Observing List

† Alt/Az Note: Values shown in green are observable (above 20° altitude), values in yellow are above the horizon but below 20°, and values shown in red are below the horizon. When planning observations, be sure to select an appropriate observing time! NOTE THAT ALL TIMES BELOW ARE IN GMT.

For planets (highlighted in magenta), distances are heliocentric in Astronomical Units (AU, 1 AU = 150 million km), and magnitudes are given as a range. These values are not recomputed for the current date.

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Alt/Az values correspond to: 2026-04-29 10:30:49 (GMT), MST=20h01m.

ObjectAlt / Az †RA / DecTypeLinksMagDist (ly)Notes
Albireo 76° / 209°19:30.7 / +27:58DoubleSEDS, Img3.0(r)/5.1(b)380telescope code: star 223, separation: 34
epsilonLyrae 75° / 273°18:44.3 / 39:40Double telescope code: star 334
M57 (Ring nebula)74° / 247°18:53.6 / +33:02NebulaSEDS, Img8.82,300
M27 (Dumbbell nebula)72° / 181°19:59.6 / +22:43NebulaSEDS, Img7.41,250
M92 59° / 288°17:17.1 / +43:08GCSEDS, Img6.426,700
M15 55° / 139°21:30.0 / +12:10GCSEDS, Img6.233,600
M13 51° / 280°16:41.7 / +36:28GCSEDS, Img5.825,100good, granularity visible
M11 40° / 203°18:51.1 / -06:17OC
M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)38° / 064°00:42.7 / +41:16GalaxySEDS, Img3.42.9 M
NGC 869 (Double Cluster)30° / 039°02:19.0 / +57:08OCSEDS, Img5.37,000h and Chi Persei, NGC 869 and NGC 884
M16 30° / 209°18:18.6 / -13:47OC
Mizar 27° / 320°13:23.9 / +54:56DoubleSEDS, Img2.278telescope code: star 137, first known double star: 14 arcsec separation, 500 AU (12') from Alcor (4th mag)
M33 (Triangulum Galaxy)24° / 069°01:33.9 / +30:39GalaxySEDS, Img5.73.0 M
M51 (Whirlpool galaxy)23° / 312°13:29.9 / +47:12SpiralSEDS, Img8.437.0 Mfaint, two galaxies may be visible
M22 23° / 201°18:36.4 / -23.54GC
M40 22° / 328°12:22.4 / +58:05DoubleSEDS, Img8.4510
M82 22° / 349°09:55.8 / +69:41Irr.SEDS, Img8.412.0 Minteresting morphology, looks about 3-4 times longer than it is thick
M81 (Bode's galaxy)21° / 349°09:55.6 / +69:04SpiralSEDS, Img6.912.0 Mit's fun to watch as the telescope moves between M81 and M82
M20 20° / 209°18:02.3 / -23.02Nebula
Neptune 20° / 108°00:13.9 / 00:03planet 8.0/7.830 AUtelescope code: star 908
M8 19° / 208°18:03.8 / -24:23Nebula/OC
M63 18° / 309°13:15.8 / +42:02SpiralSEDS, Img8.637.0 Mabout 5' from a star, can see it's flattened
Saturn 17° / 103°00:36.4 / 01:33planet 1.5/-0.59.5 AUtelescope code: star 906
M5 15° / 258°15:18.6 / +02:05GCSEDS, Img5.624,500good, granularity visible
Mars 15° / 096°00:57.3 / 05:08planet 1.8/-2.91.5 AUtelescope code: star 904
M106 14° / 320°12:19.0 / +47:18 SpiralSEDS, Img8.425.0 M
M94 14° / 312°12:50.9 / +41:07SpiralSEDS, Img8.214.5 Mgood, compact and easy to see, but not much structure
M3 14° / 295°13:42.2 / +28:23GCSEDS, Img6.233,900
M97 (Owl nebula)13° / 333°11:14.8 / +55:01NebulaSEDS, Img9.92,600
Mercury 10° / 090°01:28.6 / 07:02planet 5.7/-2.40.4 AUtelescope code: star 901
M4 6° / 227°16:23.6 / -26:32GCSEDS, Img5.67,200
M53 2° / 291°13:12.9 / +18:10GCSEDS, Img7.658,000
M64 (Blackeye galaxy) 2° / 296°12:56.7 / +21:41SpiralSEDS, Img8.519.0 Mflattened, fairly faint
M45 (Pleiades)-2° / 054°03:47.0 / +24:07OCSEDS, Img1.6440
Uranus -6° / 056°03:52.2 / 20:01planet 5.9/5.319 AUtelescope code: star 907
Venus -8° / 051°04:17.5 / 22:11planet -4.6/-3.80.7 AUtelescope code: star 902
M87 -8° / 294°12:30.8 / +12:24Ell.SEDS, Img8.660.0 Mthe picture shows the jet
M86 -8° / 295°12:26.2 / +12:57Lent.SEDS, Img8.960.0 Msee M84
M84 -9° / 295°12:25.1 / +12:53Lent.SEDS, Img9.160.0 MM84 and M86 visible in same field with fiddling
M49 -11° / 291°12:29.8 / +08:00Ell.SEDS, Img8.460.0 ME5 (with imagination), not very good
(Hyades)-14° / 053°04:27.0 / +16:00OCSEDS, Img0.5150near Aldebaran and NGC 1647. Nearest open cluster.
M1 (Crab nebula)-18° / 035°05:34.5 / +22:01NebulaSEDS, Img8.46,300
Moon (phase: 0.429)-19° / 276°12:44.0 / -7:58satellite -2.5/-12.9384telescope code: star 903
M104 (Sombrero galaxy)-23° / 274°12:40.0 / -11:37GalaxySEDS, Img850.0 M
Jupiter -26° / 010°07:21.2 / 22:31planet -1.6/-2.95.2 AUtelescope code: star 905
(Eskimo nebula)-28° / 008°07:29.2 / +20:55 NebulaSEDS, Img10
M44 (Beehive cluster)-28° / 349°08:40.1 / +19:59 OCSEDS, Img3.7577
M42 (Orion nebula)-42° / 053°05:35.4 / -05:27 NebulaSEDS, Img41,600