2019-04-07
You've got a nice crisp, clear night. You've hauled your equipment to your favourite dark sky site and you're all set for a few hours of observing. What are you going to look at? Astronomers often arm themselves with catalogues such as the Messier List, the Herschel 400 or even the New General Catalog. Astronomy software provides access to these lists and more at your fingertips. For me, I like to have a list of objects that I've either observed, or would like to observe. This is that list! I've sorted the targets by constellation, as that makes the most sense to me (ie: I know what constellations are best positioned for observing on a given night, so I want to see all the interesting targets in them). If you see anything interesting that I might have missed, let me know! Download an Excel copy if you want!
Name(s) | Constellation | Mag | Dist in LY | Class(es) | ||
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Alpha And, Alpheratz, Sirrah | Andromeda | 2.06 | 97 | B9 and G5 |
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11th mag optical companion. Spectrum shows manganese! 65" separation. | ||||||
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Beta And, Mirach | Andromeda | 2.05 | 199 | M0 |
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Galaxy NGC404 is right nearby (NW). 6.4' separation. | ||||||
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Gamma And, Almach | Andromeda | 2.1 | 356 | K2 and B9 |
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Gorgeous orange/blue double star! 10" separation. | ||||||
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Pi And | Andromeda | 4.31 | 659 | B7 and ? |
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Main sequence star, 36" of separation from companion. | ||||||
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36 And | Andromeda | 5.43 | 127 | K0 and K? |
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Separation of 1.4" - very tight pair! | ||||||
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R And | Andromeda | 10.68 | ~900 | S6 |
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Varies between mag 6.9 and 14.3, period is 409 days. Mira type variable. | ||||||
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HIP1475, GRB 34 | Andromeda | 8.06 | 12 | M7 and M7 |
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Red dwarf binary, closest to Earth! Mags 8.1 and 10.9. 39" separation. | ||||||
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NGC 224, M31 | Andromeda | 4.3 | 2.2 mil | Spiral |
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Great Andromeda Galaxy, 3.2 in size. Gorgeous in low power wide field! | ||||||
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NGC 205, M110 | Andromeda | 8.9 | 2.2 mil | Eliptical |
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Dimmer companion to M31. Noticably dimmer than M32. 20' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 221, M32 | Andromeda | 10 | 2.9 mil | Eliptical |
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Although lower in mag to NGC205, compact size renders it brighter. 7.4' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 752 | Andromeda | 5.7 | 1000 | Open |
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Very old cluster, over a billion years old, angular size 50'. | ||||||
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NGC 891 | Andromeda | 10.84 | 30 mil | Spiral |
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Awesome edge-on spiral galaxy. Use averted vision! | ||||||
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NGC 7662, Blue Snowball | Andromeda | 9.16 | 5000 | Planetary |
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Very fine planetary nebulae, bright blue glow, darker towards centre. | ||||||
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Zeta Aqr | Aquarius | 2.96 | 83 | A1 and F2 |
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Close pair, mags 4.42 and 4.59, separation is 1.7". | ||||||
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R Aqr | Aquarius | 8.68 | 646 | M7 |
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Long period Mira class - mag 6.5 to 10.3, period is 387 days. | ||||||
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NGC 7089, M2 | Aquarius | 6.5 | 50000 | Globular |
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Fine, bright globular cluster, angular size of 12'. | ||||||
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NGC 6981, M72 | Aquarius | 10 | 55000 | Globular |
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Smaller than M2, and less densely packed. Angular size of 6'. | ||||||
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NGC 6994, M73 | Aquarius | 8.9 | n/a | Open |
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Not a true cluster - just a knot of 4 visually close stars. Angular size of 2.8'. | ||||||
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NGC 7009, Saturn Nebula | Aquarius | 8.3 | 3900 | Planetary |
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Resembles a blueish Saturn. Angular size of 58". | ||||||
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NGC 7293, Helix Nebula | Aquarius | 6.5 | 450 | Planetary |
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About 1/2 size of full moon, use binocs or very low power to observe. 34' in size. | ||||||
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Alpha Aql, Altair | Aquila | 0.75 | 17 | A7 |
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White main sequence star. Very rapid rotation - once every 6.5hrs - likely oblate. | ||||||
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Beta Aql, Alshain | Aquila | 3.68 | 45 | G2 and M3 |
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Good comparison for Cepheid variable Eta Aql. Mag 11.5 companion 13" away. | ||||||
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Gamma Aql, Tarazed | Aquila | 2.71 | 463 | K3 |
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Situation near the Great Rift, a dark nebula 1.5 to the west (B143). | ||||||
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Eta Aql | Aquila | 3.84 | 1186 | F8 |
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Cephied variable used for measuring distances. Mag 3.5 to 4.3 every 7.2 days. | ||||||
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Lambda Aql, Althalimain | Aquila | 5.37 | 326 | K1 |
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Located just NE of Scutum Star Cloud and just 1 north is wide double 15 Aql. | ||||||
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R Aql | Aquila | 7.59 | 694 | K1 |
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Mira type variable - mag 6.1 to 11.5, period 270 days. Very red! | ||||||
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B143, Great Rift | Aquila | n/a | 2500 | Dark |
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Actually, part of the Great Rift, B143 is about 30' in size. | ||||||
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Gamma Ari, Mesarthim | Aries | 3.87 | 204 | B9 and A0 |
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Lovely binary of mag 4.5 and 4.6, with 7.4" separation. | ||||||
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30 Ari | Aries | 7.09 | 129 | F2 and F6 |
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Mags 6.57 and 7.37 with a wide separation. Both stars are yellow. | ||||||
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53 Ari | Aries | 6.12 | 759 | B7 |
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A runaway star, ejected from Orion group 5 mil yrs ago. Speed is 35 mps! | ||||||
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NGC 772 | Aries | 11.1 | 110 mil | Spiral |
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Small bright core should be apparent. | ||||||
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NGC 972 | Aries | 12.1 | Spiral |
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See if you can even detect it?? | ||||||
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Alpha Aur, Capella | Auriga | 0.06 | 42 | G2 |
