JULY 2025
When the Sky Has Something for Everyone.
July brings a kind of cosmic generosity.
In the north, the Milky Way now arches high across the sky, revealing intricate regions of dust, gas, and stars, from iconic nebulae to subtle clouds hiding in plain sight. Star-forming regions are rich with detail, and widefield imaging truly comes into its own.
In the south, the galactic core is near its peak. This is prime season for deep-sky explorers, with targets large and small layered across the field of view. The nights are long at higher southern latitudes, offering more time to go deep.
It’s a month of variety. Bold structures, quiet details, star clusters, emission arcs, and reflection clouds — all visible within a single frame. July rewards both planning and curiosity, whether you’re chasing specific targets or just pointing your camera at the sky to see what shows up.
July 2025 Deep-Sky Targets
July continues the visual richness of summer skies, with bold emission nebulae, dense star fields, delicate dust clouds, and glowing planetary remnants all in the mix. Whether you’re in the north or south, this is prime time for deep-sky imaging.
From sweeping widefield windows like M24 to narrowband icons like the Swan Nebula, July’s lineup balances familiar favourites with lesser-known gems. It’s a month that rewards both planning and curiosity, and invites you to look twice at things you might’ve passed over before.
There’s something here for everyone — from DSLR shooters under dark skies to smart telescope users working with shorter focal lengths.
Below, you’ll find a visual introduction and key details for each target.
For the full breakdown — including framing tips, filter suggestions, and recommended exposure strategies — download this month’s Cosmic Astrophotography Planner (CAP) as a free PDF using the button below.
M17 – The Swan Nebula
Constellation: Sagittarius | Distance: ~5,500 light-years | Apparent Size: 23′ × 20′ | Apparent Magnitude: ~6.0
M17 is a bright emission nebula shaped by powerful radiation and stellar winds from young, massive stars. The curved ridge we see — often called the “swan” or “checkmark” — is actually the edge of a hollow bubble of ionized gas viewed from the side. It’s part of the same vast molecular cloud complex as the Eagle Nebula.
A widefield view between 0.8° and 1.5° frames both the bright arc and its extended surroundings. Narrowband imaging is ideal here, with strong Hα and SII emission in the arc and OIII adding depth to the inner structure. Dual narrowband filters also work well on OSC cameras, especially under heavier light pollution. Broadband imaging is possible under dark skies, though star reduction is often helpful.
Best for: Narrowband and dual-band imaging. Suitable for OSC or mono cameras. Ideal field of view: 0.8°–1.5°.
Also, a great option for smart telescope users — bright, detailed, and rewarding even with short exposures.
M57 – The Ring Nebula
Constellation: Lyra | Distance: ~2,300 light-years | Apparent Size: 1.2′ diameter | Apparent Magnitude: ~8.8
M57 is one of the most iconic planetary nebulae in the night sky — a glowing ring of gas formed when a sun-like star shed its outer layers at the end of its life. What looks like a smoke ring is actually a glowing cylinder of ionized gas, seen nearly face-on, with a faint outer shell hinting at an even earlier stage of stellar evolution.
A field of view between 0.3° and 0.6° is ideal for framing the nebula and its extended halo. M57 responds beautifully to narrowband imaging, especially in OIII and Hα, though SII can also reveal fine structure. A dual narrowband filter works well for OSC cameras, and it’s also a solid broadband target under moderate skies.
Best for: Narrowband and broadband imaging. Ideal for long focal lengths, but still rewarding for smart telescope users due to its brightness and contrast. Ideal field of view: 0.3°–0.6°.
Telescope.live image data edited by Cosmic Captures
vdB 123 – A Quiet Dust Complex
Constellation: Hercules | Distance: ~1,600 light-years | Apparent size: 1.6° × 1.1° for the full complex | Apparent Magnitude: ~11.0 (core)
vdB 123 is the brightest part of a delicate dust complex in Hercules, near the galactic plane. It sits among faint reflection patches and dark nebulae catalogued in the LDN, LBN, and Sh2 systems — a subtle region where scattered starlight and shadowed dust mingle in quiet complexity.
At the centre, a single star illuminates a wisp of interstellar dust, creating the soft blue glow of vdB 123. But the true beauty lies in the wider field: tangled dark lanes, delicate gradients, and hidden structure that emerge with deep, careful imaging.
This is a broadband-only target — narrowband filters won’t help here. A wide field of view, between 1.5° and 2.5°, is ideal, and under dark skies, long integration times are crucial. Expect to spend many hours coaxing the signal from the background.
Best for: Broadband imaging with long integration under dark skies. Widefield setups and mono or OSC cameras. Not suitable for most smart telescopes. Ideal field of view: 1.5°–2.5°.
M24 – Sagittarius Star Cloud
Constellation: Sagittarius | Distance: ~10,000 light-years | Apparent Size: 120′ × 60′ | Apparent Magnitude: ~4.6
M24, the Sagittarius Star Cloud, is one of the richest star fields in the night sky. Unlike most Messier objects, it’s not a nebula or a cluster, but a transparent window through the dust of the Milky Way, revealing a dense background of stars roughly 10,000 light-years away.
This makes M24 a rare entry in the Messier catalogue: not a discrete object, but a glimpse into the galaxy itself. In widefield images, the area comes alive with embedded clusters, faint emission and reflection nebulae, and dark features like Barnard 92 and 93.
