Best Deep-Sky Objects by Month: February 2025

Jan 31, 2025

~8 min

In February, you can see some iconic deep-sky targets like the Pleiades star cluster and the Cigar Galaxy. Don’t know where to aim your binoculars or telescope to see them? Use the free Sky Tonight app to easily locate any object in the sky! Let’s find out what the deep space has to offer us this month.

What are deep-sky objects?

The term “deep-sky object” denotes three types of space objects that exist outside our Solar System — galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. They are listed in dozens of deep-sky catalogs, with the most popular among amateur astronomers being the Messier catalog (110 entries) and the NGC catalog (7,850 entries). Astronomers also use other catalogs that list different types of deep-sky objects:

Caldwell (star clusters, nebulae, galaxies);
Collinder (open star clusters);
Melotte (open and globular clusters);
IC (star clusters, nebulae, galaxies);
Barnard (dark nebulae)

and more.

You can explore these catalogs in the astronomy app Sky Tonight, which includes more than 90,000 deep-sky objects. All of them are available for free! To find an object you’re interested in, tap the magnifier icon, write the object’s name or catalog designation in the search field, and choose it from the list. The app will show you detailed information about it. To locate this object in the sky above, tap on the target icon.

Most deep-sky objects are rather dim and are hard to spot in an overly lit sky. We advise you to plan your observations around the New Moon. Also, rate the sky above you on the Bortle scale: the higher the class, the more likely you are to find the dimmest and trickiest objects.

Wondering if you can spot that galaxy or nebula from your backyard? 🌌Our infographic has the answers! Here we use the Bortle Scale to illustrate how light pollution affects what you see. Get to know the night sky and enhance your stargazing experience!

See Infographic

Nebulae visible in February

A nebula is a vast cloud of gas and dust in space, often serving as the birthplace of stars. Nebulae can appear in the sky as faint, hazy patches of light, often requiring a telescope or binoculars to see in detail. We've arranged the best nebulae to see in February in descending order of apparent magnitude, from faintest to brightest.

Flame Nebula

Alternative names: NGC 2024, Sh2-277
Apparent size: 30' (equals the size of the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 10
Constellation: Orion
Best observed from: Northern Hemisphere
How to observe: You’ll need at least a small telescope to see the Flame Nebula. Like the Horsehead Nebula, it is located close to Alnitak — one of the three stars of Orion’s Belt.
Description: Flame Nebula is an emission nebula discovered by British astronomer William Herschel in 1786. It is a part of a large star-forming region called the Orion molecular cloud complex.

Owl Nebula

Alternative names: M97, NGC 3587
Apparent size: 3′ (10 times smaller than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 9.9
Constellation: Ursa Major
Best observed from: Northern Hemisphere
How to observe: You can try to spot the Owl Nebula with 20×80 binoculars or a small telescope, but if you want to see the “owl eyes”, use a large telescope.
Description: Owl Nebula is a planetary nebula discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1781. Anglo-Irish astronomer William Parsons, who also observed the nebula, thought it looked like the head of an owl — hence the nebula’s nickname.

Tarantula Nebula

Alternative names: NGC 2070, Caldwell 103, Doradus Nebula, 30 Doradus, True Lovers’ Knot
Apparent size: 30′ x 20′ (1 x 1.5 times smaller than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 7.3
Constellation: Dorado
Best observed from: Southern Hemisphere
How to observe: The Tarantula Nebula is considered rather bright: if it were as close as the Orion Nebula, it would outshine Venus. However, it’s too far to be seen with the naked eye. You’ll need binoculars or a small telescope to see it.
Description: The Tarantula Nebula is an emission nebula that was discovered by the French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in 1751. It is one of the largest known nebulae, and also the most active starburst region in the Local Group of galaxies. Tarantula Nebula is associated with the Large Magellanic Cloud, forming its southeast corner.

Monkey Head Nebula

Alternative names: NGC 2174, Sh2-252
Apparent size: 40′ (1.3 times larger than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 6.8
Constellation: Orion
Best observed from: Northern Hemisphere
How to observe: The Monkey Head Nebula can't be seen with the naked eye. You’ll need at least 7x50 binoculars or, better yet, a small telescope to observe it.
Description: The Monkey Head Nebula is an emission nebula discovered by Italian astronomer Giovanni Batista Hodierna around 1654 and then independently discovered by German astronomer Karl Christian Bruhns in 1857. The nebula is associated with the open star cluster NGC 2175.

Horsehead Nebula

Alternative name: Barnard 33
Apparent size: 8′ × 6′ (3.7 × 5 times smaller than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 6.8
Constellation: Orion
Best observed from: Northern Hemisphere
How to observe: As Horsehead Nebula is a dark nebula, it’s very challenging to see. You’ll need at least a small telescope and maybe a special filter for its observation. The nebula’s location is favorable, though — it can be found just to the south of Alnitak, which is one of the three stars of Orion's Belt.
Description: Horsehead Nebula is a small dark nebula discovered by Scottish astronomer Williamina Fleming in 1888. It is a part of a large star-forming region called the Orion molecular cloud complex.

Galaxies visible in February

A galaxy is a massive system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter bound together by gravity. Galaxies come in various shapes and sizes, including spiral, elliptical, and irregular forms. In the night sky, galaxies appear as faint, blurry smudges of light. Only a few of them are visible to the naked eye. Most require telescopes to reveal their stunning structures, such as spiraling arms or elliptical halos. We've arranged the best galaxies to see in February in descending order of apparent magnitude, from faintest to brightest.

