The Messier Objects
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The Summer Sky by Dr
The Summer Sky by Dr. Whitney Shane, MIRA’s Charles Hitchcock Adams Fellow Fixed Stars Some years ago this column had occasion to discuss planetary nebulae, using the Ring Nebula in Lyra, everyone’s favorite, as an example. The simple morphology of the Ring Nebula makes it ideal for this purpose. It can be explained as a slightly ellipsoidal expanding shell, where the asym- metry is due to a slight anisotropy in the initial expansion velocity. Very few planetary nebulae have the simple structure of the Ring Nebula. In fact, there is a baffling variety in the shapes of these objects. Most of them, however, show symmetry about a plane, which we might identify with the equator of the central star. The expansion seems to take place mainly in the direction of the poles. This could be caused by the presence of a massive ring of material around the equator, which would direct the expansion toward the poles. This ring might have been left over from the giant phase of the star. This agreeable situa- tion came to an abrupt end when Hubble Space Telescope images of planetary nebulae, starting with the Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), showed far more com- plex structures than had been previously sus- pected. This complexity, particularly its fine detail, could not be ex- plained by the model of an equatorial ring direct- ing a general expansion toward the poles. Attempts to explain these structures seem to fall into two categories. The presence of a companion star would provide both the dy- namical perturbations and the symmetry plane (in this case the orbital plane) required by the observa- tions. -
Planetary Nebula
How Far Away Is It – Planetary Nebula Planetary Nebula {Abstract – In this segment of our “How far away is it” video book, we cover Planetary Nebula. We begin by introducing astrophotography and how it adds to what we can see through a telescope with our eyes. We use NGC 2818 to illustrate how this works. This continues into the modern use of Charge-Coupled Devices and how they work. We use the planetary nebula MyCn18 to illustrate the use of color filters to identify elements in the nebula. We then show a clip illustrating the end-of-life explosion that creates objects like the Helix Planetary Nebula (NGC 7293), and show how it would fill the space between our Sun and our nearest star, Proxima Centauri. Then, we use the Cat’s Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) to illustrate expansion parallax. As a fundamental component for calculating expansion parallax, we also illustrate the Doppler Effect and how we measure it via spectral line red and blue shifts. We continue with a tour of the most beautiful planetary nebula photographed by Hubble. These include: the Dumbbell Nebula, NGC 5189, Ring Nebula, Retina Nebula, Red Rectangle, Ant Nebula, Butterfly Nebula, , Kohoutek 4- 55, Eskimo Nebula, NGC 6751, SuWt 2, Starfish, NGC 5315, NGC 5307, Little Ghost Nebula, NGC 2440, IC 4593, Red Spider, Boomerang, Twin Jet, Calabash, Gomez’s Hamburger and others culminating with a dive into the Necklace Nebula. We conclude by noting that this will be the most likely end for our Sun, but not for billions of years to come, and we update the Cosmic Distance Ladder with the new ‘Expansion Parallax’ rung developed in this segment.} Introduction [Music @00:00 Bizet, Georges: Entracte to Act III from “Carman”; Orchestre National de France / Seiji Ozawa, 1984; from the album “The most relaxing classical album in the world…ever!”] Planetary Nebulae represent some of the most beautiful objects in the Milky Way. -
Winter Messier List Observing Club
Winter Messier List Observing Club Raleigh Astronomy Club Version 1.1 24 November 2012 Introduction Welcome to the Winter Messier List Observing Club. The objects on this list represent many of the most prominent deep sky objects (Globular Clusters, Open Clusters, Nebula, Galaxies) visible from mid-northern latitudes. The Messier list of objects was compiled in the 1700’s by the French comet hunter Charles Messier and his associates as a list of objects to not confuse with their primary goal of discovering new comets. What they really produced, was a list of many of the best deep sky objects for astronomers to enjoy. Observing the Messier List is an excellent way for beginning astronomers to learn the night sky. This club is intended for those who wish to tour the Messier objects while adding more structure to their observing activities. Club members who wish to work their way through the Messier objects, a season at a time, will find this list to be a helpful guide. Two certificate levels are offered, Silver and Gold. The Silver certificate is earned by viewing and logging all objects on the list while using Go-To or Digital Setting Circles to help locate the Messier objects. The Gold certificate is earned by those who view and log all the objects while only using charts and star hopping to locate them. Anyone who intends to use their RAC list results as a stepping-stone to the Astronomlcal League Messier certificate, MUST work to the Gold certificate rules. Rules To earn the Winter Messier List certificate, you must: 1. -
