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The March Sky: 2007

Events: On March 3-4 a total lunar eclipse will be visible from Eastern North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.


A partial solar eclipse occurs on the 19th. It can be viewed from Alaska and parts of Asia.


South of Lynx and east of Gemini is Cancer. Within the square center of this constellation is the open cluster designated M44, the Beehive Cluster. This can be seen with the naked eye on a clear night and is truly a beautiful sight in wide-field binoculars. Contrast M44 with M67, an open cluster west of alpha. Look for thr triple stars zeta and iota-2, as well as the double iota-one.


East of Cancer is the imposing figure of Leo, with its bright alpha, Regulus, at the base of a westward facing sickle. The eastern sector is a right triangle that represents the hinquarters of the lion. Leo hosts a huge number of galaxies including M95, M96, M105, M65, and M66. Most of the galaxies can be found clustered midway between Regulus and thets, south of theta, or within the eastern triangle. North of Leo is the indistinct Leo Minor which contains some galaxies best viewed with large telescopes.


Due south of Regulus is the dim triangle of Sextans, a region devoid of bright stars or easy deep sky objects. Its many galaxies require dark skies and very clear conditions.


Hydra begins in the west just south of Cancer. Its head roughly resembles Cepheus. This constellation rambles eastward almost into the northern summer sky. Along with many faint galaxies we find the planetary nebula NGC 3242 south of mu.


South of Hydra we find Antlia, which, like Hydra, presents us with a slew of galaxies. On the Antlia-Vela border is NGC 3132, a planetary nebula. Vela itself contains both galaxies and the type of object characteristic of the Milky Way. Here we find an impressive array of open clusters, planetary nebulae, globular clusters, and impressive star clouds. Carina is even more impressive: among the open clusters and star clouds look for the globular cluster NGC 2808 and the planetary nebulae Ngc 2867, 3211, 2448.


The planets in March


Mercury is in the morning sky this month. Southern observers will get an exceptionally good view this month.


Venus stands out clearly in the evening sky.


Mars is in the morning sky.


Jupiter is a morning object.


Saturn is visible most of the night in March.

The night sky, February 2007

February in the north affords a rare opportunity to view a range of nebulae types. Open clusters in Taurus, Auriga, Gemini and Canis Major contrast with the reflection and emission nebulae of Orion, and Monoceros. A careful study of these objects illustrates the basic concepts of star formation and evolution.


The north hosts Lynx, an indistinct string of stars north of Gemini and west of Ursa Major. 5 is a very nice double star, and 19 is a quadruple system. In dark skies, try to locate NGC 2419, a globular cluster that wanders through intergalactic space. It can be found in the sparse region north of omicron Geminorum..


South of Lynx is Gemini. Gemini consists of two parallel lines running southwest from Castor (heading the northern string) and Pollux (topping the southern line).Sweep along both strings for multiple stars. At the ‘foot’ of the northern line, above the raised arm of Orion, lie a number of open clusters the most notable of which is M35. Compare this with NGC 2158, visible in the same wide angle view. 22158, because of its greater distance, appears much smaller and compact than M35.


South of Castor and Pollux is Canis Minor. Its brightest star is Procyon, sister of Sirius. This constellation consists mostly of Procyon and beta. With a telescope one can make out some double stars. The open cluster Dolidze 26 is north of beta. Look east of eta for NGC 2394, an s-shaped view that, in spite of its cataloge number, is probably an asterism.


Between Orion and Canis Major and beneath Gemini is a large region of faint stars comprising Monoceros. Eta and beta are triple. Southeast of Betelgeuse and due east of Struve 1915 we find the emission nebulae 2237 and 2239, with the open cluster NGC 2244 embedded in the center. This is the Rosette nebula. Scan north of this for the emission nebula and open cluster designated NGC 2264 that surrounds the star 15. In the south we find M50 by hopping from delta or beta.


