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Constellation Exploration 2016 Spring Southern Star Party, Bonnievale, South Africa

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Constellation Exploration 2016 Spring Southern Star Party, Bonnievale, South Africa Constellation Exploration 2016 Spring Southern Star Party, Bonnievale, South Africa Hello! And thanks for taking part in the ConEx activity at this SSP! We’re a large group with over a dozen telescopes between us, so we’ll all be setting up ConExers in a designated part of the Telescope Area. Johan Brink Eddy Nijeboer Please have your kit – telescope, binocs, Chris de Coning Jannie Nijeboer chairs, tables, star charts, notebook, pencil/pen, Pierre de Villiers Laura Norris dim red torch, chocolate, etc. – set up on Friday Andre de Villiers Marius Reitz before the start of twilight. Pamela Cooper James Smith Our group activity will start on Friday evening Peter Harvey Lena Smith at 20:30, after the What’s Up Tonight. After the Paul Kruger Wendy Vermeulen first session, we’ll take a break. Then, at around 01:00 on Saturday morning, we’ll do the second. We’ll be exploring 17 constellations: Andromeda, Aquarius, Aquila, Cetus, Corona Australis, Fornax, Pavo, Pegasus, Pisces, Sculptor, Scutum, Triangulum & Vulpecula during the first session, and Canis Major, Orion, Perseus & Taurus during the second session. In total, we’ll observe 46 objects, mostly deep-sky but also a star and planet or two. Please bring along your favourite star atlas, and if you have a favourite observing form, bring those too. Just in case, I have included in this document the pages from the ConCards that we will be using, as well as an example of an observing form. Instead of a pre-printed form, though, consider using a plain notebook to record your observing notes. As long as you remember to include all the relevant details with each observation (date, time, object name, telescope/binoc details, sky conditions, descriptive narrative and a rough sketch) you’re good to go. I find that an A5-sized hard cover book is the most convenient. Do take a look at the list of objects overleaf, and then have a go at finding them on the ConCards. Also have a go at identifying the constellations on the included finder charts before we gather under the stars; you could then help others on the evening locate them. See you on Friday! Here’s another bit of prep you can do if you’re using a telescope: compile a handy table of eyepieces (and eyepiece/Barlow combinations) you have, noting the magnification and the angular size of the field of view. The magnification of an eyepiece is easy to determine: simply divide the focal length of your telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece. The size of each field of view is easiest to do using a star chart: find two stars that just fit in across your field of view, and then determine the separation between these two stars using software such as Cartes du Ciel, Stellarium, etc. If you need help with this step, I’ll give you a hand at the SSP. If you are using binoculars, use the same procedure as for measuring eyepieces: find two stars that snuggly fit in, and determine their separation. The table below summarizes these stats for my telescope. EXAMPLE: Eyepiece stats for my telescope (Brian, 6-inch refractor, f/6, fl = 900-mm) Eyepiece/Barlow magn. fov Eyepiece/Barlow magn. fov 32mm Erfle (2”) 28× 149 ′ 19mm Panoptic+Barlow 118× 33.6′ 19mm Panoptic 47× 84 ′ 18mm Ortho+Barlow 125× 20.0′ 18mm Ortho 50× 51 ′ 6mm Ortho 150× 17.0′ 32mm Plossl+Barlow 70× 44 ′ 11mm Nagler+Barlow 205× 22.8′ 11mm Nagler Type6 82× 57 ′ 6mm Ortho+Barlow 375× 7.0′ Constellation Exploration — 2016 Spring Southern Star Party, Bonnievale, South Africa First session n Con Object 1 — Milky Way 2 Cygnus Albireo (colourful double) 3 Scutum NGC 6705 (Wild Duck, Messier 11) - open cluster 4 Vulpecula Cr 399 (Brocchi’s Cluster) - open cluster 5 Vulpecula NGC 6853 (Dumb-bell, Apple Core, Messier 27) - planetary nebula 6 Aquila Barnard 142 / Barnard 143 - dark nebulae 7 Aquila Barnard 133 - dark nebula 8 Aquila NGC 6781 - planetary nebula 9 CrA NGC 6541 (Ben 104, C 78) - globular cluster 10 CrA Be 157/SL 42 - dark & reflection nebula complex 11 Aquarius NGC 7293 (Helix Nebula, Sunflower Nebula) - planetary nebula 12 Aquarius NGC 7009 (Saturn Nebula, Ben 126, C 55) - planetary nebula 13 Aquarius Neptune 14 Pegasus NGC 7078 (Messier 15) - globular cluster 15 Pegasus NGC 7331 - spiral galaxy 16 Andromeda NGC 224 (Andromeda Galaxy, Messier 31) - galaxy 17 Andromeda NGC 7662 (Copeland’s Blue Snowball) - planetary nebula 18 Andromeda NGC 752 (C 28) - open cluster 19 