There are a vast number of deep sky objects that are available for amateur astrophotographers to image. However, when I began astrophotography I could only find short lists of common beginner objects and wasn’t sure what to eventually image beyond those 15 or so objects. Below I share a long list of objects (which I have or intend to capture) separated by approximate season they may be best imaged during (which I determined from the constellation they reside in, so there is some overlap in right ascensions between seasons), then sorted by right ascension. Three notes:
- I am located in the northern hemisphere, so most of these objects are approximately between -30° and 90° declination (my apologies to those in the southern hemisphere).
- These objects are of all different sizes and types, some may be very large nebulae (e.g., Veil Nebula) and some may be very small galaxies (e.g., Arp 273); be sure to check these two sites for framing and field of view for these objects with your equipment:
- Some of these targets are best captured with narrowband filters, so be sure to look at what the objects have been imaged with by searching websites like Astrobin for examples.
Spring Objects
| Object Name | Right Ascension | Declination |
| Diamond Ring Nebula (Abell 33) | 09h 39m 09s | -02° 48′ 30″ |
| Bode’s (M81), Cigar (M82), and Garland (NGC 3077) Galaxies | 09h 57m 44s | +68° 56′ 15″ |
| NGC 3079 and Twin Quasar | 10h 03m 47s | +55° 33′ 05″ |
| Hickson 44 (NGC 3185, NGC 3187, NGC 3190, and NGC 3193) | 10hr 17m 58s | +21º 48′ 43″ |
| Coddington’s Nebula (IC 2574) | 10h 30m 23s | +68° 16′ 35″ |
| M105, NGC 3371, and NGC 3373 | 10h 47m 50s | +12° 34′ 54″ |
| M95 and M96 | 10h 48m 10s | +11° 40′ 47″ |
| Owl Nebula (M97) and Surfboard Galaxy (M108) | 11h 16m 19s | +54° 52′ 20″ |
| The Leo Triplet (M65, M66, and NGC 3628) | 11h 21m 37s | +12° 50′ 48″ |
| NGC 3718 | 11h 32m 35s | +53° 04′ 04″ |
| Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038 and NGC 4039) | 12h 01m 53s | -18° 52′ 03″ |
| “Eye of Sauron” Galaxy (NGC 4151) | 12h 11m 52s | +39° 15′ 23″ |
| The Box (NGC 4169, 4170, 4174, and 4175) | 12h 13m 42s | +29° 03′ 53″ |
| Messier 106 and NGC 4217 | 12h 20m 17s | +47° 09′ 14″ |
| Coma Star Cluster (Melotte 111) | 12h 24m 03s | +25° 39′ 07″ |
| Mirror Galaxy (M100) | 12h 24m 15s | +15° 40′ 31″ |
| Markarian’s Chain | 12h 28m 20s | +13° 09′ 13″ |
| TON 618 | 12h 29m 43s | +31° 19′ 45″ |
| M87 Galaxy | 12h 32m 09s | +12° 14′ 42″ |
| Lost Galaxy (NGC 4535) | 12h 34m 20s | +08° 11′ 52″ |
| Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565) | 12h 37m 39s | +25° 50′ 26″ |
| Sombrero Galaxy (M104) | 12h 41m 21s | -11° 45′ 57″ |
| Whale (NGC 4631) and Hockey Stick (NGC 4656/4657) Galaxies | 12h 43m 25s | +32° 23′ 41″ |
| NGC 4654 | 12h 43m 57s | +13° 07′ 36″ |
| NGC 4725 | 12h 51m 43s | +25° 21′ 20″ |
| Crocodile Eye Galaxy (M94) | 12h 52m 10s | +40° 58′ 34″ |
| The Black Eye Galaxy (M64) | 12h 58m 01s | +21° 32′ 19″ |
| Coma Cluster (Abell 1656) | 12h 59m 49s | +27° 58′ 50″ |
| NGC 5054 with NGC 5035, NGC 5037, NGC 5044, and NGC 5049 | 13h 16m 58s | −16° 38′ 04″ |
| The Sunflower Galaxy (M63) | 13h 17m 00s | +41° 53′ 13″ |
| Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and NGC 5195 | 13h 30m 59s | +47° 03′ 21″ |
| Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83) | 13h 38m 29s | -29° 59′ 48″ |
| M3 Globular Star Cluster | 13h 43m 24s | +28° 14′ 32″ |
| NGC 5335 | 13h 52m 56s | +02° 48′ 51″ |
| Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) | 14h 04m 08s | +54° 13′ 05″ |
Summer Objects
| Object Name | Right Ascension | Declination |
| Splinter Galaxy (NGC 5907) | 15h 15m 53s | +56° 19′ 48″ |
| Draco Trio (NGC 5981, 5982, and 5985) | 15h 39m 13s | +59° 15′ 50″ |
| LDN 183 | 15h 55m 33s | -02° 54′ 22″ |
| Seyfert’s Sextet (NGC 6027, 6027a, 6027b, 6027c, 6027d, and 6027e) | 16h 00m 24s | +20° 41′ 16″ |
| Blue Horsehead Nebula (IC 4592) | 16h 14m 30s | -19° 21′ 59″ |
| Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex | 16h 27m 08s | -23° 30′ 23″ |
| Abell 39 | 16h 27m 34s | +27° 54′ 33″ |
| The Cosmic Bat Nebula (LDN 43) | 16h 35m 58s | -15° 50′ 27″ |
| Cat’s Paw (NGC 6334) and Lobster (NGC 6357) Nebulae | 17h 22m 35s | -36° 08′ 26″ |
| Barnard 68 | 17h 22m 38s | -23° 49′ 34″ |
| Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) | 17h 58m 30s | +66° 37′ 43″ |
| Lagoon (M8) and Trifid (M20) Nebulae | 18h 05m 12s | -24° 23′ 10″ |
| Red Spider Nebula (NGC 6537) | 18h 06m 47s | -19° 50′ 31″ |
| Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) | 18h 18m 19s | -18° 32′ 29″ |
| Eagle Nebula (M16) | 18h 20m 16s | -13° 47′ 49″ |
| Omega/Swan Nebula (M17) | 18h 22m 20s | -16° 09′ 36″ |
| Flaming Skull Nebula (Sh 2-68) | 18h 24m 58s | +00° 51′ 36″ |
| Ring Nebula (M57) | 18h 54m 32s | +33° 03′ 39″ |
| Sh2-71 | 19h 01m 00s | +02° 09′ 23″ |
| Snowglobe Nebula (NGC 6781) | 19h 18m 28s | +06° 32′ 19″ |
| Brocchi’s Cluster (Collinder 399) | 19h 26m 31s | +20° 13′ 54″ |
| Sh2-91 | 19h 35m 14s | +29° 55′ 08″ |
| Barnard’s E Nebula (Barnard 142 and 143) | 19h 40m 42s | +10° 50′ 54″ |
| Sh2-86, NGC 6820, and NGC 6823 | 19h 42m 28 | +23° 05′ 15″ |
| Barnard’s Galaxy (NGC 6822) | 19h 46m 23s | -14° 44′ 09″ |
| Dumbbell Nebula (M27) | 20h 00m 43s | +22° 47′ 32″ |
| Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101) and Cygnus X-1 Bow Shock | 20h 00m 52s | +35° 20′ 54″ |
| WR 134 | 20h 10m 14s | +36° 10′ 35″ |
| Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888) | 20h 13m 02s | +38° 26′ 01″ |
| LBN 325 and LDN 910 Region | 20h 20m 25s | +45° 24′ 57″ |
| NGC 6914 | 20h 25m 05s | +43° 01′ 16″ |
| LDN 1089 | 20h 33m 10s | +63° 35′ 26″ |
| Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946) | 20h 35m 22s | +60° 14′ 26″ |
| Dark Scorpion Nebula (LDN 1147 and LDN 1158) | 20h 40m 44s | +67° 26′ 22″ |
| Dark Seahorse Nebula (Barnard 150) | 20h 51m 38s | +60° 16′ 48″ |
| Veil Nebulae (Caldwell 33 and 34) | 20h 52m 04s | +30° 45′ 56″ |
| North America (NGC 7000) and Pelican (IC 5070) Nebulae | 20h 59m 41s | +44° 25′ 58″ |
| Iris (NGC 7023) and Ghost (Sh2-136) Nebulae | 21h 01m 52s | +68° 16′ 06″ |
| Giant Squid (Ou4) and Flying Bat (Sh2-129) Nebuale | 21h 12m 25s | +60° 03′ 34″ |
| Sh1-89 | 21h 15m 05s | +47° 52′ 59″ |
| Ghost Nebula (Sh2-136) | 21h 16m 45s | +68° 22′ 18″ |
| The Flying Dragon Nebula (Sh2-113) | 21h 21m 49s | +38° 11′ 43″ |
