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Observing Targets


2019-04-07

You've got a nice crisp, clear night. You've hauled your equipment to your favourite dark sky site and you're all set for a few hours of observing. What are you going to look at? Astronomers often arm themselves with catalogues such as the Messier List, the Herschel 400 or even the New General Catalog. Astronomy software provides access to these lists and more at your fingertips. For me, I like to have a list of objects that I've either observed, or would like to observe. This is that list! I've sorted the targets by constellation, as that makes the most sense to me (ie: I know what constellations are best positioned for observing on a given night, so I want to see all the interesting targets in them). If you see anything interesting that I might have missed, let me know! Download an Excel copy if you want!

Name(s) Constellation Mag Dist in LY Class(es)
Alpha And, Alpheratz, Sirrah Andromeda 2.06 97 B9 and G5
11th mag optical companion. Spectrum shows manganese! 65" separation.
Beta And, Mirach Andromeda 2.05 199 M0
Galaxy NGC404 is right nearby (NW). 6.4' separation.
Gamma And, Almach Andromeda 2.1 356 K2 and B9
Gorgeous orange/blue double star! 10" separation.
Pi And Andromeda 4.31 659 B7 and ?
Main sequence star, 36" of separation from companion.
36 And Andromeda 5.43 127 K0 and K?
Separation of 1.4" - very tight pair!
R And Andromeda 10.68 ~900 S6
Varies between mag 6.9 and 14.3, period is 409 days. Mira type variable.
HIP1475, GRB 34 Andromeda 8.06 12 M7 and M7
Red dwarf binary, closest to Earth! Mags 8.1 and 10.9. 39" separation.
NGC 224, M31 Andromeda 4.3 2.2 mil Spiral
Great Andromeda Galaxy, 3.2 in size. Gorgeous in low power wide field!
NGC 205, M110 Andromeda 8.9 2.2 mil Eliptical
Dimmer companion to M31. Noticably dimmer than M32. 20' in size.
NGC 221, M32 Andromeda 10 2.9 mil Eliptical
Although lower in mag to NGC205, compact size renders it brighter. 7.4' in size.
NGC 752 Andromeda 5.7 1000 Open
Very old cluster, over a billion years old, angular size 50'.
NGC 891 Andromeda 10.84 30 mil Spiral
Awesome edge-on spiral galaxy. Use averted vision!
NGC 7662, Blue Snowball Andromeda 9.16 5000 Planetary
Very fine planetary nebulae, bright blue glow, darker towards centre.
Zeta Aqr Aquarius 2.96 83 A1 and F2
Close pair, mags 4.42 and 4.59, separation is 1.7".
R Aqr Aquarius 8.68 646 M7
Long period Mira class - mag 6.5 to 10.3, period is 387 days.
NGC 7089, M2 Aquarius 6.5 50000 Globular
Fine, bright globular cluster, angular size of 12'.
NGC 6981, M72 Aquarius 10 55000 Globular
Smaller than M2, and less densely packed. Angular size of 6'.
NGC 6994, M73 Aquarius 8.9 n/a Open
Not a true cluster - just a knot of 4 visually close stars. Angular size of 2.8'.
NGC 7009, Saturn Nebula Aquarius 8.3 3900 Planetary
Resembles a blueish Saturn. Angular size of 58".
NGC 7293, Helix Nebula Aquarius 6.5 450 Planetary
About 1/2 size of full moon, use binocs or very low power to observe. 34' in size.
Alpha Aql, Altair Aquila 0.75 17 A7
White main sequence star. Very rapid rotation - once every 6.5hrs - likely oblate.
Beta Aql, Alshain Aquila 3.68 45 G2 and M3
Good comparison for Cepheid variable Eta Aql. Mag 11.5 companion 13" away.
Gamma Aql, Tarazed Aquila 2.71 463 K3
Situation near the Great Rift, a dark nebula 1.5 to the west (B143).
Eta Aql Aquila 3.84 1186 F8
Cephied variable used for measuring distances. Mag 3.5 to 4.3 every 7.2 days.
Lambda Aql, Althalimain Aquila 5.37 326 K1
Located just NE of Scutum Star Cloud and just 1 north is wide double 15 Aql.
R Aql Aquila 7.59 694 K1
Mira type variable - mag 6.1 to 11.5, period 270 days. Very red!
B143, Great Rift Aquila n/a 2500 Dark
Actually, part of the Great Rift, B143 is about 30' in size.
Gamma Ari, Mesarthim Aries 3.87 204 B9 and A0
Lovely binary of mag 4.5 and 4.6, with 7.4" separation.
30 Ari Aries 7.09 129 F2 and F6
Mags 6.57 and 7.37 with a wide separation. Both stars are yellow.
53 Ari Aries 6.12 759 B7
A runaway star, ejected from Orion group 5 mil yrs ago. Speed is 35 mps!
NGC 772 Aries 11.1 110 mil Spiral
Small bright core should be apparent.
NGC 972 Aries 12.1 Spiral
See if you can even detect it??
