Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky -- Month of February 2025

The Horsehead Nebula (included within IC434) is one of the most famous nebulae in the sky. It is shown in this image next to the Flame Nebula NGC 2024 (on the left). The horse-head shaped nebula, about five light-years "tall," is visible as a dark silhouette against the glowing red emission nebula IC 434. This nebula is dark because it is really an opaque dust cloud that lies in front of the bright red emission nebula. Like clouds in Earth's atmosphere, this cosmic cloud has assumed a recognizable shape by chance. After many thousands of years, the internal motions of the cloud will surely alter its appearance. The emission nebula's red color is caused by electrons recombining with protons to form hydrogen atoms. The Horsehead Nebula is some 1500 light-years away and is embedded in the vast Orion Molecular Cloud Complex -- a very productive star-forming region. The Flame Nebula on the left side of the image is also a part of the Orion Cloud Complex. The bright star Alnitak, the easternmost star in the Belt of Orion that is visible just to the right of the Flame Nebula, shines energetic light into the Flame and makes it glow. [Video and Content Credits: NASA, the Office of Public Outreach – Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and JPL Caltech: Preston Dyches, Christopher Harris, and Lisa Poje, with subject matter guidance provided by JPL’s Bill Dunford and Lyle Tavernier, and the Night Sky Network’s Kat Troche] [Image Credit: Stephen Roffo, Astromart Gallery Contributor – See some of his beautiful work at https://www.astromart.com/gallery/user/273 ]

 

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Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky -- Month of February 2025

Welcome to the night sky report for February 2025 -- Your guide to the constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and celestial events that are observable during the month. Venus blazes at its brightest for the year just after sunset, then Mars and Jupiter rule the night amid the menagerie of bright winter stars. Little Mercury pops up just above the horizon in late February, looking relatively bright as the sunset fades. In February, the Winter Triangle is your guide to the night sky. The northern hemisphere is treated to views of the stars Procyon, Sirius, and Betelgeuse, as well as awe-inspiring views of the Great Orion Nebula (M42, NGC 1976), sculpted by the stellar winds of central bright stars. The night sky is truly a celestial showcase. Get outside and explore its wonders from your own backyard.

Starting with the Moon’s journey across the sky this month, you’ll find the slim crescent of the Moon cozied up to the planet Venus on February 1st. It then visits the Pleiades on the 5th, and hops over to Jupiter on the 6th, looking increasingly fuller, before arriving right next to Mars on February 9th.

Jupiter and Mars rule the sky this month. You’ll find them high overhead in the evening, together with the winter constellations of Orion, Taurus, and Gemini. This month, Venus shines at its brightest for the year. It’ll remain dazzling through the start of March as it slowly descends from its late-January high point in the sky. By mid-March, it will disappear into the glare of sunset, only to reappear as a morning object in April.

Little Mercury pops up just above the horizon in late February, looking relatively bright as the sunset fades.

As I am sure you know, Venus and Mercury go through phases, just like the Moon. You can see these phases with a modest telescope. But there’s an interesting fact that at first seems unintuitive -- Unlike the Moon, Venus isn’t at its brightest when it’s “full.” Instead, it shines most brilliantly in our skies when it’s a thinner crescent. It all comes down to distance. Venus only appears its fullest when it’s on the far side of the Sun. But then it is also much farther from Earth. As it comes closer to us, its phase becomes a crescent that appears much larger in the sky. So even as a crescent, the light from its closer position more than makes up for the smaller crescent phase.

 

The brightly starred winter sky beckons on the clear, cold nights of February. Orion, the hunter of Greek mythology, dominates the heavens with a bright belt of three stars. The hunter’s shoulder is marked by the red supergiant Betelgeuse, a massive star nearing the end of its life.

Betelgeuse is roughly 1000 times the size of our sun. An image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope shows its huge atmosphere with an enormous, mysterious spot, glowing brightly in ultraviolet light. Hubble’s sharp vision allows astronomers to monitor features of the star’s atmosphere and better understand how it changes over time.

