What to image in February with the Vaonis Vespera 3
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.
31 targets transit near midnight in February. From a suburban sky the Vespera 3 gets a solid image of 18 of them in under an hour each; 13 need longer, or a darker sky, or several nights. Times below use the recommended filter and 10 s subs.
| Target | Type | Bortle 4 | Bortle 6 | Bortle 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M35Gemini | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M41Canis Major | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| Beehive ClusterCancer | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M46Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M47Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M48Hydra | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M50Monoceros | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M67Cancer | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M93Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| Rosette ClusterMonoceros | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| Carina NebulaCarina | Emission nebula | 6 min39 subs | 12 min71 subs | 30 min178 subs |
| Eskimo NebulaGemini | Planetary nebula | 7 min43 subs | 12 min71 subs | 28 min168 subs |
| Ghost of JupiterHydra | Planetary nebula | 7 min43 subs | 12 min71 subs | 28 min168 subs |
| Cigar GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 17 min103 subs | 33 min199 subs | 1 h 28 min528 subs |
| M66Leo | Galaxy | 20 min123 subs | 39 min235 subs | 1 h 44 min625 subs |
| M65Leo | Galaxy | 25 min152 subs | 50 min299 subs | 2 h 14 min807 subs |
| Owl NebulaUrsa Major | Planetary nebula | 27 min161 subs | 51 min308 subs | 2 h 16 min815 subs |
| M105Leo | Galaxy | 29 min177 subs | 57 min342 subs | 2 h 32 min911 subs |
| Bode's GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 30 min179 subs | 1 h 01 min366 subs | 2 h 49 min1,012 subs |
| M108Ursa Major | Galaxy | 41 min245 subs | 1 h 22 min495 subs | 3 h 46 min1,358 subs |
| M96Leo | Galaxy | 46 min275 subs | 1 h 32 min554 subs | 4 h 13 min1,519 subs |
| Rosette NebulaMonoceros | Emission nebula | 1 h 01 min365 subs | 2 h 09 min777 subs | 6 h 06 min2,199 subs |
| NGC 2903Leo | Galaxy | 1 h 04 min383 subs | 2 h 15 min809 subs | 6 h 20 min2,283 subs |
| Hamburger GalaxyLeo | Galaxy | 1 h 07 min404 subs | 2 h 24 min863 subs | 6 h 48 min2,450 subs |
| Monkey Head NebulaOrion | Emission nebula | 1 h 12 min433 subs | 2 h 35 min928 subs | 7 h 19 min2,637 subs |
| NGC 2403Camelopardalis | Galaxy | 1 h 26 min514 subs | 3 h 05 min1,109 subs | 8 h 47 min3,164 subs |
| M95Leo | Galaxy | 1 h 35 min573 subs | 3 h 21 min1,205 subs | 9 h 24 min3,387 subs |
| M109Ursa Major | Galaxy | 1 h 43 min619 subs | 3 h 38 min1,308 subs | 10 h3,689 subs |
| Cone and Christmas TreeMonoceros | Emission nebula | 2 h 52 min1,030 subs | 6 h 19 min2,273 subs | 18 h6,566 subs |
| Jellyfish NebulaGemini | Supernova remnant | 2 h 52 min1,030 subs | 6 h 19 min2,273 subs | 18 h6,566 subs |
| Thor's HelmetCanis Major | Emission nebula | 4 h 30 min1,621 subs | 9 h 53 min3,559 subs | 28 h10,255 subs |
Other telescopes in February: Seestar S50 · Seestar S50 Pro · Seestar S30 · Seestar S30 Pro · DWARF 3 · DWARF mini · Draco · DWARF II · Vespera II · Vespera Pro · Vespera Pro 2 · eQuinox 2 · Odyssey · Origin · Origin Mark II
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