°
Transit time	19:26
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 19h 59m 36s", Dec: 22° 43' 15s
Magnitude	7
Constellation	Vulpecula

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of 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 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	7.40
Constellation	Vulpecula
Elevation	-2.8°
Azimuth	301.6°

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