December 2008

Tony Martinez

Each month I will describe sights of interest in the night skies of South Carolina. These sights will be broken down into three sections; what you can see with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a small telescope. The best time to view the night sky is at and around the times when the Moon is not visible, what is known as a New Moon; which will occur on December 27th. For December, your best viewing nights will be from December 1st through December 4th, and December 16th through December 30th.

The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on December 15th at 9 pm.

I would like to direct you to look toward the south early in the evening during the early part of December. You should see only one relatively bright star in that direction; this star is called Fomalhaut. Now notice that there are very few bright stars anywhere near Fomalhaut. The reason for this is as follows. As you remember, our Milky Way galaxy consists of various spiral arms, as shown below. Our Sun resides in an arm know as the Orion arm. As we revolve around our star throughout the year, the dark side of the earth faces the Sagittarius Arm in the summer months, and in the winter months, the dark side of the Earth faces the Perseus Arm.


So now for some additional perspective: In the summer when we look to the south to view the Lagoon, Trifid, Omega, and Eagle nebulas, we are actually looking across to the next inner spiral arm, the Sagittarius Arm. In the winter when we view the beautiful Double Cluster in Perseus, we are looking across 7000 light years to the next farther out spiral arm, the Perseus Arm. When we view the Pleiades, the Orion nebula, and the Beehive cluster, we are looking into our own arm, the Orion Arm.

So what about Fomalhaut? We know that the Earth is tipped 23 ½ degrees on its axis. In the summer, the daytime side of the Earth is tipped downward toward the Sun. In the late fall/winter, the nighttime side of the Earth is tipped downward, so when we look low in the south, we are actually looking past Fomalhaut and down toward the “empty” gap between two spiral arms. Therefore, we are effectively looking down and out of our Milky Way galaxy into extragalactic space, thus the lack of many stars. See the diagram below, the white circle representing a super enlargement of the Earth.

Naked Eye Sights:

Hopefully, you were able to view Venus and Jupiter on November 30th right after sunset, at their closest line of sight approach all year; however, most of the southeast was rained out on that night. Throughout December, Venus will continue to rise in the sky, not reaching its peak until mid February. During this time, Venus will always remain an evening object, setting between 8 and 9 pm. This early setting is due to the fact that Venus is between us and the Sun, so it can never appear in the sky late at night, when the dark side of the Earth is pointing away from the Sun.

That wonderful telescope target Jupiter will stay low in the west, nearly disappearing by the end of the month and will not return until next August. However, before Jupiter leaves, it will show us another “dance of the planets.” Just as we awaited the close line of sight approach of Venus and Jupiter on November 30th, very early in the evening on December 30th, and 31st, Jupiter and Mercury will make a close line of sight approach. Please put this on your calendar, because Mercury is one of the more difficult visible planets to see because it is so close to the Sun. Anytime you may read that it is a good time to view Mercury, it is still sometimes difficult to be sure that you have really found it, and are not seeing a star in that region. However, on December 30-31st, you can use the bright planet Jupiter as a guide, and Mercury will be right below it and to the left. This is how to be sure you will find Mercury. First watch Jupiter each night from the middle of the month onward, so you are used to its position as it lowers into the west. Next, as the 30th approaches, look towards Jupiter right after sunset. Once Jupiter becomes visible, it may be too bright to see the dimmer Mercury, so look at Jupiter with a pair of binoculars, and Mercury should be visible. With luck, and if you have a clear horizon toward the west, you should be able to easily see Mercury next to Jupiter with the naked eye after 6 pm on these dates.

The December 30th chart below may help.

Binocular Sights (7 to 10 power):

The Pleiades, of course. With the return of Orion, the Orion nebula (the apparent middle star of Orion's sword) is always a good target.
Also, be sure to use the binoculars to help you locate the planet Mercury, as described above.

Telescope Sights (60-100mm):

Aim your telescope at the Orion nebula, and try to resolve the gas cloud, and the newly born stars.

See you next month.

November 2008

Tony Martinez

Each month I will describe sights of interest in the night skies of South Carolina. These sights will be broken down into three sections; what you can see with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a small telescope. The best time to view the night sky is at and around the times when the Moon is not visible, what is known as a New Moon; which will occur on November 27th. For November, your best viewing nights will be from November 1st through November 4th, and November 17th through November 30th.

The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on November 15th at 8 pm.