Marking Orion’s foot is another bright, hot supergiant: blue-white Rigel. Massive stars like Rigel lead short, brilliant lives. Below Orion’s shining belt lies the Orion Nebula, a hazy spot to the naked eye. A small telescope reveals it to be a diffuse, glowing cloud in space, illuminated by the energy of bright, hot stars in its center.

February is also a perfect time to enjoy the Great Nebula in Orion. The Great Orion Nebula is an enormous cloud of gas and dust where thousands of stars are being born. In fact, it's the nearest large star-forming region to our Solar System, at around 1500 light-years away. The bright, central region of the Orion Nebula is a giant cavity in the cloud being carved out by the intense ultraviolet light from a handful of extremely massive young stars. 

Finding the Orion Nebula is easy on February nights, as the constellation Orion will be high in the south around 8:00 or 9:00 PM. Look for the three stars of the hunter's belt and then find the stars that hang below it forming Orion's sword. In the center of this line of stars is one that looks kind of fuzzy. That's the nebula. It's visible to the unaided eye under relatively dark skies and is easily seen with binoculars as a faint haze. But through a telescope, it's a sight you'll never forget.

NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes reveal the nebula in festoons of glowing gas and dust, sculpted by the stellar winds of central bright stars. The Orion Nebula is an immense stellar nursery, filled with hot young stars that glow brightly in X-ray light detected by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Follow the belt of Orion down and left to find blue-white Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Sirius lies in the constellation Canis Major, the Great Dog and companion to Orion. Sirius is also one of the nearest stars, just 8.6 light-years away, and has a faint white dwarf companion star.

Just below Sirius lies an open cluster called M41 (the Little Beehive Cluster, NGC 2287). It is easily seen with a pair of binoculars as a scattered twinkling. M41 consists of about 100 stars that formed together from a giant cloud of gas and dust.

Above and to the left of Sirius is another bright star, a yellowish giant named Procyon. Procyon is part of the constellation Canis Minor, the smaller dog and Orion’s second companion. Procyon, Sirius, and Betelgeuse form a geometrical pattern called the Winter Triangle.

 

February is also a good time to view one of the famed Messier objects known as M81 (NGC 3031). This is a spiral galaxy similar to our own Milky Way, but just a bit smaller, and it's one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky. It's located about 11.8 million light years away.

It was discovered by astronomer Johann Bode in 1774, which is where it gets its common name, "Bode's Galaxy." At the time, it was simply cataloged as a nebula or faint, fuzzy patch. It wouldn't be until the work of Edwin Hubble in the 1920s that many such faint, fuzzy objects were understood to be self-contained galaxies of stars outside the Milky Way and incredibly distant from us.

M81 is too dim to see with the unaided eye, but it's visible with binoculars or a small telescope, where it appears as a dim patch of light. With a 6-inch telescope you can resolve the galaxy's bright core, and with an 8-inch telescope, you can begin to make out the spiral arms.

Locating M81 is not too difficult with the Big Dipper to guide you. Starting with the star on the end corner, called Dubhe, imagine a line twice the distance from the star on the opposite corner of the Dipper, Phecda. Pointing your telescope or binoculars in that area ought to put you pretty close to M81. You might also notice its faint, fuzzy companion nearby, which is M82 (NGC 3034). This is another galaxy, but seen edge-on, and it gets its common name, the "Cigar Galaxy," from this appearance.

This pair of galaxies is "circumpolar" in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that they rotate around the north celestial pole and never set. (Unfortunately, this means they're not visible from the Southern Hemisphere.) Although it's visible all year in the Northern Hemisphere from about February through May, you'll find M81 high in the northern sky in the first half of the night, making it easier to observe.

The night sky is always a celestial showcase. Get outside and explore its wonders from your own backyard.

