What to image in October with the Unistellar eQuinox 2
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 eQuinox 2 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 4 s subs.
| Target | Type | Bortle 4 | Bortle 6 | Bortle 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 TucanaeTucana | Globular cluster | 2 min30 subs | 2 min30 subs | 3 min45 subs |
| M34Perseus | Open cluster | 2 min30 subs | 2 min32 subs | 4 min59 subs |
| Double ClusterPerseus | Open cluster | 2 min30 subs | 2 min32 subs | 4 min59 subs |
| NGC 663Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 2 min30 subs | 2 min32 subs | 4 min59 subs |
| Caroline's RoseCassiopeia | Open cluster | 2 min30 subs | 2 min32 subs | 4 min59 subs |
| M52Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 2 min30 subs | 2 min36 subs | 5 min68 subs |
| Owl ClusterCassiopeia | Open cluster | 2 min30 subs | 2 min36 subs | 5 min68 subs |
| M103Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 3 min53 subs | 5 min71 subs | 9 min133 subs |
| M32Andromeda | Galaxy | 12 min182 subs | 18 min266 subs | 37 min555 subs |
| Bow-Tie NebulaCepheus | Planetary nebula | 16 min244 subs | 24 min358 subs | 50 min751 subs |
| Sculptor GalaxySculptor | Galaxy | 17 min257 subs | 26 min389 subs | 56 min845 subs |
| M77Cetus | Galaxy | 18 min267 subs | 26 min395 subs | 56 min834 subs |
| Little DumbbellPerseus | Planetary nebula | 27 min400 subs | 40 min598 subs | 1 h 25 min1,282 subs |
| Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda | Galaxy | 51 min767 subs | 1 h 19 min1,191 subs | 2 h 57 min2,654 subs |
| NGC 7331Pegasus | Galaxy | 1 h 14 min1,112 subs | 1 h 55 min1,726 subs | 4 h 16 min3,844 subs |
| Triangulum GalaxyTriangulum | Galaxy | 1 h 34 min1,416 subs | 2 h 28 min2,219 subs | 5 h 33 min4,992 subs |
| PleiadesTaurus | Reflection nebula | 1 h 34 min1,416 subs | 2 h 28 min2,219 subs | 5 h 33 min4,992 subs |
| Pacman NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 1 h 34 min1,416 subs | 2 h 28 min2,219 subs | 5 h 33 min4,992 subs |
| NGC 891Andromeda | Galaxy | 1 h 36 min1,438 subs | 2 h 30 min2,250 subs | 5 h 37 min5,056 subs |
| Ghost of CassiopeiaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 1 h 39 min1,491 subs | 2 h 35 min2,324 subs | 5 h 47 min5,202 subs |
| Helix NebulaAquarius | Planetary nebula | 1 h 53 min1,692 subs | 2 h 57 min2,657 subs | 6 h 39 min5,991 subs |
| M110Andromeda | Galaxy | 2 h 12 min1,980 subs | 3 h 28 min3,115 subs | 7 h 49 min7,036 subs |
| Wizard NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 2 h 15 min2,023 subs | 3 h 32 min3,183 subs | 7 h 59 min7,191 subs |
| Bubble NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 2 h 41 min2,419 subs | 4 h 14 min3,814 subs | 9 h 36 min8,633 subs |
| Heart NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 2 h 41 min2,419 subs | 4 h 14 min3,814 subs | 9 h 36 min8,633 subs |
| M74Pisces | Galaxy | 3 h 13 min2,890 subs | 5 h 03 min4,545 subs | 11 h10,264 subs |
| Soul NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 3 h 13 min2,894 subs | 5 h 05 min4,571 subs | 12 h10,365 subs |
| NGC 1333Perseus | Reflection nebula | 3 h 32 min3,186 subs | 5 h 33 min4,992 subs | 12 h11,232 subs |
| Cave NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 3 h 51 min3,464 subs | 6 h 05 min5,480 subs | 14 h12,447 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 · Odyssey · Origin · Origin Mark II
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