So you want to buy a telescope:

Every year a telescope appears on someone’s Christmas list. If you are considering your first purchase of a telescope I decided to devote the majority of my column to helpful suggestions.

First suggestion: Never ever buy a telescope from a department store. This suggestion also often pertains to TV shopping networks. If the telescope box, or sales sign or salesperson mentions power (usually something above 200 or 300 power, then stay away! Good telescopes are defined by their light gathering ability, not by power. In addition, the quality of the lenses is usually poor, and the tripod mounts quite wobbly. With all these shortcomings, the one thing I most dislike is that department store telescopes can cause a person to become quickly discouraged about amateur astronomy.

So the solution is to purchase a telescope from a telescope store, most of which are online. One well-known dealer is Orion telescopes found at telescope.com, others are Meade and Celestron. To locate other sources of telescopes, go to your local bookstore and buy a copy of either of the two leading astronomy magazines, “Astronomy” or “Sky and Telescope,” and check their advertisements.

So now that you know where to buy, the harder problem is what to buy. There are three basic types of telescopes: Refractors, Newtonian reflectors and Schmidt-Cassegrain reflectors. You should consider a starting price of about $200, with a better starting amount being $300.

A refractor is what one might consider a traditional shaped telescope, a long thin tube with a lens in front to gather light, and another lens (eyepiece) in the back. They are fine telescopes for viewing the moon, planets and double stars and are often bought as “starter scopes.” However, they usually don’t have sufficient light gathering ability to give good viewing of galaxies and nebulas, unless you spend a large amount for a large refractor with superior quality lenses.

A Newtonian reflector uses a mirror to gather light instead of a lens. The telescope consists of a hollow tube open at the top with the viewing eyepiece near the top at a right angle to the tube. Amateur scopes can be as small as a 3-inch diameter mirror, but usually range in size from 6 to 10 inch diameter mirror. Because of their large light gathering ability, they can be used for a large range of astronomical targets, including galaxies and nebulae.


A second class of reflectors is the Dobsonian reflector, usually called a Dob. The Dob was invented by John Dobson, and is a simple reflector that is placed in a simple mount on the ground, see image below.


Dobs are easy to use and quite inexpensive versus light gathering ability. Bottom line is that Dobs are known for giving the best telescope for your money. Some other considerations are, that they can be bulky to transport, and do need periodic fine adjustments to the main mirror, called collimation. However, laser collimators are available to make the job easy.

Schmidt-Cassegrain reflectors were designed to give the benefits of a reflector, but minimizing the length. These telescopes tend to be, on average, the most expensive of the three telescopes types. Also of the three types, these are the telescopes that most likely come equipped with computerized finders, known as GoTo scopes. A GoTo attachment will allow you to enter in on a keypad any celestial object, and the telescope will automatically find it for you if it is visible on that particular night. Note: Non-automatic GoTo systems are available for other reflectors and also for refractors. I do not personally favor GoTo systems because I find it is easier learn the night sky when you have to find targets on your own.


Do you really need a telescope? If you are serious about a hobby in astronomy, it might be best if you put a pair of binoculars on your Christmas list this year, and buy the telescope next year. Reasons: Binoculars are cheaper, most ranging between $80 and $200. Binoculars will allow you to see a large region of the sky, and right side up! Binoculars can serve for other uses such as bird watching or sporting events. For simple astronomy, most people prefer 7 X 50 binoculars. If you get the binocular astronomy bug, you might someday upgrade to “big binoculars.” Some are shown below; I happen to own the one shown on the far right of the photo.


My recommendations: If you want to start a serious venture into amateur astronomy, begin by buying a pair of binoculars, star charts, books, and astronomy software; see my October column. If you must have a first telescope this year, start with a Dob, minimum 6 inch, preferred 8 inch.

Naked Eye Sights:

Venus and Jupiter dominate the south and southwest all month. On November 30th right after sunset, Jupiter and Venus are at their closest line of sight approach all year. Check them out in the southwest. Note: the normally anticipated November Leonids meteor shower will occur near a full moon, so very few, if any meteors will be visible.

Binocular Sights (7 to 10 power):
The Pleiades are always a good target; also try for the famous double cluster in Perseus.


Telescope Sights (60-100mm):
Jupiter is still the best view for most telescopes.

See you next month.

