#120: Messier 103: A Method For Tackling The Unfamiliar Sky

When I set out for a night of deep sky observing, I have a list of objects on my clipboard that I hope to locate, write about, and sketch.  In a future article I will explain how I go about creating and arranging my lists, and my reasons for doing so.  Readers of this column already know that I am seeking all of the NGC objects visible from northern locations, and my deep sky travels take me even further beyond that virtually unconquerable catalogue.  However, it is what I do at the end of an observing session, or if I need a break from a series of very faint objects I am hunting, that I wish to discuss this month.

At the end of the night’s work I like to choose at least one bright object previously logged.  After viewing it for a time, I then undertake a little journey into the surrounding skyscape.   So let's begin with M 103, a distant open cluster in Cassiopeia and the last entry by Messier into his famous catalogue.  I first observed it in August of 1978, using the Edmund 8” in northern Ontario. 

 “Another fine cluster, resolving to the center stopped down to 4” of aperture and using 36x.  Averted vision helps resolution.  At 6” of aperture stars resolve very well at this low power, while the full 8’’ of aperture begins to show splendid star colours in the brighter members, some of which actually overlay the cluster, rather than belong to it.  At 56x and 4” of aperture the group was triangular in shape, and quite fine to view.  Views were much improved at 6”, especially at 72x and 112x.  The member stars that were so very dim at low power were now much brighter, and a further group of very dim stars began to faintly resolve beyond them.  At 8” and 169x M 103 becomes quite large and bright, though not as rich as oc 457 or Messier 52.  338x showed the central area well.  Double star Struve 131 sits as a beautiful foreground object amidst the cluster.”

I observed it again in October, 2013 from Hallam Observatory with my 12” scope.

“On a really clear, very dark October night, M103 is not an object to hurry over, especially with a 12” scope.  Perhaps not as instantly likable as M 52, nor with as many stars, this open cluster is still quite rich and beautiful to observe.  Lovely even at 60x, there is a generous amount of brighter stars.  These are led by a yellow star on one end, an orange one near the center, and a fine triple star on the side opposite the yellow star.  The cluster remains bright even up to 200x, where over 40 stars can now be counted.  The cluster is pretty dense, but don’t be put off; even a 6” scope shows the group well.  Don’t be afraid to use high magnification.” 

https://cassiopeiaconstellatiom.weebly.com/messier-103-ngc-581.html

After taking my time observing the bright object (often chosen on a whim), I begin to explore the immediate surrounding area.  It helps to know your four directions before beginning, but is not essential.  With a Dob, allow the object to move across the field of view.  Where it exits is West (or preceding).  North is 90 degrees counter-clockwise.  Let’s begin by heading north.  Move the field so that the cluster is just out of view.  Return, and then go north a little beyond your last journey, trying to use guide stars to find your way.  In Cassiopeia, one does not travel far before encountering something of interest; a double star, a coloured star, an interesting asterism, or just a rich field of stars.  Now travel south, going slowly and looking carefully about as you go.  Go as far as you can without losing your way back to home base, namely M 103.  East and West are next.  This is not an exercise in finding your way back home, but rather in trying to discover something that perhaps no one else has really noted before.  Go slowly, and you are guaranteed to have a rewarding journey.  Once the four directions have been mastered, try moving on the diagonals, until you have covered a reasonable area surrounding the main object.  I am not giving away any of my secret observing discoveries in this area, but I have a small treasure trove that I like to revisit now from time to time.  Observers are only limited by their patience and their observing skills.  Training oneself to look at everything in a field of view, especially at low power, is a skill that can be developed with practice.  It you become bored with the activity, don’t blame the stars!  15 minutes of slow and careful exploring will almost always prove rewarding.

Though I used M 103 for my little sample excursion of wandering through the stars, any bright object can be used; another Messier object, an NGC one, a bright star or double—the only restriction is your own imagination.  I like using this observing method—the first of three methods I will discuss in this column—to de-stress and simply enjoy a beautiful and practically limitless collection of relatively unknown dark sky territory.   Keep notes if you wish; I usually just go for the ride.  No atlas or prepared notes are needed for this method of observing, just the ability to start somewhere with a bright deep sky object to use as a center point.  In this way, if you do find something interesting it can always be found again.  Enjoy the Autumn skies, and may they be clear ones!

M 103 (NGC 581): Size 6’; Mag. 7.4;  Brightest star mag. 9.  Approx. 40 stars at high power with 12” scope.

