The TAAS 200 Observing List

The TAAS 200 deep sky astronomical observing list is designed for the intermediate observer, and includes the best 200 non Messier objects easily visible from central New Mexico, (objects north of declination -48).
TAAS200 NGC,   NAME			TYPE	CONST.	RA 2000   DEC 2000   Magnitude  Diameter	GC Conc      # Stars	   Minimum     Herschel DESCRIPTION
Number  IC,...						hrs min   deg min				or Class		   Aperture      400
        										
1         40				pn	CEP	00 13.0	  n72 32     10.70	38 x 35					   4 inch	   Y	Consists of magn. 11.5 star set in a thick ring.  Nice in a 10 inch or larger scope.
2         55				eg	SCL	00 14.9	  s39 11     8.20	32' x 6.5'	SB			   7x50mm	   	WOW!  Huge, bright, mottled, cigar shaped edge-on; Brter towards one end. (8 in.)
3        129				oc	CAS	00 29.9	  n60 14     6.50	21'				35	   2.4 in, 15X 	   Y	Well resolved, bright, coarse oc; 3 brter stars nearly form an equilateral triangle.
4        134				eg	SCL	00 30.3	  s33 15     10.10	8.1' x 2.6	SBa			   4 inch	   	In large scopes, like a smaller NGC-4565.  Beautiful.  Egn NGC-131 lies v. nearby.
5        185				eg	CAS	00 39.0	  n48 20     9.20	11' x 10'	dE3			   4 in, 20X	   Y	Lg., LSB egn w/ brter center.  Nrby NGC-147 is lger, v. fnt.  (Members of Local Grp.)
6        188				oc	CEP	00 44.0	  n85 20     8.10	14'				550	   3 in, 12X	   	A large, round, rich, LSB oc of 12th magn. and fainter stars.  5 billion years old!
7        225				oc	CAS	00 43.4	  n61 47     7.00	12'				76	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Loose and roughly triangle shaped oc.  One side is a crooked line of brighter stars.
8        246   The Skull Nebula	        pn	CET	00 47.0	  s11 53     8.00	4.6' x 4.1				   4 inch	   Y	Skull, or wolf head appearance.  Fantastic!!!  +3 field stars.  Use O III filter.
9        247				eg	CET	00 47.1	  s20 46     8.80	20' x 7.4'	Sc			   3 in, 12X	   Y	Wow!  Large, club shaped egn; Has broad hub; much detail and structure seen.
10       253  The Silver Dollar Galaxy  eg	SCL	00 47.6	  s25 17     7.10	25' x 7.4'	Sc			   7x50mm	   Y	WOW!  Huge, bright., w/ lots of detail and mottling; small nucleus.  Impressive!
11       281				gn + oc	CAS	00 52.8	  n56 37     8.00	35' x 30'				   2.4 in, 10X	   	Large, best in O III filter.
12       288				gc	SCL	00 52.8	  s26 35     8.10	14'		X			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Very fine, large, easily resolved gc; has a somewhat unsymmetrical shape. (8 in.)
13       300				eg	SCL	00 54.9	  s37 41     8.70	20' x 15'	Sd			   2.4 in, 10X	   	Large oval haze.  Member of the Sculptor gal. grp: incl's NGC-55, 247, 253, 7793.
14       404				eg	AND	01 09.4	  n35 43     10.10	4.4' x 4.2	S0?			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Small, bright egn.  Very pretty field includes beta Andromedae.
15       457   The Owl Cluster		oc	CAS	01 19.1	  n58 20     6.40	13'				204	   2.4 in, 12X	   Y	WOW!  The Owl, ET, B-52, or Monster cluster.  Best non Messier oc in CAS!
16       613				eg	SCL	01 34.3	  s29 25     10.00	5.8' x 4.6	SBbc			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Bright, elongated egn contains a starlike nucleus.  Very nice in a 10 inch scope.
17       663				oc	CAS	01 46.0	  n61 15     7.10	16'				108	   2.4 in, 12X	   Y	Very fine, large, bright oc.  Has star voids throughout.  Easy in 2 inch finders.
18       672				eg	TRI	01 47.9	  n27 26     10.80	6.6' x 2.7	SBcd			   3 in, 20X	   	An oval egn w/ a blobby center.  Nrby egn IC-1727 is big, v. fnt, & elongated. (10 in.)
19       752				oc	AND	01 57.8	  n37 41     5.70	45'				77	   7x50mm	   Y	Pretty in finders.  Look for golf club hitting NGC-752 as ball!
20       772				eg	ARI	01 59.3	  n19 01     10.30	7.1' x 4.5	Sb			   4 inch	   Y	Bright egn shows much structure and v. small nucleus as seen in large scopes.
21   869&884  The Double Cluster	oc + oc	PER	02 20.7	  n57 08     		30' + 30'			350 + 300  7x50mm	   Y	WOW!  Two large, rich, naked eye oc's that nearly touch.  Magnificent!
22       891  The Andromeda Edge-On	eg	AND	02 22.6	  n42 21     10.00	13' x 2.8'	SBb?			   4 in, 25X	   Y	Exquisite, perfect edge-on shows dust lane in v. lg. scopes.  Beautiful in a 30 inch!
23       908				eg	CET	02 23.1	  s21 14     10.20	5.5' x 2.8	Sc			   3 in, 20X	   Y	V. nice, brt, lg., oval egn has a grainy texture.  3 nearby fnter egn seen. (10 in.)
24       925				eg	TRI	02 27.3	  n33 35     10.00	9.8' x 6.0	SBd			   2.4 in, 15X	   	Wow!  Lg., brt, egn w/ v. grainy texture.  Central bar + arms? seen w/ a 10 in. scope.
25      1023  The Perseus Lenticular	eg	PER	02 40.4	  n39 04     9.20	8.7' x 2.3	SB0			   4 inch	   Y	Sm, HSB egn; lens shaped w/ elongated core.  Lies in a rich field.
26      1055  The Cetus Edge-On		eg	CET	02 41.8	  n00 26     10.60	7.6' x 3.0	SBb			   6 in, 40X	   Y	Nearly edge-on spiral; One side of hub is cut off by dust.  Exquisite! (10 in.)
27      1097				eg	FOR	02 46.3	  s30 17     9.30	9.3' x 6.6	SBb			   2.4 in, 20x	   	One of the best barred spirals.  Beautiful!  Large scopes show arms. (17.5 in.)
