Dutch-American astronomer Bart Bok once famously stated that “the Southern Hemisphere holds all the good stuff,” and he was right. Counted amongst the riches that belong to the southern celestial sphere are an astonishing array of beautiful deep-sky objects, many of which have been covered in previous articles.
These include the naked-eye galaxies known as the Small Magellanic Cloud and Large Magellanic Cloud; the globular clusters 47 Tucanae and Omega Centauri; the Helix Nebula and Coalsack Nebula; and the Jewel Box open cluster, to name but a few. While the 10 deep-sky items on this list may not be as well-known as their famous cousins, they are nonetheless stunning to view and generally cannot be seen from much above the equator.
For those of you living north of the Equator, you can also find out about the top deep-sky objects for Northern Hemisphere stargazers by reading this page’s companion piece.
Wishing Well Cluster (NGC 3532)
- Constellation: Carina
- Object type: Open cluster
- Coordinates: RA 11h 05m 12s | Dec. −58° 44′ 01″
- Magnitude: +3
- Distance: About 1,320 light-years
- Other designations: C 1104-584, Caldwell 91, Melotte 103, Football Cluster, Wishing Well Cluster
Since NGC 3532 was the first deep-sky object to be imaged by the Wide Field and Planetary Camera (WFPC) of the Hubble Space Telescope in May 1990, it is perhaps fitting that our list should start with this stunning open cluster. The Wishing Well Cluster contains about 150 stars with magnitudes of about 7 or less, and among the dimmer members are seven red giants, as well as a large number of stars in binary systems. John Herschel, the son of William Herschel, often observed this cluster, and he is said to have admired this collection of stars as being “…among the finest clusters in the sky.” We agree.
Centaurus A
- Constellation: Centaurus
- Object type: Peculiar galaxy
- Coordinates: RA 13h 25m 28s | Dec. −43° 01′ 09″
- Magnitude: +6.84
- Distance: About 12 million light-years
- Other designations: NGC 5128, Centaurus A, Cen A, Bennett 60
Being one of the brightest galaxies in the entire sky, this peculiar galaxy is an easy target for binoculars and small telescopes for southern observers. Centaurus A is thought to have undergone a merger with another galaxy, which helps explain its distinctive appearance. Its core is populated mainly by old, highly evolved stars, while the prominent dust lane contains extensive regions of active star formation.
The image above is a composite of optical, submillimeter and X-ray observations that reveals the energetic activity surrounding the galaxy. Centaurus A contains a supermassive black hole with a mass of tens of millions of Suns, which powers enormous jets extending far beyond the galaxy.
Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253)
- Constellation: Sculptor
- Object type: Barred spiral / starburst galaxy
- Coordinates: RA 00h 47m 33.7s | Dec. −25° 17′ 02″
- Magnitude: +7.2
- Distance: About 11–13 million light-years
- Other designations: Silver Coin Galaxy, Silver Dollar Galaxy, NGC 253, UGCA 13, PGC 2789, Caldwell 65
Visible in binoculars close to the star Beta Ceti, the Sculptor Galaxy is one of the brightest galaxies visible from Earth and one of the most prominent members of the Sculptor Group. Binoculars reveal its elongated glow, while larger amateur telescopes can begin to show the galaxy’s mottled structure and prominent dust.
NGC 253 is also a starburst galaxy, meaning that it is forming stars at an unusually high rate. Its central regions contain numerous massive young star clusters, while intense stellar activity drives material outward from the galaxy in a powerful galactic wind.
Carina Nebula (NGC 3372)
- Constellation: Carina
- Object type: Emission nebula / star-forming region
- Coordinates: RA 10h 45m | Dec. −59° 52′
- Magnitude: About +1
- Distance: About 7,500 light-years
- Other designations: NGC 3372, ESO 128-EN013, GC 2197, Caldwell 92
Located within the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way galaxy, this enormous complex of glowing gas, dark dust and young stars is one of the largest and brightest star-forming regions visible in our galaxy. It covers a much larger apparent area than the better-known Orion Nebula and is an especially impressive sight from the Southern Hemisphere.
The Carina Nebula contains multiple open clusters as well as the massive Carina OB1 association. These include Trumpler 14 and Trumpler 16, the latter of which contains the extraordinary luminous blue variable Eta Carinae.
