Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky -- Month of March 2025
There's a total lunar eclipse on the way this month, visible across the Americas. This map shows where the Moon will be above the horizon during the March 13-14 total lunar eclipse. [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: NASA/JPL-Caltech].
Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky -- Month of March 2025
Welcome to the night sky report for March 2025 -- Your guide to the constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and celestial events that are observable during the month. Mercury is visible beneath Venus for the first week and a half of March, Mars is high in the east following sunset, and Jupiter is visible high in the west after dark – Not very spectacular. However, to make up for the limited planet viewing this month, there is a total lunar eclipse on the way that is visible in the Americas on the night of March 13th. During March, look for the constellations Gemini and Cancer to spot interesting celestial features like star clusters M35, the Beehive Cluster (M44), and NGC 3923 -- an oblong elliptical galaxy with an interesting ripple pattern. Find the Y-shaped constellation Taurus, the bull, high in the southwest. The Hyades star cluster forms the bull's face. The night sky is truly a celestial showcase. Get outside and explore its wonders from your own backyard.
March begins with Venus still hanging out low in the west after sunset, but it quickly drops out of the sky and by mid-month it gets lost in the glare of the sunset. Once it gets dark, you'll find Jupiter and Mars high overhead, keeping you company through the evening. Mars sets a couple of hours after midnight this month, leaving the morning sky "planet free" for the first time in a year.
March also has the best opportunity this year for trying to spot fast-moving Mercury if you're in the Northern Hemisphere. It's only visible for a few weeks at a time every 3 to 4 months. This is because the speedy planet orbits the Sun in just 88 days, so it quickly shifts its position in the sky from day to day. It's always visible either just after sunset or just before sunrise. On March 7th through 9th, look for Mercury about 30 minutes after sunset in the west, about 10 degrees above the horizon.
You'll want to ensure your view isn't blocked by trees, buildings, or other obstructions. Observing from a large, open field, or the shore of a lake or the seaside can be helpful. Spying Mercury isn't always easy, but catching the fleet-footed planet is a worthy goal for any skywatcher.
There's a total lunar eclipse on the way this month, visible across the Americas. Lunar eclipses can be viewed from anywhere the Moon is above the horizon at the time. The show unfolds overnight on March 13th and into the 14th, depending on your time zone. Check the schedule for your area for precise timing.
During a total lunar eclipse, we watch as the Moon passes through Earth's shadow. It first appears to have a bite taken out of one side. But as maximum eclipse nears, the Moon transforms into a deep crimson orb. That red color comes from the ring of all the sunsets and sunrises you'd see encircling our planet if you were an astronaut on the lunar surface right then. Afterward, the eclipse plays out in reverse, with the red color fading, and the dark bite shrinking, until the Moon looks like its usual self again.
And here's an interesting pattern: eclipses always arrive in pairs. A couple weeks before or after a total lunar eclipse, there's always a solar eclipse. This time, it's a partial solar eclipse that will be visible across Eastern Canada, Greenland, and Northern Europe.
The Moon has a dark side, but it may not be what you think. As it orbits around Earth each month, the Moon is also rotating (or spinning). So, while we always see the same face of the Moon, sunlight sweeps across the lunar surface every month as it rotates.
This means there's no permanently "dark" side. The Moon's dark side faces Earth when the Moon passes between our planet and the Sun each month. This is the moment when the Moon is said to be "new," as in a fresh start for its changing phases.
The new moon is also located quite close the Sun in the sky, making it more or less invisible, unless there's a solar eclipse.
Nights around the new moon phase provide excellent opportunities for observing the sky – especially if you're using a telescope or doing astrophotography. Without moonlight washing out the sky, you can better see faint stars, nebulas, the Milky Way, and distant galaxies.
As Winter turns into Spring, the sky transitions with new starry sights to see. Orion with his shining belt still dominates the evening sky. Just past Orion’s raised arm lies the constellation of Gemini, also known as the Twins. In Greek mythology, the Twins accompanied Jason and the Argonauts on their expedition in search of the Golden Fleece.
The brightest stars in Gemini mark the heads of the twins, Castor and Pollux. Pollux is a yellowish giant swelling as it enters old age, and hosts a Jupiter-sized planet. Castor is a system of three pairs of stars bound in an intricate gravitational dance. At the feet of the Gemini brothers is a fuzzy patch that binoculars or a small telescope show to be a cluster of several hundred stars called M35.
