The Official Sky-Watcher Target of the Month Challenge

 

Official Rules:

1. Target is announced at the beginning of each month LIVE on the Sky-Watcher What's Up? Webcast, website, social media, and e-newsletter
2. Imaging only - Must provide an image by the end of the month
3. Email image and details to totm@skywatcherusa.com
4. Must provide your name, equipment, image specifications, 1 jpg RGB image file (1920x1080 max resolution), 1 RAW or FIT file, and mailing address. No download links
5. Include your social media handles if you would like us to tag you in any future posts of your work
6. US and Canada only (please include phone # for Canada addresses)
7. 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
8. Each new year will feature a new patch design and/or color scheme
   
9. By submitting, you agree to allow Sky-Watcher USA to use your imagery for any and all marketing, social media, packaging, and advertising purposes with image credit given where applicable

 

Announcing the 2025 Official TOTM Imaging Contest 

1. Normal monthly TOTM rules apply, US and Canada only
2. Each month will feature a winner judged by the Sky-Watcher USA HQ team
3. From that list of 12 winners our panel of judges will pick a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner
4. Winners will be emailed their gift vouchers for purchase of Sky-Watcher products from our website
5. Runners up out of the final pool of 12 will recieve a consolation prize TBD. One prize per individual.
6. 1st place: $3000 
7. 2nd place: $1000
8. 3rd place: $500

Good Luck!

 

May 2025

NGC 4449

Constellation:  Canes Venatici
Right ascension:  12h 28m 11.9s
Declination:  +44° 05′ 40″
Redshift:  207 ± 4 km/s
Distance:  13.08 ± 0.98 Mly (4.01 ± 0.30 Mpc)
Apparent magnitude:  10.0

April 2025

Hickson 44

 

 

March 2025

LDN 1622 AKA The Boogeyman Nebula

January 2025

Barnard's Loop in Orion

Constellation: Orion
RA: 05^h 27.5^m
Dec: −03° 58′
Apparent Magnitude: 5
Apparent dimensions: 10°
Apparent radius: Either 50 or 150 light year

 

December 2024

Barnard 174

 

 

Constellation: Cepheus
RA: 22h 06m 45s
Dec: +59° 10' 23"
Apparent Magnitude: 9.5
Apparent diameter: 100-300 ly across

 

 

November 2024

Stephen's Quintet

 

Constellation: Pegasus
RA: 22h 35m 57.5s
Dec:+33° 57′ 36″
Apparent Magnitude: 13.6 - 16.7
Apparent diameter: ~ 4 arcminutes

October 2024

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

Image credit: Kevin LeGore, comet NEOWISE

For live updated details and all cometary ephemera, please visit 

https://theskylive.com/c2023a3-info

 

September 2024

The Coathanger Cluster

 

August 2024

Sh2-114, The Flying Dragon Nebula

 

 

Constellation: Cygnus
RA: 21h 21m 13s.36
Dec: +38° 42′ 00″.1
Apparent mag: Faint

Image by Ron Brecher

 

 

July 2024

Rho Ophiuchi, AKA IC 4603

June 2024

NGC 4435-4438, AKA the Eyes Galaxies

 

May 2024

Abell 35

 

 

April 2024

The Solar Eclipse - Any Phase

 

Constellation: Pisces
UT Time 2024-04-08 18:17:19
Sun Altitude 70°
Sun RA 1h 11m 37.0s
Sun Decl 7° 35' 26.7"
Moon RA 1h 11m 36.9s
Moon Decl 7° 35' 26.7"

 

March 2024

Jones-Emberson 1

Constellation:Lynx
RA: 07h 57m 51.628
Dec: +53° 25′ 16.96
Apparent Magnitude: 14
Distance: 1600 light years

 

February 2024

Hechathorn-Fesen-Gull 1

January 2024

Sh2-308, The Dolphin Head Nebula

Right ascension 06h 54m 13s
Declination −23° 55′ 42″
Distance 4530 ly
Apparent magnitude (V) 7.0
Apparent dimensions (V) 35′×35′
Constellation Canis Major

 

December 2023

LBN 762: Drunken Dragon nebula

Constellation: Aries
RA: 03^h 01^m
Dec:  +17° 17′
Apparent Magnitude: LOL good luck!

 

November 2023

vdB 1 (LBN 578)

Constellation: Cassiopeia
RA: 0^h 11^m
Dec:  +57° 29′
Apparent Magnitude: Really faint?
Apparent size: 1.71 x 1.15 (deg)
Distance: 1600ly
AKA Magakian 3

 

October 2023

Mayall 2

Constellation: Andromeda
Object type: Extra-galactic globular cluster
RA: 00h 32m 46.51s
Dec: +39° 34′ 39.7″
Distance: 2.52 ± 0.14 Mly
Mag. +13.81
Angular size: 0.283 x 0.283 arcminutes

 

September 2023

LDN 1235 The Shark nebula

August 2023

Barnard 150

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

 

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

January 2023

Arp 273 (The Rose)

December 2022 TOTM

The Witch Head Nebula / IC 2118

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)

September 2022 TOTM

Wings of the Dumbbell Nebula (wiki)

Image by Kevin LeGore

Emission / Planetary nebula

 

 

 

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