Alpha Aur, Capella Auriga 0.06 42 G2
Spectral binary with curious readings. Has mag 10 component which is also binary
Eta Aur, Hoedus II Auriga 3.15 220 B6
Forms nice visual pair with Zeta Aur (Hoedus I)
Zeta Aur, Hoedus I Auriga 3.68 796 G8
Notice the colour difference between the two stars.
Theta Aur Auriga 2.62 173 B8 and G?
Retrograde binary. Mags 2.62 and 7.50, separation 3.5".
48T Aur Auriga 5.75 1591 G0
A bright Cephied variable, mags 4.9 to 5.9 over 3.7 days.
NGC 1960, M36 Auriga 6.5 4100 Open
Cluster of about 60 stars, great in low power field. One of the younger clusters. Size of 21'.
NGC 2099, M37 Auriga 5.6 4400 Open
Magnificent open cluster - "Salt and Pepper". Size of 24'.
NGC 1912, M38 Auriga 7 4200 Open
Nice big cluster of about 100 stars. Apparent size of 26'.
Alpha Boo, Arcturus Bootes -0.07 37 K2
Star is very close to the Sun. Can be observed during the day.
Delta Boo Bootes 3.43 117 G8 and G0
Wide binary companion (105", 7th mag) is very similar to the Sun.
Epsilon Boo, Izar Bootes 2.34 210 G5 and A2
Tight binary - great colour contrast. Mags 2.47 (yellow) and 5.04 (blue).
Eta Boo, Muphrid Bootes 2.65 32 G1
Exactly 1 parsec away, it's vis and abs mag is the same at 2.65!
Mu Boo, Alkalurops Bootes 4.28 121 F0 and G1
Wide (108") double star of mags 4.30 and 6.50. Fainter star similar to the Sun.
Xi Boo Bootes 4.53 22 G5 and K4
Fine colour contrast of yellow and violet. Separation 7.3"? Very close to us!
44 Boo Bootes 4.81 42 G2 and G2
Apparent orbit very elongated to us - current sep of 2.9". Primary very like the Sun.
ST Cam Camelopardalis 6.53 9319 M4
Long period plusating variable. Was originally thought to be R8?
NGC 1502 Camelopardalis 6.9 3000 Open
Small but attractive cluster at the SE end of Kimble's Cascade. 8' in size.
NGC 2403 Camelopardalis 8.9 12 mil Spiral
Fine galaxy, part of M81 galaxy group. Good in binocs or small scopes. Size of 11'.
IC 342 Camelopardalis 6.06 10 mil Spiral
Huge local group galaxy - 37' across. Very tough in small scopes.
Zeta Can, Tegmeni Cancer 5.25 70 F8 and G0 and G2
Triple star system - mags 5.6, 5.9 and 6.02. Seps of 1.0" and 5.8".
NGC 2632, M44, Beehive, Praesepe Cancer 4 500 Open
Naked eye cluster - has many double stars in it. Size of 45'. Use low power.
NGC 2682, M67, King Cobra Cancer 7.5 2700 Open
5 bil yr old cluster - very ancient. About 500 stars. Size 25'.
Alpha CVn, Cor Caroli Canes Venatici 2.84 120 A0 and B9
Very attractive similarly coloured stars, 20" sep. Mags 2.89 and 5.60.
Y CVn, La Superba Canes Venatici 5.4 717 M4
A "carbon star" - very red! Slightly variable.
NGC 5272, M3 Canes Venatici 7 35000 Globular
Messier's first original discovery. Size of 48'. Rivals M13.
NGC 5194, M51 Canes Venatici 8 37 mil Spiral
Whirpool Galaxy - gorgeous! Size 18'.
NGC 5055, M63 Canes Venatici 8.5 37 mil Spiral
Sunflower Galaxy - near M94. Size 16'.
NGC 4736, M94 Canes Venatici 9.5 14 mil Spiral
Cat's Eye Galaxy. Size 15'.
NGC 4631 Canes Venatici 9.69 25 mil Spiral
Whale Galaxy. Seen edge on. Size 12.5'.
NGC 4656 Canes Venatici 10.7 25 mil Spiral
Irregular Galaxy. Size 19.5'. Same field as NGC 4631.
NGC 4244 Canes Venatici 10.78 22 mil Spiral
Another edge-on spiral. Size 17'.
NGC 4449 Canes Venatici 9.82 16 mil Irregular
Rectangular shape. Size 5.8'.
Alpha CMa, Sirius Canis Major -1.47 9 ly A0 and A5
Brightest star in the sky, mag 8.5 companion varies 3" to 12" over 50 years.
Epsilon CMa, Adhara Canis Major 1.5 432 B0 and ?
8th mag companion of unknown separation.
NGC 2287, M41 Canis Major 5 2300 Open
Located near Sirius, it's size is 32'. Similar to Beehive (M44) in appearance.
NGC 2362 Canis Major 4.09 4000 Open
Cluster of stars surrounding Tau Cma. 8' in size. Very pretty.
NGC 2354 Canis Major 6.5 Open
Near Wesen. About 20' in size.
Alpha Cap, Al Giedi Capricornus 3.56 109 G5 and G3
Optical doubles which are each doubles. 6' apart.
Beta Cap, Dabih Capricornus 3.03 345 G0 and A0
Fine colour contrast for small telescopes. Easy to split.
