Top 12 Deep-Sky Objects of September 2024

The September night sky offers many breathtaking deep-sky objects, especially nebulae. Many of these celestial wonders are located in the constellation Cygnus, which is well-positioned for observation in the Northern Hemisphere during this time of year (in much of the Southern Hemisphere, it’s low on the horizon, but still visible). In this article, we present a list of September’s deep-sky objects, ranked from faintest to brightest by their visual magnitude. So, get your binoculars and telescopes ready, download the Sky Tonight app to quickly find the objects, and let's dive into the wonders of the September sky!

Contents

• 12. Fireworks Galaxy
• 11. Saturn Nebula
• 10. Crescent Nebula
• 9. Pacman Nebula
• 8. Cocoon Nebula
• 7. Veil Nebula
• 6. Iris Nebula
• 5. Wild Duck Cluster
• 4. Pelican Nebula
• 3. Angelfish Cluster
• 2. Pyramid Cluster
• 1. North America Nebula
• Deep-Sky Objects in September: Bottom line

12. Fireworks Galaxy

• Alternative names: NGC 6946, Caldwell 12
• Apparent size: 16' × 11.2' (0.4 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 9.5
• Constellation: Cygnus/Cepheus
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: The Fireworks Galaxy has a low surface brightness, so you’ll need a very dark sky and a 300mm (12") telescope to see it.
• Description: The Fireworks Galaxy is an intermediate spiral galaxy with a small bright nucleus. It has also been classified as a double-barred spiral galaxy. NGC 6946 is located 25.2 million light-years away from Earth — about the same distance as the brighter Pinwheel Galaxy.

11. Saturn Nebula

• Alternative names: NGC 7009, Caldwell 55
• Apparent size: 41" × 35" (0.02 x Moon)
• Constellation: Aquarius
• Apparent magnitude: 8.0
• Where to observe: Both hemispheres
• How to observe: We recommend using a 200mm (8") or larger telescope to observe the Saturn nebula. Through a small telescope, it will look like a greenish patch of light; larger instruments will show you the two “handles” on either side of the nebula.
• Description: The Saturn Nebula is a planetary nebula located about 2,000 light-years away from Earth. It gets its name because it has extended lobes that resemble Saturn’s rings. The nebula’s unique shape is the result of multiple ejections of gas from the dying star at its center.

10. Crescent Nebula

• Alternative names: NGC 6888, Caldwell 27
• Apparent size: 18' × 12' (0.5 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 7.4
• Constellation: Cygnus
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: You'll need a telescope with a 200mm (8") aperture and a UHC or OIII filter to see the Crescent Nebula. Use averted vision to discern the fainter sections of the nebula.
• Description: The Crescent Nebula is an emission nebula located about 5,000 light-years away from Earth. At the heart of the nebula, there’s an extremely hot star WR 136, that belongs to the rare type of Wolf-Rayet stars.

9. Pacman Nebula

• Alternative names: NGC 281, Sh2-184
• Apparent size: 35' (1.2 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 7.3
• Constellation: Cassiopeia
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: From dark sky locations, you can see the Pacman Nebula with a 200mm (8") telescope. Use an OIII filter to get a better view of the nebula.
• Description: NGC 281 is a bright emission nebula and part of the Perseus Spiral Arm in the Milky Way. The nebula is located at a distance of about 9,500 light-years from us and resembles the famous video game character.

8. Cocoon Nebula

• Alternative names: IC 5146, Caldwell 19, Sh 2-125
• Apparent size: 12′ (0.4 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 7.1
• Constellation: Cygnus
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: Under dark skies, with at least a 200mm (8") telescope, you will be able to see the Cocoon Nebula as a glowing, diffuse circular object. Larger telescopes will provide a clearer and more detailed view of the nebula.
• Description: The Cocoon Nebula is a reflection/emission nebula located about 4,000 light-years away. One of its unique characteristics is a dark nebula Barnard 168, which forms a long dark "tail" stretching westward.

