Location settings
VA, US
39°/-77.5°
GMT -4
Waxing20:15 - 05:54
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M77: Rise, Set, Nighttime Path

M77

M77 Daily Motion


M77 will be visible until March, 9, 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.

M77 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Astrosession begin20:15-22°
M77 Rise22:10
M77 transit04:0951°
Astrosession end05:5444°
Civil sunrise06:2540°
Sunrise06:5336°
M77 Set10:08

M77 Sky Tracker Map

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M77 changing position in the night sky.

M77 - Barred Spiral Galaxy

M77 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M77 is one of the largest galaxies in the Messier catalog and is known for its active galactic nucleus.

M77 spans about 170,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 47 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.9, making it visible with a small telescope.

M77 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M77 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M77 photo taken with red filter
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

M77 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

M77 color 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 M77

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Object nameM77
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M77 coordinates2.71131, -0.01328
Center coordinates2.71131, -0.01328

M77 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M77

Time20:08
Latitude39.0469
Longitude-77.4903
M77 elevation-23°
M77 Azimuth-70°
Here you can see the current position of the M77 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M77's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M77

Time
DateTue, 17 September 2024
Twighlight start20:45
Twighlight end05:21
Twighlight duration9h 36m
Rise22:06
Set10:04
Elevation at transit51°
Transit time04:05
Equatorial coordinateRA: 02h 42m 40s, Dec: 00° 00' 47"
Magnitude9
ConstellationCetus
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M77, 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 M77 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.