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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / M96

M96 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is M96 right now?

M96 is located in the constellation Leo. Although M96 is currently 17° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.

M96 visibility on 2026-08-19

M96 Visible from sunset until evening

M96 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 29.9% illuminated	10:53	60°
M96 transit	12:05	64°
Sunset	17:54	9°
Civil sunset	18:23	3°
M96 set	18:41
Astronomical observing session begins	19:31	-9°
Moonset	20:56	-24°
Astronomical observing session ends	02:52	-27°
M96 rise	05:26

Track M96 Position Throughout the Night

← 19 August 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe M96 changing position in the night sky.

M96 - Spiral Galaxy

M96 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Leo. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 and later cataloged by Charles Messier. M96 is known for its bright core and well-defined spiral arms.

M96 spans about 100,000 light-years across and contains a massive population of stars, gas, and dust. The galaxy is approximately 38 million light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 10.1, making it visible with a small telescope.

M96 — 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 M96

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Object name	M96
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M96 coordinates	10.77937, 11.81994
Center coordinates	10.77937, 11.81994

M96 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M96

Time	17:16
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	17°
Azimuth	272°

Here you can see the current position of M96 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 M96

M96 will become visible again around October 14 after moving far enough from the Sun.

Date	Thu, 20 August 2026
Twilight start	19:28
Twilight end	02:51
Twilight duration	7h 22m
Rise	05:26
Set	18:37
Elevation at transit	64°
Transit time	12:01
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 10h 46m 45s", Dec: 11° 49' 11s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Leo

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of M96, 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 M96

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	10.77937°
Declination	11.81994°
Magnitude	9.21
Constellation	Leo
Elevation	16.6°
Azimuth	272.4°

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