It's difficult to photograph a star party in full swing because star parties happen in the dark, and flash photography isn't welcome. Occasionally, however, a photo is taken that gives a flavor for the event.
Photo by Ron Pearson
|
September
Skies
2008
by
Dennis Cochran
his
month some of us
will be back from a
vacation in which we
got closer to the
stars by taking ski
lifts up to dizzying
heights in the Alps.
Although this
lifting happened
during the day, so
no stars, but you
can see the flying
saucers better from
up there. “Look,
everybody! Blinking
lights, windows,
green men. . . no?
Nobody else saw it?
Oh. . . never mind.
No, I’m feeling
quite well, thank
you. But I will have
another glass of
wine.”
Behind the dense
traffic of flying
saucers (or in
Denver, clouds), one
can find Lyra and
Cygnus these
evenings, captained
by two of the three
stars of the Summer
Triangle, Vega and
Deneb. The small
constellation Lyra
harbors the Ring and
the Double Double,
while Cygnus has
Albireo and the Veil
and wide-field
camera objects like
the Pelican and
North American
nebulae. The Double
Double is the
epsilon star of Lyra,
to the left, east of
bright Vega. It is a
widely-spaced pair.
At a magnification
high enough that
this pair are on
opposite sides of
the visual field,
each of these stars
can be separated
into a close pair.
If you can’t split
these, ask someone
with a bigger or
higher-end scope,
presumably with
better optics, to
show you.
You will remember
that M57 the Ring
Nebula is an
exploded star
positioned between
the two bottom stars
of the Lyra
parallelogram. If
you note the
distance between
those two stars and
then continue down
that line to the
left about twice
that distance,
you’ll find the
concentrated cluster
M56. Next, in the
same direction slide
down almost as far
again to come to
Albireo, the
beautiful two-color
double star in the
head of Cygnus. Now
slide some more,
about the
M57-Albireo distance
to find M27 the
Dumbell Planetary
Nebula, the other
exploded star that’s
easy to see. Then go
back to Albireo.
Follow the neck and
body of the swan to
the left all the way
to Deneb at the tail
of the swan (and top
of the Northern
Cross). Now note the
distance from the
middle or crossing
star of Cygnus,
Lambda, to Deneb.
Search that distance
to the northeast
beyond Deneb and go
down a ways to find
M39, a low power or
binocular cluster.
Just southeast of
Deneb are the North
American and Pelican
Nebulae; good luck
with those.
Back to the lambda
star of Cygnus. Move
down to the first
bright star, Epsilon
Cygnii. Between it
and the 2nd wing
star farther down,
slightly to the
right of that line
lies the Cygnus
Loop, commonly
called the Veil.
Once you have found
one part of the loop
notice the direction
in which it is
curved and move
across to the other
side of the loop.
Take your time with
the Veil: its
intricate beauty is
hard to imagine
being born of an
explosion. The west
side has two
concentric layers.
If you can’t see it
well enough or at
all, ask someone
with a bigger scope
to show you the
Veil. Look for it if
you take your scope
into the mountains.
A nebula filter may
make it easier to
see. The westernmost
layer of the loop
contains 52 Cygnii,
a blue-orange double
like a fainter
Albireo. For a
harder project
follow the other
wing upward to the
first wing star
(Delta) and then 70%
of the way to the
next wing star. To
the left of this
wing line is the
Blinking Planetary
NGC 6826. The
central star blinks
on and off as you
move your eye. Below
it is another
fainter planetary
NGC 6833.
Don’t forget to look
at Jupiter, or to
come to the Open
House on Saturday
the 6th, or both.
Keep looking up and
you’ll see those . .
. um, you know.
—Dennis Cochran
|
SOME
NOTABLE
CELESTIAL OBJECTS
THIS MONTH |
|
Description |
RA |
DEC |
Constellation |
| NGC
5907
-
Edge-on
galaxy
with
dust
lane |
15h
15.9m |
56°
20' |
Draco |
| M13
Hercules
Cluster |
16h
41.7m |
36°
28' |
Hercules |
| M4
Globular
Cluster |
16h
23.6m |
-26°
32' |
Scorpius |
| M16
Eagle
Nebula/
Open
Cluster |
18h
18.6m |
-13°
58' |
Serpens |
| M17
Swan
or
Omega
Nebula |
18h
20.8m |
-16°
11' |
Sagittarius |
| M11
Wild
Duck
Open
Cluster |
18h
51.1m |
-6°
16' |
Scutum |
|
NGC
6856
Blinking
Planetary |
19h
44.8m |
50°
31' |
Cygnus |
|
NGC
6992/5
-
East
Veil
Nebula |
20h
56.4m |
31°
43' |
Cygnus |
|
M27
Dumbbell
Nebula |
19h
59.6m |
22°
43' |
Vulpecula |
|
NGC
7009
Saturn
Nebula |
21h
04.2m |
-11°
22' |
Aquarius |
|
M15
globular
cluster |
21h
30.0m |
12°
10' |
Pegasus |
|
NGC
7331
"Deer
Lick"
spiral
galaxy |
22h
31.7m |
34°
25' |
Pegasus |
|
References:
Observers Handbook 2008,
Starry Night Pro,
Sky & Telescope and
Astronomy magazines
Comets and Other
Special Celestial
Events
Comet ephemerides are available from the
IAU.
Orbital Elements for loading into your favorite software program are available
HERE.
See
Jim Holder's
article in the
February 2007
Observer
for
more information
about locating
comets.
