Hi all,
The first, fresh Obs. Challenge for the year, and this time, I want to see PAIN!
I wouldn't say this month's targets are difficult, but they are very detailed in structure, and
demand time at the eyepiece,
.
I've included targets that go from naked eye, through to larger scopes, to bring out the faintest of details.
Naked Eye
Summer's sky has some of the most ancient of the constellations. This particular group of constellations, though, form together one of the most complete "pictures" that relates one constellation to another directly in western mythology.
The Orion group: Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor & Lepus
Orion the Hunter, represents hope and rebirth as it is a winter constellation in the northern hemisphere. Hope as the Hunter looks towards the rising sun to regain his sight after being blinded by Scorpio (thier being in opposite ends of the sky is no coincidence in Greek mythology). Rebirth as his apparition in the sky signifyies that spring is not far away.
Orion's blinding was made more onerous by having to defend himself, blind, from
Taurus the Bull, whose red eye, Aldebaren, stares at the hunter wielding a club in one hand and holding out a lion skin in the other that he kept over his sholders to keep him warm (remember, it is winter up north).
By Orion's side are his two trusted dogs,
Canis Major and
Canis Minor. Canis Major contains The Dog Star, Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. It marks the collar of the big dog. Canis Major is standing guard next to Lepus the Rabbit, his master's dinner.
Canis Minor also has a collar star, Procyon, also one of the brightest stars of the sky. He is looking away from his master, protecting him from
Hydra, the Snake.
The first picture shows an interpretation of the constellations, showing the above grouping.
Binos & Scopes
M1, the Crab Nebula, in Taurus. This is a supernova remnant, in other words, the stuff left over after a giant star explodes. The "explosion" of this star was noted by Chinese astronomers in July 4, 1054, and could be seen during the day for 23 days. This is actually a small & dim object in the sky, though photos may suggest other wise. Today it is dimmer than when Sir Charles Messier first reported it. So-much-so, that I don't think Messier would be able to see it through his intruments today. Being small and dim, it can be a challenge to spot the faint smokey patch. I've been able to see it from my home in Sydney through an 8" scope. Larger amateur scopes can begin to show its filaments, and anyscope over 16" will show its 16th magnitude pulsar (the remnant core of this exploded star). It is not a showy object. Actually, quite unremarkable. Size in aperture is the key to seeing structure.
NGC 2244, the Rosette Nebula, in Monoceros. This is a large nebula with an associated open star cluster. But, here is the kicker, it is very faint. The best way to view it is through binocular, and the bigger the binos, the better, or through a Rich-Field-Telescope which is defined as f/4.5 or faster. One tip with seeing this faint nebula, if the cluster it surrounds nearly fills your field of view, you won't see the nebula. It totally encapsulates the cluster. The NASA picture of the red Rosette Nebula, shows the large open cluster at its core, to help give a sense of scale.
The Cone Nebla, in Monoceros. This is a dark pillar of nebulosity that is associated with the open cluster NGC 2264, the Christmas Tree cluster. This one is a challenge for larger scopes, 16" or larger. Dark pillars are concentrations of gas and dust that have formed around protstars, feeding the still to ignite star the material it needs to bring about stars and their solar systems. The famous "Fish Mouth" of the Great Orion nebula, is also a dark pillar. The third picture, from NASA, shows the Cone plus the Christmas Tree cluster.
NGC 1291, the Southern Ring Galaxy, in Eriandus. Here we have a relatively bright galaxy, but with a very wierd structure. Its structure is thought to be the result of two galaxies having collided a long, long time ago. The internal "core" seems to the the remnant of the larger of the two colliding galaxies, it showing some details that resemble a barred galaxy. Around this "core" seems to be a void, which inturn is surrounded by one long sweeping "arm" that totally encompasses the "core". A dark site in a scope over 8" should begin to show this unusal galactic structure. The wikipedia image shows these features.
M 79, in Lepus. This is a large globular cluster, but it is faint for its size. This is due to interstellar dust that lies between us and the cluster. An 8" scope will begin to resolve some of its stars. It doesn't seem to be as tight in its nature as some other globulars, and its appearance is overal slightly ovoid.
Any other suggestions for the Challenge?
Glenc has update the thread on the Dunlop Objects for February. NGC 1291 was first discovered by James Dunlop.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=68087
______
Feel like sketching any of these targets, but don't know where to start? Have a look at this article I've submitted on sketching DSO's. It is very easy to do:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-614-0-0-1-0.html