Best deep-sky targets in December
Galaxies, nebulae and clusters that are well placed for imaging in December, from northern and southern latitudes. A target makes the list when it spends at least an hour above 30° in astronomical darkness on December 15 and is either in its best season or up for most of the dark night.
New moon in December
The darkest nights fall around the new moon: , and (UTC). Galaxies and faint dust need those nights. Emission nebulae can be imaged with the moon up using a narrowband or dual-band filter. See the new moon calendar for dark weeks, or the dark sky calendar for moon-free hours at your location.
From 45° N
45° N is about the latitude of Minneapolis, Bordeaux and Milan. On December 15 a well-placed target can stay above 30° for up to 11.7 hours of astronomical darkness, and 65 targets are well placed. Top picks: Pleiades (M 45), Beehive Cluster (M 44), Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264), Orion Nebula (M 42).
Coming into season this month: Beehive Cluster, Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster, Bode's Galaxy, Cigar Galaxy, Eskimo Nebula, Coddington's Nebula, Jellyfish Nebula, M 35 and 5 more.
Galaxies 10
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 81new this monthBode's Galaxy | Galaxy | 10.0 h | 66° |
| M 82new this monthCigar Galaxy | Galaxy | 10.2 h | 65° |
| IC 342Hidden Galaxy | Galaxy | 11.7 h | 67° |
| IC 2574new this monthCoddington's Nebula | Galaxy | 9.3 h | 67° |
| NGC 1275Perseus A | Galaxy | 9.5 h | 87° |
| NGC 2403 | Galaxy | 11.7 h | 69° |
| M 77 | Galaxy | 6.0 h | 45° |
| NGC 891 | Galaxy | 8.5 h | 87° |
| NGC 925 | Galaxy | 8.0 h | 79° |
| NGC 2775new this month | Galaxy | 5.8 h | 52° |
Nebulae 35
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 2264new this monthCone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster | Cluster with nebula | 7.7 h | 55° |
| M 42Orion Nebula | Cluster with nebula | 4.8 h | 40° |
| NGC 1499California Nebula | Nebula | 9.8 h | 81° |
| NGC 2238Rosette Nebula | Emission nebula | 6.8 h | 50° |
| IC 1805Heart Nebula | Cluster with nebula | 10.3 h | 74° |
| IC 1848Soul Nebula | Cluster with nebula | 10.5 h | 75° |
| M 1Crab Nebula | Supernova remnant | 9.2 h | 67° |
| M 43Mairan's Nebula | Emission nebula | 4.8 h | 40° |
| NGC 2392new this monthEskimo Nebula | Planetary nebula | 8.3 h | 66° |
| IC 405Flaming Star Nebula | Nebula | 10.7 h | 79° |
25 more nebulae
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 76Barbell Nebula | Planetary nebula | 8.5 h | 83° |
| NGC 1333Embryo Nebula | Cluster with nebula | 9.0 h | 76° |
| NGC 246Skull Nebula | Planetary nebula | 2.5 h | 33° |
| IC 434Horsehead Nebula region | Emission nebula | 5.5 h | 43° |
| NGC 2261Hubble's Variable Nebula | Reflection nebula | 7.3 h | 54° |
| NGC 40Bow-Tie nebula | Planetary nebula | 10.3 h | 62° |
| IC 443new this monthJellyfish Nebula | Supernova remnant | 9.2 h | 68° |
| IC 63Ghost of Cassiopeia | Emission nebula | 8.7 h | 74° |
| IC 1795Fish Head Nebula | Emission nebula | 10.2 h | 73° |
| IC 2177Seagull Nebula | Reflection nebula | 3.3 h | 35° |
| IC 410Tadpoles Nebula | Nebula | 10.5 h | 78° |
| IC 417Spider Nebula | Emission nebula | 10.7 h | 79° |
| NGC 1579Northern Trifid Nebula | Cluster with nebula | 10.2 h | 80° |
| NGC 1977Running Man Nebula | Cluster with nebula | 5.0 h | 40° |
| NGC 2024Flame Nebula | Nebula | 5.7 h | 43° |
| NGC 2174Monkey Head Nebula | Nebula | 9.0 h | 66° |
| NGC 2359Thor's Helmet | Emission nebula | 2.2 h | 32° |
| NGC 281Pacman Nebula | Emission nebula | 8.2 h | 78° |
| NGC 2239 | Cluster with nebula | 6.8 h | 50° |
| M 78 | Reflection nebula | 6.0 h | 45° |
| IC 59 | Reflection nebula | 8.7 h | 74° |
| NGC 1491 | Emission nebula | 10.8 h | 84° |
| NGC 2170 | Reflection nebula | 4.5 h | 39° |
| NGC 7822 | Emission nebula | 8.7 h | 68° |
| NGC 896 | Nebula | 10.2 h | 73° |
Star clusters 20
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 45Pleiades | Open cluster | 8.8 h | 69° |
| M 44new this monthBeehive Cluster | Open cluster | 7.2 h | 65° |
| NGC 457Owl Cluster | Open cluster | 8.7 h | 77° |
| C 41Hyades | Open cluster | 8.5 h | 61° |
| M 47 | Open cluster | 1.2 h | 31° |
| M 35new this month | Open cluster | 9.5 h | 69° |
| M 34 | Open cluster | 8.8 h | 88° |
| M 37 | Open cluster | 10.3 h | 78° |
| M 48new this month | Open cluster | 4.7 h | 39° |
| M 50 | Open cluster | 4.0 h | 37° |
10 more star clusters
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 36 | Open cluster | 10.5 h | 79° |
| M 38 | Open cluster | 10.8 h | 81° |
| M 67new this month | Open cluster | 6.5 h | 57° |
| NGC 663 | Open cluster | 9.5 h | 74° |
| M 103 | Open cluster | 9.2 h | 74° |
| NGC 1893 | Open cluster | 10.5 h | 78° |
| NGC 2506new this month | Open cluster | 3.3 h | 34° |
| NGC 188 | Open cluster | 11.7 h | 50° |
| NGC 559 | Open cluster | 9.5 h | 72° |
| NGC 2419new this month | Globular cluster | 9.3 h | 84° |
From 35° S
35° S is about the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires. On December 15 a well-placed target can stay above 30° for up to 6.0 hours of astronomical darkness, and 40 targets are well placed. Top picks: Pleiades (M 45), Omicron Velorum Cluster (IC 2391), Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264), Orion Nebula (M 42).
