Wonders of the Deep Sky

Home , Andromeda Galaxy, Gliese 49, Messier object, NGC 147, NGC 185, NGC 3384

March 2020 • Astronomy.com The Draco Trio

NGC 147 NGC 205 BERNHARD HUBL ADAMBLOCK/NOAO/AURA/NSF

OF ALL THE WONDERS OF THE DEEP SKY, NGC 205, however, is nearly three times perhaps those most often overlooked by amateur astronomers are larger (19.5' by 12.5'). M32 lies 0.4° due south of the heart of elliptical galaxies. And while it’s true you won’t see spiral arms, M31. It also glows at magnitude 8.1 and star-forming regions, or dust lanes, being patient and picking out spans 11' by 7.3'. I’ll forgive you if you the details that are there definitely will make you a better observer. choose not to spend too much time observing this pair. After all, M31 is hard To help you with that goal, I’ve find magnitude 9.2 NGC 185, which is a to beat. selected 22 of these seldom-observed dwarf spheroidal galaxy. It touts a higher Now we come to a deep-sky object objects visible during fall and spring surface brightness than its companion, that’s a perfect target for a clear evenings from northern latitudes. The although it’s a bit larger, measuring 14' by Halloween night: Mirach’s Ghost (NGC winter and summer skies contain few 12'. A 12-inch telescope reveals an oval 404) in Andromeda. Amateur astrono- ellipticals because of the presence of the halo with a bright core that spans two- mers call it that because it lies only 6.8' Milky Way, which effectively blocks our thirds of the galaxy’s diameter. from 2nd-magnitude Mirach (Beta [β] view of any that lie behind it. I’ve listed Our next targets are easy to find. Just Andromedae). As you might imagine, a them in order of their right ascensions, locate the Andromeda Galaxy, and look magnitude 10.3 galaxy next to a star that so those appearing later in the story also 0.6° northwest of its core. Magnitude 8.1 bright is pretty difficult to see. This rise later at night. Note that the positions NGC 205 shines as brightly as M31’s S0-type galaxy — one that has the disk of any of these objects in Virgo are plot- other easy-to-see companion, M32. shape of a spiral galaxy but no spiral The sky’s ted on the chart on pages 54-55. In the fall The first object on our list, NGC 147 in Cassiopeia, is a satellite galaxy of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), but not one of the two bright ones nearest it. To find NGC 147, move 1.9° west from magni- BEST tude 4.5 Omicron (ο) Cassiopeiae. Look carefully for this challenging object. At magnitude 9.5, it seems bright for a galaxy, but that light is spread over an area 15' by 9.4'. NGC 147 is a dwarf elliptical without much apparent struc- ELLIPTICAL ture. When you do see it, you’ll notice an Discover a world of massive star cities oval halo a bit brighter than the back- galaxies ground glow. The galaxy is ever-so- lurking in the skies of fall and spring. slightly brighter toward the center, so that isn’t a foreground star. NGC 404

BY MICHAEL E. BAKICH DIETMAR HAGER Not quite 1° east of NGC 147, you’ll ANTHONY AYIOMAMITIS

2 ASTRONOMY INSIGHTS • MARCH 2020 The Draco Trio

NGC 147 NGC 205 BERNHARD HUBL ADAMBLOCK/NOAO/AURA/NSF

BY MICHAEL E. BAKICH DIETMAR HAGER Not quite 1° east of NGC 147, you’ll ANTHONY AYIOMAMITIS

WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 3 region surrounded by a halo with an (lens-shaped) galaxy, rather than a strict edge that’s difficult to define. Although elliptical. Cranking up the power will M105 appears circular at low magnifi- reveal M86’s starlike core. cations, crank up the power past 250x Staying in Virgo, we can find another and you’ll see that it’s a fat oval about 4' of Messier’s ellipticals, M49, which glows across, orienting northeast to southwest. at magnitude 8.4 and measures 8.1' by If you’ve located M105, you probably 7.1'. Its oval shape is easy to see. The core have seen magnitude 9.9 NGC 3384, occupies the central two-thirds of this For the last 60 years, Celestron has made which sits a mere 7' to its east-northeast. object, and a fainter outer region envel- astronomy easier and more accessible. Through any size telescope, you’ll see ops it. Because this galaxy is relatively Now, we’ve revolutionized the hobby again with NGC 3384 as an oval twice as long as it bright, you can crank up the power and a groundbreaking manual telescope that uses is wide (5.4' by 2.7') oriented northeast- reveal this outer halo. patent-pending technology and your smartphone southwest. The central region is large Our next target, also located in Virgo, to calculate its position. A Lost in Space Algorithm and bright, and the outer halo appears is one of the best known ellipticals in the (LISA) like the ones satellites use in orbit helps the faint even through large scopes. sky: M87. To astronomers, M87 is a StarSense Explorer app match star patterns overhead to For our next elliptical, magnitude 9.7 treasure-trove of science. It’s a colossal its internal database—in real time as you move the telescope. M60 NGC 4125, head north from Leo to object with a mass in excess of 3 trillion ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA No motors. No alignment. Just StarSense Explorer, your Draco. NGC 4125 forms an equilateral Suns and a diameter that may reach half smartphone, and the night sky. triangle (extending northward) with the a million light-years. M87 also possesses hazy nature and oblong shape (7.2' by top stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper, a huge array of globular clusters, perhaps 4.7'). Step up to an 11-inch scope, and Follow the onscreen arrows and simple instructions. Within minutes, Dubhe and Megrez (Alpha [α] and Delta numbering in the tens of thousands. you’ll see much more detail. Regions out- you’ll perfectly center target after target with pinpoint accuracy. When the [δ] Ursae Majoris, respectively). The gal- Visually, however, you could do better. side this galaxy’s core show a threefold bullseye turns green, it’s ready to view in one of two included eyepieces. axy lies 8° from each of those bright Through any telescope up to 20 inches in variance in brightness, getting fainter as M86 stars. Through an 8-inch scope, you’ll aperture, M87 appears circular, about 7' you move farther away. The shape of the If you’ve always wanted a telescope but feel intimidated by complicated see a bright, broadly concentrated oval across. Its core stands out as bright, and bright central region may remind you of GREG MORGAN star charts or expensive computerized mounts, we created StarSense core with a surrounding haze measuring it spans about one-third of the galaxy’s a spiral galaxy. In fact, astronomers cat- Explorer with you in mind. We invite you to discover the Universe with us. 438,000 light-years, it is one of the Milky 6.1' by 5.1'. Larger apertures extend the overall size. To see the famous jet ema- egorize NGC 4697 as a lenticular galaxy Way’s nearest dwarf companions. Look length of the elliptical galaxy, and some nating from M87’s nucleus, you’ll have — one with characteristics of both an Learn more at celestron.com for it not quite 3° southeast of magnitude observers have even noted a nearly stel- to use a 30-inch or larger telescope under elliptical and a spiral.

StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ 4.4 Beta Fornacis. lar nucleus. a pristine sky. You’ll find the Ursa Minor Dwarf Although the dwarf’s magnitude of 8.1 It’s easy to confuse M84 and Two more Messier objects in Virgo, (UGC 9749) in the southernmost part M87 indicates a bright object, its size (12' by M86 in Virgo. Both lie midway M89 and M59, follow. They glow at of the northernmost constellation. It lies ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 10.2') is such that it covers 17 percent of between Denebola (Beta Leonis) and magnitudes 9.8 and 9.6, respectively. M59 4.7° south-southwest of magnitude 3.0 the area of the Full Moon. Its surface Vindemiatrix (Epsilon [ε] Virginis). is slightly larger, measuring 4.6' by 3.6', Pherkad (Gamma [γ] Ursae Minoris). To remarkable view. These three objects lie brightness, therefore, is low. Through an M84 lies a bit more to the west, but M86 compared with M89’s 3.4' diameter. view this satellite of the Milky Way, use in Draco in an east-west line less than 14' 8-inch scope, use an eyepiece that yields a is bigger and brighter. It glows at magni- Through large amateur telescopes, M89’s at least an 11-inch telescope, but don’t long. You’ll find them 1.8° east-northeast M105 and friends 1° field of view, and slowly sweep the area. tude 8.9 (compared to 9.1 for M84) and outer regions form a faint ring that fades crank up the power. of magnitude 3.3 Iota (ι) Draconis. What you’re looking for is a faint haze measures 12' by 9.3' (compared to 5.1' by rapidly with increasing distance from its In fact, you’ll want to use the lowest- NGC 5982 is round, small (3' across), BERNHARD HUBL just brighter than the background sky. 4.1'). M84 has few distinguishing charac- center. M59 shows an oval glow and uni- magnification, widest-field eyepiece you and featureless. NGC 5985, meanwhile, arms — floats through space roughly Our next target is a pair of ellipticals teristics. Its core is large and definitely form illumination that only begins to own. That’s because this galaxy covers sports faint spiral arms, though you’ll 30 million light-years from Earth. Use in Eridanus: magnitude 9.8 NGC 1407 nonstellar. Look for a fainter halo that diminish close to the galaxy’s edge. one-and-a-half times more area than the need at least a 12-inch telescope to spot StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ high magnification to increase the con- and magnitude 10.9 NGC 1400, which surrounds that core. M86 proves that not Our final Messier object, also in Full Moon. It measures 41' by 26'. It has a any detail. NGC 5981 is another of the trast between the galaxy and the bright lies about 12' to the southwest of its part- all elliptical galaxies are circular. In fact, Virgo, is M60. This bright (magnitude respectable magnitude, 10.9, but because universe’s “needle” galaxies: Thanks to star. NGC 404 looks round (6.1' across) ner. A magnification of 100x through an it appears oval even at low magnifica- 8.8) but under-observed galaxy lies 1.4° that light is so spread out, the Ursa its edge-on orientation, it simply looks and bright with an intense center. 8-inch telescope will show both objects tions. Modern galaxy classification north-northeast of magnitude 4.9 Rho Minor Dwarf has a miserably low sur- like a white line. To see this trio, use a Now head south from NGC 404 to well. No matter the size of your instru- schemes lean toward M86 as a lenticular (ρ) Virginis. Through medium-size tele- face brightness. magnification around 100x. magnitude 10.5 NGC 584, a fat, lens- ment, you will not see details other than scopes, M60 easily shows as a double gal- The best approach for viewing this shaped galaxy in Cetus. You’ll find it 2.2° a thin halo around the brighter galaxy. axy. Its companion, spiral NGC 4647, object is to head to the darkest observing Go observe them northeast of magnitude 3.6 Theta (θ) NGC 1407 lies 1.5° southeast of the mag- glows three magnitudes fainter, but it’s site you can get to. Then, disengage your As this list shows, elliptical galaxies can Ceti. Through an 8-inch scope, you’ll see nitude 5.2 star 20 Eridani. still well within the grasp of a 6-inch telescope’s drive and slowly sweep the offer observers of all experience levels a the broad, bright core taking up three- scope. M60 appears just slightly out-of- dwarf’s region of sky. What you’re look- wide variety of objects. Just set up at a quarters of the galaxy’s length. A bright In the spring round (7.1' by 6.1'), but is otherwise fea- ing for is an ever-so-slight increase in the dark site, take your time viewing each halo lies outside the core, but it quickly A new season brings a galaxy that travels tureless and lies less than half a degree background glow of your eyepiece’s field object, and try a variety of eyepieces. Oh, CELESTRON PREMIER SELECT DEALERS fades to the black of space. NGC 584 in elite company. M105 lies only 0.8° east of M59. A low-power telescope/eye- of view. and have fun! measures 4.1' by 2'. north-northeast of the great spiral M96 piece combination will reveal them both. Our final target, the magnitude 12.0 B&H Photo – 800.947.9970 – bhphotovideo.com Astronomics – 800.422.7876 – astronomics.com Adorama – 800.223.2500 – adorama.com Next, move on to the Fornax Dwarf, in Leo. Beyond that, this magnitude 9.3 At magnitude 9.2, NGC 4697 in elliptical NGC 5982, teams up with two Michael E. Bakich is a contributing editor High Point Scientific – 800.266.9590 – highpointscientific.com OPT Telescopes – 800.483.6287 – optcorp.com Focus Camera – 800.221.0828 – focuscamera.com discovered by American astronomer doesn’t offer observers much in the way The Fornax Dwarf Virgo ranks as one of the sky’s brightest spirals — magnitude 11.1 NGC 5985 and of Astronomy who has been observing Harlow Shapley in 1938. At a distance of of detail. The galaxy has a bright central galaxies. A small telescope will reveal its magnitude 13.2 NGC 5981 — for one ellipticals since the 1960s. Optics Planet – 800.504.5897 – opticsplanet.com Woodland Hills – 888.427.8766 – telescopes.net Agena AstroProducts – 562.215.4473 – agenaastro.com CHUCK KIMBALL region surrounded by a halo with an (lens-shaped) galaxy, rather than a strict edge that’s difficult to define. Although elliptical. Cranking up the power will M105 appears circular at low magnifi- reveal M86’s starlike core. cations, crank up the power past 250x Staying in Virgo, we can find another and you’ll see that it’s a fat oval about 4' of Messier’s ellipticals, M49, which glows across, orienting northeast to southwest. at magnitude 8.4 and measures 8.1' by If you’ve located M105, you probably 7.1'. Its oval shape is easy to see. The core have seen magnitude 9.9 NGC 3384, occupies the central two-thirds of this which sits a mere 7' to its east-northeast. object, and a fainter outer region envel- Through any size telescope, you’ll see ops it. Because this galaxy is relatively NGC 3384 as an oval twice as long as it bright, you can crank up the power and is wide (5.4' by 2.7') oriented northeast- reveal this outer halo. southwest. The central region is large Our next target, also located in Virgo, and bright, and the outer halo appears is one of the best known ellipticals in the faint even through large scopes. sky: M87. To astronomers, M87 is a For our next elliptical, magnitude 9.7 treasure-trove of science. It’s a colossal M60 NGC 4125, head north from Leo to object with a mass in excess of 3 trillion ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Draco. NGC 4125 forms an equilateral Suns and a diameter that may reach half triangle (extending northward) with the a million light-years. M87 also possesses hazy nature and oblong shape (7.2' by top stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper, a huge array of globular clusters, perhaps 4.7'). Step up to an 11-inch scope, and Dubhe and Megrez (Alpha [α] and Delta numbering in the tens of thousands. you’ll see much more detail. Regions out- [δ] Ursae Majoris, respectively). The gal- Visually, however, you could do better. side this galaxy’s core show a threefold axy lies 8° from each of those bright Through any telescope up to 20 inches in variance in brightness, getting fainter as M86 stars. Through an 8-inch scope, you’ll aperture, M87 appears circular, about 7' you move farther away. The shape of the see a bright, broadly concentrated oval across. Its core stands out as bright, and bright central region may remind you of GREG MORGAN core with a surrounding haze measuring it spans about one-third of the galaxy’s a spiral galaxy. In fact, astronomers cat- 438,000 light-years, it is one of the Milky 6.1' by 5.1'. Larger apertures extend the overall size. To see the famous jet ema- egorize NGC 4697 as a lenticular galaxy Way’s nearest dwarf companions. Look length of the elliptical galaxy, and some nating from M87’s nucleus, you’ll have — one with characteristics of both an for it not quite 3° southeast of magnitude observers have even noted a nearly stel- to use a 30-inch or larger telescope under elliptical and a spiral. 4.4 Beta Fornacis. lar nucleus. a pristine sky. You’ll find the Ursa Minor Dwarf Although the dwarf’s magnitude of 8.1 It’s easy to confuse M84 and Two more Messier objects in Virgo, (UGC 9749) in the southernmost part M87 indicates a bright object, its size (12' by M86 in Virgo. Both lie midway M89 and M59, follow. They glow at of the northernmost constellation. It lies ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 10.2') is such that it covers 17 percent of between Denebola (Beta Leonis) and magnitudes 9.8 and 9.6, respectively. M59 4.7° south-southwest of magnitude 3.0 the area of the Full Moon. Its surface Vindemiatrix (Epsilon [ε] Virginis). is slightly larger, measuring 4.6' by 3.6', Pherkad (Gamma [γ] Ursae Minoris). To remarkable view. These three objects lie brightness, therefore, is low. Through an M84 lies a bit more to the west, but M86 compared with M89’s 3.4' diameter. view this satellite of the Milky Way, use in Draco in an east-west line less than 14' 8-inch scope, use an eyepiece that yields a is bigger and brighter. It glows at magni- Through large amateur telescopes, M89’s at least an 11-inch telescope, but don’t long. You’ll find them 1.8° east-northeast M105 and friends 1° field of view, and slowly sweep the area. tude 8.9 (compared to 9.1 for M84) and outer regions form a faint ring that fades crank up the power. of magnitude 3.3 Iota (ι) Draconis. What you’re looking for is a faint haze measures 12' by 9.3' (compared to 5.1' by rapidly with increasing distance from its In fact, you’ll want to use the lowest- NGC 5982 is round, small (3' across), BERNHARD HUBL just brighter than the background sky. 4.1'). M84 has few distinguishing charac- center. M59 shows an oval glow and uni- magnification, widest-field eyepiece you and featureless. NGC 5985, meanwhile, arms — floats through space roughly Our next target is a pair of ellipticals teristics. Its core is large and definitely form illumination that only begins to own. That’s because this galaxy covers sports faint spiral arms, though you’ll 30 million light-years from Earth. Use in Eridanus: magnitude 9.8 NGC 1407 nonstellar. Look for a fainter halo that diminish close to the galaxy’s edge. one-and-a-half times more area than the need at least a 12-inch telescope to spot high magnification to increase the con- and magnitude 10.9 NGC 1400, which surrounds that core. M86 proves that not Our final Messier object, also in Full Moon. It measures 41' by 26'. It has a any detail. NGC 5981 is another of the trast between the galaxy and the bright lies about 12' to the southwest of its part- all elliptical galaxies are circular. In fact, Virgo, is M60. This bright (magnitude respectable magnitude, 10.9, but because universe’s “needle” galaxies: Thanks to star. NGC 404 looks round (6.1' across) ner. A magnification of 100x through an it appears oval even at low magnifica- 8.8) but under-observed galaxy lies 1.4° that light is so spread out, the Ursa its edge-on orientation, it simply looks and bright with an intense center. 8-inch telescope will show both objects tions. Modern galaxy classification north-northeast of magnitude 4.9 Rho Minor Dwarf has a miserably low sur- like a white line. To see this trio, use a Now head south from NGC 404 to well. No matter the size of your instru- schemes lean toward M86 as a lenticular (ρ) Virginis. Through medium-size tele- face brightness. magnification around 100x. magnitude 10.5 NGC 584, a fat, lens- ment, you will not see details other than scopes, M60 easily shows as a double gal- The best approach for viewing this shaped galaxy in Cetus. You’ll find it 2.2° a thin halo around the brighter galaxy. axy. Its companion, spiral NGC 4647, object is to head to the darkest observing Go observe them northeast of magnitude 3.6 Theta (θ) NGC 1407 lies 1.5° southeast of the mag- glows three magnitudes fainter, but it’s site you can get to. Then, disengage your As this list shows, elliptical galaxies can Ceti. Through an 8-inch scope, you’ll see nitude 5.2 star 20 Eridani. still well within the grasp of a 6-inch telescope’s drive and slowly sweep the offer observers of all experience levels a the broad, bright core taking up three- scope. M60 appears just slightly out-of- dwarf’s region of sky. What you’re look- wide variety of objects. Just set up at a quarters of the galaxy’s length. A bright In the spring round (7.1' by 6.1'), but is otherwise fea- ing for is an ever-so-slight increase in the dark site, take your time viewing each halo lies outside the core, but it quickly A new season brings a galaxy that travels tureless and lies less than half a degree background glow of your eyepiece’s field object, and try a variety of eyepieces. Oh, fades to the black of space. NGC 584 in elite company. M105 lies only 0.8° east of M59. A low-power telescope/eye- of view. and have fun! measures 4.1' by 2'. north-northeast of the great spiral M96 piece combination will reveal them both. Our final target, the magnitude 12.0 Next, move on to the Fornax Dwarf, in Leo. Beyond that, this magnitude 9.3 At magnitude 9.2, NGC 4697 in elliptical NGC 5982, teams up with two Michael E. Bakich is a contributing editor discovered by American astronomer doesn’t offer observers much in the way The Fornax Dwarf Virgo ranks as one of the sky’s brightest spirals — magnitude 11.1 NGC 5985 and of Astronomy who has been observing Harlow Shapley in 1938. At a distance of of detail. The galaxy has a bright central galaxies. A small telescope will reveal its magnitude 13.2 NGC 5981 — for one ellipticals since the 1960s. CHUCK KIMBALL region surrounded by a halo with an (lens-shaped) galaxy, rather than a strict edge that’s difficult to define. Although elliptical. Cranking up the power will M105 appears circular at low magnifi- reveal M86’s starlike core. cations, crank up the power past 250x Staying in Virgo, we can find another and you’ll see that it’s a fat oval about 4' of Messier’s ellipticals, M49, which glows across, orienting northeast to southwest. at magnitude 8.4 and measures 8.1' by If you’ve located M105, you probably 7.1'. Its oval shape is easy to see. The core have seen magnitude 9.9 NGC 3384, occupies the central two-thirds of this which sits a mere 7' to its east-northeast. object, and a fainter outer region envel- Through any size telescope, you’ll see ops it. Because this galaxy is relatively