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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M49

M49 Observation Details

M49

M49 Daily Motion


M49 will be visible until July, 18, 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.

M49 Visibility Timetable on January 02

Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Moon Rise, 8.5% illuminated10:0928°
Astrosession begin18:55-41°
Moon Set20:21-33°
M49 rise23:42
M49 transit06:0858°
Astrosession end06:1758°
Civil sunrise07:2354°
Sunrise07:5550°
M49 set12:34

Track M49 Position Throughout the Night

← Thu, 2 January 2025 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M49 changing position in the night sky.

M49 - Elliptical Galaxy

M49 is an elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771. M49 is one of the brightest members of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.

M49 spans about 157,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of old stars. The galaxy is approximately 55 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.4, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M49 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M49 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

M49 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

M49 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

M49 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 M49

Double-click to unlock the map.
Object nameM49
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M49 coordinates12.49632, 8.00047
Center coordinates12.49632, 8.00047

M49 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M49

Time10:03
Latitude39.9625
Longitude-83.0061
M49 elevation30°
M49 Azimuth105°
Here you can see the current position of the M49 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M49's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M49

Time
DateFri, 3 January 2025
Twighlight start18:51
Twighlight end06:11
Twighlight duration11h 19m
Rise23:42
Set12:34
Elevation at transit58°
Transit time06:08
Equatorial coordinateRA: 12h 29m 46s", Dec: 08° 00' 01s
Magnitude8
ConstellationVirgo
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M49, 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 M49 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.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.