Target Type R.A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C68 (NGC 6729) Bright Nebula 19h 01m 54s -36° 57′ 00″ Corona Australis 10.0 1.0 arcmin Overview This nebulosity surrounding the stars R and T Coronae Australis was discovered by Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt in 1861. It’s a reflection/emission nebula and is one of three NGC objects within […]
Challenge #2 – C68, Bright Nebula in Corona Australis Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C63 (NGC 7293) Planetary Nebula 22h 29m 39s -20° 50′ 15″ Aquarius 7.6 15×12 arcmins Overview An astronomer called Karl Ludwig Harding is the first to have published his sighting of this nebula over 200 years ago in 1824. This is the closest, at 655 light-years distant,
Challenge #1 – C63, The Helix Nebula in Aquarius Read More »
Target Type R.A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C55 (NGC 7009) Planetary Nebula 21h 04m 11s -11° 21′ 57″ Aquarius 7.8 0.5×0.4 arcmin Overview William Herschel discovered this nebula in September 1782. He thought it was a planetary disc, which is why this kind of nebula is today known as a planetary nebula… despite having nothing
Challenge #2 – C55, Saturn Nebula in Aquarius Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C74 (NGC 3132) Bright Nebula 08h 10m 14s -40° 26′ 10″ Vela +9.7 1.0×0.7 arcmin Overview The Southern Ring Nebula, also known as the Eight-Burst Nebula, is a small but bright planetary nebula in the constellation of Vela. The James Webb telescope image below makes it look
Challenge #3 – C74, Southern Ring Nebula in Vela Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size NGC 3242 Planetary Nebula 10h 24m 46s -18° 38′ 38″ Hydra +7.3 0.7×0.6 arcmins Overview All three of this month’s challenges are in the constellation of Hydra. Our first object is a bright but small planetary nebula nestled midway along the long, sprawling body of Hydra the
NGC 3242, The Ghost of Jupiter Nebula in Hydra (spring) Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C49 (NGC 2238*) Bright Nebula 06h 30m 18s +05° 03′ 00″ Monoceros +5.5 80×60 arcmin Overview Also known as the Great Nebula in Monoceros and Swift’s Nebula, the Rosette Nebula is comprised of *four different NGC designations: 2237, 2238, 2239, and 2246. The open cluster NGC 2244
Challenge #3 – C49, Rosette nebula in Monoceros Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C46 (NGC 2261) Bright Nebula 06h 39m 12s +08° 45′ 00″ Monoceros 9.2 4.0×2.0 arcmins Overview This ghostly nebula is lit by the star R Monocerotis, which can’t be seen directly. William Herschel discovered the apparition in December 1783, describing it as “Considerably bright and fan shaped.”
Challenge #1 – C46, Hubble’s Variable Nebula in Monoceros Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C25 (NGC 2419) Globular Cluster 07h 38m 09s 38° 52′ 57″ Lynx +10.4 4.6 arcmin Overview This might just be my favorite name for any DSO! Lying on the opposite side from the interior of our Milky Way, where we normally find large, stunning clusters, the Intergalactic
Challenge #4 – C25, Intergalactic Wanderer in Lynx Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C67 (NGC 1097) Spiral Galaxy 02h 46m 19s -30° 16′ 30″ Fornax +9.3 10.6×6.4 arcmin Overview This beautiful barred spiral galaxy was first observed by William Herschel in October 1790, who described it as “Very bright… [with] a very bright nucleus.” For those of us saddled with
Challenge #4 – C67, Spiral Galaxy in Fornax Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C62 (NGC 247) Spiral Galaxy 00h 22m 08s +20° 45′ 38″ Cetus +9.1 20×6 arcmin Overview The legendary William Herschel discovered this galaxy as “a streak of light” in October 1784. Today, we know that C62, also known as NGC 247, is a relatively bright, nearly edge-on
Challenge #2 – C62, Spiral Galaxy in Cetus Read More »
