Astro-Observing-Calendar

During what time of the year are objects are best suited to photograph

• observer location around 30 degrees south latitude (e.g. Sydney, Australia)
• evening imaging time starting from astronomical dark till 23:00
• objects between 2 and 0 hours east of meridian

M74 PGC 5974 NGC 628

January

Sunset: 20:07

Dark: 21:35

[nebulae]

 - NGC 1499 California nebula
 - NGC 2070 Tarantula nebula
 - M42 Orion nebula
 - IC434 Flame + Horse Head nebula
 - IC405 flaming star nebula
 - M1 (NGC 1952) Crab Nebula
 - NGC 1360 planetary nebula

[galaxies]

 - Large Magellanic Cloud
 - Fornax galaxies cluster (NGC 1316, NGC 1399, NGC 1365, etc)
 - PGC 15406
 - PGC 13505
 - PGC 13418 (NGC 1399)
 - PGC 16709 (NGC 1792)
 - PGC 14765 (NGC 1553)
 - PGC 15941 (NGC 1672)

[open star clusters]

 - M45 Pleiades

• 

  M42 Orion Nebula (1,500 ly)

• 

  NGC 2070 Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud (160,000 ly)

• 

  NGC 1365 Galaxy (56 Mly)

• 

  Flame + HorseHead Nebula (1,400 - 1500 ly)

February

Sunset: 19:46

Dark: 21:05 [galaxies]

 - Large Magellanic Cloud
 - PGC 21373 (NGC 2442)
 - PGC 16709 (NGC 1792)
 - PGC 16779 (NGC 1808)
 - PGC 17819 (NGC 2090)
 - PGC 16716 (NGC 1784)

[nebulae]

 - IC405 Flaming Star nebula 
 - NGC 2238 Rosette nebula
 - NGC 2070 Tarantula nebula
 - NGC 2265 Cone nebula + Christmas Tree cluster
 - NGC 2175

[globular cluster]

 - NGC 1851
 - NGC 2298
 - NGC 1904

[open cluster]

 - NGC 2243
 - M41 (NGC 2287)
 - NGC 2304
 - M35 (NGC 2168)

[supernova remnant]

 - M1 (NGC 1952) Crab nebula

• 

  NGC 2070 Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud (160,000 ly)

• 

  Rosette nebula (5,200 ly)

March

Sunset: 19:13

Dark: 20:25

[galaxies]

 - PGC 28298 (NGC 3059)
 - PGC 29311 (NGC 3136)
 - PGC 26026 (NGC 2822)
 - PGC 24229 (NGC 2640)
 - PGC 27077 (NGC 2903)
 - PGC 24930 (NGC 2683)

[nebulae]

 - NGC 3372 Eta Carina nebula
 - IC 2448 pn

[globular cluster]

 - NGC 2808

• 

  Eta Carina nebula (9,000 ly)

April

Sunset: 17:31

Dark: 18:30

[galaxies]

 - PGC 28298 (NGC 3059)
 - PGC 21373 (NGC 2442)
 - PGC 24959 (NGC 2714)
 - PGC 21375 (NGC 2427)
 - PGC 24590 (NGC 2663)
 - PGC 25950 (NGC 2784)
 - PGC 23222 (NGC 2559)
 - PGC 22721 (NGC 2525)
 - PGC 25861 (NGC 2775)
 - NGC 2903

 - M104 sombrero?
 - NGC 5128 Centaurus A?
 - M83 Southern pinwheel?
 - PGC 15941?