28      1232				eg	ERI	03 09.8	  s20 35     9.90	7.8' x 6.9	Sc			   3 in, 20X	   	A large, round smudge w/ central hub. (10 in.)  Many arms seen in v. large scopes.
29      1245				oc	PER	03 14.7	  n47 15     8.40	10'				156	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Wow!  A lg., rich oc of sm. stars.  Like a tangle of starry wool w/ many sm. dark gaps.
30      1291				eg	ERI	03 17.3	  s41 08     8.50	10.5'		SBa			   2 in, 15X	   	V. brt egn!  Intense oval core is set in a v. lg., hazy-filmy disc.  (10 in.)  Impressive!
31      1300  Eridanus Barred Spiral	eg	ERI	03 19.7	  s19 25     10.40	6.5' x 4.3	SBbc			   4 inch	   	One of the best examples of a barred spiral.  Bright central bar seen in 17.5 inch.
32      1316  Radio Galaxy Fornax A	eg	FOR	03 22.7	  s37 12     8.80	7.5' x 5.5	SB0p			   2.4 in, 15X	   	Oval egn w/ intense center and tapered edges. (10 in.)  Seen in 50mm finders.
33      1360				pn	FOR	03 33.3	  s25 51     9.40	9' x 5'					   4 in, 20X	   Y	Relatively lg., brt, strange looking pn w/ central star is involved w/ several fld stars.
34      1365  The Fornax Barred Spiral	eg	FOR	03 33.6	  s36 08     9.50	9.8' x 5.5	SBb			   4 in, 20X	   	Bar and arms seen in 12 in. scopes.  Magnificent, w/ much detail seen in a 30 inch!
35      1501				pn	CAM	04 07.0	  n60 55     11.00	56 x 48					   5 in, 30x	   Y	Bright, round, even disc; tiny central star seen in 10 in. scope.  Beautiful.
36      1502  Part of Kemble's Cascade	oc	CAM	04 07.7	  n62 20     5.70	8'				63	   2.4 in, 12X	   Y	Brt, fine oc; lies within a remarkable star chain called Kemble's Cascade.  Use LP.
37      1528				oc	PER	04 15.4	  n51 14     6.40	40'				165	   10x50mm	   Y	Beautiful bright rich oc; slightly oval, resolved in 10 in.  Nebular patch in finders.
38      1535				pn	ERI	04 14.2	  s12 44     9.60	48 x 42					   3 in, 20X	   Y	Brt blue-green inner ring + central star set in a fainter outer disc. (10 in.)  Beautiful!
39    Hyades				oc	TAU	04 25.0	  n18 00     0.50	35 degrees			380	   naked eye	   	Huge, sprawling oc, has many multiple stars.  See Burnham's Celest. Hdbk, Vol. III.
40      1647				oc	TAU	04 46.0	  n19 04     6.40	45'				117	   10x50mm	   Y	Lg., rich oc of 8th magn. & fnter stars w/ many brt doubles in center.  Nice in finders.
41      1664				oc	AUR	04 51.1	  n43 42     7.60	18'				101	   2.4 in, 12X	   Y	An oc of equal stars; irregular, round, and patchy.  Looks like a kite with a tail.
42      1851				gc	COL	05 14.1	  s40 03     7.30	11'		II			   10x50mm	   	Wow!  A rich pile of fnt stars that rise to a very intense core.  (10 in.)  Beautiful!
43      1893				oc + gn	AUR	05 22.7	  n33 24     7.50	11'				270	   2.4 in, 12X	   	Irregular shaped oc is associated w/ gn IC-410.  Try O III filter for nebula.
44      1907				oc	AUR	05 28.0	  n35 19     8.20	7'				113	   3 in, 20X	   Y	Wow!  A sm., rich, oc on the S edge of oc M-38.  Well resolved in 10 in.  V. nice field.
45      1973-5-7			gn + oc	ORI	05 35.5	  s04 52     4.20	40' x 25'			35	   10x50mm	   Y	Nice refl. gn complex!  Lg., w/ dark lanes; assoc. w/ a poor oc that incl's 42 & 45 Ori.
46      2024  The Flame Nebula		gn	ORI	05 41.9	  s01 51     		30' x 30'				   3 in, 20X	   Y	Ghostly gn w/ dark rifts is just E of zeta Ori.  Place zeta just out of field to see best.
47      2129				oc	GEM	06 01.0	  n23 18     6.70	7'				73	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Small oc of 8th-15th magn. stars developed around a bright double.  Pretty group.
48      2158				oc	GEM	06 07.5	  n24 06     8.60	5'				973	   4 inch	   Y	Rich, smooth oc of v. fnt stars.  Beautiful, w/ M-35 in field.
49      2169				oc	ORI	06 08.4	  n13 57     5.90	7'				25	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Unique, coarse oc!  Squarish, the brter stars form the letters I-SIGMA.  V. pretty.
50      2175				gn	ORI	06 09.8	  n20 19     		20'					   10x50mm	   	Lg., brt, round H II gn is centered on an 8th magn. star.  Lovely w/ v. LP + O III filter!
51      2194				oc	ORI	06 13.8	  n12 48     8.50	8'				194	   3 in, 20X	   Y	Round, rich oc of very fnt stars.  Looks like a bug's face w/ two large, black eyes.
52   2237-44  The Rosette Nebula	gn + oc	MON	06 32.4	  n04 52     4.80	90' x 90'			46	   7x50mm	   Y	Huge, fnt H II wreath (2237) surrounds a brt, poor oc (2244).  Use vLP + or - O III filter.
53      2251				oc	MON	06 34.7	  n08 22     7.30	7'				92	   12x50mm	   Y	Oc w/ extreme bent wedge or triangle shape.  Seems to have 2 sections.  Weird.
54      2261  Hubble's Variable Nebula	gn	MON	06 39.2	  n08 44     		1.5'					   2.4 in, 20X	   	Small, variably brt, comet shaped H II nebula.  An 11th magn. star is the nucleus.
55      2264  Christmas Tree Cluster	gn + oc	MON	06 41.1	  n09 53     3.90	20'				222	   7x50mm	   Y	Wow!  A spruce tree shaped oc + assoc. gn!  Is nearby Cone nebula visible?
56      2266				oc	GEM	06 43.2	  n26 58     9.10	7'					   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Small, rich oc of faint stars, well defined.  Like a small M-11.  Very nice.
