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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M46

M46 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M46 right now?

M46 is located in the constellation Puppis. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

M46 visibility on 2026-08-21

M46 Rises at sunrise

M46 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M46 transit	08:53	38°
Moonrise, 49% illuminated	12:56	13°
M46 set	14:05
Astronomical observing session begins	19:27	-61°
Moonset	22:12	-61°
Astronomical observing session ends	02:54	-8°
M46 rise	03:36
Civil sunrise	04:01	5°
Sunrise	04:30	10°

Track M46 Position Throughout the Night

← 21 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M46 changing position in the night sky.

M46 - Open Cluster

M46 is an open cluster located in the constellation Puppis. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771. The cluster contains a mix of young, hot stars and older stars, along with a planetary nebula (NGC 2438) superimposed on it.

M46 spans about 30 light-years across and contains around 500 stars. The cluster is approximately 5,400 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.1, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M46 — 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 M46

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Object name	M46
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M46 coordinates	7.69634, -14.81
Center coordinates	7.69634, -14.81

M46 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M46

Time	20:15
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-66°
Azimuth	338°

Here you can see the current position of M46 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 M46

M46 will become visible again around September 30 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Sat, 22 August 2026
Twilight start	19:25
Twilight end	02:53
Twilight duration	7h 28m
Rise	03:36
Set	14:01
Elevation at transit	38°
Transit time	08:49
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 07h 41m 46s", Dec: -14° 48' 36s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Puppis

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M46, 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 M46

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	7.69634°
Declination	-14.81°
Magnitude	6.10
Constellation	Puppis
Elevation	-66.1°
Azimuth	338.2°

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