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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Orion Nebula (M42)

Orion Nebula (M42) Position and Visibility Tonight

M42

Where is Orion Nebula (M42) right now?

Orion Nebula (M42) is located in the constellation Orion. Although Orion Nebula (M42) is currently 4° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.
Open the interactive guide to Orion Nebula (M42)’s position and path tonight

Orion Nebula (M42) visibility on 2026-09-17

Orion Nebula (M42) Visible from before midnight until sunrise

Orion Nebula (M42) rise and set timetable

TimeElevation
Moonrise, 24% illuminated 10:430°
Astronomical observing session begins18:41-50°
Moonset20:07-36°
Orion Nebula (M42) rise23:14
Astronomical observing session ends03:2342°
Twilight end (−12°)03:5445°
Civil sunrise04:2547°
Sunrise04:5247°
Orion Nebula (M42) transit04:5747°
Orion Nebula (M42) set10:39

Track Orion Nebula (M42) position throughout the night

← 17 September 2026 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe Orion Nebula (M42) changing position in the night sky.

M42 - Orion Nebula

The Orion Nebula (M42) is a diffuse nebula located in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc in 1610 and later cataloged by Charles Messier in 1769. M42 is one of the brightest nebulae in the sky and can be seen with the naked eye.

M42 spans about 24 light-years across and contains a rich population of young stars, including the Trapezium, a group of four massive stars. The nebula is approximately 1,344 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 4.0, making it a popular target for amateur astronomers.

M42 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M42 — blue-filter image
Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M42 — red-filter image
Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

M42 — near-infrared image
Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

M42 — composite color 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 Orion Nebula (M42)

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Object nameOrion Nebula (M42)
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
Orion Nebula (M42) coordinates5.58791, -5.38967
Center coordinates5.58791, -5.38967

Orion Nebula (M42) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Orion Nebula (M42)

Time10:25
Latitude37.3541
Longitude-121.955
Elevation4°
Azimuth260°
Here you can see the current position of Orion Nebula (M42) 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 Orion Nebula (M42) Visible Throughout the Year?

Orion Nebula (M42) will remain visible until April 10, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky. Time
DateThu, 17 September 2026
Astronomical observing session begins18:37
Astronomical observing session ends03:17
Astronomical observing duration9h 40m
Rise23:14
Set10:39
Elevation at transit47°
Transit time04:57
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 05h 35m 16s", Dec: -5° 23' 22s
Magnitude4
ConstellationOrion
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of Orion Nebula (M42), 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 Orion Nebula (M42) is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M42

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension05h 35m 16s
Declination-5° 23′ 23″
Magnitude4.00
ConstellationOrion
Elevation3.5°
Azimuth260.5°

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.