NGC1261 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is NGC1261 right now?

NGC1261 is located in the constellation Horologium. It is currently above the horizon at an altitude of 35° toward the south, with an apparent magnitude of 8.63.

Open the interactive guide to NGC1261’s position and path tonight

NGC1261 tonight

NGC1261 visibility on 2026-11-03

NGC1261 Visible from late evening until sunrise

NGC1261 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
Moonrise, 48.5% illuminated	01:05	34°
Moonset	13:29	-33°
NGC1261 rise	18:24
Twilight start (−12°)	18:33	1°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:58	5°
NGC1261 transit	00:23	35°
Astronomical observing session ends	04:28	16°
Twilight end (−12°)	04:53	12°
Civil sunrise	05:18	9°
Sunrise	05:41	6°
NGC1261 set	06:22

Track NGC1261 position throughout the night

← 3 November 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe NGC1261 changing position in the night sky.

NGC1261 — 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.

NGC1261 Passage Through Night

Double-click to unlock the map.

Current position of NGC1261

Time	00:30
Latitude	0
Longitude	0
Elevation	35°
Azimuth	181°

Here you can see the current position of NGC1261 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 NGC1261 Visible Throughout the Year?

NGC1261 will remain visible until February 22, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.

Date	Wed, 4 November 2026
Astronomical observing session begins	18:55
Astronomical observing session ends	04:24
Astronomical observing duration	9h 29m
Rise	18:20
Set	06:18
Elevation at transit	35°
Transit time	00:19
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 03h 12m 15s", Dec: -55° 13' 00s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Horologium

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of NGC1261, 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 NGC1261 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of NGC1261

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	03h 12m 15s
Declination	-55° 13′ 01″
Magnitude	8.63
Constellation	Horologium
Elevation	34.8°
Azimuth	181.3°

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