Category: What’s Up

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Welcome to a land of all sight and no sound… A land where shadow meets substance. Welcome to the “X” zone! Caught in a time warp? Not this week. Be sure to enjoy some of the best observing of the year as we head towards the center of our galaxy, walk on the lunar surface and chase shooting stars. So head out into the twilight, because….

Here’s what’s up!
Continue reading “What’s Up this Week: July 24 – July 30, 2006”

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! As the Moon slowly leaves the scene the observing heats up as we take a look at some of the Summer’s finest objects as we tour star clusters and nebula. Get out those telescopes and binoculars, because…

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Continue reading “What’s Up this Week: July 17 – July 23, 2006”

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! The Moon starts off the week, but be sure to watch for aurora activity despite its bright influence. There will be plenty of objects to study, and take the time to check Heaven’s Above for visible passes of Discovery and the ISS. Now, grab your binoculars or scopes, because…

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Continue reading “What’s Up this Week: July 10 – July 16, 2006”

This week we travel across the Moon, probe Jupiter’s close approach, see the after effects of a recent supernova, and celebrate the lives of some prominent astronomers. All in all, it’s an exciting week, so get outside.

Here’s what’s up!
Continue reading “What’s Up this Week: July 3 – July 9, 2006”

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! As warm nights and later sky dark hours descend on the northern hemisphere, it’s time to begin our studies along the incredible arm of the Milky Way galaxy. What better way to begin than with a swim in the “Lagoon Nebula”! Enjoy the beautiful nights and get out your binoculars and telescopes, because…

Here’s what’s up!
Continue reading “What’s Up this Week: June 26 – July 2, 2006”

Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! This week will be an exciting one as we return the the galaxy hunt and view the cosmos through the eyes of Pioneer. The excitement heats up as the Ophiuchid meteor shower comes along and Mars mixes it up with the Beehive. Still not enough? Then hang on as the June Lyrids streak across the night and Saturn and Mars team up to join Mercury! It’s going to be one great week to enjoy the night, because…

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Continue reading “What’s Up this Week – June 12-18, 2006”

Jupiter. Image credit: Wes Higgins. Click to enlarge.
Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! This week is all about Jupiter. While these sky guidelines were written before the appearance of the “Great Red Spot, Jr.” – that doesn’t mean the new storm can’t be spotted with an intermediate sized telescope. Be on the lookout for it to begin rotating inward about an hour after the GRS reaches meridian. Your best views will be achieved when Jr. also reaches meridian.

In the meantime, enjoy lunar features and meteor showers this week! It’s time to turn an eye towards the sky, because….

Here’s what’s up!

Monday, June 5 – Tonight let’s journey to the lunar surface and look at an area just south of crater Eratosthenes known as Sinus Aestuum. Its very smooth floor is curiously riddled to the north and east by dark stains. At one time Sinus Aestuum may have been completely submerged in lava. Later the molten rock sank to the Moon’s interior before it could do much more than melt away outer layers and older surface features.

Let’s continue to follow Jupiter. One thing you’ll notice is this gas giant doesn’t stand still. Even 10 minutes of observation reveals a definite drift of features across its globe. This wouldn’t be obvious if the entire planet was seen just as a series of light and dark bands running parallel to one another. There must be features on the planet that give observers reason to describe it as presenting “a wealth of detail.”

Although the Great Red Spot (GRS) has not been quite so red over the last few decades, it still remains “Great” in size. Almost three Earths could fit inside its length and two along its width! This vast anticyclone of upper atmospheric activity resides along the southern frontier of the South Equatorial Belt (SEB) but is largely embedded within it. Careful observation at higher magnifications shows that the GRS precedes a vast system of turbulence trailing it across the globe.

Since Jupiter’s day is two-fifths the length of our own, observers will be amazed to see the GRS come and go as the planet alternately presents its various faces. But, the GRS is not the only such spot in Jupiter’s turbulent cloud tops. Often great dark masses of far less longevity can be seen to come and go – particularly along, and embedded within, Jupiter’s NEB. Along with such dark “barge” formations, various semi-persistent white spots – or ovals – can also be detected. Many of these are seen south of the SEB and some can be detected in the planet’s polar region through large aperture scopes.

