What to observe in the sky in July 2025 with a smart telescope
27 Jun. 2025
July 2025 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.
June 20: The Moon passes close to / through the Pleiades
Best observed just before sunrise from North and South America.
Celestial Scene of the Month
Northern & Southern hemisphere
From our vantage point on Earth, the center of our galaxy—the Milky Way—is largely obscured by dark lanes of cosmic dust. The Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) is actually a transparent window through one of these dust lanes, allowing us to peer toward the galactic center. Through this opening, we can see tens of thousands of stars densely packed into a small region of the sky. The view is partially veiled by two smaller dark nebulae: Barnard 92 and Barnard 93.
"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 Hemisphere
A series of emission nebula. Dual band filter is recommended for this plan.
| Time | Target |
|---|---|
| Early Night |
Lagoon Nebula, Messier 8. |
| Mid Night |
Question Mark Nebula, NGC 7822, Nebula encompassing a star cluster. |
| Late Night |
Tulip Nebula, Sh 2-101 |
Southern Hemisphere
The dual-band filter is not recommended for this plan.
| Time | Target |
|---|---|
| Early Night |
Ptolemy Cluster, M7, An open cluster set against a dense star field, streaked with a few dark dust lanes |
| Mid Night |
The Wild Duck Cluster, M11, an open cluster set against a dense star field |
| Late Night |
Caldwell 76, NGC6231, an open cluster surrounded by Hydrogen II regions. |
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 Hemisphere
Messier 3. Constellation: Canes Venatici, mag. 6.3
Southern Hemisphere
Great Peacock Globular, Caldwell 93. Constellation : Pavo, mag. 5.4
Challenging Target of the Month
The Ghost of Cassiopeia IC 59 & IC 63
Visibility: Northern hemisphere
Constellation: Cassiopeia
Magnitude: 10
Angular size: 2°
The Ghost of Cassiopeia is a pair of faint nebulae with a wispy appearance that resembles a ghost drifting through space. The nearby bright star Gamma Cassiopeiae adds to the challenge when processing the image, making it more difficult to bring out the nebulae’s delicate details. As a mix of emission and reflection nebulae, it's best observed without any filters. Multi-night observations may be necessary to accumulate enough signal for the nebulae to stand out. Fortunately, since the object remains visible until early winter, you’ll have plenty of time to capture it.
The String of Pearls Galaxy, C72
Visibility: Southern hemisphere
Constellation: Sculptor
Magnitude: 7.9
Angular size: 32' x 5'
This Magellanic-type spiral galaxy appears almost edge-on and is thought to resemble what the Large Magellanic Cloud might look like from a similar angle. By combining a regular capture with a dual-band capture, you should be able to highlight the star-forming regions scattered across its disk.
Magnitude and angular size reminder
