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Constellation
Report |
 This weekend we move on to the constellation
Serpens
The Serpent. This constellation is the only
constellation to exist as two distinct constellations. It is physically bisected by the constellation Ophiuchus The Serpent Bearer.
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Deep
Sky Report
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The focus of our efforts here will be the deep sky objects of
Serpens
To find Serpens, simply return to the bright star Arcturus in Bootes. Remember to follow the arc of the Big Dipper to Arcturus. Bootes extends north of Arcturus. Next, move slightly east to "U" shaped Corona Borealis.
Serpens contains a few nice double stars. First up is Delta Serpentis... a pair
made up of a mag4.2 & mag5.2 star separated by 3.9". These should be a
relatively easy split with good optics under steady skies. Next up is a nice
wide pair Theta Serpentis, composed of mag4.5 & mag5.4 stars with a
22.3" separation. Observing double stars can add a fun and easy component
to typical observing sessions. For more information on observing double stars,
checkout the Astronomical
League's Double Star Observing List.
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 Ok, let's start things off with a
beautiful summer object, M16/IC4703(mag6.0). Also known as the Eagle
Nebula, this beauty is actually cataloged as two objects in one. Although the nebula is commonly referred to as M16, the nebula itself is cataloged as IC4703. The star cluster found within the nebula is M16.
Many people are familiar with this object from the now famous Hubble Space
Telescope image of the "Pillars
of Creation".
Checkout this awesome shot by Robert
Gendler. Wow!
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 Next we'll hit one of my favorite
Globular Clusters, M5(mag5.75).
Look at the incredible resolution of this cluster obtained by Al
Kelly. You can see individual stars deep into the center of the
cluster.
This is one of my favorite objects to view... in any
telescope. It is big and bright and handles magnification well. Each
increase in aperture will yield an exponential growth in the number of
stars resolved. In a large telescope under dark skies, it is truly a awe
inspiring view. The stars appear as diamonds strewn across a black velvet
background. This is definitely an object you should try to find. It is
visible even in a typical pair of binoculars.
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 Continuing along we come to
barred Spiral Galaxy NGC5921(10.8). This shot was taken by Astronomer Adam
Block of the Kitt Peak National
Observatory.
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 Next
up is Spiral Galaxy NGC6070(mag11.7). This beautiful shot was
taken by the The Sloan Digital Sky Survey.
This is a
classic spiral galaxy in every sense of the term. It is tilted ever so
slightly from face on
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 Next
up is Globular Star Cluster NGC6539(mag9.6). This beautiful
shot was taken by Gordon
Waite.
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 Let's wrap things up with this weeks Utah
Skies Challenge Object, Galaxy Cluster NGC6027(mag12.5
& up). Also known as Seyfert's Sextet, this beautiful cluster is
composed of 5 seemingly interconnected galaxies, this image
seems to show a mysterious bridge connecting the galaxies. This beautiful shot
was taken by The
National Optical Astronomy Observatory.
Good Luck!
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