What to image in March with the Vaonis Vespera 3
Galaxy season begins. Leo, Coma Berenices, Virgo and Ursa Major bring dozens of galaxies to a dark sky; from town they are the hardest targets on the site, so this is the month to find a darker one. The Moon-lit half of the month still has the Orion region early and the Beehive cluster.
Moon in March 2027: new on 8 Mar, full on 22 Mar. Broadband targets (galaxies, clusters) want the week either side of new; emission nebulae behind a dual-band filter tolerate the rest.
48 targets transit near midnight in March. From a suburban sky the Vespera 3 gets a solid image of 24 of them in under an hour each; 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beehive ClusterCancer | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M48Hydra | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M67Cancer | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| Omega CentauriCentaurus | Globular cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| M3Canes Venatici | Globular cluster | 5 min32 subs | 9 min56 subs | 23 min138 subs |
| Carina NebulaCarina | Emission nebula | 6 min39 subs | 12 min71 subs | 30 min178 subs |
| Ghost of JupiterHydra | Planetary nebula | 7 min43 subs | 12 min71 subs | 28 min168 subs |
| M94Canes Venatici | Galaxy | 14 min86 subs | 27 min162 subs | 1 h 11 min426 subs |
| M68Hydra | Globular cluster | 16 min95 subs | 30 min182 subs | 1 h 20 min481 subs |
| Black Eye GalaxyComa Berenices | Galaxy | 17 min103 subs | 33 min197 subs | 1 h 27 min520 subs |
| Cigar GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 17 min103 subs | 33 min199 subs | 1 h 28 min528 subs |
| M53Coma Berenices | Globular cluster | 17 min104 subs | 34 min203 subs | 1 h 31 min545 subs |
| M66Leo | Galaxy | 20 min123 subs | 39 min235 subs | 1 h 44 min625 subs |
| Centaurus ACentaurus | Galaxy | 20 min118 subs | 39 min236 subs | 1 h 47 min641 subs |
| Southern PinwheelHydra | Galaxy | 22 min135 subs | 45 min268 subs | 2 h 02 min730 subs |
| Sombrero GalaxyVirgo | Galaxy | 23 min139 subs | 45 min270 subs | 2 h722 subs |
| M59Virgo | Galaxy | 24 min146 subs | 46 min276 subs | 2 h 01 min727 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 |
| Whale GalaxyCanes Venatici | Galaxy | 26 min154 subs | 52 min313 subs | 2 h 23 min861 subs |
| Whirlpool GalaxyCanes Venatici | Galaxy | 28 min168 subs | 56 min336 subs | 2 h 33 min916 subs |
| M60Virgo | Galaxy | 29 min175 subs | 56 min339 subs | 2 h 31 min906 subs |
| M105Leo | Galaxy | 29 min177 subs | 57 min342 subs | 2 h 32 min911 subs |
| M87Virgo | Galaxy | 30 min183 subs | 1 h360 subs | 2 h 41 min969 subs |
| Bode's GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 30 min179 subs | 1 h 01 min366 subs | 2 h 49 min1,012 subs |
| M106Canes Venatici | Galaxy | 30 min182 subs | 1 h 02 min373 subs | 2 h 52 min1,032 subs |
| Needle GalaxyComa Berenices | Galaxy | 31 min184 subs | 1 h 03 min378 subs | 2 h 55 min1,048 subs |
| M49Virgo | Galaxy | 33 min198 subs | 1 h 06 min397 subs | 3 h 01 min1,085 subs |
| M84Virgo | Galaxy | 38 min231 subs | 1 h 16 min456 subs | 3 h 25 min1,232 subs |
| M85Coma Berenices | Galaxy | 40 min243 subs | 1 h 20 min482 subs | 3 h 38 min1,309 subs |
| M108Ursa Major | Galaxy | 41 min245 subs | 1 h 22 min495 subs | 3 h 46 min1,358 subs |
| M89Virgo | Galaxy | 42 min250 subs | 1 h 23 min497 subs | 3 h 44 min1,347 subs |
| M86Virgo | Galaxy | 41 min247 subs | 1 h 23 min501 subs | 3 h 49 min1,376 subs |
| M96Leo | Galaxy | 46 min275 subs | 1 h 32 min554 subs | 4 h 13 min1,519 subs |
| Sunflower GalaxyCanes Venatici | Galaxy | 45 min273 subs | 1 h 34 min567 subs | 4 h 24 min1,582 subs |
| M88Coma Berenices | Galaxy | 52 min311 subs | 1 h 45 min629 subs | 4 h 48 min1,728 subs |
| Antennae GalaxiesCorvus | Galaxy | 56 min339 subs | 1 h 54 min687 subs | 5 h 15 min1,889 subs |
| M100Coma Berenices | Galaxy | 1 h 05 min391 subs | 2 h 14 min803 subs | 6 h 11 min2,226 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 |
| M90Virgo | Galaxy | 1 h 09 min415 subs | 2 h 25 min870 subs | 6 h 47 min2,440 subs |
| M58Virgo | Galaxy | 1 h 12 min435 subs | 2 h 29 min896 subs | 6 h 55 min2,488 subs |
| M99Coma Berenices | Galaxy | 1 h 18 min466 subs | 2 h 40 min963 subs | 7 h 27 min2,681 subs |
| M61Virgo | Galaxy | 1 h 26 min517 subs | 2 h 59 min1,074 subs | 8 h 20 min3,001 subs |
| M95Leo | Galaxy | 1 h 35 min573 subs | 3 h 21 min1,205 subs | 9 h 24 min3,387 subs |
| M98Coma Berenices | Galaxy | 1 h 42 min612 subs | 3 h 38 min1,306 subs | 10 h3,704 subs |
| M109Ursa Major | Galaxy | 1 h 43 min619 subs | 3 h 38 min1,308 subs | 10 h3,689 subs |
| M91Coma Berenices | Galaxy | 1 h 45 min630 subs | 3 h 40 min1,323 subs | 10 h3,720 subs |
Other telescopes in March: 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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