57      2281  The Broken Heart Cluster	oc	AUR	06 49.3	  n41 04     5.40	15'				119	   2.4 in, 12X	   Y	Lg., coarse oc of equal brt clumps of stars. (10 in.)  Somewhat triangular.  V. pretty!
58      2301				oc	MON	06 51.8	  n00 28     6.00	12'				75	   2.4 in, 12X	   Y	Nice!  A large, coarse oc w/ a curious Tau or wedge shape.  Bright!
59      2335				oc	MON	07 06.6	  s10 05     7.20	12'				57	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Nice resolved oc with curious rhombus shaped asterism in center. (10 in.)
60      2355				oc	GEM	07 16.9	  n13 47     9.70	9'				40	   3 in, 20X	   Y	Nice triangular shaped group with one bright star in corner.  Quite pretty.
61      2359  Head & Shoulders Nebula	gn	CMA	07 18.6	  s13 12     		10' x 5'				   6 inch	   	Thick V shape with attached H II bubble illuminated by a 10.4 magn. star.  V. Nice!
62      2360				oc	CMA	07 17.8	  s15 37     7.20	13'				91	   		   Y	Nice oc.  A rich, bright swarm of bright stars that form lines and boxes.  Lovely.
63      2362  The Tau CMa Cluster	oc	CMA	07 18.8	  s24 57     4.10	8'				69	   3 in, 30X	   Y	Triangular shaped swarm of sm. stars w/ Tau CMA near center.  V. young oc.
64      2392  Clown Nebula or Eskimo	pn	GEM	07 29.2	  n20 55     9.20	47 x 43					   2.4 in, 20X	   Y	WOW!  Brt inner ring + central star set in patchy outer disc		 rich bl-grn color. (10 in.)
65      2403				eg	CAM	07 36.9	  n65 36     8.40	17.8' x 11	Scd			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Wow!  Brt oval egn w/ mottled to grainy core; v. curious. (10 in.)  Lies in a rich fld.
66      2419  The Intergalactic Tramp	gc	LYN	07 38.1	  n38 53     10.30	4.1'		II			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Med. lg., pretty fnt gc.  No hint of resolution even in a 30 inch.  Most distant gc known.
67      2420				oc	GEM	07 38.5	  n21 34     8.30	10'				304	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Like the Beehive, but smaller.  A substrate of  v. fnt stars gives it a nebulous look.
68      2421				oc	PUP	07 36.3	  s20 37     8.30	8'				28	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Nice oc.   Rich, well defined, and somewhat spruce tree shaped. (8 in.)
69      2423				oc	PUP	07 37.1	  s13 52     6.70	12'				86	   10x50mm	   Y	Lg., irr. oc is 3/4 deg. N of M-47.  Loose, w/ star clumps & doubles.  Easy in finder.
70      2438				pn	PUP	07 41.8	  s14 44     11.00	73 x 68					   3 in, 40X	   Y	Lies in N side of M-46.  Smoky gray, uneven disc or annular w/ central star in 16 in.
71      2440				pn	PUP	07 41.9	  s18 13     9.40	74 x 42					   2.4 in, 25X	   	Fine pn has v. brt inner core set in a larger, outer nebula. (10 in.)
72      2467				gn + oc	PUP	07 52.5	  s26 24     		5'				50	   10x50mm	   Y	Wow!  Lg., round, bright, somewhat annular gn w/ brt star on edge.  Like a pn. (10 in.)
73      2477				oc	PUP	07 52.3	  s38 33     5.80	20'				1911	   7x50mm	   	Wow!  Large, round, very rich cloud of faint stars!   Wonderful!
74      2506				oc	MON	08 00.2	  s10 47     7.60	10'				807	   2.4 in, 12X	   Y	Rich, irregular oc of fnt stars.  Substrate of v. fnt stars gives object a nebulous look.
75      2527				oc	PUP	08 05.3	  s28 10     6.50	16'				45	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Lg., round oc.  Nice in 10x50mm binoc's.  Somewhat gear shaped.  Pretty.
76      2539				oc	PUP	08 10.7	  s12 50     6.50	15'				59	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Lg., rich, distinct oc w/ Eiffel Tower shape, or flower blossom w/ 4 petals.  V. nice.
77      2567				oc	PUP	08 18.6	  s30 38     7.40	11'				117	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Unique, oblong, graded oc has brightest stars off to one end!  Large and rich.
78      2627				oc	PYX	08 37.3	  s29 57     8.40	9'				60	   3 in, 20X	   Y	Lovely rich, oval, tightly packed pod of smoothly arranged faint stars. (8 in.)
79      2683				eg	LYN	08 52.7	  n33 25     9.70	9.3' x 2.5	Sb			   2.4 in, 25X	   Y	Beautiful, nearly edge-on has a bright oval core.  Large and bright in a 20 inch.
80      2841				eg	UMA	09 22.0	  n50 58     9.30	8.1' x 3.8	Sb			   2.4 in, 25X	   Y	Large, fine egn.  Very condensed, bright nucleus set in a mottled oval haze (17.5 in.)
81      2903				eg	LEO	09 32.2	  n21 30     8.90	13.0' x 6.	SBbc			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Wow!  Large, oval egn with bright, mottled core.  Finder object.
82      2976				eg	UMA	09 47.3	  n67 55     10.10	4.9' x 2.5	Scp			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Wow!  Lg., brt., oval; shimmers.  Fairly HSB.  No core.  Looks like a sm. M-1. (10 in.)
83      2997				eg	ANT	09 45.6	  s31 11     10.60	8.1' x 6.5	Sc			   4 inch	   	Oval, HSB egn, w/ diffuse central condensation.  No spiral structure seen in 13 in.
84      3077				eg	UMA	10 03.3	  n68 44     9.80	4.6' x 3.6	I0p			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Nice!  Fairly large and bright egn; rises to a broad, bright core. (10 in.)
85      3079				eg	UMA	10 02.0	  n55 41     10.60	7.6' x 1.7	SBc			   4 inch	   Y	Wow!  Beautiful edge-on!  Fairly bright, double wedged, slightly bowed. (17.5 in.)
