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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M68

M68 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M68 right now?

M68 is located in the constellation Hydra. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

M68 visibility on 2026-08-24

M68 Rises at sunrise

M68 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M68 transit	13:38	26°
Moonrise, 83.8% illuminated	15:29	21°
Sunset	17:47	3°
M68 set	18:07
Astronomical observing session begins	19:22	-13°
Moonset	00:52	-76°
Astronomical observing session ends	02:58	-70°
M68 rise	09:05

Track M68 Position Throughout the Night

← 24 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M68 changing position in the night sky.

M68 - Globular Cluster

M68 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Hydra. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. The cluster contains a rich population of old stars.

M68 spans about 106 light-years across and contains around 100,000 stars. The cluster is approximately 33,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.8, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M68 — 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 M68

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Object name	M68
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M68 coordinates	12.65778, -26.74303
Center coordinates	12.65778, -26.74303

M68 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M68

Time	17:59
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	1°
Azimuth	234°

Here you can see the current position of M68 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 M68

M68 will become visible again around November 2 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Tue, 25 August 2026
Twilight start	19:20
Twilight end	02:56
Twilight duration	8h 36m
Rise	09:05
Set	18:03
Elevation at transit	26°
Transit time	13:34
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 12h 39m 28s", Dec: -26° 44' 34s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Hydra

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M68, 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 M68

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	12.65778°
Declination	-26.74303°
Magnitude	7.96
Constellation	Hydra
Elevation	1.2°
Azimuth	234.3°

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