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Sunflower Galaxy (M63) Position and Visibility Tonight

M63

Where is Sunflower Galaxy (M63) right now?

Sunflower Galaxy (M63) is located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 31° toward the north-east, with an apparent magnitude of 8.61.
Open the interactive guide to Sunflower Galaxy (M63)’s position and path tonight

Sunflower Galaxy (M63) tonight

Sunflower Galaxy (M63) tonight

Sunflower Galaxy (M63) visibility on 2026-10-25

Sunflower Galaxy (M63) Visible from sunset until before midnight

Sunflower Galaxy (M63) rise and set timetable

TimeElevation
Sunflower Galaxy (M63) transit10:1085°
Moonrise, 98.1% illuminated 15:1733°
Sunset16:1723°
Civil sunset16:4518°
Twilight start (−12°)17:1514°
Astronomical observing session begins17:469°
Sunflower Galaxy (M63) set19:03
Sunflower Galaxy (M63) rise01:14
Astronomical observing session ends03:5822°
Twilight end (−12°)04:2827°
Moonset04:5732°
Civil sunrise04:5832°
Sunrise05:2637°

Track Sunflower Galaxy (M63) position throughout the night

← 25 October 2026 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe Sunflower Galaxy (M63) changing position in the night sky.

M63 - Sunflower Galaxy

The Sunflower Galaxy (M63) is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1779 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M63 is known for its bright core and well-defined spiral arms.

M63 spans about 98,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 27 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.6, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M63 — Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M63 — blue-filter image
Blue images highlight younger, hotter stars that emit strongly at blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M63 — red-filter image
Red images reveal older, cooler stars and emission nebulae glowing strongly in hydrogen-alpha light.

DSS Near-Infrared

M63 — near-infrared image
Near-infrared images penetrate dust that obscures visible light and reveal hidden structures.

DSS Composite Image

M63 — composite color 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.

Open the step-by-step guide View on Sky Map

Sunflower Galaxy (M63) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Sunflower Galaxy (M63)

Time04:56
Latitude37.3541
Longitude-121.955
Elevation31°
Azimuth59°
Here you can see the current position of Sunflower Galaxy (M63) 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.

When Is Sunflower Galaxy (M63) Visible Throughout the Year?

Sunflower Galaxy (M63) will become visible again around October 29 after moving far enough from the Sun. Time
DateSun, 25 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins17:41
Astronomical observing session ends03:51
Astronomical observing duration10h 10m
Rise01:14
Set18:59
Elevation at transit85°
Transit time10:06
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 13h 15m 49s", Dec: 42° 01' 45s
Magnitude9
ConstellationCanes Venatici
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of Sunflower Galaxy (M63), 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 see when Sunflower Galaxy (M63) is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of Sunflower Galaxy (M63)

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension13h 15m 49s
Declination42° 01′ 45″
Magnitude8.61
ConstellationCanes Venatici
Elevation31.4°
Azimuth58.6°

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.