NGC 7099, M30 Capricornus 8.5 26000 Globular
Highly compressed core. Size of 20'.
Alpha Cas, Schedar Cassiopeia 2.21 229 K1 and ?
9th mag companion at 63" is easy for small scopes.
Eta Cas Cassiopeia 3.44 11 G0 and M0
Beautiful contrast between mag 3.47 and mag 7.22 stars. Sep of 12" or so.
Iota Cas Cassiopeia 4.43 142 A5 and F5 and G4
Finest triple star system. Resolvable in any good small scope.
NGC 7654, M52 Cassiopeia 8 5000 Open
Contains several hundred stars - one is orange! NGC 7635 is nearby. Size 26'.
NGC 581, M103 Cassiopeia 7 8000 Open
Last of Messier's objects, small cluster of 170 stars. Size 13'.
NGC 654 Cassiopeia 6.5 7000 Open
Small in size, but rich in stars. Size 5'.
NGC 663 Cassiopeia 7.1 6000 Open
Larger than NGC 654, it is located very close by. Size 16'.
NGC 659 Cassiopeia 7.9 Open
Similar to NGC 654 - along with NGC 663 can be seen at once. Size 5'.
NGC 185 Cassiopeia 8.67 2.2 mil Eliptical
Part of M31 group. Size 12'. Elliptical in nature.
NGC 147 Cassiopeia 9.07 2.5 mil Eliptical
Another elliptical in M31 group. 13' in size.
NGC 457, E.T. Cluster Cassiopeia 6.4 9000 Open
Rich cluster of 100 stars. Size 28'.
NGC 7789 Cassiopeia 6.7 8000 Open
Spectacular cluster of 1000 stars. 1.6 bil yrs old. Size 27'.
Alpha Cen, Rigel Kentaurus Centaurus -0.04 4 G5 and K1
Closest system to the Sun. Mags -0.04 and 1.17. Beautiful sight! Sep 11".
Gamma Cen Centaurus 2.81 160 A0 and A0
Tight binary with separation from 0.2" to 1.7". Good luck!
Delta Cen Centaurus 2.56 395 B7 and B6 and B9
Very wide triplet mags 2.56, 4.50 and 6.40. All B class stars.
Iota Cen Centaurus 2.75 59 A2 & F3
11th mag galaxy NGC 5102 lies 17' NE.
R Cen Centaurus 7.15 2104 M1
Long period (547 days) red variable star. Mag range 12 to 5.3.
Omega Cen, Omega Centaurus Centaurus 3.7 16000 Globular
Finest globular in the skies. Size of 42'!
NGC 5128, Centaurus A Centaurus 7.58 15 mil Lenticular
Very prominent dark lane in all scopes. Size of 12'. Part of M83 group.
Beta Cep, Alfirk Cepheus 3.21 598 B0 and A3
8th mag companion sits 14" away.
Delta Cep Cepheus 4.06 988 G0
Prootype Cephied variable - ranges mag 3.6 to 4.3 in 5.36634 days. Pulsates.
Epsilon Cep Cepheus 4.15 85 F0
Convienent comparison star for Delta Cep.
Zeta Cep Cepheus 3.37 733 K3
Just 15' south is triple star system mags 8.0, 11.5 and 13.0.
Mu Cep, Garnet Star Cepheus 4.21 5436 M4
Massive star, bigger than Saturn's orbit! Mag ranges 3.4 to 5.1 over 3.8 days.
Xi Cep, Kurhah Cepheus 4.25 102 F2 and A3
Fine double star with 8.1" separation. Mags 4.6 and 6.5.
DO Cep, Kruger 60 Cepheus 9.75 13 M3 and M4
One of the nearest visual binaries, 2.5" apart with mags 9.8 and 11.4.
S Cep Cepheus 7.46 1359 M4
A carbon star, Mira-class long period variable mags 7.5 - 12.5 over 487 days.
U Cep Cepheus 6.75 1000 B8 and G8
Excellent eclipsing binary. Takes 4 hrs to drop to mag 9.2, then 2 hr eclipse. Every 2.5 days.
NGC 188 Cepheus 8.1 5000 Open
Small open cluster near Polaris. Actually located in Cep. Size 14'.
NGC 6946 Cepheus 9.66 10 mil Spiral
Face on spiral that forms nice pair with NGC 6939. Size 9.8'.
NGC 6939 Cepheus 7.8 9000 Open
Nice paired with NGC 6946. Size 8'.
NGC 7510 Cepheus 7.9 9000 Open
Very small open cluster on Perseus arm of Milky Way. Size 4'.
Alpha Cet Cetus 2.53 220 K7
Wide field optical double with 93 Cet. Beautiful orange giant and 5th mag blue.
Gamma Cet, Kaffalijidhma Cetus 3.53 70 A2 and F3
Yellow/Blue double about 2.7" apart.
Omicron Cet, Mira Cetus 6.46 421 G8
Prototype Mira-class variable. Mags range from 9.0 to 3.0, sometimes 2.0. Period 331 days.
NGC 1068, M77 Cetus 10.5 60 mil Spiral
Seyfert type galaxy - bright nucleus varies with time. About 9' in size. Faint NGC 1055 nearby!
