Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) Position and Visibility Tonight
Where is Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) right now?
Twilight begins at 18:28 local time. At that moment, Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) will be 37° above the horizon toward the north-west.
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) visibility on 2026-09-06
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) transit | 13:37 | 80° |
| Moonset | 14:58 | 72° |
| Sunset | 17:29 | 47° |
| Civil sunset | 17:56 | 42° |
| Twilight start | 18:28 | 37° |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 19:00 | 32° |
| Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) set | 23:17 | |
Moonrise, 31.2% illuminated  | 23:22 | -0° |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 03:12 | -3° |
| Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) rise | 03:53 | |
| Civil sunrise | 04:16 | 2° |
| Sunrise | 04:43 | 4° |
Track Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) Position Throughout the Night
← 6 September 2026 →
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| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy
The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1773. M51 is famous for its grand-design spiral structure and its interaction with a smaller galaxy, NGC 5195.
M51 spans about 76,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 23 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.4, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.
M51 — Image Gallery
DSS Blue
DSS Red
DSS Near-Infrared
DSS Composite Image
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 Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
| Object name | Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) |
| Field of view | |
| Limiting magnitude | |
| Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) coordinates | 13.49798, 47.19517 |
| Center coordinates | 13.49798, 47.19517 |
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) Passage Through Night
Current position of Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
| Time | 15:26 |
| Latitude | 37.3541 |
| Longitude | -121.955 |
| Elevation | 68° |
| Azimuth | 305° |
When Is Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) Visible Throughout the Year?
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) will remain visible until September 25, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.
| Date | Mon, 7 September 2026 |
| Twilight start | 18:58 |
| Twilight end | 03:11 |
| Twilight duration | 8h 13m |
| Rise | 03:53 |
| Set | 23:14 |
| Elevation at transit | 80° |
| Transit time | 13:33 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 13h 29m 52s", Dec: 47° 11' 42s |
| Magnitude | 8 |
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
You can also see when Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.
Astrometric and Physical Parameters of Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
Coordinates and Visibility
| Right Ascension | 13h 29m 53s |
| Declination | 47° 11′ 43″ |
| Magnitude | 8.36 |
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Elevation | 67.7° |
| Azimuth | 304.8° |
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.