The following Deep Sky Objects (DSOs) are found in constellations that are observable during the month. Some of the objects listed here can be viewed with binoculars or a small telescope, but the majority will require a moderate to large aperture telescope (7 inches to 12 inches in diameter) with appropriate filters and a dark sky, especially for many of the nebulae. The following is adapted from my personal viewing list: "The Guy Pirro 888 Best and Brightest Deep Sky Objects in the Northern Skies" (See link below). All the objects in this list can be observed from the northern hemisphere up to around the mid-Northern Latitudes (Princeton, New Jersey -- 40 degrees N).

 

Constellation: Antlia (ANT)

NGC 2997                    Galaxy                         P276

 

Constellation: Camelopardalis (CAM)

IC 342                          Galaxy                         C5 Hidden Galaxy

IC 356                          Galaxy                         P127

IC 361                          Open Cluster               P213

IC 3568                        Planetary Nebula        P128 Lemon Slice Nebula

NGC 1501                    Planetary Nebula        Herschel 400 H53-4 Camel’s Eye Nebula

NGC 1502                    Open Cluster               Herschel 400 H47-7, endpoint of Kemble’s Cascade

NGC 1569                    Galaxy                         P136

NGC 1961                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H747-3

NGC 2146                    Galaxy                         P130 Dusty Hand Galaxy

NGC 2336                    Galaxy                         P70

NGC 2403                    Galaxy                         C7, Herschel 400 H44-5

NGC 2655                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H288-1

NGC 2715                    Galaxy                         P265

 

Constellation: Cancer (CNC)

NGC 2632                    Open Cluster               M44 Beehive Cluster, Praesepe

NGC 2682                    Open Cluster               M67 King Cobra Cluster

NGC 2775                    Galaxy                         C48, Herschel 400 H2-1

 

Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVN)

NGC 4111                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H195-1

NGC 4143                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H54-4

NGC 4145                    Galaxy                         P342

NGC 4151                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H165-1

NGC 4214                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H95-1

NGC 4217                    Galaxy                         P83

NGC 4242                    Galaxy                         P214

NGC 4244                    Galaxy                         C26

NGC 4258                    Galaxy                         M106, Herschel 400 H43-5

NGC 4346                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H210-1

NGC 4395                    Galaxy                         P71

NGC 4449                    Galaxy                         C21, Herschel 400 H213-1

NGC 4485                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H197-1, paired with NGC 4490

NGC 4490                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H198-1 Cocoon Galaxy, w/NGC 4485

NGC 4618                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H178-1

NGC 4631                    Galaxy                         C32, Herschel 400 H42-4 Whale Galaxy

NGC 4656                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H176-1 Hockey Stick Galaxy

NGC 4736                    Galaxy                         M94 Cat’s Eye Galaxy

NGC 4800                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H211-1

NGC 5005                    Galaxy                         C29, Herschel 400 H96-1, paired with NGC 5033

NGC 5033                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H97-1, paired with NGC 5005

NGC 5055                    Galaxy                         M63 Sunflower Galaxy

NGC 5194                    Galaxy                         M51 Whirlpool Galaxy, paired with NGC 5195

NGC 5195                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H186-1, paired with M51 (NGC 5194)

NGC 5272                    Globular Cluster          M3

NGC 5273                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H98-1

NGC 5353                    Galaxy                         P215, paired with NGC 5354

NGC 5371                    Galaxy                         P177

 

Constellation: Canis Major (CMA)

IC 2163                        Galaxy                         P133, colliding with NGC 2207

IC 2165                        Planetary Nebula        P216

NGC 2204                    Open Cluster               Herschel 400 H13-7

NGC 2207                    Galaxy                         P134, colliding with IC 2163

NGC 2217                    Galaxy                         P72 Snake Eye Galaxy

NGC 2243                    Open Cluster               P132

NGC 2280                    Galaxy                         P371

NGC 2287                    Open Cluster               M41 Little Beehive Cluster

