Barbell Nebula (M76) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is Barbell Nebula right now?

Barbell Nebula (M76) is located in the constellation Perseus. At the current time, it is above the horizon at an altitude of 47 degrees toward the northwest from your location, with an apparent magnitude of 10.10.
Twilight begins at 02:51 local time, and at that moment, M76 will appear at an altitude of 47 degrees toward the northwest.

M76 Visibility on June 22

M76 Not Visible Tonight

M76 Rise and Set Timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moon Rise, 40.6% illuminated	11:08	43°
M76 rise	19:51
Astrosession begin	20:25	1°
Moon Set	23:07	15°
Astrosession end	01:53	38°
Twighlight end	02:37	45°
Civil sunrise	03:16	51°
Sunrise	03:49	56°
M76 transit	06:46	76°

Track M76 Position Throughout the Night

← Mon, 22 June 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M76 changing position in the night sky.

M76 - Little Dumbbell Nebula

The Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76) is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Perseus. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M76 is one of the fainter objects in the Messier catalog.

M76 spans about 1.23 light-years across and contains a central white dwarf star surrounded by a shell of ionized gas. The nebula is approximately 2,500 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 10.1, making it visible with a small telescope.

Finder Chart for M76

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Object name	M76
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M76 coordinates	1.70547, 51.57547
Center coordinates	1.70547, 51.57547

M76 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M76

Time	02:51
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
M76 elevation	47°
M76 Azimuth	-51°

Here you can see the current position of the M76 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M76's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M76

M76 will be visible until March, 28, 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	Tue, 23 June 2026
Twighlight start	20:21
Twighlight end	01:48
Twighlight duration	5h 27m
Rise	19:47
Set	17:37
Elevation at transit	76°
Transit time	06:42
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 01h 42m 19s", Dec: 51° 34' 31s
Magnitude	10
Constellation	Perseus

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M76, 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 M76 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 M76

Coordinates & Visibility

Right Ascension	1.70547°
Declination	51.57547°
Magnitude	10.10
Constellation	Perseus
Elevation	46.8°
Azimuth	-51.2°

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.

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