WHAT’S UP 2006: 3 6 5 d ay s of SKYWATCHING Tammy Plotner with Jeff Barbour WHAT’S UP 2006: 3 6 5 d ay s of SKYWATCHING Tammy Plotner with Jeff Barbour “The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It... Stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” -- Einstein “SOUTHERN AURORA IN OHIO” CREDIT: TERRY MANN Written by Tammy Plotner Additional writting by Jeff Barbour Edited by Ken Vogt Design by Richard Shiro - http://www.asmalladshop.com Published by Universe Today - http://www.universetoday.com The six seasonal sky charts and Moon Map are from the online article “Getting Started in Astronomy” by the editors of Sky & Telescope. Charts ©2003 Sky Publishing Corp. Moon photograph courtesy UCO / Lick Observatory. Reproduced with permission; all rights reserved. www.SkyandTelescope.com Copyright ©2006 No illustrations, photography or other portions of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ISBN: 978-1-4116-8287-0 First Printing Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 FOREWORD Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Are you ready for a whole year of what’s up in the night sky? Then look no further as we present the best of what can be seen on any night. In these pages you will find lunar features, planets, meteor showers, bright and double stars, open and globular clusters, as well as distant galaxies. There’s astronomy history to ex- plore here, just as there is some science. You’ll find things here for those who enjoy stargazing with just their eyes, binoculars, or even the largest of telescopes! While these observing tips are designed with all readers in mind, not everyone lives in the same time zone, same hemisphere, nor has clear skies every night. No matter where you live, or who you are, it is my hope that somewhere here you find something of interest to keep you looking up! I am...~Tammy Plotner Learning the Night Sky... If you are new to astronomy, perhaps one of the most difficult and daunting parts about beginning is learning all those stars. Relax! It’s a lot easier than you think. Just like moving to a new city, everything will seem unfamiliar at first, but with a little help from some maps, you’ll soon be finding your way around like a pro. Once you become familiar with the constellations and how they appear to move across the night sky, the rest is easy. Thanks to the good folks at Sky and Telescope magazine, we’ve provided you with some “sky view” charts to help guide the way. They outline the constellations that can be seen at any particular time of the year and will help you greatly on your way. There is also an optional download of sky charts created by Jeff Barbour that list objects in even greater detail, as well as a key of Greek letters to help you read them, and help to understand star hop instructions. Keep in mind the constel- lation charts are oriented just as if you held the map over your head, while star charts are printed in the order in which the sky moves - north �������������� is up and east is left. http://www.universetoday.com �������������� TAMMY PLOTNER WITH JEFF BARBOUR i Buy a printed copy from here: http://books.lulu.com/content/235819 These pages also contain a simple way of helping you understand relative positions and sizes in the sky. In some instances, you will find directions to certain objects to read a “handspan” or a “fingerwidth”, but what exactly does that mean? While not everyone’s hands are the same size, these types of in- structions will help to put you in the general area of an object you are looking for. A “handspan” is a measurement from the tip of your little finger to the tip of your thumb when held outstretched at arm’s length. For the most part, this simple measurement covers around 20 degrees of sky. A “fistwidth” is your hand closed at arm’s length and covers around 10 degrees, while a “fingerwidth” is around 2 degrees. Although these type of instructions are not foolproof, if you remember that north- east is always northeast - no matter if a constellation is rising or set- ting, you’ll find these simple directions will help you to find the right area to begin. Observing Equipment... While I would love to be able to tell you which binoculars or telescope would be perfect for you - I can’t. The choice in equipment is just as individual as one’s taste in automobiles. Every person uses equipment differently and under dif- ferent circumstances. Let’s start with binoculars... Anyone every vaguely interested in the night sky should own a pair of binoculars - even inexpensive ones. While they will never reveal the heavens in quite as much detail as even a small telescope, their avail- ability, ease of use, and portability make them the perfect night sky companion. It takes no effort at all to aim them towards the stars and begin! But which ones? �������������� The very best size for astronomy are 7x50 and 10x50 models of http://www.universetoday.com the porro prism design, yet even the modest 5x30 models will show a �������������� ii WHAT’S UP 2006: 365 DAYS OF SKYWATCHING Buy a printed copy from here: http://books.lulu.com/content/235819 wealth of sky objects. While it might be tempting to get the “monster” models, remember the weight and how difficult it would be to steady them! Very large binoculars truly require a mount of some type. There is no recommended brand, but I suggest when purchasing to keep in mind they might get dropped or lost. Don’t be afraid to ask to try models out before purchasing. They should be comfortable to hold, and when you look through the eyepiec- es, the field should be evenly illuminated. When you look in the main lens, white reflections mean poorly coated optics, while deep purple and green reflections indicate higher quality. Better models will have a right diopter adjustment, and check to see that both sets of lenses are well collimated. No matter which you chose, I guarantee you’ll enjoy these hand-held “twin” telescopes! Now let’s move on to telescopes... There are three designs. The refractor uses a lens to gather light, the reflector uses a mirror, and the catadioptric uses both. No matter which style you prefer, the object is light gathering ability - not magnification. The larger the aperture, the more light it gathers and the more power it has to resolve. Steer clear of small telescopes you see in department stores and most camera shops, they are almost invariably low quality and for about the same amount of money you can end up with a fine telescope capable of years of use. The refracting telescope is favored by those who enjoy high power views of terrestrial subjects, as well as the Moon and planets - and pro- vides suitable light gathering ability for plenty of deep sky. Because the eyepiece is located at the end of the scope, it is often necessary to use a right angle attachment to put the eyepiece in a comfortable location. While many claim a refractor is superior for seeing details, keep in mind that this style may put you in some very uncomfortable positions! The reflecting telescope is the instrument of choice for deep sky observing. Large aperture is far more affordable and the performance on lunar and �������������� planetary objects is more dependent on the quality of the optics and http://www.universetoday.com �������������� TAMMY PLOTNER WITH JEFF BARBOUR iii Buy a printed copy from here: http://books.lulu.com/content/235819 seeing conditions - rather than the design. With the eyepiece located on the top side of the body of the telescope, this type of telescope is primarily used by observers who prefer to stand. Even the smallest (114mm) reflector will provide enough deep sky studies to keep the av- erage SkyWatcher entertained for a lifetime! Do they have a flaw? Yes. With large aperture also comes large size, and portability may become an issue. Do not let the word “collimation” frighten you. It is just the act of occasionally adjusting the primary mirror and is no different from tuning a guitar. The catadioptric design should thereby fulfill the best of both worlds - shouldn’t it? The answer is yes - but it doesn’t come without draw- backs. This style telescope is very expensive and prone to “dew” up without corrective measures. Now let’s talk mounts... Here again we have three basic designs - the altazimuth, the equatorial and the dobsonian. The altazimuth swings left/right and up/down - and requires manual adjustment to track. These inexpensive and easy to use mounts are best suited to small refractors. The equatorial design moves in right ascension and declination. When aligned to the pole, they only require a slight turn of a slow motion control to track and are capable of being fitted with mechanical tracking devices. They come in a variety of weights and sizes suitable for any type telescope and al- most all come equipped with setting circles. The last type of scope is the dobsonian. Much like the altazimuth, it moves up, down, and side-to-side...but requires no tripod. It is nothing more than a simple, well-balanced rocker box. With small aperture dobs, this inexpensive design spells total freedom to travel with your scope, but plan on having a backache while using it.