Mapman Mike

# 119: Auriga Part 2: The Non-NGC Objects

Even though I am engaged in the pursuit of all the northern NGC objects listed in Uranometria, I always check out clusters and such from other catalogues when in the area.  Especially clusters.  There are too many faint planetary nebulae and way too many faint galaxies from other catalogues, but clusters seem to do well with my 12" scope.  Here are all of the non NGC clusters in Auriga, listed in alphabetical order....

oc Bas 4:  Mag. 9.1; 5' 134 *s; Br. * mag. 12.2:  It is easy to locate, south from O. Struve 117.  At 136x I observed a pretty bright group of stars in a distinctly linear formation.  Viewed also at 187x and 250x, fainter stars resolve away from this line, which contains very close doubles.  I was pointing very close to a 1st quarter moon tonight, so I should return here for a 2nd look in darker skies.

oc Be 14:  6'; 30 *s; Br. * mag. 16:  A very faint cloud was spotted at 187x, with a few stars resolved.  A few more stars showed up at 250x, being somewhat scattered.

oc Be 15:  5'; 35 *s; Br. * mag. 15:  Spotted at 100x, I noted a small, hazy cloud with a few nearby brighter stars.  187x resolves 4-5 stars; 250x shows 10 in a compact area.

oc Be 17:  8'; 100 *s: Br. * mag. 16:  Spotted at 136x, it was a pretty large, faint, indistinct haze.  Though views are better at 187x, there is no resolution.  At 200x it appears much like a large, faint galaxy with a brighter centre.  Still no stars.

oc Be 18:  12'; 300 *s; Br. * mag. 16:  Located at 136x, I saw a large ball of haze and a few embedded stars.  187x and 200x show from 6-10 stars.  The cluster was best at 250x, with 14 very faint stars resolved.  This is a pretty large group, no doubt awaiting an 18" scope!

oc Be 19:  4'. Vis. mag. 11.4; 150 *s; Br. * mag. 15:  Located at 187x, it appears as a small, very faint hazy ball.  It lies north of 2 notable stars.  It was becoming too windy for higher magnifications, thus I have no resolution to report.

oc Be 69:  4'; Vis. mag. 11.9; Br. * 15:  This is much easier to locate than nearby Do 18.  136x shows a hazy patch, small, with 1 star resolved.  At 250x 6-8 very faint stars are seen.

oc Be 70:  7'; 40 *s; Br. * mag. 15:  Located at 136x, a very few faint stars are resolved around a brighter one.  187x resolves 6-8 stars; 250x resolves about 10, all very faint. 

oc Be 71:  5'; 30 *s; Br. * mag. 15:  Observed at 187x and 250x, this cluster is faint and elusive.  The central area was seen at 187x.  Only 2 stars could be resolved at mag. 15 or fainter.  It was mostly just a small, hazy patch best with averted vision.

oc Cr 62:  28'; Vis. mag. 4.2:  This was mostly viewed at 42.5x.  I noted two busy and bright star fields, separated by a mag. 4 star to the north.  The fainter group south preceding the star is circular, and contains about 15 stars.  The second group, which is south following the star, contains about 20 members, randomly scattered.  Many fainter stars were seen within these two groups when viewed at 100x.

oc Cz19:  15'; 50 *s:  Located in the extreme southwest corner of Auriga, I had to star hop here from NGC oc 1746 in Taurus.  It is a large cluster with many stars, but they are quite faint.  There are 4 bright stars on the following (E) edge, 3 of them close together and the 4th one north.  Many faint stars precede them, towards a single bright star, mag. 9? on the preceding end.  250x resolves 25-30 stars.  The cluster is rather tricky to access.

oc Cz 20:  36'; 30 *s:  Viewed at 42.5x this is a very large group containing many bright stars.  While the cluster is noteworthy, there are impressive star fields in all directions, making it a fine area for casual sweeping.  Especially not the following field.  In the south preceding part of the cluster sits NGC oc 1857 (see Auriga, Part 1).

oc Cz 21:  8'; 40 *s:  A moderately large group of very faint stars was seen at 200x, likely mag. 14.5 and fainter.  There are perhaps 15 stars seen.  Somewhat disappointing in a 12" mirror. 

