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Home , Alcyone (star), Alphard, California Nebula, Celaeno (star), Centaurus A, Columba (constellation)

e a f The , M42 is one of the most mag - Charting Terminology & Nomenclature Deep Sky Objects & Double d (M45) M26 m q nicient objects in the sky. It is 8,000 trillion miles or Seven Sisters Celestial Coordinates the northern hemisphere. And, stellation to +6 Deep Sky Objects (DSOs) are Open Clusters, or more. Within these clouds, concentra - away and stretches across 160 trillion miles. At in Asterope uses coordinates NGC refers to the New General or 6 for the faintest. The planet Globular Clusters, Planetary Nebulae, Nebulae, tions of gas can occur and gravitationally con - (CAUDA) its center are four young hot stars, known as the Taygeta o m analogous to latitude and longi - Catalogue of nearly 13,000 Venus shines as bright as –4.6 Remnants and . dense to form stars and accompanying planets. M16 p Trapezium, that were born from the nebula and tude. (Dec or d) is objects compiled by J .L.E. Dreyer and as bright as –2.5. An is a group of several to A set of stars created by a nebula is known as stimulate its gas to glow pink. They can be seen c equivalent to latitude but uses + in the late 1800s. Band hundreds of stars that were born out of the same an Open Cluster. The , M42 is a in a small at 50x. More stars are form - n and – instead of N and S. Right Numbers & Greek Letters The hazy band that stretches nebula cloud. A group often forms a pretty favorite (center panel). M17 Omega/Swan Nebula Sabik g c NGC3918 ing in this nebula. Milky Ascension (RA or a) is equivalent Some stars are labeled with across the sky represents the pattern. The Pleiades and Southern Pleiades are Galaxies contain billions of stars. All M18 l Way to longitude but has 24 divisions a number or Greek letter. The faint glow from the majority of great examples. Open clusters reside in our Milky galaxies are beyond our Milky Way , Southern d Wishing Well Cluster 3h 44m M23 M9 Cross NGC representing hours because the numbers are Flamsteed numbers stars in our Milky Way Galaxy — Way Galaxy. Our is no longer in its group. where our Sun resides. When you are observing M25 Becrux 3532 NGC3293 k stars “circle” the in a day. and the Greek letters are Bayer totalling over 200 billion. Our Globular Clusters look like fuzzy balls be - a galaxy, you are looking through our galaxy into 21 b e NGC 41 13 3699 M and NGC Catalogues letters — names of the early Sun is just one of these stars. cause they contain tens of thousands stars held the true depths of the universe. The Andromeda NGC 39 M21 NGC4755 NGC4103 37 NGC 3572 NGC3372 Noted in this atlas are many who started Southern Magellanic Clouds together by their mutual gravity. All of the globu - Galaxy, M31 can be seen with the . NGC3766 Eta Carinae M20 4349 Nebula Length of 1° for both Pleiades Deep Sky Objects with their these nomenclatures. From the Southern Hemisphere, lars that can be seen in the sky are part of our A Double is a star that looks like 4 44 Pearl Cluster 24 k NGC1977 M28 39 a p catalogue designations. The “M” of Stars you can see two milky patches Milky Way Galaxy, and there are about 200 of one star but when magnified sufficiently, it M22 M8 7 q NGC Southern Pleiades Kaus 42 3114 numbers are from the Messier The stars are classified by bright - detached from the Milky Way them that surround our galaxy like a halo. M22 separates into two or more stars. Some are Lagoon Coalsack in Nunki k Borealis Nebula M19 NGC S catalogue of over 100 objects ness using a system of magni - Band. They are called the Large in is a northern favorite. very pretty because of contrasting colors. 