Summer is the golden season for deep sky astronomy, especially if you're in the Northern Hemisphere. From June through August, the night sky puts on a show with some of the most spectacular and colorful objects in our corner of the galaxy. This is the time of year when the brilliant core of the Milky Way rises high overhead, bringing with it a treasure trove of emission nebulae, star clusters, and stellar nurseries concentrated in constellations like Sagittarius, Cygnus, and Scorpius.

Unlike the challenge of hunting tiny, faint galaxies all spring, summer’s night skies offer bright, bold targets.  It rewards observers with stunning colors and intricate structures. The iconic red and pink hues of hydrogen emission nebulae dominate the season. They’re joined by the brilliant blues of reflection nebulae and ancient globular clusters. With such  variety, summer is when narrowband filters can get every bit as much use as