[nebulae]

 - NGC 3195 pn
 - IC 2448 pn
 - NGC 2899

[globular clusters]

 - NGC 2808

[open clusters]

 - M44 (NGC 2632) Beehive cluster
 - M67 (NGC 2682)

• 

  M83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (15 Million ly)

• 

  NGC 5128 Centaurus-A (12 Million ly)

• 

  M104 Sombrero Galaxy (31 Million ly)

• 

  M83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (15 Million ly)

May

Sunset: 16:15

Dark: 17:00

 - whirlpool
 - NGC 5128 Centaurus A

• 

  NGC 5128 Centaurus-A (12 Million ly)

June

Sunset: 16:58

Dark: 17:35

 - M20 Trifid
 - M8 Lagoon

• 

  M20 Trifid Nebula (4,000 ly)

• 

  M8 Lagoon Nebula (4,100 ly)

July

Sunset: 16:59

Dark: 17:40

 - NGC 6744 peacock galaxy
 - M16 Eagle nebula

• 

  M16 Eagle Nebula (5,700 ly)

August

Sunset: 17:31

Dark: 18:20

 - NGC 6744 peacock galaxy
 - NGC 7009 saturn pn
 - NGC 6822 Bernard's Galaxy (1.6Mly)

September

Sunset: 18:14

Dark: 19:20

 - NGC 7009 saturn pn

October

sunset: 19:05

dark: 20:25

[galaxies]

 - PGC 67045 (NGC 7090)
 - PGC 66003 (NGC 7013)

[nebulae]

 - NGC 7009 Saturn nebula pn
 - NGC 6960 Veil nebula
 - NGC 7293 Helix nebula

[globular clusters]

 - M30 (NGC 7099)
 - M2 (NGC 7089)
 - M72 (NGC 6981)
 - M15 (NGC 7078)

[supernova remnant]

 - NGC 6995

• 

  NGC 7293 Helix Nebula (650 ly)

November

Sunset: 19:40

Dark: 21:10

[nebulae]

 - NGC 246 pn

[galaxies]

 - Small Magellanic Cloud
 - M31 Andromeda
 - M33 Triangulum 
 - NGC 1313
 - NGC 253 Sculptor galaxy
 - NGC 405
 - PGC 3238 (NGC 300)
 - PGC 1014 (NGC 55)
 - PGC 71001 (NGC 7582)
 - PGC 70800 (NGC 7531)
 - PGC 71866 (NGC 7713)
 - PGC 71775 (IC 5332)
 - PGC 2789 (NGC 253) sculptor, silver coin
 - PGC 2758 (NGC 247)
 - PGC 930 (NGC 45)
 - PGC 3844 (IC 1613)

[globular clusters]

 - 47 Tucanae (NGC 104)
 - NGC 288

• 

  NGC 253 Sculptor Galaxy (11 Million ly)

• 

  NGC 1313 Topsy Turvy Galaxy (10 Million ly)

December

Sunset: 20:10

Dark: 21:45 [galaxies]

 - Fornax galaxies NGC 1365
 - PGC 9031 (NGC 891) Silver Sliver
 - NGC 1313 Topsy Turvy
 - PGC 12286 (NGC 1313)
 - PGC 13586 (NGC 1433)
 - PGC 13727 (NGC 1448)
 - PGC 12209 (NGC 1269)
 - PGC 13418 (NGC 1399)
 - PGC 13059 (NGC 1350)
 - PGC 13434 (NGC 1398)
 - PGC 13419 (NGC 1395)
 - PGC 13505 (NGC 1407)
 - PGC 10488 (NGC 1097)
 - PGC 12412 (NGC 1300)
 - PGC 11819 (NGC 1232)
 - PGC 9057 (NGC 908)
 - M77 PGC 10266 (NGC 1068) Squid
 - PGC 9359 (NGC 936)
 - PGC 9332 (NGC 925)

[nebulae]

 - LMC, tarantula nebula
 - NGC 1333 Embryo nebula

[open star clusters]

 - M45 pleiades
 - NGC 752

[globular clusters]

 - NGC 362

• 

  NGC 362 Globular Cluster (29,000 ly)

• 

  NGC 1365 (56 Million ly)

• 

  NGC 2070 Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud (160,000 ly)

• 

  NGC 1313 Topsy Turvy Galaxy (10 Million ly)

• 

  M45 Pleiades open star cluster (444 ly)