If you are out late, be sure to keep watch after the Moon sets for the Scorpiid meteor shower. Its radiant is near the constellation of Ophiuchus, and the average fall rate is about 20 per hour – with some fireballs!

Tuesday, June 6 – This evening on the lunar surface, look along the south shore of Mare Nubium. The thin, light ring you encounter will be crater Pitatus. Further south you will discover two mountain-walled plains whose exposed floors will show bright western and dark eastern walls. These twins are Wurzelbauer to the west and Gauricus to the east.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a telescope could actually “zoom” you towards anything as though you actually traveled that far? At 200x, Jupiter would hang suspended in space as though it were a little more than 4 million kilometers away. At this distance, the human eye could easily be overwhelmed with the many fine features visible in Jupiter’s dynamic cloud tops – especially when you consider that the planet would appear almost 5 times larger than the disk of the full moon!

Unfortunately, telescopes don’t quite work that way. The Earth’s atmosphere rules everything – even aperture – when it comes to what you can see in the night time sky. So observe every night possible and eventually you will get that “once in a lifetime” view of Jupiter!

Wednesday, June 7 – For late night or early morning SkyWatchers, be alert for the peak of the June Arietid meteor shower during the early morning hours. The radiant is in the constellation Aries and the fall rate is about 30 per hour. Most are slow moving with some fireballs.

Begin tonight by looking for bright Spica very close to the Moon. It will be so close that it will be occulted for some observers! Be sure to check with IOTA for more details.

Tonight’s lunar feature can be spotted in binoculars, but requires a telescope for detailed study. The Riphaeus Mountains can be found southwest of Copernicus. Highlighted by the bright ring of Euclides, the Montes Riphaeus show a variety of isolated hills and sharp peaks which may have been the original crater walls of Mare Cognitum before lava flow filled its floor. Northeast of the range is another smooth floored area on the border of Oceanus Procellarum. It is here that Surveyor 3 landed on April 19, 1967. After bouncing three times, the probe came to rest on a smooth slope in a sub-telescopic crater. As its on-board television monitors watched, Surveyor 3 deployed a “first of its kind” miniature shovel and dug to a depth of 18 inches. The view of sub-soil material and its clean-cut lines allowed scientists to conclude that the loose lunar soil could compact. Watching Surveyor 3 pound its shovel against the surface, the resulting tiny “dents” answered the crucial question. The surface of a mare would support the landing of a spacecraft and exploration by astronauts.

With Jupiter and the Moon so close tonight, why not try some comparison views? Observe Jupiter’s details through the telescope and compare what you see visually with the Moon. It gives you new respect for the wonders of lunar observation doesn’t it?

Thursday, June 8, 2006 – Born on this date in 1625 was the most notable observer after Galileo – Giovanni Cassini. Many of Cassini’s discoveries are easily reproduced by amateurs today. He was the first to see belts and spots on Jupiter – allowing him to accurately determine the planet’s rapid rotation. Cassini saw features on Mars clearly enough that he could determine its more Earth-like rotation as well. His observations of Saturn led to the discovery of its four brightest satellites. Cassini’s accurate records of Galilean transits across Jupiter allowed him to note discrepancies based on variations in the planet’s distance from Earth. In fact, Cassini came to think light might travel at a fixed speed! Astronomers particularly remember Cassini for his namesake division in Saturn’s ring system. Do you suppose we should name a spacecraft after him? And if so, where should we send it?

The three planets Cassini is most widely noted for observing are still visible in the evening sky. Look southwest for a rapidly setting Mars and Saturn, while Jupiter stands high the south at skydark.

Tonight’s lunar feature will be bright Aristarchus. Located on the terminator north of Kepler, this dazzling feature can sometimes be seen unaided and is easily noted in binoculars. For telescopic viewers, Aristarchus offers a splendid challenge – look for a thin, bright thread curling away from it. Named Schroter’s Valley, it is a sinuous rille and largest of its kind. It may have once been a lava tube, similar to our own terrestrial volcanic features.

Friday, June 9 – Today is the birthday of Johann Gottfried Galle. Born in Germany in 1812, Galle, along with d’Arrest, shared the distinction of discovering Neptune. This was based on calculations by Le Verrier predicting its expected position. Galle was Encke’s assistant at the Wilhelm Foerster Observatory in Berlin and became the first to see the faint “dusky ring” (Ring C) of Saturn. Galle was also one of the few astronomers ever to have seen Halley’s Comet twice. He died two months after the comet passed perihelion in 1910, at a ripe old age of 98.