Neighboring Gemini is the faint constellation of Cancer. Within the body of Cancer lies M44, the Beehive cluster, one of the nearest star clusters to Earth. This swarm of stars looks like a cloudy patch to the naked eye, but ground-based telescopes show a pleasing scatter of roughly 1000 stars.
Adjacent to Cancer lurks the head of Hydra, the water snake, the longest constellation in the sky. Distant galaxies like NGC 3923 reside along the snake’s coils. While NGC 3923 appears as a faint smudge in backyard telescopes, more powerful observatories reveal it to be a giant, oblong elliptical galaxy with an interesting ripple pattern.
Near the end of Hydra’s tail lies M83, a closer galaxy with a spiral shape. Also known as the Southern Pinwheel, the galaxy is a swirl of dark dust lanes, blue star clusters, and glowing pink star-forming clouds. An X-ray image reveals details that no human eye could ever see on its own: searing hot gases tracing the spiral arms, black holes and neutron stars emitting X-rays as they gobble up companions, and a core of concentrated black holes and neutron stars, the product of recent star formation.
Look high in the southwest on March evenings and you'll find the tall, Y-shaped constellation Taurus, the bull. And at the center of Taurus, forming the bull's face, is a grouping of stars known as the Hyades star cluster. It's the closest open star cluster to our solar system, containing hundreds of stars.
An open cluster is a group of stars that are close together in space and loosely bound together by their mutual gravity. These are stars that formed together around the same time, from the same cloud of dust and gas. Over time they blow away that leftover nebula material and drift apart. Because of this and their open, or diffuse, structures, they're called "open" clusters. Our own Sun formed in a cluster like this, and studying these structures helps us understand how stars form and evolve.
Another well-known open cluster is the Pleiades, which is also located in Taurus. The Hyades and the Pleiades are actually about the same size, at about 15 or so light-years across. But the Pleiades is about 3 times farther away, so it appears more compact.
You don't need a telescope to find the Hyades. Look for this V-shaped grouping of stars in Taurus. Use the stars of Orion's belt as a handy pointer, leading you to bright orange Aldebaran. (Aldebaran isn't actually part of the star cluster. It's located halfway to the Hyades, and just happens to be visible in the foreground.)
So check out the Hyades in March, where you'll see a handful of stars with the unaided eye, and more than a hundred with binoculars.
March skies contain several easy-to-find, bright stars that are known to have planets of their own orbiting around them. Locate these distant "suns" for yourself and you'll know you're peering directly at another planetary system.
First is Epsilon Tauri, the right eye of Taurus the bull. This orange dwarf star has a gas giant planet around 8 times the mass of Jupiter. Next is 7 Canis Majoris. This is the star at the heart of the dog constellation that contains blazing bright Sirius. This star is known to have two planets: a gas giant nearly twice the mass of Jupiter and another just a little smaller than Jupiter.
Moving on, we find Tau Geminorum, the star at the heart of Castor – northern-most of the twins in Gemini. Tau Geminorum has a huge gas giant planet 20 times the mass of Jupiter in an orbit only slightly larger than that of Earth. And finally, wheeling around to the north, is Beta Ursae Minoris, the brightest star in the bowl of the Little Dipper. This star has a 6-Jupiter-mass planet in orbit around it.