NGC 247 Cetus 9.67 8.2 mil Spiral
Very faint streak, 21' in size.
IC 1613 Cetus 9.21 2.4 mil Irregular
Part of local group. 16' in size.
NGC 246 Cetus 8 2000 Planetary
Small nebula - 3.8' in size. Sits near faint NGC 255.
Mel 111, Coma Cluster Coma Berenices 4.83 274 Open
A cluster of bright stars near 12 Com. Awesome in binoculars!
NGC 5024, M53 Coma Berenices 8.5 60000 Globular
Nice cluster, NGC 5053 in same field. Size of 11'.
NGC 4826, M64, Black Eye Galaxy Coma Berenices 9 20 mil Spiral
Spiral galaxy with very dark lane in one of the arms. Size 17'.
NGC 4382, M85 Coma Berenices 10.5 60 mil Lenticular
Part of Virgo Cluster. Cross between spiral and eliptical. NGC 4394 nearby. 5.8'.
NGC 4501, M88 Coma Berenices 11 60 mil Spiral
Part of Virgo Cluster, also at one end of Markarian's Chain. 7.8'.
NCG 4192, M98 Coma Berenices 11 60 mil Spiral
Edge-on galaxy, part of Virgo Cluster. 14' in size.
NGC 4254, M99 Coma Berenices 10.5 60 mil Spiral
Face on spiral , part of Virgo Cluster. 7.6' in size.
NGC 4321, M100 Coma Berenices 10.5 60 mil Spiral
Largest spiral in Virgo Cluster. Cephieds in galaxy used by HST to accurately measure the distance and help establish age of known universe at 14 billion years old. 6.1' in size.
NGC 4565 Coma Berenices 10.3 31 mil Spiral
Largest edge on spiral in the sky. Part of Virgo Cluster, but much closer to us. 15' long.
NGC 4889 Coma Berenices 12.52 315 mil Spiral
Extremely remote galaxy. Along with NGC 4874 form a cluster much farther away. 3.2' in size.
NGC 4394 Coma Berenices 11.73 60 mil Spiral
Part of Virgo Cluster, near NGC 4382. 3.5' in size.
NGC 4274 Coma Berenices 11.27 60 mil Spiral
Elongated edge-on appearance to us. 8' in size.
NGC 4725 Coma Berenices 10.07 45 mil Spiral
Near north galactic pole of Milky Way. 11' in size.
NGC 4501 Coma Berenices 10.19
6.8'
NGC 4474 Coma Berenices 12.5
2.4'
NGC 4559 Coma Berenices 11.3
4.0'
NGC 4477 Coma Berenices 11.4
3.7'
NGC 4473 Coma Berenices 11.2
4.2'
NGC 4461 Coma Berenices 12
3.4'
NGC 4435 Coma Berenices 11.8
3.0'
NGC 4438 Coma Berenices 10.9
8.5'
NGC 4406, M86 Coma Berenices 9.9 60 mil Eliptical
9.8'. Most massive galaxy in our area. Main component of Virgo Cluster
NGC 4374, M84 Coma Berenices 10.19 60 mil Eliptical
6.7'
NGC 4388 Coma Berenices 11.8 Spiral
5.6'
Sigma CrB Corona Borealis 5.21 71 G0 and G1
Nice double separated by 7.2". TYC2583-2278-1 (mag 9) also in FOV. Mags 5.2 and 6.4.
R CrB Corona Borealis 5.87 6523 F8
Totally erratic variable. Drops to mags 12-15 periodically and stays there for weeks/months.
Delta Crv Corvus 2.9 125 B9 and K2
Easy double star for small scopes. Separation of 23". White and orange? Mag 8.4 companion.
NGC 4038, Ring Tail/Antennae Galaxies Corvus 10.85 70 mil Irregular
Two colliding galaxies! Size 5.9'.
Alpha Cyg, Deneb, Arided Cygnus 1.25 3262 A5
One of the biggest supergiants known (along with Rigel), luminosity 300,000 times the Sun!
Beta Cyg, Albireo Cygnus 3.03 386 K0 and B8
Awesome double star - 35" sep, fantastic colour contrast. Best in the sky!
Gamma Cyg, Sadr Cygnus 2.21 1553 F8
Sits near the great Cygnus Star Cloud - awesome! Great Rift also starts near here.
Delta Cyg Cygnus 2.84 171 A0 and ?
Very tough double for small scopes due to mag difference of 2.9 and 7.9. First diffraction ring?
Mu Cyg Cygnus 4.45 65 F6 and F3
Tight binary with growing separation - mags 4.7 and 6.1. Sep in 1937 was 0.55", in 1961 it was 1.8".
Chi Cyg Cygnus 7.9 347 M3
Mira type variable - mag 5.2 to 13.4 with a period of 407 days.
31 Cyg, Omicron-1 Cygni Cygnus 3.78 1359 K1
Fine group of 3 stars with nice colour contrast. Use low power.
32 Cyg, Omicron-2 Cygni Cygnus 3.93 1125 K2
Giant eclipsing binary system. 45' to the east is U Cygni - ruddy red in colour.
61 Cyg Cygnus 6.03 11 K5 and K7
Two orange stars, both are dwarfs smaller than the Sun. Mags 5.3 and 5.9? Separation of over 1'.
