What to image in October with the Vaonis Vespera 3
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 Vespera 3 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 10 s subs.
| Target | Type | Bortle 4 | Bortle 6 | Bortle 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M34Perseus | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M52Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min37 subs |
| Double ClusterPerseus | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| 47 TucanaeTucana | Globular cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs |
| Owl ClusterCassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 6 min37 subs |
| NGC 663Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| Caroline's RoseCassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 5 min32 subs |
| M103Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs | 12 min72 subs |
| M32Andromeda | Galaxy | 11 min66 subs | 20 min118 subs | 49 min296 subs |
| Bow-Tie NebulaCepheus | Planetary nebula | 15 min88 subs | 26 min158 subs | 1 h 07 min401 subs |
| Sculptor GalaxySculptor | Galaxy | 14 min86 subs | 28 min168 subs | 1 h 15 min449 subs |
| M77Cetus | Galaxy | 16 min95 subs | 29 min174 subs | 1 h 14 min445 subs |
| Little DumbbellPerseus | Planetary nebula | 23 min138 subs | 43 min260 subs | 1 h 54 min682 subs |
| Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda | Galaxy | 40 min241 subs | 1 h 24 min502 subs | 3 h 54 min1,404 subs |
| NGC 7331Pegasus | Galaxy | 58 min350 subs | 2 h 01 min728 subs | 5 h 39 min2,033 subs |
| Triangulum GalaxyTriangulum | Galaxy | 1 h 12 min433 subs | 2 h 35 min928 subs | 7 h 19 min2,637 subs |
| PleiadesTaurus | Reflection nebula | 1 h 12 min433 subs | 2 h 35 min928 subs | 7 h 19 min2,637 subs |
| Pacman NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 1 h 12 min433 subs | 2 h 35 min928 subs | 7 h 19 min2,637 subs |
| NGC 891Andromeda | Galaxy | 1 h 13 min441 subs | 2 h 37 min942 subs | 7 h 25 min2,671 subs |
| Ghost of CassiopeiaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 1 h 17 min462 subs | 2 h 43 min976 subs | 7 h 38 min2,750 subs |
| Helix NebulaAquarius | Planetary nebula | 1 h 26 min514 subs | 3 h 05 min1,109 subs | 8 h 47 min3,164 subs |
| M110Andromeda | Galaxy | 1 h 40 min598 subs | 3 h 36 min1,298 subs | 10 h3,715 subs |
| Wizard NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 1 h 42 min611 subs | 3 h 41 min1,326 subs | 11 h3,797 subs |
| Bubble NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 2 h 01 min726 subs | 4 h 24 min1,586 subs | 13 h4,557 subs |
| Heart NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 2 h 01 min726 subs | 4 h 24 min1,586 subs | 13 h4,557 subs |
| M74Pisces | Galaxy | 2 h 26 min874 subs | 5 h 16 min1,894 subs | 15 h5,419 subs |
| Soul NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 2 h 24 min865 subs | 5 h 16 min1,898 subs | 15 h5,470 subs |
| NGC 1333Perseus | Reflection nebula | 2 h 42 min974 subs | 5 h 48 min2,087 subs | 16 h5,933 subs |
| Cave NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 2 h 52 min1,030 subs | 6 h 19 min2,273 subs | 18 h6,566 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 Pro 2 · eQuinox 2 · Odyssey · Origin · Origin Mark II
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