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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Virgo Galaxy (M87)

Virgo Galaxy (M87) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M87 right now?

M87 is located in the constellation Virgo. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

Open the interactive guide to M87’s position and path tonight

M87 visibility on 2026-10-01

M87 Visible from sunset until evening

M87 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
M87 transit	11:00	65°
Sunset	16:50	9°
Civil sunset	17:18	4°
M87 set	17:37
Astronomical observing session begins	18:18	-8°
Moonrise, 77.9% illuminated	19:13	-17°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:36	-8°
M87 rise	04:18
Civil sunrise	04:37	4°
Sunrise	05:04	9°
Moonset	10:55	65°

Track M87 position throughout the night

← 1 October 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M87 changing position in the night sky.

M87 - Virgo A

M87 is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781. M87 is one of the largest and most massive galaxies in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.

M87 spans about 240,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of old stars. The galaxy is approximately 53 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 8.6, making it visible with a small telescope.

M87 — 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 M87

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Object name	M87
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M87 coordinates	12.51373, 12.39111
Center coordinates	12.51373, 12.39111

Virgo Galaxy (M87) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Virgo Galaxy (M87)

Time	02:53
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-16°
Azimuth	60°

Here you can see the current position of M87 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 Virgo Galaxy (M87) Visible Throughout the Year?

M87 will become visible again around November 4 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Fri, 2 October 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:13
Astronomical observing session ends	03:31
Astronomical observing duration	9h 18m
Rise	04:14
Set	17:30
Elevation at transit	65°
Transit time	10:52
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 12h 30m 49s", Dec: 12° 23' 27s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Virgo

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M87, 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 M87 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of M87

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	12h 30m 49s
Declination	12° 23′ 28″
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Virgo
Elevation	-15.7°
Azimuth	60.4°

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