| Elephant’s Trunk Nebula (IC 1396) | 21h 39m 46s | +57° 36′ 39″ |
| Cocoon Nebula (IC 5146) | 21h 54m 23s | +47° 23′ 32″ |
| Wolf’s Cave Nebula (vdB 152) | 22h 12m 46s | +70° 11′ 40″ |
| The Dark Shark Nebula (LDN 1235) | 22h 15m 19s | +73° 33′ 02″ |
| Lion Head Nebula (Sh2-132) | 22h 20m 05s | +56° 12′ 49″ |
| Gecko Nebula (LBN 437) | 22h 32m 12s | +40° 35′ 06″ |
| The Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380) | 22h 48m 22s | +58° 16′ 24″ |
| Cave Nebula (Sh2-155) | 22h 58m 06s | +62° 46′ 47″ |
| Galileo’s Finger Nebula (LBN 420) | 22h 06m 33s | +41° 49′ 49″ |
| Skeleton Hand Nebula (LDN 1218, LDN 1226, LDN 1227) | 23h 03m 02s | +62° 24′ 42″ |
Fall/Autumn Objects
| Object Name | Right Ascension | Declination |
| Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009) | 21h 04m 11s | -11° 21′ 48″ |
| M15 Star Cluster | 21h 31m 13s | +12° 16′ 54″ |
| Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) | 22h 31m 03s | -20° 42′ 21″ |
| Stephen’s Quintet (NGC 7320, NGC 7319, NGC 7318, and NGC 7317) | 22h 37m 03s | +34° 04′ 56″ |
| The Rotten Fish Nebula (LDN 1251) | 22h 29m 52s | +75° 18′ 12″ |
| Deer Lick Group (NGC 7331, 7335, 7336, 7337, and 7340) | 22h 38m 17s | +34° 33′ 01″ |
| Superman Galaxy (NGC 7479) | 23h 06m 15s | +12° 27′ 52″ |
| Northern Rosette Nebula (NGC 7538) | 23h 14m 45s | +61° 38′ 22″ |
| Lobster Claw (Sh2-157) and Bubble (NGC 7635) Nebulae | 23h 17m 14s | +60° 11′ 20″ |
| Blue Snowball Nebula (NGC 7662) | 23h 27m 08s | +42° 40′ 55″ |
| R Aquarii and Cederblad 211 | 23h 45m 10s | -15° 08′ 30″ |
| Fried Egg Galaxy (NGC 7742) | 23h 45m 35s | +10° 54′ 45″ |
| Caroline’s Rose Cluster (NGC 7789) | 23h 58m 44s | +56° 51′ 05″ |
| Garlic Head Nebula (LBN 576) | 23h 58m 56s | +62° 17′ 17″ |
| Little Rosette Nebula (Sh 2-170) | 00h 01m 29s | +64° 39′ 03″ |
| Cosmic Question Mark Nebula (NGC 7822) | 00h 02m 28s | +67° 34′ 19″ |
| Little Sombrero Galaxy (NGC 7814) | 00h 04m 36s | +16° 17′ 29″ |
| Bow-Tie Nebula (NGC 40) | 00h 13m 01s | +72° 31′ 19″ |
| Phantom of the Opera Nebula (Sh2-173) | 00h 22m 41s | +61° 52′ 29″ |
| Andromeda Galaxy (M31) | 00h 44m 10s | +41° 24′ 56″ |
| Giraffe Nebula (LDN 1295) (with LDN 1296, and LBN 600, 603, 608, 609, 612, 613) | 00h 46m 16s | +52° 34′ 47″ |
| Skull Nebula (NGC 246) | 00h 48m 22s | -11° 43′ 51″ |
| Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253) | 00h 48m 51s | -25° 08′ 30″ |
| Pac-Man Nebula (NGC 281) | 00h 53m 57s | +56° 42′ 42″ |
| Ghost of Cassiopeia (IC 63) and IC 59 Nebulae | 01h 01m 37s | +61° 07′ 18″ |
| Firefox Nebula (Sh2-188) | 01h 32m 14s | +58° 33′ 09″ |
| Triangulum Galaxy (M33) | 01h 35m 20s | +30° 47′ 47″ |
| Phantom Galaxy (M74) | 01h 36m 42s | +15° 47′ 01″ |
| Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76) | 01h 43m 59s | +51° 42′ 41″ |
| Arp 273 (UGC 1810 and UGC 1813) | 02h 23m 06s | +39° 29′ 53″ |
| Silver Sliver Galaxy (NGC 891) | 02h 24m 12s | +42° 28′ 00″ |
| Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884) | 02h 24m 15s | +57° 14′ 54″ |
| Heart (IC 1805) and Soul (Sh2-199) Nebulae | 02h 34m 43s | +61° 34′ 10″ |
| Squid Galaxy (M77) | 02h 44m 02s | +00° 05′ 59″ |
| Helping Hand Nebula (LDN 1357) | 02h 55m 06s | +68° 59′ 29″ |
