What to image in May with the Vaonis Vespera 3
The last of the galaxies with the first of the summer globulars: Hercules, M3 and M5 are bright, small and forgiving of a bright sky. Darkness is short north of about 50°, so short, bright targets suit the month.
Moon in May 2027: new on 6 May, full on 20 May. Broadband targets (galaxies, clusters) want the week either side of new; emission nebulae behind a dual-band filter tolerate the rest.
51 targets transit near midnight in May. From a suburban sky the Vespera 3 gets a solid image of 31 of them in under an hour each; 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butterfly ClusterScorpius | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| Ptolemy's ClusterScorpius | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M23Sagittarius | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| Omega CentauriCentaurus | Globular cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| M92Hercules | Globular cluster | 5 min30 subs | 6 min35 subs | 14 min82 subs |
| Hercules ClusterHercules | Globular cluster | 5 min30 subs | 7 min43 subs | 17 min103 subs |
| M62Ophiuchus | Globular cluster | 5 min30 subs | 8 min48 subs | 19 min117 subs |
| M3Canes Venatici | Globular cluster | 5 min32 subs | 9 min56 subs | 23 min138 subs |
| M5Serpens | Globular cluster | 5 min33 subs | 10 min59 subs | 24 min146 subs |
| M80Scorpius | Globular cluster | 6 min37 subs | 10 min63 subs | 25 min153 subs |
| Cat's Eye NebulaDraco | Planetary nebula | 7 min43 subs | 12 min71 subs | 28 min168 subs |
| Turtle NebulaHercules | Planetary nebula | 7 min43 subs | 12 min71 subs | 28 min168 subs |
| M12Ophiuchus | Globular cluster | 8 min46 subs | 14 min83 subs | 35 min212 subs |
| M19Ophiuchus | Globular cluster | 11 min65 subs | 20 min122 subs | 53 min320 subs |
| M14Ophiuchus | Globular cluster | 12 min70 subs | 22 min130 subs | 56 min337 subs |
| Spindle GalaxyDraco | Galaxy | 13 min77 subs | 23 min136 subs | 57 min340 subs |
| M10Ophiuchus | Globular cluster | 14 min82 subs | 26 min158 subs | 1 h 10 min421 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 |
| M9Ophiuchus | Globular cluster | 17 min101 subs | 32 min194 subs | 1 h 26 min517 subs |
| Black Eye GalaxyComa Berenices | Galaxy | 17 min103 subs | 33 min197 subs | 1 h 27 min520 subs |
| M53Coma Berenices | Globular cluster | 17 min104 subs | 34 min203 subs | 1 h 31 min545 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 |
| 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 |
| M107Ophiuchus | Globular cluster | 28 min168 subs | 57 min340 subs | 2 h 36 min934 subs |
| M87Virgo | Galaxy | 30 min183 subs | 1 h360 subs | 2 h 41 min969 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 |
| M4Scorpius | Globular cluster | 34 min206 subs | 1 h 11 min426 subs | 3 h 18 min1,186 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| M98Coma Berenices | Galaxy | 1 h 42 min612 subs | 3 h 38 min1,306 subs | 10 h3,704 subs |
| M91Coma Berenices | Galaxy | 1 h 45 min630 subs | 3 h 40 min1,323 subs | 10 h3,720 subs |
| Pinwheel GalaxyUrsa Major | Galaxy | 2 h 01 min726 subs | 4 h 24 min1,586 subs | 13 h4,557 subs |
| Abell 39Hercules | Planetary nebula | 16 h5,616 subs | 35 h12,638 subs | 100+ h36,906 subs |
Other telescopes in May: 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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