M34 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M34 right now?

M34 is located in the constellation Perseus. Although M34 is currently 19° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.

Open the interactive guide to M34’s position and path tonight

M34 tonight

M34 visibility on 2026-11-05

M34 Visible all night

M34 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 18.4% illuminated	22:13	57°
M34 rise	09:50
Moonset	10:25	3°
Sunset	12:23	18°
Civil sunset	12:53	23°
Twilight start (−12°)	13:25	28°
Astronomical observing session begins	13:57	33°
M34 transit	19:12	87°
Astronomical observing session ends	00:34	32°
Twilight end (−12°)	01:06	27°
Civil sunrise	01:38	22°
Sunrise	02:08	17°
M34 set	04:33

Track M34 position throughout the night

← 5 November 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M34 changing position in the night sky.

M34 - Open Cluster

M34 is an open cluster located in the constellation Perseus. It was discovered by Giovanni Battista Hodierna before 1654 and independently by Charles Messier in 1764. The cluster contains a mix of young, hot stars and older stars.

M34 spans about 14 light-years across and contains around 100 stars. The cluster is approximately 1,500 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 5.5, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies and easily seen with binoculars or a small telescope.

M34 — 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.

M34 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M34

Time	12:25
Latitude	39.9612
Longitude	-82.9988
Elevation	19°
Azimuth	49°

Here you can see the current position of M34 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 M34 Visible Throughout the Year?

M34 will remain visible until April 5, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Fri, 6 November 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	13:53
Astronomical observing session ends	00:28
Astronomical observing duration	11h 35m
Rise	09:46
Set	04:29
Elevation at transit	87°
Transit time	19:08
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 02h 42m 07s", Dec: 42° 44' 46s
Magnitude	5
Constellation	Perseus

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M34, 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 M34 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M34

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	02h 42m 07s
Declination	42° 44′ 46″
Magnitude	5.2
Constellation	Perseus
Elevation	18.6°
Azimuth	49.3°

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