Cygnus X-1, HIP98298 Cygnus n/a 5930
Mag 9 star marks the spot where a black hole exists in Cynus. Huge X-Ray source!
NGC 6913, M29 Cygnus 9 4000 Open
Poor open cluster of about 80 members. Milky Way dust lanes obscure cluster.
NGC 7092, M39 Cygnus 5.5 800 Open
Large and sparse open cluster - 30 stars. Fine sight in binocs.
NGC 6960, Western Veil Nebula Cygnus 7 2500 Reflection
Wonderful lace-like nebula. Low power, wide field and filters are required!
NGC 6992, Eastern Veil Nebula Cygnus 7 2500 Reflection
Wonderful lace-like nebula. Low power, wide field and filters are required!
NGC 7000, North American Nebula Cygnus 4 1600 Reflection
Vast cloud resembles North America. Low power, wide field and filters are required!
Cygnus A Cygnus 12.7 700 mil Irregular
One of the strongest and most remote sources of radio radiation in the sky!
Gamma Del Delphinus 4.25 102 K0 and F8
Similarly coloured pair of mag 4.3 and 5.1 stars. Separation of around 10".
NGC 7006 Delphinus 10.56 185000 Globular
Very remote cluster - maybe farthest other than NGC 2419 in Lynx. Size of 6.3'.
Mu Dra, Alrakis Draco 5.62 100 F6 and F6
Two nearly identical stars with a separation of 2.1".
Nu Dra Draco 4.87 99 A8 and A5
Fine wide double. Separation of 1'.
26 Dra Draco 8.75 45 G1 and ? and M1
Tight binary pair (mags 4.5 and 7.3, sep 1.6") with 3rd star - 10th mag, sep 12'.
NGC 6543, Cat's Eye Nebula Draco 8.8 3000 Planetary
Bright nebula, use high mag to see it is not a star. Maybe filter too? Size 48".
NGC 5866 Draco 10.72 52 mil Spiral
Seen edge on, dark dust lane. Tough to spot in a small scope? Size of 6.5'.
NGC 5907, Splinter Galaxy Draco 11.1 51 mil Spiral
Edge-on galaxy, 12' in length. Appears as thin sliver of light in a telescope.
Alpha Gem, Castor Gemini 1.56 52 A1 and A5
One of the finest doubles, mag 2.0 and 2.9 components with 4.4" separation.
Beta Gem, Pollux Gemini 1.15 34 G8
Contrast this star's yellow colour to Castor's white.
Zeta Gem, Mekbuda Gemini 4 1186 G2
Cephied variable, mags 3.6 to 4.2, period 10.2 days.
Eta Gem, Propus Gemini 3.28 351 K5 and G8
Tight double with sep of only 1.5". Companion is mag 6.5.
NGC 2168, M35 Gemini 5.5 2800 Open
Large and bright cluster of several hundred stars - glorious! Size 34'. Near NGC 2158.
NGC 2158 Gemini 8.6 16000 Open
Right near M35, would be much more splendid if it was same distance as M35! Size of 5'.
NGC 2392, Eskimo/Clown Nebula Gemini 9.9 3000 Planetary
Blueish ball of gas 1.4' in diameter sourrounding a Mag 10 star.
NGC 2266 Gemini 9.5 11000 Open
Appears as three brighter stars set against a faint glow. Size 7'.
NGC 2420 Gemini 8.3 Open
Smattering of stars in 10' field.
Alpha Her, Rasalgethi Hercules 2.75 384 K1 and G5
Orange primary has mag 5.4 blue companion with a separation of 4.6".
Alpha Her, Rasalgethi Hercules 2.75 384 K1
Semi-regular variable ranging mags 3.0 to 4.0 about every 90 days. Bright orange.
Mu Her Hercules 3.4 27 G8 and M3
Mag 9.8 companion (red) is 34" away, and is a binary itself.
95 Her Hercules 4.25 473 F2 and G5
Mag 5.13 and 5.21 components separated by 6.3". Try and figure out the colours! Lots of debate!
NGC 6205, M13 Hercules 7 25000 Globular
Best globular in Northern skies. 36' in diameter! Faint galaxy NGC 6207 is nearby.
NGC 6341, M92 Hercules 7.5 27000 Globular
Excellent cluster near M13. About 300,000 stars. 36' in size.
NGC 6229 Hercules 9.4 Globular
Third globular in Hercules, this one is much further away and fainter. Size only 3.8'.
NGC 6210 Hercules 9.3 4000 Planetary
Tiny bright object needs 200x to show its disk. Size of 14".
Epsilon Hya Hydra 3.37 135 G0 and F7
Mag 7.8 companion is 3.9" away.
R Hya Hydra 6.37 2039 K2
Mira-class variable ranges from 4.0 to 10.0. Ruddy red in colour when at minimum.
NGC 2548, M48 Hydra 5.5 1500 Open
Loose collection of 80 stars forming a somewhat arrow head pattern. Size of 37'.
NGC 4590, M68 Hydra 9 33000 Globular
Nice remote globular that sits near a mag 6 star. 8.8' in size.