Coming into season this month: Omicron Velorum Cluster, Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster, Rosette Nebula, Caroline's Cluster, Eskimo Nebula, Horsehead Nebula region, Hubble's Variable Nebula, Jellyfish Nebula and 18 more.
Galaxies 1
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 1097 | Galaxy | 5.0 h | 85° |
Nebulae 20
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 2264new this monthCone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster | Cluster with nebula | 4.7 h | 45° |
| M 42Orion Nebula | Cluster with nebula | 6.0 h | 60° |
| NGC 2238new this monthRosette Nebula | Emission nebula | 5.2 h | 50° |
| NGC 2070Tarantula Nebula | Emission nebula | 6.0 h | 56° |
| M 1Crab Nebula | Supernova remnant | 2.7 h | 33° |
| M 43Mairan's Nebula | Emission nebula | 6.0 h | 60° |
| NGC 2392new this monthEskimo Nebula | Planetary nebula | 2.7 h | 34° |
| IC 434new this monthHorsehead Nebula region | Emission nebula | 6.0 h | 57° |
| NGC 2261new this monthHubble's Variable Nebula | Reflection nebula | 4.8 h | 46° |
| IC 443new this monthJellyfish Nebula | Supernova remnant | 2.5 h | 32° |
10 more nebulae
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC 2177new this monthSeagull Nebula | Reflection nebula | 5.5 h | 65° |
| NGC 1977Running Man Nebula | Cluster with nebula | 6.0 h | 60° |
| NGC 2024new this monthFlame Nebula | Nebula | 6.0 h | 57° |
| NGC 2174new this monthMonkey Head Nebula | Nebula | 3.2 h | 34° |
| NGC 2359new this monthThor's Helmet | Emission nebula | 5.3 h | 68° |
| NGC 2239new this month | Cluster with nebula | 5.2 h | 50° |
| M 78new this month | Reflection nebula | 6.0 h | 55° |
| NGC 2867new this month | Planetary nebula | 5.2 h | 67° |
| NGC 3195new this month | Planetary nebula | 6.0 h | 44° |
| NGC 2170new this month | Reflection nebula | 6.0 h | 61° |
Star clusters 19
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 45Pleiades | Open cluster | 1.5 h | 31° |
| IC 2391new this monthOmicron Velorum Cluster | Open cluster | 5.5 h | 72° |
| NGC 10447 Tucanae | Globular cluster | 4.5 h | 53° |
| NGC 2360new this monthCaroline's Cluster | Open cluster | 5.5 h | 71° |
| C 41Hyades | Open cluster | 4.2 h | 39° |
| NGC 2516new this month | Open cluster | 6.0 h | 64° |
| NGC 2362new this month | Open cluster | 5.8 h | 80° |
| M 47new this month | Open cluster | 5.2 h | 69° |
| M 41new this month | Open cluster | 6.0 h | 76° |
| M 35 | Open cluster | 1.2 h | 31° |
9 more star clusters
| Target | Type | Dark hours above 30° | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 2477new this month | Open cluster | 5.8 h | 86° |
| M 50new this month | Open cluster | 5.5 h | 63° |
| M 46new this month | Open cluster | 5.0 h | 70° |
| M 93new this month | Open cluster | 5.3 h | 79° |
| NGC 362 | Globular cluster | 5.2 h | 54° |
| NGC 1851 | Globular cluster | 6.0 h | 85° |
| NGC 2506new this month | Open cluster | 4.7 h | 66° |
| M 79 | Globular cluster | 6.0 h | 80° |
| NGC 1261 | Globular cluster | 6.0 h | 70° |
Filters for December's nebulae
27 of December's picks are emission nebulae, including the Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster, the Orion Nebula, the Rosette Nebula. With a dual-band filter on a color camera they stay workable on the moonlit nights between the dark weeks.
- Optolong L-Ultimate 3 nm 3 nm dual-band, Ha, OIII, for color cameras View at High Point Scientific
- Antlia ALP-T 5 nm 5 nm dual-band, Ha, OIII, for color cameras View at High Point Scientific
- Optolong L-eXtreme 7 nm 7 nm dual-band, Ha, OIII, for color cameras View at High Point Scientific
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How this list is made
For each of the 272 targets in the target guide, the time spent above 30° while the sun is more than 18° below the horizon is worked out for the night of December 15, at 45° N and 35° S. A target is listed if it gets at least an hour and either has at least 80% of its best month's hours, or is up for at least 75% of the longest time any target gets that night. The first rule keeps low targets such as the Orion Nebula from northern sites; the second keeps summer targets whose best month is later only because the nights get longer.
Named and brighter objects are listed first. "Highest" is the altitude at which the target crosses the meridian, which may fall outside the dark hours. The moon is not counted here. The stars rise about four minutes earlier each night, so on the 1st each target reaches a given spot in the sky about an hour later in the night than on the 15th, and at the end of the month about an hour earlier. For your own location and date, open the imaging planner.