Messier Objects
Messier Objects From the Stocker Astroscience Center at Florida International University Miami Florida The Messier Project Main contributors: • Daniel Puentes • Steven Revesz • Bobby Martinez Charles Messier • Gabriel Salazar • Riya Gandhi • Dr. James Webb – Director, Stocker Astroscience center • All images reduced and combined using MIRA image processing software. (Mirametrics) What are Messier Objects? • Messier objects are a list of astronomical sources compiled by Charles Messier, an 18th and early 19th century astronomer. He created a list of distracting objects to avoid while comet hunting. This list now contains over 110 objects, many of which are the most famous astronomical bodies known. The list contains planetary nebula, star clusters, and other galaxies. - Bobby Martinez The Telescope The telescope used to take these images is an Astronomical Consultants and Equipment (ACE) 24- inch (0.61-meter) Ritchey-Chretien reflecting telescope. It has a focal ratio of F6.2 and is supported on a structure independent of the building that houses it. It is equipped with a Finger Lakes 1kx1k CCD camera cooled to -30o C at the Cassegrain focus. It is equipped with dual filter wheels, the first containing UBVRI scientific filters and the second RGBL color filters. Messier 1 Found 6,500 light years away in the constellation of Taurus, the Crab Nebula (known as M1) is a supernova remnant. The original supernova that formed the crab nebula was observed by Chinese, Japanese and Arab astronomers in 1054 AD as an incredibly bright “Guest star” which was visible for over twenty-two months. The supernova that produced the Crab Nebula is thought to have been an evolved star roughly ten times more massive than the Sun. -
2020 Observatory Schedule
Astronomy Club of Akron 2020 Observatory Schedule 5031 Manchester Road, Akron, OH www.acaoh.org – The following events are open to the public. Please join us for stargazing and educational activities. Please arrive on time to avoid headlight distraction. – For notice of “impromptu star parties” not listed, send e-mail to [email protected] to request e-mail notification of unscheduled observing sessions. – Events will be cancelled if skies are cloudy. Always check website for star party status two hours before event. – This is an outdoor activity in an unheated environment. Nighttime temperatures drop rapidly, even during summer. A general rule of thumb is to dress for 15 degrees cooler than predicted nighttime low temperature. – Please respect those who set up their telescopes. Children should be supervised at all times. The observatory grounds are no place for toys or tomfoolery. – Please, No Smoking on observatory grounds. Smoke reacts with optical surfaces, damaging optical coatings. – Please, no use of cell phones or tablets in observatory (to preserve night vision). April 18 – 8:15pm July 18 – 9:00pm Venus is well placed for observing early, and then we’ll view Come out to view open cluster NGC6633, Wild Duck Ghost of Jupiter and the beautiful star cluster M37 through Cluster, Ring Nebula, M26 Star Cloud, and Swan Nebula the 16” observatory telescope and view Beehive Cluster using an OIII filter. through the 100mm wide field telescope. July 25 – 9:00pm April 25 – 8:30pm We’ll be observing a 5-day old Moon. This is a great Special Event: Messier Marathon – stay all night to observe opportunity to see crater central peaks lit up by the grazing all 110 Messier objects with ACA members. -
Deep-Sky Objects - Autumn Collection an Addition To: Explore the Universe Observing Certificate Third Edition RASC NW Cons Object Mag
Deep-Sky Objects - Autumn Collection An addition to: Explore the Universe Observing Certificate Third Edition RASC NW Cons Object Mag. PSA Observation Notes: Chart RA Dec Chart 1) Date Time 2 Equipment) 3) Notes # Observing Notes # Sgr M24 The Sagittarias Star Cloud 1. Mag 4.60 RA 18:16.5 Dec -18:50 Distance: 10.0 2. (kly)Star cloud, 95’ x 35’, Small Sagittarius star cloud 3. lies a little over 7 degrees north of teapot lid. Look for 7,8 dark Lanes! Wealth of stars. M24 has dark nebula 67 (interstellar dust – often visible in the infrared (cooler radiation)). Barnard 92 – near the edge northwest – oval in shape. Ref: Celestial Sampler Floating on Cloud 24, p.112 Sgr M18 - 1. RA 18 19.9, Dec -17.08 Distance: 4.9 (kly) 2. Lies less than 1deg above the northern edge of M24. 3 8 Often bypassed by showy neighbours, it is visible as a 67 small hazy patch. Note it's much closer (1/2 the distance) as compared to M24 (10kly) Sgr M17 (Swan Nebula) and M16 – HII region 1. Nebula and Open Clusters 2. 8 67 M17 Wikipedia 3. Ref: Celestial Sampler p. 113 Sct M11 Wild Duck Cluster 5.80 1. 18:51.1 -06:16 Distance: 6.0 (kly) 2. Open cluster, 13’, You can find the “wild duck” cluster, 3. as Admiral Smyth called it, nearly three degrees west of 67 8 Aquila’s beak lying in one of the densest parts of the summer Milky Way: the Scutum Star Cloud. 9 64 10 Vul M27 Dumbbell Nebula 1. -
