Best Deep-Sky Objects by Month: June 2025
Have you ever been mesmerized by the breathtaking photos of deep-sky objects captured by the Hubble Space Telescope? You have the chance to see and photograph such objects yourself! In this guide, we reveal the best June deep-sky objects that promise to dazzle both seasoned astronomers and curious beginners alike. To find these stunning targets in the night sky, download the Sky Tonight app. It’s your perfect stargazing companion, offering a real-time sky map, detailed object information, and easy-to-follow navigation to help you locate celestial wonders wherever you are.
Contents
- Galaxies visible in June
- Star clusters visible in June
- Frequently asked questions about the deep-sky objects
- June deep-sky objects: Bottom line
Nebulae visible in June
Nebulae are vast clouds of gas and dust in space. They can be regions where new stars are born or remnants of dead stars. Nebulae are often beautifully colored and can be seen as glowing patches of light in the sky.
Ring Nebula
- Alternative names: M57, NGC 6720
- Apparent size: 3'47″ × 2'23″ (0.1 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 8.7
- Constellation: Lyra
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
- How to observe: The Ring Nebula is too small to be seen with binoculars. It is best observed using a telescope with an aperture of at least 20 cm, but even a 7.5 cm telescope will reveal its ring shape.
- Description: The Ring Nebula is a planetary nebula that can be found south of the bright star Vega. Its distinctive round shape is reminiscent of a ring or a bagel, hence its name.
Trifid Nebula
- Alternative names: M20, NGC 6514
- Apparent size: 28′ (1 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 6.3
- Constellation: Sagittarius
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: You can observe the Trifid Nebula through binoculars or a telescope. It’s also a good target for amateur astrophotographers.
- Description: The Trifid Nebula is a very unusual object — a combination of an open star cluster, an emission nebula, a reflection nebula, and a dark nebula. It is also one of the brightest nebulae in the night sky.
Lagoon Nebula
- Alternative names: M8, NGC 6523
- Apparent size: 90' x 40' (3 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 6.0
- Constellation: Sagittarius
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: The Lagoon Nebula is barely visible to the unaided eye, even under perfect viewing conditions. However, you can easily see it with binoculars — it appears as a distinct cloud-like patch of light.
- Description: The Lagoon Nebula is a giant interstellar cloud classified as an emission nebula. It contains an open star cluster NGC 6530, many Bok globules (dark nebulae), and the Hourglass Nebula (not to be confused with the better-known Engraved Hourglass Nebula in the constellation Musca).
Eagle Nebula
- Alternative names: M16, NGC 6611, Star Queen Nebula
- Apparent size: 70' x 50' (2 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 5.9
- Constellation: Serpens
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
- How to observe: The Eagle Nebula can be spotted through a small telescope. To see the iconic Pillars of Creation within the nebula, you’ll need a large telescope and good viewing conditions.
- Description: The Eagle Nebula is part of a diffuse emission nebula called IC 4703. The nebula looks somewhat like an eagle with outstretched wings, hence its name. At the heart of the Eagle Nebula sit the famous Pillars of Creation — the towers of cosmic dust and gas that are several light-years tall.
Nebulae are often named quite weirdly. Take our fun quiz and try to guess nebulae names from their pictures!
Omega Nebula
- Alternative names: M17, NGC 6618, Swan Nebula, Checkmark Nebula, Lobster Nebula, Horseshoe Nebula
- Apparent size: 11' (0.3 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 5.9
- Constellation: Sagittarius
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: The Omega Nebula is hard to spot with the naked eye but can be easily seen with binoculars as an oval-shaped diffuse patch of light.
- Description: The Omega Nebula is the so-called H II region, which is a large area of ionized hydrogen gas. It is one of the brightest and largest star-forming regions in the Milky Way galaxy.
Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex
- Alternative names: XSS J16271-2423, Ophiuchus molecular cloud
- Apparent size: 4.5° × 6.5° (11 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 4.6
- Constellation: Ophiuchus
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: The Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex has a very low surface brightness to be detected visually, regardless of the optical equipment. It is also too large for the field of view of a telescope. However, if you’re an astrophotographer with a wide-angle DSLR camera, you should definitely try to image this stunning-looking object.
- Description: The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is a complex of interstellar clouds consisting primarily of dark nebulae. This object is one of the closest “stellar nurseries” to the Solar System.
Blue Horsehead Nebula
- Alternative names: IC 4592
- Apparent size: 2.5° × 1° (4 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 4.0
- Constellation: Scorpius
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: Like the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex, the Blue Horsehead Nebula is too large to be observed through a telescope and too faint to be spotted through binoculars. It is also very difficult to find visually, but quite easy if you use a DSLR camera. So, this object is a great target for astrophotographers but not so great for visual observation.
- Description: IC 4592 is a reflection nebula that has a distinctive horsehead shape. Its blue color comes from fine dust reflecting the light of nearby stars. In the sky, the nebula is located close to the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex.
Galaxies visible in June
Galaxies are massive systems of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, all bound together by gravity. They come in various shapes, such as spiral, elliptical, and irregular, and contain billions to trillions of stars. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is just one of the billions of galaxies in the Universe, and June is the best time to see its most prominent part – the Galactic Center – in the sky!