NGC 3384 as an oval twice as long as it bright, you can crank up the power and is wide (5.4' by 2.7') oriented northeast- reveal this outer halo. southwest. The central region is large Our next target, also located in Virgo, and bright, and the outer halo appears is one of the best known ellipticals in the faint even through large scopes. sky: M87. To astronomers, M87 is a For our next elliptical, magnitude 9.7 treasure-trove of science. It’s a colossal M60 NGC 4125, head north from Leo to object with a mass in excess of 3 trillion ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Draco. NGC 4125 forms an equilateral Suns and a diameter that may reach half triangle (extending northward) with the a million light-years. M87 also possesses hazy nature and oblong shape (7.2' by top stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper, a huge array of globular clusters, perhaps 4.7'). Step up to an 11-inch scope, and Dubhe and Megrez (Alpha [α] and Delta numbering in the tens of thousands. you’ll see much more detail. Regions out- [δ] Ursae Majoris, respectively). The gal- Visually, however, you could do better. side this galaxy’s core show a threefold axy lies 8° from each of those bright Through any telescope up to 20 inches in variance in brightness, getting fainter as M86 stars. Through an 8-inch scope, you’ll aperture, M87 appears circular, about 7' you move farther away. The shape of the see a bright, broadly concentrated oval across. Its core stands out as bright, and bright central region may remind you of GREG MORGAN core with a surrounding haze measuring it spans about one-third of the galaxy’s a spiral galaxy. In fact, astronomers cat- 438,000 light-years, it is one of the Milky 6.1' by 5.1'. Larger apertures extend the overall size. To see the famous jet ema- egorize NGC 4697 as a lenticular galaxy Way’s nearest dwarf companions. Look length of the elliptical galaxy, and some nating from M87’s nucleus, you’ll have — one with characteristics of both an for it not quite 3° southeast of magnitude observers have even noted a nearly stel- to use a 30-inch or larger telescope under elliptical and a spiral. 4.4 Beta Fornacis. lar nucleus. a pristine sky. You’ll find the Ursa Minor Dwarf Although the dwarf’s magnitude of 8.1 It’s easy to confuse M84 and Two more Messier objects in Virgo, (UGC 9749) in the southernmost part M87 indicates a bright object, its size (12' by M86 in Virgo. Both lie midway M89 and M59, follow. They glow at of the northernmost constellation. It lies ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 10.2') is such that it covers 17 percent of between Denebola (Beta Leonis) and magnitudes 9.8 and 9.6, respectively. M59 4.7° south-southwest of magnitude 3.0 the area of the Full Moon. Its surface Vindemiatrix (Epsilon [ε] Virginis). is slightly larger, measuring 4.6' by 3.6', Pherkad (Gamma [γ] Ursae Minoris). To remarkable view. These three objects lie brightness, therefore, is low. Through an M84 lies a bit more to the west, but M86 compared with M89’s 3.4' diameter. view this satellite of the Milky Way, use in Draco in an east-west line less than 14' 8-inch scope, use an eyepiece that yields a is bigger and brighter. It glows at magni- Through large amateur telescopes, M89’s at least an 11-inch telescope, but don’t long. You’ll find them 1.8° east-northeast M105 and friends 1° field of view, and slowly sweep the area. tude 8.9 (compared to 9.1 for M84) and outer regions form a faint ring that fades crank up the power. of magnitude 3.3 Iota (ι) Draconis. What you’re looking for is a faint haze measures 12' by 9.3' (compared to 5.1' by rapidly with increasing distance from its In fact, you’ll want to use the lowest- NGC 5982 is round, small (3' across), BERNHARD HUBL just brighter than the background sky. 4.1'). M84 has few distinguishing charac- center. M59 shows an oval glow and uni- magnification, widest-field eyepiece you and featureless. NGC 5985, meanwhile, arms — floats through space roughly Our next target is a pair of ellipticals teristics. Its core is large and definitely form illumination that only begins to own. That’s because this galaxy covers sports faint spiral arms, though you’ll 30 million light-years from Earth. Use in Eridanus: magnitude 9.8 NGC 1407 nonstellar. Look for a fainter halo that diminish close to the galaxy’s edge. one-and-a-half times more area than the need at least a 12-inch telescope to spot high magnification to increase the con- and magnitude 10.9 NGC 1400, which surrounds that core. M86 proves that not Our final Messier object, also in Full Moon. It measures 41' by 26'. It has a any detail. NGC 5981 is another of the trast between the galaxy and the bright lies about 12' to the southwest of its part- all elliptical galaxies are circular. In fact, Virgo, is M60. This bright (magnitude respectable magnitude, 10.9, but because universe’s “needle” galaxies: Thanks to star. NGC 404 looks round (6.1' across) ner. A magnification of 100x through an it appears oval even at low magnifica- 8.8) but under-observed galaxy lies 1.4° that light is so spread out, the Ursa its edge-on orientation, it simply looks and bright with an intense center. 8-inch telescope will show both objects tions. Modern galaxy classification north-northeast of magnitude 4.9 Rho Minor Dwarf has a miserably low sur- like a white line. To see this trio, use a Now head south from NGC 404 to well. No matter the size of your instru- schemes lean toward M86 as a lenticular (ρ) Virginis. Through medium-size tele- face brightness. magnification around 100x. magnitude 10.5 NGC 584, a fat, lens- ment, you will not see details other than scopes, M60 easily shows as a double gal- The best approach for viewing this shaped galaxy in Cetus. You’ll find it 2.2° a thin halo around the brighter galaxy. axy. Its companion, spiral NGC 4647, object is to head to the darkest observing Go observe them northeast of magnitude 3.6 Theta (θ) NGC 1407 lies 1.5° southeast of the mag- glows three magnitudes fainter, but it’s site you can get to. Then, disengage your As this list shows, elliptical galaxies can Ceti. Through an 8-inch scope, you’ll see nitude 5.2 star 20 Eridani. still well within the grasp of a 6-inch telescope’s drive and slowly sweep the offer observers of all experience levels a the broad, bright core taking up three- scope. M60 appears just slightly out-of- dwarf’s region of sky. What you’re look- wide variety of objects. Just set up at a quarters of the galaxy’s length. A bright In the spring round (7.1' by 6.1'), but is otherwise fea- ing for is an ever-so-slight increase in the dark site, take your time viewing each halo lies outside the core, but it quickly A new season brings a galaxy that travels tureless and lies less than half a degree background glow of your eyepiece’s field object, and try a variety of eyepieces. Oh, fades to the black of space. NGC 584 in elite company. M105 lies only 0.8° east of M59. A low-power telescope/eye- of view. and have fun! measures 4.1' by 2'. north-northeast of the great spiral M96 piece combination will reveal them both. Our final target, the magnitude 12.0 Next, move on to the Fornax Dwarf, in Leo. Beyond that, this magnitude 9.3 At magnitude 9.2, NGC 4697 in elliptical NGC 5982, teams up with two Michael E. Bakich is a contributing editor discovered by American astronomer doesn’t offer observers much in the way The Fornax Dwarf Virgo ranks as one of the sky’s brightest spirals — magnitude 11.1 NGC 5985 and of Astronomy who has been observing Harlow Shapley in 1938. At a distance of of detail. The galaxy has a bright central galaxies. A small telescope will reveal its magnitude 13.2 NGC 5981 — for one ellipticals since the 1960s. CHUCK KIMBALL

6 ASTRONOMY INSIGHTS • MARCH 2020 CELESTRON PREMIER SELECT DEALERS

B&H Photo – 800.947.9970 – bhphotovideo.com Astronomics – 800.422.7876 – astronomics.com Adorama – 800.223.2500 – adorama.com High Point Scientific – 800.266.9590 – highpointscientific.com OPT Telescopes – 800.483.6287 – optcorp.com Focus Camera – 800.221.0828 – focuscamera.com Optics Planet – 800.504.5897 – opticsplanet.com Woodland Hills – 888.427.8766 – telescopes.net Agena AstroProducts – 562.215.4473 – agenaastro.com WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 7 From a planet circling By 1995, astronomers had So, if we decided to send off VISIT THE NEAREST detected only one planet around a probe to chart other habitable Proxima Centauri to several a Sun-like star. planets — or somehow even Today, we have discovered visit them ourselves — where around TRAPPIST-1, more than 4,000 extrasolar plan- would we go? Here are a few of ets. Of those, only about 50 are the nearest places, known as of 14 habitable life-friendly worlds might considered habitable by the most October 2019. optimistic projections, meaning be closer than you think. they could have liquid water and a John Wenz is digital producer at rocky surface. And only about 20 Knowable Magazine and a former exoplanets BY JOHN WENZ likely have Earth-like temperatures. associate editor of Astronomy.

Proxima Centauri Wolf 1061 Gliese 625 Distance: 4 light-years Star type: Red dwarf Habitable planets: 1 (b) Discovered: 2016 Mass: 1.27 Earths Distance: 14 light-years Distance: 21 light-years Orbit: 11.2 days Star type: Red dwarf d Star type: Red dwarf b Habitable planets: 1 (c) Habitable planets: 1 (b) c b Discovered: 2015 Discovered: 2017 b Mass: 3.41 Earths Mass: 2.82 Earths Orbit: 17.9 days Orbit: 14.6 days

Barnard’s Star Gliese 832 Distance: 16 light-years GJ 667 C Star type: Red dwarf g Habitable planets: 1 (c) Discovered: 2014 b c Distance: 6 light-years Mass: 5.4 Earths e Distance: 24 light-years b Star type: Red dwarf Orbit: 35.7 days Star type: : Red dwarf b Habitable planets: 1 (b) c Habitable planets: 1 (c) Discovered: 2018 Discovered: 2011 Mass: 3.23 Earths f Mass: 3.8 Earths Orbit: 232.8 days Orbit: 28.1 days

Tau Ceti GJ 3323 TR APPIST-1

c b d f Distance: 39 light-years Distance: 12 light-years Distance: 17 light-years h Star type: : Red dwarf g Star type: Yellow dwarf Star type: Red dwarf Habitable planets: Habitable planets: 1 (e) b Habitable planets: 1 (b) c e g 2 to 6 (c, d, e, f, g, h) h Discovered: 2017 f Discovered: 2017 Discovered: 2016, 2017 Mass: 3.93 Earths Mass: 2.02 Earths Mass: 0.35 to 1.38 Earths Orbit: 162.9 days Orbit: 5.4 days Orbit: 2.4 to 18.8 days ASTRONOMY : ROEN KELLY

Proxima Barnard’s Centauri Star Tau Ceti Wolf 1061 Gliese 832 GJ 3323 Gliese 625 GJ 667 C TRAPPIST-1 The Sun

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Light-years from the Sun 8 ASTRONOMY INSIGHTS • MARCH 2020 WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 51 From a planet circling By 1995, astronomers had So, if we decided to send off VISIT THE NEAREST detected only one planet around a probe to chart other habitable Proxima Centauri to several a Sun-like star. planets — or somehow even Today, we have discovered visit them ourselves — where around TRAPPIST-1, more than 4,000 extrasolar plan- would we go? Here are a few of ets. Of those, only about 50 are the nearest places, known as of 14 habitable life-friendly worlds might considered habitable by the most October 2019. optimistic projections, meaning be closer than you think. they could have liquid water and a John Wenz is digital producer at rocky surface. And only about 20 Knowable Magazine and a former exoplanets BY JOHN WENZ likely have Earth-like temperatures. associate editor of Astronomy.

Tau Ceti GJ 3323 TR APPIST-1 e c b d f Distance: 39 light-years Distance: 12 light-years Distance: 17 light-years h Star type: : Red dwarf g Star type: Yellow dwarf Star type: Red dwarf Habitable planets: Habitable planets: 1 (e) b Habitable planets: 1 (b) c e g 2 to 6 (c, d, e, f, g, h) h Discovered: 2017 f Discovered: 2017 Discovered: 2016, 2017 Mass: 3.93 Earths Mass: 2.02 Earths Mass: 0.35 to 1.38 Earths Orbit: 162.9 days Orbit: 5.4 days Orbit: 2.4 to 18.8 days ASTRONOMY : ROEN KELLY

Proxima Barnard’s Centauri Star Tau Ceti Wolf 1061 Gliese 832 GJ 3323 Gliese 625 GJ 667 C TRAPPIST-1 The Sun

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Light-years from the Sun WWW.ASTRONOMY.COMWWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 519 M104