oc Cz 23:  5':  Located at 136x, a small group of resolving stars can be seen following a mag. 10 star.  Views of this dim group are good at 187x, but best at 250x.  About a dozen stars are glimpsed, many of the same mag. (14.5-15.5?).  Worth a peek only with a 12" or higher.

oc Do 15:  18':  At 60x many bright stars are seen amidst a faint group.  The brightest stars form a line.  The preceding end of this line has faint clumps of stars north and south.  At 136x, and especially at 187x the stars are well resolved.  There are about 25 stars.  The bright stars are likely an asterism rather than a true cluster.

oc Do 16:  6'; 10 *s:  There are some scattered bright stars, though nothing obvious as a cluster.  There is a very faint group of about 10-12 stars between two of the brighter groups. 

oc Do 18:  6'; 15 *s:  A hazy, dim cloud was observed at 136x.  At 187x only two stars are resolved.  Overall, the group is indistinct in a 12" mirror.

oc Do 20:  5'; 10 *s;  Observed at 187x, and seen well at this power.  It is an interesting though small group of faint stars immediately north preceding a mag. 9 star.  It is also involved with a scattered group of much brighter stars.  There are at least 10 faint stars, and several much brighter ones nearby. 

oc King 8:  4'; Vis. mag. 11.2; 198 *s; Br. * mag. 15:  Located at 100xm the cluster appears as an oval haze with a very few faint stars resolving.  There is a bright star on the north end, and another on the south end.  Another brighter star is found immediately following the cluster.  At 136x averted vision resolves a sprinkle of faint stars all across the hazy patch.  At 187x and 250x the cluster now extends beyond the north and south border stars.  12-15 stars are resolved, all very faint.  This is an open cluster challenge, but fun to view.  It is very close to M 37.


oc King 17:  5'; 25 *s; Br. * 14:  Spotted at 100x, it was a hazy, tiny ball of faintness.  2 stars were showing.  At 136x about 10 stars are resolved.  It is already a nice object.  187x shows a tiny nest of very faint, glittering jewels.   This is a decent cluster with a 12" scope.

oc Mel. 31:  135'; 35 *s; Br. * mag. 4.5:  This enormous group of bright stars contains many fine doubles, along with 2 IC nebula, an NGC cluster, and oc Do 16!  Sweeping through the area at 42x is a wonderful experience.  8 of the stars are very bright in a 12" scope.  Uncountable numbers of fainter stars lie in the background.  The richest area of brighter stars lies in a northeast-southwest direction, and more than 2x longer than wide, perhaps 90'x 40'.  I hope to revisit with the 2" refractor and 4 1/3" RFT scope!  Most of the bright stars are white, though 16 Aurigae is golden, and 14, a superb double, is yellow and blue!  Use the lowest power available and enjoy the scenery!

oc Skiff jO458.2 +4301:  4'; Br. * mag. 10.5:  Noted at 100x, it is easier to spot than Be 14, close by.  A small but distinct haze was noted.  At 136x 2 or 3 stars resolve.  187x shows 4 or 5 members, while 250x shows 8 stars, all very faint.  there is still unresolved haze.  It is not yet known if this is a true cluster.

oc Skiff j0507.2+3050:  6'; Br. * 10.8:  Viewed at 136x and 187x, I saw an east-west elongated group of 10-12 stars, situated between 2 brighter stars.  The group is north preceding a wide pair of bright stars aligned north/south. Its status as an actual cluster is still in some doubt.

oc St 8:  15'; 40 *s; Br. * mag. 9:  The cluster is involved with NGC gn I. 417 (see Auriga, part 1).  It is located near a bright golden star (24 Aurigae).  At 100x the field is filled with bright and beautiful stars, with wispy puffs of nebula interspersed. 

oc St 10:  25'; 15 *s:  Observed well at 60x.  9 stars are plotted on Uranometria, including a double.  The cluster is very large, and includes 5 very bright stars, with 3 in the north and 2 in the south.  About 40 stars are in the group, though most of these are faint.  An interesting faint group lies immediately preceding the bright pair of stars in the south.  The cluster is attractive at low power, and suitable for small apertures.

eg UGC 3273:  3' x 0'.9:  Vis. 14.2; SB 15.1:  A very dim oval haze was seen amidst a few foreground stars. 

