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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / NGC1261

NGC1261 Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is NGC1261 right now?

NGC1261 is located in the constellation Horologium. It is currently below the horizon and is not visible from your location.

NGC1261 visibility on 2026-08-17

NGC1261 is Not visible tonight

NGC1261 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
NGC1261 is always below the horizon	-
Moonrise, 13.1% illuminated	08:46	-16°
Astronomical observing session begins	19:34	-55°
Moonset	19:59	-52°
Astronomical observing session ends	02:50	-5°
NGC1261 transit	04:36	-3°

Track NGC1261 Position Throughout the Night

← 17 August 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.

Finder Chart for NGC1261

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Object name	NGC1261
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
NGC1261 coordinates	3.20426, -55.21681
Center coordinates	3.20426, -55.21681

NGC1261 Passage Through Night

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Current position of NGC1261

Time	02:16
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	-7°
Azimuth	161°

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.

Annual motion of NGC1261

Date	Tue, 18 August 2026
Twilight start	19:28
Twilight end	02:44
Twilight duration	7h 17m
Rise	NGC1261 is always down
Set	NGC1261 is always down
Elevation at transit	-3°
Transit time	04:32
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 view detailed visibility information in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of NGC1261

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	3.20426°
Declination	-55.21681°
Magnitude	8.63
Constellation	Horologium
Elevation	-7.3°
Azimuth	160.7°

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