South of Monoceros is the stunning constellation Canis Major. We can locate Sirius by following the belt of Orion southeast. Canis Major also presents a rich array of clusters and Milky Way fields. Due south of Sirius is M41, an impressive open cluster. Farther to the east, embedded in the Milky Way, is M93 in Puppis. Puppis, south of Canis Major, is packed with deep sky objects and some of the best star clouds of the winter.
Look for the open clusters M46 and M47 south of alpha Monoceratis.


In the south we find bright Canopus, second only to Sirius, it dominates the southern sky. Southern observers still have a good view of the Large Magellanic Cloud.


The planets in February


Mercury is low in the evening sky this month.


Venus is also an early evening object.


Mars is in the morning sky.


Jupiter is visible for most of the morning hours in February.


Saturn is a great evening object this month. We will have a number of months to observe this fascinating planet.

Comet McNaught 2006 P1

This is a very bright (Mag. 1)object in the south-west right after the sun sets. I saw it at 5:15 PM EST on 1/2/07 and it set well before dark. A clear horizon or tall building is needed to catch it but it's worth the effort. But for it's location it would be mistaken for Venus.

The Night Sky: January 2007

In the north look for the bright Capella, in Auriga. The Milky Way runs through this kite-shaped constellation and so we find a number of interesting star fields. The open clusters M36, M37, and M38 are easy to find with binoculars. Darker skies are needed to locate the emission and planetary nebulae in this region. Note that the southeastern corner of the kite is actually beta Tauri, the tip of the Bull’s western horn. See if you can find the supernova remnant M1 due west of zeta Tauri, the tip of the eastern horn. M1 will look like a mere smudge of light in small telescopes but, with a larger ‘scope, one can discern more detail.

South of this is Orion, one of the few northern constellations that even first-time observers accept as a unified figure. The most prominent deep-sky object is M42, the famed Orion Nebula. This is an interesting sight in telescopes of all apertures and is also a beautiful object to photograph. Because M42 is such an easy object, many observers tend to overlook the myriad open and diffuse nebulae that follow the lines of Orion’s belt an sword. Don’t forget to scan the region around Orion’s upraised right arm through which the Milky Way runs. A slow scan with binoculars reveals some fascinating star clouds.

At the foot of Orion is Lepus, star poor but sprinkled with faint galaxies and planetary nebulae. The open cluster NGC 2017 and the globular gluster M79 are relatively easy to find. Gamma Leporis is a fine double star. Even farther south is Columba, which hosts a number of galaxies as well as the faint globular cluster NGC 1851. Caelum has little of interest to amateurs although alpha Caeli is double.

South of this is faint Pictor, which is overshadowed by Carina to the east. Canopus, alpha carinae, outshines all stars save Sirius.

Still the most impressive object in the southern summer is the Large Magellanic Cloud. NGC 2070, the Tarantula Nebula, is a naked-eye object. Look for the open cluster NGC 1910 also embedded in the LMC.

The Night Sky: December 2006

Special notes: The Geminid meteor shower should be worth observing this year. They peak the evenings of December 13-14. Unlike many other showers one need not wait until the morning hours for these slow moving meteors.

Look for the bright asteroid Iris in the dark region west of the Pleiades this month. The December edition of Sky and Telescope has a handy finder chart.

Looking north, the area between Cassiopeia and Camelopardalis contains some great fields for binocular sweeping. look for the inverted Y shape of Perseus. Half way between alpha Persei and Cassiopeia is the Double Cluster, denoted h and chi Persei. This is a great sight with wide-field equipment. At the western “foot” pf Perseus is Algol, an eclipsing binary that can go from maximum to minimum within five hours. Gupta has times for monthly minima of Algol. M34 is an open cluster that can be found by sweeping west of Algol. From very dark-sky sites one can try to glimpse the California Nebula near ksi Persei.

South of Perseus, hovering in otherwise unremarkable skies, is M45, the Pleiades. This bright blue cluster is easily one of the most popular open clusters, and it is often mistaken for the Big Dipper. It is a treat in telescopes of all sizes. From the Pleiades we move to the V- shaped cluster due east: the Hyades, with red Aldebaran on its eastern side. A sweep through this area shows that the Hyades, a much older clusters, contains a more varied star population than the Pleiades.