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Spectral binary with curious readings. Has mag 10 component which is also binary | ||||||
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Eta Aur, Hoedus II | Auriga | 3.15 | 220 | B6 |
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Forms nice visual pair with Zeta Aur (Hoedus I) | ||||||
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Zeta Aur, Hoedus I | Auriga | 3.68 | 796 | G8 |
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Notice the colour difference between the two stars. | ||||||
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Theta Aur | Auriga | 2.62 | 173 | B8 and G? |
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Retrograde binary. Mags 2.62 and 7.50, separation 3.5". | ||||||
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48T Aur | Auriga | 5.75 | 1591 | G0 |
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A bright Cephied variable, mags 4.9 to 5.9 over 3.7 days. | ||||||
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NGC 1960, M36 | Auriga | 6.5 | 4100 | Open |
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Cluster of about 60 stars, great in low power field. One of the younger clusters. Size of 21'. | ||||||
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NGC 2099, M37 | Auriga | 5.6 | 4400 | Open |
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Magnificent open cluster - "Salt and Pepper". Size of 24'. | ||||||
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NGC 1912, M38 | Auriga | 7 | 4200 | Open |
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Nice big cluster of about 100 stars. Apparent size of 26'. | ||||||
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Alpha Boo, Arcturus | Bootes | -0.07 | 37 | K2 |
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Star is very close to the Sun. Can be observed during the day. | ||||||
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Delta Boo | Bootes | 3.43 | 117 | G8 and G0 |
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Wide binary companion (105", 7th mag) is very similar to the Sun. | ||||||
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Epsilon Boo, Izar | Bootes | 2.34 | 210 | G5 and A2 |
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Tight binary - great colour contrast. Mags 2.47 (yellow) and 5.04 (blue). | ||||||
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Eta Boo, Muphrid | Bootes | 2.65 | 32 | G1 |
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Exactly 1 parsec away, it's vis and abs mag is the same at 2.65! | ||||||
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Mu Boo, Alkalurops | Bootes | 4.28 | 121 | F0 and G1 |
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Wide (108") double star of mags 4.30 and 6.50. Fainter star similar to the Sun. | ||||||
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Xi Boo | Bootes | 4.53 | 22 | G5 and K4 |
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Fine colour contrast of yellow and violet. Separation 7.3"? Very close to us! | ||||||
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44 Boo | Bootes | 4.81 | 42 | G2 and G2 |
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Apparent orbit very elongated to us - current sep of 2.9". Primary very like the Sun. | ||||||
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ST Cam | Camelopardalis | 6.53 | 9319 | M4 |
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Long period plusating variable. Was originally thought to be R8? | ||||||
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NGC 1502 | Camelopardalis | 6.9 | 3000 | Open |
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Small but attractive cluster at the SE end of Kimble's Cascade. 8' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 2403 | Camelopardalis | 8.9 | 12 mil | Spiral |
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Fine galaxy, part of M81 galaxy group. Good in binocs or small scopes. Size of 11'. | ||||||
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IC 342 | Camelopardalis | 6.06 | 10 mil | Spiral |
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Huge local group galaxy - 37' across. Very tough in small scopes. | ||||||
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Zeta Can, Tegmeni | Cancer | 5.25 | 70 | F8 and G0 and G2 |
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Triple star system - mags 5.6, 5.9 and 6.02. Seps of 1.0" and 5.8". | ||||||
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NGC 2632, M44, Beehive, Praesepe | Cancer | 4 | 500 | Open |
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Naked eye cluster - has many double stars in it. Size of 45'. Use low power. | ||||||
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NGC 2682, M67, King Cobra | Cancer | 7.5 | 2700 | Open |
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5 bil yr old cluster - very ancient. About 500 stars. Size 25'. | ||||||
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Alpha CVn, Cor Caroli | Canes Venatici | 2.84 | 120 | A0 and B9 |
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Very attractive similarly coloured stars, 20" sep. Mags 2.89 and 5.60. | ||||||
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Y CVn, La Superba | Canes Venatici | 5.4 | 717 | M4 |
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A "carbon star" - very red! Slightly variable. | ||||||
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NGC 5272, M3 | Canes Venatici | 7 | 35000 | Globular |
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Messier's first original discovery. Size of 48'. Rivals M13. | ||||||
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NGC 5194, M51 | Canes Venatici | 8 | 37 mil | Spiral |
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Whirpool Galaxy - gorgeous! Size 18'. | ||||||
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NGC 5055, M63 | Canes Venatici | 8.5 | 37 mil | Spiral |
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Sunflower Galaxy - near M94. Size 16'. | ||||||
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NGC 4736, M94 | Canes Venatici | 9.5 | 14 mil | Spiral |
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Cat's Eye Galaxy. Size 15'. | ||||||
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NGC 4631 | Canes Venatici | 9.69 | 25 mil | Spiral |
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Whale Galaxy. Seen edge on. Size 12.5'. | ||||||
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NGC 4656 | Canes Venatici | 10.7 | 25 mil | Spiral |
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Irregular Galaxy. Size 19.5'. Same field as NGC 4631. | ||||||
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NGC 4244 | Canes Venatici | 10.78 | 22 mil | Spiral |
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Another edge-on spiral. Size 17'. | ||||||
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NGC 4449 | Canes Venatici | 9.82 | 16 mil | Irregular |
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Rectangular shape. Size 5.8'. | ||||||
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Alpha CMa, Sirius | Canis Major | -1.47 | 9 ly | A0 and A5 |
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Brightest star in the sky, mag 8.5 companion varies 3" to 12" over 50 years. | ||||||
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Epsilon CMa, Adhara | Canis Major | 1.5 | 432 | B0 and ? |
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8th mag companion of unknown separation. | ||||||
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NGC 2287, M41 | Canis Major | 5 | 2300 | Open |
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Located near Sirius, it's size is 32'. Similar to Beehive (M44) in appearance. | ||||||
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NGC 2362 | Canis Major | 4.09 | 4000 | Open |
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Cluster of stars surrounding Tau Cma. 8' in size. Very pretty. | ||||||
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NGC 2354 | Canis Major | 6.5 | Open |
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Near Wesen. About 20' in size. | ||||||
