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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M3

M3 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M3 right now?

M3 is located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 16° toward the north-east, with an apparent magnitude of 6.39.
Twilight begins at 17:21 local time. At that moment, M3 will be 11° above the horizon toward the north-west.

Open the interactive guide to M3’s position and path tonight

M3 visibility on 2026-10-21

M3 Visible from sunset until before midnight

M3 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M3 transit	10:52	81°
Moonrise, 62.7% illuminated	13:36	55°
Sunset	16:22	22°
Civil sunset	16:50	17°
Twilight start (−12°)	17:20	12°
Astronomical observing session begins	17:50	6°
M3 set	18:29
Moonset	00:33	-20°
M3 rise	03:12
Astronomical observing session ends	03:54	7°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:24	12°
Civil sunrise	04:55	18°
Sunrise	05:23	23°

Track M3 position throughout the night

← 21 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M3 changing position in the night sky.

M3 - Globular Cluster

M3 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. M3 is one of the most outstanding globular clusters, notable for its large number of variable stars.

Spanning about 180 light-years across, M3 contains around 500,000 stars. It is approximately 33,900 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.2, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope. The cluster is best observed in the northern hemisphere during the spring months.

M3 — 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 M3

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	M3
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M3 coordinates	13.70312, 28.37544
Center coordinates	13.70312, 28.37544

M3 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M3

Time	04:50
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	16°
Azimuth	66°

Here you can see the current position of M3 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 M3 Visible Throughout the Year?

M3 will become visible again around November 10 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Wed, 21 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	17:46
Astronomical observing session ends	03:48
Astronomical observing duration	10h 1m
Rise	03:12
Set	18:25
Elevation at transit	81°
Transit time	10:48
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 13h 42m 11s", Dec: 28° 22' 31s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Canes Venatici

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M3, 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 M3 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M3

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	13h 42m 11s
Declination	28° 22′ 32″
Magnitude	6.39
Constellation	Canes Venatici
Elevation	16.1°
Azimuth	66.3°

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