The Official Sky-Watcher Target of the Month Challenge
Official Rules:
- Target is announced at the beginning of each month LIVE on the Sky-Watcher What's Up? Webcast, website, social media, and e-newsletter
- Imaging only - Must provide an image by the end of the month
- Email image and details to totm@skywatcherusa.com
- Must provide your name, equipment, image specifications, image file, FITS file, and mailing address
- Include your social media handles if you would like us to tag you in any future posts of your work
- US and Canada only (please include phone # for Canada addresses)
- All valid submissions will receive an official, embroidered, adhesive TOTM patch and a possible inclusion in Sky-Watcher's social media, E-newsletters, and web site
- Each new year will feature a new patch design and/or color scheme
September 2023
LDN 1235 The Shark nebula
Dec: +73°08′51″.5
Distance: 650 ly
Mag. n/a
August 2023
Barnard 150
Dec: 60° 18′ 00″
Distance: 1200 ly
Mag. n/a
AKA IC Seahorse Nebula
July 2023
The Blue Horsehead Nebula
Image Credit: NASA/Mario Cogo
Constellation: Scorpius
RA 16h 11m 58.6s
Dec −19° 27′ 17″
Distance 400 ly
Radius 40 ly
AKA IC 4592
June 2023
Abell 039
Image Credit: NASA APOD / George Jacoby (WIYN Obs.) et al., WIYN, AURA, NOAO, NSF
Constellation: Hercules
RA 16h 27m 33.737s
Dec +27° 54′ 33.44″
Distance 3.3 kly
Apparent magnitude 13.7, Central Star: 15.59
Apparent dims .155.1″ × 154.5″
May 2023
NGC 4762 - The Paper Kite Galaxy
Image by Kevin LeGore, Esprit 150
Constellation: Virgo
RA: 12h 52m 56.05s
Dec: +11° 13′ 51″
Distance: 58 Mly
Apparent magnitude (V) 11.12
April 2023
The Box Galaxy Cluster
RA 12h 12m 18.7s
Dec +29° 10' 46"
Apparent Magnitude: 12.2
Apparent diameter: 1.8' x 0.9'
March 2023
Hubble's Variable Nebula
Image: The Hubble Space Telescope/NASA
Constellation: Monoceros
RA 6h 39m 10s
Dec +8° 45′
Distance 2,500 ly
Apparent magnitude (V) 9.0
Apparent dimensions (V) 2′
NGC 2261, Caldwell 46
February 2023
Abell 12
Dec +09° 39′ 07″
Apparent Magnitude: 14
January 2023
Arp 273 (The Rose)
December 2022 TOTM
The Witch Head Nebula / IC 2118
Dec −07° 54′ 00″
November 2022 TOTM
Simeis 147 / Sharpless 240 / The Spaghetti Nebula (link)
Image by Richard Wright
Supernova remnant
Constellation: Auriga / Taurus
RA: 05h 39m 06s
Dec: +27° 59′ 55″
Apparent Magnitude: 6.5
Apparent diameter: ~ 3 degrees
October 2022 TOTM
IC 63 Ghost of Cassiopeia (link)
RA: 00h 59m 13s.2
Dec: +60° 55′ 48″
September 2022 TOTM
Wings of the Dumbbell Nebula (wiki)
Image by Kevin LeGore
Emission / Planetary nebula
Apparent dimensions: 8.0′ × 5.6′
August 2022 TOTM
The Soap Bubble Nebula (wiki)
Image 1 by Kevin LeGore. Image 2 by Kitt Peak
Emission nebula / Planetary nebula
Constellation: Cygnus
Designations: PN G75.5+1.7, PN Ju
RA: 20h 15m 22.2s
Dec: +38° 02′ 58″
260" in angular diameter