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Alpha Cap, Al Giedi | Capricornus | 3.56 | 109 | G5 and G3 |
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Optical doubles which are each doubles. 6' apart. | ||||||
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Beta Cap, Dabih | Capricornus | 3.03 | 345 | G0 and A0 |
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Fine colour contrast for small telescopes. Easy to split. | ||||||
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NGC 7099, M30 | Capricornus | 8.5 | 26000 | Globular |
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Highly compressed core. Size of 20'. | ||||||
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Alpha Cas, Schedar | Cassiopeia | 2.21 | 229 | K1 and ? |
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9th mag companion at 63" is easy for small scopes. | ||||||
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Eta Cas | Cassiopeia | 3.44 | 11 | G0 and M0 |
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Beautiful contrast between mag 3.47 and mag 7.22 stars. Sep of 12" or so. | ||||||
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Iota Cas | Cassiopeia | 4.43 | 142 | A5 and F5 and G4 |
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Finest triple star system. Resolvable in any good small scope. | ||||||
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NGC 7654, M52 | Cassiopeia | 8 | 5000 | Open |
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Contains several hundred stars - one is orange! NGC 7635 is nearby. Size 26'. | ||||||
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NGC 581, M103 | Cassiopeia | 7 | 8000 | Open |
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Last of Messier's objects, small cluster of 170 stars. Size 13'. | ||||||
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NGC 654 | Cassiopeia | 6.5 | 7000 | Open |
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Small in size, but rich in stars. Size 5'. | ||||||
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NGC 663 | Cassiopeia | 7.1 | 6000 | Open |
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Larger than NGC 654, it is located very close by. Size 16'. | ||||||
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NGC 659 | Cassiopeia | 7.9 | Open |
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Similar to NGC 654 - along with NGC 663 can be seen at once. Size 5'. | ||||||
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NGC 185 | Cassiopeia | 8.67 | 2.2 mil | Eliptical |
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Part of M31 group. Size 12'. Elliptical in nature. | ||||||
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NGC 147 | Cassiopeia | 9.07 | 2.5 mil | Eliptical |
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Another elliptical in M31 group. 13' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 457, E.T. Cluster | Cassiopeia | 6.4 | 9000 | Open |
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Rich cluster of 100 stars. Size 28'. | ||||||
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NGC 7789 | Cassiopeia | 6.7 | 8000 | Open |
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Spectacular cluster of 1000 stars. 1.6 bil yrs old. Size 27'. | ||||||
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Alpha Cen, Rigel Kentaurus | Centaurus | -0.04 | 4 | G5 and K1 |
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Closest system to the Sun. Mags -0.04 and 1.17. Beautiful sight! Sep 11". | ||||||
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Gamma Cen | Centaurus | 2.81 | 160 | A0 and A0 |
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Tight binary with separation from 0.2" to 1.7". Good luck! | ||||||
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Delta Cen | Centaurus | 2.56 | 395 | B7 and B6 and B9 |
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Very wide triplet mags 2.56, 4.50 and 6.40. All B class stars. | ||||||
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Iota Cen | Centaurus | 2.75 | 59 | A2 & F3 |
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11th mag galaxy NGC 5102 lies 17' NE. | ||||||
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R Cen | Centaurus | 7.15 | 2104 | M1 |
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Long period (547 days) red variable star. Mag range 12 to 5.3. | ||||||
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Omega Cen, Omega Centaurus | Centaurus | 3.7 | 16000 | Globular |
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Finest globular in the skies. Size of 42'! | ||||||
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NGC 5128, Centaurus A | Centaurus | 7.58 | 15 mil | Lenticular |
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Very prominent dark lane in all scopes. Size of 12'. Part of M83 group. | ||||||
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Beta Cep, Alfirk | Cepheus | 3.21 | 598 | B0 and A3 |
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8th mag companion sits 14" away. | ||||||
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Delta Cep | Cepheus | 4.06 | 988 | G0 |
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Prootype Cephied variable - ranges mag 3.6 to 4.3 in 5.36634 days. Pulsates. | ||||||
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Epsilon Cep | Cepheus | 4.15 | 85 | F0 |
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Convienent comparison star for Delta Cep. | ||||||
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Zeta Cep | Cepheus | 3.37 | 733 | K3 |
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Just 15' south is triple star system mags 8.0, 11.5 and 13.0. | ||||||
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Mu Cep, Garnet Star | Cepheus | 4.21 | 5436 | M4 |
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Massive star, bigger than Saturn's orbit! Mag ranges 3.4 to 5.1 over 3.8 days. | ||||||
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Xi Cep, Kurhah | Cepheus | 4.25 | 102 | F2 and A3 |
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Fine double star with 8.1" separation. Mags 4.6 and 6.5. | ||||||
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DO Cep, Kruger 60 | Cepheus | 9.75 | 13 | M3 and M4 |
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One of the nearest visual binaries, 2.5" apart with mags 9.8 and 11.4. | ||||||
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S Cep | Cepheus | 7.46 | 1359 | M4 |
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A carbon star, Mira-class long period variable mags 7.5 - 12.5 over 487 days. | ||||||
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U Cep | Cepheus | 6.75 | 1000 | B8 and G8 |
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Excellent eclipsing binary. Takes 4 hrs to drop to mag 9.2, then 2 hr eclipse. Every 2.5 days. | ||||||
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NGC 188 | Cepheus | 8.1 | 5000 | Open |
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Small open cluster near Polaris. Actually located in Cep. Size 14'. | ||||||
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NGC 6946 | Cepheus | 9.66 | 10 mil | Spiral |
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Face on spiral that forms nice pair with NGC 6939. Size 9.8'. | ||||||
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NGC 6939 | Cepheus | 7.8 | 9000 | Open |
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Nice paired with NGC 6946. Size 8'. | ||||||
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NGC 7510 | Cepheus | 7.9 | 9000 | Open |
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Very small open cluster on Perseus arm of Milky Way. Size 4'. | ||||||
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Alpha Cet | Cetus | 2.53 | 220 | K7 |
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Wide field optical double with 93 Cet. Beautiful orange giant and 5th mag blue. | ||||||
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Gamma Cet, Kaffalijidhma | Cetus | 3.53 | 70 | A2 and F3 |
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Yellow/Blue double about 2.7" apart. | ||||||
