The Northern Hemisphere
Bright nebulae grace the August skies, offering an impressive night-sky selection
A plethora of targets grace the August skies
Heading into the warm month of August, there’s an impressive array of targets suitable for observers armed with binoculars, telescopes or those who are just content with gazing upon the night sky with the unaided eye.
Galaxies and star clusters are abundant. However, it’s the nebulae within constellations such as Cygnus and Lyra that are the objects to look to this month. The Ring Nebula (M57), the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070 and IC 5067), young and dense planetary nebula NGC 7027, reflection nebula NGC 6914 and the ‘blinking planetary’ NGC 6826 are particularly impressive, providing plenty of observing and imaging opportunities for astronomers and astrophotographers alike.