What to image in October with the Vaonis Vespera Pro
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 gets a solid image of 9 of them in under an hour each; 20 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 min55 subs |
| M34Perseus | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs | 12 min72 subs |
| Double ClusterPerseus | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs | 12 min72 subs |
| NGC 663Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs | 12 min72 subs |
| Caroline's RoseCassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 6 min34 subs | 12 min72 subs |
| M52Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 7 min40 subs | 14 min83 subs |
| Owl ClusterCassiopeia | Open cluster | 5 min30 subs | 7 min40 subs | 14 min83 subs |
| M103Cassiopeia | Open cluster | 9 min52 subs | 13 min77 subs | 27 min161 subs |
| M32Andromeda | Galaxy | 27 min160 subs | 45 min273 subs | 1 h 50 min663 subs |
| Bow-Tie NebulaCepheus | Planetary nebula | 35 min213 subs | 1 h 01 min367 subs | 2 h 30 min898 subs |
| Sculptor GalaxySculptor | Galaxy | 35 min213 subs | 1 h 05 min391 subs | 2 h 48 min1,006 subs |
| M77Cetus | Galaxy | 38 min231 subs | 1 h 07 min403 subs | 2 h 46 min996 subs |
| Little DumbbellPerseus | Planetary nebula | 56 min338 subs | 1 h 41 min605 subs | 4 h 15 min1,528 subs |
| Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda | Galaxy | 1 h 41 min604 subs | 3 h 16 min1,176 subs | 8 h 45 min3,150 subs |
| NGC 7331Pegasus | Galaxy | 2 h 26 min877 subs | 4 h 44 min1,705 subs | 13 h4,563 subs |
| Triangulum GalaxyTriangulum | Galaxy | 3 h 02 min1,094 subs | 6 h 03 min2,177 subs | 16 h5,920 subs |
| PleiadesTaurus | Reflection nebula | 3 h 02 min1,094 subs | 6 h 03 min2,177 subs | 16 h5,920 subs |
| Pacman NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 3 h 02 min1,094 subs | 6 h 03 min2,177 subs | 16 h5,920 subs |
| NGC 891Andromeda | Galaxy | 3 h 06 min1,114 subs | 6 h 08 min2,210 subs | 17 h5,996 subs |
| Ghost of CassiopeiaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 3 h 14 min1,164 subs | 6 h 21 min2,288 subs | 17 h6,171 subs |
| Helix NebulaAquarius | Planetary nebula | 3 h 37 min1,302 subs | 7 h 14 min2,604 subs | 20 h7,103 subs |
| M110Andromeda | Galaxy | 4 h 13 min1,517 subs | 8 h 28 min3,048 subs | 23 h8,339 subs |
| Wizard NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 4 h 18 min1,549 subs | 8 h 39 min3,114 subs | 24 h8,524 subs |
| Bubble NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 5 h 07 min1,845 subs | 10 h3,727 subs | 28 h10,230 subs |
| Heart NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 5 h 07 min1,845 subs | 10 h3,727 subs | 28 h10,230 subs |
| M74Pisces | Galaxy | 6 h 09 min2,216 subs | 12 h4,449 subs | 34 h12,166 subs |
| Soul NebulaCassiopeia | Emission nebula | 6 h 06 min2,199 subs | 12 h4,462 subs | 34 h12,281 subs |
| NGC 1333Perseus | Reflection nebula | 6 h 50 min2,462 subs | 14 h4,899 subs | 37 h13,319 subs |
| Cave NebulaCepheus | Emission nebula | 7 h 17 min2,624 subs | 15 h5,344 subs | 41 h14,744 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 3 · Vespera Pro 2 · eQuinox 2 · Odyssey · Origin · Origin Mark II
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