Constellation Report

This report focuses on the constellation Lacerta the Lizard. 

To find Lacerta, look due north around 10:00pm. Lacerta kind of resembles Cassiopeia, with it's "W" shape. Except, Lacerta adds a couple of additional bends -- it is just one more bend shy of 2 connected "W". That's where the similarity ends though. While Cassiopeia is made up of bright stars, Lacerta's brightest is only 3.75. You'll definitely need fairly dark skies for this object. Lacerta is just east of Cygnus and due north of Pegasus -- constellations which we've covered in previous reports.

Deep Sky Report

Next up is another Open Star Cluster NGC7243(mag6.5). Located about 2.5° west of Alpha Lacertae, this beauty of a star cluster should be easily within the reach of a nice pair of binoculars. Note that this cluster seems to be divided in half -- almost like two star clusters glued together. Use a low power when viewing this object as it spans an area almost the size of a full moon, roughly 21'.

NGC7243 is located some 2800 light years away and contains over 40 member stars.

Our final stop in Lacerta leads us to this weeks Utah Skies Challenge Object, Planetary Nebula IC5217(mag12.6). This object covers a tiny 6" and is about 10400 light years away. Ok, so its small. This will actually help those who seek it out. Remember, visual magnitude refers to the "overall" brightness of the object. Therefore, if 2 objects have the same overall brightness, but one object is smaller, it will be easier to see. This is because the same brightness is in a more condensed region. So, you've found IC5217? Can you see its mag14 central star?
Good contrast gains have been reported with an OIII filter. Reports also indicate that IC5217 is visible as a bright compact bluish disc at higher powers. Additionally, it has been described as slightly elongated. 

Good Luck!

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