Beyond the Solar System
Galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters across the sky — 619 real deep-sky objects, each a first-class entity with catalogue data, an observing guide, and knowledge-graph connections.
282 open clusters · 135 galaxies · 87 globular clusters · 33 planetary nebulae · 24 clusters with nebulosity · 105 Messier & 105 Caldwell objects · data from OpenNGC (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Brightest deep-sky objects
See all →| Object | Type | Constellation | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Magellanic CloudNGC 292 | Barred spiral galaxy | Tuc | 2.3 | 299.92 |
| Lower SwordNGC 1980 | Cluster with nebulosity | Ori | 2.5 | 9.3 |
| omi Vel Cluster | Open cluster | Vel | 2.5 | 29.1 |
| NGC 6231C 76 · NGC 6231 | Open cluster | Sco | 2.6 | 13.8 |
| Carina NebulaC 92 · NGC 3372 | H II region | Car | 3 | 120 |
| Wishing Well ClusterC 91 · NGC 3532 | Open cluster | Car | 3 | 12 |
| BeehiveM 44 · NGC 2632 | Open cluster | Cnc | 3.1 | 108.6 |
| Ptolemy's ClusterM 7 · NGC 6475 | Open cluster | Sco | 3.3 | 22.2 |
| Andromeda GalaxyM 31 · NGC 224 | Spiral galaxy | And | 3.44 | 177.83 |
| h Persei ClusterNGC 869 | Open cluster | Per | 3.7 | 14.4 |
| chi Persei ClusterNGC 884 | Open cluster | Per | 3.8 | 10.5 |
| NGC 2516C 96 · NGC 2516 | Open cluster | Car | 3.8 | 24.3 |
Discover
All Galaxies
Galaxies in the encyclopedia, from spirals to ellipticals.
All Nebulae
Emission, reflection, planetary, and supernova-remnant nebulae.
Open Clusters
Loose clusters of young stars in the galactic disc.
Globular Clusters
Dense, ancient spherical clusters in the galactic halo.
Planetary Nebulae
Glowing shells cast off by dying Sun-like stars.
Supernova Remnants
The expanding debris of exploded stars.
Messier Objects
Charles Messier's catalogue of bright deep-sky objects.
Caldwell Objects
Patrick Moore's catalogue of bright objects Messier missed.
Bright Deep-Sky Objects
The brightest deep-sky objects (magnitude 7 and brighter).
Largest Galaxies
Galaxies with the greatest apparent size in the sky.
Beginner Targets
Easy objects for the naked eye, binoculars, or a small telescope.
Advanced Targets
Faint objects for larger telescopes and dark skies.
Visible in Summer
Deep-sky objects prominent in the Northern-Hemisphere summer sky.
Visible in Winter
Deep-sky objects prominent in the Northern-Hemisphere winter sky.
Northern Hemisphere
Objects best placed for northern observers.
Southern Hemisphere
Objects best placed for southern observers.
Browse by type
- Open clusters282
- Galaxies135
- Globular clusters87
- Planetary nebulae33
- Clusters with nebulosity24
- Nebulae22
- H II regions15
- Reflection nebulae14
- Supernova remnants6
- Galaxy groups1
Richest constellations
Data & provenance
Objects are generated from the open OpenNGC database — a compilation of the NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogues, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Every value is real; no measurements or identifiers are invented. See the source quality page.