What to image in February with the Vaonis Vespera Pro 2
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 Pro 2 gets a solid image of 13 of them in under an hour each; 18 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 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| M41Canis Major | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| Beehive ClusterCancer | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| M46Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| M47Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| M48Hydra | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| M50Monoceros | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| M67Cancer | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| M93Puppis | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| Rosette ClusterMonoceros | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| Carina NebulaCarina | Emission nebula | 15 min90 subs | 26 min156 subs | 1 h 04 min382 subs |
| Eskimo NebulaGemini | Planetary nebula | 16 min98 subs | 26 min157 subs | 1 h360 subs |
| Ghost of JupiterHydra | Planetary nebula | 16 min98 subs | 26 min157 subs | 1 h360 subs |
| Cigar GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 40 min241 subs | 1 h 13 min441 subs | 3 h 09 min1,133 subs |
| M66Leo | Galaxy | 48 min286 subs | 1 h 27 min523 subs | 3 h 43 min1,341 subs |
| M65Leo | Galaxy | 59 min356 subs | 1 h 51 min665 subs | 4 h 49 min1,733 subs |
| Owl NebulaUrsa Major | Planetary nebula | 1 h 02 min375 subs | 1 h 54 min683 subs | 4 h 51 min1,749 subs |
| M105Leo | Galaxy | 1 h 09 min414 subs | 2 h 07 min760 subs | 5 h 26 min1,956 subs |
| Bode's GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 1 h 10 min422 subs | 2 h 16 min816 subs | 6 h 02 min2,175 subs |
| M108Ursa Major | Galaxy | 1 h 36 min578 subs | 3 h 04 min1,103 subs | 8 h 06 min2,918 subs |
| M96Leo | Galaxy | 1 h 48 min648 subs | 3 h 26 min1,235 subs | 9 h 04 min3,264 subs |
| Rosette NebulaMonoceros | Emission nebula | 2 h 25 min871 subs | 4 h 49 min1,736 subs | 13 h4,726 subs |
| NGC 2903Leo | Galaxy | 2 h 32 min912 subs | 5 h 01 min1,809 subs | 14 h4,907 subs |
| Hamburger GalaxyLeo | Galaxy | 2 h 41 min965 subs | 5 h 22 min1,930 subs | 15 h5,266 subs |
| Monkey Head NebulaOrion | Emission nebula | 2 h 52 min1,035 subs | 5 h 46 min2,075 subs | 16 h5,669 subs |
| NGC 2403Camelopardalis | Galaxy | 3 h 25 min1,231 subs | 6 h 53 min2,481 subs | 19 h6,802 subs |
| M95Leo | Galaxy | 3 h 47 min1,364 subs | 7 h 29 min2,692 subs | 20 h7,280 subs |
| M109Ursa Major | Galaxy | 4 h 06 min1,476 subs | 8 h 07 min2,924 subs | 22 h7,930 subs |
| Cone and Christmas TreeMonoceros | Emission nebula | 6 h 53 min2,479 subs | 14 h5,092 subs | 39 h14,120 subs |
| Jellyfish NebulaGemini | Supernova remnant | 6 h 53 min2,479 subs | 14 h5,092 subs | 39 h14,120 subs |
| Thor's HelmetCanis Major | Emission nebula | 11 h3,897 subs | 22 h7,972 subs | 61 h22,051 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 3 · eQuinox 2 · Odyssey · Origin · Origin Mark II
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