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Sky of Plenty
From Peter Tyson, the editor of Sky and Telescope, about my article.
Sky of Plenty
OMEGA CENTAURI, the globular cluster adorning this month’s cover, exemplifies what every astronomer knows about the Southern Hemisphere sky — it’s shot through with celestial treasures. One glance at the table on pages 32–33, which is as rife with details as Omega Cen is with stars, gives a commanding impression of the southern sky’s luxuriance.
* Normally I wouldn’t focus on a table in this column, but this one compiled by Glen Cozens, the author of our cover story on page 28, showcases that legendary abundance to a tee. In it, Cozens tabulates his choices for 60 of the finest objects one can observe south of –30° declination.
* Many of the far-southern sky’s most famous gems make the list, of course: the globular clusters Omega Cen and 47 Tucanae, the Tarantula and Eta Carinae nebulae, the Jewel Box and Wishing Well open clusters. Assorted other prizes also make the cut: The String of Pearls galaxy. The Southern Beehive open cluster. The Firebird, Prawn, and Cat’s Paw nebulae. (The table lists all objects by their NGC, IC, or, in one case, Messier numbers, so you’ll have to look up common names.)
* If you’ve observed from southern latitudes, some entries might spark memories. Seeing NGC 1365 on the table reminded me of when, during an S&T tour to Chile in 2022, I was treated to stunning views of the Great Barred Spiral Galaxy in both 16- and 45-inch scopes. And seeing NGC 6752, I remembered being surprised that the Great Peacock Globular could call to mind a brittle starfish, as it did to me one night.
* Perhaps surprisingly, other celebrated objects lying below –30°S aren’t found on Cozens’ table. These include Messier 6 and Messier 7, the Butterfly and Ptolemy clusters, respectively, plus a few that I enjoyed observing on that Chile tour, such as the Grus Quartet of galaxies and the Meathook Galaxy in Volans, the Flying Fish. These aren’t neglectful omissions on Cozens’ part but yet another indication of just how multitudinous deep-south celestial wonders are.
* So, too, are constellations, with many in the far-southern sky unfamiliar to stargazers up north. How many of us based in the Northern Hemisphere would recognize Musca, the Fly, or Columba, the Dove? Ara, the Altar, or Fornax, the Furnace? Horologium, the Clock, or Pyxis, the Magnetic Compass? All of these appear, using their shortened designations, on Cozens’ table.
* I hope you have as much pleasure as I did digging deep into the table — and, more importantly, get the chance
sometime to dig deep into the far-southern sky itself.
Editor in Chief of S&T
Peter Tyson
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