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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M3

M3 Observation Details

M3

M3 Daily Motion


M3 will be visible until September, 11, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

M3 Visibility Timetable on January 21

Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Astrosession begin19:13-20°
M3 rise22:19
Moon Rise, 46.2% illuminated01:3734°
M3 transit06:0678°
Astrosession end06:1378°
Civil sunrise07:1871°
Sunrise07:4966°
Moon Set11:5020°

Track M3 Position Throughout the Night

← Tue, 21 January 2025 →

Elevation (degrees)
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

M3 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M3 photo taken with red filter
These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

M3 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter
These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

M3 color image
DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M3

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Object nameM3
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M3 coordinates13.70312, 28.37544
Center coordinates13.70312, 28.37544

M3 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M3

Time09:09
Latitude39.9625
Longitude-83.0061
M3 elevation52°
M3 Azimuth93°
Here you can see the current position of the M3 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M3's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M3

Time
DateWed, 22 January 2025
Twighlight start19:09
Twighlight end06:08
Twighlight duration11h 59m
Rise22:19
Set13:52
Elevation at transit78°
Transit time06:06
Equatorial coordinateRA: 13h 42m 11s", Dec: 28° 22' 31s
Magnitude6
ConstellationCanes Venatici
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M3, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M3 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.