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Omicron Cet, Mira | Cetus | 6.46 | 421 | G8 |
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Prototype Mira-class variable. Mags range from 9.0 to 3.0, sometimes 2.0. Period 331 days. | ||||||
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NGC 1068, M77 | Cetus | 10.5 | 60 mil | Spiral |
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Seyfert type galaxy - bright nucleus varies with time. About 9' in size. Faint NGC 1055 nearby! | ||||||
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NGC 247 | Cetus | 9.67 | 8.2 mil | Spiral |
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Very faint streak, 21' in size. | ||||||
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IC 1613 | Cetus | 9.21 | 2.4 mil | Irregular |
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Part of local group. 16' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 246 | Cetus | 8 | 2000 | Planetary |
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Small nebula - 3.8' in size. Sits near faint NGC 255. | ||||||
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Mel 111, Coma Cluster | Coma Berenices | 4.83 | 274 | Open |
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A cluster of bright stars near 12 Com. Awesome in binoculars! | ||||||
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NGC 5024, M53 | Coma Berenices | 8.5 | 60000 | Globular |
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Nice cluster, NGC 5053 in same field. Size of 11'. | ||||||
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NGC 4826, M64, Black Eye Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 9 | 20 mil | Spiral |
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Spiral galaxy with very dark lane in one of the arms. Size 17'. | ||||||
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NGC 4382, M85 | Coma Berenices | 10.5 | 60 mil | Lenticular |
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Part of Virgo Cluster. Cross between spiral and eliptical. NGC 4394 nearby. 5.8'. | ||||||
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NGC 4501, M88 | Coma Berenices | 11 | 60 mil | Spiral |
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Part of Virgo Cluster, also at one end of Markarian's Chain. 7.8'. | ||||||
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NCG 4192, M98 | Coma Berenices | 11 | 60 mil | Spiral |
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Edge-on galaxy, part of Virgo Cluster. 14' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 4254, M99 | Coma Berenices | 10.5 | 60 mil | Spiral |
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Face on spiral , part of Virgo Cluster. 7.6' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 4321, M100 | Coma Berenices | 10.5 | 60 mil | Spiral |
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Largest spiral in Virgo Cluster. Cephieds in galaxy used by HST to accurately measure the distance and help establish age of known universe at 14 billion years old. 6.1' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 4565 | Coma Berenices | 10.3 | 31 mil | Spiral |
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Largest edge on spiral in the sky. Part of Virgo Cluster, but much closer to us. 15' long. | ||||||
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NGC 4889 | Coma Berenices | 12.52 | 315 mil | Spiral |
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Extremely remote galaxy. Along with NGC 4874 form a cluster much farther away. 3.2' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 4394 | Coma Berenices | 11.73 | 60 mil | Spiral |
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Part of Virgo Cluster, near NGC 4382. 3.5' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 4274 | Coma Berenices | 11.27 | 60 mil | Spiral |
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Elongated edge-on appearance to us. 8' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 4725 | Coma Berenices | 10.07 | 45 mil | Spiral |
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Near north galactic pole of Milky Way. 11' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 4501 | Coma Berenices | 10.19 |
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6.8' | ||||||
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NGC 4474 | Coma Berenices | 12.5 |
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2.4' | ||||||
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NGC 4559 | Coma Berenices | 11.3 |
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4.0' | ||||||
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NGC 4477 | Coma Berenices | 11.4 |
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3.7' | ||||||
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NGC 4473 | Coma Berenices | 11.2 |
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4.2' | ||||||
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NGC 4461 | Coma Berenices | 12 |
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3.4' | ||||||
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NGC 4435 | Coma Berenices | 11.8 |
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3.0' | ||||||
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NGC 4438 | Coma Berenices | 10.9 |
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8.5' | ||||||
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NGC 4406, M86 | Coma Berenices | 9.9 | 60 mil | Eliptical |
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9.8'. Most massive galaxy in our area. Main component of Virgo Cluster | ||||||
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NGC 4374, M84 | Coma Berenices | 10.19 | 60 mil | Eliptical |
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6.7' | ||||||
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NGC 4388 | Coma Berenices | 11.8 | Spiral |
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5.6' | ||||||
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Sigma CrB | Corona Borealis | 5.21 | 71 | G0 and G1 |
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Nice double separated by 7.2". TYC2583-2278-1 (mag 9) also in FOV. Mags 5.2 and 6.4. | ||||||
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R CrB | Corona Borealis | 5.87 | 6523 | F8 |
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Totally erratic variable. Drops to mags 12-15 periodically and stays there for weeks/months. | ||||||
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Delta Crv | Corvus | 2.9 | 125 | B9 and K2 |
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Easy double star for small scopes. Separation of 23". White and orange? Mag 8.4 companion. | ||||||
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NGC 4038, Ring Tail/Antennae Galaxies | Corvus | 10.85 | 70 mil | Irregular |
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Two colliding galaxies! Size 5.9'. | ||||||
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Alpha Cyg, Deneb, Arided | Cygnus | 1.25 | 3262 | A5 |
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One of the biggest supergiants known (along with Rigel), luminosity 300,000 times the Sun! | ||||||
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Beta Cyg, Albireo | Cygnus | 3.03 | 386 | K0 and B8 |
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Awesome double star - 35" sep, fantastic colour contrast. Best in the sky! | ||||||
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Gamma Cyg, Sadr | Cygnus | 2.21 | 1553 | F8 |
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Sits near the great Cygnus Star Cloud - awesome! Great Rift also starts near here. | ||||||
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Delta Cyg | Cygnus | 2.84 | 171 | A0 and ? |
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Very tough double for small scopes due to mag difference of 2.9 and 7.9. First diffraction ring? | ||||||
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Mu Cyg | Cygnus | 4.45 | 65 | F6 and F3 |
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Tight binary with growing separation - mags 4.7 and 6.1. Sep in 1937 was 0.55", in 1961 it was 1.8". | ||||||