October 2008

Tony Martinez

Each month I will describe sights of interest in the night skies of South Carolina. These sights will be broken down into three sections; what you can see with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a small telescope. The best time to view the night sky is at and around the times when the Moon is not visible, what is known as a New Moon; which will occur this month on November 9th. For November, your best viewing nights will be from November 1st through November 14th.

The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on November 15th at 10 pm.


Observing Accessories:

For South Carolina, the month of October has the potential for being the best viewing time of the year.

Whether you go to a star party or do solo observing, it is best to have an observing plan and observing accessories. You should have the following basic accessories: a red light, a planisphere and a star chart. If you are using hand-held binoculars, a folding lounge chair is a must. If you have a laptop, running a good astronomy program, bring the laptop and a folding camp table with you. Finally, it is most useful to have some good basic observing books.

As I mentioned last month, a red light is a must if you go to a star party or for solo viewing. There are many types of red lights available, and they are now usually LEDs. In addition, it is wise to have at least two red lights plus extra batteries. If you wish to eliminate battery problems, they now sell hand crank battery-free red LED lights. In addition, there are also hands-free red lights that are worn on your head. One final note: even red light can disturb your night vision. I find it is best to use a dim red light most of the time, and have a brighter red light available when I have to walk any distance away from my observing site. Below are some examples.

Just as you might want a road map when you travel, it is useful to have maps of the sky when you observe. First of all, it is useful to have a planisphere. A planisphere is a disk consisting of two wheels that spin and allow you to set the night sky to any date or time of the year. This will allow you to have a quick view of the entire dome of the sky, and it is an excellent way to learn the constellations. Once you set the time and date, you hold it over your head while facing the direction shown on the planisphere. Plastic planispheres are best, and one example is shown below. The position of the stars will not change in a person’s lifetime, so you only have to buy one. However, the planets move quite rapidly, and therefore are not shown on the wheel. On the back of the planisphere, in addition to general instructions for use, is a listing showing which constellation each planet is in during different months of the year, usually covering a period of eight years. So, if you are an ardent planet watcher, you will have to replace your Planisphere periodically. Also note that planispheres are available for different latitudes, usually in units of ten degrees. Therefore, 30 and 40 degree planispheres cover the United States, so for South Carolina, purchase the 30 degree planisphere.

With the planisphere being useful for an overview of the sky, a star chart is designed to be more specific. The best star charts are foldable and plastic coated. They will include the exact locations of the stars, constellations, star clusters, galaxies and nebulae; and are a great way to plan a Messier object search.

I find star charts most helpful for setting up an observing plan. I simply place removable stickers on the chart listing all my planned targets for the night, and remove the stickers as I locate each object. See below.


Fun is spending the night scanning the sky with binoculars; but a stiff neck is not fun. So if you are a binocular observer, invest in a portable folding chair. They are cheap, and they are also available with attached foot rests. Add a folding camp table and your favorite hot beverage and enjoy the evening. Below is an image of one of my tables and chair. A more expensive accessory is a laptop running a good astronomy program such as “Starry Night Pro.” Don’t forget to cover the screen with a red plastic film.


Finally, although the Internet is an “infinite” source of information, it is always nice to have some good observing books to plan your night. I suggest the following to start, but there are many others available: “Turn Left at Orion” by Consolmagno and Davis, a classic for beginners. “Star Watch” by Philip Harrington, is an excellent book, divided into seasons, and then further broken down into binocular, small telescope and large telescope viewing. “NightWatch” by Terence Dickinson, covers many aspects of astronomy, but I recommend it because of the excellent set of twenty star charts; plus the book lays flat/spiral bound.

All the accessories mentioned above are available on the Internet. There are many sources, but you can begin at “telescope.com.”

Naked Eye Sights:
The bright planet Jupiter still remains in the south; however, it will soon be overshadowed by the even brighter planet Venus. Look to the west, every evening this month at about 7 pm, and you will see Venus as it moves almost horizontally west to southwest until it starts its upward turn throughout November.

Binocular Sights (7 to 10 power):
I suggest you buy one of the observing books, make a plan, use maps plus stickers, and enjoy October viewing.

Telescope Sights (60-100mm):
I suggest you buy one of the observing books, make a plan, use maps plus stickers, and enjoy October viewing.

