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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M38

M38 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M38 right now?

M38 is located in the constellation Auriga. Although M38 is currently 9° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.

Open the interactive guide to M38’s position and path tonight

M38 visibility on 2026-09-07

M38 Visible from early morning until sunrise

M38 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonset	14:56	-8°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:58	-14°
M38 rise	21:17
Moonrise, 21% illuminated	23:21	19°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:13	63°
Twilight end	03:45	69°
Civil sunrise	04:17	75°
Sunrise	04:44	81°
M38 transit	05:29	89°

Track M38 Position Throughout the Night

← 7 September 2026 →

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

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 M38

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	M38
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M38 coordinates	5.47847, 35.85492
Center coordinates	5.47847, 35.85492

M38 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M38

Time	12:42
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	9°
Azimuth	308°

Here you can see the current position of M38 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 M38 Visible Throughout the Year?

M38 will remain visible until May 4, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Mon, 7 September 2026
Twilight start	18:54
Twilight end	03:07
Twilight duration	8h 13m
Rise	21:17
Set	13:42
Elevation at transit	89°
Transit time	05:29
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 05h 28m 42s", Dec: 35° 51' 17s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Auriga

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M38, 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 M38 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M38

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	05h 28m 42s
Declination	35° 51′ 18″
Magnitude	6.40
Constellation	Auriga
Elevation	9.2°
Azimuth	308.5°

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