Suggested Searches

August

These night-sky objects are visible in August. We invite you to find them and compare your view to Hubble's!

The Milky Way above Devil's Tower National Monument.
NPS / Damon Joyce

Hubble's Night Sky Challenge is a year-round observing adventure for amateur astronomers to commemorate 35 years of Hubble science and discoveries. This challenge can also serve as a guide for star parties. Below, you’ll find a list of Messier and Caldwell night sky targets visible during August that Hubble has imaged over the years for both Northern and Southern Hemisphere observers.

Helpful Tips

  • Some objects may be visible from most locations on Earth, while others are only visible at specific latitudes and may not be accessible for those in other parts of the world. This page has two lists of recommended targets: one for the Northern Hemisphere and another for the Southern Hemisphere. For best results, we recommend using the list that corresponds to the part of the world you live in.
  • If the name of the object starts with an "M," it's part of the Messier catalog; names that start with "C" are part of the Caldwell catalog.
  • A difficulty scale of 1-3 denotes how easy an object is to find: 1 is the easiest and 3 the hardest. The easiest targets for each hemisphere are listed first, and the most difficult ones are listed last.

Northern Hemisphere Objects

These night sky objects are visible to viewers in the Northern Hemisphere.

M8, the Lagoon Nebula (Hubble image) that looks like colorful waves breaking.

M8: Lagoon Nebula

Object Type: Diffuse Nebula
Difficulty: 1

An open cluster of stars, with many small stars in the background and several larger white and yellow in the foreground.

M11: Wild Duck Cluster

Object Type: Open Cluster
Difficulty: 1

Three giant pillars of rusty colored dust and gas with a blueish green background.

M16: Eagle Nebula

Object Type: Open Cluster + Nebula
Difficulty: 1

A field of stars on black, some larger than others

M22: Sagittarius Cluster

Object Type: Globular Cluster
Difficulty: 1

Black background holding an oval of light. The outer ring of the oval is orange-red. Moving inward the ring is more greenish-yellow. The center of the ring is bright blue with one small star at its center and another above and to the right of it.

M57: Ring Nebula

Object Type: Planetary Nebula
Difficulty: 1

Red and brown gas and dust with several bright stars at the center. The image is a set of rectangles mosaiced together.

M20: Trifid Nebula

Object Type: Diffuse Nebula
Difficulty: 2

Large clouds of white dust and gas surrounding a bright white star in the center.

C6: Cat's Eye Nebula

Object Type: Planetary Nebula
Difficulty: 2

Southern Hemisphere Objects

These night sky objects are visible to viewers in the Southern Hemisphere.

M8, the Lagoon Nebula (Hubble image) that looks like colorful waves breaking.

M8: Lagoon Nebula

Object Type: Diffuse Nebula
Difficulty: 1

An open cluster of stars, with many small stars in the background and several larger white and yellow in the foreground.

M11: Wild Duck Cluster

Object Type: Open Cluster
Difficulty: 1

Three giant pillars of rusty colored dust and gas with a blueish green background.

M16: Eagle Nebula

Object Type: Open Cluster + Nebula
Difficulty: 1

A field of stars on black, some larger than others

M22: Sagittarius Cluster

Object Type: Globular Cluster
Difficulty: 1

Black background holding an oval of light. The outer ring of the oval is orange-red. Moving inward the ring is more greenish-yellow. The center of the ring is bright blue with one small star at its center and another above and to the right of it.

M57: Ring Nebula

Object Type: Planetary Nebula
Difficulty: 1

A cluster of bright blue, red and white stars against the black background of space.

C86

Object Type: Globular Cluster
Difficulty: 1

A collection of many white stars against the black background of space. They are more concentrated in the center of the cluster.

C93

Object Type: Globular Cluster
Difficulty: 1

Red and brown gas and dust with several bright stars at the center. The image is a set of rectangles mosaiced together.

M20: Trifid Nebula

Object Type: Diffuse Nebula
Difficulty: 2

A bright, compact, spherical cluster of stars in colors of white, blue and red.

C78

Object Type: Globular Cluster
Difficulty: 2

A large spiral galaxy fills the frame. A bright core of stars, just left of center. Dust-filled spiral arms wrap around toward the top, right, and bottom of the image.

C101

Object Type: Barred Spiral Galaxy
Difficulty: 2

Two bright stars shine a distance away from each other, looking like eyes. An orangey haze emanates around and between them.

C68: R CrA Nebula

Object Type: Bright Nebula
Difficulty: 3