MESSIER 15 RA(2000) : 21h 29m 58s DEC(2000): +12° 10’ 01” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Globular Cluster CONSTELLATION: Pegasus BEST VIEW: Late October DISCOVERY: Jean-Dominique Maraldi, 1746 DISTANCE: 33,600 ly DIAMETER: 175 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +6.2 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 18’ FOV:Starry 1.00Night FOV: 60.00 Vulpecula Sagitta Pegasus NGC 7009 (THE SATURN NEBULA) Delphinus NGC 7009 RA(2000) : 21h 04m 10.8s DEC(2000): -11° 21’ 48.6” Equuleus Pisces Aquila NGC 7009 FOV: 5.00 Aquarius Telrad Capricornus Sagittarius Cetus Piscis Austrinus NGC 7009 Microscopium BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Planetary Nebula CONSTELLATION: Aquarius Sculptor BEST VIEW: Early November DISCOVERY: William Herschel, 1782 DISTANCE: 2000 - 4000 ly DIAMETER: 0.4 - 0.8 ly Grus APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +8.0 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 41” x 35” Telescopium Telrad Indus NGC 7662 (THE BLUE SNOWBALL) RA(2000) : 23h 25m 53.6s DEC(2000): +42° 32’ 06” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Planetary Nebula CONSTELLATION: Andromeda BEST VIEW: Late November DISCOVERY: William Herschel, 1784 DISTANCE: 1800 – 6400 ly DIAMETER: 0.3 – 1.1 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +8.6 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 37” MESSIER 52 RA(2000) : 23h 24m 48s DEC(2000): +61° 35’ 36” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Cassiopeia BEST VIEW: December DISCOVERY: Charles Messier, 1774 DISTANCE: ~5000 ly DIAMETER: 19 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +7.3 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 13’ AGE: 50 million years FOV:Starry 1.00Night FOV: 60.00 Auriga Cepheus Andromeda MESSIER 31 (THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY) M 31 RA(2000) : 00h 42m 44.3Cassiopeias DEC(2000): +41° 16’ 07.5” Perseus Lacerta AndromedaM 31 FOV: 5.00 Telrad Triangulum Taurus Orion Aries Andromeda M 31 Pegasus Pisces BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Galaxy CONSTELLATION: Andromeda Telrad BEST VIEW: December DISCOVERY: Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, 964 Eridanus CetusDISTANCE: 2.5 million ly DIAMETER: ~250,000 ly* APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +3.4 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 178’ x 63’ (3° x 1°) *This value represents the total diameter of the disk, based on multi-wavelength measurements. The bright visible disk is closer to 120,000 ly. NGC 253 (THE SCULPTOR GALAXY) RA(2000) : 00h 47m 33s DEC(2000): -25° 17’ 20” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Galaxy CONSTELLATION: Sculptor BEST VIEW: December DISCOVERY: Caroline Herschel, 1783 DISTANCE: ~11 million ly DIAMETER: ~87,000 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +8.0 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 27’ x 6’ MESSIER 76 (THE LITTLE DUMBBELL NEBULA) RA(2000) : 01h 42m 20s DEC(2000): +51° 34’ 32” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Planetary Nebula CONSTELLATION: Perseus BEST VIEW: Late December DISCOVERY: Pierre Mechain, 1780 DISTANCE: ~2400 ly DIAMETER: 0.8 ly (brightest part at 2400 ly) APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +10.1 (nebula) +16.6 (central star) APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 2.7’ x 1.8’ FOV:Starry 1.00Night FOV: 60.00 Camelopardalis Auriga NGC 457 NGC 457 RA(2000) : 01h 19m 35s DEC(2000): +58° 17’ 12” Cepheus Cassiopeia NGC 457 Perseus FOV: 5.00 Telrad BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Cassiopeia Lacerta BEST VIEW: January DISCOVERY: William Herschel, 1787 DISTANCE: Approximately 8000 lyAndromeda Taurus DIAMETER: 30 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +6.4 Triangulum APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 13’ AGE: ~21 million years NGC 457 Aries Telrad Pegasus Pisces THE PERSEUS DOUBLE CLUSTER (NGC 869 & NGC 884) NGC 869 RA(2000): 02h 19m 00s DEC(2000): +57° 07’ 42” NGC 884 RA(2000): 02h 22m 23s DEC(2000): +57° 07’ 30” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Clusters CONSTELLATION: Perseus BEST VIEW: January DISCOVERY: Hipparchus, 130 B.C. DISTANCE: Approx. 