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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M41

M41 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M41 right now?

M41 is located in the constellation Canis Major. Although M41 is currently 31° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.

M41 visibility on 2026-08-29

M41 Visible from early morning until sunrise

M41 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M41 transit	07:26	32°
M41 set	12:18
Moonrise, 99.3% illuminated	17:59	-65°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:14	-73°
M41 rise	02:30
Astronomical observing session ends	03:03	6°
Twilight end	03:37	11°
Civil sunrise	04:09	16°
Sunrise	04:37	20°
Moonset	06:11	30°

Track M41 Position Throughout the Night

← 29 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M41 changing position in the night sky.

M41 - Open Cluster

M41 is an open cluster located in the constellation Canis Major. It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and independently by Charles Messier in 1765. The cluster contains a mix of young, hot stars and older stars.

M41 spans about 25 light-years across and contains around 100 stars. The cluster is approximately 2,300 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 4.5, making it visible to the naked eye under dark skies and easily seen with binoculars or a small telescope.

M41 — 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 M41

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Object name	M41
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M41 coordinates	6.76665, -20.75422
Center coordinates	6.76665, -20.75422

M41 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M41

Time	08:18
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	31°
Azimuth	194°

Here you can see the current position of M41 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 M41

M41 will become visible again around October 2 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Sat, 29 August 2026
Twilight start	19:09
Twilight end	02:57
Twilight duration	8h 48m
Rise	02:30
Set	12:14
Elevation at transit	32°
Transit time	07:22
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 06h 45m 59s", Dec: -20° 45' 15s
Magnitude	5
Constellation	Canis Major

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M41, 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 M41

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	6.76665°
Declination	-20.75422°
Magnitude	4.50
Constellation	Canis Major
Elevation	30.6°
Azimuth	194.1°

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