Urban Observing List for Small Telescopes
Yes, there is no substitute for a large-aperture telescope under dark skies. But for many of us, small telescopes are more financially accessible and more convenient to set up, use, and enjoy. And the lengthy round-trip drive out to a dark-sky site may take as much time if not longer than the observing session itself.
Having consulted George Robert Kepple and Glen W. Sanner's Night Sky Observer's Guide, Rod Mollise's Urban Astronomer's Guide, and the Astronomical League's Urban Observing Program lists—and drawing upon my experience in my own backyard—this is my selection of objects that are visible in small telescopes (around four inches of aperture) under city skies:
Name | Type | Visual Magnitude (and Surface Brightness) | Size/Sep | RA and Declination |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eta Cassiopeiae / Achird | Double Star | m3.4, m7.5 | 12.9" | 00h 49m 57° |
M31 / Andromeda Galaxy | Galaxy | m3.4v SB 13.6 | 185' x 75' | 00h 42m 41° |
M32 | Galaxy | m8.1v SB 12.7 | 11' x 7.3' | 00h 42m 40° |
NGC 457 / Owl Cluster | Open Star Cluster | m6.4v | 13' | 01h 19m 58° |
Gamma Arietis / Mesartim | Double Star | m4.8, m4.8 | 7.8" | 01h 53m 19° |
Alpha Ursae Minoris / Polaris | Double Star | m2.0, m8.2 | 18.4" | 02h 31m 89° |
NGC 869 and 884 / Double Cluster | Open Star Cluster | m5.3v (NGC 869), m6.1v (NGC 884) | 29', 29' | 02h 20m 57° |
Gamma Andromedae / Almach | Double Star | m2.3, m5.5 | 9.8" | 02h 03m 42° |
M34 | Open Star Cluster | m5.2v | 35' | 02h 42m 42° |
Melotte 20 / Alpha Persei Association | Open Star Cluster | m1.2v | 185' | 03h 22m 49° |
M45 / Pleiades | Open Star Cluster | m1.2v | 110' | 03h 47m 24° |
Kemble 1 / Kemble's Cascade | Asterism | 150' | 04h 07m 62° | |
Melotte 25 / Hyades | Open Star Cluster | m0.5v | 330' | 04h 27m 16° |
M38 | Open Star Cluster | m6.4v | 21' | 05h 28m 35° |
M36 | Open Star Cluster | m6.0v | 12' | 05h 36m 34° |
M37 | Open Star Cluster | m5.6v | 20' | 05h 52m 32° |
Lambda Orionis / Meissa | Double Star | m3.5, m5.6 | 4.4" | 05h 35m 9° |
Collinder 70 / Orion's Belt | Asterism | 05h 35m -1° | ||
Sigma Orionis | Quadruple Star | m4.0, m10.3 | 11.4" | 05h 38m -2° |
M42 / Orion Nebula | Diffuse Nebula | m4.0v | 90' | 05h 35m -5° |
M43 / De Mairan's Nebula | Emission Nebula | m9.0v | 20' | 05h 35m -5° |
Theta Orionis / Trapezium | Quadruple Star | m5.1, m6.7, m6.7, m7.9 | 8.8", 13.4" | 05h 35m -5° |
Iota Orionis | Triple Star | m2.8, m7.3 | 11.3" | 05h 35m -5° |
Gamma Leporis | Double Star | m3.7, m6.3 | 96.3" | 05h 44m -22° |
M35 | Open Star Cluster | m5.1v | 28' | 06h 08m 24° |
NGC 2264 / Christmas Tree Cluster | Open Star Cluster | m3.9v | 20' | 06h 41m 9° |
Beta Monocerotis | Triple Star | m4.7, m5.2, m6.1 | 2.8", 7.3" | 06h 28m -7° |
M41 | Open Star Cluster | m4.5v | 38' | 06h 46m -20° |
Alpha Geminorum / Castor | Double Star | m1.9, m2.9 | 4.0" | 07h 34m 31° |
M50 | Open Star Cluster | m5.9v | 16' | 07h 03m -8° |
M47 | Open Star Cluster | m4.4v | 29' | 07h 36m -14° |
M46 | Open Star Cluster | m6.1v | 27' | 07h 41m -14° |