This completes my deep sky study of Auriga.  Clear skies!
Mapman Mike  

#118: Auriga Part 1--The NGC Objects

 
I recently completed all of the NGC and IC objects in Auriga with my 12" Orion Dob.  The project began  in early December, 2016, and concluded in early March 2018.

oc 1664:  18'; Vis. mag. 7.6; 101 *s; Br. * mag. 10:  This cluster is appealing and easy to identify.  It was located at 60x, and also viewed well at 100x and 136x.  Many stars appear similar in magnitude.  About 50 stars appear in a sting-ray shape, with a tail of stars behind.  It also reminded me of a kite with a tail string attached. A bright star appears at the south end.  Worth a look!

https://in-the-sky.org/data/object.php?id=NGC1664

oc 1724:  1':  This is not exactly a showpiece.  The asterism consists of 3 stars in a tight triangle, when viewed at 60x, 100x, and 136x.  One of those NGC non-objects!

DSO Browser

  oc 1778:  8'; Vis. mag. 7.7; 112 *s; Br. * mag. 10.1:  At 60x I noted many bright stars in a rectangular shape.  136x resolves about 50 stars, including a lovely close, bright double (with two fainter stars also close by).  The star is H. 3265, lying just north of the cluster's centre.  The cluster's 20 brightest stars make this worth a journey for all apertures.

DSO Browser

oc 1790:  15'; 8 *s:  It was spotted at 60x, but seen best at 136x.  There are 20 stars in the area, with 8 of them being brighter.  They precede a bright star and continue to extend west.  Not really much to see, and likely an asterism. 

 DSO Browser

oc 1798:  5'; Vis. mag. 10; 50 stars, Br. * mag. 13:  Firstly, a few comments on the published stats.  The cluster is much fainter then Mag. 10.  The brightest star is mag. 15, not 13.  The 13 mag. star is there, but it is obviously not a cluster member.  This is a very challenging group to locate, and even harder to resolve.  At 100x I noted a very, very faint, round haze (mag. 14?).  At 136x I saw a few stars of mag. 15 and fainter.  250x resolves about 15 stars.  This group likely requires an 18" scope to fully appreciate.

 DSO Browser

oc 1857:  10'; Vis. mag. 7; 40 *s;  Br. * mag. 11:  A mag. 7 star sits near the centre of the cluster, but the other members are pretty faint.  This bright star is a deep, rich yellow in colour.  The fainter members are dimmed by the glare of the bright star, but even so 60x easily identified it as the cluster.  100x shows many tiny and faint stars.  136x resolves the group more fully, with lines of stars intersecting.  At least 40 stars can be counted at 187x.  This is a decent cluster with a 12" scope.

 DSO Browser

oc 1883:  5'; Vis. mag. 12.5; 30 *s; Br. * 14:  Located at 60s, the cluster was small, faint, and hazy.  There is a bright star on the south end.  At 100x there is some resolution.  A line of stars is noted on the north end, with the bright star located immediately south.  The cluster is moderately rich at 187x and 200x.  At 250x about 25 stars are seen, all of them faint.  The cluster is a challenge, but worth it with a 12" scope!

 DSO Browser

oc 1893:  25'; Vis. mag. 7.5; 270 *s; Br. * mag. 9.3:  I managed to get about halfway through my exploration of this fine cluster when dampness finally shut me down for the night.  I observed mostly at 60x and 100x, where I noticed two wings of bright stars.  These areas were pretty dense with bright stars, with a wide area between them with very few stars.  The north wing seems richer and brighter than the south wing.  At 136x the area between is now much richer in stars, filling up with faint ones.  The north wing has nice doubles and triples.

 DSO Browser

oc 1896:  20'; 25 *s; Br. * mag. 8.5:  Located at 60x, the status of this as an actual cluster is in doubt.  It appears as a group of bright stars nestled amongst 4 brighter stars, but open on one end.  At 136x I saw 16 stars in the compact central area.  One segment has an arrowhead shape to it. 

 DSO Browser

oc 1907:  5'; Vis. mag. 8.2; 113 *s; Br. * mag. 11:  At 60x the cluster is small but resolving.  It was viewed successfully up to 250x.  It looked to me like a tent, with slanted lines of stars forming the basic shape, and most of the stars grouped within this A-frame.  It is an easy hop from here to M 38, so it is worth a look, especially with a larger aperture (8" or higher).  It is fun to cruise back and forth, this being a good example of a distant cluster (1907) and a much nearer one (M 38).