September 2008

Tony Martinez

Each month I will describe sights of interest in the night skies of South Carolina. These sights will be broken down into three sections; what you can see with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a small telescope. The best time to view the night sky is at and around the times when the Moon is not visible, what is known as a New Moon; which will occur on September 29th. For September, your best viewing nights will be from September 1st through September 6th, and September 22nd through September 31st.

The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on September 15th at 9 pm.


Star Parties:
September and October are often thought to be the best months for amateur astronomy. The high humidity of summer slowly leaves, giving clearer skies, but the evenings are still warm enough for enjoyable viewing. Due to these favorable conditions, many star parties are run in various places around the country. A star party is a gathering of amateur astronomers at a site removed from light pollution. They are usually run in parks or campgrounds and sometimes at private sites owned by colleges or astronomy clubs. As many as 10 to 50 or more scopes may be set up in a large open field. The amateurs usually spend most of the time with their own equipment. In addition, they may also wander about to see various objects through other peoples’ scopes. Note: Star parties are a great way to check out new equipment before making a purchase. At star parties, many people are trying to seek out very dim distance objects, and some people are deeply involved in astrophotography. Because of this, it is very important that you do not use any white lights at all. If you need a light, only red lights are allowed and kept at a minimum. This is because red light is least likely to disturb your night vision. Also, at normal star parties, the use of green lasers is prohibited. One green laser can ruin hours of long exposure astrophotography.

In addition to standard star parties, there are also public star parties. If you are new to astronomy, these are great events to attend. At a public star party, many if not most people come without a telescope. The amateur astronomers who have their telescopes set up let the general public view objects through their scopes, and help people learn more about astronomy. Green lasers are usually allowed, and are used to help people find various celestial objects. As you can see in the image below, green laser beams are highly visible at night. If you do attend a public star party, be sure to bring a pair of binoculars if possible. A knowledgeable amateur can point to an object with a green laser, and you just follow the beam with your binoculars to the target; a great way to find your way around the night sky.


So where do you find a star party? If you like to travel around the country, you will find many large star parties any time of year. Your best sources are magazines such as Astronomy, and Sky and Telescope, which give listings of star parties throughout the country every month. Locally, there is an astronomy club that has regular star parties at a location between Florence and Columbia. I have not visited this viewing site, but you can check it out at their website; http://www.midlandsastronomyclub.org/calendar.shtml. In the Florence area we are just initiating public star parties at Lynches River Park. To date, only one was held, last November (see image below), and one rained out this summer. Hopefully, there will be another public star party at Lynches River this fall. When the next party date is decided, it will be listed in the local newspaper, or you can contact Lynches River County Park.


Planet Challenge:
We now officially have only eight planets. Besides the Earth, you can easily see five other planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Very few casual observers have ever seen the next planet beyond Saturn, Uranus. However, Uranus is visible to the naked eye, if you know where to look, and this month is a good time to see Uranus. Another plus is that at about 25 power and above, you will see Uranus as a beautiful blue disk. So where is it? Although it will be up all month, the better time to try for Uranus might be toward the end of the month, from the 22nd onward. The image below shows its position on September 25th at 10 pm, looking southeast. The best approach to locate this distant blue planet is to find the Pisces seven star “circulet.” If you can’t see this magnitude 4 asterism, then try a clearer night, or try a darker viewing site. The red circle in the second image represents the approximate viewing area of 10 power binoculars.


Remember, if you look below 25 power, you may not see the blue color. Also, in the image below, the size and color of the planet is somewhat exaggerated for a 10 power view.


Naked Eye Sights:
Try to find Uranus. Also, don’t forget to tell your friends that the bright star-like object still shinning in the south is not a star but the planet Jupiter.

Binocular Sights (7 to 10 power):
Try for Uranus, but at 10 power, you will not see a disk. Under perfect viewing conditions you may see some blue color. For a special challenge, you might try for Neptune, which is also visible this month.

Telescope Sights (60-100 mm):
Try for Uranus, and remember to start at your lowest power. Look for the blue disk. Also, any time of the year that Jupiter is in the sky, you must check it out. You may find that it is one of those special nights that the surface bands are highly visible. Try to attend a star party.

August 2008

Anthony Martinez

Each month I will describe sights of interest in the night skies of South Carolina. These sights will be broken down into three sections; what you can see with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a small telescope. The best time to view the night sky is at and around the times when the Moon is not visible, what is known as a New Moon; which will occur twice this month on August 1st and again on Aug 30th. For August, your best viewing nights will be from August 1st through August 7th, and August 24th through August 31st.

