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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M50

M50 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M50 right now?

M50 is located in the constellation Monoceros. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

M50 visibility on 2026-08-30

M50 Visible from early morning until before midnight

M50 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M50 transit	07:38	44°
M50 set	13:12
Moonrise, 96.4% illuminated	18:23	-57°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:12	-60°
M50 rise	02:01
Astronomical observing session ends	03:05	12°
Twilight end	03:38	18°
Civil sunrise	04:10	24°
Sunrise	04:38	28°
Moonset	07:13	44°

Track M50 Position Throughout the Night

← 30 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M50 changing position in the night sky.

M50 - Open Cluster

M50 is an open cluster located in the constellation Monoceros. It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and independently by Charles Messier in 1772. The cluster contains a rich population of young, hot stars.

M50 spans about 20 light-years across and contains around 200 stars. The cluster is approximately 3,200 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 5.9, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M50 — 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 M50

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Object name	M50
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M50 coordinates	7.04458, -8.36403
Center coordinates	7.04458, -8.36403

M50 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M50

Time	00:12
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-22°
Azimuth	84°

Here you can see the current position of M50 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 M50

M50 will become visible again around September 14 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Mon, 31 August 2026
Twilight start	19:06
Twilight end	02:59
Twilight duration	8h 53m
Rise	01:57
Set	13:04
Elevation at transit	44°
Transit time	07:31
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 07h 02m 40s", Dec: -8° 21' 50s
Magnitude	6
Constellation	Monoceros

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M50, 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 M50

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	7.04458°
Declination	-8.36403°
Magnitude	5.90
Constellation	Monoceros
Elevation	-21.7°
Azimuth	83.8°

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