Remote Video Astronomy Group MECATX Sky Tour March 2020 (1) Chamaeleon (cuh-MEAL-ee-un), the Chameleon - March 1 (2) Leo (LEE-oh), the Lion - March 1 (3) Ursa Major (ER-suh MAY-jur), the Great Bear - March 11 (4) Crater (CRAY-ter), the Cup - March 12 (5) Hydra (HIGH-druh), the Female Water Snake - March 15 (6) Corvus (COR-vus), the Crow - March 28 (7) Crux (CROOKS), the Southern Cross - March 28 (8) Centaurus, the Centaur - March 30 (9) Musca (MUSS-cuh), the Fly - March 30 MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott Revised by: Alyssa Donnell 02.16.2020 March 1 Chamaeleon (cuh-MEAL-ee-un), the Chameleon Cha, Chamaeleontis (cuh-MEAL-ee-ON-tiss) MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 1 Chamaeleon Meaning: The Chameleon Pronunciation: kuh meel' ee un Abbreviation: Cha Possessive form: Chamaeleontis (kuh meel ee on' tiss) Asterisms: none Bordering constellations: Apus, Carina, Mensa, Musca, Octans, Volans Overall brightness: 9.879 (20) Central point: RA = 10h40m Dec. = -79° Directional extremes: N = -75° S = -83° E = 13h48m W = 7h32m Messier objects: none Meteor showers: none Midnight culmination date: 1 Mar Bright stars: none Named stars: none Near stars: none Size: 131.59 square degrees (0.319% of the sky) Rank in size: 79 Solar conjunction date: 1 Sep Visibility: completely visible from latitudes: S of +7° completely invisible from latitudes: N of +15° Visible stars: (number of stars brighter than magnitude 5.5): 13 Interesting facts: (1) This is one of 11 constellations invented by Pieter Dirksz Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, during the years 1595-97. MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 2 March 1 Leo (LEE-oh), the Lion Leo, Leonis (lee-OH-niss) MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 3 Leo Meaning: The Lion Pronunciation: lee' owe Abbreviation: Leo Possessive form: Leonis (lee owe' niss) Asterisms: The Diamond (of Virgo), The Sickle, The Spring Triangle Bordering constellations: Cancer, Coma Berenices, Crater, Hydra, Leo Minor, Sextans, Ursa Major,Virgo Overall brightness: 5.491 (70) Central point: RA = 10h37m Dec.= +13.5° Directional extremes: N = +33° 5 = —6° E = 11h56m W = 9h18m Messier objects: M65, M66, M95, M96, M105 Meteor showers: 6 Leonids (26 Feb) Leonids (17 Apr) Leonids (17 Nov) Midnight culmination date: 1 Mar Bright stars: a (21), y (41), 13(59), 6 (94), (162) Named stars: Adhafera (c), Algieba (y), Alterf (2), Chort (0), Coxa (0), Denebola (13), Ras Elased Australis (E), Ras Elased Boraelis (O, Regulus (a), Subra (o), Zosma (6) Near stars: Wolf 359 (4), AD Leo (37), Ross 104 (79), Wolf 358 (87), Ross 905 (144) Size: 946.96 square degrees (2.296% of the sky) Rank in size: 12 Solar conjunction date: 31 Aug MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 4 Visibility: completely visible from latitudes: +84° to —57° portions visible worldwide Visible stars: (number of stars brighter than magnitude 5.5): 52 Non-traditional 'mythology': Although the figure of a lion is easily seen in the stars of Leo, often it is reported that a mouse (or rat) may be glimpsed. For the tip of the nose, use 13 Leo; for the pointed head connect 13 Leo to both 6 Leo and 0 Leo. A line from 0 Leo to a Leo to y Leo and back to 6 Leo traces out the body, and the curly tail is the top of the Sickle (, ji, and ). In addition, rather than the asterism of the Sickle, many observers correctly note that these stars represent a backward question mark. Interesting facts: (1) a Leo, or Regulus, is one of the four Royal Stars of the ancient Persians. The other three are Aldebaran ((x Tau), Antares ((x Sco), and Fomalhaut ((X PsA). (2) The Leonid meteor shower, which peaks each year around 17 Nov, is unusually active every 33 years. Tremendous displays were noted in 1799, 1833, 1866, and as recently as 1966. Tens of thousands of meteors per hour have been recorded on these occasions. The next great shower is expected in 1999, and as the Moon will have just passed its first quarter phase the night before, the view should be unhampered in the early morning hours when the shower is expected to peak. MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 5 M65 and M66 Explanation: Nearby and bright, spiral galaxies M65 (top) and M66 stand out in this engaging cosmic snapshot. The pair are just 35 million light-years distant and around 100,000 light-years across, about the size of our own spiral Milky Way. While both exhibit prominent dust lanes sweeping along their broad spiral arms, M66 in