86      3115  The Spindle		eg	SEX	10 05.2	  s07 43     9.10	8.3' x 3.2	S0			   3 in, 25X	   Y	Spindle shaped; has HSB elongated core. (10 in.)  Very pretty.
87      3132  The Eight Burst Nebula	pn	VEL	10 07.0	  s40 26     8.20	47					   3 in, 30X	   	Bright, blue green incomplete ring surrounds a bright central star.  Nice.
88      3184				eg	UMA	10 18.3	  n41 25     9.70	6.9' x 6.8	Scd			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Very nice, large!  Mottling surrounds a dim core.  Spiral structure detected. (17.5 in.)
89      3190				eg	LEO	10 18.1	  n21 50     11.00	4.6' x 1.8	Sa			   4 inch	   Y	Brtst of a sm. grp of 4 egn: incl. NGC-3193, 3185, 3187.  A 5th, v. fnt egn lies to south.
90      3198				eg	UMA	10 19.9	  n45 33     10.40	8.3' x 3.7	SBc			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Nice egn; lg., mottled, highly oval to almost rectangular; no nucleus seen. (10 in.)
91      3201				gc	VEL	10 17.6	  s46 25     6.70	18.2		X			   10x50mm	   	Large, broadly condensed gc is well resolved in 8 in and larger.  Brt!  Very nice!
92      3242  The Ghost of Jupiter	pn	HYA	10 24.8	  s18 38     7.80	45 x 36					   10x50mm	   Y	WOW!  Very brt., bl-grn oval inner ring + central star is set in fnter, outer disc.  Lovely!
93      3310				eg	UMA	10 38.7	  n53 30     10.10	1.5' x 0.8	Sb pec.			   2.4 in, 20X	   Y	V. curious egn: brt, rnd, HSB, bluish core w/ fnt halo.  Like a pn.  Lies nr a brt red star.
94      3344				eg	LMI	10 43.5	  n24 55     9.90	6.9' x 6.5	Sbc			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Nice face-on!  Brter core is set in a disc that tapers off; 2 fnt. stars involved. (17.5 in.)
95      3432				eg	LMI	10 52.5	  n36 37     11.30	6' x 0.8'	SB			   4 inch	   Y	Beautiful egn!  A streak of nebulosity; uniform along length.  3 fld stars at edges.
96      3521				eg	LEO	11 05.8	  s00 02     8.90	9.5' x 5.0	Sbc			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Wow!  Lg. & brt!  An oval egn with a sm., intense nucleus & tapered edges. (10 in.)
97      3621				eg	HYA	11 18.3	  s32 49     10.00	5' x 2'		Sd			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Wow!  Lg., oval, mottled & textured nebula; brt, but no core or nucleus. (10 in.)
98      3628  The Wobbly Edge-On Galaxy	eg	LEO	11 20.3	  n13 36     9.50	14.8' x 3.	Sb			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Beautiful edge-on!  Bisecting dust belt seen in lg. scopes.  Lies 30' NE of M65/66.
99      3631				eg	UMA	11 21.0	  n53 10     10.40	4.6' x 4.1	Sc			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Beautiful face-on egn consists of a sm. bright hub set in a large, hazy disc. (10 in.)
100     3726				eg	UMA	11 33.3	  n47 02     10.40	6.0' x 4.5	Sc			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Large, mottled, oval, uniform disc contains a tiny nucleus.  Bright!  V. Nice!
101     3953				eg	UMA	11 53.8	  n52 20     10.10	6.6' x 3.6	SBbc			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Lg., pretty brt, oval egn, brter towards center which contains a small nucleus.  Nice!
102     4030				eg	VIR	12 00.4	  s01 06     11.10	4.3' x 3.2	Sbc			   4 in, 25X	   Y	Round, sm., brt egn has a broadly condensed center.  Nice!  + 2 fld stars. (10 in.)
103   4038-9  The Antennae		eg	CRV	12 01.9	  s18 52     10.60	7.6' x 4.9	SB + S			   3 in, 25X	   Y	WOW!  Curious small, brt, kidney shaped interacting pair has much detail in 20 in.
104     4088				eg	UMA	12 05.6	  n50 33     10.50	5.8' x 2.5	Sbc			   3 in, 25X	   Y	Nice, with relatively bright nucleus. (17.5 in.)
105     4111				eg	CVN	12 07.1	  n43 04     10.80	4.8' x 1.1	S0			   4 inch	   Y	Sm., brt, needle-like egn is brter in middle & has star like nucleus. (10 in.)  V. pretty!
106     4151  The CVn Variable Galaxy	eg	CVN	12 10.5	  n39 24     10.40	5.9' x 4.4	SBab			   4 in, 40X	   Y	Wow!  Consists of a brt, bluish stellar nucleus set in a filmy haze.  A Seyfert galaxy.
107     4214				eg	CVN	12 15.6	  n36 20     9.80	7.9' x 6.3	I			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Large and bright- great for small scopes!  Has bright elongated core.  Nice!
108     4216				eg	VIR	12 15.9	  n13 09     10.00	8.3' x 2.2	Sb			   3 in, 20X	   Y	WOW!  Lg. edge-on has brt oval core!  Spindle egn's NGC-4206, 4222 are nearby!
109     4244  The CVn Edge-On Galaxy	eg	CVN	12 17.5	  n37 49     10.20	16.2' x 2.	Scd			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Wow!  Edge-on seen as a uniform pencil of light, no core. (10 in.)  Very impressive!
110     4274				eg	COM	12 19.8	  n29 37     10.30	6.9' x 2.8	SBab			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Oval egn has sm. hub.  Bright egn's NGC-4278, 4245, 4314 are nearby: be careful!!!
111     4293				eg	COM	12 21.2	  n18 23     11.20	6.0' x 3.0	SB0/a			   4 inch	   Y	Large egn.  Unevenly bright in large (>12 in) scopes.  Very nice.
112     4361				pn	CRV	12 24.5	  s18 48     10.90	1.9' x 1.9				   4 inch	   Y	Diffuse pn has tapered edges and fairly bright central star. Nice! (10 in.)
113     4414				eg	COM	12 26.4	  n31 13     10.30	3.6' x 2.2	Sc?			   3 in, 20x	   Y	Wow!  Oval egn has a sm. bright nucleus, sharp edges & much structure. (10 in.)