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Chi Cyg | Cygnus | 7.9 | 347 | M3 |
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Mira type variable - mag 5.2 to 13.4 with a period of 407 days. | ||||||
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31 Cyg, Omicron-1 Cygni | Cygnus | 3.78 | 1359 | K1 |
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Fine group of 3 stars with nice colour contrast. Use low power. | ||||||
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32 Cyg, Omicron-2 Cygni | Cygnus | 3.93 | 1125 | K2 |
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Giant eclipsing binary system. 45' to the east is U Cygni - ruddy red in colour. | ||||||
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61 Cyg | Cygnus | 6.03 | 11 | K5 and K7 |
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Two orange stars, both are dwarfs smaller than the Sun. Mags 5.3 and 5.9? Separation of over 1'. | ||||||
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Cygnus X-1, HIP98298 | Cygnus | n/a | 5930 |
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Mag 9 star marks the spot where a black hole exists in Cynus. Huge X-Ray source! | ||||||
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NGC 6913, M29 | Cygnus | 9 | 4000 | Open |
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Poor open cluster of about 80 members. Milky Way dust lanes obscure cluster. | ||||||
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NGC 7092, M39 | Cygnus | 5.5 | 800 | Open |
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Large and sparse open cluster - 30 stars. Fine sight in binocs. | ||||||
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NGC 6960, Western Veil Nebula | Cygnus | 7 | 2500 | Reflection |
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Wonderful lace-like nebula. Low power, wide field and filters are required! | ||||||
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NGC 6992, Eastern Veil Nebula | Cygnus | 7 | 2500 | Reflection |
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Wonderful lace-like nebula. Low power, wide field and filters are required! | ||||||
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NGC 7000, North American Nebula | Cygnus | 4 | 1600 | Reflection |
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Vast cloud resembles North America. Low power, wide field and filters are required! | ||||||
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Cygnus A | Cygnus | 12.7 | 700 mil | Irregular |
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One of the strongest and most remote sources of radio radiation in the sky! | ||||||
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Gamma Del | Delphinus | 4.25 | 102 | K0 and F8 |
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Similarly coloured pair of mag 4.3 and 5.1 stars. Separation of around 10". | ||||||
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NGC 7006 | Delphinus | 10.56 | 185000 | Globular |
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Very remote cluster - maybe farthest other than NGC 2419 in Lynx. Size of 6.3'. | ||||||
|
Mu Dra, Alrakis | Draco | 5.62 | 100 | F6 and F6 |
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Two nearly identical stars with a separation of 2.1". | ||||||
|
Nu Dra | Draco | 4.87 | 99 | A8 and A5 |
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Fine wide double. Separation of 1'. | ||||||
|
26 Dra | Draco | 8.75 | 45 | G1 and ? and M1 |
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Tight binary pair (mags 4.5 and 7.3, sep 1.6") with 3rd star - 10th mag, sep 12'. | ||||||
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NGC 6543, Cat's Eye Nebula | Draco | 8.8 | 3000 | Planetary |
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Bright nebula, use high mag to see it is not a star. Maybe filter too? Size 48". | ||||||
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NGC 5866 | Draco | 10.72 | 52 mil | Spiral |
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Seen edge on, dark dust lane. Tough to spot in a small scope? Size of 6.5'. | ||||||
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NGC 5907, Splinter Galaxy | Draco | 11.1 | 51 mil | Spiral |
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Edge-on galaxy, 12' in length. Appears as thin sliver of light in a telescope. | ||||||
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Alpha Gem, Castor | Gemini | 1.56 | 52 | A1 and A5 |
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One of the finest doubles, mag 2.0 and 2.9 components with 4.4" separation. | ||||||
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Beta Gem, Pollux | Gemini | 1.15 | 34 | G8 |
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Contrast this star's yellow colour to Castor's white. | ||||||
|
Zeta Gem, Mekbuda | Gemini | 4 | 1186 | G2 |
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Cephied variable, mags 3.6 to 4.2, period 10.2 days. | ||||||
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Eta Gem, Propus | Gemini | 3.28 | 351 | K5 and G8 |
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Tight double with sep of only 1.5". Companion is mag 6.5. | ||||||
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NGC 2168, M35 | Gemini | 5.5 | 2800 | Open |
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Large and bright cluster of several hundred stars - glorious! Size 34'. Near NGC 2158. | ||||||
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NGC 2158 | Gemini | 8.6 | 16000 | Open |
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Right near M35, would be much more splendid if it was same distance as M35! Size of 5'. | ||||||
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NGC 2392, Eskimo/Clown Nebula | Gemini | 9.9 | 3000 | Planetary |
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Blueish ball of gas 1.4' in diameter sourrounding a Mag 10 star. | ||||||
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NGC 2266 | Gemini | 9.5 | 11000 | Open |
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Appears as three brighter stars set against a faint glow. Size 7'. | ||||||
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NGC 2420 | Gemini | 8.3 | Open |
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Smattering of stars in 10' field. | ||||||
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Alpha Her, Rasalgethi | Hercules | 2.75 | 384 | K1 and G5 |
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Orange primary has mag 5.4 blue companion with a separation of 4.6". | ||||||
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Alpha Her, Rasalgethi | Hercules | 2.75 | 384 | K1 |
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Semi-regular variable ranging mags 3.0 to 4.0 about every 90 days. Bright orange. | ||||||
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Mu Her | Hercules | 3.4 | 27 | G8 and M3 |
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Mag 9.8 companion (red) is 34" away, and is a binary itself. | ||||||
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95 Her | Hercules | 4.25 | 473 | F2 and G5 |
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Mag 5.13 and 5.21 components separated by 6.3". Try and figure out the colours! Lots of debate! | ||||||
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NGC 6205, M13 | Hercules | 7 | 25000 | Globular |
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Best globular in Northern skies. 36' in diameter! Faint galaxy NGC 6207 is nearby. | ||||||
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NGC 6341, M92 | Hercules | 7.5 | 27000 | Globular |
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Excellent cluster near M13. About 300,000 stars. 36' in size. | ||||||
|
NGC 6229 | Hercules | 9.4 | Globular |
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Third globular in Hercules, this one is much further away and fainter. Size only 3.8'. | ||||||
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NGC 6210 | Hercules | 9.3 | 4000 | Planetary |
