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    Type a name: Jupiter, Orion, M42, Perseids, a city. Ctrl+K or / opens search on any page.

    Galaxy in Ursa Major

    M82 (Cigar Galaxy)

    Photo: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin), M. Mountain (STScI) and P. Puxley (National Science Foundation)

    From New York, M82 never sets: it is highest at 9:22 AM on October 13, 2026, 61° above the horizon in the N, and lowest 20° above the horizon.

    Rises Always up
    Highest 9:22 AM October 14 · 61° N
    Sets Never setsLowest 20°
    Best in the evening sky December, January, February, March, April, May, June, and July

    In the 3D sky

    The sky over New York turned towards M82. Drag to look around.

    Loading 3D view...

    12:07 PMTue, Oct 13

    Drag to look around, pinch or scroll to zoom.

    Evening visibility over the year

    Height of M82 above the horizon at 10 pm local time on the 15th of each month, from New York.

    0°30°60°90°Oct: 21°OctNov: 28°NovDec: 36°DecJan: 47°JanFeb: 57°FebMar: 59°MarApr: 61°AprMay: 54°MayJun: 44°JunJul: 34°JulAug: 26°AugSep: 21°Sep

    Facts

    TypeGalaxy (S?)
    Brightness (magnitude)8.3
    Size in the sky11.0 × 5.1 arcminutes
    ConstellationUrsa Major
    Position (J2000)09h 55m 53s, +69° 40′ 46″
    Other designationsNGC 3034

    Hubble’s view

    A white band of stars that cuts across a black background, from the lower left to the upper right, is the galaxy M82. Reddish brown gas and dust overlays the galaxy concentrated in the center of the image and fanning out above and below the white band of the galaxy. Black background is dotted with stars.
    Hubble often shows only part of a large object. Through binoculars or a small telescope it looks much fainter and smaller. Photo: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin), M. Mountain (STScI) and P. Puxley (National Science Foundation)

    Finder charts

    A wide field to find the right part of the sky and a closer field with fainter stars. North is up and east on the left.

    Ursa MajorM40M109M108M82NE
    50° field, stars to magnitude 5.
    M81M82NE
    12° field, stars to magnitude 9.

    Nearby Messier objects

    Data: OpenNGC (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: NASA Hubble Messier Catalog, credit as shown. Data sources

    How to use this page

    Choose your place and a night at the top. The page shows when the object is highest and where to look, the 3D sky with it marked, and its visibility through the year. The finder charts help you star-hop to it with binoculars or a small telescope.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I see it with the naked eye?

    The brightest Messier objects, such as the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula, show to the eye under a dark sky. Most others need binoculars or a small telescope, and all of them look best far from city lights.

    Why does it look grey and not colourful like the photo?

    The eye’s colour cells do not work in dim light, so faint objects look grey. Photos collect light for minutes or hours and show colours the eye cannot see.

    When is the best time to look?

    When the object is high in a dark sky and the Moon is down or a thin crescent. The page gives the best time for the night you choose.

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