NGC 2293                    Galaxy                         P23, paired with NGC 2292

NGC 2325                    Galaxy                         P155

NGC 2345                    Open Cluster               P73

NGC 2354                    Open Cluster               Herschel 400 H16-7

NGC 2359                    HII Ionized Nebula       P20 Thor’s Helmet Nebula

NGC 2360                    Open Cluster               C58, Herschel 400 H12-7 Caroline’s Cluster

NGC 2362                    Open Cluster               C64, Herschel 400 H17-7 Tau Canis Majoris Cluster

NGC 2367                    Open Cluster               P74

NGC 2374                    Open Cluster               P75

NGC 2380                    Galaxy                         P131

NGC 2383                    Open Cluster               P135

NGC 2384                    Open Cluster               P76

 

Constellation: Hydra (HYA)

NGC 2548                    Open Cluster               M48, Herschel 400 H22-6

NGC 2784                    Galaxy                         P87

NGC 2811                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H505-2

NGC 2835                    Galaxy                         P291

NGC 2935                    Galaxy                         P263

NGC 2986                    Galaxy                         P297

NGC 3078                    Galaxy                         P243

NGC 3091                    Galaxy                         P317

NGC 3109                    Galaxy                         P88

NGC 3242                    Planetary Nebula        C59, Herschel 400 H27-4 Ghost of Jupiter Nebula

NGC 3311                    Galaxy                         P98

NGC 3585                    Galaxy                         P35

NGC 3621                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H241-1

NGC 3717                    Galaxy                         P345

NGC 3904                    Galaxy                         P310

NGC 3923                    Galaxy                         P89

NGC 4105                    Galaxy                         P284, paired with NGC 4106

NGC 4590                    Globular Cluster          M68

NGC 5061                    Galaxy                         P264

NGC 5078                    Galaxy                         P304

NGC 5101                    Galaxy                         P271

NGC 5236                    Galaxy                         M83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy

NGC 5694                    Globular Cluster          C66, Herschel 400 H196-2

 

Constellation: Leo (LEO)

NGC 2903                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H56-1

NGC 2964                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H114-1

NGC 3190                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H44-2

NGC 3193                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H45-2

NGC 3226                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H28-2, paired with NGC 3227

NGC 3227                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H29-2, paired with NGC 3226

NGC 3351                    Galaxy                         M95

NGC 3338                    Galaxy                         P307

NGC 3368                    Galaxy                         M96

NGC 3377                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H99-2

NGC 3379                    Galaxy                         M105, Herschel 400 H17-1

NGC 3384                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H18-1

NGC 3412                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H27-1

NGC 3489                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H101-2

NGC 3521                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H13-1

NGC 3593                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H29-1

NGC 3607                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H50-2, paired with NGC 3608

NGC 3608                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H51-2, paired with NGC 3607

NGC 3623                    Galaxy                         M65

NGC 3626                    Galaxy                         C40, Herschel 400 H52-2

NGC 3627                    Galaxy                         M66

NGC 3628                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H8-5 Hamburger Galaxy

NGC 3640                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H33-2

NGC 3646                    Galaxy                         P180

NGC 3655                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H5-1

NGC 3686                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H160-2

NGC 3705                    Galaxy                         P311

NGC 3810                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H21-1

NGC 3900                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H82-1

NGC 3912                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H342-2

 

Constellation: Leo Minor (LMI)

NGC 2859                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H137-1

NGC 3245                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H86-1

NGC 3277                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H359-2

NGC 3294                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H164-1

NGC 3344                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H81-1

NGC 3395                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H116-1

NGC 3414                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H362-2

NGC 3432                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H172-1

NGC 3486                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H87-1

NGC 3504                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H88-1

 

Constellation: Lynx (LYN)

NGC 2419                    Globular Cluster          C25, Herschel 400 H218-1 Intergalactic Wanderer

