Top 10 Deep-Sky Objects of December 2024
~6 min
December is a great month to observe the sky using the free Sky Tonight app! With crisp winter air enhancing visibility in the northern latitudes, the universe unveils its treasures — from shimmering star clusters to mysterious nebulae. Whether you’re a seasoned astronomer or just discovering the joy of stargazing, there’s so much to see. Download Sky Tonight and let the magic of the cosmos brighten your December nights!
Contents
Best deep-sky objects in December
10. Eskimo Nebula
- Alternative names: NGC 2392, Clown-faced Nebula, Lion Nebula, Caldwell 39
- Apparent size: 48″ (0.02 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 9.6
- Constellation: Gemini
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
- How to observe: The Eskimo Nebula can be observed in medium-sized telescopes — it will look like a circular greenish smudge with a bright star in the center. Larger telescopes will provide a clearer view of its details.
- Description: The Eskimo Nebula is a bipolar planetary nebula with a dying Sun-like star in its center. The nebula got such a name because, from the Earth, it looks like a face surrounded by a fur-lined hood.
If we hadn’t told you, would you have guessed the name of the Eskimo Nebula? We bet you wouldn’t! Take our quiz to see how many weird nebula names you can guess correctly just by looking at their photos. There’s also a short video version of this quiz on our YouTube channel.
Astronomers are weird people and they often name things according to their strange ideas. Let’s see how weird you are – try to guess a nebula’s name from its picture!
9. Rosette Nebula
- Alternative names: NGC 2237, Skull Nebula, Caldwell 49
- Apparent size: 1.3° (2.6 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 9.0
- Constellation: Monoceros
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: Because of its relatively large size, the Rosette Nebula is best observed in a telescope with a wide field of view — it will look like a circular patch of light with a star cluster in its center.
- Description: The Rosette Nebula is a so-called H II region — an emission nebula containing ionized hydrogen in which active star formation takes place. The nebula is named so because its appearance resembles that of a rose. Some observers also noticed its resemblance to a human skull, so it’s sometimes called the Skull Nebula.
8. Crab Nebula
- Alternative names: M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A
- Apparent size: 6' x 4' (0.1 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 8.4
- Constellation: Taurus
- Where to observe: Northern hemisphere
- How to observe: The Crab Nebula is a popular target for amateur astronomers — through a small telescope, it looks like a faint smudge of light. The nebula is also bright enough to be visible in binoculars under dark skies.
- Description: The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant powered by winds of a central pulsar. It resembled a crab to 19th-century observers, hence its name. The Crab Nebula originated from a supernova explosion observed by Chinese astronomers in 1054 AD. The explosion was so bright that the new “star” was visible even in the daytime!
7. The Running Man Nebula
- Alternative names: Sh2-279, NGC 1973, NGC 1975, NGC 1977
- Apparent size: 40′ × 25′ (1 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 7.0
- Constellation: Orion
- Where to observe: Northern hemisphere
- How to observe: The Running Man Nebula can be glimpsed in small and medium telescopes, but it’s unlikely that you’ll see the outline of the running man — it shows up primarily in photographs.
- Description: The object known as the Running Man Nebula comprises three reflection nebulae: NGC 1973, NGC 1975, and NGC 1977. It is a part of the Orion’s Sword asterism and is located close to the Orion Nebula. Many observers think the nebula bears a resemblance to a running human figure, hence its name.
6. M35
- Alternative names: NGC 2168
- Apparent size: 28′ (1 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 5.1
- Constellation: Gemini
- Where to observe: Northern hemisphere
- How to observe: You can easily see M35 through binoculars as a fuzzy patch of light. A telescope will help you see individual stars in the star cluster. If you have really sharp eyes, you can even spot M35 with the naked eye in a dark sky!
- Description: M35 is an open star cluster relatively close to us — it is located 2,800 light years away from the Earth. Its angular size in the sky roughly equals the size of the Full Moon.
5. Orion Nebula
- Alternative names: M42, NGC 1976
- Apparent size: 65′ × 60′ (2 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 4.0
- Constellation: Orion
- Where to observe: Northern hemisphere
- How to observe: You can see the Orion Nebula with the naked eye as a fuzzy patch of light. With the help of a medium-sized telescope, you can observe the Trapezium Сluster in the heart of the nebula — it looks like an asterism of four bright stars.
- Description: The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula located in the middle of the Orion’s Sword asterism, near Orion’s Belt. It is one of the most well-known and brightest nebulae in the night sky. You can learn about other deep-sky objects located in the constellation Orion from our article.
4. Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula
- Alternative names: NGC 2264
- Apparent size: 20′ (0.7 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 3.9
- Constellation: Monoceros
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: Despite their “favorable” apparent magnitude, the cluster and nebula are challenging to see with the naked eye, so it’s better to use binoculars or a telescope for their observation.
- Description: What would December be without a Christmas tree? Meet the object NGC 2264, which is actually two deep-sky objects in one — a star cluster and a nebula. The Christmas Tree Cluster is an open star cluster that resembles a Christmas tree when viewed through a telescope. The Cone Nebula is a dark conical nebula located within the Christmas Tree Cluster.
3. Double Cluster
©NASA
- Alternative names: Caldwell 14, NGC 884, NGC 869
- Apparent size: 1° (2 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 3.7
- Constellation: Perseus
- Where to observe: Northern hemisphere
- How to observe: The Double Cluster is easily visible to the naked eye and appears as two fuzzy patches of light. Binoculars or a small telescope will help you see individual stars in the two clusters.
- Description: The Double Cluster is a pair of open star clusters located in the constellation Perseus. The cluster lies at a distance of about 7,500 light years from us and occupies an area about twice the size of the Full Moon in the sky.
2. Andromeda Galaxy
- Alternative names: M31, NGC 224
- Apparent size: 3° × 1° (6 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 3.4
- Constellation: Andromeda
- Where to observe: Northern hemisphere
- How to observe: The Andromeda Galaxy is easily visible to the naked eye in a dark sky and is one of the few galaxies that can be seen without optical aid. To the naked eye, the galaxy appears as a faint, elongated patch of light. Binoculars or telescopes with medium magnification will reveal more details, including the galaxy's spiral structure and its satellite galaxies.
- Description: The Andromeda Galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy and the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way, located approximately 2.5 million light-years away from us. To learn more about the Andromeda Galaxy, read our dedicated article.
1. Pleiades
©NASA
- Alternative names: M45, Seven Sisters
- Apparent size: 1°50' (3.7 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 1.2
- Constellation: Taurus
- Where to observe: Northern hemisphere
- How to observe: To the naked eye, the Pleiades look like a hazy grouping of six stars resembling a small copy of the Big Dipper. Binoculars or a small telescope will reveal many more stars in the cluster.
- Description: The Pleiades are an open star cluster and one of the most famous and easily recognizable deep-sky objects in the night sky. Located just 444 light years away, it is also one of the nearest star clusters to the Earth. You can read more about the Pleiades in our article.
Deep-sky objects in December: Bottom line
The brightest deep-sky objects you can see in December include the Pleiades, Andromeda Galaxy, Double Cluster in Perseus, and Orion Nebula. All of these objects can be observed with the naked eye outside light-polluted cities. To locate the objects in the sky, use the Sky Tonight astronomy app.
Text Credit:Vito Technology, Inc.
