Date: | Thu, 31 Aug 1995, 18:13:25 -0500 (EST) |
From: |
Tony Cecce, Corning, NY <CECCE_AJ at corning.com> |
Subject: | September Messier Tour |
Twelve Month Tour of the Messier Catalog
September Objects
We continue our tour this month with eight more globular clusters, all
are possible in binoculars, and two of these are the finest globulars
which can be seen from northern locations.
Sagittarius is the home of many globular clusters which surround the
center of the Milky Way Galaxy. Seven of the these globulars appear
in the Messier catalog, we will be visiting five of them this month.
When you complete the search for these objects be sure to spend some
time scanning this region with binoculars or a telescope and see what
other sights you can discover. I gaurantee you will not be disappointed.
- M13
-
The great globular cluster in Hercules is bright enough to be seen
with naked eye. Binoculars easily show this cluster as a bright fuzzy
ball. M13 is partially resolvable in small aperature telescopes and
becomes a fantastic swarm of tightly packed individual stars through
large scopes.
- M92
- Another globular cluster in Hercules, M92 is easy to find in
binoculars appearing slightly dimmer and smaller than M13. As with M13
it is partially resolvable in small scopes and is a fine sight in large
instruments.
- M14
- A small, bright globular cluster in Ophiuchus. It is a difficult
binocular object, look for a small fuzzy patch of light. Through a
telescope M14 is an even patch of light, the stars not resolvable except
through large scopes.
- M22
- This is the other great globular in our tour this month. Located
just above the teapot asterism in Sagittarius, M22 can be seen with no
optical aid. M22 is easy to find in binoculars, and easy to resolve in
telescopes, with about the same impressivenessas M13.
- M28
- Located near M22 in Sagittarius, this is a small bright globular.
A tough binocular object, look for a small fuzzy patch. Easily seen in
a telescope, but requires large aperatures to resolve individual stars.
- M69,
M70,
M54
- All of these are small bright globular clusters laying
along the bottom of the teapot in Sagittarius. Very similar in
appearance to M28, these are all tough binocular objects requiring dark
skies and possibly averted vision to see. M54 is slightly brighter and
appears more starlike through binoculars than the other globulars.
These are all easily seen in telescopes, though not easily resolvable.
Last Month
- M6, M7, M8, M9, M10, M12, M19, M20, M21, M23, M62, M107
Next Month
- M11, M16, M17, M18, M24, M25, M26, M55, M75
Revision 8/95, A.J. Cecce
Twelve Month Tour Index -
September tour in Ascii
Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
[contact]
Last Modification: 6 Apr 1998