M3 — midnight transit date and best time to observe

Object data

A globular cluster in Canes Venatici. It contains about half a million stars and is often called one of the finest Messier objects.

Location: Tokyo (change)

🗓️

Around Apr 13, 2026

The date it transits around midnight (transit altitude about 83°)

This date has already passed this year. Next year (2027) it will be around Apr 13.

For about 2–3 weeks either side of this date, the object stays high from evening to dawn — its observing season.

Tonight (Oct 12 evening – Oct 13 dawn) · Location: Tokyo (full darkness = end of astronomical dusk to start of dawn, altitude ≥ 15°)

🌒 Moon tonight: Waxing crescent (age 1.1 days, 1% illuminated) — Little moonlight — a good time for faint objects

It does not reach 15° during full darkness tonight (it is high only in daytime or twilight at this time of year).

Night (sunset – sunrise) Full darkness (dusk – dawn) Moon up (darker = brighter moon) Best time to observe (thick line) Now

Sunset 17:10 → Dusk 18:35 → Dawn 4:20 → Sunrise 5:45

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