Messier list 24/05/2019

The current Messier list. A denotes archived observations from old observation notes, and the recent new observations have years. All found with maps and star-hopping unless stated. I’ve started adding some of the (sometimes flowery) names from Stellarium.

M1 Supernova Remnant in Taurus (Crab Nebula)
M2 Globular Cluster in Aquarius (A)
M3 Globular Cluster in Canes Venatici 2018
M5 Globular Cluster in Serpens
M8 Diffuse Nebula in Sagittarius
M10 Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
M12 Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus
M13 Globular Cluster in Hercules (‘the ‘Great Cluster’)
M16 Open Cluster in Sagittarius
M20 Nebula in Sagitta (Triffid)
M22 Globular Cluster in Saggitarius 2018
M24 ‘Star Field’ in Sagittarius
M27 Dumbell Nebula in Vupecula
M31 Galaxy (Andromeda Galaxy)
M32 Galaxy (Andromeda ‘companion’)
M33 Spiral Galaxy in Triangulum
M34 Cluster in Perseus
M35 Open Cluster in Gemini
M36 Open Cluster Auriga (Pinwheel)
M37 OpenCluster Auriga (Salt and Pepper)
M38 Cluster Auriga (Starfish)
M39 Open Star field in Cygnus
M41 Open Cluster in Canes Major
M42 Orion Nebula
M43 Nebula in Orion
M44 Beehive Cluster
M45 Pleiades Open Cluster
M 46 Open Cluster in Puppis 2019
M47 Open Cluster Puppis 2018
M 51 Galaxy in Canes Venatici (Whirlpool)
M52 Open Cluster in Cassiopeia
M54 Globular Cluster in Coma Berenices 2018
M56 Globular Cluster in Lyra
M57 Ring Nebula Lyra
M63 Galaxy in Coma Berenecis (Blackeye)
M64 Galaxy in Coma Berenicis
M65 Galaxy in Leo
M66 Galaxy in Leo
M67 Open Cluster Cancer
M76 Planetary nebula in Perseus (Little Dumbell)
M78 Planetary Nebula in Orion 2019
M81 Galaxy in Ursa Major (Bode’s)
M82 Galaxy in Ursa Major
M84 Galaxy in Virgo 2018 (seen via go-to)
M85 Galaxy in Coma Berenices 2019
M86 Galaxy in Virgo 2018 (seen via go-to)
M92 Globular Cluster Hercules
M95 Galaxy in Leo
M97 Planetary Nebula in Ursa Major (Owl Nebula) 2019
M96 Galaxy in Leo
M103 Cluster in Cassiopeia
M104 Galaxy in Virgo 2018
M106 Spiral Galaxy in Canes Venatici (A)
M108 Barred Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major
M109 Galaxy in Ursa Major

A galaxy far, far away…

Yea, I’ve gotten into the habit of listening to Star Wars soundtracks every time I drive to the observatory.
It’s twenty to three but sod it, I’ll write up my observation notes while they’re fresh in my head. I started in Bootes, and early on I got a little frustrated because it was too light and I couldn’t navigate the new Telrad finder. But after midnight the darker skies kicked in and M3 and M53 (in Bootes and Coma Berenices) were found. Two globulars with M3 being the showcase. I looked for an NGC cluster by M3 but no luck (too bright?). I also tried to star hop the faint stars of Coma Berenices – there’s loads on M numbers there. I did find one galaxy, though I know not which one yet*. I made a sketch and I’m hoping to match the star field around it in Stellarium.
Leo won’t be around much longer, so I tried for the Leo galaxy ‘triplet’. The Telrad really helped, and I found M65 and M66. Moving along in Leo, I found M95 and M96 but not M105, which should have been in the same field of view. In my Messier Book (it says M105 is a ‘fuzzy blob’. Perhaps I misidentified it as a star?

View through the Telrad

M51 in Ursa Major (Canes Venatici really) was quite a treat, with structure visible, (a hint of ‘spiralling’). Easily found again.
Staying with the Plough, I next found M108, and it’s been years since I’ve seen this. It was certainly shaping up to be a galactical evening! M109 next, and again, it’s been years, and the nucleus of the galaxy seems to have a star-like point of light in it. Just along from M109 is the planetary nebula M97, the ‘Owl’. Quite apt, as I was hearing owls all night. I didn’t see any structure, just a surprisingly bright nebulous fuzz.
What else? M13, great. I saw M92 too, only a few nights ago. And another globular, and another ‘first time in ages’ sighting of M54, half way between Alberio and the outer stars of the Lyra ‘box’. Cool. It’s a pretty sight in a rich star field, being close to Cygnus.
And of course, I took in the Ring Nebula.
Back to The plough, and the galaxies M81 and M82 were superb in the 16″. This has to be the prettiest sight galaxy-wise, as the edge-on spiral contrasts with the larger, side-on Bodes Galaxy.
I think I realised by this point I’d seen nine galaxies, and I started hunting for M40 in Ursa Major to get the ten. No luck. Only now, with my lovely Messier books on my lap do I see that M40 isn’t a galaxy as I thought, it’s a double star!
Jupiter, Saturn, both rising in the early hours and no way to get the telescope on them, because the Dob touches the wall of the dome. Grrrr.
Good session though. Nine galaxies, a few globular clusters and a couple of planetary nebula, (I’m reading there’s only four in the Messier catalogue. Next session I’ll try and see all four).
A good night’s astronomy. Love it!

Edit, I just remembered I saw M64, so that’s ten galaxies …. though I do need to find which was the on I saw in Coma Berenices.
* and a further edit – the mystery galaxy in Coma Berenices was M85. A tenth magnitude galaxy 60 million light years away. Wow.

Looks like I’ve got to update my Messier list. Deep joy!

Last Night’s Moon

A quickie through the 8″ mirror, no barlow.

All Our Lives Are Lived In Circles

Things heavenly move so fast, like a turning wheel. Why is Leo over my flats as I put the van away just? It only seems last week Orion wasn’t even that far west. And why wasn’t Orion here so long this year? (of course, he was, we just didn’t see him so often).
I’ve just got back from the observatory and the 16″ scope needs adjustment, or something. Using the barlow on my SLR and T mount I could get some shots, but the focus was rubbish. Neither of the large-mirror society telescopes I’ve used have performed anywhere near as good as my old 10″ Dob, or even my never 8″. I really should put that dob back together for the summer, with a ‘correct view’ finderscope and a red dot finder. That’d suit me.
Anyway, I was fed up with the large scope, but did get a bit of bino action in later, and saw the Ed Asich Star Field, (Draconis) and the double star Pherkad, one of the ‘Guardians of the Pole’. Cool! I get lots of fun from the Sky at Night Magazine Binocular Sky section.
And in other news, I did a talk at a school, (in the church of the school yet!), and I’ve got three lovely books on astronomy history, about Copernicus, Galileo and the Hershells.