NGC 2549                    Galaxy                         P252

NGC 2683                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H200-1 UFO Galaxy

NGC 2782                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H167-1

 

Constellation: Orion (ORI)

IC 431                          Reflection Nebula       P361

IC 432                          Reflection Nebula       P362

IC 434                          HII Ionized/Dark Neb  P92, includes Barnard 33 Horsehead Nebula

IC 435                          Reflection Nebula       P368

IC 2162                        Emission Nebula         P358

NGC 1662                    Open Cluster               P39

NGC 1788                    Reflection Nebula       Herschel 400 H32-5

NGC 1976                    HII Ionized Nebula       M42 Great Orion Nebula, includes Trapezium Cluster

NGC 1977                    Reflection Nebula      P40 Running Man Nebula, includes NGC 1975

NGC 1980                    Open Cluster               Herschel 400 H31-5 Lost Jewel of Orion Cluster

NGC 1981                    Open Cluster               P41

NGC 1982                    HII Ionized Nebula       M43 DeMairan Nebula

NGC 1999                    Reflection/Dark Neb   Herschel 400 H33-4 Cosmic Keyhole Nebula

NGC 2022                    Planetary Nebula        Herschel 400 H34-4

NGC 2023                    Emission/Reflect Neb P93

NGC 2024                    Emission Nebula         Herschel 400 H28-5 Flame Nebula

NGC 2064                    Reflection Nebula       P356

NGC 2067                    Reflection Nebula       P357

NGC 2068                    Reflection Nebula       M78

NGC 2071                    Reflection Nebula       P42

NGC 2112                    Open Cluster               P170

NGC 2141                    Open Cluster               P171

NGC 2169                    Open Cluster               Herschel 400 H24-8 The 37 Cluster

NGC 2174                    HII Ionized Nebula       P43 Monkey Head Nebula

NGC 2175                    Open Cluster               P369, overlaps NGC 2174 Monkey Head Nebula

NGC 2180                    Open Cluster               P321

NGC 2186                    Open Cluster               Herschel 400 H25-7

NGC 2194                    Open Cluster               Herschel 400 H5-6

 

Constellation: Pyxis (PYX)

NGC 2613                    Galaxy                         P298

NGC 2627                    Open Cluster               Herschel 400 H63-7

 

Constellation: Sextans (SEX)

NGC 2974                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H61-1

NGC 3115                    Galaxy                         C53, Herschel 400 H163-1 Spindle Galaxy

NGC 3166                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H3-1, paired with NGC 3169

NGC 3169                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H4-1, paired with NGC 3166

NGC 3423                    Galaxy                         P187

 

Constellation: Ursa Major (UMA)

Messier 40                  Double Star                 M40, Winnecke 4 (not a binary pair)

IC 2574                        Galaxy                         P121 Coddington’s Dwarf Galaxy

NGC 2681                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H242-1

NGC 2685                    Galaxy                         P57 Helix Galaxy

NGC 2742                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H249-1

NGC 2768                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H250-1

NGC 2787                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H216-1

NGC 2805                    Galaxy                         P338

NGC 2841                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H205-1

NGC 2950                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H68-4

NGC 2976                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H285-1

NGC 2985                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H78-1

NGC 3031                    Galaxy                         M81 Bode’s Galaxy

NGC 3034                    Galaxy                         M82, Herschel 400 H79-4 Cigar Galaxy

NGC 3077                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H286-1

NGC 3079                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H47-5

NGC 3184                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H168-1 Little Pinwheel Galaxy

NGC 3198                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H199-1

NGC 3310                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H60-4

NGC 3319                    Galaxy                         P244

NGC 3348                    Galaxy                         P282

NGC 3359                    Galaxy                         P202

NGC 3556                    Galaxy                         M108, Herschel 400 H46-5 Surfboard Galaxy

NGC 3587                    Planetary Nebula        M97 Owl Nebula

NGC 3610                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H270-1

