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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M36

M36 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M36 right now?

M36 is located in the constellation Auriga. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

M36 visibility on 2026-08-18

M36 Visible from early morning until sunrise

M36 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 21% illuminated	09:49	56°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:32	-18°
Moonset	20:26	-16°
M36 rise	22:52
Astronomical observing session ends	02:51	41°
Twilight end	03:26	48°
Civil sunrise	03:59	54°
Sunrise	04:28	60°
M36 transit	06:56	87°

Track M36 Position Throughout the Night

← 18 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M36 changing position in the night sky.

M36 - Open Cluster

M36 is an open cluster located in the constellation Auriga. 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.

M36 spans about 14 light-years across and contains around 60 stars. The cluster is approximately 4,100 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.3, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M36 — 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 M36

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Object name	M36
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M36 coordinates	5.60493, 34.14075
Center coordinates	5.60493, 34.14075

M36 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M36

Time	21:12
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-12°
Azimuth	28°

Here you can see the current position of M36 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.

Annual motion of M36

M36 will remain visible until May 4, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Wed, 19 August 2026
Twilight start	19:30
Twilight end	02:49
Twilight duration	7h 19m
Rise	22:48
Set	14:55
Elevation at transit	87°
Transit time	06:52
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 05h 36m 17s", Dec: 34° 08' 26s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Auriga

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M36, 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 view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M36

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	5.60493°
Declination	34.14075°
Magnitude	6.00
Constellation	Auriga
Elevation	-11.9°
Azimuth	28.1°

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