36 Southern 3211 u r 3 Pleiades h compiled by in tudes. For the stars visible to the and Small Magellanic Clouds A is an old term that has Castor in is a favorite and Albireo in s 43 SAGITTARIUS To the Center Milky the late 1700s and is still used naked eye, the scale ranges from and are two dwarf galaxies that nothing to do with the planets. Instead, it is a is well liked for its blue & gold colors. of our Galaxy l k f d Way today because it lists the biggest about –1.4 (negative 1.4) for the are nearby companions to our round or symmetrical nebula that is the shed at - c M62 45 Ascella M54 Alnasl e and brightest objects visible from brightest star in the con - Milky Way Galaxy. mosphere of a dying star. At its center is a white Observing Tips M6 b t h M69 M42 dwarf star. When our Sun dies, it will create a Almost every object indicated in this atlas can M70 a h Pleiades, M42 Globular Planetary , M1 Andromeda planetary nebula. These objects have diameters be seen with a small telescope. Double stars Open Cluster Cluster, M22 Nebula, M57 Supernova Galaxy, M31 of a few light years and are located in our galaxy. can be observed in light-polluted skies. A few Kaus Australis e M7 e NGC4833 x CARINA The , M57, in is a favorite. can be “split” with but others require Shaula A Supernova Remnant is the remaining g d c a telescope with powers up to 200x. DSOs are 35 k Trapezium t NGC4372 i gas from a very large star that has best observed in dark skies with no Moon using Lesath SCORPIUS 1 exploded at the end of its life. M1, the Crab magnifications of 50x –125x. Large objects, like SAGITTARIUS Area 17 h CRUX Area 1 h Miaplacidus b 19 h 13 h 10h 50m Nebula, in TAURUS is the easiest to observe. the Pleiades are great in binoculars. The Milky In TAURUS In SAGITTARIUS In LYRA In TAURUS In ANDROMEDA A Nebula is a giant hydrogen gas cloud that Way Band is best seen in country skies and it is Mirphak is located in our galaxy and can span 60 light great to scan with binoculars. NGC 6826 To the Alkaid To the Big Dipper NGC7000 M92 M51 Menkalinan M34 ANDROMEDA NGC Almaak 7662 M32 M31 Sadr e CANES Tickle of Mythology Celestial Andromeda Blue CYGNUS NGC1499 Snowball Northern Cross VENATICI Open Cluster Galaxy M13 Arcas and his beautiful mother, Callisto were are the Hunting Dogs Equatorial MINOR M38 Mirach LYRA Keystone BOOTES Castor Planetary Nebula turned into the Little and Big Bears, of BOOTES who is also seen as a Ploughman. M37 M36 M57 CORONA Area Nebula and MAJOR because of jealous Juno, wife of is the crown of Bacchus, M33 Ring Nebula BOREALIS COMA Scheat Alnath NGC6992/6960 BERENICES Galaxy promiscuous Jupiter. the god of wine. Pollux Alpheratz Albireo M3 Izar During an early war between the Titans and OPHIUCHUS is a Healer handling the M35 NGC Alphekka GEMINI M45 Hamal 6210 Olympians, , the Dragon was flung to the , SERPENS that has medicinal powers. Pleiades Great Dumbbell M64 M1 Square M27 North and frozen in place by the cold. is Jupiter’s Eagle that carries Sickle Beehive Crab TAURUS Nebula Kornephoros M44 King and Queen CASSIOPEIA out tasks. SAGITTARIUS , the Archer is a NGC Coathanger Arcturus Praesepe 2392 Nebula M53 LEO ruled Ethiopia. Their beautiful daughter warlike centaur. Mother Earth lets the , Denebola Alhena Algenib Markab Cluster LEO NGC “37” Realm of ANDROMEDA is being rescued by PERSEUS SCORPIUS crawl out of the great Milky Way M66 M65 2169 Cluster Rasalhague Denebola M95 M67 Enif M15 Galaxies from the Sea Monster, . crack to kill Orion, for boasting, but it is kept M96 Regulus NGC SERPENS Vindemiatrix CANIS 2261 Milky IC (CAPUT) AURIGA , the Charioteer supervised the royal at bay by Ophiuchus. MINOR Bellatrix Way 4665 Greek Rosette NGC Unukalhai livestock, including a goat