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Tiny bright object needs 200x to show its disk. Size of 14". | ||||||
|
Epsilon Hya | Hydra | 3.37 | 135 | G0 and F7 |
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Mag 7.8 companion is 3.9" away. | ||||||
|
R Hya | Hydra | 6.37 | 2039 | K2 |
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Mira-class variable ranges from 4.0 to 10.0. Ruddy red in colour when at minimum. | ||||||
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NGC 2548, M48 | Hydra | 5.5 | 1500 | Open |
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Loose collection of 80 stars forming a somewhat arrow head pattern. Size of 37'. | ||||||
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NGC 4590, M68 | Hydra | 9 | 33000 | Globular |
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Nice remote globular that sits near a mag 6 star. 8.8' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 5236, M83 | Hydra | 8.5 | 15 mil | Spiral |
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Very nice face-on spiral - excellent in small scopes! Size 12'. | ||||||
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NGC 3242, Ghost of Jupiter, Eye Neb | Hydra | 8.58 | 1400 | Planetary |
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One of the finest planetary nebula in the sky. Size 23". | ||||||
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NGC 5694 | Hydra | 10.17 | 100000 | Globular |
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Very remote cluster. Only 4.3' in size. | ||||||
|
NGC 3109 | Hydra | 10.35 | 9.6 mil | Spiral |
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Edge on barred spiral galaxy. 20' in size. | ||||||
|
Alpha Leo, Regulus | Leo | 1.34 | 78 | B8 and K1 |
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Wide (177") 8th mag companion that does share proper motion. | ||||||
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Gamma Leo, Algieba | Leo | 2 | 126 | K1 and G7 |
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Fine double with mags 2.6 and 3.8, separated by 4.4'. Orbital period is 620 years. | ||||||
|
R Leo | Leo | 10.34 | 331 | M7 |
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Mira class variable, mag varies 5.8 to 10.3 over 313 days. TYC831-521-2 (mag 11) is 1.5" away. | ||||||
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Wolf 359 | Leo | 13.5 | 7.8 | M6 |
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Red dwarf that is 3rd closest star to the Sun. | ||||||
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NGC 3623, M65 | Leo | 10.5 | 35 mil | Spiral |
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Along with NGC 3627 (M66) and NGC 3628 make up the Leo Triplet. 9.0' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 3627, M66 | Leo | 9.69 | 35 mil | Spiral |
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More face-on than NGC 3623. Size 9.1' | ||||||
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NGC 3628 | Leo | 10.4 | 35 mil | Spiral |
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Larger but dimmer than the other two. 13' in size. All three are on outer edge of Virgo Cluster. | ||||||
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NGC 3351, M95 | Leo | 11 | 38 mil | Spiral |
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Together with NGC 3368 (M96) form fine pair of galaxies separated by just 42'. Size is 7.9'. | ||||||
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NGC 3368, M96 | Leo | 10.1 | 38 mil | Spiral |
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Twin to NGC 3351 (M95). 7.8' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 3379, M105 | Leo | 10.5 | 35 mil | Eliptical |
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Along with NGC 3384 and 3389 form yet another group in Leo. 5.3' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 3384, NGC 3371? | Leo | 10.9 | 35 mil | Lenticular |
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Second galaxy in M105 group. 5.4' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 3389, NGC 3373? | Leo | 12.5 | 35 mil | Spiral |
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Third galaxy, making this trio 3 different types in one FOV. 2.9' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 3521 | Leo | 10 | 35 mil | Spiral |
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Shows bright oval core surrounded by fainter halo. 12' in size. | ||||||
|
NGC 2903 | Leo | 9.58 | 20 mil | Spiral |
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One of the best galaxies for small scopes. 13' in size. | ||||||
|
NGC 3344 | Leo | 10.5 | 20 mil | Spiral |
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Two stars in our own galaxy are superimposed over this one. 7.1' in size. | ||||||
|
Gamma Lep | Lepus | 3.56 | 29 | F6 and K2 |
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Wide pair with pleasing colour contrast. Mags 3.59 and 6.81, separation 1'31". | ||||||
|
R Lep, Hind's Crimson Star | Lepus | 8.06 | 826 | M4 |
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Mire type variable raning from 6.8 to 9.6 with a period of 432 days. | ||||||
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NGC 1904, M79 | Lepus | 8.5 | 42000 | Globular |
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Very small in angular size (18'), this is still a bright target. | ||||||
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NGC 2017 | Lepus | 8 | n/a | Open |
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Small group of five stars ranging from mag 7 to mag 10. All vary in distance - OPTICAL CLUSTER! | ||||||
|
Alpha Lib, Zeubenelgenubi | Libra | 2.75 | 77 | A3 and F5 |
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Nice wide double star. Companion is mag 5.16 with separation of 231". | ||||||
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Beta Lib, Zubeneschamali | Libra | 2.59 | 160 | B8 |
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Supposed white star has been reported as green. If so, it's the only single green star in the sky! | ||||||
|
Delta Lib, Zubenelakrab | Libra | 4.9 | 305 | A0 |
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Eclipsing binary which is Algol-type variable. Mags 4.9 to 5.9 over 2.32735 days. | ||||||
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NGC 5897 | Libra | 8.52 | 41000 | Globular |
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Loose structured globular that is only 12' in size. | ||||||
|
Eta Lup | Lupus | 3.4 | 494 | B2 and ? |
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Nice double mags 3.5 and 7.5 with 15.2" separation. | ||||||
|
NGC 2419 | Lynx | 10.39 | 182000 | Globular |
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Farthest cluster of the Milky Way. Perhaps intergalactic! Size of 8.7'. | ||||||
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Alpha Lyr, Vega | Lyra | 0 | 25 | A0 and ? |
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Small 8th mag blue companion 1' away. Vega is the direction the solar system is heading! (Solar Apex) | ||||||
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Beta Lyr, Sheliak | Lyra | 3.5 | 882 | A0 |
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Lyrid type variable - continual sinus-curve with max of 3.4 and min between 3.8 and 4.1. Eclipsing binary. | ||||||
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Beta Lyr, Sheliak | Lyra | 3.5 | 882 | A0 +++ |
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Three stars accompany mags 7, 10 and 10.5. | ||||||
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Gamma Lyr | Lyra | 3.25 | 640 | B9 |
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Good comparison star for Beta Lyr. | ||||||
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Delta Lyr | Lyra | 4.21 | 906 | K3 and B6 |
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Wide double star, 10' separation, mags 4.21 and 5.56 | ||||||
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Epsilon Lyr, Double-Double | Lyra | 4.65 | 162 | A2 + A4 and A3 + A5 |
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Two pairs of double stars all within one field of view. | ||||||