particular is a striking contrast in red and blue hues; the telltale pinkish glow of hydrogen gas in star forming regions and young blue star clusters. M65 and M66 make up two thirds of the well-known Leo Triplet of galaxies with warps and tidal tails that offer evidence of the group's past close encounters. The larger M66 has been host to four supernovae discovered since 1973. MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 6 Barred Spiral Galaxy M95 Explanation: Why do some spiral galaxies have a ring around the center? First and foremost, M95 is one of the closer examples of a big and beautiful barred spiral galaxy. Visible in the above recent image from the CFHT telescope in Hawaii, USA, are sprawling spiral arms delineate by open clusters of bright blue stars, lanes of dark dust, the diffuse glow of billions of faint stars, and a short bar across the galaxy center. Recent images by the Chandra X-ray Observatory have shown that X-ray light surrounding the ring is likely emission from recentsupernovas. Although the long term stability of the ring remains a topic of research, recent observations indicate its present brightness is at least enhanced by transient bursts of star formation. M95, also known as NGC 3351, spans about 50,000 light-years and can be seen with a small telescope toward the constellation of the Lion (Leo) MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 7 March 11 Ursa Major (ER-suh MAY-jur), the Great Bear UMa Ursae Majoris (ER-suh muh-JOR-iss) MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 8 Ursa Major Meaning: The Great Bear Pronunciation: er' suh may' jor Abbreviation: UMa Possessive form: Ursae Majoris (er' sigh muh jor' iss) Asterisms: The Arc, The Bier, The Big Dipper, The Horse and Rider, The Pointers Bordering constellations: Boötes, Camelopardalis, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, Draco, Leo, Leo Minor, Lynx Overall brightness: 5.548 (69) Central point: RA= 11h16m Dec. = +51° Directional extremes: N = +73° S = +29° E = 14h27m W = 8h05m Messier objects: M40, M81, M82, M97, M101, M108, M109 Meteor showers: Ursids (22 Dec) Midnight culmination date: 11 Mar Bright stars: E (32), a (34), r (38), (71), 3 (77), y (84), ii (171), i (178), 1096), h (200) Named stars: Alcor (80), Alioth (s), Alkaid (i), Alula Australis (a), Alula Borealis (v), Benetnash (ïØ, Dnoces (i), Dubhe (ct), Kaffa (s), Megrez (s), Merak (1), Mizar (c), Muscida (2), Phad (y), Phecda (y), Talitha (i), Tania Australis (GO, Tania Boraelis (2k) Near stars: Lalande 21185 (5), BD+50°1725 (29), WX UMa A-B (44), LFT 634-635 (67), 4 Uma A-B (110), SZ UMa (126), 61 UMa (152), Groombridge 1830 (153) Size: 1279.66 square degrees (3.102% of the sky) MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 9 Rank in size: 3 Solar conjunction date: 10 Sep Visibility: completely visible from latitudes: N of —17° completely invisible from latitudes: S of —61° Visible stars: (number of stars brighter than magnitude 5.5): 71 Interesting facts: (1) UMa, named 'Mizar,' along with 80 UMa, called 'Alcor,' form a relatively close visual double star in the bend of the handle of the Big Dipper. Mizar itself was the first double star to be telescopically discovered. This occurred in 1650. In 1889, the primary of the Mizar pair became the first spectroscopically discovered binary star. Since then, Alcor has also been classified as a spectroscopic binary. Thus, no less than five stars comprise this magnificentstellar system. (2) For observers with moderate-sized instruments, two of the brightest galaxies in the sky may be compared and contrasted in the same field. These are M81 and M82. They lie approximately 2° to the east of the star 24 UMa. M81 is a classic spiral galaxy and M82 is an irregular. However, this object is unusual even within the irregular classification. M82 appears to have undergone a titanic explosion which has rent this galaxy asunder. Many studies, however, seem to indicate that this is merely a galaxy where a great deal of cosmic activity is occurring. In fact, some have labeled M82 a 'starburst galaxy,' a galaxy in which a tremendous amount of star formation is taking place. MECATX RVA March 2020 - www.mecatx.ning.com – Youtube – MECATX – www.ustream.tv – dfkott 10 Bright Spiral Galaxy M81 Explanation: One of the brightest galaxies in planet Earth's sky is similar in size to our Milky Way Galaxy: big, beautiful M81. The grand spiral galaxy can be found toward the northern constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major).