PHYS133 – Lab 8 Deep Sky Objects from the Messier Catalog

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

PHYS133 – Lab 8 Deep Sky Objects from the Messier Catalog Goals: • Observe various deep sky objects and learn their size and nature What You Turn In: • Worksheet • Screencaps or sketches of the objects Background: Messier Objects: The nineteenth-century astronomer Charles Messier compiled a catalog of more than 100 objects that, unlike stars, showed an extended angular appearance on the sky. These became known as “Messier objects”, listed as M#. For this lab, we are going to investigate 7 deep sky objects of different types. Procedure Deep-Sky Objects from the Messier Catalog Use the Stellarium website (https://stellarium-web.org/) to explore these 7 Messier objects: M1, M13, M31, M42, M45, M49, M57 For each object do the following: 1. Use the search bar to find it and then zoom in on it 2. Take a screen snapshot or sketch the object. 3. Identify any common name for the objects (e.g. M1 = “Crab nebula”) 4. Use the azimuthal grid to estimate the size of the object. 5. Use the Wikipedia link to find the distance of the object in light years (ly). 6. Compute its physical size (in ly) from Size = (Angle Size/57 deg) x Distance. 7. Note which objects have the largest/smallest: angular size; physical size; and distance 8. Identify which of the follow types best describe each object: 1. Supernova remnant 2. Planetary nebula 3. Star-forming region 4. Open Cluster 5. Globular Cluster 6. Spiral Galaxy 7. Elliptical Galaxy UDel Physics 1 of 4 Spring 2020 Names: _________________ Section: ______________ _________________ Date: ________________ Data Sheet Deep Object Data M#/ Angular size Object type Distance (ly) Size (ly) Common name (degrees) UDel Physics 2 of 4 Fall 2020 Questions 1. Identify which objects have biggest/smallest: angular size; physical size; distance. 2. Next rank the physical size of each Messier object you calculated. Does this ordering make sense based on what you know of the objects? 3. How do each of these objects compare to the size of the Solar System (around 50 AU) and the size of the Milky Way (around 100,000 light years)? UDel Physics 3 of 4 Fall 2020 4. Identify which object best represents: The kind of galaxy we live in. A region where molecular clouds are contracting by gravity. The death of a high-mass star. The death of a low-mass star. A region with lots of young stars in our galaxy’s disk. A region with lots of old stars in our galaxy’s halo. A galaxy with mostly old stars. UDel Physics 4 of 4 Fall 2020 .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

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.
[Show full text]
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.
[Show full text]
The Messier Objects
WHAT’S IN The Messier Objects THE NIGHT SKY? Bonus Material The Messier objects are a list of 110 deep-sky objects that were catalogued by a French astronomer called Charles Messier. He created this list in the 1700’s when he was looking for comets. He wanted to keep track of the things he could see in the night sky, so he wouldn’t confuse them for comets. The Messier objects all have names that start with the letter M (for Messier), followed by a number. For example, M13 is a Messier object which can be found in the Hercules constellation. Types of Messier objects Globular Clusters – These are spherical Supernova Remnants – When a very large (round) systems of ancient stars held together star (more than 5 times the size of our Sun) by gravity. They are dense systems, which uses up all its fuel, it collapses. The collapse contain thousands or millions of stars. From happens so quickly that the outer layers of Earth, they look like small, blurry blobs in the star explode! A supernova remnant is the the night sky. The globular cluster in the hot, expanding cloud of gas that is given off in picture is M13, which is found in the Hercules this explosion. The supernova remnant in the constellation. picture is M1, which is more commonly named the Crab Nebula. Types of Messier objects continued... Galaxies – A huge collection of dust, gas, Open Cluster – An open cluster is a loose billons of stars and their solar systems group of hundreds or thousands of stars.
[Show full text]
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.
