Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C75 (NGC 6124) Open Cluster 16h 25m 20s -40° 39′ 00″ Scorpius +5.8 39 arcmin Overview Sir Patrick Moore created the Caldwell catalog to run in order of declination and the reason we only cover the first 80 objects in the catalog of 110 is because those […]
Challenge #5 – C75, Open Cluster in Scorpius Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C70 (NGC 300) Spiral Galaxy 00h 54m 49s -37° 41′ 04″ Sculptor +7.9 19×13 arcmin Overview Sometimes known as the Sculptor Pinwheel Galaxy, this spiral beauty was discovered by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop in 1826. It’s remarkably large, covering almost as much of the night sky as
Challenge #3 – C70, Spiral Galaxy in Sculptor Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C76 (NGC 6231) Open Cluster 16h 54m 10s -41° 49′ 00″ Scorpius +2.6 14.0 arcmin Overview This small cluster of stars is so low in the northern hemisphere sky that it only just scrapes into being covered by the VAC. It’s a naked-eye object and so has
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M80 (NGC 6093) Globular Cluster 16h 17m 02s -22° 58′ 34″ Scorpius +7.3 10.0 arcmin Overview This bright, big, dense cluster was discovered by Charles Messier in January 1781. As with so many of his cluster discoveries, Messier believed that M80 was a ‘nebula without a star’
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M6 (NGC 6405) Open Cluster 17h 40m 20s -32° 15′ 00″ Scorpius 4.2 20.0 arcmins Overview This cluster gets its name from the fact that its bright stars look like a butterfly. It was first recorded in 1654 by the astronomer Giovanni Battista Hodierna, but it may
M6, The Butterfly Cluster in Scorpius Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M4 (NGC 6121) Globular Cluster 16h 23m 35s -26° 31′ 33″ Scorpius 5.6 36.0 arcmins Overview Located relatively close to the center of the Milky Way, M4 is currently believed to be the third closest globular cluster to our solar system, being only 7,200 light-years away from
M4, Globular Cluster in Scorpius Read More »
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M7 (NGC 6475) Open Cluster 17h 53m 51s -34° 47′ 00″ Scorpius +3.29 80 arcmins Overview This is a large cluster that is low on the horizon at its peak in a summer’s evening. Officially part of Scorpius, it’s easier to think of it near the spout
M7, Ptolemy’s Cluster in Scorpius Read More »