Want to practice some astronomy during the day? Then grab an FM radio and enjoy the “static” as we enter a cometary debris trail and some of the strongest daytime radio meteor showers of the year. To listen to the action, all you need is an external antenna. Tune the receiver to the lowest frequency not producing a clear signal. Each time a meteor passes through our atmosphere, it leaves an ion trail that bounces back distant radio signals to you – even in a stationary car! Listen to the static for a quick rise in volume or a snatch of a distant station that lasts a second or two then fades back to static.

Tonight’s highlighted lunar feature can be seen in binoculars but is best viewed telescopically. Located in the southwest quadrant on the terminator just south of Shickard, crater Wargentin is most unique. Once upon a time, it was a very normal crater and remained that way for hundreds of millions of years – then it happened: either an interior fissure opened up, or the impact that originally formed it caused molten lava to seep slowly upward. Oddly enough, Wargentin’s walls lacked large enough breaks to allow the lava to escape and it eventually filled the crater to the rim. Often referred to as “the Cheese,” enjoy Wargentin tonight for its unusual appearance.

Saturday, June 10 – Begin your observations this evening by noting how close Antares is to the Moon. For some very lucky viewers, this means an occultation. Be sure to check IOTA for times and details in your area. You won’t want to miss this event…

Meanwhile on the surface, tonight’s lunar feature will be crater Galileo. It is a supreme challenge for binoculars to spot, but telescopes of any size at higher magnifications will easily reveal it perched on the terminator in the west-northwest section of the Moon. Set in the smooth sands of Oceanus Procellarum, Galileo is a very tiny, eye-shaped crater with a soft rille accompanying it. Of course, this crater was named for the man who first contemplated the Moon through a telescope. No matter what lunar resource you choose to follow, all agree that giving such an insignificant crater a great name like Galileo is like saying a Stradivarius is a stringed instrument! For those familiar with some of the outstanding lunar features, read any account of Galileo’s life and just look at how many spectacular craters were named for people he supported. We cannot change the names of lunar cartography, but we can remember Galileo’s many accomplishments each time we view this crater.

As the father of telescopic astronomy, Galileo blazed a trail across the night sky – one any amateur of the day can easily follow. Among his most well known discoveries were the four bright satellites of Jupiter – the Galilean moons. Of the four, Ganymede is now known to be the largest satellite in the solar system. At 5262 kilometers, Ganymede is significantly more than twice the diameter of Pluto and almost 10 percent larger than Mercury. Of all the satellites in our system other than the Earth’s moon, it is the only one capable of displaying a true disk in a moderate sized telescope. Tonight, at some 1.6 arc seconds in apparent size, Ganymede could reveal its disk to a mid-sized scope. Take the time to observe Galileo’s “solar system within a solar system.” Get a sense of the relative colors, brightness and size. If one of them is missing, Galileo didn’t miscount. Look for a transit shadow cast against the planet’s disk or watch for it to emerge from around behind.

Sunday, June 11– Tonight is the Full Moon. Often referred to as the Full Strawberry Moon, this name was a constant to every Algonquin tribe in North America. Our friends in Europe referred to it as the Rose Moon. The North American version came about because the comparatively short season for harvesting strawberries arrives each year during the month of June.

As its rises, we’ll voyage to something “strawberry” red – the brightest “carbon star” in the night skies. Aim scopes or binoculars about a fist width northeast of Beta Canes Venatici and behold “La Superba.”

Y Canes Venatici is a variable star which ranges between magnitudes 4.8 to 6.3 over a period of about half a year. When “Y” is at minimum it is around 4 times dimmer than at its peak. But, there is something very good about catching this star on a night when it is faint – its distinctive reddish hue. See if you agree with mid-18th century astronomer Father Angelo Secchi, in naming it “La Superba.”

May all your journeys be at light speed… ~Tammy Plotner with Jeff Barbour.

M83: “The Southern Pinwheel”. Image credit: Bill Schoening/NOAO/AURA/NSF. Click to enlarge.
Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Let’s hope clear skies have returned to your area as we begin the week with a look at the incredible M83. As the Moon returns, we’ll study the features and be in for some excitement as it occults asteroid Vesta. Stay tuned as we go globular and catch some “shooting stars” because…

Here’s what’s up!