114   Mel111  Coma Berenices		oc	COM	12 25.0	  n25 00     1.80	275'				273	   naked eye	   	Large, naked eye oc of 4th magn stars and fainter.
115  4435-38  The Eyes		 	eg	VIR	12 27.8	  n13 03     		c. 10 x 4	SB0 + S0/a		   4 inch	   Y	Two closeby egn look like eyes.  NGC-4435: brt core; NGC-4438: more elongate.
116     4449  The Box Galaxy		eg	CVN	12 28.2	  n44 06     9.40	5.1' x 3.7	I			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Exquisite irr. egn!  Brt, lg., has a grainy, arrowhead shaped core.  Strange! (10 in.)
117     4490				eg	CVN	12 30.6	  n41 40     9.80	5.9' x 3.1	SBd			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Lg., brt, oval egn has sm. distinct hub.  Fnter NGC-4485 is 3' away: interacting pair.
118   IC3568				pn	CAM	12 32.9	  n82 33     9.50	40 x 35					   3 in, 20X	   	Fine, bl-grn pn consists of brt inner disc + fnt star in outer, fnter nebula.  Use Hi X.
119     4526				eg	VIR	12 34.0	  n07 42     9.60	7.2' x 2.3	S0			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Small, oval but bright egn has outer haze. (10 in.)  In same LP field as NGC-4535.
120     4527				eg	VIR	12 34.1	  n02 39     10.40	6.3' x 2.3	Sbc			   3 in, 25X	   Y	Elongated, fairly lg. & brt; has a sm., brter hub.  Similar to nearby NGC-4536.  (10 in.)
121     4535				eg	VIR	12 34.3	  n08 12     10.00	6.8' x 5.0	Sc			   3 in, 25X	   Y	Nice egn!  Large, grainy, oval patch contains a tiny nucleus.  Bar seen in 17.5 in.
122     4536				eg	VIR	12 34.5	  n02 11     10.40	7.4' x 3.5	Sbc			   3 in. 25X	   Y	?Cutoff oval, uniform disc has a tiny brt nucleus. V nice w/ NGC-4527 in same LP fld!
123     4559				eg	COM	12 36.0	  n27 58     9.80	10.5' x 4.	Scd			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Nice!  Lg., brt egn!  Shows mottling in lg. scopes. +3 fld stars. Just NE of Mel 111.
124     4565  The Coma Edge-On Galaxy	eg	COM	12 36.3	  n25 59     9.60	16.2' x 2.	Sb?			   3 in, 20X	   Y	WOW!  The best edge-on!  Hub seen bisected in lg. scopes.  Exquisitely beautiful!
125   4567-8  The Siamese Twins		eg	VIR	12 36.6	  n11 14     10.30	5' x 3'		Sbc + Sbc		   3 in, 25X	   Y	Interacting egn!  -67 is an oval hazy nebula in contact w/ larger, more oval -68.  Nice!
126     4605				eg	UMA	12 40.0	  n61 37     9.60	5.5' x 2.3	Sc pec			   2.4 in, 20X	   	Brt., elongated egn has distinctly mottled core w/o nucleus.  Very nice!
127     4631  The Humpback Whale Galaxy	eg	CVN	12 42.1	  n32 32     9.30	15.1' x 3.	SBd			   12x50mm	   Y	WOW!  Cigar-like edge-on is v. lg., brt, & mottled.  Sm. companion also seen. (8 in.)
128     4656  The Hockey Stick Galaxy	eg	CVN	12 44.0	  n32 10     10.40	13.8' x 3.	SB			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Long, thin, peculiar egn has a very curious bend.  Exquisitely weird and beautiful!
129     4666				eg	VIR	12 45.1	  s00 28     10.80	4.5' x 1.5	Sc			   4 in, 25X	   Y	Very nice edge-on w/ moderately faint, sm., nucleus seen. (10 in.)
130     4697				eg	VIR	12 48.6	  s05 48     9.30	6.0' x 3.8	E6			   3 in, 20X	   	Bright, oval egn has a strong core that contains a small nucleus.  Very nice.
131     4699				eg	VIR	12 49.0	  s08 40     9.60	3.5' x 2.7	Sb			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Nice!  Lg., slightly oval egn evenly rises to an intense, starlike core. (8 in.)  Bright!
132     4725				eg	COM	12 50.4	  n25 30     9.20	11.0' x 7.	Sab			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Wow!  A lg., brt, oval egn w/ a sm., fuzzy hub.  NGC-4712, 4747 are fnt companions.
133     4754				eg	VIR	12 52.3	  n11 19     10.50	4.7' x 2.6	SB0			   4 inch	   Y	Sm., brt, round egn (Mutt), forms exquisitely differing pair w/ NGC-4762 (Jeff)!
134     4762				eg	VIR	12 52.9	  n11 14     10.20	8.7' x 1.6	SB0			   3 in. 20X	   Y	Beautiful needle-like edge-on egn has a sm. core.  The companion of NGC-4754.
135     4866				eg	VIR	12 59.5	  n14 10     11.20	6.5' x 1.5	S0			   4 inch	   Y	Sm., brt, narrow egn has sm. central hub.  Photos show perpendicular dust lane.
136     5005				eg	CVN	13 10.9	  n37 03     9.80	5.4' x 2.7	Sbc			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Lovely lg., brt, oval egn has much brter oval hub that contains a tiny nucleus. (10 in.)
137     5033				eg	CVN	13 13.4	  n36 36     10.10	10.5' x 5.	Sc			   3 in, 20X	   Y	Lg., oval egn w/ a fnt, indistinct, star-like core. (10 in.)  Fnter than nearby NGC-5005.
138     5128  Radio Galaxy Centaurus A	eg	CEN	13 25.5	  s43 01     7.00	18.2' x 14	S0p			   10x50mm	   	Wow!  Large, bright, round egn has wide, mottled dust lane. (16 in.)  Beautiful!
139     5139  Omega Centauri		gc	CEN	13 26.8	  s47 29     3.60	40'		VIII			   naked eye	   	WOW!  Awesome!  Best gc in sky!  V. lg., v. rich, slight oval outline, easily resolved!
140     5248				eg	BOO	13 37.5	  n08 53     10.20	6.5' x 4.9	Sbc			   3 in, 25X	   Y	Nice!  Pretty bright, lg., oval egn w/ sm. nucleus.  Spiral arms seen w/ 17.5 inch.
141     5566				eg	VIR	14 20.3	  n03 56     10.50	6.5' x 2.4	SBab			   4 inch	   Y	Oval, hazy disc  w/ a sm., brt core.  V. fnt companion NGC-5560 lies 5' to the NW.