that provided milk for LYRA , the Lyre was invented by Alphabet ORION Menkar Alrescha Procyon Nebula 2237 Circlet AQUILA a alpha Alnilam OPHUCHUS growing Jupiter. and mastered by ’s son, Orpheus whose Mintaka M5 un b beta M78 & S M2 oon The Pleiades or Seven Sisters rise before music had magical powers. c gamma Alnitak M12 s, M net d delta Horsehead Cursa Mira M14 VIRGO Pla ORION , out-of-reach of his amorous clutches. CYGNUS , the Swan helped find the h of e epsilon Orion Nebula M42 Variable SERPENS Pat Star M10 c— Orion is a great Hunter and battles the Bull, pieces of his son, having fallen from the chariot f zeta CETUS (CAUDA) ipti M48 e M11 Ecl TAURUS . Below his feet is , the Hare. that pulls the Sun across the sky. g eta h theta Saiph NGC Saturn Algedi SCUTUM M104 At his back is the ultimate prize for any hunter, is the Water and Cup Bearer, i iota 7009 Nebula Spica M47 Zaurak AQUARIUS M16 Eagle the Unicorn, MONOCEROS . His Big and Little a servant of the gods. j kappa M46 Sirius Dabih Nebula Algorab CRATER k lambda Arneb M17 Sabik NGC Ghost of Deneb Kaitos Zebenelgenubi Hunting Dogs, CANIS MAJOR and MINOR is a “Seagoat,” the l mu 3242 Jupiter Mirzam LEPUS CAPRICORNUS M23 Graffias nu CANIS M25 follow. ERIDANDUS , the River is before Orion, partially transformed, half-goat, half-fish body m MAJOR M41 n xi M93 NGC Helix M20 representing the water of life. of the god Pan who got scared and hurriedly o omicron M79 NGC 7293 Nebula M22 GEMINI is the warlike Twins, Pollux and escaped the monster Typhoon in order to warn p pi 253 M8 Lagoon rho NGC Wezen Nunki HYDRA q 2362 Nebula M4 Castor, protectors of seafarers. Pollux is immortal Jupiter. The word panic is derived from Pan. r sigma Milky Fomalhaut Galaxy M19 s tau SAGITTARIUS but Castor is not. PEGASUS , the Winged Horse is the Way Adhara Center M83 t upsilon M55 M62 Regulus , the brightest star in LEO , the Lion has deliverer of Jupiter’s thunderbolts. u phi Phact M6 v chi several meanings including regal, king and mighty. ARIES , the Ram with the golden fleece, Kaus Australis w psi M7 14 Hour Before him is CANCER , the Crab sent to prevent could fly and was used by the goddess of the x omega 22 Hour Shaula Menkent 8 Hour NGC CR135 HERCULES from killing the nine-headed HYDRA Nebulous Cloud, Nephele to rescue her children. 2451 NGC 18 Hour 12 Hour 10 Hour 6 Hour 4 Hour 2 Hour 0 Hour 20 Hour CENTAURUS 12 Hour Acamar 300 CORONA SCORPIUS 16 Hour as one of his twelve labors toward a virtuous life. PISCES represents Venus and Cupid AUSTRALIS When VIRGO , the Virgin is in the , who changed themselves into Fishes tied with Star Magnitudes NGC Throughout this atlas, the names of Alsuhail Ankaa 6231 NGC5128 crops grow. The growing season ends when, in the a length of string to stay together and escape Sargas are in UPPERCASE and Stars are Italicized . 012345 early evening, she sets on the western horizon. the monster Typhoon. Regor Omega (x) Centauri NGC5139 At arm’s length... PEGASUS Alpheratz Scheat North Celestial Winter Triangle 60 Brightest Stars Consists of the 3 bright stars Consists of the 3 bright stars Name Constellation Distance Magnitude Name Constellation Distance Magnitude Pole Area Procyon, Betelgeuse and Sirius Deneb, Vega and Altair Light Years Light Years Field Guide ANDROMEDA CANIS Deneb The width of a M33 Betelgeuse Sun — 93 million miles –26.8 Alnair GRUS 57 1.7 ORION’s height fist spans the MINOR OPHIUCHUS, is one hand span Vega Sirius CANIS MAJOR 8.6 –1.4 Alnitak ORION 800 1.7 Big Dipper’s Blue M31 M32 TRIANGULUM Procyon Northern bowl Snowball Andromeda the Healer Cross Canopus CARINA 313 –0.6 Regor VELA 840 1.7 lt LYRA Galaxy e holding SERPENS, – NGC B ORION Arcturus BOOTES 37 0.1 Alioth 81 1.8 7662 us