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Constellation
Report |
| Our Constellation report is an easy way for people to
become familiar with the nighttime sky. We’ll discuss myths associated
with the various constellations as well as describing the numerous deep
sky objects residing in the area. No equipment is required to view the
constellations, though a star chart can be quite helpful. This ease of
observing makes constellations a natural place to begin your journey to
the stars.
 This weekend we move on to the constellation
Lynx
the Lynx.
This is a faint constellation of stars around mag 6. Even Alpha and Beta Lyncis are magnitudes 3.5 and 4.5 respectively. The remainder of the constellation requires good eyesight and very dark skies to make out it's shape. The Lynx is a modern constellation created by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1687. There is no classical mythology associated with the constellation.
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Deep
Sky Report
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The focus of our efforts this week will be the deep sky objects of Lynx. The Lynx can be found (with good eyesight) due east of the constellation Auriga which we visited a few weeks back and west/southwest of Ursa Major (the big dipper) which we'll visit again in the next few weeks. Don't look for any bright stars to guide you.. there aren't any. A lynx is a sly, secretive creature... and so is this weeks constellation.
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 Ok, let's work south to north and start things off with the southern most object in this weeks report,
Spiral Galaxy NGC2683(mag9.75). This beautiful galaxy is also this weeks brightest object. It is a spiral galaxy viewed nearly edge-on, so we get a very compressed view. You'll notice a bright core region and a bit of the spiral arms, but... nothing like the classic views offered by the face-on galaxies which are up next.
To find this galaxy, travel about 4.5° north of Alpha Cancri. With an apparent size of about 9.3'x2.5', this is not a tiny object. Still, its mag9.7 is enough to give this a fairly high surface brightness. Once you've found it, it should handle magnification fairly well. Telescopes in the 4-6" range should be able to detect a bit of mottling near the center. Increasing the aperture will bring about a substantial increase in detail.
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 Next we'll hit a nice
Globular Cluster NGC2419(mag10.4). This is globular has the distinction of being the most distant globular cluster known in the Milky Way Galaxy. At an estimated 250,000 light years distant, this cluster is actually located in intergalactic space. It is believed to have a highly eccentric orbit which brings it relatively close to us and then hurls it far off into space.
This cluster will appear as a star-like object at low powers in smaller telescopes. Look for it's two companion stars which seem to point to it. Higher magnification will clearly revel this object as a non-stellar object. However, it will remain a smudge of light in all but the largest telescopes. This is due to its great distance from us. Most of it's brightest stars are reported to be in the mag17 range... well beyond most amateur telescopes. The best most large telescopes can hope for is to detect a bit of mottling across the face of this object.
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 Moving on we come to
Spiral Galaxy NGC2782(mag11.5). This is a very interesting galaxy. You'll note a nebulous cloud to the left of the galaxy. This is one of the spiral arms of the galaxy. It was apparently torn away from the main body of the galaxy during some long ago encounter with another passing galaxy.
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 Continuing, we come to another
Spiral Galaxy, NGC2776(mag11.7). This is a classic spiral viewed almost perfectly face-on. These are, IMHO, some of the most beautiful of all deep sky objects. They have a delicate structure to them... almost like a work of art. They aren't always the easiest objects to observe, but... when you get a good look at one... you'll know what I mean!
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 Let's wrap things up with this weeks
Utah Skies Challenge Object, Barred Spiral Galaxy IC2233(mag13). Unlike our previous galaxy, this galaxy is viewed almost perfectly edge-on. This is a tiny galaxy, spanning a mere 4.7' by 0.6'. Fortunately, it's small size gives it a reasonably high surface brightness. Unfortunately... it's pretty far from any bright stars. You'll have your work cut out for you with this one. But... if and when you find it, you're in for a treat. This beauty is located over 30 million light years away... meaning that you're looking way back in time. Also, edge-on galaxies have that sleek... sports car kind of look to them. These are always crowd pleasers.
Good Luck!
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"A vacuum can only exist, I imagine, by the things which enclose it." - Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-48), US writer |
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