Ring Nebula (M57) Observation Details

M57 Daily Motion

M57 will become visible in January, 15. After being too close to the Sun to observe, it will reappear in the night sky. Starting from January, 15, M57 can be seen again, providing a good opportunity for observation.

M57 Visibility Timetable on January 09

M57 Rise and Set Timetable

	Time	Elevation
M57 transit	09:47	86°
Sunset	15:05	27°
Civil sunset	15:35	21°
Astrosession begin	16:39	10°
M57 set	17:45
Moon Rise, 63.3% illuminated	21:13	-19°
M57 rise	01:46
Astrosession end	03:49	20°
Civil sunrise	04:53	32°
Sunrise	05:23	38°
Moon Set	09:03	81°

Track M57 Position Throughout the Night

← Fri, 9 January 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M57 changing position in the night sky.

Where is Ring Nebula right now?

Ring Nebula (M57) is located in the constellation Lyra, at right ascension 18h 53m 35s" and declination 33° 01' 42s. Although it is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 85 degrees, M57 is not visible because it is daytime.

M57 - Ring Nebula

The Ring Nebula (M57) is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered by Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix in 1779 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M57 is one of the most famous planetary nebulae in the sky.

M57 spans about 1 light-year across and contains a central white dwarf star surrounded by a shell of ionized gas. The nebula is approximately 2,300 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.8, making it visible with a small telescope.

Finder Chart for M57

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	M57
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M57 coordinates	18.89306, 33.02858
Center coordinates	18.89306, 33.02858

M57 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of M57

Time	09:41
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
M57 elevation	85°
M57 Azimuth	-163°

Here you can see the current position of the M57 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M57's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M57

Date	Fri, 9 January 2026
Twighlight start	16:35
Twighlight end	03:43
Twighlight duration	11h 8m
Rise	01:46
Set	17:41
Elevation at transit	86°
Transit time	09:43
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 18h 53m 35s", Dec: 33° 01' 42s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Lyra

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M57, 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 M57 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.

Astrometric & Physical Parameters of M57

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension	18.89306°
Declination	33.02858°
Magnitude	8.80
Constellation	Lyra
Elevation	85.5°
Azimuth	-163°

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