It’s best captured with broadband imaging, especially under dark skies. A field of view around 1.5° is ideal — a 135mm lens or small refractor paired with a DSLR or mirrorless camera can yield beautiful results even with moderate exposure times. The region also includes HII zones and clusters, making Hα imaging worthwhile for narrowband shooters.
Smart telescope users can capture M24 using a widefield lens setup — especially on systems like the Dwarf III. The context and depth are what make this region shine.
Best for: Widefield broadband imaging with DSLR or mirrorless setups. Hα can add detail in narrowband images. Ideal field of view: 1.2°–2°.
NGC 6752 – The Hidden Giant of Pavo
Constellation: Pavo | Distance: ~13,000 light-years | Apparent Size: 29′ diameter | Apparent Magnitude: ~5.4
NGC 6752 is a massive globular cluster in the southern sky, often overlooked despite being the third-brightest of its kind. Located in the constellation Pavo, it contains over 100,000 ancient stars packed into a dense, glowing core.
This target spans nearly 20 arcminutes and is best captured with a field of view around 0.5°. While longer focal lengths can resolve the core, a slightly wider frame helps place the cluster in context — revealing its full halo and surrounding star field.
Broadband imaging is ideal. There’s no nebulosity here — just starlight. Integration times can be modest, but careful attention to color balance, saturation, and star control will elevate the result.
Best for: Broadband imaging at moderate focal lengths. A field of view around 0.5°–0.7° frames the cluster and surrounding stars well. Ideal for southern smart telescope users.
Telescope.live image data edited by Cosmic Captures
IC 4628 – The Prawn Nebula
Constellation: Scorpius | Distance: ~6,000 light-years | Apparent Size: ~1.5° | Apparent Magnitude: ~7.3 (diffuse)
IC 4628 is a large emission nebula in the tail of Scorpius, located in a rich star-forming region near the galactic core. Despite its size and activity, it’s often overshadowed by more famous neighbours, but it’s a rewarding target for narrowband imagers.
The nebula is shaped by radiation from young, massive stars embedded nearby, lighting up clouds of ionised hydrogen and sculpting elegant ridges and arcs. Its shape loosely resembles a prawn or shrimp, but the real draw here is the fine structure and contrast across its wide field.
A field of view around 1.5° frames the full nebula, though you can go tighter to focus on its central features. Narrowband filters are ideal: Hα is strong, with useful signal in both SII and OIII. The classic SHO palette reveals depth and structure. Dual-band filters work well too, making this a strong choice for one-shot-colour cameras.
Best for: Narrowband imaging in SHO or HOO. One-shot colour cameras do well with dual narrowband filters. Ideal field of view: 1.2°–1.7°. Good for smart scopes with widefield capability and longer integration times.
Telescope.live image data edited by Cosmic Captures
The main Moon Phases in July 2025
Planning your imaging sessions? The Moon plays a massive role in what we can capture.
Here’s what’s happening this month:
First Quarter
July 2
Deep-sky imaging is best after midnight.
Also great for capturing lunar surface details with strong shadows along the terminator.
Full Moon
July 10
The Full Moon in July 2025, is known as the Buck Moon.
Last Quarter
July 18
Deep-sky imaging is best in the first half of the night before the Moon rises in the early morning hours.
New Moon
July 24
The darkest skies of the month arrive with the New Moon, ideal for deep-sky imaging.
July 2025 MAP
(Moonlight Astrophotography Planner)
Each month, the MAP — or Moonlight Astrophotography Planner — helps you choose the best nights for capturing galaxies, nebulae, and nightscapes. Whether you’re shooting broadband or narrowband, MAP gives you clear guidance based on the Moon phase, so you can match your imaging plans to the sky conditions.
You can download this month’s MAP as a free PDF using the button below. It’s updated monthly to help you make the most of your imaging time, no matter your style or setup.
Meteor Activity – Subtle, but Worth Watching
July brings two minor meteor showers that peak near the end of the month: the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids.
Rates are modest, but both showers can produce occasional bright meteors — especially the Alpha Capricornids, which are known for slow-moving fireballs that can light up a wide area of sky.
If you’re out shooting the Milky Way around July 29–30, keep your camera rolling. You might just capture one of those quiet surprises that makes a night unforgettable.
Noctilucent Clouds – The Glow of Summer
If you live at higher latitudes, there’s a good chance to photograph noctilucent clouds in July — glowing silver-blue just above the twilight glow.
These rare clouds form high in the atmosphere and are only visible this time of year. They’re fading now, but with a bit of luck, you might still catch one dancing on the edge of night.
Want to learn more? I made a video all about them:
Capturing Twilight's Hidden Glow: Noctilucent Clouds
Nightscape Opportunities
July is a peak month for Milky Way imaging — especially from dark locations.
In the north, the core now rises into a high arc after midnight, while in the south, the Milky Way stretches proudly across the entire sky. This is the season for panoramas, layered compositions, and quiet hours under a rich, living sky.
If you’re chasing nightscapes, timing is everything. Use the Moonlight Astrophotography Planner (MAP) to find your best nights for both broadband and narrowband imaging — it’s free and updated monthly.