Targets

The Orion Nebula is the closest large star-forming region to Earth, visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy star in Orion's sword. At the heart of the nebula sits the Trapezium — a tight cluster of young, hot stars that illuminate the surrounding cloud of gas and dust.

Also known as Praesepe, the Beehive is one of the nearest and most populated open clusters. Its sprawling extent makes it a natural fit for binoculars or a rich-field telescope, filling the view with hundreds of stars.

The Pleiades are one of the sky's most iconic star clusters, visible to the naked eye as a tight knot of blue stars in Taurus. Long exposures reveal delicate wisps of blue reflection nebulosity surrounding the brightest members.

The Whirlpool Galaxy is a grand-design spiral galaxy interacting with its companion NGC 5195. The gravitational dance between the two galaxies has triggered waves of star formation, making the Whirlpool one of the most-photographed galaxies in the sky.

The Ring Nebula is a classic planetary nebula — the glowing shell of gas expelled by a dying star. Its striking smoke-ring appearance makes it one of the most recognizable deep-sky objects and a favourite target for intermediate observers.

The Lagoon Nebula is a vast cloud of gas and dust over 100 light-years across, home to the young star cluster NGC 6530. Its bright core — the Hourglass — is one of the finest emission regions in the sky for both visual and imaging observers.