The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on August 15th at 10 pm.


The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on August 15th at 10 pm.


Jupiter:
This month even people who have no particular interest in astronomy will notice the bright star like object in the south. The object is the planet Jupiter. Jupiter is the brightest object you will see in August, not counting the Moon. Throughout the month, it will slowly drift to the west (retrograde motion) and then on September 4th, it will stop and reverse to its normal easterly direction. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, and is not a solid object, but a ball of gas; about 90% hydrogen, and 10% helium, with some traces of other elements. This chemical makeup appears similar to our Sun, and some scientists once thought that Jupiter was a star that didn’t make it; a proto-star. However, it is now believed that Jupiter would have to be over 70 times more massive to collapse into a star. Note: The concept of Jupiter as a proto-star was used in the famous Sci-Fi movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Below is an image showing the size relationship of Jupiter versus the Earth.


Jupiter’s presence this summer is a great reason to take out your telescope. If you have only a small telescope, then it will be a great challenge to try to see the cloud bands on Jupiter’s “surface.” If you fail, try on several nights, and at different times. They should be visible at 25 to 50 power. Remember, as you increase the power, the planet’s disk size will increase, but you will loose clarity. The ability to see planetary detail is often based on upper atmospheric conditions, which are not obvious to our eyes. Therefore, you cannot always tell if it is a good night to view a planet until you look at it through your telescope. Another viewing hint is that good summertime viewing often can occur right after a storm front passes through. Last year I had personally viewed Jupiter on several nights through 25 power binoculars, seeing only a fuzzy disk. Then on one night the bands “jumped” into view.

In addition to the surface bands, it is enjoyable to observe the moons of Jupiter. Jupiter has 63 known moons, of which only four are visible through telescopes. The four visible moons are called the Galilean moons, referring to their discovery by Galileo. The moons are named Io, Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa. Galileo reported finding the moons in January 1610. His telescope was about 16-20 power, and quite primitive. History records that another person, Simon Marius, claimed to have discovered the moons over a month before Galileo, but did not announce his observation. Therefore, Galileo who carefully recorded and reported his observations was given the credit for discovery. Below is a compilation of Galileo’s original sketches.


So, if you become frustrated trying to observe the surface features of Jupiter, then try observing the Galilean moons. You can use your telescope, but all that is required is a pair of binoculars; 7-10 power is sufficient. To easily see the moons, you will have to have a steady hand, or brace the binoculars against a solid object. Most binoculars have a tripod mount, so attaching them to a simple tripod is also an option. The moons will appear as tiny points of light on either side of the planet. Remember, on any given night you will see one, two, three or four of the Galilean moons depending on how many are in front or in back of the planet. Below is an image showing a time this month when all four moons are visible, along with their names. This is a binocular image; in a telescope, the image will be reversed. The time is August 15th at 10 PM, enjoy.


Meteors:
This month is well known for the Perseids meteor shower. The popularity is not because this is the best meteor shower, but because it occurs at a pleasant time of year to be outside late at night looking up at the sky. This shower will peak on the morning of August 12th. Look toward the east and also directly overhead. The presence of a waxing gibbous moon will interfere with your viewing late evening on August 11th, until the moon finally sets at about 1:30 am. This is actually good, because the best time to view meteor showers is between midnight and dawn. Remember, that this is the peak of the shower. In case of bad weather, you should get a good display one night before and after the 12th. Also, don’t forget that for meteor showers use your eyes only; no binoculars, and find a place to lie on your back to prevent neck strain. The Perseids can have a rate as high as 60 to 90 meteors per hour; my personal best was about 60 per hour.

Naked Eye Sights:
Watch Jupiter as it slowly moves to the west through Sagittarius. Check out the Perseids meteor shower from the 11th to the 13th.

Binocular Sights (7 to 10 power):
Try to observe the Galilean moons of Jupiter. Make a simple sketch each night to note the rapid movement of the moons. Also continue to wander through the Milky Way star field above and also to the right of Sagittarius.

Telescope Sights (60-100mm):
Attempt to see Jupiter’s surface bands.

July 2008

Tony Martinez

Each month I will describe sights of interest in the night skies of South Carolina. These sights will be broken down into three sections; what you can see with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a small telescope. The best time to view the night sky is at and around the times when the Moon is not visible, what is known as a New Moon; which will occur this month on July 2nd. For July, your best viewing nights will be from July1st through July 7th, and July 24th through July 31st.