NGC 5236, M83 Hydra 8.5 15 mil Spiral
Very nice face-on spiral - excellent in small scopes! Size 12'.
NGC 3242, Ghost of Jupiter, Eye Neb Hydra 8.58 1400 Planetary
One of the finest planetary nebula in the sky. Size 23".
NGC 5694 Hydra 10.17 100000 Globular
Very remote cluster. Only 4.3' in size.
NGC 3109 Hydra 10.35 9.6 mil Spiral
Edge on barred spiral galaxy. 20' in size.
Alpha Leo, Regulus Leo 1.34 78 B8 and K1
Wide (177") 8th mag companion that does share proper motion.
Gamma Leo, Algieba Leo 2 126 K1 and G7
Fine double with mags 2.6 and 3.8, separated by 4.4'. Orbital period is 620 years.
R Leo Leo 10.34 331 M7
Mira class variable, mag varies 5.8 to 10.3 over 313 days. TYC831-521-2 (mag 11) is 1.5" away.
Wolf 359 Leo 13.5 7.8 M6
Red dwarf that is 3rd closest star to the Sun.
NGC 3623, M65 Leo 10.5 35 mil Spiral
Along with NGC 3627 (M66) and NGC 3628 make up the Leo Triplet. 9.0' in size.
NGC 3627, M66 Leo 9.69 35 mil Spiral
More face-on than NGC 3623. Size 9.1'
NGC 3628 Leo 10.4 35 mil Spiral
Larger but dimmer than the other two. 13' in size. All three are on outer edge of Virgo Cluster.
NGC 3351, M95 Leo 11 38 mil Spiral
Together with NGC 3368 (M96) form fine pair of galaxies separated by just 42'. Size is 7.9'.
NGC 3368, M96 Leo 10.1 38 mil Spiral
Twin to NGC 3351 (M95). 7.8' in size.
NGC 3379, M105 Leo 10.5 35 mil Eliptical
Along with NGC 3384 and 3389 form yet another group in Leo. 5.3' in size.
NGC 3384, NGC 3371? Leo 10.9 35 mil Lenticular
Second galaxy in M105 group. 5.4' in size.
NGC 3389, NGC 3373? Leo 12.5 35 mil Spiral
Third galaxy, making this trio 3 different types in one FOV. 2.9' in size.
NGC 3521 Leo 10 35 mil Spiral
Shows bright oval core surrounded by fainter halo. 12' in size.
NGC 2903 Leo 9.58 20 mil Spiral
One of the best galaxies for small scopes. 13' in size.
NGC 3344 Leo 10.5 20 mil Spiral
Two stars in our own galaxy are superimposed over this one. 7.1' in size.
Gamma Lep Lepus 3.56 29 F6 and K2
Wide pair with pleasing colour contrast. Mags 3.59 and 6.81, separation 1'31".
R Lep, Hind's Crimson Star Lepus 8.06 826 M4
Mire type variable raning from 6.8 to 9.6 with a period of 432 days.
NGC 1904, M79 Lepus 8.5 42000 Globular
Very small in angular size (18'), this is still a bright target.
NGC 2017 Lepus 8 n/a Open
Small group of five stars ranging from mag 7 to mag 10. All vary in distance - OPTICAL CLUSTER!
Alpha Lib, Zeubenelgenubi Libra 2.75 77 A3 and F5
Nice wide double star. Companion is mag 5.16 with separation of 231".
Beta Lib, Zubeneschamali Libra 2.59 160 B8
Supposed white star has been reported as green. If so, it's the only single green star in the sky!
Delta Lib, Zubenelakrab Libra 4.9 305 A0
Eclipsing binary which is Algol-type variable. Mags 4.9 to 5.9 over 2.32735 days.
NGC 5897 Libra 8.52 41000 Globular
Loose structured globular that is only 12' in size.
Eta Lup Lupus 3.4 494 B2 and ?
Nice double mags 3.5 and 7.5 with 15.2" separation.
NGC 2419 Lynx 10.39 182000 Globular
Farthest cluster of the Milky Way. Perhaps intergalactic! Size of 8.7'.
Alpha Lyr, Vega Lyra 0 25 A0 and ?
Small 8th mag blue companion 1' away. Vega is the direction the solar system is heading! (Solar Apex)
Beta Lyr, Sheliak Lyra 3.5 882 A0
Lyrid type variable - continual sinus-curve with max of 3.4 and min between 3.8 and 4.1. Eclipsing binary.
Beta Lyr, Sheliak Lyra 3.5 882 A0 +++
Three stars accompany mags 7, 10 and 10.5.
Gamma Lyr Lyra 3.25 640 B9
Good comparison star for Beta Lyr.
Delta Lyr Lyra 4.21 906 K3 and B6
Wide double star, 10' separation, mags 4.21 and 5.56
Epsilon Lyr, Double-Double Lyra 4.65 162 A2 + A4 and A3 + A5
Two pairs of double stars all within one field of view.
NGC 6779, M56 Lyra 9.5 33000 Globular
Small irregularly round cluster set against glow of Milky Way. 9' in size.
NGC 6720, M57 Lyra 9.5 2300 Planetary
Awesome smoke ring in a small scope at high power. 14th mag central star. 1.7' in diameter.