Monday, May 29 – Today in 1919, a total eclipse of the Sun occurred and stellar measurements taken along the limb agreed with predictions based on Einstein’s General Relativity theory – a first! Although we call it gravity, the space-time curve deflects the light of stars near the limb, causing their apparent position to differ slightly. Unlike today’s astronomy, at that time you could only observe stars near the Sun’s limb (less than an arc second) during an eclipse. It’s interesting to note that even Newton had his own theories on light and gravitation which also predicted deflection!

With tonight’s thin moon setting early, let’s have a look at the superb “Southern Pinwheel” galaxy – M83. You’ll find it a little more than a fist width south-southeast of Gamma Hydrae.

Pictures of M83 are often used to show budding astronomers what our own galaxy would look like if it were “out there” rather than “all around us.” In astrophotos, M83 shows a luminous central core with two broad bars of almost equally intense light extending outward across from one another. These act as trunks for the gnarled growth of the galaxy’s main spiral arms. Well away from the core, three spiral extensions are seen coiling outward to ultimately dissipate into space. But, that’s where the comparison with our own galaxy ends. This 15 million light-year distant, 30,000 light-year diameter class SB spiral is but a miniature of our giant spiral!

As you observe M83 tonight take the time to look for the structure described above – the round central core region, lateral bars, and spiraling extensions. More aperture means more light, and more detail.

Something new? First re-locate M5 in Serpens then head 3 degrees east. There you will find the brightest galaxy (NGC 5846) of a half dozen or so clustered around 4.6 magnitude 110 Virginis. These include NGCs 5850, 5831, 5838, 5854, 5813, and NGC 5806. These seven galaxies range in magnitude from 10.2 to 11.8 – and all are within the range of a mid-size scope.

Tuesday, May 30 – Tonight we’ll begin our studies by checking out the slender crescent of the Moon. To the north you will see the eastern edge of Mare Crisium beginning to emerge. The bright point on the shoreline is Promontorium Agarum with shallow crater Condorcet to its east. Look along the shore of the mare for a mountain to the south known as Mons Usov. Just to its north Luna 24 landed and directly to its west are the remains of Luna 15. Can you spot tiny crater Fahrenheit nearby?

Once the Moon has set, let’s revisit a spectacular globular cluster well suited to all instruments – M5. To find M5 easily, head southeast of Arcturus and north of Beta Librae and identify 5 Serpentis. At low power, or in binoculars, you will see this handsome globular in the same field to the northwest.

First discovered while observing a comet by Gottfried Kirch and his wife in 1702, Charles Messier found it on his own on May 23, 1764. Although Messier said it was a round nebula that “doesn’t contain any stars,” even small scopes can resolve the curved patterns of stars that extend from M5’s bright nucleus. Binoculars will reveal it with ease. For a real challenge, large telescopes can look for 11.8 magnitude globular Palomar 5 about 40′ south of the star 4 Serpentis. Under very dark, clear skies, M5 can just be glimpsed unaided, but telescopes will enjoy the rose-petal like star arcs of this 13 billion year old city of stars.

Wednesday, May 31 – Be very sure to check with IOTA for an awesome event on this Universal date. Why? Asteroid Vesta will be occulted by the Moon!

Tonight let’s return to Mare Crisium and look for some challenging features. Beginning on the south shore of Crisium, start by identifying crater Shaply trapped on the edge of the mare’s enclosure. To the southeast of Shaply you will see two small grey ovals. The northernmost is crater Firmicus with crater Apollonius to its south. Further south you will see the smooth grey area of Sinus Successus. If you look at the paler peninsula on Successus’ northern shore, you are seeing crater Ameghino and the landing area of the Luna 18 and Luna 20 missions.

If you’d like to take on another mission tonight, wait for the Moon to set and head towards Hercules for a high power view of a 9th magnitude planetary nebula – NGC 6210. This small disk won’t be easy to separate from neighboring stars without magnification. To find NGC 6210, locate Beta and Gamma Herculis. Draw an imaginary line between them and extend it around the same distance to the northeast. Around 6500 light-years away, NGC 6510 is one of the most active planetary nebulae. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images show powerful hot jets of turbulent gas burrowing through an outer shell of cool gas.

