Best deep-sky targets in November

Galaxies, nebulae and clusters that are well placed for imaging in November, from northern and southern latitudes. A target makes the list when it spends at least an hour above 30° in astronomical darkness on November 15 and is either in its best season or up for most of the dark night.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep OctNovDec

New moon in November

The darkest nights fall around the new moon: 9 November 2026, 28 November 2027 and 16 November 2028 (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 November 15 a well-placed target can stay above 30° for up to 11.0 hours of astronomical darkness, and 71 targets are well placed. Top picks: Pleiades (M 45), Andromeda Galaxy (M 31), Orion Nebula (M 42), California Nebula (NGC 1499).

Coming into season this month: Pleiades, Orion Nebula, Rosette Nebula, Crab Nebula, Mairan's Nebula, Flaming Star Nebula, Horsehead Nebula region, Hubble's Variable Nebula and 19 more.

Galaxies 15

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
M 31Andromeda Galaxy	Galaxy	8.5 h	86°
M 33Triangulum Galaxy	Galaxy	8.8 h	76°
IC 342Hidden Galaxy	Galaxy	11.0 h	67°
NGC 1275Perseus A	Galaxy	11.0 h	87°
M 32	Galaxy	8.5 h	86°
M 110	Galaxy	8.5 h	87°
NGC 2403new this month	Galaxy	9.2 h	69°
NGC 185	Galaxy	9.0 h	87°
M 74	Galaxy	7.8 h	61°
M 77	Galaxy	6.0 h	45°

5 more galaxies

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
IC 1613	Galaxy	6.3 h	47°
NGC 147	Galaxy	8.8 h	86°
NGC 891	Galaxy	10.3 h	87°
NGC 925	Galaxy	9.8 h	79°
NGC 7814	Galaxy	6.3 h	61°

Nebulae 39

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
M 42new this monthOrion Nebula	Cluster with nebula	5.0 h	40°
NGC 1499California Nebula	Nebula	10.3 h	81°
NGC 2238new this monthRosette Nebula	Emission nebula	5.8 h	50°
IC 1805Heart Nebula	Cluster with nebula	11.0 h	74°
IC 1848Soul Nebula	Cluster with nebula	11.0 h	75°
NGC 7023Iris Nebula	Nebula	7.5 h	67°
NGC 7380Wizard Nebula	Cluster with nebula	7.8 h	77°
NGC 7662Blue Snowball Nebula	Planetary nebula	7.3 h	88°
M 1new this monthCrab Nebula	Supernova remnant	8.0 h	67°
M 43new this monthMairan's Nebula	Emission nebula	5.0 h	40°

29 more nebulae

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
IC 405new this monthFlaming Star Nebula	Nebula	9.0 h	79°
M 76Barbell Nebula	Planetary nebula	10.3 h	83°
NGC 1333Embryo Nebula	Cluster with nebula	10.2 h	76°
NGC 246Skull Nebula	Planetary nebula	2.8 h	33°
IC 434new this monthHorsehead Nebula region	Emission nebula	5.5 h	43°
NGC 7635Bubble Nebula	Emission nebula	8.8 h	74°
NGC 2261new this monthHubble's Variable Nebula	Reflection nebula	6.0 h	54°
NGC 40Bow-Tie nebula	Planetary nebula	11.0 h	62°
IC 63Ghost of Cassiopeia	Emission nebula	10.5 h	74°
C 9Cave Nebula	Emission nebula	8.5 h	72°
IC 1396Elephant's Trunk Nebula	Cluster with nebula	6.7 h	78°
IC 1795Fish Head Nebula	Emission nebula	11.0 h	73°
IC 2177new this monthSeagull Nebula	Reflection nebula	3.3 h	35°
IC 410new this monthTadpoles Nebula	Nebula	8.8 h	78°
IC 417new this monthSpider Nebula	Emission nebula	8.8 h	79°
NGC 1579new this monthNorthern Trifid Nebula	Cluster with nebula	9.8 h	80°
NGC 1977new this monthRunning Man Nebula	Cluster with nebula	5.0 h	40°
NGC 2024new this monthFlame Nebula	Nebula	5.5 h	43°
NGC 2174new this monthMonkey Head Nebula	Nebula	7.3 h	66°
NGC 2359new this monthThor's Helmet	Emission nebula	2.2 h	32°
NGC 281Pacman Nebula	Emission nebula	9.8 h	78°
NGC 2239new this month	Cluster with nebula	5.8 h	50°
M 78new this month	Reflection nebula	6.0 h	45°
NGC 7129	Cluster with nebula	7.8 h	69°
IC 59	Reflection nebula	10.3 h	74°
NGC 1491	Emission nebula	11.0 h	84°
NGC 2170new this month	Reflection nebula	4.7 h	39°
NGC 7822	Emission nebula	10.3 h	68°
NGC 896	Nebula	11.0 h	73°