NGC 3613                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H271-1, paired with NGC 3619

NGC 3619                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H244-1, paired with NGC 3613

NGC 3631                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H226-1

NGC 3665                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H219-1

NGC 3675                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H194-1

NGC 3718                    Galaxy                         P275, paired with NGC 3729

NGC 3726                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H730-2

NGC 3729                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H222-1, paired with NGC 3718

NGC 3813                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H94-1

NGC 3877                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H201-1

NGC 3893                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H738-2

NGC 3898                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H228-1

NGC 3938                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H203-1

NGC 3941                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H173-1

NGC 3945                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H251-1

NGC 3949                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H202-1

NGC 3953                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H45-5

NGC 3982                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H62-4

NGC 3992                    Galaxy                         M109, Herschel 400 H61-4 Vacuum Cleaner Galaxy

NGC 3998                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H229-1

NGC 4026                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H223-1

NGC 4036                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H253-1, paired with NGC 4041

NGC 4041                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H252-1, paired with NGC 4036

NGC 4051                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H56-4

NGC 4062                    Galaxy                         P332

NGC 4085                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H224-1, paired with NGC 4088

NGC 4088                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H206-1, paired with NGC 4085

NGC 4096                    Galaxy                         P268

NGC 4100                    Galaxy                         P347

NGC 4102                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H225-1

NGC 4605                    Galaxy                         P111

NGC 5322                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H256-1

NGC 5448                    Galaxy                         P129

NGC 5457                    Galaxy                         M101 Pinwheel Galaxy, paired with NGC 5474

NGC 5473                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H231-1

NGC 5474                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H214-1, paired with M101 (NGC 5457)

NGC 5585                    Galaxy                         P289

NGC 5631                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H236-1

 

Constellation: Virgo (VIR)

NGC 4030                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H121-1

NGC 4179                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H9-1

NGC 4216                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H35-1

NGC 4261                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H139-2

NGC 4267                    Galaxy                         P280

NGC 4273                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H569-2

NGC 4281                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H573-2

NGC 4303                    Galaxy                         M61, Herschel 400 H139-1 Swelling Spiral Galaxy

NGC 4365                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H30-1

NGC 4371                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H22-1

NGC 4374                    Galaxy                         M84, part of Markarian’s Chain

NGC 4388                    Galaxy                         P190

NGC 4406                    Galaxy                         M86, part of Markarian’s Chain

NGC 4417                    Galaxy                         P116

NGC 4429                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H65-2

NGC 4435                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H28.1-1 Markarian’s Eyes Galaxy (North)

NGC 4438                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H28.2-1 Markarian’s Eyes Galaxy (South)

NGC 4442                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H156-2

NGC 4457                    Galaxy                         P343

NGC 4461                    Galaxy                         P315, paired with NGC 4458, part of Markarian’s Chain

NGC 4469                    Galaxy                         P322

NGC 4472                    Galaxy                         M49

NGC 4478                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H124-2

NGC 4486                    Galaxy                         M87 Virgo A Galaxy

NGC 4503                    Galaxy                         P287

NGC 4517                    Galaxy                         P30

NGC 4526                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H31-1

NGC 4527                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H37-2

NGC 4535                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H500-2 Lost Galaxy

NGC 4536                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H2-5

NGC 4546                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H160-1

NGC 4550                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H36-1

NGC 4552                    Galaxy                         M89

NGC 4567/NGC 4568 Galaxy                         P56 Siamese Twins Galaxies

NGC 4569                    Galaxy                         M90

NGC 4570                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H32-1

NGC 4579                    Galaxy                         M58

NGC 4594                    Galaxy                         M104, Herschel 400 H43-1 Sombrero Galaxy

NGC 4596                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H24-1

NGC 4608                    Galaxy                         P341

NGC 4621                    Galaxy                         M59

NGC 4636                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H38-2

