What to image in September with the DwarfLab Draco
Cygnus overhead, Andromeda rising in the east and Pegasus behind it. The North America and Veil pages are the busiest on the site this month for a reason; the dual-band filter and 30 to 60 s subs make them possible from a suburban garden.
Moon in September 2026: new on 11 Sep, full on 26 Sep. Broadband targets (galaxies, clusters) want the week either side of new; emission nebulae behind a dual-band filter tolerate the rest.
41 targets transit near midnight in September. From a suburban sky the Draco gets a solid image of 19 of them in under an hour each; 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2Aquarius | Globular cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 21 min43 subs |
| M15Pegasus | Globular cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 20 min40 subs |
| M29Cygnus | Open cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| M30Capricornus | Globular cluster | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 24 min49 subs |
| M39Cygnus | 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 |
| 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 |
| NGC 6939Cepheus | 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 |
| Saturn NebulaAquarius, dual-band | Planetary nebula | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs | 15 min30 subs |
| M75Sagittarius | Globular cluster | 15 min30 subs | 16 min32 subs | 39 min78 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 |
| Little DumbbellPerseus, dual-band | Planetary nebula | 21 min42 subs | 26 min53 subs | 45 min90 subs |
| M72Aquarius | Globular cluster | 30 min60 subs | 59 min118 subs | 2 h 39 min318 subs |
| Eastern Veil NebulaCygnus, dual-band | Supernova remnant | 45 min91 subs | 1 h 02 min125 subs | 1 h 59 min239 subs |
| North America NebulaCygnus, dual-band | Emission nebula | 49 min99 subs | 1 h 08 min136 subs | 2 h 10 min261 subs |
| Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda | Galaxy | 34 min69 subs | 1 h 12 min144 subs | 3 h 22 min405 subs |
| Western Veil NebulaCygnus, dual-band | Supernova remnant | 53 min107 subs | 1 h 13 min147 subs | 2 h 22 min285 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 |
| Iris NebulaCepheus | Reflection nebula | 44 min88 subs | 1 h 33 min187 subs | 4 h 24 min529 subs |
| Pelican NebulaCygnus, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 08 min137 subs | 1 h 35 min190 subs | 3 h 06 min372 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 |
| Elephant's Trunk NebulaCepheus, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 21 min162 subs | 1 h 52 min225 subs | 3 h 42 min444 subs |
| Wizard NebulaCepheus, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 21 min162 subs | 1 h 52 min225 subs | 3 h 42 min444 subs |
| Tulip NebulaCygnus, 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 |
| Crescent NebulaCygnus, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 36 min192 subs | 2 h 14 min268 subs | 4 h 25 min531 subs |
| Bubble NebulaCassiopeia, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 36 min192 subs | 2 h 14 min268 subs | 4 h 25 min531 subs |
| Cocoon NebulaCygnus, dual-band | Emission nebula | 1 h 41 min202 subs | 2 h 21 min282 subs | 4 h 37 min555 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 |
| Fireworks GalaxyCygnus | Galaxy | 1 h 58 min236 subs | 4 h 19 min518 subs | 12 h1,493 subs |
| M74Pisces | Galaxy | 2 h 04 min248 subs | 4 h 31 min543 subs | 13 h1,562 subs |
| NGC 6914Cygnus | Reflection nebula | 2 h 18 min276 subs | 4 h 59 min598 subs | 14 h1,711 subs |
Other telescopes in September: 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
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