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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
Triangulum
the Triangle. Triangulum is located to the southeast of Andromeda.
Triangulum has been linked to Greek accomplishments in math and science
and also to the island of Sicily.
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Deep
Sky Report
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 Ok, let's start things off the only Messier object in this weeks report, Spiral Galaxy M33. Also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy or the Triangulum Galaxy, this mag5.7 galaxy is a photographic beauty. Due to its huge size, M33 suffers from low surface brightness -- meaning that you'll need a decent sized telescope and dark skies to view it properly.
M33's distance is estimated at about 2.3 million light years. It can be found a little over 3°west-northwest of Alpha Trianguli. This is an object for which you'll want to use low power.
This spectacular shot was taken by
former Utah Skies Astrophotographer
of the Month, Al Kelly. Have you been to Al's
Web Site lately? You should definitely check it out. Al is
constantly adding amazing shots to his site.
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 Next
stop is Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC672(mag10.76) This tiny galaxy (6.5'x2.5')
won't provide you with a world of detail. Located slightly more than 2° to
the southwest of Metallah... the mag3.4 alpha star in Triangulum |
 Moving
on, we come to another Barred Spiral Galaxy, NGC925(mag10). This object
looks considerably better in photos than in the eyepiece. That said, you
shouldn't have too tough a time finding this object. Located about 2° east
of Gamma Triangulum, this object can be found by putting the edge of your
Telrad against the star. You do have a Telrad by now, don't you :) |
 Our final stop in Triangulum leads us to this weeks Utah Skies Challenge Object, Irregular Galaxy NGC978(mag14). At mag 14, this is one of the dimmest objects we've ever thrown at you. This is also a small galaxy -- less than 2' long. This, however, might be what helps you find it. Due to its small size, it has a fairly high surface brightness. Don't expect to see a whole bunch of detail... Just be happy you found it. The key to finding it? Dark skies... and aperture. Also, you'll want to search for this object at medium power as you might not even notice it at low powers. Once you've found it, crank up the magnification.
Good Luck! |
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Events |
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Did you ever consider... |
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"Humility like darkness reveals the heavenly lights. - Henry David Thoreau" |
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