Draco Trio
- Alternative name: Draco Group, Draco Triplet
- Apparent size: 15′ × 2′ (0.5 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 12.4-14.4
- Constellation: Draco
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
- How to observe: The galaxies in the Draco Trio are very faint, so observing them requires a telescope and a dark sky away from light pollution.
- Description: The Draco Trio consists of three spiral galaxies located around 100 million light-years away. They are a part of a larger galaxy group called the NGC 5982 group.
Mirror Galaxy
- Alternative name: M100, NGC 4321
- Apparent size: 7.4′ × 6.3′ (0.2 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 9.3
- Constellation: Coma Berenices
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
- How to observe: You can spot M100 with 20x80 binoculars or small telescopes — it will appear as a faint, hazy patch of light. Medium-sized telescopes will show you the galaxy’s bright core.
- Description: M100 is a bright barred spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, about 55 million light-years away. It has well-defined spiral arms and a bright core.
Milky Way Center
- Alternative name: MWC, Galactic Center
- Apparent size: n/a
- Apparent magnitude: n/a
- Constellation: Sagittarius
- Where to observe: Southern Hemisphere
- How to observe: The Galactic Center is best seen in June and July. On a clear, dark night, it can be seen with the naked eye as a faint, hazy band of light. A pair of binoculars or a wide-field telescope can offer stunning views of the dense star clusters and nebulae in this region. Long-exposure astrophotography also provides an opportunity to capture the intricate structures of the Galactic Center. Find more observation tips in our article about the Milky Way.
- Description: The Milky Way is our home galaxy. Its central part, known as the Galactic Center, is home to a supermassive black hole, named Sagittarius A*, surrounded by dense clouds of gas, dust, and a vast number of stars. The Galactic Center is a rich and fascinating target for both visual observers and astrophotographers.
Star clusters visible in June
Star clusters are groups of stars that are physically close to each other, bound by gravity. There are two main types: open clusters, which contain younger, less dense groups of stars, and globular clusters, which are older and more tightly packed.
Wild Duck Cluster
- Alternative names: M11, NGC 6705
- Apparent size: 22.8′ (0.8 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 6.3
- Constellation: Scutum
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: You can observe the Wild Duck Cluster through binoculars — it will appear as a triangular patch of light. Through a telescope, you will see hundreds of stars packed into a single field of view.
- Description: M11 is an open star cluster. Its name comes from the cluster’s V-shape that somewhat resembles a single duck or a flock of ducks in flight. Containing about 3,000 stars, it is one of the most densely populated and massive open clusters known.
Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
- Alternative names: M13, NGC 6205
- Apparent size: 20′ (0.7 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 5.8
- Constellation: Hercules
- Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
- How to observe: M13 can’t be seen with the naked eye, but you’ll get a great view of this globular cluster through a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.
- Description: M13 is one of the brightest and best-known star clusters in the Northern Hemisphere. It contains several hundred thousand stars that are so close together that they sometimes collide and form new stars.
Small Sagittarius Star Cloud
- Alternative names: M24, IC 4715
- Apparent size: 2° × 1° (3 x Moon)
- Apparent magnitude: 2.5
- Constellation: Sagittarius
- Where to observe: Both hemispheres
- How to observe: To the naked eye, M24 will only appear as a bright patch of the Milky Way. Through binoculars, you’ll be able to see countless stars concentrated in this region. This object is also perfect for astrophotography.
- Description: M24 is a star cloud located near the Omega Nebula in the sky. Unlike a star cluster, a star cloud is not an actual deep-sky object but rather an area less littered with cosmic dust than nearby areas — a kind of “window” into the inner depths of the Milky Way.
Frequently asked questions about the deep-sky objects
What is a deep-sky object?
The term “deep-sky object (DSO)” refers to astronomical objects located outside our Solar System. These include galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and other objects. Unlike stars, which appear as points of light, deep-sky objects have more complex structures and can range in size and brightness. Some of them are only visible through optical devices, while others can be seen with the naked eye.
What are the best deep-sky objects to see in June?
In June, some of the brightest deep-sky objects include the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud and Omega Nebula. It's also a great time to observe the Galactic Center, the brightest and most prominent part of the Milky Way.
Explore even more bright deep-sky targets here:
Are deep-sky objects always visible?
The visibility of deep-sky objects depends on the time of year. For example, the Milky Way’s center is most visible in June and July, while the Andromeda Galaxy is better to observe in September, when it rises higher in the night sky. Weather conditions and the level of light pollution can also impact visibility.
June deep-sky objects: Bottom line
June offers plenty of stunning nebulae and star clusters to see in the night sky! To enhance your stargazing experience, try the Sky Tonight app — it’s your ultimate guide to the night sky. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced astronomer, the app will help you quickly find and identify deep-sky objects, so you can make the most of every clear night this June.
Best deep-sky targets by month: year-ahead calendar
Deep-sky wonders aren’t limited to June. Discover what the universe has to offer each month with our guides to deep-sky objects:
