What are some of your favourite deep sky objects to observe?

[Olli]

Hi all, 

Thought this might be an interesting topic always looking for new things to observe, what are some of you favourites and why do you keep going back to it?

[Alien 13]

The Moon, its different every time you view/image it..

Alan

[Astro Noodles]

I don't really do a lot of observing. Mainly AP. What I have found I enjoy the most is imaging transient objects.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Nebs and galaxies. I revisit planets and Moon every now and again. 

[JeremyS]

 Variable stars. Why?  Because they change.

[Stu]

My big favourite DSOs are the Veil and North America Nebulae. Whenever I’m somewhere dark enough and they are well placed I have a good look at them.

Plenty more old favourites I regularly revisit though. I never tire of the Double Cluster, Auriga Clusters and M35, M42, and the bigger globs M13, 3, 5 and 15.

When the Milkyway is well placed (late summer say) then all the lovely stuff down there is fabulous. Nebulae such as M8, M20, M16 and M17 are excellent, plus the big glob M22. Trawling up the Milky Way brings you to the Wild Duck cluster, M44 too.

Because I have lived under fairly poor skies until recently, galaxies have not been a target for me. That said, when under a decently dark sky they do look amazing, particularly groups like Markarian’s chain.

So many, but those are just a few favourites.

[Macavity]

Clusters... Open & Globular. Double Stars. I like to imagine what
it must be LIKE to live with more / closer stellar neighbours. 😎
(Some "Aliens" MIGHT never experience Truly Dark nights!)

[Jiggy 67]

Planetary nebulae. They are all different, many are colorful and they can be a challenge to glean detail from 

[cloudsweeper]

11 hours ago, Stu said:

My big favourite DSOs are the Veil and North America Nebulae. Whenever I’m somewhere dark enough and they are well placed I have a good look at them.

Plenty more old favourites I regularly revisit though. I never tire of the Double Cluster, Auriga Clusters and M35, M42, and the bigger globs M13, 3, 5 and 15.

When the Milkyway is well placed (late summer say) then all the lovely stuff down there is fabulous. Nebulae such as M8, M20, M16 and M17 are excellent, plus the big glob M22. Trawling up the Milky Way brings you to the Wild Duck cluster, M44 too.

Because I have lived under fairly poor skies until recently, galaxies have not been a target for me. That said, when under a decently dark sky they do look amazing, particularly groups like Markarian’s chain.

So many, but those are just a few favourites.

Great selection Stu!  My fave has got to be the Double Cluster - always a treat, and always in view.  Nebs are tricky with my skies, but I've managed 42 galaxies, and although they are only fuzzy patches, it's mind-blowing to consider just what you are looking at!

Doug.

[mikeDnight]

I like the challenge of gleaning as much I can out of nebulae and galaxies, sketching what I see in the eyepiece while studying them for half an hour or more. Generally I'll observe from under a blackout blanket where I can get a reasonable level of dark adaption. Often it's the dark nebulae that draw my attention as they are blacker than the sky background and really give a sense of depth to the view. Most of my deep sky observing is done with either a 100mm F8 or 101mm F5.4 refractors, and although many might imagine you can't see much with a 4" aperture scope, with a little care, even from the suburbs such scopes can give incredible views.   However, it's often the stars themselves that give me my most pleasurable moments, be it low power views of rich star fields, or higher power views of globulars or double stars. I think that the stars themselves are the most spectacular, yet most overlooked DSO's.

[Olli]

11 hours ago, Stu said:

My big favourite DSOs are the Veil and North America Nebulae. Whenever I’m somewhere dark enough and they are well placed I have a good look at them.

Plenty more old favourites I regularly revisit though. I never tire of the Double Cluster, Auriga Clusters and M35, M42, and the bigger globs M13, 3, 5 and 15.

When the Milkyway is well placed (late summer say) then all the lovely stuff down there is fabulous. Nebulae such as M8, M20, M16 and M17 are excellent, plus the big glob M22. Trawling up the Milky Way brings you to the Wild Duck cluster, M44 too.

Because I have lived under fairly poor skies until recently, galaxies have not been a target for me. That said, when under a decently dark sky they do look amazing, particularly groups like Markarian’s chain.

So many, but those are just a few favourites.

Some good ones there, I do remember the Orion Nebula being one of my first deep sky objects.  Haven’t really observed any clusters yet but they are definitely on my list. Will have a look at the ones you mentioned.

[OK Apricot]

Close one between nebula and globulars for me. I think nebulae just pinch it. I love the subtle greeny/grey of the Orion Nebula, the contrast and texture right there at the eyepiece. The Ring nebula another favourite - a very spooky sight and gives me the same chills you get when you're freaked by something. When you sit back and think about what you're looking at, it's history, it's future, it's just quite humbling. There are proto planetary discs in Orion, a dying star in the Ring, they're  just great 😁

[wookie1965]

The ring Nebula (M57) The Blue Snowball (NGC7662) and one I visit every time ET cluster (NGC 457)

[IB20]

Really enjoy any planetary nebulae, especially ones that show slight colouration, blue snowball etc. Similarly love viewing giant red carbon stars, they are they most stunning coloured objects in the night sky.

Lastly, have a soft spot for globular clusters as M5 was one of the first objects I saw through my dob. Being able to resolve individual stars and see the depth of the clusters is mesmerising.

[badhex]

I know they are classic showpiece objects but another vote here for the Ring and M13 as objects I just keep going back to. 

I first observed both through a 12" dob under reasonably dark skies at about 320x and they were both astonishing, particularly M13. I've never seen it in such detail since. 

I also often go back to the Pleiades as well, as it is a good option for any scope/EP combo that can show wider views. 

[bomberbaz]

Not going to help you my answer because I never tire of any DSO or planet. 

I can revisit something from one year to the next and still look and be amazed by what I am observing.

Currently I am in a "look for difficult objects" & "revisit well viewed dso at a really dark sky" phase. 

Last time out got my most distant galaxy, furthest ever object (a quasar) and my best ever view of M51. M51 view was stunning, beyond anything I have ever viewed before in beauty. 

However the other week I did my first double star session in years and enjoyed it immensely. 

I guess I am something of a night sky butterfly 😅

 

[Ags]

I like getting several DSOs in the view at once. Double Cluster,  M46 & M47, M31 & M32 & M110, Leo Triplet, Double Double, Double Double's Double, M81 & M82...

[Olli]

Seems like I’m missing out on planetary nebulae. Definitely need to give some doubles a go.

[SuburbanMak]

So many!
If I am showing a friend then (depending on time of year) I go for M31, M13, M57, M44, M45,  M42, M81/2.  Also coloured doubles go down well - Alberio, Almach, Iota Cancri. 

Since adding a 10inch Dob to the stable I’ve been revisiting many objects and M51, M94 and M27 are currently on my “look at every time” list with this scope. 

 

[Pixies]

M57 The Ring Nebula is one of my faves. It was the first DSO target I hit with my dob and even now still looks so striking. 

Iota Cas is my favourite multiple star. M37 my favourite open cluster.

A few weeks ago, when I was down-under in Melbourne, I spotted Omega Centauri in 10x50 binos. It was awe-inspiring and I would LOVE to observe it with a proper telescope.

[Paz]

I've got quite a few but a couple of examples are M44 which was the first open cluster I saw through a scope, and M13 which always looks epic in a big scope, even from light polluted skies.

[callisto]

I love picking out the globular clusters in the Andromeda galaxy 😃

[Kon]

Mostly nebulas but started taking an interest in galaxies as well. As others mentioned, Veil, M42 is trivial but under excellent seeing it is a different ball game with the red and teal colours, M17,  M20 and M97 has a special place in my heart since it was the first proper small nebula I found when I first started with the hobby. 

[Mandy D]

M42. It is so pretty and the first DSO I ever imaged.

Edited May 10, 2022 by Mandy D
Change of image

[Franklin]

Still trying to bag all the Messier objects after all these years. Sagittarius region is so low from here and being in a Summer sky doesn't help.