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NGC 6779, M56 | Lyra | 9.5 | 33000 | Globular |
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Small irregularly round cluster set against glow of Milky Way. 9' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 6720, M57 | Lyra | 9.5 | 2300 | Planetary |
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Awesome smoke ring in a small scope at high power. 14th mag central star. 1.7' in diameter. | ||||||
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NGC 6791 | Lyra | 9.5 | Open |
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Unusually rich galactic cluster. 16' in size. | ||||||
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Beta Mon, 11 Monoceros | Monoceros | 3.75 | 694 | B7 for all 3 |
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True triple star system, mags 4.5, 5.2 and 5.6. Sep 7.4" and 9.9" and 2.8". All white stars. | ||||||
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HIP 31646, Plaskett's Star | Monoceros | 6.03 | 2700 | ? |
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According to Burnham, this was believed to be one of the most massive binary systems in our galaxy. | ||||||
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Eta Oph, Sabik | Ophiuchus | 2.4 | 84 | A2 and ? |
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Pair of similar stars - mags 2.9 and 3.4 - reaching periastron in 2020. Currently 2.8" apart - tough to split! | ||||||
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Theta Oph | Ophiuchus | 3.25 | 567 | B1 |
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Spectral variable of Beta Canis Majoris type. Period of 3.37 hours. Situated in awesome region of sky. | ||||||
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70 Oph | Ophiuchus | 4.12 | 16.5 | K0 and K6 |
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Nice colour contrast between mag 4.2 and 5.9 pair. Separation 5.3". Heavily studied pair! | ||||||
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X Oph | Ophiuchus | 7.4 | 780 | M5 |
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Mira-type variable, period 334 days, mags from 6 to 9. Has K0 companion as well! (But too close to see) | ||||||
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HIP 87937, Barnard's Star | Ophiuchus | 9.53 | 5.9 | M4 |
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2nd closest star to Sol, it is a red dwarf. Highest proper motion of any star in the sky. | ||||||
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NGC 6333, M9 | Ophiuchus | 9 | 27000 | Globular |
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Highly concentrated and bright cluster. Close to centre of our galaxy and thus obscured by dust. | ||||||
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NGC 6254, M10 | Ophiuchus | 7.5 | 14000 | Globular |
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Nice cluster with well resolved centre. Looks like sparkling jewels surrounding the core's halo. | ||||||
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NGC 6218, M12, Gumball Cluster | Ophiuchus | 8 | 16000 | Globular |
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One of nearly two dozen clusters visible in Ophiuchus. Seen with M10 in same FOV in binocs. Elongated? | ||||||
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NGC 6402, M14 | Ophiuchus | 9.5 | 29000 | Globular |
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Unlike other clusters, this one doesn't brighten towards its core. Nova erupted in cluster in 1938! DDO!!! | ||||||
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NGC 6273, M19 | Ophiuchus | 8.5 | 28000 | Globular |
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Very elliptical cluster. On other side of galactic core from us. A few stars may resolve. | ||||||
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NGC 6633 | Ophiuchus | 4.59 | 1000 | Open |
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Use low power. Discovered in 1783 by Caroline Herschel. | ||||||
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Alpha Ori, Betelgeuse | Orion | 0.43 | 429 | K3 |
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One of the most massive stars known, disc may be resolvable optically! Semi-regular varies mag 0.4 - 1.3. | ||||||
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Beta Ori, Rigel | Orion | 0.15 | 777 | B7 and B9 |
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White super-giant contrasts with Alpha. Blue mag 6.8 companion sits 9.5" away. | ||||||
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Delta Ori, Mintaka | Orion | 2.25 | 919 | B2 and B2 |
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Western most belt star, blueish companion is easy to see - mag 6.7 and 52.8" away. | ||||||
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Epsilon Ori, Alnilam | Orion | 1.68 | 1359 | B1 |
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Has nebulosity NGC 1990 surrounding it. | ||||||
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Zeta Ori, Alnitak | Orion | 1.71 | 826 | B0 and 09 and ? |
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Tight binary pair has mags 1.9 and 5.5 with 2.4" separation. 3rd unrelated star sits 57.6" away. | ||||||
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IC434, B33, Horsehead Nebula | Orion | 11 | 1600 | Dark |
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Horsehead Nebula (B33) sits to the south of Zeta. Nebulosity is abound! | ||||||
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Theta Ori, Trapezium | Orion | 3.8 | 1600 | Open |
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In the heart of M42, these are very young, hot stars that power the Orion Nebula. 4 are easy to spot. | ||||||
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Iota Ori, Na'ir al Saif | Orion | 2.75 | 1331 | B0 and B9 |
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Blueish companion sits 11" away at mag 6.9. 50" away is a second 11th mag companion. 3 different colors! | ||||||
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Lambda Ori, Meissa | Orion | 3.37 | 1069 | B2 and 09 |
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Components are mag 3.5 and 5.5 separated by 4.3". Both should be white - but are they??? | ||||||
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Sigma Ori | Orion | 3.75 | 1165 | B1 and A2 and B2 |
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Remarkable multiple star system - 5 visible components??? | ||||||
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U Ori | Orion | 10.59 | 2174 | M7 |
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Mira-type variable, period 372 days, mags range 6.3 to 12.0. One of the best to observe!! | ||||||
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NGC 1976, M42, Orion Nebula | Orion | 5 | 1600 | Reflection |
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One of the best example of a nebula anywhere, massive scale, massive color in dark skies, Trap. A+++! | ||||||
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NGC 2068, M78 | Orion | 8 | 1600 | Reflection |
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Part of Orion, has two companions NGC 2067 and 2071. Two mag 10 stars at centre. | ||||||
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Alpha Peg, Markab | Pegasus | 2.5 | 110 | B9 |
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Just slight variations, has galaxy NGC 7479 about 3 degreess south. | ||||||
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Beta Peg, Scheat | Pegasus | 2.5 | 210 | M2 |
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Red giant, irregular variable mag 2.5 - 3.0, two optical companions? | ||||||
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Gamma Peg, Algenib | Pegasus | 2.84 | 570 | B2 |
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Beta Canis Majoris variable with VERY short period - 3 hrs! Very small change, tho. | ||||||
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Epsilon Peg, Enif | Pegasus | 2.31 | 780 | K2 |
