Observing Articles

Articles that I have written over the years for the Auckland Astronomical Society Journal as well as more recent material as time permits.

Musca the Fly and the Chamaeleon - Musca appeared on Lacaille's chart of 1763, having originally been designated as Apis the Bee by Bayer 160 years earlier. It owes it's invention to Pieter Keyser and Frederick de Houtman sometime after 1595. Lying directly south of Crux, it is made up of a group of prominent stars, the brightest alpha at magnitude 2.7. Though a relatively small constellation of 132 sq. degrees, it has a number of interesting double stars and deep sky objects to keep the observer busy.

The False Cross - The False Cross, so often misidentified by the public as the Southern Cross, appears larger and slightly fainter. Lying west of the complex and extensive environment of the eta Carinae Nebula, two of it's stars iota and epsilon, lie in Carina whilst kappa and delta reside over the border in Vela. With much of the dust and gas of our galaxy in this region confined to it's glorious neighbour, the False Cross region allows the observer a window out into the Universe, many bright stars and clusters as well as various faint planetary nebulae and galaxies decorating the skyscape.

Puppis the Stern - Puppis lies directly east of a line joining Sirius and Canopus. It is a large constellation with an area of 673 sq.º, formed by B. Gould in 1877 from the larger group of Argo Navis. With the Milky Way flowing right through Puppis, the starfields are very rich and grand. Therefore, almost all the galaxies in this region are obscured and many of the open clusters blend into this background carnival of stars.

Galaxies of the Centaur - Centaurus has fascinated observers, both amateur and professional alike, since antiquity. Its random flourish of bright stars, gathered into different patterns to meet the whims and dreams of humankind, are a delightful and inviting distraction on a winter's evening. Scattered among these stellar beacons lie some of the most dynamic and appealing deep sky objects in the heavens. Old friends like omega Centauri and Centaurus A (NGC 5128) and the ever popular alpha Centauri are lovingly ogled, easy targets for the small telescope and even the humble binocular.

Scorpius the Scorpion - Scorpius the 'Scorpion' was the slayer of Orion who can be seen fleeing in the west as the scorpion rises in the east. It is one of the oldest constellations, known since antiquity and recognised by many cultures as a scorpion or snake, and with the early Chinese, part of the mighty 'Azure Dragon'. The Babylonians gave it many titles including 'The Lord of the Seed', 'King of Lightning' and 'Lusty King'.

Delphinus the Dolphin - To the ancient Greeks and Romans and even today, the dolphin is portrayed as the most philanthropic of creatures, playful, benevolent, tireless, harmonious and intelligent. Many stories have been played out in books and upon the stage of the dolphin's contribution to humanity and the constellation Delphinus has been so placed in the sky to honour this wonderful marine mammal.

Great Galaxy Grab - The spring sky opens up a new vista for observers, the Milky Way lying toward the west, the eastern portion of the sky reveling in extra-galactic objects for small and larger apertures alike. Here the skills of star hopping and patience are needed to hunt down many faint and not so faint galaxies, some spectacular and easily seen in binoculars and many a challenge just to find. We will take a journey to some of these objects, crossing through different constellations as we do so to complete the Great Galaxy Grab.

CosMos Catalogue - The following list contains well known or interesting objects that cover a range of types suited to the beginner and experienced observer alike. Selected objects from declination 00 to -90 are listed. You will note a column headed Meridian 2200 hrs. This shows the month and day that the object in question culminates (that is crosses the meridian) at 2200 hrs NZST.

Coma Berenices - “...curious twinkling, as if gossamers spangled with dewdrops were entangled there. One might think the old woman of the nursery rhyme who went to sweep the cobwebs out of the sky had skipped this corner, or else that its delicate beauty had preserved it even from her housewifely instinct...”

Night Of The Stars - A Celestial Academy Awards - Step outside on any warm, clear February evening and gaze toward the south. Rising higher as the year progresses, the Milky Way lies well clear of the southern horizon. Easily seen from dark skies and outlying suburbs well away from the hub of the inner city, a treasure trove of celestial 'jewels' awaits the anticipating eye.

Orion Nebula - The Orion Nebula, catalogued as M42, appears to the naked eye as a small misty patch, making up the middle 'star' of Orion's sword. Binoculars show a little more but only hint at the sight awaiting to be discovered.

Realm of the Crosses - Crux, Carina and Vela, resplendent in open clusters, dark nebulae, hot glowing gas and coloured stellar gems, draw the eye like moths to a light. Many hours can be spent roaming this corridor of space and time, perhaps catching the faint flare star, Proxima Centauri, unpredictably erupting into life, or perhaps being seduced by the overwhelming eta Carinae Nebula, lying some 7 000 light years distant.

Great Globular Grab - For the deep sky observer, they remain a delight to observe, ranging from the giant omega Centauri (which may be a small spheroidal galaxy) and 47 Tucanae to the faint Palomar and Terzian clusters which challenge the most serious observer. I have decided to pick a piece of the heavens and unravel some of the celestial treasures that know no man made boundaries or constraints. On this note, I give you the ‘Great Globular Grab’. The area I have chosen is in Sagittarius, where else, and it would be wise to have a starting point and systematically tramp the stellar path. All these balls of suns lie within or very near the asterism known as the ‘Teapot’. Bright stars serve as signposts and direct the observer on their hallowed journey.