[Show full text]
SSAS Marmesmad Doc
The South Shore Astronomical Society and Unistellar Optics present An Initiative to Engage in Astronomical Observing Welcome to the month of March, a time of the year when astronomy enthusiasts can view every object in Charles Messier’s venerable catalog of ‘non-comets’ in the course of just one overnight, should they choose to do so. But seeing every Messier object in one night, also known as a Messier Marathon, is a daunting prospect indeed. The observer needs to be blessed with not only dark enough skies and low enough horizons to see the very first and very last objects on the list, but he also has to get lucky with the weather and have clear skies for a nearly twelve hour stretch throughout the night. The first two requirements can be met by carefully choosing your observing site. The third, unfortunately, cannot. For these reasons and perhaps others, most observers tend to shy away from Messier Marathon participation, especially when the group you’re affiliated with insists on sticking to a purist’s approach – the one where only star hopping to every object and only visual sighting through the eyepiece is considered the right way to do it. While there is something to be said for completing the challenge in that manner, it also has a tendency to push many would-be observers to the sidelines. So what if the rules were changed? And what if a variety of approaches to observing Messier’s during the month of March were considered not only acceptable, but were encouraged? Enter Unistellar Optics, a French company that markets a unique telescope, the Unistellar eVscope.
[Show full text]
Messier Certificate Log
A B C D E F 1 CENTRAL FLORIDA ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, INC. 2 MESSIER CERTIFICATE OBSERVING LOG 3 FOR: (Your name) 4 CONSTELLATION Messier Object Date Time Instrument Remarks 5 Andromeda 6 M31 The Andromeda Galaxy spiral galaxy (type Sb) 7 M32 Satellite galaxy of M31 elliptical galaxy (type E2 8 M110 Satellite galaxy of M31 elliptical galaxy (type E6pec) 9 10 Aquarius 11 M2 globular cluster 12 M72 globular cluster 13 M73 system or asterism of 4 stars 14 15 Auriga 16 M36 open cluster 17 M37 open cluster 18 M38 open cluster 19 20 Cancer 21 22 M44 Praesepe, the Beehive Cluster open cluster 23 M67 open cluster 24 25 Canes Venatici 26 M3 globular cluster 27 M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy spiral galaxy 28 M63 Sunflower galaxy spiral galaxy 29 M94 spiral galaxy 30 M106 spiral galaxy 31 32 Canis Major 33 M41 open cluster 34 Capricornus 35 M30 globular cluster 36 37 Cassiopeia 38 M52 open cluster A B C D E F 1 CENTRAL FLORIDA ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, INC. 2 MESSIER CERTIFICATE OBSERVING LOG 3 FOR: (Your name) 4 CONSTELLATION Messier Object Date Time Instrument Remarks 39 M103 open cluster 40 41 Cetus 42 M77 spiral galaxy 43 44 Coma Berenices 45 M53 globular cluster 46 M64 Blackeye galaxy spiral galaxy 47 M85 elliptical galaxy 48 M88 spiral galaxy 49 M91 spiral galaxy 50 M98 spiral galaxy 51 M99 spiral galaxy 52 M100 spiral galaxy 53 54 Cygnus 55 M29 open cluster 56 M39 open cluster 57 58 Draco 59 M102 may be NGC 5866 Spindle Galaxy , a lenticular galaxy (type S0_3) 60 Gemini 61 M35 open cluster 62 Hercules 63 M13 Great Hercules Globular Cluster globular cluster 64 M92 globular cluster 65 66 Hydra 67 M48 open cluster 68 M68 globular cluster 69 M83 spiral galaxy 70 71 72 A B C D E F 1 CENTRAL FLORIDA ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, INC.
