RigTonightWhat to image each season: a deep-sky calendar for astrophotographers
The sky turns through the year, so each season has its own showpieces. This calendar is for northern mid-latitudes (roughly 35–55° N). Southern observers can swap spring and autumn, and summer and winter, and add the far-southern treasures.
Spring: galaxy season
With the Milky Way low, spring evenings look out of our galaxy toward thousands of others.
- Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and Pinwheel (M101): face-on spirals, high in the north-east sky
- Bode's and Cigar galaxies (M81, M82): a classic pair that fits a 400–600 mm field
- Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628) and Markarian's Chain in Virgo
Filters: broadband. Galaxies need starlight, so skip narrowband. A longer focal length helps.
Summer: the Milky Way's core and the Cygnus nebulae
- Lagoon (M8) and Trifid (M20), low in the south from mid-northern latitudes
- Eagle (M16) and Omega (M17)
- North America and Pelican, the Veil Nebula and the Crescent in Cygnus
- Dumbbell (M27) and Ring (M57): small and bright planetary nebulae
Filters: emission nebulae love dual-band and narrowband, so summer's short nights and bright moons still pay off.
Autumn: Andromeda and Cassiopeia
- Andromeda Galaxy (M31), more than 3° long and wonderful at 250–400 mm
- Triangulum (M33)
- Heart and Soul, the Pacman and the Bubble
- Pleiades (M45), rising late, with its blue reflection nebulosity
Filters: broadband for M31, M33 and M45; dual-band or narrowband for the Cassiopeia nebulae.
Winter: Orion and friends
- Orion Nebula (M42), bright enough for any rig. Use short exposures for its core.
- Horsehead and Flame
- Rosette, the Cone and Christmas Tree, and the California Nebula
- Crab Nebula (M1), small but famous
Filters: narrowband shines here, and winter's long nights give the most integration time.
Let the app do the sums
Rather than guessing, set your location on the Tonight tab: it ranks targets by how many clear, dark, moon-free hours they get from your site, adjusted for your rig's field of view and filters. The Targets tab lists all 110 Messier objects, so you can tick off the whole catalogue over a year.