DSO Browser

oc 1912--Messier 38:  15'; Vis. mag. 6.4; 160 *s; Br. * mag. 8:  This is a showpiece cluster in virtually all apertures.  It is awfully bright in a 12" mirror.  I observed it at 60x, 83x, and 100x, where it appears as an explosion of bright stars, well over 100 altogether.  100x begins to show many fainter ones.  At 136x starless areas are noted.  The cluster is very large, but it has several of these dark areas.At this range the brightest stars appear quite scattered.  The centre is more or less oval, and pretty dark, with only a few faint stars showing.  It also seems to have an H-shape to it, with an extra line of stars crossing between the legs.

https://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc19.htm#1912

M 38

gn/oc 1931:  gn = 4' x 4' (emission):  oc = 6'; Vis. mag. 10.1; 20 *s:  This is an easy hop from M 36, just preceding it.  This is a strange little object.  Though it is a nebula amongst a small, tight open cluster, it looks like unresolved star haze at first.  The cluster is tightly packed, resembling a close multiple star.  In fact, H 367 lies amidst the haze and has 5 members, mag. 11, 12, 12.8, 14, and 15.  This agrees with what I saw, with the nebula spread amongst them, being especially bright near the 3 main stars.  I expected a richer cluster.  the overall effect is of a bright, fuzzy object with a few stars embedded.

oc 1960--Messier 36:  10'; Vis. mag. 6; 60 *s; Br. * mag. 9.  Though I have observed M 36 in Space Eye, my 2" refractor, and have also seen it in Deb's 6" reflector, this marks my first official observation with the 12" scope.  I never did see it in the Tasco 4.5" reflector, or my old Edmund 8" reflector.  In a 12" mirror, the cluster is large, filled with bright stars, and has a spidery appearance.  Numerous lines of bright stars pass through the dense centre and beyond.  There is a rectangular extension to the north, and a more jumbled one preceding.  At 83x and 100x, many fainter stars appear, resolving behind the brighter ones.  This tends to provide a 3-D effect for the viewer.  At 136x well over 100 stars are seen.  There is a very rich central area surrounding a bright double star (Struve 737:  8.5-9/11"), which soon becomes a triple.  It then shows another fainter member, further out.  This is a showpiece cluster, worth much observing time.  With over 30 bright star members, M 36 is a fun object for virtually all small apertures.  For larger ones, it is an amazing sight!

gn 1985:  0'.7; Vis. mag. 13:  It took some hunting to confirm the sighting of this possible reflection nebula.  It was located at 136x, and confirmed at 187x.  It was very small, pretty faint, and either oval or rectangular.  The centre was stellar, or perhaps a mag. 13 or 14 star.  Though it can be seen well at 200x, it is small and faint.

oc 2013:  8 *s; Br. * mag. 11:  There are two small but bright groups north preceding a white star of mag. 8.5.  The first group has 4 stars, 2 being bright.  The 2nd group, further out, is somewhat roundish, with 5 stars.  There is dark sky between the two groups.

oc 2099--Messier 37:  15'; Vis. mag. 5.6; 1842 *s; Br. * mag. 11:  The cluster resolves at 60x, and is highly attractive at 83x.  First impressions are the similarities between it and oc 7789 in Cassiopeia. M 37 is perhaps a bit brighter.  M 37 consists of a dense and very rich central area, surrounded by more widely scattered groupings, especially preceding.  100x and 136x show hundreds of stars, mostly in the dense middle area.  Many stars appear to be similar in magnitude.  With 187x on the central area, the cluster is stunning!  There appears to be the outline of a shamrock in the very centre, along with many dark areas.  This is a rich cluster, one of the finest in the heavens, and not to be missed! 

oc 2126:  6'; Vis. mag. 10.2; 40 *s; Br. * mag. 13:  Not too bad in a 12" mirror, even from a suburban back yard.  Located at 60x south preceding a very bright and intrusive white star.  A sprinkling of very faint stars was noted.  At 100x and 136x the cluster is moderately rich, though pretty scattered.  187x resolves a dozen stars despite the white star in the field.  I had a chance to view this from a dark sky a few nights later, and can recommend it with a 12".  About 20 stars can be easily seen.

oc 2165:  6'; 15 *s; Br. * mag. 10:  Viewed at 60x, 100x, and 136x.  There were 17 stars, about half of them being pretty bright.  They were pretty scattered.  This may not be a true cluster.