[Show full text]
Messier Object Mapping System
Messier Object Mapping System Messier Object Constellation Map# Messier Object Constellation Map# M1 Taurus 1-6 M56 Lyra 3 M2 Aquarius 8 M57 Lyra 3 M3 Canes Venatici 4-10 M58 Virgo IN2-5 M4 Scorpius 2 M59 Virgo IN2 M5 Scorpius 10 M60 Virgo IN2-5-9-10 M6 Scorpius 2 M61 Virgo IN2-5-8 M7 Scorpius 2 M62 Ophiuchus 2 M8 Sagittarius 2-IN1 M63 Canes Venatici 4 M9 Ophiuchus 2 M64 Coma Berenices 4-5 M10 Ophiuchus 2 M65 Leo 5 M11 Scutum 2 M66 Leo 5 M12 Ophiuchus 2 M67 Cancer 6 M13 Hercules 3 M68 Hydra 9 M14 Ophiuchus 2 M69 Sagittarius 2-IN1-8 M15 Pegasus 8 M70 Sagittarius 2-IN1-8 M16 Serpens 2-IN1 M71 Sagittarius 2 M17 Sagittarius 2-IN1 M72 Aquarius 8 M18 Sagittarius 2-IN1 M73 Aquarius 8 M19 Ophiuchus 2 M74 Pisces 11 M20 Sagittarius 2-IN1-8 M75 Sagittarius 8 M21 Sagittarius 2-IN1-8 M76 Perseus 7 M22 Sagittarius 2-IN1-8 M77 Cetus 11 M23 Sagittarius 2-IN1 M78 Orion 1 M24 Sagittarius 2-IN1 M79 Lepus 1 M25 Sagittarius 2-IN1-8 M80 Scorpius 2 M26 Scutum 2 M81 Ursa Major 4 M27 Vupecula 3 M82 Ursa Major 4 M28 Sagittarius 2-IN1-8 M83 Hydra 9 M29 Cygnus 3 M84 Virgo IN2-5 M30 Capricornus 8 M85 Coma Berenices 4-5 M31 Andromeda 7-11 M86 Virgo IN2-5 M32 Andromeda 7-11 M87 Virgo IN2-5 M33 Triangulum 7-11 M88 Coma Berenices IN2-5 M34 Perseus 7-11 M89 Virgo IN2 M35 Gemini 1-6 M90 Virgo IN2-5 M36 Auriga 1-6 M91 Virgo IN2-5 M37 Auriga 1-6 M92 Hercules 3 M38 Auriga 1 M93 Puppis 1-6 M39 Cygnus 3-7 M94 Canes Venatici 4-5 M40 Ursa Major 4 M95 Leo 5 M41 Canis Major 1 M96 Leo 5 M42 Orion 1 M97 Ursa Major 4 M43 Orion 1 M98 Coma Berenices IN2-4-5 M44 Sagittarius 6 M99 Coma Berenices IN2-4-5 M45 Taurus 1-11 M100 Coma Berenices IN2-4-5 M46 Puppis 1-6 M101 Ursa Major 4 M47 Puppis 1-6 M102 Draco 4 M48 Hydra 6 M103 Cassiopeia 7 M49 Virgo 2-IN1-8 M104 Virgo 5-9-10 M50 Monoceros 1-6 M105 Leo 5 M51 Canes Venatici 4-10 M106 Canes Venatici 4-5 M52 Cassiopeia 7 M107 Ophiuchus 2 M53 Coma Berenices 4-5-10 M108 Ursa Major 4 M54 Sagittarius 2-IN1-8 M109 Ursa Major 4-5 M55 Sagittarius 2-8 M110 Andromeda 7-11 Messier Object List # NGC# Constellation Type Name, If Any Mag.
[Show full text]
Deep Sky Companion
June 5th–December 18th Hours: 9am-5pm and by appointment For images of this body of work and others, please visit: WWW.LIAHALLORAN.COM CATALOG NOTES. The front and back cover of this catalog will glow in the dark. Just leave it open so it can charge with any light source. Then turn off the lights! You can also enjoy two posters of Messier in positive and negative versions included inside. Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics 1216 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 Contact: Ann Rho at [email protected] or (626) 395-4223 WWW.CALTECH.EDU DEEP SKY COMPANION When I first read about French Lia Halloran’s work often uses science astronomer Charles Messier’s initially as a conceptual bounding point frustrated attempts at comet hunting, to explore how perception, time which instead led to a blurry nebulae and scale inform a constant desire (M1), I related the account to my own to understand our physical and challenging first stabs at observing the have come to know what we know are the origins of the psychological relationship to the night sky. In college, I was given a small Deep Sky Companion series. world we inhabit. Solo exhibitions Celestron telescope for Christmas and When he came across fuzzy objects, or heard of her work have been held at eagerly and faithfully observed planets, about them from others, Messier would take note ‘of venues in New York, Miami, Boston, Jupiter’s moons (wow!) and Saturn’s rings objects to be avoided while hunting for comets’ so he Los Angeles, London, Vienna and (double wow!).
