DSO List (Rich-Field Objects)

Introduction | Introduction | Overview of Rich-Field Objects | References

I compiled the following list of rich-field objects* using the Deep Sky Reiseatlas (Stoyan/Feiler & Noack; see references).

*) Rich-field (deep sky) objects denote in the case of my list:

  1. large DSO of an extension of more than 1.5° and
  2. at least two DSO, which are located within a field of view of up to about 4° and thus, can be observed together with corresponding telescopes (low magnification, large field of view).

This list should help me - and maybe others - to select rich-field DSO for observation. The rankings from the Deep Sky Reiseführer/Reiseatlas can be a further help when selecting the objects.

 

Introduction

At the beginning of December 2019, a starfriend of mine had suggested in a forum of the astronomie.de Website to create a list of rich-field DSO, in order to be able to observe these objects specifically with his "rich-field telescope." This includes on the one hand large DSO, which can also be larger than the field of view of a telescope, and on the other hand several DSO, which can be observed together in the same large field of view. It was not exactly defined and also depends on the equipment available, how large the field of view actually should be. Many astronomers have contributed objects to the discussion from their own experience, so that the list grew and grew.

I, however, decided not to participate in this discussion, and to go my own way. This is to browse the Deep Sky Reiseatlas (Stoyan/Feiler & Noac) page by page for DSO that fit into a field of view of about 4° (the Telrad circles in the atlas helped me here) and can thus be observed together. I left out or added to the list one or the other object that did not exactly match these criteria. Certainly, I also made some mistakes, which I hope to be able to correct in the course of time.

First of all, I created an Excel list, because this allows to filter the list according to certain criteria and thus, to find specific information more easily. Nevertheless, I also created a static HTML table for my Website to make the list accessible to others, even if I have to correct the list manually again and again...

Examples

The following examples are intended to illustrate the principle, but were created with the SkySafari 6 application for copyright reasons. The red rings are the Telrad circles (0.5°, 2° and 4°).

 

M 36 and M 38 fit into a field of view of 4°

  

Ditto, larger sky section

    

Perseus Double Cluster and Muscle Man fit into a field of view of 4°

  

M 36 and M 37 just fit into a field of view of 4°, larger sky section

 

The Hyades (Mel 25) are too large for a field of view of 4°

 

The Pleiades (M 45) even fit into a field of view of 2 °

(Images Courtesy of SkySafari Astronomy, www.simulationcurriculum.com)

Eyepiece Selection

In the following, I list the data of my telescopes that are "just so" suited to richt-field and long focal length eyepieces. The Explorer 150PDS that I sold at the beginning of 2020 maybe "just about" a "rich-field" telescope, but the Celestron C8 with a maximum field of view of below 1.5° can hardly be called one; it was included for comparison purposes only.

Telescope
Further Data
Focal Length of Eyepiece (mm)
Magnification
 
Focal Length of
Telescope (mm)
16
24
26
32
35
40
56
PS 72/432
432
27.00
18.00
16.62
13.50
12.34
10.80
7.71
PDS150
750
46.88
31.25
28.85
23.44
21.43
18.75
13.39
C8
2032
127.00
84.67
78.15
63.50
58.06
50.80
36.29
 
True Field of View (°)
Apparent Field of View (°) >
82
65
70
52
69
68
52
 
Focal Length of
Telescope (mm)
16
24
26
32
35
40
56
PS 72/432
432
3.04
3.61
4.21
3.85
5.59
6.30
6.74
PDS150
750
1.75
2.08
2.43
2.22
3.22
3.63
3.88
C8
2032
0.65
0.77
0.90
0.82
1.19
1.34
1.43
 
Exit Pupil (mm)
 
Focal Ratio
16
24
26
32
35
40
56
PS 72/432
6
2.67
4.00
4.33
5.33
5.83
6.67
9.33
PDS150
5
3.20
4.80
5.20
6.40
7.00
8.00
11.20
C8
10
1.60
2.40
2.60
3.20
3.50
4.00
5.60

Italic: 2" eyepiece

 

Overview of Rich-Field Objects

Notes: An object group always starts with the first object of a constellation and ends before the next constellation. Not all objects in a group may belong to the same constellation. In such a case, I added the corresponding constellation in brackets.

I have already observed quite a number of DSO individually and note this in the table; I also note when I observed this with the StarTravel 120/600, which I had borrowed in autumn 2019..