Thursday, June 1 – Tonight let’s look on the lunar surface at the junction of Mare Fecunditatis and the edge of Mare Tranquillitatis. Here stands ancient Taruntius. Like a lighthouse guarding the shores, it stands on a mountainous peninsula overlooking the mare. Tonight it appears as a bright ring, but watch in the days ahead as this “lighthouse” shoots its brilliant beams across the desolate landscape nearly 175 kilometers.

To see another brilliant lighthouse, let’s head towards northern Hercules for a look at “the other Hercules Cluster” – M92. Discovered on December 27, 1777 by J. E. Bode, magnitude 6.5 M92 radiates with roughly half the brilliance of the Great Hercules Cluster – and this holds true intrinsically as well. About 900 light-years more distant than its famous neighbor, M13, the smaller M92 is still only 5,000 light-years away – “next door.”

M92 gives a splendid, well-resolved view in even small scopes. It dissolves into dozens of fainter members arrayed around a nebulous core radiating the combined light of over 150,000 suns. Like all globulars, higher magnification must be used to add contrast and reveal some of its brighter stellar components – especially near the core where this celestial “lighthouse” really gathers them in!

Friday, June 2 – For SkyWatchers tonight, have a look as Regulus is quite near Luna.

For telescope users, the Moon gives a wonderful opportunity to revisit ancient crater Posidonius. Its 84 kilometer by 98 kilometer expanse is easily seen in the most modest of optical instruments and it offers a wealth of details with its eroded walls and 1768 meter (5800 ft.) central peak. Look for a central crater attended by a fine curve of challenging mountain peaks to its east.

Continue southward from Posidonius along the edge of Mare Serenitatis to catch partially open crater Le Monnier. This ruined ring contains the remains of the Luna 21 mission – forever awaiting salvage in the grey sands along Le Monnier’s southern edge.

Even though skies are fairly bright, we can still get an impression of a very distant third globular cluster in Hercules. This one is small and faint – but with reason. NGC 6229 is almost 100,000 light-years away! If it were transported to the distance of M13 or M92 it would shine as bright as the latter and eclipse both in apparent size!

Due to great distance, the brightest stars associated with NGC 6229 are only within reach of large telescopes. This may explain why William Herschel interpreted the faint and slightly condensed glow of NGC 6229 as a planetary nebula when he discovered it May 12, 1787. The surprise of three globulars within the confines of Hercules may also explain why the globular cluster was mistaken as a comet discovery in 1819! Its stellar nature was only first resolved in the mid 1800s by the discoverer of Neptune – Louis d’Arrest.

Despite the Moon, larger scopes can find NGC 6229 between the stars 52 and 42 Hercules, a fist width north of Eta – the northeastern star of the Hercules Keystone.

Saturday, June 3 – If you’re up early, why not keep watch for the peak of the Tau Herculids meteor shower? With a radiant near Corona Borealis, the Earth will encounter this stream for about a month. Sharp-eyed observers can expect about 15 faint streaks per hour at its maximum.

Although it’s furthest from the Earth right now, did you see Selene during daylight today? Spectacular, isn’t it. Have you ever wondered if there was any place on the lunar surface that has never seen the light?

Directly in the center of the Moon is a dark floored area known as the Sinus Medii. South of that are two conspicuously large craters – Hipparchus to the north and ancient Albategnius to the south. Trace the terminator toward the south until you almost reach its point (cusp.) There you will see a black oval. This normal looking crater with brilliant west wall is ancient crater Curtius. Because of its high latitude, we never see its interior – and neither does the Sun! It is believed that the inner walls are quite steep. Because of this, Curtius’ deep interior hasn’t seen the light of day since its formation billions of years ago! Locked in perpetual darkness, scientists speculate there may be “lunar ice” inside its many cracks and crevasses crevices.

Because our Moon has no atmosphere, the entire surface is exposed to the vacuum of space. When sunlit, the surface reaches up to 385 K. Any exposed ice would immediately evaporate and be lost because the Moon’s weak gravity cannot hold it. Frozen matter can only exist on the moon within permanently shadowed areas. Curtius lies near the Moon’s south pole. Imaging has shown some 15,000 square kilometers where similar conditions could exist. But where does the “ice” come from? The lunar surface never ceases to be pelted by meteorites – most of which contain water. Many craters are formed by just such impacts. Hidden from sunlight, this frozen material can exist for millions of years!

