Bode’s Galaxy (M81) Position and Visibility Tonight
Where is Bode’s Galaxy (M81) right now?
Twilight begins at 18:28 local time. At that moment, Bode’s Galaxy (M81) will be 23° above the horizon toward the north-west.
Bode’s Galaxy (M81) visibility on 2026-09-06
Bode’s Galaxy (M81) rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| Bode’s Galaxy (M81) is always above the horizon | ||
| Bode’s Galaxy (M81) transit | 10:03 | 58° |
| Moonset | 14:58 | 40° |
| Sunset | 17:29 | 28° |
| Civil sunset | 17:56 | 26° |
| Twilight start | 18:28 | 23° |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 19:00 | 22° |
| Bode’s Galaxy (M81) is always above the horizon | ||
Moonrise, 31.2% illuminated  | 23:22 | 17° |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 03:12 | 30° |
| Twilight end | 03:44 | 33° |
| Civil sunrise | 04:16 | 36° |
| Sunrise | 04:43 | 38° |
Track Bode’s Galaxy (M81) Position Throughout the Night
← 6 September 2026 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
M81 - Bode's Galaxy
Bode's Galaxy (M81) is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M81 is one of the brightest galaxies in the sky and is part of the M81 Group of galaxies.
M81 spans about 90,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 12 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 6.9, making it visible with binoculars or a small telescope.
M81 — Image Gallery
DSS Blue
DSS Red
DSS Near-Infrared
DSS Composite Image
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 Bode’s Galaxy (M81)
| Object name | Bode’s Galaxy (M81) |
| Field of view | |
| Limiting magnitude | |
| Bode’s Galaxy (M81) coordinates | 9.92588, 69.06531 |
| Center coordinates | 9.92588, 69.06531 |
Bode’s Galaxy (M81) Passage Through Night
Current position of Bode’s Galaxy (M81)
| Time | 15:26 |
| Latitude | 37.3541 |
| Longitude | -121.955 |
| Elevation | 38° |
| Azimuth | 334° |
When Is Bode’s Galaxy (M81) Visible Throughout the Year?
Bode’s Galaxy (M81) will remain visible until August 1, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.
| Date | Mon, 7 September 2026 |
| Twilight start | 18:58 |
| Twilight end | 03:11 |
| Twilight duration | 8h 13m |
| Rise | M81 is always up |
| Set | M81 is always up |
| Elevation at transit | 58° |
| Transit time | 09:59 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 09h 55m 33s", Dec: 69° 03' 55s |
| Magnitude | 7 |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
You can also see when Bode’s Galaxy (M81) is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.
Astrometric and Physical Parameters of Bode’s Galaxy (M81)
Coordinates and Visibility
| Right Ascension | 09h 55m 33s |
| Declination | 69° 03′ 55″ |
| Magnitude | 6.92 |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Elevation | 37.7° |
| Azimuth | 333.5° |
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.