7. Veil Nebula

• Alternative names: NGC 6960, Caldwell 34
• Apparent size: 3° (6 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 7.0
• Constellation: Cygnus
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: Even at a dark sky site, the Veil Nebula is too faint for binocular observation. It’s better to use an 80mm (3") telescope paired with a UHC filter.
• Description: The Veil Nebula is a large supernova remnant located about 2,100 light-years away from us. It is composed of several distinct parts that have been cataloged separately: the Western Veil (NGC 6960), the Eastern Veil (NGC 6992/6995), and Pickering's Triangle.

6. Iris Nebula

• Alternative names: NGC 7023, LBN 487, Caldwell 4
• Apparent size: 18' x 18' (0.6 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 6.8
• Constellation: Cepheus
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: The Iris Nebula has a low surface brightness, so you probably won’t be able to spot it through binoculars. It may be seen in a 100mm (4") telescope but is best observed in 250mm (10") and larger telescopes.
• Description: The Iris Nebula is a reflection nebula located 1,300 light-years away from Earth. It is illuminated by a hot, massive star, which scatters blue light off the surrounding interstellar dust, giving the nebula its characteristic blue hue.

5. 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: The Wild Duck Cluster is visible through 10x50 binoculars — it appears as a bright wedge-shaped glow of light. With a 200mm (8") telescope, you'll be able to resolve hundreds of stars tightly packed into a single field of view.
• Description: M11 is an open star cluster located at a distance of 6,120 light-years away from us. It was named for its distinctive V-shape, which resembles either a lone duck or a flock of ducks in flight. With around 3,000 stars, it's one of the most densely populated open clusters in the sky.

4. Pelican Nebula

• Alternative names: IC 5070
• Apparent size: 1° × 0.8° (1.8 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 5.9
• Constellation: Cygnus
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: Some observers claim to have seen the Pelican Nebula through small 7x42 binoculars without any filters. You can try to do it this way, too, or use a 76mm (3") telescope with a UHC or an OIII filter for a better result.
• Description: The Pelican Nebula is an emission nebula located approximately 1,800 light-years from Earth. It is named for its resemblance to a pelican and is part of the same interstellar cloud as the nearby North America Nebula (NGC 7000).

3. Angelfish Cluster

• Alternative names: M71, NGC 6838
• Apparent size: 7.2' (0.2 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 5.9
• Constellation: Sagitta
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: On a dark moonless night, you can see M71 through 10x50 binoculars. Use a 100mm (4") telescope to get a closer look at the cluster.
• Description: The Angelfish Cluster is a globular cluster located about 13,000 light years away from Earth. Until the 1970s, it was considered an open cluster but then was designated as a relatively sparse globular cluster.

2. Pyramid Cluster

• Alternative names: M39, NGC 7092
• Apparent size: 29′ (0.9 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 4.6
• Constellation: Cygnus
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: You can use a small telescope to observe M39, but the cluster is best viewed with binoculars. Through 10x50 binoculars, you can see about seven stars in the cluster; 15x70 binoculars will reveal about a dozen stars. Under really good conditions, the Pyramid Cluster can even be seen with the naked eye!
• Description: M39 is an open star cluster located approximately 1,000 light-years away from Earth. Overall, there are only about 15 bright stars in the cluster.

1. North America Nebula

• Alternative names: NGC 7000, Caldwell 20
• Apparent size: 2° × 1.7° (3.7 x Moon)
• Apparent magnitude: 4.0
• Constellation: Cygnus
• Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
• How to observe: The North America Nebula has a relatively low surface brightness and is very large, so it requires a clear, dark sky and an optical instrument with a large field of view. Use 10x50 or 20x60 binoculars or an 80mm (3") telescope for its observation. Applying a UHC or an OIII filter is also a good idea.
• Description: The North America Nebula is an emission nebula located 2,590 light-years away from Earth. Its name derives from its shape, which resembles the outline of the North American continent, with the Gulf of Mexico represented by a dark dust region within the nebula.

Deep-Sky Objects in September: Bottom line

In the first month of autumn (or spring, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere), you can see some beautiful deep-sky objects, especially if you own binoculars or a telescope. We recommend paying special attention to the Pelican Nebula, Wild Duck Cluster, Pyramid Cluster, and North America Nebula — all of these objects can be seen through binoculars under dark skies. The Sky Tonight app will help you quickly find any desired object in the sky. We wish you clear skies and successful observations!