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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M68

M68 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M68 right now?

M68 is located in the constellation Hydra. At the current time, it is below the horizon and not visible from your location.

M68 Visibility on March 08

M68 is visible in the early morning sky until sunrise

M68 Rise and Set Timetable

	Time	Elevation
Astrosession begin	17:34	-18°
M68 rise	19:14
Moon Rise, 80.3% illuminated	20:48	14°
M68 transit	23:42	26°
Astrosession end	03:02	11°
Civil sunrise	04:02	1°
M68 set	04:11
Moon Set	06:48	-29°

Track M68 Position Throughout the Night

← Sun, 8 March 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

These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

M68 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter

These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M68

Double-click to unlock the map.

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	13:11
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
M68 elevation	-69°
M68 Azimuth	-66°

Here you can see the current position of the M68 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M68's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M68

M68 will be visible until August, 6, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

Date	Sun, 8 March 2026
Twighlight start	17:29
Twighlight end	02:57
Twighlight duration	9h 27m
Rise	19:10
Set	04:07
Elevation at transit	26°
Transit time	23:38
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 12h 39m 28s", Dec: -26° 44' 34s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Hydra

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M68, 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 M68 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.
You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric & Physical Parameters of M68

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension	12.65778°
Declination	-26.74303°
Magnitude	7.96
Constellation	Hydra
Elevation	-68.9°
Azimuth	-66.1°

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