Date: Thu, 01 Jun 1995, 20:44:51 -0500 (EST)
From: Tony Cecce, Corning, NY <CECCE_AJ at corning.com>
Subject: June Messier Tour

Twelve Month Tour of the Messier Catalog
June Messier Objects

This month we attack the heart of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. We will be hunting 13 galaxies all within less than 100 square degrees of sky. The brightest of these galaxies, M87, is only 8.6 in total magnitude so this will be a telescope only month. Plan on searching for small faint fuzzies, dark skies are a must.

Successfully navigating the Virgo cluster is the biggest challenge in the Messier Catalogue, and is affectionately known as "Heartbreak Ridge" to marathoners. What makes the Virgo cluster such a challenge is the closeness of the Messier objects to each other, and the large number of other galaxies in this region. It is easy to become lost among the galaxies, and not be able to tell which one you are looking at. Here are several tips that can be of use as you navigate your way through the cluster.

M84, M86
A pair of small fuzzy balls with bright, almost stellar cores. Both easily fit into the same low power field of view. M86 is slightly brighter and more oval than round M84.
M87
Another round fuzzy ball with a bright core. Slightly brighter than both M84 and M86.
M89, M90
Both of these galaxies fit into the same low power field of view. M89 is another round fuzzy ball similar to M84, while M90 appears as an oval patch of light larger than M89. M90 has a bright central region.
M91
A faint, slightly irregular oval hazy patch of light.
M88
A small oval shaped fuzzy patch with a bright stellar core. Similar in size and shape to M90. Can fit into the same field of view as M91.
M58
A slightly oval shaped fuzzy patch of light with a bright central region.
M59, M60
M59 and M60 can both easily fit into the same field of view. M59 is a small, hazy oval patch, not all that easy to see. M60 is another fuzzy oval patch of light, larger and brighter than M59.
M99
A bright round fuzzy patch of light.
M98
This galaxy appears as a bright pencil like streak of light.
M100
A round hazy glow of light, bright in the center but gradually fading towards the edge.
Last Month - M49, M51, M61, M63, M64, M85, M94, M101, M102, M104
Next Month - M3, M4, M5, M53, M68, M80, M83

A. J. Cecce, rev. 1.0, 1995


Twelve Month Tour Index - June tour in Ascii
Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
[contact]

[SEDS] [MAA] [Home] [Indexes]

Last Modification: 6 Apr 1998