Download this month's binocular and deep-sky tour charts. The charts are printed in black on white so they can be viewed under red light at your telescope.
Record your observations of Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus and the Sun with our handy printable forms.
If you observe the Sun, remember NEVER to look at it with your naked eye; either project it through your telescope or use a solar filter on your telescope's front lens.
The Lobster Nebula, NGC 6537
Mohammed Dawoud, Al Kharrah, Qatar, 21 June 2024
Equipment: ZWO ASI2600MM camera, Celestron RASA 8 astrograph, iOptron GEM 45 mount
Milky Way over Avebury
Roger Hyman, Avebury, Wiltshire, 4 June 2024
Equipment: Fujifilm X-Pro2 camera, Samyang 12mm lens, Manfrotto 055 tripod
The Cat’s Eye Nebula, NGC 6543
Greg Meyer, Ash Fork, Arizona, USA, 4–12 June 2024
Equipment: QHYCCD QHY268M camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 120 ED refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount
Hydrogen clouds in Antlia
Vikas Chander, captured remotely via Deep Sky Chile, 20 June 2023–10 May 2024
Equipment: ZWO ASI6200MM Pro camera, Takahashi Epsilon E-160ED reflector, Software Bisque Paramount MX mount
The Gamma Cygni Nebula, Sh2-108
Tim Fowler, Bearpark, Co Durham, 4–5 June 2024
Equipment: ZWO Seestar S50 integrated smart telescope
Meteor trail
Jelieta Walinski, St David, Arizona, USA, 2 June 2024
Equipment: Canon EOS-1D X camera, Canon EF 50mm lens, Manfrotto 055 tripod
The Sun
Martin Clayden, Elswick, Lancashire, 6 June 2024
Equipment: ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera, Orion LX200 reflector, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro mount
Aurora borealis
Tomáš Slovinský, Lofoten, Norway, 9 March 2024
Equipment: Canon EOS R6 camera, Samyang 14mm lens, Leofoto tripod
Spiral galaxy NGC 4535
Drew Evans, Flagstaff, Arizona, 6–7 and 9–12 April 2024
Equipment: ZWO ASI2400MC Pro camera, Celestron EdgeHD 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, iOptron CEM120 mount
The Dumbbell Nebula, M27
Adam Farnell, Tarleton, Lancashire, 23 June 2024
Equipment: ZWO ASI294MC Pro camera, Sky-Watcher Explorer 130P reflector, Sky-Watcher EQ5 mount
The Lemon Slice Nebula, IC 3568
Douglas Struble and Jason Guenzel, Taylor, Michigan, USA
Equipment: ZWO ASI183MM Pro camera, Explore Scientific ED165 refractor, Astro-Physics Mach1 mount; ZWO ASI1600MM Pro camera, Celestron EdgeHD 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, Orion Atlas Pro mount
The Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635
Steve Leonard, Markham, Ontario, Canada, August–September 2021 and July–August 2022
Equipment: ZWO ASI1600MM Pro camera, Astro Tech AT115EDT refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 mount
Centre of the Milky Way
Dario Giannobile, Punta Bianca, Sicily, Italy, 17 June 2024
Equipment: Canon EOS 6D camera, Sigma Art 50mm lens, Manfrotto tripod
The Trifid Nebula, M20
Mario Richter, Tivoli Astro Farm, Namibia, 21 May 2022
Equipment: ZWO ASI1600MM Pro camera, ASA Telescope N250/950 astrograph, Astro-Physics Mach 1 mount
The Eagle Nebula, M16
Roberto Testi, Monte Argentario, Italy, 14 and 15 June 2024
Equipment: ZWO ASI6200MM camera, William Optics FLT 132 refractor, iOptron CEM70EC mount
Aurora borealis
Treasa Giblin Frazer, Lough Salt, Co Donegal, Ireland, 10 May 2024
Equipment: Sony a7 III camera, Sigma Art 24–70mm lens, Manfrotto 055 tripod
The North America and Pelican Nebulae
Andrei Pleskatsevich, Minsk, Belarus, 17 June 2024
Equipment: ToupTek ATR3C571 camera, Sharpstar 76EDPH refractor, iOptron GEM28 mount
Spiral galaxies NGC 5965 and NGC 5963
Andrea Arbizzi, Modena, Italy, 1–7 June 2024
Equipment: ZWO ASI533MC camera, Celestron EdgeHD 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, iOptron GEM45 mount
The North America and Butterfly Nebulae
Soumyadeep Mukherjee, Kolkata, India, 6 June 2024
Equipment: Nikon Z 6II camera, Samyang 135mm lens, iOptron Skyguider Pro mount
The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, M38
Naiteek Vikamsey, Naneghat, Maharashtra, India, 21 April 2023
Equipment: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro camera, Sky-Watcher Explorer 200P-DS reflector, Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount
Eye On The Sky
Rho Ophiuchi
Chandra X-Ray Observatory/James Webb Space Telescope, 11 July 2024
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MIT/C. Canizares; IR: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/K. Pontoppidan; Image Processing: NASA/ESA/STScI/Alyssa Pagan, NASA/CXC/SAO/L. Frattare and J. Major
Irregular galaxy NGC 4449
Gemini North, 25 June 2024
Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Image Processing: J. Miller (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
Acknowledgements: PI: P. Frank Winkler (Middlebury College), Knox S. Long (STScI/Eureka Scientific Inc), and William P. Blair (Johns Hopkins University)
Arp 142 (NGC 2936 and NGC 2937)
James Webb Space Telescope, 12 July 2024
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Protostellar outflows in the Serpens Nebula
James Webb Space Telescope, 20 June 2024
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (NASA-JPL), Joel Green (STScI)
Vela supernova remnant
VLT Survey Telescope (VST), 24 June 2024
Credit: ESO/VPHAS team. Acknowledgement: Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit
Volcanic plumes on Io
NASA Juno spacecraft, 27 June 2024
Credit: Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Andrea Luck (CC BY)
Newborn star 177-341 W
Very Large Telescope, 3 June 2024
Credit: ESO/M. L. Aru et al.
Asteroid 2024 MK
NASA Deep Space Network, 9 July 2024
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Crab Nebula, M1
James Webb Space Telescope, 17 June 2024
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Tea Temim (Princeton University)
This month's deep-sky tour plan file can be imported into the Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer using Argonaut software, a free utility available from Wildcard Innovations. Using Argo Navis with this month's deep-sky tour plan file, you can:
• display essential information from the Argo Navis database for each object
• slew your telescope to each object in the plan - requires a compatible mount.
• push your telescope to each object in the plan using the coordinates provided on the Argo Navis display.
To import this month's deep-sky tour plan file into Argo Navis using Argonaut software:
Download and save the file to your hard drive.
Run the Argonaut utility program and transfer the plan into your Argo Navis DTC.
This month's Deep-Sky Tour plan file is produced by Deep-Sky Planner 8 (see knightware.biz/dsp).
This month's Deep-Sky Tour plan file is produced by Deep-Sky Planner 9 (see knightware.biz/dsp).
Copyright Wildcard Innovations Pty Ltd.
License type Full software Platform Windows Versions 10, 11
Deep-Sky Planner 9astronomy software for Windows provides the tools you need to make your time at the telescope more efficient and enjoyable.
Sort the objects in the plan according to the best time and order to view each object.
Slew your ASCOM-compatible Go-To mount to each object in the plan - requires ASCOM software (free).
Show a sky chart centred on each object in the plan using one of the top planetarium software titles – requires TheSky, Starry Night, Redshift, Cartes du Ciel (free) or Stellarium (free).
Record your observation in the open, non-proprietary observing log.
Details about Deep-Sky Planner and how to purchase can be found here.
Download the Deep-Sky Planner compatible file of this month's deep-sky tour observing plan file so that you can visit each object directly with Deep-Sky Planner.
Save the file to your hard drive and double click it to open it in Deep-Sky Planner.
If you are one of the many astronomers who use the ASCOM driver EQMOD to control your ASCOM-compatible Go-To mount, you can use an add-on application called EQTOUR to call up various sets of sky tours like Messier, Caldwell, Globular Clusters and simply click on an object name to slew to it.
Details about the application and how to download it free of charge can be found here.
Download the EQTOUR compatible file of our monthly Deep-sky tour, so that you can visit each object directly from your EQMod control panel. We've also included a PDF document that explains the system and how to get it installed with your telescope setup.
Copy the .lst file from the folder that appears into the same directory as the EQTOUR application file, EQTOUR.exe, and follow the instructions in the link above.
This month's deep-sky tour plan file can be imported into SkySafari software, available from Simulation Curriculum.
Using this month's deep-sky tour plan file on SkySafari, you can:
• view each object in SkySafari's night sky simulation view
• display essential information from the SkySafari database for each object
• slew your telescope to each object in the plan - requires a compatible mount.
To import this month's deep-sky tour plan file into SkySafari, please see the SkySafari user manual for your device platform and version of SkySafari.
This month's Deep-Sky Tour plan file is produced by Deep-Sky Planner 8.
Watch the Sky at Night
You can watch the latest episode of The Sky Night, plus previous episodes and historic programmes from the archive, via the BBC Four Sky at Night webpage.
