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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M79

M79 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M79 right now?

M79 is located in the constellation Lepus. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

M79 visibility on 2026-08-30

M79 Visible from early morning until before midnight

M79 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 96.4% illuminated	18:23	-76°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:12	-70°
M79 rise	01:19
Astronomical observing session ends	03:05	16°
Twilight end	03:38	20°
Civil sunrise	04:10	23°
Sunrise	04:38	25°
M79 transit	05:56	28°
Moonset	07:13	26°
M79 set	10:34

Track M79 Position Throughout the Night

← 30 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M79 changing position in the night sky.

M79 - Globular Cluster

M79 is a globular cluster located in the constellation Lepus. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. The cluster contains a rich population of old stars.

M79 spans about 118 light-years across and contains around 150,000 stars. The cluster is approximately 41,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.7, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.

M79 — 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 M79

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Object name	M79
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M79 coordinates	5.40294, -24.52422
Center coordinates	5.40294, -24.52422

M79 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M79

Time	00:12
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-12°
Azimuth	112°

Here you can see the current position of M79 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 M79

M79 will remain visible until April 26, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Mon, 31 August 2026
Twilight start	19:06
Twilight end	02:59
Twilight duration	8h 53m
Rise	01:15
Set	10:30
Elevation at transit	28°
Transit time	05:52
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 05h 24m 10s", Dec: -24° 31' 27s
Magnitude	8
Constellation	Lepus

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M79, 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 M79

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	5.40294°
Declination	-24.52422°
Magnitude	8.16
Constellation	Lepus
Elevation	-11.9°
Azimuth	111.9°

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