Location settings
VA, US
39°/-77.5°
GMT -4
Waxing20:32 - 05:54
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M38: Rise, Set, Nighttime Path

M38

M38 Daily Motion

M38 will rise at 22:32, during twilight, and will ascend to 78° by the time twilight ends at 05:54.
M38 will be visible until May, 3, 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.

M38 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Astrosession begin20:32-12°
M38 Rise22:32
Astrosession end05:5478°
Civil sunrise06:2583°
Sunrise06:5387°
M38 transit06:5587°

M38 Sky Tracker Map

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M38 changing position in the night sky.

M38 - Open Cluster

M38 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.

M38 spans about 25 light-years across and contains around 100 stars. The cluster is approximately 4,200 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.4, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M38 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M38 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

M38 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

M38 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

M38 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 M38

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Object nameM38
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M38 coordinates5.47847, 35.85492
Center coordinates5.47847, 35.85492

M38 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M38

Time20:32
Latitude39.0469
Longitude-77.4903
M38 elevation-12°
M38 Azimuth-20°
Here you can see the current position of the M38 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M38's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M38

Time
DateTue, 17 September 2024
Twighlight start20:45
Twighlight end05:21
Twighlight duration9h 36m
Rise22:29
Set15:13
Elevation at transit87°
Transit time06:51
Equatorial coordinateRA: 05h 28m 42s, Dec: 35° 51' 17"
Magnitude6
ConstellationAuriga
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M38, 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 M38 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.