Our astronomy observer’s instinct is to seek objects faint, fuzzy, and far away. Yet there is a remarkable observing challenge right on our doorsteps that requires no more investment than a pair of binoculars — O runaway stars. These are massive, furiously hot Class-O stars twenty or more times the mass of the sun that are unaccountably roaming the skies with no attachment to anything.
https://issuu.com/douglasbullis/docs/sky_candy_3_o-runaway_stars_observer_s_guide_150d
The third article in the newly inaugurated
Sky Candy series is "Riding with the Valkyries — an O-Runaway Star Observer's Guide." It is especially suited for young enthusiasts with a pair of binoculars who can't see most of the Messier list, but who also want a challenge list of their very own to take pride in honing their skills.
How did O runaways get to be such wandering loners? Their tales reveal galactic life styles that we cannot imagine simply by looking at them. They are speeding along in near-solitude in parts of the Galaxy where they should not be. How did such hugely massive objects acquire velocities of 40 or more kilometers a second?
Yet for all their fabulous physics, they are easy to find in a pair of binoculars. The seven-page Observer’s Guide at the end of this article lists 45 O runaways we can spot naked eye or with inexpensive binoculars. It is an ideal challenge list for newcomers fascinated with the lore and beauty of the night sky.
Good hunting! =Doug Bullis, South Africa