oc 2192:  5'; Vis. mag. 10.9; 45 *s; Br. * mag. 14:  This is one of my favourite type of clusters in a 12" scope!  I first viewed it at 83x, where a group to the south made the cluster seem pretty large.  It was already resolving.  Nice views were had at 136x, where the cluster appears faint but moderately rich.  It lies just south of a mag. 7.5 star.  Good views were had at 187x, and it is still resolving at 250x.  About 25 faint stars can be counted with some difficulty, making this a nice group to observe at higher powers.  There is a very small, very dense group preceding the main central area, just on the boundary edge.

eg 2208:  1'.7 x 1':  Vis. 12.8; SB 13.2:  It was spotted at 100x!  Every constellation must have at least one NGC galaxy!  This one is fairly bright in a 12" scope at 136x.  At 200x a very bright center was noted.  Easy to find, so give it a try!  

pn 2242:  22"; Mag. 15; Cent. * mag. 17.6:  This is tricky to find properly, since at most powers it was stellar.  However, at 272x a bit of fuzz makes it seem like an unfocused star.  Disappointing.

oc 2281:  25'; Vis. mag. 5.4; 119 stars; Br. * mag. 8:  Located at 60x, it is big and bright, and found near 2 bright stars, a mag. 7 star north and a mag. 8 one north preceding.  I have nicknamed this the "Lasso Cluster," as it has an elongated oval pattern of stars that point towards the 7 mag. star.  The central area is denser and somewhat diamond shaped at 100x and 136x, where more than 40 stars can now be counted overall.  The south end is sparse.  Uranometria shows the 5 brightest stars, one of them double (within the diamond shape).  This is a rewarding cluster.

eg 2303:  1'.5 x 1'.5:  Vis. 12.6; SB 13.4:  This moderately bright galaxy was not a problem from my suburban back deck.  It was directly overhead, which helped.  It was near threshold, not large, and sat amidst a wide triangle of bright stars.


gn I. 405:  30' x 20'  (emission and reflection):  This is the famous Flaming Star Nebula, a wonderful sight in long exposures.  I viewed it at 60x with a Skyglow filter and without one.  This is a very poor object visually.  Very poor.  It is easier to "not" see the nebula, by finding where background stars appear to be missing. 

gn I. 410:  40' x 30' (emission):  I saw some definite wisps with the Skyglow filter and medium power (136x), mostly around the double star (Struve 687). 

gn I. 417:  13' x 10' (emission):  Observed at 100x, the field is strewn with a beautiful and bright field of stars (this oc St. 8--see my write up in Auriga Part 2).  Wispy, nebulous patches are interspersed, especially following a bright double star, and again north of it.  There is also a notable absence of stars in one area.

pn I. 2149:  34"; Vis. mag. 10.6; Cent. * mag. 11.5:  The object is very bright in a 12" scope, though it appears stellar at 60x.  At 100x it is bluish, and at 136x it appears like a bright but unfocused star.  At 187x and 250x it seems pretty large, with a very bright center, and then a smaller area of fainter haze surrounding that.  It also appears oval at higher power. 

eg I. 2175:  1'.6 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.9; SB 14:  When you look this object up on most lists, including my Orion computer, you are told that the object consists of 2 stars in Gemini.  However, Skymap.org and Uranometria lists it as a galaxy, and in a different position (preceding the two stars).  Anyway, I saw it at 250x, just south preceding an annoying star of 8.6 mag.  The galaxy was faint and oval, and seen only with averted vision.  It sits just north of the border with Gemini.

This completes the NGC report on Auriga.  Clear skies!
Mapman Mike

#117: Winter 2018

 The beginning of a new year is usually a good time to both reflect on the past year and its achievements, and to look ahead and set some reasonable goals for the upcoming year.  In 2016, I made it my goal to get out and observe on every clear night I could.  For my galaxy observing I require nearly pristine, dry skies.  So to compensate for Essex County skies, I needed many different types of objects that could be observed at Hallam if under less than perfect conditions.  It was a good year for planets; I also did some remarkable double star work, and I even got back into lunar observing.  I managed to observe on 72 different nights in 2016.  By comparison, 2017 saw me under the stars only 34 times.  Had my goals changed?  Not by much.  I missed the April dark sky session because of travel plans, and ended up missing three good nights as a result.  Even so, the weather last year was often less than ideal for astronomers.  Was it just one of those years?  I hope so.  If I could make one wish upon a falling star, it would be for more frequent clear nights (not counting those beautifully clear nights around a full moon!).

