What to image in October with the Celestron Origin
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 gets a solid image of 22 of them in under an hour each; 7 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 | 5 min33 subs | 14 min86 subs |
| Bow-Tie NebulaCepheus | Planetary nebula | 5 min30 subs | 7 min45 subs | 19 min116 subs |
| Sculptor GalaxySculptor | Galaxy | 5 min30 subs | 8 min47 subs | 22 min130 subs |
| M77Cetus | Galaxy | 5 min30 subs | 8 min49 subs | 21 min129 subs |
| Little DumbbellPerseus | Planetary nebula | 6 min37 subs | 12 min73 subs | 33 min197 subs |
| Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda | Galaxy | 10 min62 subs | 23 min139 subs | 1 h 08 min406 subs |
| NGC 7331Pegasus | Galaxy | 15 min90 subs | 34 min202 subs | 1 h 38 min588 subs |
| Triangulum GalaxyTriangulum | Galaxy | 18 min111 subs | 43 min257 subs | 2 h 07 min762 subs |
| PleiadesTaurus | Reflection nebula | 18 min111 subs | 43 min257 subs | 2 h 07 min762 subs |
| Pacman NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 18 min111 subs | 43 min257 subs | 2 h 07 min762 subs |
| NGC 891Andromeda | Galaxy | 19 min113 subs | 43 min261 subs | 2 h 09 min772 subs |
| Ghost of CassiopeiaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 20 min119 subs | 45 min270 subs | 2 h 12 min794 subs |
| Helix NebulaAquarius | Planetary nebula | 22 min131 subs | 51 min307 subs | 2 h 32 min914 subs |
| M110Andromeda | Galaxy | 25 min152 subs | 1 h359 subs | 2 h 59 min1,073 subs |
| Wizard NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 26 min156 subs | 1 h 01 min367 subs | 3 h 03 min1,097 subs |
| Bubble NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 31 min185 subs | 1 h 13 min439 subs | 3 h 39 min1,316 subs |
| Heart NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 31 min185 subs | 1 h 13 min439 subs | 3 h 39 min1,316 subs |
| M74Pisces | Galaxy | 37 min222 subs | 1 h 27 min524 subs | 4 h 21 min1,565 subs |
| Soul NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 36 min219 subs | 1 h 27 min525 subs | 4 h 23 min1,580 subs |
| NGC 1333Perseus | Reflection nebula | 41 min249 subs | 1 h 36 min577 subs | 4 h 46 min1,714 subs |
| Cave NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 43 min261 subs | 1 h 45 min628 subs | 5 h 16 min1,896 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 Mark II
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