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: Auriga (AUR)
IC 405 Emission/Reflect Neb C31 Flaming Star Nebula
IC 410 Emission Nebula P277 Tadpole Nebula
IC 417 HII Ionized Nebula P314 Spider Nebula
IC 2149 Planetary Nebula P126
NGC 1664 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H59-8
NGC 1778 Open Cluster P68
NGC 1798 Open Cluster P253
NGC 1857 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H33-7
NGC 1883 Open Cluster P211
NGC 1893 Open Cluster P69, embedded in IC410 Tadpole Nebula
NGC 1907 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H39-7
NGC 1912 Open Cluster M38 Starfish Cluster
NGC 1931 Emission/Reflect Neb Herschel 400 H261-1 Fly Nebula
NGC 1960 Open Cluster M36 Pinwheel Cluster
NGC 2099 Open Cluster M37 Salt and Pepper Cluster
NGC 2126 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H68-8
NGC 2192 Open Cluster P212
NGC 2281 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H71-8 Broken Heart Cluster
Constellation: Bootes (BOO)
NGC 5248 Galaxy C45, Herschel 400 H34-1
NGC 5466 Globular Cluster Herschel 400 H9-6
NGC 5557 Galaxy Herschel 400 H99-1
NGC 5676 Galaxy Herschel 400 H189-1
NGC 5689 Galaxy Herschel 400 H188-1
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: Cassiopeia (CAS)
IC 10 Galaxy P77
IC 59 Emission/Reflect Neb P21 Gamma Cassiopeiae Nebula (West)
IC 63 Emission/Reflect Neb P22 Gamma Cassiopeiae Nebula (East)
IC 166 Open Cluster P217
IC 289 Planetary Nebula P290
IC 1590 Open Cluster P144, included in NGC 281 Pacman Nebula
IC 1747 Planetary Nebula P146
IC 1795 HII Ionized Nebula P122 Fish Head Nebula, partially overlaps NGC 896
IC 1805 Emission Nebula P2 Heart Nebula, includes Open Cluster Melotte 15
IC 1848 Emission Nebula P3 Soul Nebula, Westerhout 5
NGC 103 Open Cluster P137
NGC 110 Open Cluster P250
NGC 129 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H79-8
NGC 133 Open Cluster P138
NGC 136 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H35-6
NGC 146 Open Cluster P204
NGC 147 Galaxy C17 Satellite of Andromeda
NGC 185 Galaxy C18, Herschel 400 H707-2 Satellite of Andromeda
NGC 189 Open Cluster P5
NGC 225 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H78-8 Sailboat Cluster
NGC 278 Galaxy Herschel 400 H159-1
NGC 281 HII Ionized Nebula P4 Pacman Nebula
NGC 366 Open Cluster P220
NGC 381 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H64-8
NGC 436 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H45-7
NGC 457 Open Cluster C13, Herschel 400 H42-1 Dragonfly Cluster
NGC 559 Open Cluster C8, Herschel 400 H48-7
NGC 581 Open Cluster M103
NGC 609 Open Cluster P219
NGC 637 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H49-7
NGC 654 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H46-7
NGC 659 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H65-8
NGC 663 Open Cluster C10, Herschel 400 H31-6
NGC 1027 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H66-8, overlaps part of Heart Nebula
NGC 7635 HII Ionized Nebula C11 Bubble Nebula
NGC 7654 Open Cluster M52 Scorpion Cluster
NGC 7788 Open Cluster P139
NGC 7789 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H30-6 White Rose Cluster
NGC 7790 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H56-7
Constellation: Coma Berenices (COM)
NGC 4147 Globular Cluster Herschel 400 H19-1
NGC 4150 Galaxy Herschel 400 H73-1
NGC 4192 Galaxy M98
NGC 4203 Galaxy Herschel 400 H175-1
NGC 4212 Galaxy P193
NGC 4245 Galaxy Herschel 400 H74-1
NGC 4251 Galaxy Herschel 400 H89-1
NGC 4254 Galaxy M99 Saint Catherine’s Wheel Galaxy
NGC 4274 Galaxy Herschel 400 H75-1
NGC 4278 Galaxy Herschel 400 H90-1
NGC 4293 Galaxy Herschel 400 H5-5
NGC 4314 Galaxy Herschel 400 H76-1
NGC 4321 Galaxy M100
NGC 4340 Galaxy P54, paired with NGC 4350
NGC 4350 Galaxy Herschel 400 H86-2, paired with NGC 4340
NGC 4382 Galaxy M85, paired with NGC 4394
NGC 4394 Galaxy Herschel 400 H55-2, paired with M85 (NGC 4382)
NGC 4414 Galaxy Herschel 400 H77-1 Dusty Spiral Galaxy
NGC 4419 Galaxy Herschel 400 H113-1
NGC 4448 Galaxy Herschel 400 H91-1
NGC 4450 Galaxy Herschel 400 H56-2
NGC 4459 Galaxy Herschel 400 H161-1
NGC 4473 Galaxy Herschel 400 H114-2
NGC 4477 Galaxy Herschel 400 H115-2
NGC 4494 Galaxy Herschel 400 H83-1
NGC 4501 Galaxy M88