Carbon Fiber 600 Mm Telescope W/ AZ Mount Instruction Manual
+ AGES 10 CF600 Carbon Fiber 600 mm Telescope w/ AZ Mount Instruction Manual ! WARNING: ! WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD — Small parts. SUN HAZARD — Never look directly Not for children under 3 years. at the sun with this device. 1 WARNING: Never attempt to observe the sun with this telescope. Make sure children do not attempt to observe the sun with the telescope. Observing the sun directly, even for a short time, may cause blindness. Packing materials, like plastic bags, should be kept out of the reach of children. Risk to your child! Tips on cleaning Never look through this device directly at or near the sun. There Clean the lens (objective and eyepiece) only with a soft, is a risk of BLINDING YOURSELF! lint-free cloth, like a microfiber cloth. Do not use excessive pressure - this may scratch the lens. To clean a very dirty lens, dampen the cleaning cloth with Children should only use this device under supervision. Keep eyeglass cleaning solution, and wipe the lens gently. packaging materials, like plastic bags and rubber bands, out of the reach of children, as they pose a choking hazard. Protect the device against dirt and dust. Leave it to dry properly after use at room temperature. Then put the dust caps on and Fire and burn risk! store the device in a suitable location. Never subject the device, especially the lenses, to direct sunlight. Light ray concentration can cause fires and/or burns. Respect privacy! This device is meant for private use. Respect others‘ privacy. Risk of material damage! Do not use the device to look into other people‘s homes, or Never take the device apart. -
The Messier Catalog
The Messier Catalog Messier 1 Messier 2 Messier 3 Messier 4 Messier 5 Crab Nebula globular cluster globular cluster globular cluster globular cluster Messier 6 Messier 7 Messier 8 Messier 9 Messier 10 open cluster open cluster Lagoon Nebula globular cluster globular cluster Butterfly Cluster Ptolemy's Cluster Messier 11 Messier 12 Messier 13 Messier 14 Messier 15 Wild Duck Cluster globular cluster Hercules glob luster globular cluster globular cluster Messier 16 Messier 17 Messier 18 Messier 19 Messier 20 Eagle Nebula The Omega, Swan, open cluster globular cluster Trifid Nebula or Horseshoe Nebula Messier 21 Messier 22 Messier 23 Messier 24 Messier 25 open cluster globular cluster open cluster Milky Way Patch open cluster Messier 26 Messier 27 Messier 28 Messier 29 Messier 30 open cluster Dumbbell Nebula globular cluster open cluster globular cluster Messier 31 Messier 32 Messier 33 Messier 34 Messier 35 Andromeda dwarf Andromeda Galaxy Triangulum Galaxy open cluster open cluster elliptical galaxy Messier 36 Messier 37 Messier 38 Messier 39 Messier 40 open cluster open cluster open cluster open cluster double star Winecke 4 Messier 41 Messier 42/43 Messier 44 Messier 45 Messier 46 open cluster Orion Nebula Praesepe Pleiades open cluster Beehive Cluster Suburu Messier 47 Messier 48 Messier 49 Messier 50 Messier 51 open cluster open cluster elliptical galaxy open cluster Whirlpool Galaxy Messier 52 Messier 53 Messier 54 Messier 55 Messier 56 open cluster globular cluster globular cluster globular cluster globular cluster Messier 57 Messier -
Binocular Observing Olympics Stellafane 2018
Binocular Observing Olympics Stellafane 2018 Compiled by Phil Harrington www.philharrington.net • To qualify for the BOO pin, you must see 15 of the following 20 binocular targets. Check off each as you spot them. Seen # Object Const. Type* RA Dec Mag Size Nickname 1. M4 Sco GC 16 23.6 -26 32 6.0 26' Cat’s Eye Globular 2. M13 Her GC 16 41.7 +36 28 5.9 16' Great Hercules Globular 3. M6 Sco OC 17 40.1 -32 13 4.2 15' Butterfly Cluster 4. IC 4665 Oph OC 17 46.3 +05 43 4.2 41' Summer Beehive 5. M7 Sco OC 17 53.9 -34 49 3.3 80' Ptolemy’s Cluster 6. M20 Sgr BN/OC 18 02.6 -23 02 8.5 29'x27' Trifid Nebula 7. M8 Sgr BN/OC 18 03.8 -24 23 5.8 90'x40' Lagoon Nebula 8. M17 Sgr BN 18 20.8 -16 11 7 46'x37' Swan or Omega Nebula 9. M22 Sgr GC 18 36.4 -23 54 5.1 24' Great Sagittarius Cluster 10. M11 Sct OC 18 51.1 -06 16 5.8 14' Wild Duck Cluster 11. M57 Lyr PN 18 53.6 +33 02 9.7 70"x150" Ring Nebula 12. Collinder 399 Vul AS 19 25.4 +20 11 3.6 60' Coathanger/Brocchi’s Cluster 13. PK 64+5.1 Cyg PN 19 34.8 +30 31 9.6p 8" Campbell's Hydrogen Star 14. M27 Vul PN 19 59.6 +22 43 8.1 8’x6’ Dumbbell Nebula 15. -
Properties of Planetary Nebula