[Show full text]
Fall Messier List Observing Club
Fall Messier List Observing Club Raleigh Astronomy Club Version 1.1 24 November 2012 Introduction Welcome to the Fall 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 Fall Messier List certificate, you must: 1.
[Show full text]
Using Stellarium to Find and Image Deep-Sky Objects
Using Stellarium to Find, Research and Image Deep-Sky Objects The Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) network of telescopes located at sites all around the world enable us to take images of deep-sky objects like Messier objects. Messier objects are a collection of 110 astronomical objects cataloged by the 18th Century French astronomer Charles Messier while he was searching for comets. Here is a catalog of Messier objects. 1 16 Oct 2019 Starting Your Research! Go to the IASC website http://iasc.cosmosearch.org/LCO.html to download the necessary instruction guides: • How to Take Images Through Our Solar Siblings • How to Retrieve Images From Google Drive • How to Retrieve Images From the LCO Portal • Introductory Stellarium Guide 1. Have your students select five Messier objects then determine which objects received the most votes. (For this exercise, let’s assume M1 received the most votes). 2. To learn more about the object that received the most votes, search the Internet. Wikipedia (https://www.wikipedia.org/) is a good source for information. Read about this object and find out what type of object it is, what constellation it is located in and its distances. 2 16 Oct 2019 3. Open Stellarium. Move your mouse to the lower left corner of the screen to open the menu panels. 3 16 Oct 2019 4. Click on the Search window Icon. 5. Type M1 in the search window as shown in the image then press Enter or click the Search button. 6. Click on the Ocular view Icon located in the upper right corner menu panel (Top right corner of screen).
[Show full text]
Eclipse Newsletter
ECLIPSE NEWSLETTER The Eclipse Newsletter is dedicated to increasing the knowledge of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology and related subjects. VOLUMN 2 NUMBER 4 JULY – AUGUST 2018 PLEASE SEND ALL PHOTOS, QUESTIONS AND REQUST FOR ARTICLES TO [email protected] 1 MCAO PUBLIC NIGHTS AND FAMILY NIGHTS. The general public and MCAO members are invited to visit the Observatory on select Monday evenings at 8PM for Public Night programs. These programs include discussions and illustrated talks on astronomy, planetarium programs and offer the opportunity to view the planets, moon and other objects through the telescope, weather permitting. Due to limited parking and seating at the observatory, admission is by reservation only. Public Night attendance is limited to adults and students 5th grade and above. If you are interested in making reservations for a public night, you can contact us by calling 302-654- 6407 between the hours of 9 am and 1 pm Monday through Friday. Or you can email us any time at [email protected] or [email protected]. The public nights will be presented even if the weather does not permit observation through the telescope. The admission fees are $3 for adults and $2 for children. There is no admission cost for MCAO members, but reservations are still required. If you are interested in becoming a MCAO member, please see the link for membership. We also offer family memberships. Family Nights are scheduled from late spring to early fall on Friday nights at 8:30PM. These programs are opportunities for families with younger children to see and learn about astronomy by looking at and enjoying the sky and its wonders.
[Show full text]
"SEDS Messier Database (Messier Catalog)" Review
Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University University Library Faculty Publications Georgia State University Library 2005 "SEDS Messier Database (Messier Catalog)" Review Skye Hardesty Georgia State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/univ_lib_facpub Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Hardesty, Skye, ""SEDS Messier Database (Messier Catalog)" Review" (2005). University Library Faculty Publications. 5. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/univ_lib_facpub/5 This Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Georgia State University Library at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in University Library Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Reference Reviews Title: SEDS Messier Database (Messier Catalog) Publisher Name: Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) Publisher Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts USA Publication Year: Last visit, June 20, 2005 Internet URL: http://www.seds.org/messier/ Price: Gratis Reviewer: Skye Hardesty, Science Liaison/Reference Librarian, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA USA The SEDS Messier Database provides “a complete guide to the 110 objects recognized as the standard Messier catalog” (introduction on web site). The Messier catalog is a collection of objects including nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies assembled by astronomer Charles Messier from 1758 – 1782. The site is a collection of articles about each object in the catalog rich with hyperlinks to not only the catalog itself but to additional articles about the object’s discovery, historical observations, technical information, images, and more. Each article contains linked references to journal articles, additional internet resources and images, and a book list for further reading.
[Show full text]