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: 2026-02-14 16:46:26 (GMT), MST=21h26m.

ObjectAlt / Az †RA / DecTypeLinksMagDist (ly)Notes
M27 (Dumbbell nebula)64° / 232°19:59.6 / +22:43NebulaSEDS, Img7.41,250
Albireo 63° / 251°19:30.7 / +27:58DoubleSEDS, Img3.0(r)/5.1(b)380telescope code: star 223, separation: 34
M15 61° / 178°21:30.0 / +12:10GCSEDS, Img6.233,600
epsilonLyrae 59° / 282°18:44.3 / 39:40Double telescope code: star 334
M57 (Ring nebula)58° / 268°18:53.6 / +33:02NebulaSEDS, Img8.82,300
M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)53° / 072°00:42.7 / +41:16GalaxySEDS, Img3.42.9 M
M92 44° / 295°17:17.1 / +43:08GCSEDS, Img6.426,700
NGC 869 (Double Cluster)41° / 044°02:19.0 / +57:08OCSEDS, Img5.37,000h and Chi Persei, NGC 869 and NGC 884
M33 (Triangulum Galaxy)39° / 080°01:33.9 / +30:39GalaxySEDS, Img5.73.0 M
Mercury 38° / 151°22:56.7 / -6:45planet 5.7/-2.40.4 AUtelescope code: star 901
Neptune 36° / 127°00:04.1 / 00:58planet 8.0/7.830 AUtelescope code: star 908
Venus 36° / 160°22:30.8 / -10:54planet -4.6/-3.80.7 AUtelescope code: star 902
M13 35° / 290°16:41.7 / +36:28GCSEDS, Img5.825,100good, granularity visible
Saturn 34° / 129°00:03.7 / -1:56planet 1.5/-0.59.5 AUtelescope code: star 906
Mars 32° / 181°21:21.1 / -16:37planet 1.8/-2.91.5 AUtelescope code: star 904
M11 31° / 226°18:51.1 / -06:17OC
M16 20° / 229°18:18.6 / -13:47OC
M82 20° / 357°09:55.8 / +69:41Irr.SEDS, Img8.412.0 Minteresting morphology, looks about 3-4 times longer than it is thick
Moon (phase: 0.909)19° / 205°19:41.8 / -25:13satellite -2.5/-12.9384telescope code: star 903
M81 (Bode's galaxy)19° / 357°09:55.6 / +69:04SpiralSEDS, Img6.912.0 Mit's fun to watch as the telescope moves between M81 and M82
Mizar 17° / 328°13:23.9 / +54:56DoubleSEDS, Img2.278telescope code: star 137, first known double star: 14 arcsec separation, 500 AU (12') from Alcor (4th mag)
M40 15° / 337°12:22.4 / +58:05DoubleSEDS, Img8.4510
M22 14° / 219°18:36.4 / -23.54GC
M51 (Whirlpool galaxy)12° / 322°13:29.9 / +47:12SpiralSEDS, Img8.437.0 Mfaint, two galaxies may be visible
M45 (Pleiades)11° / 068°03:47.0 / +24:07OCSEDS, Img1.6440
M20 10° / 226°18:02.3 / -23.02Nebula
M8 9° / 225°18:03.8 / -24:23Nebula/OC
Uranus 9° / 072°03:41.1 / 19:25planet 5.9/5.319 AUtelescope code: star 907
M97 (Owl nebula) 8° / 344°11:14.8 / +55:01NebulaSEDS, Img9.92,600
M63 7° / 320°13:15.8 / +42:02SpiralSEDS, Img8.637.0 Mabout 5' from a star, can see it's flattened
M106 5° / 332°12:19.0 / +47:18 SpiralSEDS, Img8.425.0 M
M94 3° / 324°12:50.9 / +41:07SpiralSEDS, Img8.214.5 Mgood, compact and easy to see, but not much structure
M3 0° / 307°13:42.2 / +28:23GCSEDS, Img6.233,900
M5 0° / 272°15:18.6 / +02:05GCSEDS, Img5.624,500good, granularity visible
(Hyades) 0° / 068°04:27.0 / +16:00OCSEDS, Img0.5150near Aldebaran and NGC 1647. Nearest open cluster.
M4 -7° / 240°16:23.6 / -26:32GCSEDS, Img5.67,200
M1 (Crab nebula)-7° / 052°05:34.5 / +22:01NebulaSEDS, Img8.46,300
M64 (Blackeye galaxy)-11° / 311°12:56.7 / +21:41SpiralSEDS, Img8.519.0 Mflattened, fairly faint
M53 -11° / 306°13:12.9 / +18:10GCSEDS, Img7.658,000
Jupiter -19° / 033°07:09.8 / 22:47planet -1.6/-2.95.2 AUtelescope code: star 905
M87 -22° / 310°12:30.8 / +12:24Ell.SEDS, Img8.660.0 Mthe picture shows the jet
M86 -22° / 311°12:26.2 / +12:57Lent.SEDS, Img8.960.0 Msee M84
M84 -22° / 312°12:25.1 / +12:53Lent.SEDS, Img9.160.0 MM84 and M86 visible in same field with fiddling
(Eskimo nebula)-22° / 029°07:29.2 / +20:55 NebulaSEDS, Img10
M49 -25° / 307°12:29.8 / +08:00Ell.SEDS, Img8.460.0 ME5 (with imagination), not very good
M42 (Orion nebula)-27° / 072°05:35.4 / -05:27 NebulaSEDS, Img41,600
M44 (Beehive cluster)-28° / 012°08:40.1 / +19:59 OCSEDS, Img3.7577
M104 (Sombrero galaxy)-38° / 290°12:40.0 / -11:37GalaxySEDS, Img850.0 M