NGC 6791 Lyra 9.5 Open
Unusually rich galactic cluster. 16' in size.
Beta Mon, 11 Monoceros Monoceros 3.75 694 B7 for all 3
True triple star system, mags 4.5, 5.2 and 5.6. Sep 7.4" and 9.9" and 2.8". All white stars.
HIP 31646, Plaskett's Star Monoceros 6.03 2700 ?
According to Burnham, this was believed to be one of the most massive binary systems in our galaxy.
Eta Oph, Sabik Ophiuchus 2.4 84 A2 and ?
Pair of similar stars - mags 2.9 and 3.4 - reaching periastron in 2020. Currently 2.8" apart - tough to split!
Theta Oph Ophiuchus 3.25 567 B1
Spectral variable of Beta Canis Majoris type. Period of 3.37 hours. Situated in awesome region of sky.
70 Oph Ophiuchus 4.12 16.5 K0 and K6
Nice colour contrast between mag 4.2 and 5.9 pair. Separation 5.3". Heavily studied pair!
X Oph Ophiuchus 7.4 780 M5
Mira-type variable, period 334 days, mags from 6 to 9. Has K0 companion as well! (But too close to see)
HIP 87937, Barnard's Star Ophiuchus 9.53 5.9 M4
2nd closest star to Sol, it is a red dwarf. Highest proper motion of any star in the sky.
NGC 6333, M9 Ophiuchus 9 27000 Globular
Highly concentrated and bright cluster. Close to centre of our galaxy and thus obscured by dust.
NGC 6254, M10 Ophiuchus 7.5 14000 Globular
Nice cluster with well resolved centre. Looks like sparkling jewels surrounding the core's halo.
NGC 6218, M12, Gumball Cluster Ophiuchus 8 16000 Globular
One of nearly two dozen clusters visible in Ophiuchus. Seen with M10 in same FOV in binocs. Elongated?
NGC 6402, M14 Ophiuchus 9.5 29000 Globular
Unlike other clusters, this one doesn't brighten towards its core. Nova erupted in cluster in 1938! DDO!!!
NGC 6273, M19 Ophiuchus 8.5 28000 Globular
Very elliptical cluster. On other side of galactic core from us. A few stars may resolve.
NGC 6633 Ophiuchus 4.59 1000 Open
Use low power. Discovered in 1783 by Caroline Herschel.
Alpha Ori, Betelgeuse Orion 0.43 429 K3
One of the most massive stars known, disc may be resolvable optically! Semi-regular varies mag 0.4 - 1.3.
Beta Ori, Rigel Orion 0.15 777 B7 and B9
White super-giant contrasts with Alpha. Blue mag 6.8 companion sits 9.5" away.
Delta Ori, Mintaka Orion 2.25 919 B2 and B2
Western most belt star, blueish companion is easy to see - mag 6.7 and 52.8" away.
Epsilon Ori, Alnilam Orion 1.68 1359 B1
Has nebulosity NGC 1990 surrounding it.
Zeta Ori, Alnitak Orion 1.71 826 B0 and 09 and ?
Tight binary pair has mags 1.9 and 5.5 with 2.4" separation. 3rd unrelated star sits 57.6" away.
IC434, B33, Horsehead Nebula Orion 11 1600 Dark
Horsehead Nebula (B33) sits to the south of Zeta. Nebulosity is abound!
Theta Ori, Trapezium Orion 3.8 1600 Open
In the heart of M42, these are very young, hot stars that power the Orion Nebula. 4 are easy to spot.
Iota Ori, Na'ir al Saif Orion 2.75 1331 B0 and B9
Blueish companion sits 11" away at mag 6.9. 50" away is a second 11th mag companion. 3 different colors!
Lambda Ori, Meissa Orion 3.37 1069 B2 and 09
Components are mag 3.5 and 5.5 separated by 4.3". Both should be white - but are they???
Sigma Ori Orion 3.75 1165 B1 and A2 and B2
Remarkable multiple star system - 5 visible components???
U Ori Orion 10.59 2174 M7
Mira-type variable, period 372 days, mags range 6.3 to 12.0. One of the best to observe!!
NGC 1976, M42, Orion Nebula Orion 5 1600 Reflection
One of the best example of a nebula anywhere, massive scale, massive color in dark skies, Trap. A+++!
NGC 2068, M78 Orion 8 1600 Reflection
Part of Orion, has two companions NGC 2067 and 2071. Two mag 10 stars at centre.
Alpha Peg, Markab Pegasus 2.5 110 B9
Just slight variations, has galaxy NGC 7479 about 3 degreess south.
Beta Peg, Scheat Pegasus 2.5 210 M2
Red giant, irregular variable mag 2.5 - 3.0, two optical companions?
Gamma Peg, Algenib Pegasus 2.84 570 B2
Beta Canis Majoris variable with VERY short period - 3 hrs! Very small change, tho.
Epsilon Peg, Enif Pegasus 2.31 780 K2
Two optical companions, plus M15 is nearby!
Zeta Peg, Homam Pegasus 3.46 210 B8
Relatively close star with 11th mag optical companion
Kappa Peg Pegasus 4.27 100 F5 and ??