The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on July 15th at 9 pm.


The summer sky has arrived, and many interesting objects are in the south, along the Milky Way. However, this month there is an interesting event occurring in the western sky. Normally, this time of year the constellation Leo is not a target of interest since it is rapidly setting, and will be totally gone by months end, but there is a “Dance of the Planets” occurring in Leo. Beginning on July 1st, Mars will be right above the bright star Regulus in Leo; use binoculars to see the sharp contrast of colors, white star/red planet. From July 1st on, Mars rapidly moves toward Saturn, and on the night of July 10th, Mars will be very close to Saturn, generating another interesting binocular object and color contrast; red planet/yellow planet. This event is a good news/bad news situation. The bad news is that Leo and especially the two planets will be low in the western sky, setting soon after 10 pm. The good news is that with many amateur binoculars and telescopes, bright planets are much easier to see clearly in twilight skies than when sharply contrasted in dark skies. So, the best approach is to start observing the planets from about 9 pm, until they move down into the horizon’s haze.

One more planetary note: Venus will become the “evening star” this autumn. If you have a clear horizon in the west, you just might get an early view of Venus right near the horizon just after sunset late in the month.


Now let us return to the south, and we have a bright “visitor” this summer, the planet Jupiter in Sagittarius. Its location is shown in the last image below. Jupiter will slowly rise in the southern sky all through July and August. Next month I will spend more time discussing Jupiter.

On any given summer, the southern sky is filled with wonderful sights. First we mark off this region with the two constellations, Sagittarius and Scorpius, shown in the image below. This image is from a dark sky site, and there are several such sites in the United States, far away from cities, where you can see the sky as shown here. Scorpius is one of the few constellations that looks like its namesake. Scorpius with its “J” shape looks like a scorpion complete with claws, a stinger and a red/orange star for heart (Antares). Scorpius is the correct spelling of the constellation and not Scorpio the zodiac sign. To the left of Scorpius is the constellation Sagittarius the archer. Very few people see this constellation as an archer; however, most people see it as the “Teapot asterism” with the handle on the left, the spout on the right, and the triangular lid on top.

In addition to these two constellations, the most prominent feature in this photo is the beautiful Milky Way. In the summer, the southern sky view is toward the center of our Milky Way. The green “+” sign above the spout of the teapot marks the exact center of our spiral galaxy. Near this green “+” sign, astronomers have detected a strong X-ray source known as Sagittarius A* (pronounced A star). It is believed that Sagittarius A* is a Black Hole in the center of our galaxy.

So what do you do on a nice summer evening? You don’t need a dark sky site as shown below, just point your binoculars or a small telescope in the region above Sagittarius and also over toward the stinger of Scorpius and you will see beautiful fields of stars. Try slowly scanning this region first without any charts or plans, and you will find many objects that you know must be star clusters or nebulas. Later you can consult star charts to identify some of the objects you discovered in this region.


The following image shows 14 Messier objects in this region and the location of the planet Jupiter, but there is much more to see in this area with only binoculars or a small telescope (can you see Sagittarius and Scorpius in the image?).



Naked Eye Sights:
Say goodbye to Leo as it sets in the west, but take time to observe Mars as it quickly moves from the star Regulus on July 1st to nearly touch Saturn on July 10th. Try to spot Venus right after sunset toward the end of the month. Locate Scorpius and Sagittarius. Also notice that Cygnus that set in the west last November is now moving up from the East to directly overhead (zenith).

Binocular Sights (7 to 10 power):
Scan the western skies from July 1st until July 10th, and note the interesting color comparisons of red-orange Mars, white Regulus, and yellow Saturn. (Between 9-10 pm)
Spend most of your time this month scanning the regions above and to the right of Sagittarius. See how many Messier objects you can find.

Telescope Sights (60-100mm):
Target of the month: the planets Mars and Saturn as they nearly touch on July 10th.

June 2008

Tony Martinez

Each month I will describe sights of interest in the night skies of South Carolina. These sights will be broken down into three sections; what you can see with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a small telescope. The best time to view the night sky is at and around the times when the Moon is not visible, what is known as a New Moon; which will occur this month on June 3rd. For June, your best viewing nights will be from June 1st through June 8th, and June 24th through June 30th.