Sunday, June 4 – How about a little lunar “prospecting?” Then let’s explore the northern equivalent to Curtius. Start by locating previous study crater Plato. North of Plato lies a long horizontal area of gray floor – Mare Frigoris. North of Frigoris you will see a “double crater.” This is the elongated diamond shape of Goldschmidt. Cutting across its western border is Anaxagoras. The lunar north pole isn’t far from Goldschmidt, and since Anaxagoras lies about one degree outside of the Moon’s theoretical “arctic” area, the lunar sun will never go high enough to clear the southernmost rim. Such “permanent darkness” must mean there’s ice! And for that very reason, NASA’s Lunar Prospector probe was sent to explore. Did it find what it was looking for? The answer is yes.

The probe discovered vast quantities of cometary ice secreted inside the crater’s depths. What’s the significance? Water is essential to life and its presence influences any plans to establish a base on the lunar surface. Will the sun ever shine on such a base? Quite probably. But down below, in the crater’s depths it never has, and never will…

Tonight let’s look at another distant world as we take another look at Jupiter. You don’t have to wait for the sky to actually get dark to view Jupiter. At magnitude -2.4, Jupiter can easily be found a half-hour after sunset. It won’t be long before it’s gone so enjoy those “Bands on the Run” while they last!

May all your journeys be at light speed… ~Tammy Plotner with Jeff Barbour.

The Leo Triplet. Image credit: REU Program/NOAO/AURA/NSF. Click to enlarge
Greeting fellow SkyWatchers! This week will be a great time to go galaxy hunting and seeking out all the bright a beautiful deep space objects that signal the end of Spring and the beginning of Summer. So get out your binoculars and telescopes and get ready to rock, because…

Here’s what’s up!

Monday, May 22, 2006 – Tonight would be a great opportunity to do some binocular hunting. Starting at Regulus, see how many faint galaxies you can spot about a fist width due east. Among the brightest will be M105, M95 and M96. Another fist width east will take you just below Theta Leonis for the must easier M65 and M66.

Now return to Regulus. About a thumb’s length to the west-southwest you will spot dim R Leonis – a Mira-type variable. Discovered in 1782 by J.A. Koch, this awesome star moves from magnitude 4.4 to 11.0 magnitude is less than a year. As one of the earliest discovered, you will find it a ruby red color that goes to deep purple during its cycle. A true gem!

Tuesday, May 23 – Tonight we move on to small telescope studies as we begin at Beta Leonis (Denebola) and look about a hand span west-southwest for Epsilon Virginis (Vindemiatrix). Almost directly between them is the most heavily galaxy populated portion of the sky for a small scope!

About three finger-widths west of Epsilon, you will find M59 and M60 with M58 just a breath further west. At low power, shifting northwest one field of view will bring you to M89 and then go northeast another field for M90. Return to M89 and go less than two fields away for M87. Two fields north will bring you to M88, while one east will help you find M91.

If you get lost, don’t worry. One of the most beautiful experiences in Virgo is to simply enjoy all you can see!

Wednesday, May 24 – Be sure to check the sky this morning as brilliant Venus and the Moon have a scenic encounter.

Tonight we’ll head into larger scope territory as we explore the area around the galactic pole and star 31 Comae.

As a known member of Melotte 111, 31 Comae is an eclipsing variable star with a faint companion. Begin by centering on 31, and move south a little more than two degrees for a large, 9.2 magnitude spiral galaxy – NGC 4725. Encircled by a halo, this study contains a luminous oval nucleus. A little more than 3 degrees west-northwest will bring you to the spectacular NGC 4565. This large, slender, edge-on presentation is an easy 9.6 magnitude which shows a dark dust lane.

Now shift NGC 4565 a little more than a degree east to view the small, 9.9 magnitude elliptical galaxy – NGC 4494. Return to NGC 4565 and move two degrees north for NGC 4559. This large, 9.9 magnitude, tilted spiral will show a multi-armed structure and some patchiness to its detail. To complete the tour, four degrees east again and you’ll find yourself back at 31 Comae!

