Go / no go for deep skyGo / no go for deep sky imaging
What to photograph in November
16 deep-sky targets are at their best in November, meaning they cross the middle of the sky around midnight, plus 25 more that are still well placed in the evening or before dawn. Good first picks: Orion Nebula, Double Cluster, M34.
Lists are written for around 35°N, like the southern United States, southern Europe or Japan. The months work for both hemispheres, but southern observers will find northern targets low and southern ones high: each target page shows how high it climbs from your latitude. The best nights are around the new Moon, so check the dark sky calendar.
At their best in November
- Orion NebulaBeginnerM42 · emission nebula · Orion · 1.4°
The Orion Nebula is a stellar nursery you can spot with the naked eye in Orion's sword.
- Double ClusterBeginnerNGC 869 · open cluster · Perseus · 1.0°
The Double Cluster is a pair of rich, young open clusters, NGC 869 and NGC 884, sitting side by side in Perseus.
- M34Beginneropen cluster · Perseus · 35′
M34 is a large, loose open cluster in Perseus, easy to see in a pair of binoculars and just visible to the naked eye from a dark site.
- Starfish ClusterBeginnerM38 · open cluster · Auriga · 21′
M38, the Starfish Cluster, is a large open cluster in Auriga with a pattern of stars that look like a starfish or a cross.
- De Mairan's NebulaBeginnerM43 · emission nebula · Orion · 20′
M43 is a small, comma-shaped nebula separated from the Orion Nebula (M42) by a dark dust lane.
- Pinwheel ClusterBeginnerM36 · open cluster · Auriga · 12′
The Pinwheel Cluster is the smallest of the three bright Auriga open clusters.
- California NebulaIntermediateNGC 1499 · emission nebula · Perseus · 2.7°
The California Nebula is a long, faint emission nebula in Perseus, named for its shape.
- Heart NebulaIntermediateIC 1805 · emission nebula · Cassiopeia · 2.5°
The Heart Nebula in Cassiopeia is a large emission nebula shaped like a heart, powered by the young open cluster Melotte 15 at its center.
- Soul NebulaIntermediateIC 1848 · emission nebula · Cassiopeia · 2.5°
The Soul Nebula is the companion of the Heart Nebula in Cassiopeia, a large emission nebula with a dense star cluster and a feature called the Fish Head.
- PleiadesIntermediateM45 · open cluster · Taurus · 1.8°
The Pleiades are a young open cluster of hot blue stars, wrapped in a veil of reflected blue dust.
- Flame NebulaIntermediateNGC 2024 · emission nebula · Orion · 30′
The Flame Nebula is an emission nebula in Orion, right beside the belt star Alnitak.
- Silver Sliver GalaxyIntermediateNGC 891 · spiral galaxy · Andromeda · 14′
NGC 891 is a classic edge-on spiral galaxy in Andromeda, crossed by a dark dust lane along its whole length.
- M77Intermediatespiral galaxy · Cetus · 7′
M77 is a barred spiral in Cetus with a very bright, active nucleus, making it a Seyfert galaxy.
- Crab NebulaIntermediateM1 · supernova remnant · Taurus · 6′
The Crab Nebula is the remains of a star that exploded in the year 1054, recorded by astronomers in China and elsewhere.
- Horsehead NebulaAdvancedIC 434 · emission nebula · Orion · 1.0°
The Horsehead Nebula is a dark dust cloud shaped like a horse's head, silhouetted against a faint red glow of hydrogen.
- Embryo NebulaAdvancedNGC 1333 · reflection nebula · Perseus · 9′
NGC 1333 is a small blue reflection nebula in Perseus, set in a very young star-forming region.
Also well placed
Past or approaching their peak, so higher in the evening or before dawn.
- Andromeda GalaxyM31
- Beehive ClusterM44
- M48M48
- Little Beehive ClusterM41
- M47M47
- M35M35
- Salt-and-Pepper ClusterM37
- Rosette NebulaNGC 2237
- Pacman NebulaNGC 281
- M46M46
- M93M93
- Cone Nebula / Christmas Tree ClusterNGC 2264
- M110M110
- Heart-Shaped ClusterM50
- Bubble NebulaNGC 7635
- M52M52
- M79M79
- M32M32
- M78M78
- Thor's HelmetNGC 2359
- M103M103
- Triangulum GalaxyM33
- Question Mark NebulaNGC 7822
- Phantom GalaxyM74
- Little Dumbbell NebulaM76