Companion is 11th mag and at maximum is 2" away from primary.
NGC 7078, M15 Pegasus 7.33 42,000 Globular
Brilliant bright core, approx 12' in diameter, planetary nebula on outer edge?
NGC 7331 Pegasus 10.27 50 mil Spiral
Twin in appearance to the Milky Way galaxy. Approx 10' long by 3' wide.
Alpha Per, Mirfak Perseus 1.79 570 F5
Dominates a curving row of stars called the Segment Of Perseus. This group is actually gravitationally bound and moving together.
Beta Per, Algol Perseus 2.15 100 B8
Demon star - an eclipsing binary system with a period of 2.86 days mags from 3.4 to 2.1.
Gamma Per, Algenib? Perseus 2.91 150 G8 and A3
Very close double that is near the radiant point of the Persied meteor shower from comet Swift-Tuttle (1862 III).
Epsilon Per Perseus 2.88 680 B0 and B8
Visual companion is mag 8 and sits 9" distant.
Zeta Per Perseus 2.83 1000 B1 +++
Several faint companions visible. Various colours evident. Brightest member of "II Persei" association.
NGC 1039, M34 Perseus 5.2 1430 Open
Bright cluster of 100 stars, about 20' in size. Best viewed at low power.
NGC 650, M76 Perseus 11 1750 Planetary
Little Dumbbell, Cork nebula.
NGC 869, h half of DC Perseus 4.2 7400 Open
Double Cluster - beautiful dual swarms of stars visible together!
NGC 884, x half of DC Perseus 4.4 7400 Open
Other half of Double Cluster
Alpha Psc, Al Rischa Pisces 3.82 139 A2 and A3
Very tight double star - only 1.88 arcsec apart. Position angle: 279 degrees. Companion: 4.87 mag. Weird colors?
Zeta Psc Pisces 5.21 148 A7 and F7
Nice wide pair - 22.9" apart, mags 5.23 and 6.26
19 Psc Pisces 4.95 760 C5
A carbon star (like La Superba), compare with nearby A class stars 21 and 25 Psc
NGC 628, M74 Pisces 9.4 30 mil Spiral
Fine face-on spiral galaxy, 12.0' x 12.0' in size
NGC 488 Pisces 10.3 Spiral
Spiral with tight, delicate arms, 6.0' x 4.3' in size. Ringed object?
Pi Pup Puppis 2.71 1094 K3
Forms charming color contrast with Upsilon Pup which is 26' NNE
Sigma Pup Puppis 3.25 184 K5 and G5
Wide (22.2") double star - mags 3.25 and 8.81
NGC 2437, M46 Puppis 6.1 4700 Open
About 150 visible members between mag 10 and 13. 27.0' in size.
NGC 2438 Puppis 11 3300 Planetary
Located within M46, small at 1.1' across, faint
NGC 2422, M47 Puppis 4.4 1540 Open
Bright, sparse group of 30 stars covering an area of 30.0'.
NGC 2447, M93 Puppis 6.2 3400 Open
Wedge shaped cluster of 80 stars covering an area of 22.0'.
NGC 2477 Puppis 5.8 2600 Open
Striking group of 300 stars crowded into a 20' field. Smaller but brighter than M47.
U Sge Sagitta 6.5 1013 Eclipsing Binary
Algol-type with period of 3d9h08m05s. B8 star gets eclipsed by larger G2 (mag 9.28) star.
NGC 6838, M71 Sagitta 8.3 18000 Globular
Awesome small, compact globular, 7.2' in diameter.
Eta Sgr Sagittarius 3.1 149 M2 and F7
Tight pair - only 3.5" apart. B star is mag 7.8.
Xi1 & Xi2 Sgr Sagittarius 3.52 372 G8 and B9
Very wide (24') double, interesting color contrast. X2 mag 3.52, Xi1 mag 5.02.
NGC 6523, M8, Lagoon Nebula Sagittarius 5 5150 Diffuse
Fantastic nebula with dark lane and its own star cluster!
NGC 6530 Sagittarius 4.6 5150 Open
15.0' in size, contained within the Lagoon Nebula.
NGC 6618, M17, Omega, Swan Sagittarius 6.0 5000 Diffuse
One of the most promminent of the diffuse nebulae. 11.0' in size.
NGC 6613, M18 Sagittarius 7.5 4900 Open
A loose grouping of about a dozen stars. 9.0' in size.
NGC 6514, M20, Trifid Sagittarius 9.0 5200 Emission/Reflection
Beautiful object, 3 dark lanes, 28.0' in size.
NGC 6522 Sagittarius 8.6 22400 Globular
Small globluar at 5.6'
NGC 6528 Sagittarius 9.5 23680 Globular
Another small one - 3.7'. Very close to NGC 6522 in space.
NGC 6558 Sagittarius 9.26 20480 Globular
Another 3.7' cluster

Symbols used to identify the objects:

Star
Double Star
Variable Star
Globular Cluster
Open Cluster
Galaxy
Diffuse Nebula
Planetary Nebula
Dark Nebula

My name is Rick Towns and I am an amateur astronomer and computer programmer from Canada. This is a collection of interesting posts I've gathered over the years.