Last month, we discussed the Hubble’s Night Sky Observing Challenge and the June targets announced by the Astronomical League and NASA to celebrate 35 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope. These organizations have announced a new set of targets for the month of July. Read on to find out more.
Explore the Night Sky Like Hubble!
You can help celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope by taking on the Hubble’s Night Sky Observing Challenge! With a telescope, clear skies, and some star charts, you can observe incredible celestial objects, like nebulae and galaxies, that Hubble has photographed from space. Each month in 2025, a new list of targets will be shared, encouraging stargazers worldwide to find and enjoy these cosmic wonders.
Earn Awards for Stargazing
The Astronomical League and NASA invite everyone, regardless of experience, to join this year-long challenge. Earn silver or gold awards by observing the monthly objects, sharing your discoveries with others through outreach, and comparing your observations to Hubble’s images. Whether you’re an amateur astronomer or part of a star party group, this program is a fantastic way to learn more about the universe while celebrating Hubble’s legacy. The silver award consists of a certificate for taking part in the monthly objectives, while the gold award for completing the objectives each month throughout 2025 consists of a certificate and a pin from the Astronomical League.
July Targets
For your convenience, you can download this target list in either a CSV format (with names, constellation, coordinates, etc.) or in a SkySafari skylist format, that you can import directly into the app, by simply downloading it to your device and opening it.
- M13 (NGC 6205) – The Great Hercules Cluster
NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: C. Bailyn (Yale University), W. Lewin (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), A. Sarajedini (University of Florida), and W. van Altena (Yale University) Located in the constellation Hercules, M13 is one of the most famous globular clusters in the Northern Hemisphere. It contains several hundred thousand stars densely packed into a bright, round cluster. Found in the “keystone” pattern of Hercules, M13 appears as a fuzzy patch in binoculars, but a telescope reveals a sparkling swarm of stars radiating from a brilliant core.
- M92 (NGC 6341)
ESA/Hubble & NASA; Acknowledgment: Gilles Chapdelaine Also in Hercules, M92 is another impressive globular cluster that is often overlooked in favor of M13. However, it is slightly older and more compact. Through a telescope, M92 looks like a tightly packed ball of stars, with a bright, condensed core that begins to resolve under higher magnification.
- M4 (NGC 6121)
ESA/Hubble & NASA M4 is a globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius, positioned near the bright red star Antares. It is one of the closest globular clusters to Earth, which gives it a relatively large apparent size and a loosely concentrated structure. Telescopes show a bright center with a distinctive bar-like arrangement of stars across the middle.
- M62 (NGC 6266)
NASA, ESA, STScI, and S. Anderson (University of Washington) and J. Chaname (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) Found in Ophiuchus, M62 is a densely packed globular cluster located in a rich part of the Milky Way. Gravitational interactions with the galactic core have given M62 a slightly irregular shape. It appears as a bright, concentrated ball in a telescope, with fainter stars extending outward from the luminous core.
- M107 (NGC 6171)
ESA/Hubble & NASA M107, also in Ophiuchus, is a somewhat sparse globular cluster compared to others. It has a loose and irregular appearance, making it more challenging to observe. In small telescopes it appears as a faint, grainy glow, while larger instruments can resolve some of its scattered stars.
Tips for Success
For the best experience, use a telescope with at least six inches of aperture and find a dark sky far from city lights. Explore the objects from the Messier and Caldwell catalogs listed above. Once observed, you can share your sketches or photos as part of the challenge. Though your view won’t match Hubble’s space-based clarity, it’s still thrilling to see these distant wonders for yourself.
More Information
For more information about the Hubble Space Telescope 35th Anniversary Observing Challenge, check out the webpages at the Astronomical League and NASA. You can also reach out to the NASA Observing Challenges and Special Awards Coordinator or the DAS Astronomical League Coordinator if you have further questions.
