Over the years I have spent many an enjoyable hour hunting down galaxies using some 80mm binoculars. Even with large binoculars finding galaxies
is challenging requring dark skies, a good map and often averted vision. I have set out below a list of targets by month for you to enjoy. They
are listed by month when they are easiest to hunt down in the evening.

Of course it is very possible in very good skies to pick up other galaxies but the ones listed below are the easier ones to pick up under typical
semi-rural mag 5 skies with 80mm binoculars.

Those marked with a little pair of binoculars are possible in 50mm binoculars.

January and February

Camelopardis

Two galaxies are visible in this constelation.

NGC 2403 This galaxy is just visible in 50mm binoculars as a small oval shaped fuzzy patch. It is easily visible with direct vision in 80mm binoculars. It is a reasonable size oval near a field star but it has a relatively low surface brightness and so needs good skies to see it well.

NGC 2655 This galaxy is a challenge to see even in 80mm binoculars as it is very small.

March

Lynx

NGC 2683 This galaxy is just visible in 80mm binoculars with averted vision as a thin slither.

April

Leo

A big list here for you.

M 65 This galaxy is visible in 50mm binoculars as an oval fuzzy object. It is a relatively bright and fair sized object in 80mm binoculars in a good dark sky.

M 66 This galaxy is visible in 50mm binoculars as an oval fuzzy object. It is a relatively bright object in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 3628 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a long faint slither. It appears above M 65 and M66 and has a low surface brightnes and requires good skies and averted vision to spot it.

M 95 Only the core of this galaxy is visible in 50mm binoculars with averted vision. It is quite a tough galaxy to spot without good dark skies. It appears as an oval fuzzy object with averted vision.

M 96 This galaxy is visible in 50mm binoculars as a small circular fuzzy object. It is visible with direct vision in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 3384 / M 105 This pair of galaxies are visible in 50mm binoculars. M 105 is in the centre of this image and is the largest and brightest of the two circular fuzzy objects. Both can be held with direct vision using the 80mm binoculars.

NGC 2903 Visible with direct vision as an oval object in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 3521 Visible as a faint oval object in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 3607/8 These galaxies are visible in 80mm binoculars as a pair of small circular fuzzy objects.NGC 3607 is the brighter galaxy and is in the center of this image.

NGC 3412 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small oval fuzzy object.

NGC 3489 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small oval fuzzy object.

Sextans

The only "binocular" galaxy in Sextans is NGC 3115.

NGC 3115 This galaxy is just visible in 50mm binoculars as a thin slither.

Ursa Major

In this constellation we find the brightest pair of galaxies, M81 and M82 both of which appear in the same field of view in binoculars.
Above the plough we find the large low surface brightness spiral M101.

M 81 The brightest of a pair of galaxies, M81 & M82. M81 is the brighter of the two and is a relatively easy to spot oval object in 50mm binoculars.

M 82 M82 is slightly fainter than M81 and is an extended irregular object in 50mm binoculars. The view of these two galaxies next to each other is one of the most amazing night sky views in a pair of binoculars in my view.

M101 This galaxy is relatively large but requires dark skies as it has a low surface brightness. It can be seen in 50mm binoculars but is much easier in 80 mm binoculars.

There are numerous galaxies in the plough as you are looking directly out of our own milky way when you look in this area of the sky.

NGC 3077 This small circular shaped galaxy is near to M81 and M 82 and is visible in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 2681 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small circular fuzzy object.

NGC 2841 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small oval object with averted vision.

NGC 2976 A very small oval low surface brightness object in 80mm binoculars.

M 108 This galaxy is just visible in 50mm binoculars with averted vision as a slither of light.

NGC 3613 A very small oval object in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 3675 This is a relatively bright oval shaped galaxy in 80mm binoculars.

M 109 With quite a low surface brightness and the nearby bright star this galaxy is very tough to spot even with averted vision with 50mm binoculars.

NGC 3610 A very small circular object in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 5322 This is only visible with averted vision in 80 mm binoculars as a small dot.

May

Canes Venatici

A few bright messiers to try first. Then a hole host of others.

M 94 Relatively bright but small so this one looks like a fuzzy star in 50mm binoculars. You need to know where you are looking to positiviely identify it.

M 106 Relatively easy oval object in 50mm binoculars.

M 63 This oval shaped object is relatively large but relatively low in surface brightness terms so although it is visible in 50mm binoculars you need a good dark night to see it.

M 51 / NGC 5195 M 51 is definitely visible with 50mm binoculars. It looks extended hinting at its partner but it takes the larger 80mm pair of bins to spot its partner NGC 5195 as a seperate object as shown at the top in this image.

NGC 4490 Visible with direct vision this is an oval object in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 4631 Extended galaxy visible with direct vision in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 5005 This high surface brightness oval galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars below Cor Caroli.

