What to image in February
Orion is still well placed after dark and the winter clusters in Auriga and Gemini ride high. Late in the evening the first galaxies of spring rise in the east: Leo, then Ursa Major. A month for both nebulae and, after midnight, the Bode and Cigar pair.
Moon in February 2027: new on 6 Feb, full on 20 Feb. Broadband targets (galaxies, clusters) want the week either side of new; emission nebulae behind a dual-band filter tolerate the rest.
By telescope
- February with the ZWO Seestar S50
- February with the ZWO Seestar S50 Pro
- February with the ZWO Seestar S30
- February with the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro
- February with the DwarfLab DWARF 3
- February with the DwarfLab DWARF mini
- February with the DwarfLab Draco
- February with the DwarfLab DWARF II
- February with the Vaonis Vespera II
- February with the Vaonis Vespera Pro
- February with the Vaonis Vespera 3
- February with the Vaonis Vespera Pro 2
- February with the Unistellar eQuinox 2
- February with the Unistellar Odyssey
- February with the Celestron Origin
- February with the Celestron Origin Mark II
February's targets, Seestar S50 baseline
| Target | Type | Bortle 4 | Bortle 6 | Bortle 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M35Gemini | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| M41Canis Major | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| Beehive ClusterCancer | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| M46Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| M47Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| M48Hydra | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| M50Monoceros | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| M67Cancer | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| M93Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| Rosette ClusterMonoceros | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs |
| Carina NebulaCarina | Emission nebula | 8 min46 subs | 9 min56 subs | 15 min90 subs |
| Eskimo NebulaGemini | Planetary nebula | 9 min53 subs | 10 min62 subs | 15 min93 subs |
| Ghost of JupiterHydra | Planetary nebula | 9 min53 subs | 10 min62 subs | 15 min93 subs |
| Cigar GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 18 min109 subs | 35 min208 subs | 1 h 32 min550 subs |
| Owl NebulaUrsa Major | Planetary nebula | 30 min181 subs | 38 min228 subs | 1 h 05 min390 subs |
| M66Leo | Galaxy | 21 min129 subs | 41 min246 subs | 1 h 49 min652 subs |
| M65Leo | Galaxy | 27 min160 subs | 52 min313 subs | 2 h 20 min842 subs |
| M105Leo | Galaxy | 31 min186 subs | 1 h358 subs | 2 h 38 min950 subs |
| Bode's GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 31 min188 subs | 1 h 04 min383 subs | 2 h 56 min1,056 subs |
| Rosette NebulaMonoceros | Emission nebula | 1 h 03 min381 subs | 1 h 25 min512 subs | 2 h 41 min965 subs |
| M108Ursa Major | Galaxy | 43 min258 subs | 1 h 26 min518 subs | 3 h 56 min1,417 subs |
| M96Leo | Galaxy | 48 min289 subs | 1 h 37 min580 subs | 4 h 24 min1,585 subs |
| Monkey Head NebulaOrion | Emission nebula | 1 h 15 min449 subs | 1 h 41 min607 subs | 3 h 12 min1,152 subs |
| NGC 2903Leo | Galaxy | 1 h 07 min403 subs | 2 h 21 min847 subs | 6 h 37 min2,382 subs |
| Hamburger GalaxyLeo | Galaxy | 1 h 11 min426 subs | 2 h 31 min904 subs | 7 h 06 min2,556 subs |
| NGC 2403Camelopardalis | Galaxy | 1 h 30 min542 subs | 3 h 13 min1,161 subs | 9 h 10 min3,301 subs |
| M95Leo | Galaxy | 1 h 41 min604 subs | 3 h 30 min1,261 subs | 9 h 49 min3,533 subs |
| M109Ursa Major | Galaxy | 1 h 49 min652 subs | 3 h 48 min1,370 subs | 11 h3,849 subs |
| Cone and Christmas TreeMonoceros | Emission nebula | 2 h 54 min1,043 subs | 4 h1,439 subs | 7 h 48 min2,807 subs |
| Jellyfish NebulaGemini | Supernova remnant | 2 h 54 min1,043 subs | 4 h1,439 subs | 7 h 48 min2,807 subs |
| Thor's HelmetCanis Major | Emission nebula | 4 h 35 min1,648 subs | 6 h 17 min2,265 subs | 12 h4,400 subs |
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