Objects & Observing Sites

5 inch refractor telescope: 

• Anytime: The Moon and five naked eye planets; Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and its moons and Saturn and its moons

• Fall: NGC 7009 Saturn Planetary Nebula outskirts of Valley (Bortle 4-5) 

• Winter: NGC 7662 Blue Snowball Planetary Nebula , NGC 2169 “XY” star cluster outskirts of valley (Bortle 4-5) 

• Spring: Stargate asterism 2 nested triangles outskirts of valley (Bortle 4-5) NGC 3242 Ghost of Jupiter Planetary Nebula dark skies like the antennas area (Bortle 2) 

• Summer: deep red carbon star 1 Lyrae, Collinder 399 Coat Hanger asterism outskirts of valley (Bortle 4-5)

6 inch Dobsonian reflector telescope: 

• Fall: Double Cluster in Perseus, Andromeda Galaxy M31 outskirts of Valley (Bortle 4-5) 

• Winter: Pleiades Open Cluster M45, Orion Nebula M42 in Phoenix (Bortle 6-8) 

• Spring: Beehive Open Cluster M44, Hercules Globular Cluster M13 (Bortle 4-5) 

• Summer: Ptolemy’s Open Cluster M7 in Scorpius (Bortle 4-5) Lagoon Nebula M8 dark sky (Bortle 2) 

8 inch Newtonian reflector telescope: 

• Fall: Gamma Andromeda blue and gold double star in Phoenix (Bortle 6-8) 

• Winter: Orion Nebula M42 outskirts of the Valley (Bortle 4-5) 

• Spring: M81 and M82 galaxies dark sky like Antennas location (Bortle 2) 

• Summer: M13 globular cluster outskirts of Valley (Bortle 4-5) 

9 ¼ inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope: 

• Fall: Albireo and Gamma Andromeda double stars blue and gold in Phx (Bortle 6 8), Stephan’s quintet of galaxies Hickson 92 (NGC’s 7317, 7318a, 7318b, 7319,7320) dark sky area (Bortle 2) 

• Winter: Orion Nebula and Running Man Nebulae M42 &M43 in Phx (Bortle 6-8) M35 Open Cluster Phx (Bortle 6-8) 

• Spring: Omega Centauri Globular Cluster southern outskirts of Phoenix (Bortle 4-5), M35 Open Cluster in Phoenix (Bortle 6-8) 

• Summer: Swan Nebula M17 (use OIII filter) and Lagoon Nebula M8, if south of the valley (Bortle 4-5) 

14 inch Dobsonian reflector telescope: 

• Fall: Perseus double cluster Phx (Bortle 6-8), M37 open cluster outskirts of valley (Bortle 4-5), M17 & M20 Nebulae and Open Clusters NGC 7789 and M11 Wild Duck in dark sky area like antennas (Bortle 2) 

• Winter: Orion Nebula M42 in Phx (Bortle 6-8), Andromeda Galaxy M31 outskirts of Valley (Bortle 4-5), Open Clusters M41 and M50 dark area (Bortle 2) 

• Spring: M81 and M82 galaxies outskirts of valley (Bortle 4-5) M51 Whirlpool galaxy and M5 &M13 globular clusters, and Virgo region galaxies (M86 and surrounding area) all in dark area (Bortle 2) 

• Summer: M57 Ring Nebula outskirts of Valley (Bortle 4-5) , NGC 6826 Blinking Planetary Nebula, Helix Nebula NGC 7293, Veil Nebula Caldwell 33/34, Sculptor Galaxy NGC 253, M27 dumbell nebula dark area (Bortle 2) 

• Fall: Andromeda Galaxy M31; Milky Way Galaxy; M15 Globular Cluster in Pegasus; Perseus Double Open Star Clusters 

• Winter: Pleiades Open Star Cluster M45 in Taurus; Orion Nebula M42; Open Star Cluster M35 in Gemini; M36 Open Star Cluster in Auriga; M37 Open Star Cluster in Auriga; M38 Open Star Cluster in Auriga; Betelgeuse in Orion redorange star; Rigel in Orion blue-white star; Aldebaran in Taurus red giant star 

• Spring: Beehive Open Star Cluster M44 in Cancer; M50 Open Star Cluster in Monoceros; M41 Open Star Cluster in Canis Major; Mizar Double star in Ursa Major 

• Summer: Lagoon Nebula M8 in Sagittarius; Trifid Nebula M 20 in Sagittarius; Hercules Globular Cluster M13; M25 Open Cluster in Sagittarius; M22 Globular Cluster in Sagittarius; Delta Lyra,red/blue double star; Epsilon Lyra , wider components of the double double star; “False Albireo” Alpha and 8 Velpeculae double star; Omicron 1 and 2 blu/orange double star; 31 Cygni, wide triple star; Deneb in Cygnus blue-white star; Summer Triangle of 3 stars Deneb in Cygnus, Vega in Lyra, Altair in Aquila; Coll399 in Vulpecula “Coat Hanger” Asterism group of stars 

The darkness of the night sky can be measured in Bortle units, ranging from 1 (best) to 9 (worst).

• MAP Bortle 1.0 18 miles south of Jacobs Lake, 22 miles north of north rim of Grand Canyon

• MAP Bortle 1.5 Kaibab lodge 18 miles north of north rim of Grand Canyon 

• MAP Bortle 1.5 Wupatki/Doney Mountain Lunch/View Area about 45 minutes north of Flagstaff off route 89

• MAP Bortle 1.5 Southwestern Research Station, Portal AZ

• MAP Bortle 1.9 Moran Point South Rim of Grand Canyon

• MAP Bortle 2.0 Pinewood Trailhead, eastern limits of Munds Park about 20 miles south of Flagstaff

• MAP Bortle 2.0 Hovatter Rd Antenna’s site about 100 miles west of Central Phoenix

• MAP Bortle 2.0 Tonto National Monument

• MAP Bortle 2.6 Arcosanti about 60 miles north of Phoenix

• MAP Bortle 3.4 Pickett Post trail head about 60 miles SE of Phx off Highway 60

• Bortle 3.9 Four Peaks cookout area 18 miles north  from Fort McDowell on Beeline Highway Turn off ~ 33.67803 -111.50200 

• MAP Bortle 4.0 Apache Wash Trailhead in North Phoenix

• MAP Bortle 4.0 Buffalo Park in N Flagstaff: Map Link

• Bortle 4.1 Needle Rock Recreation Area near Rio Verde - can be found at: ~ 33.76764  -111.67004 

• Bortle 4.2 Town of Tusayan 5 miles south of Grand Canyon 

• Bortle 4.3 Cow Track Ranch in Carefree 

•  MAP Bortle 4.3 Spur Cross Ranch Park, Cave Creek

• Bortle 4.3 New River 

• Bortle 4.3 Robbins Butte East of Buckeye 40 miles SW of Phoenix 

• MAP Bortle 4.6 McDowell Mountain Park

• Bortle 5.0 Paradise Valley Community College Black Mountain Campus North Valley 

• Bortle 5.7 South Mountain Park, Phoenix