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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M78

M78 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M78 right now?

M78 is located in the constellation Orion. Although M78 is currently 41° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.

Open the interactive guide to M78’s position and path tonight

M78 visibility on 2026-10-18

M78 Visible from before midnight until sunrise

M78 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 34.6% illuminated	11:59	-33°
Astronomical observing session begins	17:54	-36°
M78 rise	21:07
Moonset	21:28	4°
M78 transit	03:06	53°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:51	51°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:22	49°
Civil sunrise	04:52	45°
Sunrise	05:20	42°
M78 set	09:05

Track M78 position throughout the night

← 18 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M78 changing position in the night sky.

M78 - Reflection Nebula

M78 is a reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M78 is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex and is one of the brightest reflection nebulae in the sky.

M78 spans about 5 light-years across and contains several young stars that illuminate the surrounding dust. The nebula is approximately 1,600 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.3, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M78 — 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 M78

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Object name	M78
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M78 coordinates	5.77939, 0.07931
Center coordinates	5.77939, 0.07931

M78 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M78

Time	05:27
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	41°
Azimuth	228°

Here you can see the current position of M78 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 M78 Visible Throughout the Year?

M78 will remain visible until April 17, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Sun, 18 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	17:50
Astronomical observing session ends	03:45
Astronomical observing duration	10h 55m
Rise	21:07
Set	09:05
Elevation at transit	53°
Transit time	03:06
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 05h 46m 45s", Dec: 00° 04' 45s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Orion

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M78, 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 M78 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M78

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	05h 46m 46s
Declination	00° 04′ 46″
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Orion
Elevation	41.1°
Azimuth	228.5°

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