While January is a great time to look back on the year’s notes, and to plan new observing goals, it is often a terrible time to be outside setting up a big scope.  The nights in deep winter are often more suitable for naked eye and binocular observing than for any telescopic work.  It is also a great time for some armchair astronomy.  I like pulling out my old Olcott book and glancing through it near a warm indoor wood fire.

William T. Olcott, in his Field Book of the Skies, divided the night sky into seasonal work.  His winter constellations include Taurus, Orion, Lepus, Canis Major, Monoceros, and Eridanus.  Using a telescope I have completed observations of   NGC and other deep sky objects in Taurus, Lepus, and Monoceros.  My clipboard is now prepared for Orion, and includes a grueling list of 178 winter objects.  However, before trying to navigate outside with freezing toes and fingers using my 12” Dob, it is always a good idea to explore some of the constellation with naked eye and 8 x 35 binoculars first. 

It is not surprising how many sky-watching novices think that stars are only white.  When colourful stars are presented, it can be an astonishing revelation for them.  Comparing Rigel and Betelgeuse with the unaided eye, a difference in colour is apparent.  However, using binoculars the difference is much more astounding.  If you are showing the orange and red star to a beginner, you might also make mention of Professor Michelson (1852-1931).  A number of interesting facts can be mentioned regarding this American physicist (born in modern-day Poland).  He was the first American to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences, for one thing.  His main work was in refining measurements of the speed of light.  However, it was his work in interferometry that brings his name into Olcott’s book, in conjunction with the star Betelgeuse.  This star became the first one, other than our Sun, to have its diameter measured (in 1920-21). Michelson’s interferometer design is still in use today at major observatories. Incidentally, Betelgeuse is 1.64 billion km in diameter. Our sun, by comparison, is 1.39 million km.  But wait, there’s more!   In popular culture, no less a man than Ben Cartwright helped Michelson get his career started.  In the “Look To The Stars” episode of Bonanza, broadcast in 1962, the 16 year old budding scientist (played by actor Douglas Lambert) is aided in his struggle for admission to the US Naval Academy by the Cartwrights.  Michelson did live in Nevada at that time in his life!  The episode can be watched on Youtube.

Now it’s time for a look at the Great Nebula.  Though it presents a distinctive mystery to the naked eye, in binoculars the mystery at least becomes a more beautiful one.  I have trouble with the trapezium star in hand-held binoculars, but with a steady hand the area makes for fun sweeping.  Olcott suggests that it was a Swiss Jesuit by the name of Cysatus, in 1618, who made the first report on the nebula.  His full name was Johann Baptist Cysat (c. 1587-1657), and his main interest as an astronomer was in observing comets.  He was one of the first to make astronomical and scientific use of a telescope.  Even in 1804 his descriptions of comets were still among the best available.  Here is Cysat’s brief description of the Great Nebula:

“Another of these phenonmenon in the heavens is the congeries of stars at the last star of the Sword of Orion, for there one can find a similar congestion of some stars in a very narrow space, and all around and in between the stars themselves is a diffused light like a radiant white cloud.”

We actually suspect now that the first notated observation was in 1610, by Nicholas Peiresc, though he was silent on the nebula afterwards.  Surprisingly Galileo did not mention it in his early observations of 1609 and 1610, though he did map the stars of Orion.  Over the years hundreds of descriptions have come down to us.  I will leave this topic with Olcott’s own description:

“…The nebula is a stupendous mass of gas in a state of violent agitation, a gigantic whirlpool.  Even when viewed with an opera or field glass the star Theta Orionis appears to be enveloped in a haze which indicates the presence of the great nebula which is a glorious and wonderful sight in a large telescope.  Words fail to describe its beauty.”

Oddly enough Olcott goes on to describe the Horsehead Nebula in the unaided eye and field glass section of his Orion section.  The Belt stars, where we will finish up our cold winter’s night viewing, point in one direction towards Aldebaran in Taurus, and in the other down towards Sirius in Canis Major.  There is fine sweeping in those areas, too.  From bottom to top the belt stars are Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, all around 2^nd magnitude.  These stars have attracted attention since the dawn of human sky gazing.  The Orion correlation theory holds that there is a correlation between the three largest Egyptian pyramids and the three belt stars in Orion.  That itself is worthy of some future Aurora article, and certainly worth a casual mention at a winter star party.

Wishing everyone clear skies in 2018!

Mapman Mike