Constellation Number       Name Type Ranking Size Remarks Observed Alone Observed Together Page*
Cam Kemble's Cascade SP *** 2.8° yes (ST120) Perhaps 1, 2, 3
NGC 1502 Golden Harp Cluster OC ** 7' At the end of Kemble's Cascade
Dra NGC 6543 Cat's Eye Nebula PN *** 0.3' 1
NGC 6503 G * 4' x 1'
And M 31 Andromeda Galaxy G ***** 3° x 1° Often seen as single object yes (ST120)   2, 8
  M 32   G ** 4' x 3' Companion of M 31 with 31
  M 110   G ** 10' x 15' Companion of M 31  
Per Mel 20 Perseus Moving Cluster OC ** 3° Single object yes   2, 3
Per NGC 884/869 Perseus Double Cluster OC **** 25', 20' yes (ST120)    
"Oval" SM ? My own star pattern yes (ST120)    
(Cas) St 2 Muscle Man OC ** 80' Not easy to find yes    
Cas NGC 896 GN * 24' x 22' 2
IC 1805 GN * 1.5° x 1°
IC 1848 GN * 1.5° x 0.5°
Cas M 103 OC *** 6' yes (ST120) probably… 2,7
NGC 663 Letter S Cluster OC ** 15' yes (ST120)
NGC 654 OC * 5' x 3' tried
Cas M 103 OC *** 6' yes (ST120) 2
NGC 457 E.T./Owl Cluster OC *** 15' x 10' yes (ST120)
Cas M 52 OC *** 10' yes 2, 7
NGC 7635 Bubble Nebula GN * 1' Small
(Cep) NGC 7510 OC ** 3'
(Cep) NGC 7538 GN 1,5' Small
UMa M 81 Bode Galaxy G **** 12' x 5' yes (ST120) M 81/82 4
M 82 Cigar Galaxy G **** 6' x 2' yes (ST120)
NGC 3077 G * 2' Companion of M 81
NGC 2976 G 2.5' x 1.5' Companion of M 81
UMa M 97 Owl Nebula PN ** 3,3' 4, 5
M 108 G ** 5' x 1.5' See from die side
Cep NGC 6939 OC * 7' 6, 7
NGC 6946 G * 10'
Tau M 45 Pleiades, Seven Sisters OC ***** 1,8° x 1,2° Single object yes (ST120) 9
Tau Mel 25 Hyades OC *** 5° x 4° Single object yes 9, 19
Per NGC 1499 California Nebula GN * 2,5° x 0,8° Single object   9
Aur M 36 OC *** 12' yes 9 , 10
M 38 OC *** 25' yes
NGC 1907 OC * 4'
NGC 1931 GN * 1'
Gem M 35 OC **** 28' yes (ST120) ??? 9, 10
NGC 2158 OC 2.5' Close to M 35
Gem NGC 2420 OC ** 8' 10
NGC 2392 Eskimo Nebula PN *** 0,8'
Leo M 65 Leo Galaxy Triple G ** 5' x 1.5' yes 11, 19
M 66 Leo Galaxy Triple G ** 4.5' x 2' yes
NGC 3628 Leo Galaxy Triple G * 8' x 2'
Com Mel 111 Coma Cluster OC *** 3,5° Single object yes 12
Vir M 84 G * 1,5' 12, 20
M 86 G * 2'
Surround Too many to list here... G div.
M 87 G ** 3' yes
Vir M 98 G * 5' x 2' 12, 20
Surround Too many to list here... G div.
Vir M 91 G * 2' x 1.5' 12, 20
Umfeld Too many to list here... G div.
Cyg M 29 OC *** 6' yes 14
IC 1318 GN * 50' x 40'
Cyg NGC 6960 Cirrus Nebula, western part GN *** 45' x 5' 14, 15
NGC 6992/5 Cirrus Nebula, eastern part GN *** 55' x 5'
And NGC 7662 PN ** 0,5' 15
NGC 7640 G * 4' x 1'
Ori M 42/43 Orion Nebula GN **** 25' x 30' yes (ST120) 17
Surround div. div.
Ori IC 434 GN * 44' x 10' 17
B 33 Horse Head Nebula GN * 4'
NGC 2024 Flame Nebula GN ** 20' x 15'
M 78 GN * 5' x 4' yes
Pup M 46 OC *** 20' x 15'  yes 18, 26