The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on June 15th at 9 pm.


I see June as a “quiet” observing month. While waiting for the arrival of some of the great targets of July and August in the region of, and above, Scorpius and Sagittarius, we can return to the Messier objects and locate some of the more difficult targets. In general, the Messiers are called DSO’s (deep sky objects), meaning that they are beyond our Solar system, and most of the Messier objects are within our Milky Way galaxy, the farthest being about 68,000 light years (globular cluster M75). However, a total of 40 Messier objects are truly deep sky objects, and are actually other galaxies well outside of the Milky Way. A total of seventeen of these galaxies are about 50 to 70 million light years away! Remember, our Milky Way galaxy is “only” 0.1 million light years across. Also remember that one light year is 6 trillion miles. If you have trouble conceiving these amazing distances, you are not alone. Where in our world a long drive is five to six hundred miles, and a long plane flight is three to five thousand miles, no one can really comprehend millions of light years.

It is interesting to note that although these distant Messier galaxies were discovered in the late 1700’s, it was not until the 1920’s that astronomers were shocked to realize that these fuzzy objects were outside of our galaxy. Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason discovered this fact while using special stars called Cepheid variables to determine star distance.

So it is time to try to locate some of these distant galaxies. First a note to any new amateur astronomers: Please don’t expect to see deep sky objects looking anything like a Hubble telescope image. Even if you have spent significant money on a telescope, the objects are often seen as white fuzzy objects. Only with expensive camera equipment and long time exposures using various filters can an amateur obtain beautiful and colorful images of deep sky objects.

Now, let’s try to find two relatively easy distant galaxies, M81 and M82 in the constellation of Ursa Major. M81 shown below is a bright grand design spiral galaxy filled with extensive new star birth. Grand design galaxies are those showing a “perfect” spiral structure. Only about ten percent of all known spiral galaxies have this designation. Although it was listed by Messier, M81 was originally discovered by Johann Bode, and is often referred to as “Bode’s Galaxy.”


M82, shown below, is dimmer than M81 and is also known as the “Cigar Galaxy,” which you will under stand from the photo. M82 is seen edge on, and has always been listed as an irregular galaxy. However, a recent observation in 2005 using infrared has detected some spiral arms. Also, observation with other large telescopes has shown that this galaxy is being deformed/pulled apart by gravitational forces from its larger neighbor M81.


M81 and M82 are both about 12 million light years away and are gravitationally linked.

So now let’s try to find them. Although I chose these galaxies because they are relatively bright objects, the downside is that they are sometimes hard to find because they are in a region that has no marker stars to help out. The good news is that being in the constellation of Ursa Major (home of the Big Dipper) they are circumpolar objects, therefore are visible all year long. However, they do get close to the horizon in August and September. Use a pair of binoculars to locate these galaxies, seven to ten power will be fine, and you will be able to see them both in the same field of view. This time of year, they are aligned in binoculars as is shown below, with M81 on the left. Of course, through binoculars, they will be tiny fuzzy objects, but you will still see their shapes.


Below is a star chart to help you out. Draw an imaginary line in the Big Dipper from Phecda to Dubhe, and extend the line out the same distance again. Be patient, keep away from city or neighborhood lights, and if you don’t have a steady hand, you may want to brace the binoculars against a tree, house, car, etc, or place you binoculars on a tripod. Good luck.



It is important to note that although the Messier objects contain 40 distant galaxies, there are at least 400-500 other non-Messier galaxies that are in range of large amateur telescopes. Therefore amateurs can busy themselves for many years searching for these “faint fuzzies.”

Naked Eye Sights:
Enjoy the rising of Scorpius in the south and Cygnus (the Northern Cross) rising in the east.

No major meteor showers are listed for this month. However, a lesser-known meteor shower is the Bootids. In recent years, there have been some outbursts of meteors reported for the Bootids. In June, Bootes is directly overhead, and the weather is warm, so lie down on a blanket or lounge chair on the night of June 26th, and hope for a good show.

Binocular Sights (7 to 10 power):
Your challenge this month is M81 and M82 as described above.

Telescope Sights (60-100mm):
Try for M81 and M82. Be sure to start at low power.

