What to image in July

The Milky Way core is up after midnight: the Lagoon, Trifid, Eagle and Swan nebulae, low in the south from Britain and northern Europe but spectacular from the southern US and the southern hemisphere. Cygnus and the Veil are high by the small hours. Dual-band filter on for all of them.

Moon in July 2027: new on 4 Jul, full on 18 Jul. Broadband targets (galaxies, clusters) want the week either side of new; emission nebulae behind a dual-band filter tolerate the rest.

By telescope

July's targets, Seestar S50 baseline

Solid image with a Seestar S50, default 10 s subs, recommended filter. Pick a telescope above for its own figures.
Target	Type	Bortle 4	Bortle 6	Bortle 8
Butterfly ClusterScorpius	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	6 min34 subs
Ptolemy's ClusterScorpius	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	6 min34 subs
Wild Duck ClusterScutum	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	6 min36 subs
M18Sagittarius	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	9 min56 subs
M21Sagittarius	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	6 min39 subs
M23Sagittarius	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	6 min34 subs
M25Sagittarius	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	6 min34 subs
M26Scutum	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	6 min34 subs
M39Cygnus	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	5 min30 subs	6 min34 subs
M29Cygnus	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	6 min34 subs	12 min72 subs
NGC 6939Cepheus	Open cluster	5 min30 subs	6 min34 subs	12 min72 subs
M92Hercules	Globular cluster	5 min30 subs	6 min36 subs	14 min85 subs
M28Sagittarius	Globular cluster	5 min30 subs	6 min38 subs	14 min87 subs
Ring NebulaLyra	Planetary nebula	6 min37 subs	7 min42 subs	10 min60 subs
Hercules ClusterHercules	Globular cluster	5 min30 subs	7 min44 subs	18 min107 subs
M62Ophiuchus	Globular cluster	5 min30 subs	8 min50 subs	20 min122 subs
Sagittarius Star CloudSagittarius	Star cloud	5 min31 subs	9 min53 subs	22 min131 subs
M15Pegasus	Globular cluster	5 min33 subs	10 min58 subs	24 min144 subs
Cat's Eye NebulaDraco	Planetary nebula	9 min53 subs	10 min62 subs	15 min93 subs
Turtle NebulaHercules	Planetary nebula	9 min53 subs	10 min62 subs	15 min93 subs
Blinking PlanetaryCygnus	Planetary nebula	9 min53 subs	10 min62 subs	15 min93 subs
Saturn NebulaAquarius	Planetary nebula	9 min53 subs	10 min62 subs	15 min93 subs
M2Aquarius	Globular cluster	6 min36 subs	10 min63 subs	26 min156 subs
M80Scorpius	Globular cluster	6 min39 subs	11 min66 subs	26 min159 subs
M30Capricornus	Globular cluster	7 min41 subs	12 min71 subs	29 min174 subs
M22Sagittarius	Globular cluster	7 min42 subs	12 min74 subs	31 min187 subs
M55Sagittarius	Globular cluster	8 min46 subs	14 min83 subs	35 min211 subs
M12Ophiuchus	Globular cluster	8 min48 subs	14 min87 subs	37 min222 subs
M70Sagittarius	Globular cluster	9 min57 subs	16 min99 subs	40 min243 subs
M69Sagittarius	Globular cluster	9 min57 subs	17 min101 subs	42 min254 subs
M75Sagittarius	Globular cluster	11 min66 subs	19 min114 subs	46 min279 subs
M71Sagitta	Globular cluster	11 min66 subs	19 min115 subs	47 min282 subs
Lagoon NebulaSagittarius	Emission nebula	16 min94 subs	20 min119 subs	34 min205 subs
Dumbbell NebulaVulpecula	Planetary nebula	16 min99 subs	20 min121 subs	33 min198 subs
M19Ophiuchus	Globular cluster	11 min68 subs	21 min128 subs	56 min334 subs
M14Ophiuchus	Globular cluster	12 min74 subs	23 min136 subs	59 min352 subs
Omega NebulaSagittarius	Emission nebula	18 min110 subs	23 min138 subs	39 min236 subs
M10Ophiuchus	Globular cluster	14 min86 subs	27 min165 subs	1 h 13 min439 subs
M54Sagittarius	Globular cluster	15 min90 subs	28 min171 subs	1 h 15 min451 subs
M9Ophiuchus	Globular cluster	18 min106 subs	34 min203 subs	1 h 30 min539 subs
M56Lyra	Globular cluster	21 min128 subs	41 min244 subs	1 h 47 min645 subs
Trifid NebulaSagittarius	Emission nebula	33 min200 subs	44 min263 subs	1 h 20 min480 subs
M107Ophiuchus	Globular cluster	29 min177 subs	59 min356 subs	2 h 42 min974 subs
Eagle NebulaSerpens	Emission nebula	46 min275 subs	1 h 01 min366 subs	1 h 53 min680 subs
M72Aquarius	Globular cluster	37 min220 subs	1 h 11 min429 subs	3 h 12 min1,150 subs
M4Scorpius	Globular cluster	36 min217 subs	1 h 14 min446 subs	3 h 26 min1,238 subs
Eastern Veil NebulaCygnus	Supernova remnant	58 min351 subs	1 h 18 min471 subs	2 h 27 min884 subs
North America NebulaCygnus	Emission nebula	1 h 03 min381 subs	1 h 25 min512 subs	2 h 41 min965 subs
Western Veil NebulaCygnus	Supernova remnant	1 h 09 min414 subs	1 h 33 min557 subs	2 h 56 min1,054 subs
Iris NebulaCepheus	Reflection nebula	54 min325 subs	1 h 53 min681 subs	5 h 19 min1,913 subs
Pelican NebulaCygnus	Emission nebula	1 h 28 min530 subs	2 h720 subs	3 h 49 min1,375 subs
Elephant's Trunk NebulaCepheus	Emission nebula	1 h 44 min627 subs	2 h 22 min855 subs	4 h 34 min1,642 subs
Tulip NebulaCygnus	Emission nebula	1 h 44 min627 subs	2 h 22 min855 subs	4 h 34 min1,642 subs
NGC 6781Aquila	Planetary nebula	2 h 01 min728 subs	2 h 42 min973 subs	5 h 03 min1,821 subs
Crescent NebulaCygnus	Emission nebula	2 h 04 min742 subs	2 h 49 min1,016 subs	5 h 27 min1,963 subs
Cocoon NebulaCygnus	Emission nebula	2 h 10 min783 subs	2 h 58 min1,068 subs	5 h 42 min2,053 subs
Fireworks GalaxyCygnus	Galaxy	2 h 26 min878 subs	5 h 15 min1,893 subs	15 h5,401 subs
NGC 6914Cygnus	Reflection nebula	2 h 51 min1,026 subs	6 h 04 min2,185 subs	17 h6,190 subs
Abell 39Hercules	Planetary nebula	16 h5,588 subs	22 h7,827 subs	43 h15,562 subs

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