Cigar Galaxy

Alternative names: M82, NGC 3034
Apparent size: 11.2′ × 4.3′ (2.7 × 6.9 times smaller than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 8.41
Constellation: Ursa Major
Best observed from: Northern Hemisphere
How to observe: Like Bode’s Galaxy (M81), the Cigar Galaxy is considered an ideal deep-sky object for observing with binoculars and small telescopes.
Description: M82 is a spiral galaxy discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774. It is undergoing an exceptionally high rate of star formation because of the gravitational influence of its neighbor — Bode’s Galaxy (M81). M82 is the second-largest member of the M81 group of galaxies.

M106

Alternative name: NGC 4258
Apparent size: 18′ × 7′ (1.6 × 4.2 times smaller than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 8.4
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Best observed from: Northern Hemisphere
How to observe: M106 can be spotted with most binoculars on a dark sky and is easily seen through any telescope.
Description: Messier 106 is an intermediate spiral galaxy discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain in 1781. It is one of the largest and brightest galaxies close to us, similar in size to the Andromeda Galaxy.

Bode’s Galaxy

Alternative names: M81, NGC 3031
Apparent size: 26.9′ × 14.1′ (1.1 × 2.1 times smaller than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 6.9
Constellation: Ursa Major
Best observed from: Northern Hemisphere
How to observe: View M81 with a pair of binoculars or any telescope (the one with an aperture of 8″ or more will show more detail under dark skies). This galaxy is bright enough to be seen under the light-polluted sky. Spot Bode’s Galaxy about 10° northwest of Dubhe, in the corner of the Big Dipper’s bowl.
Description: M81 is a large and bright spiral galaxy that is also known as the “grand design” spiral galaxy. This means that the galaxy’s shape is clearly defined, and it has a well-organized spiral structure. First discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774, M81 is sometimes referred to as “Bode’s Galaxy”. It’s one of the brightest galaxies in our night sky!

Large Magellanic Cloud

Alternative names: LMC, ESO 56-G 115, PGC 17223, Nubecula Major
Apparent size: 10°45′ x 9°10′ (~255 times larger than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 0.9
Constellation: Dorado/Mensa
Best observed from: Southern Hemisphere
How to observe: Under dark skies, the LMC is visible without any equipment as a faint, diffuse cloud. Binoculars (7x50 or 10x50) will resolve the mottled structure of the galaxy and brighter regions. A small telescope (4-6 inches) will reveal specific features, such as star clusters and nebulae. Larger telescopes (>8 inches) provide excellent views of its fine details.
Description: The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a dwarf irregular galaxy and a satellite of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. It was first documented by Persian astronomer Al-Sufi in 964 CE and later described by European explorers during Ferdinand Magellan's 1519–1522 circumnavigation of the globe, which popularized its name.

Star clusters visible in February

A star cluster is a group of stars that are gravitationally bound and formed from the same molecular cloud. Star clusters are categorized into two types: open clusters and globular clusters. Open clusters are bright, tightly grouped stars, while globular clusters appear as dense, spherical star groups that look like faint, fuzzy balls of light in the night sky. We've arranged the best star clusters to see in February in descending order of apparent magnitude, from faintest to brightest.

NGC 2808

Alternative name: Melotte 95
Apparent size: 13.8′ (2.2 times smaller than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 6.2
Constellation: Carina
Best observed from: Southern Hemisphere
How to observe: You can’t see NGC 2808 with the naked eye; it’s only visible through binoculars or a small telescope.
Description: NGC 2808 is one of the Milky Way’s most massive globular star clusters — it contains millions of stars. It’s estimated to be 12.5 billion years old.

IC 2395

Alternative name: Cr 192
Apparent size: 8′ (3.7 times smaller than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 4.6
Constellation: Vela
Best observed from: Southern Hemisphere
How to observe: IC 2395 is tricky to see with the naked eye, but you can easily observe it through a pair of binoculars.
Description: IC 2395 is a small open cluster that contains about 45 stars. It is located near the bright star Gamma Velorum (mag 1.8).

Hand Cluster

Hand Cluster (NGC 3114) — an open cluster positioned in a star-rich region of the Milky Way.
©Sergio Eguivar

Alternative name: NGC 3114, Cr 215
Apparent size: 35′ (1.2 times larger than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 4.2
Constellation: Carina
Best observed from: Southern Hemisphere
How to observe: You can try to see the Hand Cluster with the unaided eye. However, you’ll need very sharp eyesight and a dark, clear sky to see it, so it’s easier to observe the cluster via binoculars or a telescope.
Description: NGC 3114 is an open star cluster in the constellation Carina. It is quite a difficult object to study because of the high number of field stars from the Milky Way’s disk.

Pleiades

Alternative names: M45, Seven Sisters
Apparent size: 1°50' (3.7 times larger than the Full Moon)
Apparent magnitude: 1.2
Constellation: Taurus
Where to observe: Northern Hemisphere
How to observe: As one of the brightest star clusters, the Pleiades can be seen with the naked eye: you’ll see a group of six stars resembling a small copy of the Big Dipper. Binoculars or a small telescope will reveal 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.

Best deep-sky objects for February: to sum up

Now you know what deep-sky objects are best visible in February. If you manage to see one of them in the sky, don’t hesitate to share your observation experience with us on social media. To get even more knowledge about deep-sky objects, take our fun quiz “Guess the Nebula!”.

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!

Take the quiz!

Best deep-sky objects by month: year-ahead calendar

Deep-sky wonders aren’t limited to February. Discover what the universe has to offer each month with our guides to deep-sky objects: