What to image in October with the Celestron Origin Mark II
Long dark nights and the autumn sky: Andromeda and Triangulum, the Heart and Soul nebulae, the Pleiades late in the evening, the Helix low in the south. Still time for the Veil before it sets. Dew season begins in earnest.
Moon in October 2026: new on 10 Oct, full on 26 Oct. Broadband targets (galaxies, clusters) want the week either side of new; emission nebulae behind a dual-band filter tolerate the rest.
29 targets transit near midnight in October. From a suburban sky the Origin Mark II gets a solid image of 19 of them in under an hour each; 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M34Perseus | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| M52Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| M103Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| Double ClusterPerseus | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| 47 TucanaeTucana | Globular cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| Owl ClusterCassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| NGC 663Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| Caroline's RoseCassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| M32Andromeda | Galaxy | 5 min30 subs | 8 min46 subs | 20 min122 subs |
| Bow-Tie NebulaCepheus | Planetary nebula | 5 min32 subs | 10 min61 subs | 27 min165 subs |
| Sculptor GalaxySculptor | Galaxy | 5 min30 subs | 11 min65 subs | 31 min184 subs |
| M77Cetus | Galaxy | 6 min34 subs | 11 min67 subs | 30 min183 subs |
| Little DumbbellPerseus | Planetary nebula | 8 min48 subs | 17 min100 subs | 47 min280 subs |
| Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda | Galaxy | 13 min80 subs | 32 min191 subs | 1 h 36 min575 subs |
| NGC 7331Pegasus | Galaxy | 19 min116 subs | 46 min277 subs | 2 h 19 min832 subs |
| Triangulum GalaxyTriangulum | Galaxy | 23 min141 subs | 59 min352 subs | 3 h1,079 subs |
| PleiadesTaurus | Reflection nebula | 23 min141 subs | 59 min352 subs | 3 h1,079 subs |
| Pacman NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 23 min141 subs | 59 min352 subs | 3 h1,079 subs |
| NGC 891Andromeda | Galaxy | 24 min144 subs | 59 min357 subs | 3 h 02 min1,093 subs |
| Ghost of CassiopeiaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 25 min152 subs | 1 h 02 min371 subs | 3 h 07 min1,125 subs |
| Helix NebulaAquarius | Planetary nebula | 28 min167 subs | 1 h 10 min420 subs | 3 h 36 min1,294 subs |
| M110Andromeda | Galaxy | 32 min194 subs | 1 h 22 min491 subs | 4 h 13 min1,519 subs |
| Wizard NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 33 min198 subs | 1 h 24 min502 subs | 4 h 19 min1,553 subs |
| Bubble NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 39 min235 subs | 1 h 40 min600 subs | 5 h 11 min1,864 subs |
| Heart NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 39 min235 subs | 1 h 40 min600 subs | 5 h 11 min1,864 subs |
| M74Pisces | Galaxy | 47 min283 subs | 1 h 59 min717 subs | 6 h 09 min2,217 subs |
| Soul NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 46 min278 subs | 2 h718 subs | 6 h 13 min2,237 subs |
| NGC 1333Perseus | Reflection nebula | 53 min318 subs | 2 h 12 min791 subs | 6 h 44 min2,427 subs |
| Cave NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 55 min330 subs | 2 h 23 min859 subs | 7 h 27 min2,685 subs |
Other telescopes in October: Seestar S50 · Seestar S50 Pro · Seestar S30 · Seestar S30 Pro · DWARF 3 · DWARF mini · Draco · DWARF II · Vespera II · Vespera Pro · Vespera 3 · Vespera Pro 2 · eQuinox 2 · Odyssey · Origin
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