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Two optical companions, plus M15 is nearby! | ||||||
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Zeta Peg, Homam | Pegasus | 3.46 | 210 | B8 |
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Relatively close star with 11th mag optical companion | ||||||
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Kappa Peg | Pegasus | 4.27 | 100 | F5 and ?? |
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Companion is 11th mag and at maximum is 2" away from primary. | ||||||
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NGC 7078, M15 | Pegasus | 7.33 | 42,000 | Globular |
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Brilliant bright core, approx 12' in diameter, planetary nebula on outer edge? | ||||||
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NGC 7331 | Pegasus | 10.27 | 50 mil | Spiral |
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Twin in appearance to the Milky Way galaxy. Approx 10' long by 3' wide. | ||||||
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Alpha Per, Mirfak | Perseus | 1.79 | 570 | F5 |
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Dominates a curving row of stars called the Segment Of Perseus. This group is actually gravitationally bound and moving together. | ||||||
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Beta Per, Algol | Perseus | 2.15 | 100 | B8 |
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Demon star - an eclipsing binary system with a period of 2.86 days mags from 3.4 to 2.1. | ||||||
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Gamma Per, Algenib? | Perseus | 2.91 | 150 | G8 and A3 |
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Very close double that is near the radiant point of the Persied meteor shower from comet Swift-Tuttle (1862 III). | ||||||
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Epsilon Per | Perseus | 2.88 | 680 | B0 and B8 |
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Visual companion is mag 8 and sits 9" distant. | ||||||
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Zeta Per | Perseus | 2.83 | 1000 | B1 +++ |
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Several faint companions visible. Various colours evident. Brightest member of "II Persei" association. | ||||||
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NGC 1039, M34 | Perseus | 5.2 | 1430 | Open |
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Bright cluster of 100 stars, about 20' in size. Best viewed at low power. | ||||||
|
NGC 650, M76 | Perseus | 11 | 1750 | Planetary |
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Little Dumbbell, Cork nebula. | ||||||
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NGC 869, h half of DC | Perseus | 4.2 | 7400 | Open |
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Double Cluster - beautiful dual swarms of stars visible together! | ||||||
|
NGC 884, x half of DC | Perseus | 4.4 | 7400 | Open |
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Other half of Double Cluster | ||||||
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Alpha Psc, Al Rischa | Pisces | 3.82 | 139 | A2 and A3 |
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Very tight double star - only 1.88 arcsec apart. Position angle: 279 degrees. Companion: 4.87 mag. Weird colors? | ||||||
|
Zeta Psc | Pisces | 5.21 | 148 | A7 and F7 |
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Nice wide pair - 22.9" apart, mags 5.23 and 6.26 | ||||||
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19 Psc | Pisces | 4.95 | 760 | C5 |
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A carbon star (like La Superba), compare with nearby A class stars 21 and 25 Psc | ||||||
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NGC 628, M74 | Pisces | 9.4 | 30 mil | Spiral |
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Fine face-on spiral galaxy, 12.0' x 12.0' in size | ||||||
|
NGC 488 | Pisces | 10.3 | Spiral |
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Spiral with tight, delicate arms, 6.0' x 4.3' in size. Ringed object? | ||||||
|
Pi Pup | Puppis | 2.71 | 1094 | K3 |
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Forms charming color contrast with Upsilon Pup which is 26' NNE | ||||||
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Sigma Pup | Puppis | 3.25 | 184 | K5 and G5 |
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Wide (22.2") double star - mags 3.25 and 8.81 | ||||||
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NGC 2437, M46 | Puppis | 6.1 | 4700 | Open |
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About 150 visible members between mag 10 and 13. 27.0' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 2438 | Puppis | 11 | 3300 | Planetary |
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Located within M46, small at 1.1' across, faint | ||||||
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NGC 2422, M47 | Puppis | 4.4 | 1540 | Open |
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Bright, sparse group of 30 stars covering an area of 30.0'. | ||||||
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NGC 2447, M93 | Puppis | 6.2 | 3400 | Open |
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Wedge shaped cluster of 80 stars covering an area of 22.0'. | ||||||
|
NGC 2477 | Puppis | 5.8 | 2600 | Open |
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Striking group of 300 stars crowded into a 20' field. Smaller but brighter than M47. | ||||||
|
U Sge | Sagitta | 6.5 | 1013 | Eclipsing Binary |
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Algol-type with period of 3d9h08m05s. B8 star gets eclipsed by larger G2 (mag 9.28) star. | ||||||
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NGC 6838, M71 | Sagitta | 8.3 | 18000 | Globular |
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Awesome small, compact globular, 7.2' in diameter. | ||||||
|
Eta Sgr | Sagittarius | 3.1 | 149 | M2 and F7 |
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Tight pair - only 3.5" apart. B star is mag 7.8. | ||||||
|
Xi1 & Xi2 Sgr | Sagittarius | 3.52 | 372 | G8 and B9 |
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Very wide (24') double, interesting color contrast. X2 mag 3.52, Xi1 mag 5.02. | ||||||
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NGC 6523, M8, Lagoon Nebula | Sagittarius | 5 | 5150 | Diffuse |
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Fantastic nebula with dark lane and its own star cluster! | ||||||
|
NGC 6530 | Sagittarius | 4.6 | 5150 | Open |
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15.0' in size, contained within the Lagoon Nebula. | ||||||
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NGC 6618, M17, Omega, Swan | Sagittarius | 6.0 | 5000 | Diffuse |
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One of the most promminent of the diffuse nebulae. 11.0' in size. | ||||||
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NGC 6613, M18 | Sagittarius | 7.5 | 4900 | Open |
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A loose grouping of about a dozen stars. 9.0' in size. | ||||||
|
NGC 6514, M20, Trifid | Sagittarius | 9.0 | 5200 | Emission/Reflection |
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Beautiful object, 3 dark lanes, 28.0' in size. | ||||||
|
NGC 6522 | Sagittarius | 8.6 | 22400 | Globular |
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Small globluar at 5.6' | ||||||
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NGC 6528 | Sagittarius | 9.5 | 23680 | Globular |
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Another small one - 3.7'. Very close to NGC 6522 in space. | ||||||
|
NGC 6558 | Sagittarius | 9.26 | 20480 | Globular |
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Another 3.7' cluster |
Symbols used to identify the objects:
Star |
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Double Star |
|
Variable Star |
|
Globular Cluster |
|
Open Cluster |
|
Galaxy |
|
Diffuse Nebula |
|
Planetary Nebula |
|
Dark Nebula |
|
My name is Rick Towns and I am an amateur astronomer and computer programmer from Canada. This is a collection of interesting posts I've gathered over the years.