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Spring is galaxy t’s difficult to conceive of how large Virgo is. The Maiden is the A crowded field second-largest constellation, covering 3.1 percent of the sky. It Our first object is the Silver Streak Galaxy (NGC 4216). It lies at M61 season, and no contains 11 Messier objects, tons of worthy targets from the New the western edge of the Coma-Virgo Cluster of galaxies. From a constellation General Catalogue, and more faint galaxies than you can count. dark site, a 10-inch telescope will reveal several hundred galaxies In this brief guide, I want to remove the intimidation of this here, so take your time and be sure of your identification. proves it better constellation’s size and provide a list of the best objects to point NGC 4216 appears as a magnitude 10 streak of light nearly than this one. your scope at. I list them in order of increasing right ascension. five times as long as it is wide (7.8' by 1.6'). The core is bright, but IThat means the westernmost objects come first and, as you observe, to see its bulge will require a 12-inch or larger scope. Look for BY MICHAEL E. the latter ones rise higher in the sky. 12th-magnitude NGC 4206 12' to the southwest of NGC 4216. It Please note that I don’t include any elliptical galaxies in this story. has a similar appearance to its brighter neighbor. BAKICH They’re still plotted on the map you’ll find on the following two pages, The next target is M61, the first of four Messier objects on our but I describe the best of them in “The sky’s best elliptical galaxies,” list. It glows at magnitude 9.7 and measures 6.0' by 5.9'. This is a

which begins on page 58. face-on spiral galaxy; however, its arms wind tightly around the SPREAD AND INSET: ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

10 ASTRONOMY INSIGHTS • MARCH 2020 M104

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WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 11 NGC 4535 core, so it doesn’t look nearly rectangular. Crank up the NGC 4435 and NGC 4438 as good as others of this type. power beyond 300x, and That said, a 12-inch telescope you’ll spot two faint spiral will allow you to see the arms that begin at the ends of stubby extensions of two a bar. Also, the northern arm arms. Through really big contains a 13th-magnitude scopes at high magnification, star some amateurs have look for a thick bar that runs thought is a supernova. north-south through this Unfortunately, it’s just a fore- NGC 4536 object. ground star in the Milky Way. Our next object — NGC The “Lost Galaxy” moniker 4429 — lies in the heart of comes from American ama- the Virgo Cluster. It’s an teur astronomer Leland S. attractive spiral that measures Copeland, who wrote that it twice as long as it is wide (5.8' had a “hazy phantom-like by 2.8') and glows at magni- appearance in the amateur ADAM BLOCK/NOAO/AURA/NSF tude 10.2. When you observe telescope.” from the core. Near the core, dramatically. A 7th-magnitude it, you’ll spot two nearby 9th- Next up is the unusual spi- they appear thick and bright. star (SAO 119485) sits just 13' magnitude stars. SAO 100102 ral NGC 4536. It glows at One-third of the way from the east-northeast of this galaxy. lies 2' to the north-northeast, magnitude 10.6 and measures core to each arm’s end, how- For a wonderful example and SAO 100103 lies 5' to the 6.4' by 2.6', with arms that ever, their brightness and of interacting galaxies, turn south-southeast. extend nearly straight out thickness decrease your telescope toward the The core of this galaxy spans roughly one-third of its ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA length. You’ll also notice that DEEP-SKY16h OBJECTS IN VIRGO15h 14h 13h 12h ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA the halo region is more appar20°- 20° ent than in similar spirals. An 8-inch telescope is a great NGC 4216 instrument for viewing NGC 4429 at a dark site. Crank up NGC 4438 β the power past 250x to see all M90 M86 M84 M89 M59 NGC 4216 of its details. NGC 4762 M87 Less than 2° north of NGC ε NGC 4429 4429 you’ll find NGC 4435 10° M60 10° M58 ρ NGC 4567 and NGC 4438, a pair of gal- ο ξ axies called the Eyes. The two M49 ω glow at magnitude 10.2 and NGC 4535 π ν 9.7, respectively, and they’re σ M61 not small, spanning an area δ 8.5' by 3'. Some millions of VIRGO NCG 4536 years ago, these star cities τ β came within 16,000 light- 0° 0° years of each other. If you can ζ η υ view them through a 12-inch φ υ γ scope, try to spot the dis- torted outer regions of NGC μ NGC 4697 ι θ 4438. NGC 5634 Done with the Eyes? Head NGC 4731 χ 5° south for the Lost Galaxy β δ (NGC 4535), which often –10° ψ –10° 2 κ M104 gets overlooked by observers. ξ α CRATER ξ1 Spica It glows at magnitude 10.0 λ ι and measures 7.0' by 6.4'. This μ γ barred spiral boasts a core CORVUS ν α NGC 4856 δ that far outshines the arms. IC 972 η Through a 12-inch or larger γ η scope, you might notice ζ the central region looks –20° ι –20° ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 16h 15h 14h 13h ASTRONOMY: RICK JOHNSON/RICHARD12h TALCOTT/ROEN KELLY

12 ASTRONOMY INSIGHTS • MARCH 2020 NGC 4535 core, so it doesn’t look nearly rectangular. Crank up the NGC 4435 and NGC 4438 as good as others of this type. power beyond 300x, and That said, a 12-inch telescope you’ll spot two faint spiral will allow you to see the arms that begin at the ends of stubby extensions of two a bar. Also, the northern arm arms. Through really big contains a 13th-magnitude scopes at high magnification, star some amateurs have look for a thick bar that runs thought is a supernova. north-south through this Unfortunately, it’s just a fore- NGC 4536 object. ground star in the Milky Way. Our next object — NGC The “Lost Galaxy” moniker 4429 — lies in the heart of comes from American ama- the Virgo Cluster. It’s an teur astronomer Leland S. attractive spiral that measures Copeland, who wrote that it twice as long as it is wide (5.8' had a “hazy phantom-like by 2.8') and glows at magni- appearance in the amateur ADAM BLOCK/NOAO/AURA/NSF tude 10.2. When you observe telescope.” from the core. Near the core, dramatically. A 7th-magnitude it, you’ll spot two nearby 9th- Next up is the unusual spi- they appear thick and bright. star (SAO 119485) sits just 13' magnitude stars. SAO 100102 ral NGC 4536. It glows at One-third of the way from the east-northeast of this galaxy. lies 2' to the north-northeast, magnitude 10.6 and measures core to each arm’s end, how- For a wonderful example and SAO 100103 lies 5' to the 6.4' by 2.6', with arms that ever, their brightness and of interacting galaxies, turn south-southeast. extend nearly straight out thickness decrease your telescope toward the The core of this galaxy spans roughly one-third of its ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA length. You’ll also notice that DEEP-SKY16h OBJECTS IN VIRGO15h 14h 13h 12h ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA the halo region is more appar20°- 20° ent than in similar spirals. An 8-inch telescope is a great NGC 4216 instrument for viewing NGC 4429 at a dark site. Crank up NGC 4438 β the power past 250x to see all M90 M86 M84 M89 M59 NGC 4216 of its details. NGC 4762 M87 Less than 2° north of NGC ε NGC 4429 4429 you’ll find NGC 4435 10° M60 10° M58 ρ NGC 4567 and NGC 4438, a pair of gal- ο ξ axies called the Eyes. The two M49 ω glow at magnitude 10.2 and NGC 4535 π ν 9.7, respectively, and they’re σ M61 not small, spanning an area δ 8.5' by 3'. Some millions of VIRGO NCG 4536 years ago, these star cities τ β came within 16,000 light- 0° 0° years of each other. If you can ζ η υ view them through a 12-inch φ υ γ scope, try to spot the dis- torted outer regions of NGC μ NGC 4697 ι θ 4438. NGC 5634 Done with the Eyes? Head NGC 4731 χ 5° south for the Lost Galaxy β δ (NGC 4535), which often –10° ψ –10° 2 κ M104 gets overlooked by observers. ξ α CRATER ξ1 Spica It glows at magnitude 10.0 λ ι and measures 7.0' by 6.4'. This μ γ barred spiral boasts a core CORVUS ν α NGC 4856 δ that far outshines the arms. IC 972 η Through a 12-inch or larger γ η scope, you might notice ζ the central region looks –20° ι –20° ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 16h 15h 14h 13h ASTRONOMY: RICK JOHNSON/RICHARD12h TALCOTT/ROEN KELLY

WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 13 NGC 5634 about any size telescope will from us at a speed of 2.2 mil- Through a 10-inch tele- GAMMA small size (43"), IC 972 has a part of NGC 5634, it just hap- show M58’s slightly oval lion mph (3.6 million km/h). scope, observe NGC 4731’s reasonable surface brightness. pens to lie in the same direc- structure. Through a 16-inch M104’s lens shape and the long, relatively bright central VIRGINIS HAS Better known as Abell 37, this tion from our viewpoint. or larger scope, you should be dark dust lane that splits it bar. If your observing site is BEEN THE object appears uniformly illu- The cluster’s stars are con- able to pick out the brighter are easy to spot. The galaxy’s dark, crank up the power past minated with a sharp edge. densed, meaning you won’t central bar. Around the bar, a two sections have unequal 200x and look at the wide, SUBJECT Our final target is globu- easily resolve them into indi- faint halo region represents brightnesses — the north irregular spiral arms that orig- OF MUCH lar cluster NGC 5634. If vidual points. But the back- the galaxy’s tightly wound outshines the south because inate from each side of the bar. we’re being honest, Virgo is and-forth visibility battle spiral arms. M104 inclines 6° to our line The western arm appears RESEARCH, AND known for its galaxies. The you’ll encounter between the of sight. The dust lane, there- somewhat brighter. Tiny ASTRONOMERS constellation contains some star and the cluster makes for South and east fore, appears to cross south bright patches within both 200 deep-sky objects brighter a fascinating observation. The fourth and final Messier of center. arms signal hotspots of star HAVE EVEN than 13th magnitude. Only As you’ve probably object on our list, the Through a 4-inch tele- formation. Through a 20-inch WRITTEN POEMS one — magnitude 9.5 NGC inferred, there are a great Sombrero Galaxy (M104), is scope, you may detect the or larger telescope, use a neb- 5634 — is a globular cluster. many more targets in Virgo. anything but a disappoint- dust lane only near the ula filter to increase the con- ABOUT IT. Point a 4-inch telescope at The ones on this list, how- ment. This spiral glows at Sombrero’s center. The core trast of those regions and the it, and you’ll see lots of faint ever, should keep your scope magnitude 8.0 and measures is bright and a large halo sur- galaxy’s older stars. you’ll see a disk with a small, stars and one bright orange pointed in this constellation’s 7.1' by 4.4'. It’s a great object to rounds it, extending above If you want to show some- bright central region. The gal- one — magnitude 8.0 SAO direction for a full night. show off through a medium- and below the sections of the one an edge-on galaxy, the axy stretches more than three 139967, which sits a bit more Take your time, sit comfort- sized scope, but do wait until spiral arms nearest the next object on our list will do times as long as it is wide (4.3' than 1' east-southeast of the ably as you observe, and it stands highest in the south. nucleus. nicely. Barred spiral NGC by 1.2') in a northeast-to- cluster’s center. The star isn’t enjoy the view. The next target, Gamma 4762 glows at magnitude southwest orientation. For (γ) Virginis, called Porrima, 10.3. More than four times as those of you using 14-inch or NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 is one of the most famous long as it is wide (9.1' by 2.2'), larger scopes, crank the power M58 double stars in the sky. This NGC 4762 appears as a white past 350x and look for a mag- binary has been the subject of line through medium-sized nitude 13.1 foreground star DAN CROWSON much research, and astrono- telescopes. just barely east of the core. mers have even written poems You won’t see a central At magnitude 13.9, you Siamese Twins (NGC 4567 about it. Nineteenth-century bulge through any size scope. might be inclined to skip the and NGC 4568). Under a Royal Navy Admiral William All you will notice is that the next target, planetary nebula dark sky, even a 6-inch scope Henry Smyth in his Cycle of core appears ever-so-slightly IC 972, for less difficult fare. will reveal their overall V Celestial Objects devotes eight brighter than the arms. That’s fine if you’re viewing shape. To see any detail, how- pages to this double star. Both Next up is NGC 4856, a through a 4-inch scope, but if ever, you’ll need a 12-inch or components shine at magni- magnitude 10.4 spiral that lies you have a 10-inch or larger larger instrument. You can tude 3.5 and the separation near Virgo’s western border instrument, have a look at the tell these two galaxies apart between them is 2.9". with Corvus. Through an faint outer layers of this once by remembering that NGC Make a note to revisit 8-inch telescope at 200x, Sun-like star. Because of its 4568 appears slightly brighter Gamma Vir every year or (magnitude 10.9 vs. magni- two. The pair is widening tude 11.3) and a bit longer and by 2030, the separation (4.3' vs. 3.1') than its will increase to 3.9". M90 companion. Next up, NGC 4731, is Oh, boy! Our second not a bright galaxy (magni- Messier object is next. tude 11.5) but it has several Unfortunately, M90 may be features I think you’ll find one of the least interesting worth your observing time. spiral galaxies you’ll ever KEN CRAWFORD It appears as a highly dis- observe. That’s too bad, torted S shape because it because we tend to expect however, so unless your M104 was the first galaxy doesn’t travel through space more from Messier objects. It scope’s mirror measures 2 feet for which astronomers alone. You’ll easily spot its glows reasonably bright for a across, be content to just detected a large redshift. brighter companion: Look galaxy, at magnitude 9.5. And check this bright galaxy off Redshift measures the speed only 0.8° to the northwest for it has some size, too, measur- your list and move on. of an object away from us, magnitude 9.2 NGC 4697, an ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ing 10.5' by 4.4'. Next on the list, the caused by the universe’s elliptical galaxy I describe on What you’ll see is an object barred spiral M58 doesn’t expansion. In 1912, American page 61. Gravitational inter- Michael E. Bakich is a contributing that measures two times as rate much higher than M90. astronomer Vesto M. Slipher action between these two has editor of Astronomy who loves to spend long as it is wide. M90’s spiral It glows at magnitude 9.6 and discovered that the Sombrero nearly destroyed NGC 4731’s a night viewing objects in a single arms wind tightly around it, measures 5.5' by 4.6'. Just Galaxy was moving away spiral arms. constellation. PAUL AND DANIEL KOBLAS/ADAM BLOCK/NOAO/AURA/NSF