Furthermore, the Carina Nebula contains the open clusters Trumpler 15, Collinder 228, Collinder 232, NGC 3324 and NGC 3293. Together with the nebula’s pillars, cavities and dense clouds of gas and dust, these young stellar populations make the Carina complex one of the Milky Way’s most important nearby laboratories for studying massive-star formation.
Homunculus Nebula
- Constellation: Carina
- Object type: Bipolar nebula
- Coordinates: RA 10h 45m 03.6s | Dec. −59° 41′ 04″
- Distance: About 7,500 light-years
- Central system: Eta Carinae
The Homunculus Nebula is one of the most conspicuous structures within the Carina Nebula. It was created during the Great Eruption of Eta Carinae in the 19th century, when the unstable stellar system brightened dramatically and expelled an enormous quantity of material into space. The expanding debris now forms the nebula’s distinctive pair of lobes.
At the heart of the phenomenon is Eta Carinae, a massive binary system whose stars orbit each other roughly every 5.5 years. The primary is an exceptionally luminous and unstable star that has already lost a substantial amount of its original mass. Eta Carinae is expected eventually to end its life in a supernova, although precisely when that will occur is unknown.
Tau Canis Majoris Cluster (NGC 2362)
- Constellation: Canis Major
- Object type: Open cluster
- Coordinates: RA 07h 18.8m | Dec. −24° 57′
- Magnitude: +4.1
- Distance: About 4,800 light-years
- Other designation: Caldwell 64
This little cluster may not be the biggest open cluster visible from the Southern Hemisphere, but it certainly is among the prettiest. NGC 2362 has a mass of about 500 Suns and is closely associated with the giant nebula Sh2-310, from which the cluster is thought to have formed about 4 to 5 million years ago.
Eight-Burst Nebula (NGC 3132)
- Constellation: Vela
- Object type: Planetary nebula
- Coordinates: RA 10h 07m 01.8s | Dec. −40° 26′ 11″
- Magnitude: About +9.9
- Distance: About 2,000 light-years
- Other designations: Southern Ring Nebula, Caldwell 74
Also known as the Southern Ring Nebula, NGC 3132 consists of shells of gas and dust expelled by a dying star. The detailed structure is much more complicated than a simple ring, with successive episodes of mass loss producing layers of material that have been shaped by interactions within the central stellar system.
The James Webb Space Telescope image shown here reveals two stars near the center. Although the brighter star is visually dominant at near-infrared wavelengths, the fainter white dwarf is the star that created the planetary nebula by shedding its outer layers. The interaction of the central stars has helped shape the intricate surrounding shells.
Blue Planetary Nebula (NGC 3918)
- Constellation: Centaurus
- Object type: Planetary nebula
- Coordinates: RA 11h 50m 17.7s | Dec. −57° 10′ 56.9″
- Magnitude: +8.5
- Distance: About 4,900 light-years
- Other designations: The Southerner, He 2-74, Hen 2-74, Sa 2-81, PK 294+4.1, PN G294.6+04.7, ESO 170-1
Not only is NGC 3918 one of the brightest planetary nebulae visible from the far south, but it is also among the most striking. Easily visible with modest amateur equipment, it can show a distinctive blue-green color through a telescope.
Although this image reveals the hot remains of the central progenitor star, the star itself can be difficult to see visually against the much brighter surrounding nebula. The expanding gas shell is moving outward at tens of kilometers per second.
Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83)
- Constellation: Hydra
- Object type: Barred spiral galaxy
- Coordinates: RA 13h 37m 00.9s | Dec. −29° 51′ 57″
- Magnitude: +7.5
- Distance: About 15 million light-years
- Other designations: NGC 5236, UGCA 366, PGC 48082, Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
Being among the closest bright spiral galaxies to us, the Southern Pinwheel is a relatively easy binocular target under dark skies, while small to medium telescopes can begin to reveal its bright nucleus and surrounding structure.
M83 is undergoing vigorous star formation, particularly along its spiral arms, where numerous pinkish regions of glowing hydrogen mark sites where new stars are being born. The galaxy has also produced an unusually large number of observed supernovae, making it an important target for studying both star formation and stellar death.
Milky Way
Views of the Milky Way Galaxy are not created equal. From dark southern locations, the bright central regions of our galaxy climb high into the sky, revealing dense star fields interrupted by prominent dark lanes of interstellar dust.
This image was taken at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile and shows the Milky Way stretching across the southern sky, including the rich central region of our galaxy. Far from major sources of light pollution, sites such as La Silla provide the dark skies that allow the structure of the Milky Way to be seen particularly clearly.