Kitt Peak Nightly Observing Program Splendors of the Universe on YOUR Night! Many pictures are links to larger versions. Click here for the “Best images of the OTOP” Gallery and more information. M81 Bode's Galaxy M81 is a small spiral galaxy, 12 million lightyears away. It is a disk of 50 billion solar masses, only a stone's throw (150,000 lightyears) from M82. M3 M3 is a globular cluster with a half of a million stars. It orbits the core of our Milky Way Galaxy almost perpendicular to the galactic disk. It is currently 33,900 light­years away, and approaching our Solar System at 100 miles per second. Jupiter Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System, a “gas giant” 11 Earth­ diameters across. Its atmosphere contains the Great Red Spot, a long­ lived storm 2­3 times the size of the Earth. The 4 large Galilean satellites and at least 63 smaller moons orbit Jupiter. Algieba (γ Leo) Algieba (γ Leonis) is a binary star in the mane of Leo, the lion. These two golden­yellow giant stars are about 23 and 10 times the diameter of the Sun, and are about 130 light­ years away. Their orbital period is over 500 years. In 2009, a giant planet was found orbiting one of these stars. Cor Caroli (α CVn) The star Cor Caroli (α Canum Venaticorum) or “Heart of Charles” was named after King Charles I or II of England. These stars are about 110 light­years away, but it is unknown if they are actually orbiting around each other. Iota (ι) Cancri Iota (ι) Cancri is a binary star in the constellation Cancer, the crab. The brighter star is a pale yellow giant, and the fainter star is smaller and bluish­white. This pair is about 300 light­years away and the stars are almost 3000 astronomical units apart. La Superba Y Canum Venaticorum, called "La Superba" by the 19th­century Italian astronomer Father Angelo Secchi, is one of the deeply red­toned "carbon stars." Y CVn is a semi­regular (SRb) variable star; its magnitude range is from 4.8 to 6.4, over a period that averages roughly 157 days. Other periods, including one of 2000 days, are suspected. "Y" is one of the reddest stars in the sky, and is classified variously as a C7 supergiant, or as a CN5 supergiant. Its beautiful poppy­red tone is easy to see in 50 mm binoculars. Your Telescope Operator and Guide. Thank you for joining me this evening! See you soon!! The web page for the program in which you just participated is at Nightly Observing Program. Most of the above images were taken as part of the Overnight Telescope Observing Program. For more information on this unique experience please visit Overnight Telescope Observing Program. Copyright © 2017 Kitt Peak Visitor Center.