Eridanus meanders from the foot of Orion to the deep south- ending at Achernar. Cradled by Eridanus is Fornax which contains a dense cluster of galaxies. Though none are especially bright, many can be glimpsed together in a single wide-field view.

The Large Magellanic Cloud, the most accessible galactic structure after the Milky Way, contains a huge number of deep sky objects to explore.

Mercury Transits the Sun: November 8, 2006

Mercury transits the sun on November 8. This can be seen by observers in the Americas, the Pacific, East Asia, and Australia. Remember that observing the sun can be very dangerous. Use only approved techniques. See Gupta (Gupta, R. (ed.), Observers Handbook 2006, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005.)for transit details.

The November Sky (2006)

Cassiopeia, in the north, can be recognized by its distinctive ‘W’ shape, though in November it looks more like an ’M’. It sits squarely in the Milky Way and thus abounds in nebulae, clusters, and interesting stars and star clouds. Observers interested in open clusters can spend hours in this constellation. Follow the line from alpha to beta towards Cepheus to find M52, a great open cluster. Other open clusters are NGC 7789, near beta, NGC 7790, between beta and 6 Cass, can be found amidst a string of fainter clusters. Not far from the midpoint of the ‘M’ is NGC 103. Scan the region near kappa to find NGC 133 and NGC 146. M 103 is located near delta. Unlike others in the Milky Way, Cassiopeia is also host to some noteworthy galaxies.

Cassiopeia, being the sole denizen of the Milky Way, is unique among November constellations. For the most part, the sky this month lacks objects associated with our galaxy. In exchange, we find our gaze directed towards other galaxies, most them rather faint and hard to find. The Local Group members M31, M33 and the Small Magellanic Cloud however, rival most other deep sky objects.

South of Cassiopeia is Andromeda, two major strings of stars streaming north-east from the Square of Pegasus. The most notable object is M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. This can be found by following the line defined by beta and mu northwest. M31 is a great sight in any telescope. M32 and M110 (NGC205) are part of the M31 system. Observers with larger telescopes can try to pick out the globular clusters of M31. Large telescopes will also allow one to observe an impressive number of fainter galaxies throughout Andromeda. Binoculars reveal a number of pretty star strings in this region. Gamma is a popular multiple star: look for it at the easternmost ‘foot’ of the princess. Even small telescopes will split the major components which present a striking yellow-blue contrast.

Not far from Andromeda is tiny Triangulum. The major object here is M33, found by slowly scanning from alpha towards beta Andromedae. The galaxy appears face-on to our perspective and is often called the “Pinwheel Galaxy”. It is fainter than M31 but a remarkable object nonetheless. As with M31 and other famous deep-sky objects, first-time observers may find themselves spoiled by the memory of the many outstanding photographs of this object. Take the time to observe for signs of spiral structure or for uneven clumps of brightness. Averted vision will help in discerning details that might otherwise elude you. Triangulum hosts a number of other galaxies but none compare with M33.

South of Triangulum is humble Aries. There are many double and multiple stars in this region although most of them are rather faint. Deep-sky enthusiasts will excellent conditions and large telescopes to find much of interest here.

The eastern fish of Pisces borders Aries. This string of stars extends roughly north from alpha running all the way to Andromeda. There are a number of faint multiple stars but the primary object of interest is M74, a tiny version of M33. Look for it east of eta. You will need dark skies to locate it and, due to its compact nucleus, it may resemble a poorly defined globular cluster rather than a spiral galaxy.

South of Pisces is the large, rambling constellation Cetus. Cetus consists of a large circle in the west connected by a string to a smaller circlet to the northeast. The midpoint of the connecting string is occupied by Mira, a variable star that cycles through a six-magnitude change in roughly 330 days. Among the interesting double stars of Cetus are alpha, gamma, 66 (near Mira), and 26 Ceti. M77 is a small but surprisingly bright object, a strange galaxy with a tremendous amount of energy generated in its nucleus.