NGC 4548 Galaxy M91, Herschel 400 H120-2
NGC 4559 Galaxy C36, Herschel 400 H92-1
NGC 4565 Galaxy C38, Herschel 400 H24-5 Needle Galaxy
NGC 4651 Galaxy P222
NGC 4689 Galaxy Herschel 400 H128-2
NGC 4710 Galaxy P175
NGC 4725 Galaxy Herschel 400 H84-1
NGC 4826 Galaxy M64 Black Eye Galaxy
NGC 4889 Galaxy C35
NGC 5024 Globular Cluster M53
NGC 5053 Globular Cluster P78
Constellation: Draco (DRA)
NGC 3147 Galaxy Herschel 400 H79-1
NGC 4125 Galaxy P26
NGC 4236 Galaxy C3
NGC 4589 Galaxy P279
NGC 4750 Galaxy P292
NGC 5866 Galaxy M102, Herschel 400 H215-1
NGC 5907 Galaxy Herschel 400 H759-2 Splinter Galaxy
NGC 5982 Galaxy Herschel 400 H764-2
NGC 6015 Galaxy P151
NGC 6340 Galaxy P142
NGC 6503 Galaxy P80 Shooting Star Galaxy
NGC 6543 Planetary Nebula C6, Herschel 400 H37-4 Cat’s Eye Nebula
NGC 6643 Galaxy P194
Constellation: Gemini (GEM)
IC 443 Supernova Remnant P249 Jellyfish Nebula
IC 444 Reflection Nebula P306
IC 2157 Open Cluster P156
NGC 2129 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H26-8
NGC 2158 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H17-6
NGC 2168 Open Cluster M35 Shoe Buckle Cluster
NGC 2266 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H21-6
NGC 2304 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H2-6
NGC 2331 Open Cluster P157
NGC 2355 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H6-6
NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula Herschel 400 H316-2 Double Bubble Nebula (South)
NGC 2372 Planetary Nebula Herschel 400 H317-2 Double Bubble Nebula (North)
NGC 2392 Planetary Nebula C39, Herschel 400 H45-4 Eskimo Nebula
NGC 2395 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H11-8
NGC 2420 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H1-6
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: Monoceros (MON)
IC 447 HII Ionized Nebula P125 Dreyer’s Nebula
IC 448 HII Ionized Nebula P172
IC 2177 HII Ionized Nebula P52 Seagull Nebula includes Star SAO 152320 at center
NGC 2149 Reflection Nebula P303
NGC 2170 Reflection Nebula P296
NGC 2182 Reflection Nebula P262
NGC 2185 Reflection Nebula Herschel 400 H20-4
NGC 2215 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H20-7
NGC 2232 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H25-8
NGC 2236 Open Cluster P163
NGC 2237 HII Ionized Nebula C49 Rosette Nebula, includes NGC 2238 and NGC 2246
NGC 2239 Open Cluster P254, embedded in NGC 2237 Rosette Nebula
NGC 2244 Open Cluster C50, Herschel 400 H2-7, embedded in NGC 2237
NGC 2245 Reflection Nebula P255
NGC 2250 Open Cluster P164
NGC 2251 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H3-8
NGC 2252 Open Cluster P91
NGC 2254 Open Cluster P165
NGC 2259 Open Cluster P231
NGC 2261 Reflection Nebula C46 Hubble’s Variable Nebula
NGC 2262 Open Cluster P232
NGC 2264 Open Cluster H 400 H27-5 Cone Nebula, H5-8 Christmas Tree Cluster
NGC 2269 Open Cluster P166
NGC 2282 HII Ionized Nebula P269
NGC 2286 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H31-8
NGC 2299 Open Cluster P167
NGC 2301 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H27-6
NGC 2309 Open Cluster P233
NGC 2311 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H60-8
NGC 2323 Open Cluster M50 Heart Shaped Cluster
NGC 2324 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H38-7
NGC 2335 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H32-8, overlaps IC 2177 Seagull Nebula
NGC 2343 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H33-8, overlaps IC 2177 Seagull Nebula
NGC 2346 Planetary Nebula P283 Butterfly Nebula
NGC 2353 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H34-8
NGC 2368 Open Cluster P235
NGC 2506 Open Cluster C54, Herschel 400 H37-6
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: 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: Ursa Minor (UMI)
NGC 6217 Galaxy Herschel 400 H280-1
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://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:
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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Then click here and buy the Astromart crew a cup of coffee (and maybe even some donuts):
https://www.astromart.com/support-options
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