CYGNUS NGCs iri the Snake Rigil Kent CENTAURUS 4 –0.01 Mirphak PERSEUS 630 1.8 6960/6992 Veil Nebula LACERTA S to Almaak s Vega LYRA 25 0.0 Kaus Australis SAGITTARIUS 76 1.8 One thumb nt oi width is North America M34 P Capella AURIGA 42 +0.1 Dubhe URSA MAJOR 124 1.8 4 Moon Nebula Rigel ORION 1,400 +0.2 Wezen CANIS MAJOR 2,000 1.8 diameters NGC7000 M39 Milky NGC M76 Algol 7789 + Sadr Way NGC457 Sirius Procyon 11 0.4 Alkaid URSA MAJOR 101 1.9 Caph NGC869/884 PERSEUS ERIDANUS 144 0.5 Avior CARINA 600 1.9 Albireo Deneb Mirphak M52 NGC Atlas CYGNUS CASSIOPEIA Double 1499 CANIS Betelgeuse ORION 1,400 0.5 Sargas SCORPIUS 270 1.9 Cluster Northern Cross Alderamin California MAJOR The Coalsack , next to Hadar CENTAURUS 526 0.6 Menkalinan AURIGA 82 1.9 NGC Nebula HYDRA Altair 6826 CEPHEUS CRUX is a “dark” nebula Altair AQUILA 16 0.8 Atria 400 1.9 ofthe that is blocking light AQUILA Acrux CRUX 321 0.8 Alhena GEMINI 100 1.9 LYRA M57 from stars behind it. Aldebaran TAURUS 65 0.9 Delta ( ) Velorum VELA 80 1.9 Ring δ Nebula e Capella ANTLIA Spica VIRGO 220 1.0 Peacock 183 1.9 Vega 0 h M38 3 Antares SCORPIUS 522 1.1 URSA MINOR 316 2.0 h h Menkent 1 AURIGA M36 2 Pollux GEMINI 34 1.2 Mirzam CANIS MAJOR 500 2.0 NGC NGC5128 Centaurus A Etamin 6543 6 h M37 Fomalhaut PISCIS AUSTRINUS 25 1.2 Alphard HYDRA 177 2.0

h Heavens

Polaris NGC 8

1 North Menkalinan 5139 Becrux CRUX 350 1.3 Nunki SAGITTARIUS 170 2.1 DRACO URSA North Star 1 MINOR 5 Celestial h VELA Deneb CYGNUS 1,500 1.3 Algol PERSEUS 93 2.1 h Pole 9 CENTAURUS PYXIS Little 12 h Alsuhail Regulus LEO 78 1.4 Denebola LEO 36 2.1 M92 Dipper Gacrux CRUX NGC Milky Southern 3532 Way Adhara CANIS MAJOR 400 1.5 Hamal ARIES 66 2.1 Kochab LEPUS NGC Becrux Cross HERCULES 4755 Castor GEMINI 52 1.6 Alpheratz ANDROMEDA 97 2.1 With200Favorite M4 Keystone M82 Muscida Hadar NGC3372 Gacrux CRUX 88 1.6 Kochab URSA MINOR 126 2.1 Antares Eta Carinae Nebula, NGC3372 M81 CoalsackAcrux Aspidiske d IC2391 Thuban GEMINI Regor Shaula SCORPIUS 330 1.6 Saiph ORION 78 2.1 M13 Rigil Kent Southern LYNX Proxima False Cross CANIS Binocular&TelescopeObjects Castor Pleiades Bellatrix ORION 1,400 1.6 Deneb Kaitos CETUS 96 2.1 MUSCA CARINA NGC Avior MAJOR Dubhe NGC 2808 Alnath TAURUS 131 1.7 Alsuhail VELA 600 2.2 URSA 6231 PUPPIS Adhara MAJOR Pollux NGC Miaplacidus CARINA 111 1.7 Aspidiske CARINA 700 2.2 Alcor Talitha Miaplacidus 2516 Alioth Alnilam ORION 1,000 1.7 Alphekka CORONA BOREALIS 78 +2.2 Megrez Merak SCORPIUS TRIANGULUM CORONA Double Star BOREALIS Mizar AUSTRALE 12 h Big Dipper M97 Open Cluster 9 Shaula h h Phad Atria 5 Closest Stars Alkaid Globular Cluster 1 Canopus M51 M7 Sargas Tarantula Alphekka Planetary Nebula 6 Nebula Whirlpool Galaxy h Our Sun is the closest star at just 93 million miles CENTARUS at just 4.22 ly away (noted on chart). h

Nebula 8 r South NGC2070 BOOTES 1 away. The closest nighttime star visible to the It is too faint to see with the eyes because it Tania Galaxy Celestial CANES 2 COLUMBA Phact Australis 1 Pole naked eye is Alpha ( ) Centauri in the constel - shines at magnitude +11. The second closest VENATICI h h Large α 3 0 h Magellanic Centaurus A Galaxy, NGC5128 lation CENTARUS and it is also known as Rigel star visible to the naked eye is Sirius at 8.6 ly LEO PAVO Cloud Cor Caroli MINOR CORONA Kent or Rigel Kentaurus . shines followed by Epsilon ( ) Eridani at 10.5 ly and SAGITTARIUS AUSTRALIS ε brightly at magnitude –0.01 and is just 4.4 light Procyon at 11.4 ly. There are several stars Arkab Small CAELUM Magellanic years away. One light (ly) is about 6 trillion closer than these three but they are too faint Spring & Nunki Peacock Cloud Rukbat NGC104 miles. The very closest star is Proxima in to be seen with the naked eye. Summer Pointers