14 ASTRONOMY INSIGHTS • MARCH 2020 NGC 5634 about any size telescope will from us at a speed of 2.2 mil- Through a 10-inch tele- GAMMA small size (43"), IC 972 has a part of NGC 5634, it just hap- show M58’s slightly oval lion mph (3.6 million km/h). scope, observe NGC 4731’s reasonable surface brightness. pens to lie in the same direc- structure. Through a 16-inch M104’s lens shape and the long, relatively bright central VIRGINIS HAS Better known as Abell 37, this tion from our viewpoint. or larger scope, you should be dark dust lane that splits it bar. If your observing site is BEEN THE object appears uniformly illu- The cluster’s stars are con- able to pick out the brighter are easy to spot. The galaxy’s dark, crank up the power past minated with a sharp edge. densed, meaning you won’t central bar. Around the bar, a two sections have unequal 200x and look at the wide, SUBJECT Our final target is globu- easily resolve them into indi- faint halo region represents brightnesses — the north irregular spiral arms that orig- OF MUCH lar cluster NGC 5634. If vidual points. But the back- the galaxy’s tightly wound outshines the south because inate from each side of the bar. we’re being honest, Virgo is and-forth visibility battle spiral arms. M104 inclines 6° to our line The western arm appears RESEARCH, AND known for its galaxies. The you’ll encounter between the of sight. The dust lane, there- somewhat brighter. Tiny ASTRONOMERS constellation contains some star and the cluster makes for South and east fore, appears to cross south bright patches within both 200 deep-sky objects brighter a fascinating observation. The fourth and final Messier of center. arms signal hotspots of star HAVE EVEN than 13th magnitude. Only As you’ve probably object on our list, the Through a 4-inch tele- formation. Through a 20-inch WRITTEN POEMS one — magnitude 9.5 NGC inferred, there are a great Sombrero Galaxy (M104), is scope, you may detect the or larger telescope, use a neb- 5634 — is a globular cluster. many more targets in Virgo. anything but a disappoint- dust lane only near the ula filter to increase the con- ABOUT IT. Point a 4-inch telescope at The ones on this list, how- ment. This spiral glows at Sombrero’s center. The core trast of those regions and the it, and you’ll see lots of faint ever, should keep your scope magnitude 8.0 and measures is bright and a large halo sur- galaxy’s older stars. you’ll see a disk with a small, stars and one bright orange pointed in this constellation’s 7.1' by 4.4'. It’s a great object to rounds it, extending above If you want to show some- bright central region. The gal- one — magnitude 8.0 SAO direction for a full night. show off through a medium- and below the sections of the one an edge-on galaxy, the axy stretches more than three 139967, which sits a bit more Take your time, sit comfort- sized scope, but do wait until spiral arms nearest the next object on our list will do times as long as it is wide (4.3' than 1' east-southeast of the ably as you observe, and it stands highest in the south. nucleus. nicely. Barred spiral NGC by 1.2') in a northeast-to- cluster’s center. The star isn’t enjoy the view. The next target, Gamma 4762 glows at magnitude southwest orientation. For (γ) Virginis, called Porrima, 10.3. More than four times as those of you using 14-inch or NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 is one of the most famous long as it is wide (9.1' by 2.2'), larger scopes, crank the power M58 double stars in the sky. This NGC 4762 appears as a white past 350x and look for a mag- binary has been the subject of line through medium-sized nitude 13.1 foreground star DAN CROWSON much research, and astrono- telescopes. just barely east of the core. mers have even written poems You won’t see a central At magnitude 13.9, you Siamese Twins (NGC 4567 about it. Nineteenth-century bulge through any size scope. might be inclined to skip the and NGC 4568). Under a Royal Navy Admiral William All you will notice is that the next target, planetary nebula dark sky, even a 6-inch scope Henry Smyth in his Cycle of core appears ever-so-slightly IC 972, for less difficult fare. will reveal their overall V Celestial Objects devotes eight brighter than the arms. That’s fine if you’re viewing shape. To see any detail, how- pages to this double star. Both Next up is NGC 4856, a through a 4-inch scope, but if ever, you’ll need a 12-inch or components shine at magni- magnitude 10.4 spiral that lies you have a 10-inch or larger larger instrument. You can tude 3.5 and the separation near Virgo’s western border instrument, have a look at the tell these two galaxies apart between them is 2.9". with Corvus. Through an faint outer layers of this once by remembering that NGC Make a note to revisit 8-inch telescope at 200x, Sun-like star. Because of its 4568 appears slightly brighter Gamma Vir every year or (magnitude 10.9 vs. magni- two. The pair is widening tude 11.3) and a bit longer and by 2030, the separation (4.3' vs. 3.1') than its will increase to 3.9". M90 companion. Next up, NGC 4731, is Oh, boy! Our second not a bright galaxy (magni- Messier object is next. tude 11.5) but it has several Unfortunately, M90 may be features I think you’ll find one of the least interesting worth your observing time. spiral galaxies you’ll ever KEN CRAWFORD It appears as a highly dis- observe. That’s too bad, torted S shape because it because we tend to expect however, so unless your M104 was the first galaxy doesn’t travel through space more from Messier objects. It scope’s mirror measures 2 feet for which astronomers alone. You’ll easily spot its glows reasonably bright for a across, be content to just detected a large redshift. brighter companion: Look galaxy, at magnitude 9.5. And check this bright galaxy off Redshift measures the speed only 0.8° to the northwest for it has some size, too, measur- your list and move on. of an object away from us, magnitude 9.2 NGC 4697, an ADAM BLOCK/MOUNT LEMMON SKYCENTER/UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ing 10.5' by 4.4'. Next on the list, the caused by the universe’s elliptical galaxy I describe on What you’ll see is an object barred spiral M58 doesn’t expansion. In 1912, American page 61. Gravitational inter- Michael E. Bakich is a contributing that measures two times as rate much higher than M90. astronomer Vesto M. Slipher action between these two has editor of Astronomy who loves to spend long as it is wide. M90’s spiral It glows at magnitude 9.6 and discovered that the Sombrero nearly destroyed NGC 4731’s a night viewing objects in a single arms wind tightly around it, measures 5.5' by 4.6'. Just Galaxy was moving away spiral arms. constellation. PAUL AND DANIEL KOBLAS/ADAM BLOCK/NOAO/AURA/NSF