Star clusters 17

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
M 45new this monthPleiades	Open cluster	9.5 h	69°
NGC 457Owl Cluster	Open cluster	10.5 h	77°
C 41new this monthHyades	Open cluster	8.3 h	61°
M 47new this month	Open cluster	1.0 h	31°
M 34	Open cluster	10.7 h	88°
M 37new this month	Open cluster	8.3 h	78°
NGC 752	Open cluster	9.7 h	83°
M 50new this month	Open cluster	3.8 h	37°
M 36new this month	Open cluster	8.7 h	79°
M 38new this month	Open cluster	8.8 h	81°

7 more star clusters

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
NGC 7243	Open cluster	6.7 h	85°
M 52	Open cluster	9.0 h	73°
NGC 663	Open cluster	11.0 h	74°
M 103	Open cluster	11.0 h	74°
NGC 1893new this month	Open cluster	8.8 h	78°
NGC 188	Open cluster	11.0 h	50°
NGC 559	Open cluster	11.0 h	72°

From 35° S

35° S is about the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires. On November 15 a well-placed target can stay above 30° for up to 6.8 hours of astronomical darkness, and 20 targets are well placed. Top picks: Pleiades (M 45), Orion Nebula (M 42), 47 Tucanae (NGC 104), Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070).

Coming into season this month: Orion Nebula, Crab Nebula, Mairan's Nebula, Hyades, Running Man Nebula, M 35, NGC 1851, M 79.

Galaxies 7

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
NGC 253Sculptor Galaxy	Galaxy	5.5 h	80°
NGC 55	Galaxy	5.5 h	86°
NGC 300	Galaxy	6.0 h	87°
NGC 247	Galaxy	5.3 h	76°
M 74	Galaxy	3.8 h	39°
M 77	Galaxy	6.2 h	55°
NGC 1097	Galaxy	6.8 h	85°

Nebulae 5

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
M 42new this monthOrion Nebula	Cluster with nebula	5.0 h	60°
NGC 2070Tarantula Nebula	Emission nebula	6.8 h	56°
M 1new this monthCrab Nebula	Supernova remnant	2.5 h	33°
M 43new this monthMairan's Nebula	Emission nebula	5.0 h	60°
NGC 1977new this monthRunning Man Nebula	Cluster with nebula	5.0 h	60°

Star clusters 8

Target	Type	Dark hours above 30°	Highest
M 45Pleiades	Open cluster	1.3 h	31°
NGC 10447 Tucanae	Globular cluster	6.8 h	53°
C 41new this monthHyades	Open cluster	4.3 h	39°
M 35new this month	Open cluster	1.3 h	31°
NGC 362	Globular cluster	6.8 h	54°
NGC 1851new this month	Globular cluster	6.8 h	85°
M 79new this month	Globular cluster	6.0 h	80°
NGC 1261	Globular cluster	6.8 h	70°

Filters for November's nebulae

28 of November's picks are emission nebulae, including the Orion Nebula, the Rosette Nebula, the Heart 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 November 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.