Properties of Planetary Nebula Summary The student will examine many of the properties of planetary nebulae, including their composition, size and evolution. Background and Theory A planetary nebula is formed when a red giant star approaches the end of its life span and begins to lose a lot of mass very quickly. This mass condenses, and forms a shell around the star. This cloud of dust and gas obscures the central star for a time. The star moves to the left across the H-R diagram. This means that the temperature radically increases, while the luminosity remains approximately constant. The hot star begins emitting ultraviolet light, which ionizes the gas in the nebula. This ionized gas begins to glow, making the planetary nebula luminous. Eventually, the central star becomes fully evolved, and its luminosity falls by as much as 90%. The cool star is no longer capable of ionizing the nebula, so the nebula gradually fades and disperses into the interstellar medium. Planetary nebulae are responsible for a large fraction of the mass returned to the interstellar medium each year. Planetary nebulae emit visible light of many different colors, depending upon which atoms are present. Blue- green nebulae contain OIII (oxygen ions), while red nebulae are dominated by hydrogen and nitrogen. Procedure Part A: Chemical Composition 1. Each of the images in table 1 below was taken with a different filter. Go to the university of Washington web site (https://sites.google.com/a/uw.edu/introductory-astronomy-clearinghouse/labs- exercises/properties-of-planetary-nebulae) and examine each image. In table 2 lists short description of what you see in the image. -
Just What Are Those Sky Chart "M" and "NGC" Numbers? by Barry D
Just what are those Sky Chart "M" and "NGC" Numbers? By Barry D. Malpas – Special to the Williams-Grand Canyon News – 2014 November One of the pastimes for some early sky observers was to locate new comets. Charles Messier (1730-1817) was a French comet hunter during the late 1700s, and discovered 13 new comets between 1760 and 1785. His interest in astronomy, and comets in particular, was influenced by seeing the great comet of 1744, and the comet of 1759 (of which Edmond Halley had believed the comets of 1531, 1607, and 1682 were the same and had predicted the comet’s 1759 apparition which is now known as Halley's Comet.) At this time telescopes were relatively small. The understanding of supernovae, or galaxies, was not yet in the current knowledge, as such objects only appeared as blurry smudges that did not move across the sky. In order not to waste time and become frustrated with viewing fuzzy objects that resembled, but were not, comets, Messier compiled a list of 110 of these celestial blurs which we now refer to as Messier, or "M Objects." The Messier Catalog has become a very popular list of "Deep Sky Objects" among amateur astronomers around the world because it consists of most of the galaxies, nebulae and star clusters easily observable with binoculars or small telescopes in the northern skies. Now, however, the objects in the list are the source of interest, as opposed to the reason the compilation was originally intended by Messier. At large astronomical get-togethers, known as "star parties", there is often a "Messier Marathon" competition to view the most Messier Objects during one observing night. -
Messier Objects
Messier Objects by Ken Graun he Messier Object catalogue represents the cream-of-the-crop his most notable life-long achievements was discovering about 20 deep sky objects that can be seen from the mid-latitudes of the comets, which lead to his induction into almost every European science T northern hemisphere. It was compiled at the end of the 1700s academy. by Charles Messier from Paris, France, using telescopes around 3 to Messier never would have believed that his namesake would be 4-inches in diameter. This catalogue is historically significant because it defined by his little catalogue—he would have thought it would have is the very first catalogue ever compiled of deep sky objects. And, since been his comet discoveries. He catalogued deep sky objects because he it lists the biggest and brightest objects in the sky, it realized that such a catalogue was missing in the field has become a logical “next step” for amateurs want - of astronomy (astronomy and most sciences were ing to go beyond observing the Moon and Planets. just starting to get organized during this time in his - An interesting point about this catalogue is that tory). To start the catalogue, he used a few short lists it has at least one example of every type of deep sky of deep sky objects complied by other astronomers object that exists, so it represents a good sample of and quickly added objects he found exploring the the objects that can be found in the heavens. night sky. Three editions of his catalogue were pub - There is a quirk of nature that allows viewing all lished, each growing in size, with the last published of the Messier objects in one night.