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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M30

M30 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M30 right now?

M30 is located in the constellation Capricornus. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.
Twilight begins at 18:04 local time. At that moment, M30 will be 18° above the horizon toward the south-east.

Open the interactive guide to M30’s position and path tonight

M30 visibility on 2026-09-21

M30 Visible from sunset until early morning

M30 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 60.8% illuminated	14:04	-22°
M30 rise	16:04
Sunset	17:06	10°
Civil sunset	17:33	14°
Twilight start (−12°)	18:04	18°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:34	22°
M30 transit	20:47	29°
Moonset	23:40	17°
M30 set	01:30
Astronomical observing session ends	03:27	-22°

Track M30 position throughout the night

← 21 September 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M30 changing position in the night sky.

M30 - Globular Cluster

M30 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Capricornus. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. This cluster is known for its collapsed core and high concentration of stars.

M30 spans about 93 light-years across and contains tens of thousands of stars. The cluster is approximately 27,100 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.2, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M30 — 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 M30

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Object name	M30
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M30 coordinates	21.67278, -23.17908
Center coordinates	21.67278, -23.17908

M30 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M30

Time	14:50
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-14°
Azimuth	109°

Here you can see the current position of M30 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 M30 Visible Throughout the Year?

M30 will remain visible until January 23, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Mon, 21 September 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:30
Astronomical observing session ends	03:21
Astronomical observing duration	9h 50m
Rise	16:00
Set	01:26
Elevation at transit	29°
Transit time	20:43
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 21h 40m 22s", Dec: -23° 10' 44s
Magnitude	7
Constellation	Capricornus

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M30, 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 M30 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M30

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	21h 40m 22s
Declination	-23° 10′ 45″
Magnitude	7.1
Constellation	Capricornus
Elevation	-13.5°
Azimuth	109°

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