7000 ly DIAMETER: ~200 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: 3.7 (869), 3.8 (884) APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 100’ AGE: ~13 million years MESSIER 45 (The Pleiades) RA(2000) : 03h 47m 00s DEC(2000): +24° 07’ 00” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Taurus BEST VIEW: Late January DISCOVERY: Known in Antiquity DISTANCE: 440 ly DIAMETER: 86 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +1.6 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 110’ AGE: ~100 million years FOV:Starry 1.00Night FOV: 60.00 Aries Auriga Lynx Taurus NGC 1535 (CLEOPATRA’S EYE) NGC 1535 RA(2000) : 04h 14m 15.8s DEC(2000): -12° 44’ 22” Gemini Orion NGC 1535 FOV: 5.00 Eridanus Telrad Cancer Canis Minor Fornax Monoceros Lepus NGC 1535 Caelum Canis Major Columba BASIC INFORMATION Horologium OBJECT TYPE: Planetary Nebula CONSTELLATION: Eridanus Eridanus BEST VIEW: February DISCOVERY: William Herschel, 1785 DISTANCE: 3960 – 7520 ly Telrad DIAMETER: Approximately 1 ly Pictor Reticulum APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +10.5 PuppisAPPARENT DIMENSIONS: 0.6’ FOV:Starry 1.00Night FOV: 60.00 HIND’S CRIMSON STAR (R Lep) RA(2000) : 04h 59m 36s DEC(2000): -14° 48’ 23” Sextans Canis Minor Monoceros R Leporis Taurus Orion Hydra Canis Major R Leporis FOV: 5.00 Lepus Pyxis Telrad Puppis Eridanus Antlia Columba BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Carbon Star CONSTELLATION: Lepus BEST VIEW: FebruaryCaelum R Leporis DISCOVERY: J. R. Hind, 1845 DISTANCE: 1360 ly Vela MASS: 2.5-5 MSOLAR APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +5.5 to +11.7 Fornax Pictor Carina Dorado Telrad Horologium Reticulum MESSIER 79 RA(2000) : 05h 24m 11s DEC(2000): -24° 31’ 27” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Globular Cluster CONSTELLATION: Lepus BEST VIEW: Late February DISCOVERY: Pierre Mechain, 1780 DISTANCE: 42,000 ly DIAMETER: 115 ly MASS: 200,000 MSUN APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +8.2 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 9.6’ AGE: 10-12 billion years MESSIER 1 (THE CRAB NEBULA) RA(2000) : 05h 34m 31.94s DEC(2000): +22° 00’ 52.2” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Supernova Remnant CONSTELLATION: Taurus BEST VIEW: Late February DISCOVERY: John Bevis, 1731 DISTANCE: 6500 ly DIAMETER: 11 ly MASS: 4.6 MSUN APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +8.4 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 6’x4’ MESSIER 42 (THE ORION NEBULA) RA(2000) : 05h 35m 17.3s DEC(2000): -05° 23’ 28” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Star Forming Region CONSTELLATION: Orion BEST VIEW: Late February DISCOVERY: Peiresc, 1610 (nebula), Galileo Galilei, 1617 (Trapezium) DISTANCE: 1350 ly DIAMETER: Approximately 24 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +4.0 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 65’x60’ MESSIER 37 RA(2000) : 05h 52m 18s DEC(2000): +32° 33’ 12” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Auriga BEST VIEW: Late February DISCOVERY: Giovanni Battista Hodierna, before 1654 DISTANCE: Approximately 4500 ly DIAMETER: 20-25 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +6.2 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 24’ AGE: ~500 million years MESSIER 35 RA(2000) : 06h 08m 54s DEC(2000): +24° 20’ 00” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Gemini BEST VIEW: Early March DISCOVERY: Philippe Loys de Cheseaux, 1745 DISTANCE: 2800 ly DIAMETER: 23 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +5.3 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 28’ AGE: ~150 million years MESSIER 41 RA(2000) : 06h 46m 01s DEC(2000): -20° 45’ 24” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Canis Major BEST VIEW: March