142     5634				gc	VIR	14 29.6	  s05 59     9.40	5'		IV			   3 in, 25X	   Y	A sm., not too condensed gc in a very beautiful field!  Resolved w/ a 30 in. scope!
143     5746				eg	VIR	14 44.9	  n01 57     10.50	7.9' x 1.7	Sb?			   4 inch?	   Y	Lovely edge-on spiral!  Oval hub.  Dust lane not seen in 17.5 in.  Needs a black sky.
144     5897				gc	LIB	15 17.4	  s21 01     8.60	13'		XI			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Large, unconcentrated gc.  Resolved to core in 10 in.  Impressive!
145     5907  The Draco Edge-On Galaxy	eg	DRA	15 15.9	  n56 19     10.40	12.3' x 1.	Sc			   4 inch	   Y	WOW!  Huge needle-like egn!  Slightly brter in middle. (20 in.)  Needs a black sky.
146     5986				gc	LUP	15 46.1	  s37 47     7.10	10'		VII			   10x50mm	   	V. fine, rich, large & bright gc.  Shows good resolution in 8 in. scopes and larger.
147     6124				oc	SCO	16 25.6	  s40 40     5.80	29'				100	   7x50mm	   	Wow!  Beautiful, large cloud of fnt stars!  Bright & partly resolved in binoculars.
148     6144				gc	SCO	16 27.3	  s26 02     9.00	9'		XI			   4 in, 40X	   Y	Fairly lg. but fnt gc; not condensed.  V. nice field w/ Antares 1/2 deg. to the SE.
149     6210				pn	HER	16 44.5	  n23 49     8.80	14					   3 in, 30X	   	V. fine pn!  Brt, blue green, fairly sm., oval disc shows fnt central star in 10 in. & HiX.
150     6231				oc	SCO	16 54.0	  s41 48     2.60	15'				93	   7x50mm	   	A tight, rich group of O & B type stars.  Easily resolved.  Many star patterns seen.
151     6302  The Bug Nebula		?gn	SCO	17 13.7	  s37 06     		83 x 24					   3 in, 30X	   	A small, remarkable, HSB, H II nebula.  Strange!  Nature uncertain.
152     6356				gc	OPH	17 23.6	  s17 49     8.40	7'		II			   10x50mm	   Y	V. fine gc; like M-9, but smaller, richer, and more condensed (compare w/ M-9).
153     6388				gc	SCO	17 36.3	  s44 44     6.80	9'		III			   10x50mm	   	Lg., brt gc has a broad, intense core!  V. rich.  A heap of stardust in 10 in., 180X!
154     6441				gc	SCO	17 50.2	  s37 03     7.20	8'		III			   2.4 in, 25X	   	Sm., brt, highly concentrated gc.  Nearly hidden behind 4th magn. g Sco.  Nice fld.
155     6445				pn	SGR	17 49.2	  s20 01     10.00	3.1' x 1'				   3 in, 20X	   	Fine, brt, oval pn is like a sm. M-27.  Much detail in 12 in.  Gc NGC-6440 in same fld.
156     6503				eg	DRA	17 49.4	  n70 09     10.20	6.2' x 2.3	Scd			   3 in. 20X	   	Bright, elongated egn has a bright, mottled, off center core, but no nucleus. (12 in.)
157     6520				oc	SGR	18 03.4	  s27 54     7.60	5'				60	   2.4 in, 20X	   Y	Small, bright oc lies in the Sgr star cloud adjacent to dark nebula B86.
158     6522				gc	SGR	18 03.6	  s30 02     8.40	5.6'		VI			   2.4 in, 20X	   	Sm., brt, gc.  In same LP fld w/ fnter gc NGC-6528.  Both lie in Baade's Window.
159      B86				dn	SGR	18 02.7	  s27 50     		4' x 3'					   3 in?	   	WOW!  Sm., irr. dn looks like a hole in the Milky Way!  NGC-6520 lies just to east.
160     6541				gc	CRA	18 08.0	  s43 42     6.60	13'		III			   7x50mm	   	Wow!  Lg., brt, rich gc has a sharply brter core.  Some resolution w/ 6 in.  Beautiful fld.
161     6543  The Cat's Eye Planetary	pn	DRA	17 58.6	  n66 38     8.80	18					   2.4 in, 30X	   	V. bright, small, bl-grn pn is shaped like a cat's eye pupil!  (10 in.)  Use HiX.
162     6553				gc	SGR	18 09.3	  s25 54     8.20	8'		XI			   3 in, 15X	   Y	Fairly lg., diffuse gc has an irregular oval or fan shape.  No resolution in a 10 in.
163      B92				dn	SGR	18 15.5	  s18 11     		15'					   3 in?	   	Sm. elongated dark hole; lies on the NW edge of the M-24 star cloud.  Amazing!
164     6572  The Emerald		pn	OPH	18 12.1	  n06 51     9.00	8'					   2.4 in, 40X	   	Remarkable pn!  Small, v. brt, intense green disk has sm. blue star in center. (10 in.)
165     6624				gc	SGR	18 23.7	  s30 22     8.30	6'		VI			   2.4 in. 15X	   	Small, fairly bright gc has strong core.  Stands out well against rich Milky Way.
166     6633				oc	OPH	18 27.7	  n06 34     4.60	27'				159	   7x50mm	   	Wow!  Lg., rich oc has irr. wedge shape & brt stars.  Easily resolved in sm. scopes.
167     6645				oc	SGR	18 32.6	  s16 54     8.50	10'				40	   2.4 in,15X	   Y	Nice!  Large, brt, rich, compressed oc of faint stars.  Has several star poor holes.
168     6652				gc	SGR	18 35.8	  s32 59     8.80	3.5'		VI			   2.4 in, 15X	   	Nice gc w/ unique football shape.  Has an intense core, well resolved in a 10 in.
169   IC4756				oc	SER	18 39.0	  n05 27     4.60	40'				466	   7x50mm	   	V. fine, large, naked eye oc of 7th magn. & fnter stars.  Impressive in binoculars.
170     6723				gc	SGR	18 59.6	  s36 38     6.90	11'		VII			   7x50mm	   	Beautiful lg., brt, rich gc is broadly condensed.  Some resolution in 6 in. scope.
171   6726-7				gn	CRA	19 01.9	  s36 57     		8' x 8'					   4 inch	   	A reflection nebulae complex lit by variables R, T, & TY CRA w/ associated dn!
172     6781  Ghost of the Moon Nebula	pn	AQL	19 18.4	  n06 33     10.50	1.9' x 1.8				   3 in, 20X	   Y	Lg., diffuse, circular pn has fnter center & N edge.  V. ghostly!  Try UHC or O III filter.