Iota Cancri | Double Star | m4.2, m6.6 | 30.5" | 08h 46m 28° |
M44 / Beehive Cluster | Open Star Cluster | m3.1v | 95' | 08h 40m 19° |
M81 / Bode's Galaxy | Galaxy | m6.9v SB 13.0 | 24' x 13' | 09h 55m 69° |
M82 / Exploding Galaxy | Galaxy | m8.4v SB 12.8 | 12' x 5.6' | 09h 55m 69° |
Gamma Leonis / Algieba | Double Star | m2.2, m3.5 | 4.4" | 10h 20m 19° |
Alpha Canum Venaticorum / Cor Caroli | Double Star | m2.9, m5.5 | 19.4" | 12h 56m 38° |
Melotte 111 / Coma Star Cluster | Open Star Cluster | m1.8v | 275' | 12h 25m 26° |
24 Comae Berenices | Double Star | m5.2, m6.7 | 20.3" | 12h 35m 18° |
Zeta Ursae Majoris / Mizar and Alcor | Double Star | m2.3, m4.0 | 14.4" | 13h 23m 54° |
M3 | Globular Star Cluster | m5.9v | 16.2' | 13h 42m 28° |
Mu Bootis / Alkalurops | Triple Star | m4.3, m7.0, m7.6 | 108.3", 2.3" | 15h 24m 37° |
Zeta Coronae Borealis | Double Star | m5.1, m6.0 | 6.3" | 15h 39m 36° |
M5 | Globular Star Cluster | m5.7v | 17.4' | 15h 18m 2° |
M13 / Great Hercules Cluster | Globular Star Cluster | m5.7v | 16.6' | 16h 41m 36° |
Kappa Herculis / Marfak | Triple Star | m5.3, m6.5 | 28.4" | 16h 08m 17° |
Beta Scorpii / Graffias | Double Star | m2.6, m4.9 | 13.6" | 16h 05m -19° |
Rho Ophiuchi | Double Star | m5.3, m6.0 | 3.1" | 16h 25m -23° |
Alpha Scorpii / Antares | Double Star | m1.2, m5.4 | 2.9" | 16h 29m -26° |
Nu Draconis | Double Star | m4.9, m4.9 | 61.9" | 17h 32m 55° |
M92 | Globular Star Cluster | m6.4v | 11.2' | 17h 17m 43° |
Alpha Herculis / Rasalgethi | Double and Variable Star | m3.5, m5.4 | 4.7" | 17h 14m 14° |
IC 4665 | Open Star Cluster | m4.2v | 40' | 17h 46m 5° |
Epsilon Lyrae / Double Double | Double Star | m5.4, m6.5; m5.1, m5.3 | 2.6", 2.3" | 18h 44m 39° |
Zeta Lyrae | Double Star | m4.3, m6.0 | 43.7" | 18h 44m 37° |
Delta (1 and 2) Lyrae | Double Star | m5.6, m9.3; m4.5, m11.2 | 174.6"; 86.2", 2.2" | 18h 54m 36° |
M57 / Ring Nebula | Planetary Nebula | m8.8v | > 1.18' | 18h 53m 33° |
Theta Serpentis / Alya | Double Star | m4.6, m5.0 | 22.3" | 18h 56m 4° |
M11 / Wild Duck Cluster | Open Star Cluster | m5.8v | 13' | 18h 51m -6° |
16 Cygni | Double Star | m5.9, m6.2 | 39.3" | 19h 41m 50° |
Delta Cygni | Double Star | m2.9, 6.3 | 2.5" | 19h 45m 45° |
Beta Cygni / Albireo | Double Star | m3.1, m5.1 | 34.0" | 19h 30m 27° |
M27 / Dumbbell Nebula | Planetary Nebula | m7.3v | 5.8' | 19h 59m 22° |
Collinder 399 / Coathanger | Asterism | m3.6v | 60' | 19h 25m 20° |
Omicron Cygni | Triple Star | m3.6, m4.8, m6.7 | 107.0", 337.5" | 20h 13m 46° |
M29 / Cooling Tower | Open Star Cluster | m6.6v | 6' | 20h 23m 38° |
NGC 6871 | Open Star Cluster | m5.2v | 20' | 20h 05m 35° |
Gamma Delphini | Double Star | m4.3, m5.1 | 9.6" | 20h 46m 16° |
Alpha Capricorni / Al Giedi (The Goat) | Double Star | m3.6, m4.2 | 378" | 20h 18m -12° |
Beta Capricorni / Dabih | Triple Star | m3.4, m6.2 | 205.3" | 20h 21m -14° |
M39 | Open Star Cluster | m4.6v | 31' | 21h 32m 48° |
M15 | Globular Star Cluster | m6.0v | 12.3' | 21h 30m 12° |
M2 | Globular Star Cluster | m6.4v | 12.9' | 21h 33m 0° |
Delta Cephei | Double and Variable Star | m3.48 to m4.37 in 5.4 days | 41.0" | 22h 29m 58° |