DISCOVERY: Giovanni Batista Hodierna c. 1654 DISTANCE: 2300 ly DIAMETER: 25 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +4.5 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 38’ AGE: ~200-250 million years NGC 2362 (TAU CANIS MAJORIS CLUSTER) RA(2000) : 07h 18m 41s DEC(2000): -24° 574’ 18” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Canis Major BEST VIEW: March DISCOVERY: Giovanni Batista Hodierna, c. 1654 DISTANCE: 4800 ly DIAMETER: 11 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +4.1 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 8’ AGE: ~5 million years NGC 2392 (THE ESKIMO NEBULA) RA(2000) : 07h 29m 11s DEC(2000): +20° 54’ 42” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Planetary Nebula CONSTELLATION: Gemini BEST VIEW: March DISCOVERY: William Herschel, 1787 DISTANCE: 3000 - 5000 ly DIAMETER: 0.8 ly (brightest part at 4000 ly) APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +10.1 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 44” WINTER ALBIREO (145 CMa) RA(2000) : 07h 16m 37s DEC(2000): -23° 18’ 56” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Double Star CONSTELLATION: Canis Major BEST VIEW: March DISCOVERY: John Herschel, 1847 DISTANCE: 1420 ly ANGULAR SEPARATION: 26.8” APPARENT MAGNITUDE: 4.8 MESSIER 46 RA(2000) : 07h 41m 46s DEC(2000): -14° 48’ 36” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Puppis BEST VIEW: Late March DISCOVERY: Charles Messier, 1771 DISTANCE: 5400 ly DIAMETER: 30 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +6.0 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 27’ AGE: ~250 million years MESSIER 44 (The Beehive Cluster) RA(2000) : 08h 40m 24s DEC(2000): +19° 40’ 00” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Cancer BEST VIEW: Early April DISCOVERY: Known in Antiquity DISTANCE: 577 ly DIAMETER: 39 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +3.7 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 95’ AGE: ~700 million years FOV:Starry 1.00Night FOV: 60.00 MESSIER 67 RA(2000) : 08h 51m 18s DEC(2000): +11° 48’ 00” Lynx Gemini M67 Ursa Major Cancer Canis Minor Leo Minor Monoceros M67 FOV: 5.00 Canes Venatici Telrad Leo M67 BASIC INFORMATION Coma Berenices Sextans OBJECT TYPE: Open Cluster CONSTELLATION: Cancer BEST VIEW: Early April DISCOVERY: Johann Gottfried Koehler, 1779 DISTANCE: 2700 ly DIAMETER: 160 ly Pyxis APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +6.1 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 30’ Hydra AGE: ~4 billion years Telrad Crater NGC 3242 (THE GHOST OF JUPITER) RA(2000) : 10h 24m 46s DEC(2000): -18° 38’ 33” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Planetary Nebula CONSTELLATION: Hydra BEST VIEW: Early April DISCOVERY: William Herschel, 1785 DISTANCE: 1400 – 3600 ly DIAMETER: 0.3 – 0.8 ly APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +8.6 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: Inner Shell = 28” x 20” Outer Shell = 46” x 40” MESSIER 81 & 82 M81 RA(2000) : 09h 55m 33.2s DEC(2000): +69° 03’ 55” M82 RA(2000) : 09h 55m 52.4s DEC(2000): +69° 40’ 47” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Interacting Galaxies CONSTELLATION: Ursa Major BEST VIEW: April DISCOVERY: Johann Elert Bode, 1774 DISTANCE: 11.8 million ly (M81) 11.5 million ly (M82) DIAMETER: ~95,000 ly (M81) ~37,000 ly (M82) APPARENT MAGNITUDE: 6.9 (M81), 8.4 (M82) APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 27’ x 14’ (M81), 11’ x 4’ (M82) NGC 2903 RA(2000) : 09h 32m 10.1s DEC(2000): +21° 30’ 03” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Galaxy CONSTELLATION: Leo BEST VIEW: April DISCOVERY: William Herschel, 1784 DISTANCE: ~31 million ly DIAMETER: ~115,000 ly* APPARENT MAGNITUDE: +9.7 APPARENT DIMENSIONS: 12.6’ x 6.0’ ALGIEBA (g LEO) RA(2000) : 10h 19m 58.4s DEC(2000): +19° 50’ 29.3” BASIC INFORMATION OBJECT TYPE: Binary Star CONSTELLATION: Leo BEST VIEW: Late April DISCOVERY: Known to Ancients DISTANCE: 131 ly BINARY SEPARATION: 4” (170 AU) ORBITAL PERIOD: ~500 yr.