May 2008

Tony Martinez

Each month I will describe sights of interest in the night skies of South Carolina. These sights will be broken down into three sections; what you can see with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a small telescope. The best time to view the night sky is at and around the times when the Moon is not visible, what is known as a New Moon; which will occur this month on May 5th. For May, your best viewing nights will be from May 1st through May 8th, and May 23rd through May 30th.

The Star chart below is set for Florence, SC on May 15th at 9 pm.


Of all the bright stars we see each night, Arcturus is quite unique; but first, I must digress. All of the stars we see on any night are in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. The shape of the Milky Way galaxy is a closed spiral about 100,000 light years in diameter. Our solar system is about two thirds the distance out from the galactic center, and the Milky Way galaxy is spinning at about 600,000 miles per hour, taking about 225,000 years to make one rotation. Our Sun, and “all” of the stars we readily see at night are moving along together, except for Arcturus. Arcturus is moving perpendicular to the plane of the Milky Way! To use an analogy, almost all of the stars we see are like leaves floating together on a river. However, Arcturus would be like a rock dropped off a bridge into the river. The movement of stars in relation to other stars is called proper motion. So why is the proper motion of Arcturus quite fast, and perpendicular to the plane of the galaxy? Recent evaluation of the stars in our galactic neighborhood has shown that there is a group of stars that are moving downward along with Arcturus, called the Arcturus Stream. Arcturus is the only bright star in this group. The theory is that Arcturus and its companions were likely part of a small galaxy that was captured and pulled into our Milky Way. So after we make the next trip around the Milky Way, Arcturus will be fading from view, moving far below us.


So where is Arcturus? It is bright, and one of the easiest stars to locate. Find the Big Dipper, and then follow the curve of the handle and it will point to Arcturus. The saying is “Arc to Arcturus." If you continue the curve, you will then “speed on to Spica," another bright star.


My description of our Milky Way galaxy brings up another interesting question. Since our Sun and Earth are two tiny specs in the billions of stars in the Milky Way, how can we possibly know what the Milky Way really looks like? Like an elephant flea trying to figure out what an elephant looks like? Actually, the size of the Sun compared to the Milky Way is like the size of a flea compared to the Sun! So how do we know what we look like? We have determined the shape of our Milky Way by looking at many other types of galaxies.

We have observed that there are many types of stars having different sizes, temperatures/colors, and ages. In addition, there are many multiple star systems, exploding stars, and also variable stars which fluctuate in brightness over time. Now, as we observe these different types of stars in the thousands of nearby galaxies, we see patterns develop. Certain types of stars occupy certain types of galaxies in particular ways. We then looked into our Milky Way and observed the patterns of the stars in our galaxy. Based on that information, the available data had shown that the Milky Way was most likely a closed spiral, similar to the photo shown below.


As our ground based telescopes improved plus the new availability of orbiting telescopes, we now have a better sense of what we look like. The most recent data obtained from our orbiting Spitzer infrared telescope suggests that we are not a normal spiral galaxy, but instead, a barred-spiral type galaxy. We now believe that the Milky Way looks like distant galaxy NGC 1073 shown below.


Either way, we feel certain that we are a spiral galaxy and we do have spiral arms. Our Sun is located in the Orion arm, the next arm in toward the galaxy center is the Sagittarius arm and the next arm further out from us is the Perseus arm. So can you as an amateur astronomer “see” these arms? In a way you can. Remember I keep mentioning the fun of locating the various Messier objects. Well, M42, 44 and 45 along with 23 other Messiers all reside in our Orion arm. M8, 16, 17, and 20 all reside in the Sagittarius arm. M1, 52, and 103 reside in the Perseus arm.

Naked Eye Sights:
The most prominent constellation last month and this month is Leo the Lion found high in the south. The backward question mark forming the lion’s head and mane along with the clearly defined triangle to the left of the question mark make it an easy target. The bottom star of the question mark is the bright star Regulus. In addition, this month you will see the planet Saturn to the left of Regulus, and Mars to the right.

Binocular Sights (7 to 10 power):
Your best binocular sight of the month will be the planet Mars moving into the Beehive cluster (M44) that we talked about last month. On May 20th, Mars will be in line with the Beehive, so check from May 19th through 21st. Use the star map at the top of the page to locate Mars, to the right of Leo the Lion.

Next find some Messier Objects, and match them to our spiral arms.

Telescope Sights (60-100mm):
Try for both Saturn again, and Mars. However as usual, Saturn is the better target.