Coma Berenices

This galaxy is full of objects to try. The easiest is M64.

M 64 Relatively bright oval object visible in 50 mm binouclars.

M 88 Relatively small but possible in 50 mm binoculars. It is relatively bright in 80mm binoculars.

M 85 A circular object visible with direct vision in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 4494 Visible with direct vision in 80mm binoculars.

M 98 This is a pretty tough edge on object even in 80mm binoculars. You try it and let me know if you can pick it up.

M 99 A pretty faint object even in 80mm binoculars requiring averted vision and a good dark night to see it as it is a face on low surface brightness galaxy.

M 100 Faint object even in 80mm binoculars requiring averted vision to see.

NGC 4251 Faint object in 80mm binoculars requiring averted vision to see.

NGC 4414 Faint object in 80mm binoculars requiring averted vision to see.

NGC 4725 Faint object in 80mm binoculars requiring averted vision to see.

Virgo

Where to start..!

M 87 Visible as a small blob next to a field star in 50mm binoculars.

M 86 Left of a pair of circular galaxies both visible with 50 mm binoculars.

M 84 Right of a pair of circular galaxies both visible with 50 mm binoculars.

M 49 Visible as a small blob in 50mm binoculars.

M 104 Amazing oval shaped galaxy. Although visible in 50mm binoculars is amazing in larger binoculars.

M 60 Another relatively bright Virgo galaxy just visible in 50mm binculars. Its partner NGC 4647 requires a telescope to spot.

M 59 Oval galaxy, visible with direct vision in 80mm bins.

M 58 Circular object, visible with direct vision in 80mm bins. The smaller fainter galaxy in the image is not possible in the 80mm binoculars,

NGC 5363 Circular object, visible with direct vision in 80mm bins.

NGC 4546 Oval galaxy, visible with direct vision in 80mm bins.

NGC 4697 Nice oval object, visible with direct vision in 80mm bins.

NGC 4753 Oval galaxy, visible with direct vision in 80mm bins.

NGC 4754 Small but relatively easy circular object, visible with direct vision in 80mm bins.

NGC 5846 Circular object visible with direct vision in 80mm bins.

NGC 4699 Oval galaxy which requires averted vision to spot in 80mm binoculars.

NGC 4762 Edge on object that is only visible with averted vision in 80mm binoculars.

M 89 Visible with averted vision in 80mm bins as a small blob.

M 61 Circular low surface brightness face on spiral. It requires averted vision to see this one with 80mm binoculars.

NGC 4216 Lovely edge on object, visible with averted vision in 80mm bins.

Hydra

The only "binocular" galaxy in Hydra is M 83.

M 83 This galaxy is visible in 50mm binoculars as a circular object.

June and July

Draco

Two galaxies are possible with binoculars in Draco. Try NGC 5866 and NGC 6503.

NGC 5866 This galaxy is relatively easy to spot. It is a small oval object in the 80mm binoculars.

NGC 6503 This galaxy is just visible in 80mm binoculars as a very small oval shaped fuzzy patch just of the end of a pair of stars.

August, September and October

Pegasus

One galaxies to try in Pegasus.

NGC 7331 Only the core of this this galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars. It appears as a very small oval shaped fuzzy patch with averted vision.

November and December

Andromeda

The brightest galaxy in the northern sky is M31 in Andromeda. M32 and M110 are both also visible nearby in binoculars.

M 31 This galaxy is visible with the naked eye and is a fine oval shaped object in 50mm binoculars. With 80mm binoculars the core is clear surrounded by a large oval shaped glow

M 32 This galaxy is visible in 50mm binoculars as a small fuzzy blob just on the otherside of a pair of stars from M 31.

M 110 This galaxy is visible in 50mm binoculars as a very faint oval shaped fuzzy patch. It requires good skies and averted vision to pick up

Pisces

NGC 488 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small fuzzy oval.

December

Aries

NGC 772 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small fuzzy oval.

Cetus

A few to try here. The brightest is M77 which is realtively easy. Give NGC 584 and NGC 936 a go as well. These are both small but bright.

M 77 This galaxy is a relatively easy spot in 80mm binoculars as a small circular fuzzy patch.

NGC 584 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small oval shaped fuzzy patch.

NGC 936 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small oval shaped fuzzy patch.

Eridanus

NGC 1084 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars as a small fuzzy spot.

Perseus

NGC 1023 This galaxy is visible in 80mm binoculars with averted vision as small oval shaped patch.

Triangulum

M33 This galaxy is visible in 50mm binoculars as a large oval shaped patch. It has a low surface brightness and requires good skies to spot.

I hope you enjoy these challenges.

Back to list of constellations