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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M49

M49 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M49 right now?

M49 is located in the constellation Virgo. At the current time, it is below the horizon and not visible from your location.

M49 Visibility on March 11

M49 is visible from late evening until sunrise

M49 Rise and Set Timetable

	Time	Elevation
M49 rise	17:57
Astrosession begin	18:37	8°
M49 transit	00:21	61°
Moon Rise, 53.9% illuminated	00:47	60°
Astrosession end	03:57	33°
Civil sunrise	04:58	21°
Sunrise	05:25	16°
M49 set	06:44
Moon Set	09:51	-33°

Track M49 Position Throughout the Night

← Wed, 11 March 2026 →

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

These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

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

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

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Object name	M49
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M49 coordinates	12.49632, 8.00047
Center coordinates	12.49632, 8.00047

M49 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M49

Time	08:35
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
M49 elevation	-20°
M49 Azimuth	62°

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

M49 will be visible until July, 23, 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.

Date	Wed, 11 March 2026
Twighlight start	18:32
Twighlight end	03:52
Twighlight duration	9h 20m
Rise	17:57
Set	06:44
Elevation at transit	61°
Transit time	00:21
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 12h 29m 46s", Dec: 08° 00' 01s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Virgo

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.
You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric & Physical Parameters of M49

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension	12.49632°
Declination	8.00047°
Magnitude	8.28
Constellation	Virgo
Elevation	-20.1°
Azimuth	62.2°

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.

Observation Settings