M 47 OC *** 30' x 20' yes
NGC 2438 PN * 1.1'
NGC 2423 OC * 15'
Leo M 95 M 96 Galaxy Group G * 4' x 3.5' 19
M 96 M 96 Galaxy Group G * 3.5' x 3' yes
M 105 M 96 Galaxy Group G * 2.5' x 2'
NGC 3384 M 96 Galaxy Group G * 2.5' x 2'
Oph M 10 OC ** 8' yes (ST120) 21
M 12 OC ** 5' yes (ST120)
M 72 GC ** 3' 22, 23, 31
NGC 7009 Saturn Nebula GN ** 0,4' Very small
Del Rhombus of the Dolphin yes 22
Sct M 11 Wildentenhaufen OC **** 7' yes (ST120) ??? 22
B 111 Dark Nebula 1.8° x 1°
NGC 6751 PN 0.3' Small, ring
B 133 Dark Nebula 10'
Sct M 11 Wild Duck Cluster OC **** 7' yes (ST120) ??? 22
M 26 OC * 8' yes (ST120)
NGC 6712 GC 2.5'
IC 1295 PN 1.5'
Oph IC 4756 OC * 70' 22
NGC 6633 OC *** 20'
Oph NGC 6633 OC *** 20' 22
NGC 6572 Emerald Nebula PN * 0.1'
Ser IC 4703 Eagle Nebula GN * 45' x 20' M 17 and M 18 seen together (ST120) 22, 30
M 16 In the Eagle Nebula OC *** 10' yes (ST120)
M 17 Omega/Swan Nebula GN **** 20' x 15' yes (ST120)
M 18 OC * 8' yes (ST120)
Ser NGC 6645 OC 15' M 17 and M 18 seen together (ST120) 22, 30
M 17 Omega/Swan Nebula GN **** 20' x 15' yes (ST120)
M 18 OC * 8' yes (ST120)
Scl NGC 288 GC * 6' 24
NGC 253 Sculpture Galaxy G *** 20' x 4' Seen from the side
Pup M 46 OC *** 20' x 15' yes 26
NGC 2440 PN * 0.3'
Pup M 93 OC ** 25' yes ??? 26
NGC 2467 GN 4'
CMa NGC 2359 Wolf-Rayet-Nebel GN ** 9' x 6' 26
NGC 2360 Opened Box Cluster OC * 8'
CMa Cr 140 OC * 1° Far in the South! ??? 26
NGC 2439 OC 5'
Sco M 80 GC ** 5' Fairly in the South yes (ST120) M 4 and M 80 not yet seen together 29
M 4 GC *** 12' Fairly in the South yes (ST120)
NGC 6144 GC 2' ?
Sgr M 21 OC * 7' yes (ST120) 29
M 20 Trifid Nebula GN ** 15' x 10' yes (ST120)
M 8 (OC in Lagoon Nebula) OC **** 7' In the Lagoon Nebula yes (ST120)
M 8 Lagoon Nebula GN **** 20' x 10'
NGC 6544 GC 1,5'
NGC 6553 GC 2' x 1.5'
Sgr M 6 Butterfly Cluster OC **** 25' x 20' Fairly in the South

Perhaps too far apart for 4°

 29, 30
M 7 OC **** 80' Fairly in the South
Sgr M 19 GC ** 3' x 2.5' yes (ST120) 29
M 62 GC * 3.5' Perhaps too far in the South
Ser M 25 OC *** 30' yes (ST120) Perhaps too far apart for 4° 30
M 18 OC * 8' yes (ST120)
M 24 Small Sagittarius Cloud SW *** 1.5° x 0.5° yes (ST120)
Sgr M 22 GC **** 9' yes (ST120) 30
M 28 GC ** 5' yes (ST120)
Sgr M 54 GC * 2.5' yes (ST120) 30
M 70 GC * 3' yes (ST120)
Sgr M 70 GC * 3' yes (ST120) 30
M 69 GC * 2.5' yes (ST120)

Legend

*) Page in Deep Sky Reiseatlas (see references)
PN = planetary nebula, GE = galactic emission nebula, GR = galactic reflection nebula, OC = open star cluster, GC = globular star cluster, DS = double star, SP = star pattern, SC = star cloud
ST120: many first observations were made with the StarTravel 120/600 (ST120) refractor

 

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05.09.2020