| LDN 1454, LDN 1457, and LDN 1458 | 02h 58m 18s | +20° 18′ 24″ |
| NGC 1300 | 03h 19m 41s | -19° 24′ 40″ |
| NGC 1333 | 03h 30m 33s | +31° 27′ 44″ |
| Robin’s Egg Nebula (NGC 1360) | 03h 34m 22s | -25° 46′ 45″ |
| Hidden Galaxy (IC 342) | 03h 49m 20s | +68° 10′ 34″ |
| California Nebula (NGC 1499) | 04h 05m 02s | +36° 29′ 45″ |
| Fossil Footprint Nebula (NGC 1491) | 04h 05m 16s | +51° 23′ 24″ |
Winter Objects
| Object Name | Right Ascension | Declination |
| Robin’s Egg Nebula (NGC 1360) | 03h 34m 23s | -25° 47′ 08″ |
| Pleiades Star Cluster (M45) | 03h 48m 34s | +24° 11′ 57″ |
| Baby Eagle Nebula (LBN 777) | 04h 06m 37s | +26° 28′ 22″ |
| Crystal Ball Nebula (NGC 1514) | 04h 09m 17s | +30° 46′ 33″ |
| CW Tauri and Taurus Molecular Cloud | 04h 13m 51s | +28° 11′ 17″ |
| Cleopatra’s Eye Nebula (NGC 1535) | 04h 15m 30s | -12° 40′ 32″ |
| Hyades Star Cluster (Caldwell 41) | 04h 21m 18s | +15° 41′ 28″ |
| Hind’s Variable Nebula (NGC 1555) and Sh2-239 | 04h 23m 30s | +19° 35′ 52″ |
| Sh2-216 | 04h 45m 18s | +46° 45′ 14″ |
| vdb 31, B26, B27, B28 | 04h 57m 27s | +30° 35′ 38″ |
| Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118) | 05h 03m 17s | -07° 51′ 46″ |
| Flaming Star (IC 405) and Tadpole (IC 410) Nebuale | 05h 16m 05s | +34° 27′ 49″ |
| Rice Hat Nebula (Sh2-224) and Sh2-223 | 05h 29m 12s | +42° 59′ 25″ |
| Crab Nebula (M1) | 05h 36m 08s | +22° 01′ 57″ |
| Orion (M42) and Running Man (Sh 2-279) Nebulae | 05h 36m 36s | -05° 22′ 28″ |
| NGC 1961 | 05h 42m 01s | +69° 23′ 32″ |
| Horsehead (Barnard 33) and Flame (NGC 2024) Nebulae | 05h 42m 19s | -02° 26′ 42″ |
| Spaghetti Nebula (Simeis 147) | 05h 42m 46s | +28° 05′ 49″ |
| Casper the Friendly Ghost Nebula (M78) | 05h 48m 08s | +00° 05′ 20″ |
| Boogeyman Nebula (LDN 1622) | 05h 55m 51s | +01° 48′ 29″ |
| Angel Nebula (NGC 2170) | 06h 09m 06s | -06° 23′ 23″ |
| Lower’s Nebula (Sh2-261) | 06h 10m 16s | +15° 40′ 14″ |
| Shoe-Buckle Cluster (M35) | 06h 10m 32s | +24° 19′ 46″ |
| Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2174) | 06h 11m 17s | +20° 29′ 23″ |
| NGC 2207 and IC 2163 | 06h 17m 30s | -21° 22′ 55″ |
| Jellyfish Nebula (IC 443) | 06h 19m 39s | +22° 39′ 00″ |
| Rosette Nebula (Caldwell 49) | 06h 32m 04s | +04° 58′ 02″ |
| Dreyer’s Nebula (IC 447) with IC 446, NGC 2245 and 2247, LDN 1609, LBN 899 and 902 | 06h 32m 28s | +10° 04′ 52″ |
| Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula (NGC 2264) | 06h 42m 26s | +09° 52′ 13″ |
| Dolphin-Head Nebula (Sh2-308) | 06h 55m 20s | -23° 57′ 39″ |
| Seagull Nebula (IC 2177) | 07h 05m 41s | -10° 29′ 38″ |
| Integral Sign Galaxy (UGC 3697) | 07h 14m 26s | +71° 47′ 50″ |
| Thor’s Helmet Nebula (NGC 2359) | 07h 19m 44s | -13° 16′ 27″ |
| NGC 2367 | 07h 21m 15s | -21° 55′ 48″ |
| Double Bubble Nebula (NGC 2371) | 07h 27m 15s | +29° 26′ 18″ |
| Medusa Nebula (Abell 21/Sh2-274) | 07h 30m 32s | +13° 11′ 31″ |
| Clown Face Nebula (NGC 2392) | 07h 30m 45s | +20° 51′ 27″ |
| Snowman Nebula (Sh2-302) | 07h 32m 08s | -16° 58′ 40″ |
| Messier 46 and NGC 2438 | 07h 42m 59s | -14° 52′ 29″ |
| Headphone Nebula (Jones-Emberson 1 (PK 164+31.1)) | 07h 57m 51s | +53° 25′ 17″ |
| Beehive Cluster (M44) | 08h 41m 55s | +19° 34′ 23″ |