Triangulum NGC 598 (Triangulum Spiral, Messier 33) - galaxy 20 Pisces NGC 628 (Messier 74) - galaxy 21 Pisces Uranus 22 Cetus Mira (V=2.0-10.1; pulsating variable star) 23 Cetus NGC 1068 (Ben 9, Messier 77, Cetus A) - Seyfert galaxy 24 Cetus NGC 247 (Black-Bottomed Galaxy, Ben 3, C 62) - LSB gal- axy 25 Cetus NGC 246 - planetary nebula 26 Pavo NGC 6752 (Starfish, Cartwheel, Ben 121, C 93) - globular cluster 27 Pavo NGC 6744 (Furious Dancer, Ben 120, C 101) - galaxy 28 Fornax NGC 1316 (Fornax A, Ben 14) - galaxy 29 Fornax NGC 1365 (Fornax Propeller, Ben 16) - Seyfert galaxy (barred spiral) 30 Sculptor NGC 288 - globular cluster 31 Sculptor NGC 55 (String of Pearls, Ben 1, C 72) - galaxy 32 Sculptor NGC 253 (Caroline’s Galaxy, Silver Coin, Sculptor Fila- ment) - Seyfert galaxy — Coffee break! Constellation Exploration — 2016 Spring Southern Star Party, Bonnievale, South Africa Second session n Con Object 33 — Milky Way 34 Perseus Algol (beta Per, Demon Star) - variable star, eclipsing binary (V=2.1–3.4) 35 Taurus NGC 1039 (Spiral Cluster, Messier 34) - open cluster 36 Taurus Pleiades (Seven Sisters, Messier 45) - open cluster 37 Taurus Hyades (Melotte 25, Collinder 50) - open cluster 38 Taurus NGC 1647 - open cluster 39 Taurus NGC 1952 (Crab Nebula, Messier 1) - planetary nebula 40 Canis Major NGC 2287 (Messier 41) - open cluster 41 Canis Major NGC 2362 (tau CMa Cluster, Mexican Jumping Star) - open cluster 42 Orion NGC 1976 (Orion Nebula, Messier 42, Orion A) - bright nebula (H II region) 43 Orion NGC 1982 (de Mairan’s Nebula, Messier 43) - bright nebula (H II region) 44 Orion NGC 2068 (Messier 78) - reflection nebula 45 Orion NGC 2169 (37 Cluster, LE Cluster) - open cluster 46 Orion NGC 2024 (Flame Nebula) - bright and dark nebulae 47 Orion Barnard 33 (Horse Head Nebula) - dark nebula Crib notes: Things to keep in mind when writing your description of an object. A more detailed version of this checklist is given in the ConCards. Star clusters Nebulae * What are your first impressions? * What are your first impressions? * How easy is it to see? * How easy is it to see? * What shape is the cluster? * What shape is the nebula? * How big is the cluster? * How big is the nebula? * Are individual stars seen? * How does the brightness change from * Are the stars concentrated towards the edge to centre? (brightness profile) centre? * Is there a nuclear region? * How does the brightness change from * Are the edges sharp or diffuse? edge to centre? (brightness profile) * Are there darker parts or areas of uneven * How many stars can you see? brightness? * What is the range of their brightness? * How well does the nebula stand out from * Is there an obvious central or other the background field? prominent star? * What colour is the nebula? * Do any of the stars have a particular * Are there stars very near, or within, the colour? nebula? * Are any of the stars double? * How does it relate to the surrounding star * Are there chains, rows, or clumps of field? stars? * Rate your confidence in this observation. * Are there prominent empty spaces or starless patches? Rough sketch * Is there a background glow? * Made a crude drawing if that will help to * How does the cluster relate to the make your description clearer. surrounding star field? * Remember to include compass directions: * Rate your confidence in this observation. stars drift out your field to the west. Chart 1: Circumpolar region ( < –30° ) Finder charts C r h e a d r t n I 4 F 8 1 h 1 9 ANTARES 17 h h –30° 2 0 6 h 1 h Sgr Sco 2 CrA –45° 1 h 5 1 h Lup Mic Tel Ara 2 2 h 4 –60° Nor h 1 PsA Pav Gru Ind Cir 23 TrA h –75° 3 h Aps 1 Cen F 3 i n t r d a e Oct Hya h r 0 h 0 C C 2 h 1 r h Mus e a Tuc d r Scl t n Phe Cha i 5 F Hyi Men 0 h 1 h Vol 11 Ret Dor Vel Ant 0 h 2 Car h Hor For 10 Pyx 0 Pic h 3 h Pup 9 0 Eri Cae Col h 04 h 08 h 05 h 07 06h Finder Chart 2 CMa SIRIUS ConCards — Version 1.511.53 [ 5 ] © 2011–2016 A.Slotegraaf — http://www.psychohistorian.org — http://www.docdb.net 1 CANOPUS Phe –45° Hor Pic Vel Ant –30° docdb.net Scl Cae Col Pup http://www. FOMALHAUT For Pyx Aqr CMa –15° Eri Lep Sex Hya Cet Mon 3 5 00° CMi Psc Ori h REGULUS +15° Ari Tau – 09 h Gem Cnc Leo 05 – h Tri Per 1.51 Version : 01 Peg 2 — ° Aur +30 And Lyn +45° LMi Chart 00h 01h 02h 03h 04h 05h 06h 07h 08h 09h 10h ConCards 1 Sco Col –45° Car docdb.net –30° docdb.net Cen Lup ANTARES http://www. Pup http://www. — Ant Lep Pyx Hya CMa Lib –15° Crv Hya Crt http://www.psychohistorian.org — Vir Mon Sex 4 A.Slotegraaf 2 00° CMi 2011–2016 2011–2016 © BETELGEUSE Ori Boo Ser 7 ] h Leo [ 15 +15° – Cnc Com h Gem 11 3 5 – h 7 Tau LMi Version 1.
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