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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae and Deep-Sky Objects / Fireworks Galaxy (NGC6946)

Fireworks Galaxy (NGC6946) Position and Visibility Tonight

Where is NGC6946 right now?

NGC6946 is located in the constellation Cygnus. Although NGC6946 is currently 24° above the horizon, it is not visible because it is daytime.
Twilight begins at 18:26 local time. At that moment, NGC6946 will be 59° above the horizon toward the north-east.

Open the interactive guide to NGC6946’s position and path tonight

NGC6946 visibility on 2026-09-07

NGC6946 Visible all night

NGC6946 rise and set timetable

	Time	Elevation
NGC6946 is always above the horizon
Moonset	14:56	34°
Sunset	17:27	52°
Civil sunset	17:55	56°
Twilight start	18:26	59°
Astronomical observing session begins	18:58	62°
NGC6946 is always above the horizon
NGC6946 transit	20:37	67°
Moonrise, 21% illuminated	23:21	55°
Astronomical observing session ends	03:13	28°
Twilight end	03:45	24°
Civil sunrise	04:17	21°
Sunrise	04:44	18°

Track NGC6946 Position Throughout the Night

← 7 September 2026 →

Time
Altitude
Azimuth

Shift the map to change the time and observe NGC6946 changing position in the night sky.

NGC6946 — 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 NGC6946

Double-click to unlock the map.

Object name	NGC6946
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
NGC6946 coordinates	20.5812, 60.15392
Center coordinates	20.5812, 60.15392

Fireworks Galaxy (NGC6946) Passage Through Night

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Current position of Fireworks Galaxy (NGC6946)

Time	13:29
Latitude	37.3541
Longitude	-121.955
Elevation	24°
Azimuth	31°

Here you can see the current position of NGC6946 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 Fireworks Galaxy (NGC6946) Visible Throughout the Year?

NGC6946 will be visible throughout the entire year. Its position changes by about 60°. Use the annual motion section to find when NGC6946 reaches its highest elevation.

Date	Mon, 7 September 2026
Twilight start	18:54
Twilight end	03:07
Twilight duration	8h 13m
Rise	NGC6946 is always up
Set	NGC6946 is always up
Elevation at transit	67°
Transit time	20:33
Equatorial coordinates	RA: 20h 34m 52s", Dec: 60° 09' 14s
Magnitude	9
Constellation	Cygnus

The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of NGC6946, 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 NGC6946 is visible throughout the year in a table with exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.

Astrometric and Physical Parameters of NGC6946

Coordinates and Visibility

Right Ascension	20h 34m 52s
Declination	60° 09′ 14″
Magnitude	9.05
Constellation	Cygnus
Elevation	24.1°
Azimuth	31.4°

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