20 Must-See Galaxies During Galaxy Season

20 Must-See Galaxies for Astrophotography During Galaxy Season

Each spring, as the skies darken and the weather warms, amateur and professional astrophotographers look forward to galaxy season—a time when some of the best galaxies in the night sky come into view. This period runs from March through early Northern Hemisphere Summer. Here’s a guide to 20 incredible galaxies worth capturing, including what makes them special, how to shoot them, and where to find them in the sky. Credit all images to NASA.

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1. Andromeda Galaxy (M31) – Andromeda

One of the closest galaxies to Earth, Andromeda is a sprawling spiral visible even to the naked eye in dark skies. Spanning over 3 degrees, it’s perfect for wide-field imaging. Shooting Tips: Use a DSLR or wide-field telescope; untracked exposures work well in dark skies. Long exposure reveals its satellites M32 and M110. Details

2. Bode’s Galaxy (M81) – Ursa Major

This bright spiral galaxy is great for imaging alongside M82. Its well-defined arms and bright core show up nicely in long exposures. Shooting Tips: Pair with M82 using a small refractor. Capture with moderate focal lengths for detail. Details

3. Cigar Galaxy (M82) – Ursa Major

This irregular starburst galaxy bursts with color and texture. Red hydrogen filaments emerge with narrowband imaging. Shooting Tips: Narrowband filters (like Ha) enhance the outflow regions. Ideal companion to M81. Details

4. Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) – Canes Venatici

A classic interacting pair of galaxies. The tidal bridge connecting M51 and NGC 5195 is visible with longer exposures. Shooting Tips: Use a moderate to long focal length. Stack long exposures to reveal the interaction zone. Details

5. Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) – Ursa Major

An enormous face-on spiral with delicate arms and many star-forming regions. Needs dark skies and long exposures. Shooting Tips: Use wide-field scopes with long integration. Best captured from dark-sky sites. Details

6. Black Eye Galaxy (M64) – Coma Berenices

Named for the dark band across its bright core. It’s compact, bright, and great for short to medium focal lengths. Shooting Tips: Excellent target for mid-range focal lengths. Capture the central dark lane with high contrast. Details

7. Sombrero Galaxy (M104) – Virgo

A beautiful edge-on spiral with a bright bulge and a prominent dust lane. Shooting Tips: Use luminance filters to enhance structure. Ideal at 800mm+ focal lengths. Details

8. Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628) – Leo

Three spirals in one frame. Each has unique structure: M65 is smooth, M66 has a warped arm, and NGC 3628 is edge-on. Shooting Tips: Frame all three with a wide field. Capture at least 4–6 hours of data for structure. Details

9. NGC 4565 – Coma Berenices

The Needle Galaxy, a razor-thin edge-on spiral. Striking with its central bulge and dust lane. Shooting Tips: Long focal length scopes bring out detail. Emphasize dust with luminance stacking. Details

10. Whale Galaxy (NGC 4631) – Canes Venatici

Shaped like a whale and paired with the dwarf NGC 4627. Great for imaging galactic scale interactions. Shooting Tips: Use contrast-enhancing tools to bring out detail. Good target for 800mm+ scopes. Details

11. Hockey Stick Galaxy (NGC 4656/57) – Canes Venatici

A bent galaxy formed by gravitational distortion. Visually unusual. Shooting Tips: Long exposure and dark skies required to show off its shape. Details

12. NGC 2903 – Leo

A bright barred spiral with visible star-forming knots. Shooting Tips: Works well in suburban skies. 600–1000mm focal length recommended. Details

13. NGC 891 – Andromeda

A Milky Way analog seen edge-on, known for its dark dust band. Shooting Tips: Sharpness matters—track well and use high gain to pull out dust detail. Details

14. NGC 5033 – Canes Venatici

Bright nucleus and spiral arms show well with longer exposure. Shooting Tips: Color calibration helps reveal arm structure. Pair with NGC 5005. Details

15. Sunflower Galaxy (NGC 5055) – Canes Venatici

Its loose spiral arms and central glow resemble petals. Shooting Tips: Combine luminance and RGB data. Use star-reduction processing to emphasize the galaxy. Details

16. Fireworks Galaxy (NGC 6946) – Cepheus/Cygnus

Rich in HII regions and supernova remnants. Requires patience. Shooting Tips: Use Ha filters to enhance nebulosity. Very sensitive to light pollution. Details

17. NGC 2403 – Camelopardalis

A bright spiral with M33-like features. Shooting Tips: Shows rich structure even with moderate focal lengths. Ideal for winter-to-spring transition. Details

18. NGC 4216 – Virgo

Massive edge-on galaxy in the Virgo Cluster. Shooting Tips: Long exposures reveal nearby galaxies. Useful for capturing galactic environments. Details

19. NGC 7331 – Pegasus

Bright and full of subtle features. Surrounded by small companions in the Deer Lick Group. Shooting Tips: Image for several hours to draw out faint background galaxies. Details

20. Stephan’s Quintet (NGC 7317–20) – Pegasus

A tight cluster of interacting galaxies—famous from the Webb Space Telescope. Shooting Tips: Very faint. Requires dark skies, 1000mm+ focal length, and long integration. Details

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Final Thoughts

Whether you’re using a DSLR, a cooled astro camera, or a smart telescope, galaxy season is the perfect time to capture deep-sky wonders. With detailed shooting tips, sky map links, and visual references, this guide provides everything you need to get started.

Plan your sessions under dark skies, aim your scope high, and enjoy the beauty of the universe—one galaxy at a time.

Happy Imaging!

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