What to image in October with the DwarfLab Draco
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 Draco gets a solid image of 13 of them in under an hour each; 16 need longer, or a darker sky, or several nights. Times below use the recommended filter and 30 s subs.
| Target | Type | Bortle 4 | Bortle 6 | Bortle 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M34Perseus | Open cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| M52Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| M103Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| Double ClusterPerseus | Open cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| 47 TucanaeTucana | Globular cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| Owl ClusterCassiopeia | Open cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| NGC 663Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| Caroline's RoseCassiopeia | Open cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| Bow-Tie NebulaCepheus, dual-band | Planetary nebula | 15 min30 subs | 17 min34 subs | 27 min55 subs |
| M32Andromeda | Galaxy | 15 min30 subs | 17 min34 subs | 43 min86 subs |
| Sculptor GalaxySculptor | Galaxy | 15 min30 subs | 24 min48 subs | 1 h 05 min130 subs |
| M77Cetus | Galaxy | 15 min30 subs | 25 min50 subs | 1 h 04 min129 subs |
| Little DumbbellPerseus, dual-band | Planetary nebula | 21 min42 subs | 26 min53 subs | 45 min90 subs |
| Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda | Galaxy | 34 min69 subs | 1 h 12 min144 subs | 3 h 22 min405 subs |
| Pacman NebulaCassiopeia, dual-band | Emission nebula | 58 min117 subs | 1 h 20 min160 subs | 2 h 36 min312 subs |
| Ghost of CassiopeiaCassiopeia, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 03 min126 subs | 1 h 26 min172 subs | 2 h 44 min329 subs |
| Helix NebulaAquarius, dual-band | Planetary nebula | 1 h 08 min137 subs | 1 h 35 min190 subs | 3 h 06 min372 subs |
| NGC 7331Pegasus | Galaxy | 49 min99 subs | 1 h 44 min209 subs | 4 h 53 min587 subs |
| Wizard NebulaCepheus, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 21 min162 subs | 1 h 52 min225 subs | 3 h 42 min444 subs |
| Triangulum GalaxyTriangulum | Galaxy | 1 h 01 min123 subs | 2 h 13 min266 subs | 6 h 20 min761 subs |
| PleiadesTaurus | Reflection nebula | 1 h 01 min123 subs | 2 h 13 min266 subs | 6 h 20 min761 subs |
| Bubble NebulaCassiopeia, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 36 min192 subs | 2 h 14 min268 subs | 4 h 25 min531 subs |
| Heart NebulaCassiopeia, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 36 min192 subs | 2 h 14 min268 subs | 4 h 25 min531 subs |
| NGC 891Andromeda | Galaxy | 1 h 02 min125 subs | 2 h 15 min270 subs | 6 h 25 min770 subs |
| Soul NebulaCassiopeia, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 53 min227 subs | 2 h 39 min318 subs | 5 h 17 min634 subs |
| M110Andromeda | Galaxy | 1 h 25 min170 subs | 3 h 06 min372 subs | 8 h 55 min1,071 subs |
| Cave NebulaCepheus, dual-band | Emission nebula | 2 h 14 min268 subs | 3 h 09 min378 subs | 6 h 19 min759 subs |
| M74Pisces | Galaxy | 2 h 04 min248 subs | 4 h 31 min543 subs | 13 h1,562 subs |
| NGC 1333Perseus | Reflection nebula | 2 h 18 min276 subs | 4 h 59 min598 subs | 14 h1,711 subs |
Other telescopes in October: Seestar S50 · Seestar S50 Pro · Seestar S30 · Seestar S30 Pro · DWARF 3 · DWARF mini · DWARF II · Vespera II · Vespera Pro · Vespera 3 · Vespera Pro 2 · eQuinox 2 · Odyssey · Origin · Origin Mark II
Previous: September · Next: November · Tonight with the Draco