Celestial Tidbits The Big Dipper and BOOTES are bright HOROLOGIUM There are a total of 88 constellations in A falling star or constellations that can be seen in most skies. The Planets move eastward along the However, you need dark skies to see the fainter Achernar ERIDANUS the sky and all of them are shown in this meteor is not a star — stars in the Little Dipper and VIRGO. The position of the planets are not indicated on Mercury. If you see a bright star that is not in this atlas. Each constellation has a boundary. CRUX it is usually a gain of this atlas because they move through the fixed atlas, it will be one of these five planets — usu - BOOTES M7 Cluster in SCORPIUS occupies the least area and HYDRA the most. sand from space slam - VIRGO Alnair Acamar stars! However, the planets and Moon can always ally Venus or Jupiter. Normally, the planets do not Arcturus MICROSCOPIUM SERPENS is the only constellation that is split ming into and burning up Little Dipper be found on or near the orange, sine-wave curve, twinkle and this is one way to help identify them. between two parts of the sky, on opposite in our atmosphere. These GRUS which is a path in the sky called the ecliptic. If you Visit www.whatouttonight.com for the location of sides of OPHIUCHUS. grains of sand are shed could see the stars during the day, the ecliptic is the planets. The planets are best viewed with a PHOENIX FORNAX We use the same constellations from that come Spica the path that the Sun takes through the stars telescope using magnifications from 50x to 250x. Polaris Ankaa described by the ancient Greeks . However, close to the Sun and Big NGC over the course of a year and is a result of The ecliptic passes through the 12 North Star 300 South Celestial most names of stars are from Arabic. Fourteen are responsible for the Dipper Earth’s revolution around the Sun. The planets and constellations of the which are listed constellations in the southern hemisphere annual meteor showers. PISCIS Pole Area Moon are always on or very near the ecliptic be - to the lower left. The planets move eastward were charted by the French Thuban , in DRACO The Big Dipper is one AUSTRINUS SCULPTOR cause they orbit in nearly the same plane as Earth. along the ecliptic but sometimes they appear to of the easiest patterns Nicolas Louis de Lacaille around 1750. was the North Star around 2800 BC . Vega, Fomalhaut The five planets, visible to the naked eye, in order move westward or “retrograde” a bit when the About 5000 stars can be seen with in LYRA will be the North Star around 14,000 AD. to identify because its Sombrero Galaxy in VIRGO, M104 of brightness, are: Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Earth “passes” them in its orbit about the Sun. the naked eye . Most people can see stars The Earth’s axis wobbles around a great circle stars are bright. as faint as magnitude 6. in the North and South every 25,800 years and Price $9.95 U.S. Stars twinkle because of turbulence points close to several stars during this time. in the atmosphere and twinkle most when A Light Year (ly) is a unit of length and Published by Ken Press low in the sky. The five planets visible to is equal to the distance light travels in one year. Copyright ©2012 by Ken Graun the naked eye do not normally twinkle Since light moves at the speed of 186,282 miles (520 ) 743-3200 / kenpress.com / office @kenpress.com but shine bright and steady. a second, one light year is nearly 6 trillion miles Visit whats ou ttonight .com for more information For a star, our Sun is average in size and long. Our Milky Way Galaxy is about 100,000 light middle aged, about 4.6 billion years old. years in diameter. PRINTED IN CANADA ISBN 13: 978-1928771-66-1