October 2026 smart telescope observing guide
28 Sep. 2026
The northern sky offers an interesting mix of nebulae and galaxies. In the evening, the Summer Triangle is still high, with the emission nebulae of Cygnus, while, around midnight, M31, M33 are well placed. Cepheus and Cassiopeia also offer a rich set of nebulae. Winter targets (Orion, Taurus, Auriga) rise in the small hours.
The southern sky favors galaxies. Sculptor and Cetus are high in the evening, while Fornax and Eridanus rise progressively and are best placed around and after midnight. The Milky Way itself is at its best in the early evening and sets quickly around midnight. The Small Magellanic Cloud is well placed from the evening to around midnight, the Large Magellanic Cloud in the second half of the night.
October 2026 astronomical calendar
It is recommended to observe nebulae and galaxies when the Moon is not visible. Its brightness diminishes the darkness of the sky and reduces the quality of observations of faint and diffuse objects.
Refer to the following calendar for the best days this month.
- 3 October: Last Quarter Moon
- 6 October: the Moon occults Jupiter shortly before dawn. Visible from eastern and central North America and parts of Africa.
- 10 October: New Moon
- 18 October: First Quarter Moon
- 21-22 October: Orionid meteor shower peak. About 20 meteor per hour. Best window is the pre-dawn hours.
- 26 October: Full Moon
Celestial Scene of the Month
Northern sky
The Heart Nebula
IC 1805 is a large HII region in Cassiopeia, named for the heart-shaped outline visible in wide-field images. It is ionized by the young OB stars of the central open cluster Melotte 15. The main body measures about 1° across, roughly twice the apparent diameter of the full Moon, but the nebula does not end there: very faint extensions of ionized gas reach beyond 2° in deep exposures.The Fish Head Nebula (IC 1795), to the east, belongs to the same star-forming complex and can be included in a wider mosaic.
A dual-band filter is recommended.
Southern sky
The Small Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf irregular galaxy that orbits the Milky Way, about 200,000 light-years away. Its full extent is roughly 5° × 3°, about ten full-Moon diameters along the long axis, but its main body fits within a Vespera mosaic.
The SMC is a rare opportunity to image emission nebulae outside the Milky Way. The brightest region is the northeastern part of the main body, which contains NGC 346, the most prominent star-forming region in the SMC, and NGC 371. Fainter nebulae are scattered across the rest of the main body as small bubbles.
With a dual-band filter, the nebulae stand out but the galaxy's stellar body is largely suppressed. Without it, the galaxy is captured as a whole but the nebulae have less contrast. The choice depends on the aim of the session.
"Plan my Night" of the month
Suggested observation program you can automate with "Plan My Night."
Give each object as much observation time as you can to get the best results.
Northern sky
Use a dual band filter for this plan.
Southern sky
Do not use the dual band filter for this plan
Around the full moon
During the few nights surrounding the full moon, it's best to focus on star clusters, which are less affected by the Moon’s light pollution.
Northern sky
Owl Cluster / E.T. Cluster
Caldwell 13 is a young, compact open cluster in Cassiopeia whose arrangement of stars is described as either an owl (with two bright eyes formed by Phi and HD 7902, magnitudes 5 and 7) or E.T. the extraterrestrial (arms extended, eyes looking outward). An orange star provides color contrast within the cluster.
Constellation: Cassiopeia
Mag. 6.4 • angular size 8′
Southern sky
Messier 22
It is the brightest globular cluster in Sagittarius and one of the finest in the sky. It is seen against a rich star field of the Milky Way, in the direction of the Galactic center. Located at approximately 10,600 light-years, M22 is one of the nearest globular clusters to Earth and orbits the Milky Way.
Constellation: Sagittarius
Mag. 5.1 • angular size 32′
Challenging Target of the Month
Northern sky
Wizard Nebula
The Wizard Nebula (NGC7380) is an HII region about 7,200 light-years away in Cepheus, ionized by the young open cluster at its center. The bright core spans about 25 arcminutes, but faint Hα emission extends well beyond it, so the full complex is noticeably larger than the core. Its surface brightness is low and its emission is mostly Hα. The nebula emerges with long integration with a dual-band filter.
Southern sky
Galaxy NGC 247 • Caldwell 62
Located in Cetus, it is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 11 million light-years away, seen at a high inclination, which gives it an elongated shape of roughly 20′ × 7′. It belongs to the Sculptor Group, like the much brighter NGC 253, which lies a few degrees to the south. Its light is spread over a large area: the magnitude (about 9.5) is misleading, and the surface brightness is low. The core is easy to record, but the outer arms emerge with long integration.
Magnitude and angular size reminder