NGC 4638                    Galaxy                         P256

NGC 4643                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H10-1

NGC 4649                    Galaxy                         M60

NGC 4654                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H126-2

NGC 4660                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H71-2

NGC 4665                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H142-1

NGC 4666                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H15-1

NGC 4691                    Galaxy                         P294

NGC 4697                    Galaxy                         C52, Herschel 400 H39-1

NGC 4698                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H8-1

NGC 4699                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H129-1

NGC 4742                    Galaxy                         P59

NGC 4753                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H16-1

NGC 4754                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H25-1, paired with NGC 4762

NGC 4762                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H75-2, paired with NGC 4754

NGC 4781                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H134-1

NGC 4845                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H536-2

NGC 4856                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H68-1

NGC 4866                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H162-1

NGC 4900                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H143-1

NGC 4958                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H130-1

NGC 4984                    Galaxy                         P308

NGC 4995                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H42-1

NGC 5018                    Galaxy                         P273

NGC 5044                    Galaxy                         P259

NGC 5054                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H513-2

NGC 5068                    Galaxy                         P203

NGC 5084                    Galaxy                         P329

NGC 5087                    Galaxy                         P319

NGC 5170                    Galaxy                         P61

NGC 5247                    Galaxy                         P67

NGC 5363                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H6-1, paired with NGC 5364

NGC 5364                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H534-2, paired with NGC 5363

NGC 5566                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H144-1

NGC 5576                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H146-1

NGC 5634                    Globular Cluster          Herschel 400 H70-1

NGC 5638                    Galaxy                         P115

NGC 5701                    Galaxy                         P113

NGC 5746                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H126-1

NGC 5813                    Galaxy                         P270

NGC 5838                    Galaxy                         P266

NGC 5846                    Galaxy                         Herschel 400 H128-1

NGC 5850                    Galaxy                         P301

 

For more information:

Northern Latitudes:

https://hubblesite.org/resource-gallery/tonights-sky

https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/planner.cfm

https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/home/

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/skyreport

http://outreach.as.utexas.edu/public/skywatch.html

https://griffithobservatory.org/explore/observing-the-sky/sky-report/

http://www.beckstromobservatory.com/whats-up-in-tonights-sky-2/

https://www.fairbanksmuseum.org/planetarium/eye-on-the-night-sky

http://dudleyobservatory.org/tonights-sky/

https://cse.umn.edu/mifa/starwatch

http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk/learn/astro/nightsky/maps

https://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php

https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/

https://stardate.org/nightsky

https://www.adventuresci.org/starcharts

https://www.astromart.com/news/search?category_id=3&q=kiss+the+sky&from=&to

 

Equatorial Latitudes:

https://heavens-above.com/SkyChart2.aspx

https://in-the-sky.org/data/constellations_map.php

https://ytliu0.github.io/starCharts/chartGCRS.html

 

Southern Latitudes:

https://www.scitech.org.au/explore/the-sky-tonight/

https://www.stardome.org.nz/star-charts--sky-spotter

 

This is my personal deep sky observing list. I use it to line up my DSO targets on any particular night:

https://www.astromart.com/reviews/advanced/show/my-celestial-jewel-box-the-guy-pirro-888-best-and-brightest-deep-sky-objects-in-the-northern-skies

 

Daily Moon Observing Guide:

https://moon.nasa.gov/moon-observation/daily-moon-guide/?intent=011

 

Find Astronomy Clubs, Events, and Star Parties in Your Area:

https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/

 

Watch Satellites Pass Over Your Location:

https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/

 

Astromart News Archives:

https://www.astromart.com/news/search?category_id=3&q=.

 

Check out some of my favorite Words of Wisdom:

https://www.astromart.com/news/show/words-of-wisdom-some-are-deep-others-not-so-much

https://www.astromart.com/news/show/words-of-wisdom-my-favorite-proverbs-from-around-the-world

 

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