173  Col 399  The Coathanger		oc	VUL	19 25.4	  n20 11     3.60	60'				10	   7x50mm	   	A curious coathanger shaped asterism or v. poor oc!  Large: use binoculars.
174     6802				oc	VUL	19 30.6	  n20 16     8.80	5'				201	   3 in, 20X	   Y	Nice oc.   A rich, elongated cloud of faint stars.  Lies near Col 399.
175     6818				pn	SGR	19 44.0	  s14 09     9.30	22 x 15					   3 in, 20x	   Y	Beautiful pn!  Bright, bluish colored, circular, seems dark in center. (8 in.)
176     6822  Barnard's Galaxy		eg	SGR	19 44.9	  s14 48     9.30	10' x 9.5'	I			   10x50mm	   Y	Large, elongated, LSB egn is member of Local Grp.  Impressive in large scopes!
177     6826  The Blinking Planetary	pn	CYG	19 44.8	  n50 31     8.80	27 x 24					   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	WOW!  Brt bl-grn disk seen w/ averted vision; central star w/ direct vision: blinks!!!
178     6888  The Crescent Nebula	?pn	CYG	20 12.0	  n38 21     		20' x 10'				   4 inch	   	Wow!  A lg., fnt, narrow, incomplete egg-shaped ring set in a rich fld!  Try O III filter.
179     6934				gc	DEL	20 34.2	  n07 24     8.70	6'		XIII			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Fine gc.  Med. large, fairly bright, well condensed.  Well resolved in 10 in.
180     6939				oc	CEP	20 31.4	  n60 38     7.80	8'				301	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Rich, fine oc of fnt stars w/ NGC-6946 in same LP fld!  Triangular w/ dark area within.
181     6940				oc	VUL	20 34.6	  n28 18     6.30	25'				170	   10x50mm	   Y	Lovely oc.  Lg., rich, football shaped, well resolved.  Has lots of oval star patterns!
182     6946				eg	CYG	20 34.8	  n60 09     8.80	11' x 10'	Scd			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Wow!  Lg., diffuse, oval shaped egn  w/ sm. fuzzy hub.  Spiral arms easy in 10 inch.
183  6960-92  The Veil Nebula		snr	CYG	20 45.7	  n30 43     		see Tirion				   10x50mm	   	WOW!  Exquisite snr w/ lots of detail, esp. w/ O III filter.  Eastern arc (-6992) is brter.
184     7000  The North America Nebula	gn	CYG	20 58.8	  n44 20     		100' x 60'				   7x50mm	   	Huge, fairly fnt H II nebula: use naked eye or v. LP fld!  O III filter really helps here.
185     7008				pn	CYG	21 00.6	  n54 33     10.00	98 x 75					   4 in, 50X	   	Exquisite pn rich in detail!  Seen as an incomplete, patchy, oval ring in lg. scopes.
186     7009  The Saturn Nebula		pn	AQR	21 04.2	  s11 22     8.00	44 x 23					   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	WOW!  Sm. intense bl-grn oval pn shows Saturn features in lg. scopes!  Beautiful!
187     7129				gn + oc	CEP	21 41.3	  n66 06     		7' x 7'				10	   4 inch	   	Bright gn surrounds a small sparse oc of fairly bright stars. (10 in.)  Very pretty.
188   IC5146  The Cocoon Nebula		gn + oc	CYG	21 53.4	  n47 16     		10' x 10'			110	   4 inch	   	Circular, hazy gn lies at the end of a large, riftlike dn.  Use v. LP + wide fld, & scan.
189     7209				oc	LAC	22 05.2	  n46 30     7.70	25'				98	   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Nice oc seen best in 12x50 mm finder.  Large, brt, smooth aggregate of faint stars.
190     7243				oc	LAC	22 15.3	  n49 53     6.40	21'				38	   10x50mm	   Y	Lacerta's best oc.  Big, bright, splashy; has a wide double star at center. (10 in.)
191     7293  The Helix Nebula		pn	AQR	22 29.6	  s20 48     7.30	12' x 10'				   10x50mm	   	WOW!  Huge, LSB pn; round disc in 10x50mm; donut shape revealed in lg. scopes.
192     7331				eg	PEG	22 37.1	  n34 25     9.50	11' x 4'	Sbc			   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Beautiful egn.  Mottled oval disc has brt core + nucleus & resembles a small M-31.
193     7380				oc + gn	CEP	22 47.0	  n58 06     7.20	12'				125	   10x50mm	   Y	Large, bright, fairly rich triangular shaped oc of large and small stars.  V. nice.
194     7479  The Pegasus Barred Spiral	eg	PEG	23 04.9	  n12 19     11.00	4.1' x 3.2	SBc			   4 inch	   Y	Famous backwards S galaxy shows shape in very lg. scopes.  Has bright core.
195     7510  The Arrowhead Cluster	oc	CEP	23 11.5	  n60 34     7.90	4.0'				75	   2.4 in, 15x	   Y	Nice oc!  Sm., rich, w/ flared arrowhead shape.  Brtest stars are at the tip.  Lovely.
196     7606				eg	AQR	23 19.1	  s08 29     10.80	5.8' x 2.6	Sb			   3 in, 25X	   Y	Very nice egn, large, bright, highly oval w/ small, dim nucleus. (10 in.)
197     7662  The Blue Snowball Nebula	pn	AND	23 25.9	  n42 33     8.30	32 x 28					   2.4 in, 15X	   Y	Brt bl-grn pn has very brt inner ring set in a larger, fnter disc. (20 in.)  Very beautiful.
198     7789				oc	CAS	23 57.0	  n56 44     6.70	16'				583	   10x50mm	   Y	Large, very rich, round oc seems to be full of snakes!  Easy in finder.
199     7793				eg	SCL	23 57.8	  s32 35     9.10	9.1' x 6.6	Sd			   3 in, 20X	   	Large, diffuse oval patch w/ dim nucleus.  V. similar to a diffuse, periodic comet!
200     7814				eg	PEG	00 03.3	  n16 09     10.50	6.3' x 2.6	Sab			   3 in, 25X	   	Perfect edge-on egn has bright core.  Dust lane seen only in v. lg. scopes (20 in.?).

