What to image in October with the Vaonis Vespera Pro 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 Vespera Pro 2 gets a solid image of 10 of them in under an hour each; 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 TucanaeTucana | Globular cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min30 subs | 9 min53 subs |
| M34Perseus | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| Double ClusterPerseus | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| NGC 663Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| Caroline's RoseCassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 5 min33 subs | 11 min69 subs |
| M52Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 6 min38 subs | 13 min79 subs |
| Owl ClusterCassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 6 min38 subs | 13 min79 subs |
| M103Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 8 min50 subs | 12 min73 subs | 26 min154 subs |
| M32Andromeda | Galaxy | 25 min152 subs | 43 min261 subs | 1 h 46 min635 subs |
| Bow-Tie NebulaCepheus | Planetary nebula | 34 min202 subs | 58 min350 subs | 2 h 23 min860 subs |
| Sculptor GalaxySculptor | Galaxy | 34 min202 subs | 1 h 02 min373 subs | 2 h 40 min963 subs |
| M77Cetus | Galaxy | 36 min219 subs | 1 h 04 min384 subs | 2 h 39 min954 subs |
| Little DumbbellPerseus | Planetary nebula | 53 min320 subs | 1 h 36 min577 subs | 4 h 04 min1,463 subs |
| Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda | Galaxy | 1 h 35 min572 subs | 3 h 07 min1,121 subs | 8 h 23 min3,017 subs |
| NGC 7331Pegasus | Galaxy | 2 h 18 min830 subs | 4 h 31 min1,625 subs | 12 h4,370 subs |
| Triangulum GalaxyTriangulum | Galaxy | 2 h 52 min1,035 subs | 5 h 46 min2,075 subs | 16 h5,669 subs |
| PleiadesTaurus | Reflection nebula | 2 h 52 min1,035 subs | 5 h 46 min2,075 subs | 16 h5,669 subs |
| Pacman NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 2 h 52 min1,035 subs | 5 h 46 min2,075 subs | 16 h5,669 subs |
| NGC 891Andromeda | Galaxy | 2 h 56 min1,054 subs | 5 h 51 min2,106 subs | 16 h5,742 subs |
| Ghost of CassiopeiaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 3 h 03 min1,101 subs | 6 h 03 min2,181 subs | 16 h5,910 subs |
| Helix NebulaAquarius | Planetary nebula | 3 h 25 min1,231 subs | 6 h 53 min2,481 subs | 19 h6,802 subs |
| M110Andromeda | Galaxy | 3 h 59 min1,434 subs | 8 h 04 min2,905 subs | 22 h7,986 subs |
| Wizard NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 4 h 04 min1,464 subs | 8 h 15 min2,968 subs | 23 h8,163 subs |
| Bubble NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 4 h 51 min1,744 subs | 9 h 52 min3,552 subs | 27 h9,797 subs |
| Heart NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 4 h 51 min1,744 subs | 9 h 52 min3,552 subs | 27 h9,797 subs |
| M74Pisces | Galaxy | 5 h 49 min2,095 subs | 12 h4,239 subs | 32 h11,651 subs |
| Soul NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 5 h 46 min2,079 subs | 12 h4,252 subs | 33 h11,761 subs |
| NGC 1333Perseus | Reflection nebula | 6 h 28 min2,328 subs | 13 h4,668 subs | 35 h12,755 subs |
| Cave NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 6 h 53 min2,479 subs | 14 h5,092 subs | 39 h14,120 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 · eQuinox 2 · Odyssey · Origin · Origin Mark II
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