Notable DSOs
Legend:
| Annotation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bold | Constellation |
| Italics | Star |
"Easy"
Note
Who decided which ones were easy?
| Name/Number | Type | Picture | Constellation | How to Find It? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 (Rose Cluster) | Globular cluster |  |
Serpens | From Arcturus, draw line through straight leg of Bootes, extend for 15° |
| M7 (Ptolemy Cluster) | Open cluster |  |
Scorpius | Draw a line from Lesath to Shaula at the tail of Scorpius Extend line by 4°42’ |
| M6 (Butterfly Cluster) | Open cluster |  |
Scorpius | From previous line drawn for M7, go perpendicularly up by approximately the same distance |
| M41 | Open cluster |  |
Canis Major | Find Sirius. Go 4° towards the South. |
| M42 (Orion Nebula, Orion's special place) | H II region nebula |  |
Orion | Right under Orion’s belt. In the direction of Rigel. |
| M44 (Beehive cluster) | Open cluster |  |
Cancer | Find the center line of stars in Cancer. M44 is around the middle. |
| M45 (Pleiades) | Open cluster |  |
Taurus | Visible to naked eye |
| C76 (False Comet, Northern Jewel Box) | Open cluster |  |
Scorpius | Near Zeta (ζ) Scorpii |
| C80 (omega Centauri) | Globular cluster |  |
Centaurus | Somewhere in between Alnair (Baten Kentaurus) and Muhlifan |
| C94 (Jewel Box) | Open cluster |  |
Crux | Southwest of Mimosa |
"Medium"
| Name/Number | Type | Constellation | How to Find It? |
|---|---|---|---|
| M2 | Globular Cluster | Aquarius | Find the second star on the long arm of Aquarius (Sadalsuud). Draw a line to closest leg end of Pegasus (Enif). Move 4°45’ in the direction of this line from Sadalsuud |
| M4 | Globular Cluster | Aquarius | Besides Antares |
| M8 (Lagoon Nebula) | Nebula with cluster | Sagittarius | Form an equilateral triangle with Kaus Borealis and Polis, M8 is on the other end |
| M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) | Open Cluster | Scutum | Find the longest side of Scutum. Starting from the star closest to Aquila, move 1°33’ along this side, M11 is slightly outside the shape of Scutum |
| M16 (Eagle Nebula) | H II region nebula with cluster | Serpens | Find side of Scutum closest to Sagittarius. Extend the side in the direction of Ophiuchus by 2°34’. |
| M18 | Open Cluster | Sagittarius | Forms an equilateral triangle with M16 and the closest star in Scutum. |
| M20 (Trifid Nebula) | H II region nebula with cluster | Sagittarius | Right beside M8, in the direction of Polis |
| M22 (Great Sagittarius Cluster) | Globular Cluster | Sagittarius | Find the line connecting Polis and Kaus Borealis. From Kaus Borealis, draw a perpendicular line in the direction away from M8 of length 2°30’. |
| M25 | Open Cluster | Sagittarius | Find M18. Draw a line from M18 to the closest star in Scutum. Now draw another line perpendicular to that from M18 of length 3°30’ pointing towards Sagittarius. |
| M29 (Cooling Tower) | Open Cluster | Cygnus | Find the star at the center of the cross of Cygnus (Sadr). Move 1°37’ in the direction of Sagitta. |
| M35 | Open Cluster | Gemini | Find the twins of Gemini. From Castor (closer to Auriga), trace a line to the “boot”, a curve of stars towards the bottom of the constellation. M35 is right above the boot. |
| M38 (Starfish Cluster) | Open Cluster | Auriga | Form a line from Elnath to Mahasim in Auriga. Draw a perpendicular line from the midpoint of this line and extend it away from Gemini by 3°55’ . |
| M46 | Open Cluster | Puppis | Form a line from Sirius to Muliphein, star on the head of Canis Major. Continue in the same direction for 8°. |
| M47 | Open Cluster | Puppis | Using the same line for M46, move 1° in the same direction. |
| M50 (Heart Shaped Cluster) | Open Cluster | Monocerous | Form a line from Sirius to the tip of the triangle head of Canis Major. Continue in the same direction for about 4°. |
| M67 (King Cobra Cluster) | Open Cluster | Cancer | Form a line through the middle 2 stars of Cancer. Extend by 6°33’ towards Hydra. |
| M93 | Open Cluster | Puppis | 1°24’ from Azmidi, star at the head of Puppis. |
| C14 (Double Cluster) | Open cluster(s) | Perseus | Draw a line from Navi, the center star of Cassiopeia, to Ruchbah, the bottom star of the wider triangle in Cassiopeia, continue the line to the double clusters. |
| C50 (Satellite Cluster) | Open cluster | Monocerous | |
| C64 (Tau Canis Majoris Cluster) | Open cluster | Canis Major | |
| C85 (Omicron Velorum Cluster) | Open cluster | Vela | Near Omicron (ο) Velorum |
| C91 (Wishing Well Cluster) | Open cluster | Carina | Near Chi (χ) Carinae |
| C92 (Eta Carina Nebula) | H II region nebula with cluster | Carina | |
| C93 (Pavo Globular Cluster) | Globular Cluster | Pavo | |
| C96 (Sprinter Cluster/Southern Beehive) | Open Cluster | Carina | |
| C97 (Pearl Cluster) | Open Cluster | Cantaurus | Near Lambda (λ) Centauri |
| C102 (Southern Pleiades) | Open Cluster | Carina | Near Theta (θ) Carinae |
| NGC2169 (The '37' Cluster) | Open Cluster | Orion | |
| IC4665 (Summer Beehive) | Open Cluster | Ophiucus | |
| IC4756 (Graff's Cluster) | Open Cluster | Serpens | Near Cebalrai (β Oph) |
Extra Deep Sky Objects
| Name | Number | Type | Constellation | How to Find It? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helix nebula | NGC 7293 | Planetary nebula | Aquarius | Start with Fomalhaut in Pisces Austrinus, then find a faint star above it, and two faint stars below it, both forming Pisces Austrinus. Draw a line from the middle of the two bottom stars to the top star, continue to Helix nebula. |
| Sculptor’s spiral | NGC 253 | galaxy | Sculptor | Start with the arc of Aquarius that is further away from Pisces Austrinus, then continue down to Diphda in Cetus, from there, move perpendicular to the direction earlier towards Sculptor, you should find the galaxy on your way there. |
| Flame nebula | NGC 2024 | Cluster associated with nebulosity | Orion | Right beside the belt star of Alnitak. |
| Great barred spiral galaxy | NGC 1365 | Barred spiral galaxy | Fornax | |
| Fornax A | NGC 1316 | Elliptical galaxy collided with another galaxy | Fornax |