ABBREVIATIONS and DEFINITIONS

V., v. = very

w/ = with

w/o = without

sm. = small

med. = medium

lg. = large

lrger = larger

rnd = round

fnt = faint

fnter = fainter

nr = near

nrby = nearby

brt = bright

brter = brighter

brtest = brightest

irr. = irregular

fld = field

deg. = degree

bl-grn = blue green

magn. = magnitude

X = power

LP = Low Power

HiX = High Power

filt. = filter

triang. = triangular

in. = inch

assoc. = associated

grp = group

incl's = includes

conc. = concentration

UHC = ultra high contrast

LSB = low surface brightness

HSB = high surface brightness

' = arcminutes

" = arcseconds

class. = classification

oc = open cluster

gc = globular cluster

gn = gaseous nebula

pn = planetary nebula

dn = dark nebula

snr = super nova remnant

eg = galaxy

egn = extra galactic nebula

 

H II: ionized hydrogen gas. We can see some of the emitted (fluorescent) light from "H II" regions as red hydrogen "alpha" light (6563 Angstroms), and blue-green hydrogen "beta" light, the first two lines of the "Balmer" series of hydrogen gas.

O III filter: a filter that passes the bluish light emitted by doubly ionized oxygen usually present in emission nebulae. Use for planetary nebulae and H II (emission) nebulae.

Baade's Window: Years ago, the astronomer Walter Baade found that a part of the great Sagittarius star cloud was nearly free of obscuring dust. This "window" is near globular cluster NGC-6522, and it lets us see stars on the other side of our galaxy!

GC Concentration: A Roman numeral expresses the degree of central concentration for globular clusters; "I" is most concentrated, "XII" is least concentrated.

Herschel 400: A list of deep sky objects that generally includes the best objects described by William Herschel, excluding most Messier objects. Developed by the Ancient City Astronomical Society of St. Augustine, Florida. Contact the TAAS Librarian for the list.

Messier List: One hundred and ten of the best celestial objects visible to northern hemisphere observers; most were catalogued by the comet hunter Charles Messier.

WOW! and wow! indicate first rate objects. WOW! denotes the best objects on the list.