As an experiment in shared-resource ‘project’ joint efforts (a little like Wikipedia):
Here is a DRAFT that a contributor^ submitted
for anyone to use freely
and to help comment, correct!, edit, add
permitted images or make into 5 slides.
Users should give credits as each contributor indicates, and to
IIS for facilitating
.
Features: Incorporate science, spectroscopic targets -intro, highlight south.
Anyone else can also start a calendar-month or bi-month or tri-month thread if preferred
(Recommend…. not seasonal, because autumn, say, may not apply to our tropical top.)
D-R-A-F-T ‘Sky for the Month mid-Feb to Mid-Mar 2017’
1. Around the SCP, -60 and -70 deg circles, constellations, 2 hours time a month,
Illustration [Ref 1]
2. The orbital plane: Moon, Planets and Events
Path of Mars and URANUS, in Pisces
^Fresh Water Fishes pull
and the Ram jumps over the Bull^
(Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus)
Mars 0.6deg N Uranus
(Venus greatest illuminated extent 17-Feb 18 hrs)
Venus at perihelion M20-Feb
Jupiter in Virgo, 3deg S Moon Th 16 Feb 02+1DS hrs
^The Twins Crab over to the Lion
The Maiden Scales away from the Scorpion^
(Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius)
Virgo is the direction our Local Group are heading
at about 600 km/s, from cosmic microwave background study.
Moon Max libration, heavily cratered region of its south pole 27-Feb.
3.
Deep Sky Objects (apart from the most popular
Proxima Cen., Note Exoplanet Proxima b.
EsB365 carbon star next to beta Crux, Note: variable, arguably reddest
H3945 Yellow and blue, similar to the Albireo, Canis Maj, mag 4.8, 6.8, sep 26.6”, spec K5, F0, (J2000.0) RA 16.6 Dec -23.19 [Ref 3 Vol 1 pp86-7].
Sirius A-B Currently (over 10 yrs) near max separation ~11”, mag -5 and 8.5
NGC2736 (in Vela, the Sail): SuperNova Remnant –Emission Nebula, dia 20’ x 3’, Photo Br(ightness) 2-5, Colo(u)r 2-4, 09h00.3m -45deg57’, 12/14” scopes 100x, ‘Herchel’s Ray’ or ‘the Pencil’, use OIII; [image and text p368, Ref 3].
NGC 3132 ‘Eight Burst Nebula’ Planetary Nebula 88” dia m9.2v, centre star pair mag 11, UHC. [image and text p373, Vol 3, Ref 3].
Explore Vela: scan and discover. Example NGC2547 “Open Cluster. A sparkling array of stellar beacons in small telescopes and binoculars”; [image “courtesy of the UK Schmidt Telescope and the Digitised Sky Survey” and text p 361, Ref 3 Vol 3]
Globular Clusters NGC3201 in Vela 20’ dia, mag 6.9v, NGC 2801 in Carina 14’ dia m6.2v
4.
Spectroscopic Targets. (Intro, low-res, transmission grating)
Start bright: Visual….
Sirius, Betelgeuse, gamma Velorum (in the Sail), eta Carinae, alpha/beta Centauri, Crux, (for comparison, see fainter objects).
Start with A class for hydrogen in profiles, get Angstrom/pixel as a guide for future:
Fomalhaut (alpha Piscis Austrini), A3 V, 3rd bright star known to have planets
Canopus, A9 II
beta Carinae, A1 III
Sirius, A1V
Bonus..... B-Class Rigel, B8 IA
(A Class= No helium, strongest hydrogen. A0=hot ~9500 K, A9=less hot ~7000 K)
(B Class=Neutral helium, strong hydrogen, 9500-30k K)
(Compare with the Sun, Class G2, 5800 K)
5.
CometsC/2015 ER61 Panstaars rises ~midnight mag 12 → 10 Ophiuchus towards Sagitt.
0.5deg W NGC 6401 GC in Ophiuchus W22-Feb
C 41P/Tuttle-G-K mag 11→8, in Cancer. (Perihelion April.)
C 45P/Honda-M-P 18-Feb rises 22:42 in Aquila, rapid move,
close to Earth mag 7 (4-Feb)→12 (11-Mar rises18:31)
[Ref 1] Sky Chart by Toshimi Taki Jan 29, 2005, Chart 3S;
with an added overlay of constellation tracing 2015 Sep 5, after H A Rey “The Stars”
[Ref 2] (for parts of items 2. and 5) An excellent annual guide: Astronomy 2017 Australia,
[Ref 3] (for item 3) An excellent guide with images:
The Night Sky Observer’s Guide, Vol 1, Vol 3, Cooper, Kay, Kepple; Wilmann-Bell 2008.
(^ the contributor asked to donate time and effort without name, rewards or credits.)
Regards
Team
Southskyscience, volunteer field astronomers