Due east of Fomalhaut is indistinct Sculptor. This area presents us with faint stars and fainter galaxies. There is one open cluster, Blanco I, that requires wide field binoculars to appreciate fully. The galaxies here are mostly members of the Sculptor Group, a neighbor of our own Local Group of galaxies.

Southern observers are able to observe two exceptional objects this month. The Small Magellanic Cloud and the spectacular globular cluster 47 Tucanae.


The Planets in November

Mercury transits the sun on November 8.

Venus is a difficult object for northern observers. Southerners have a slightly better view.

Mars is not visible this month.

Jupiter can be seen by southern observers in the early morning sky.

Saturn is in the morning sky.

The October Sky (2006)

In the north we see the eastern edge of the Milky Way swinging west and leaving us the star-poor, yet more subtle skies of Autumn. Cepheus, a house-shaped circumpolar constellation, offers the last of our galaxy’s bounty. Look for mu Cephei, the garnet star, a reddish-orange star at the base of the “house”. Due south of mu is IC 1396, a nice collection of stars embedded in an extended emission nebula. Xi, in the very center of the house, is a binary that can be split with small telescopes. NGC 6939, an open cluster, and NGC 6946, a galaxy, can be found south of eta and theta Cephei. Eta and theta form a tail running west of alpha. Even if you cannot locate these items you may enjoy some of the interesting chains of stars in this region. Southern Cepheus is a fine area to sweep with binoculars.


Beneath Cepheus is Lacerta, hanging half in, half out of the Milky Way. It’s northern sector presents a nice view in binoculars but in general large telescopes are needed to appreciate its deep-sky objects.


In the dark northeast of Lacerta look for the large square of Pegasus. Though we find a sprinkling of galaxies in Lacerta, it is in Pegasus that they really bloom. The one deep-sky exception to this is M15, a globular cluster west of epsilon near the border with Equuleus. A good beginners project is to see how many stars can be counted inside the great square with the naked eye.


South of Pegasus look for the western section of Pisces characterized by the rough circle of the western fish. This part of the constellation contains some very faint galaxies but few easy deep-sky objects. We will return to the eastern sector in November.


Aquarius, like Pisces, can be divided into two sectors. Unlike Pisces, however, the western region of Aquarius has a number of interesting objects. Near epsilon one finds the globular cluster M72, the collection of stars known as M73, and the the bright planetary nebula NGC 7009, the Saturn Nebula. 7009 can be found roughly 3/4 of the way from epsilon to nu. North of this area intrepid galaxy seekers can find two compact galaxy fields near the border with Equuleus. The globular cluster M2 is due north of beta. East of M2 is alpha, east of this is the “water Jar”, an asterism composed of gamma, pi, zeta and eta. Zeta is a fine double , both stars yellow, that can be split with small telescopes. Due south (almost 20 degrees south that is!) is NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula. In a dark sky this smokey ring can be very impressive.


The bright star dominating the darkness south of Aquarius is Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus. Beta, due west of Fomalhaut, is a nice double with blue-white contrast. The rest of the constellation hosts faint galaxies requiring larger telescopes.


Continuing south we find Grus, which bears a slight resemblance to Cygnus but lacks the star clouds and nebulae of the northern bird. In dark skies there are a number of galaxies to find in Grus. Tucana would be unremarkable if it did not contain two of the greatest deep sky objects: 47 Tucanae, a very dense, bright globular cluster, and the Small Magellanic Cloud. Both are truly outstanding objects that merit close study.




The planets in October


Mercury can be glimpsed in the early evening sky for the first half of the month.


Venus cannot be seen this month.


Mars also cannot be seen this month.


Jupiter closely follows the sun and is difficult to find at dusk.


Saturn is in the early morning sky this month.


Uranus is in Aquarius and can be observed throughout the night all month.


Neptune is in central Capricornus and is well placed for observing in October.