Thursday, May 25 – Has Gemini gained another twin? No. It’s just Mars south of Pollux.

Tonight, let’s try a series of challenges designed to intrigue all SkyWatchers. For visual observers, your goal is just east of Saturn. Allow your eyes plenty of time to dark adapt and seek out a large hazy patch of barely visible stars. Congratulations! You’ve just spotted M44 and seen the light – light that left the cluster in the year 1480!

For binoculars, look a fist width west of bright Spica and you’ll pick up M104. Its light came from 400 million years ago.

For the large telescope, your challenge lies five and a half degrees south of Beta Virginis and one half degree west. Classified as Arp 248, and more commonly known as “Wild’s Triplet,” these three very small interacting galaxies are a real treat! Best observed using higher magnifications, use wide aversion and try to keep the star just north of the trio at the edge of the field to cut glare.

Best of luck!

Friday, May 26 – This evening we’re going to have a look at two of the finest globular clusters for the northern hemisphere. Entering the middle third of the sky to the northeast is everyone’s favorite and champion of the overhead sky – the Great Hercules Cluster – M13. Just grazing the sky’s middle third to the south-southeast is the equally spectacular M5 in Serpens.

At magnitude 5.8, M5 is only slightly brighter cumulatively than M13 and is also just slightly larger. With good reason…It’s 600 light-years closer.

Now let’s go locate each of them. M13 is easily found just one-third the way between Eta and Zeta Herculis along the western flank of the Keystone. To locate M5, you’ll find it slightly northeast of 5 Serpens.

Which gives the better view? Well leave the decision to you!

Saturday, May 27 – Tonight is New Moon Saturday and many observers will be packing their scopes up and heading for dark skies. Many will enjoy the camaraderie of other amateurs – plus opportunities to look through different equipment and discover entirely new night sky favorites. If you’re on your own, keep this in mind: the best locations for observing will be far from city lights, at higher altitudes, and hampered by little foliage – especially to the south where studies sometimes only barely manage to clear the trees before they’re gone again. Since most star parties are held at well-selected locations, a lot of the work has already been done for you!

For observers below 40 degrees north latitude, one study will be on everyone’s list tonight – the incomparable Omega Centauri! To see it, you simply must have a clear view of the horizon to the south and begin looking for it well south of Spica as soon as it starts to get reasonably dark out. Don’t expect much of a view from the northern hemisphere. Omega may look no better than a large unresolved misty glow. But you just have to look anyway!

Even before that peek at Omega, Jupiter will dominate the sky to the south – so arrive early and set up just after sunset. Within a half hour you will see the planet culminating south. Once you’ve had that first look at Jupiter, you might want to look west toward Gemini and say goodbye to Mars and Saturn. If the seeing is really good, you will probably want to spend some quality time with Jupiter throughout the evening. One thing to watch for, the strikingly high contrast and well-defined shadow of a Galilean as it transits Jupiter’s atmosphere.

After Omega Centauri and the planets, the sky’s the limit!

Sunday, May 28 – On this day in 1959, the first primates made it to space. Abel (a rhesus monkey) and Baker (a squirrel monkey) lifted off in the nose cone of an Army Jupiter missile and were carried aloft into sub-orbital flight. Recovered unharmed, Abel died just three days later from anesthesia during an electrode removal, but Baker lived on to the ripe old age of 27.

Tonight let’s monkey around with the stars as we climb into the canopy of the heavens towards 7.7 magnitude M101!

The sprawling nature of this face-on spiral means that the light of an 8th magnitude star has to be spread very thin to cover all that celestial terrain. Its 10th magnitude core region allowed Pierre M?chain to view it on March 27, 1781. This inclusion was the last published entry in Charles Messier’s catalog. Meanwhile William Parsons (Lord Rosse), described M101 as “Large, spiral, faintish; several arms and knots. 14′ diameter at least.” – a description comparable to what is seen through the largest backyard telescopes used today.

At a distance of 27 million light-years, the true size of M101 is extraordinary – some 170,000 light-years in diameter. Its total luminosity is equivalent to over 30 billion suns. Even as large as this galaxy is, it merely approaches the size of the Milky Way!

May all your journeys be at light speed… ~Tammy Plotner with Jeff Barbour.