Sculptor - Sculptor lies at right angles to the plane of our Galaxy therefore we look out beyond the spiral arms into the cosmos. Unobscured by the dust and gas that pervades the spiral arms, we can delight in many faint galaxies, though of course, we lose the open clusters and nebulae that hug the spiral arm regions.

Polar Discovery - Immediately around the south polar region of the sky lie a number of obscure and often overlooked constellations, some admittedly deprived of the outstanding celestial jewels that bedeck the wealthier constellations. However, even here, there is a scattering of worthwhile objects and occasionally a heavenly surprise awaiting the avid sky watcher. Names like Apus, Pavo and the unromantic Triangulum Australe are well placed in the winter evening sky. Here we will start our journey of discovery.

Lepus the Celestial Bunny - Beneath the mighty hunter’s feet, silent and still cowers the celestial bunny Lepus. This is one of the ancient constellations formed by Ptolemy who undoubtedly had a 'cruel' sense of humour. After all, the presence of Orion and his two hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor nearby do nothing for the little hare’s nerves. Though it must be admitted, Lepus has survived intact to now, whether through sheer luck or unreserved bravery.

Fornax the Furnace - Situated on a bend of the long, winding river Eridanus, the constellation of Fornax lies in a relatively barren part of the sky. Formed by Lacaille in 1752, he named it Fornax Chemica the ‘Chemical Furnace’, though it is known today as simply Fornax. The Chinese were a little more creative, calling it Tien Yu ‘Heaven's Temporary Granary’. Covering an area of about 398 sq°, it contains many interesting galaxies and one delightful planetary nebula. Also residing here is the unusual dwarf elliptical galaxy, the Fornax System, complete with 5 globular clusters.

Taurus the Bull - There is another open cluster that resides within the boundaries of our celestial ‘bull’, the large v-shaped Hyades star cluster that outlines the bull’s head, it’s glaring eye represented by the fiery orange giant star Aldebaran (alpha Tauri). Derived from Al Dabaram the ‘Follower”, it pursues the beautiful ‘Seven Sisters’ across the heavens. The ancient desert dwellers, surrounded by oceans of sand, turned their curious eyes to the sky and delighted in the heavenly theatre. More than one had their eye drawn to bright Aldebaran whom they called the ‘Camel’.

Hydra the Water Snake - One of the best galaxies in the sky and certainly in Hydra is M83 (NGC 5236), commonly called the ‘Southern Pinwheel Galaxy’. Lacaille first saw this superb face-on barred spiral galaxy in 1752. At 8th magnitude, this large round glow with a very bright nucleus and two spiral arms can be seen well in as little as a 15cm telescope. The spiral arms appear as a reversed letter S and a 3rd spiral arm can be seen with larger scopes. Binoculars will show its hazy round glow under a dark sky.

Ara the Altar - Ara is a small group of stars lying directly south of Scorpius, between Telescopium and Norma and the star fields of Pavo, Apus and Triangulum Australe to the south. With a total area of 237 sq°, there are 10 stars in total, equal to or brighter than 5th magnitude. The brightest stars being alpha and beta, both at apparent magnitude 2.8.

Cetus the Whale - Cetus the ‘Whale’ was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as a sea monster that was sent by Poseidon to devour the beautiful Andromeda. However, one look at the Medusa's head held by Perseus turned this beast to stone. The Arabians broke up Cetus' stars into three distinct groups: a ‘Hand’, ‘Hen Ostriches’ and a ‘Necklace’. This constellation is one of the most extended, spanning an area of about 50° by 20°.

Crux the Southern Cross - “...we saw the southern cross clearly for the first time. It was steeply inclined and appeared from time to time between the clouds, the centre of which in the flickering sheet lightning shone with a silvery radiance. If a traveller be permitted to mention his personal feelings, I may remark that on this night one of the dreams of my earliest youth was fulfilled.”

Orion Nebula: Houdini Of The Stars - The visible part of the nebula, mostly illuminated by the four bright stars of the Trapezium, is only a small part of a large dark molecular cloud, fifteen hundred light years from our Sun. With a total of around 3000-5000 solar masses, its a stellar nursery for young, hot stars. One of the most impressive and bright deep sky objects in the sky, it fascinates and captures even the most casual telescopic observer. But if it is so obvious to the eye, why wasn't it recorded by the multitude of observers who scanned the skies and noted anything prominent or unusual.

Heart Of The Centaur - Scorpius rises in the east, Antares marking the scorpion’s heart. A line drawn away from this mythological creature towards the bright beacon the ‘Southern Cross’, or Crux to give it its constellation name, passes through another unusual creature. Centaurus the ‘Centaur’ is one of the larger constellations in our skies and contains a plethora of wonderful treasures, some faint but many outstanding in the smallest of optical enhancement.

Vulpecula the Little Fox - Smyth wrote that Hevelius "...wished to place a fox and a goose in the space of the sky well fitted to it because such an animal is very cunning, voracious and fierce. Aquila and Vultur are of the same nature, rapacious and greedy." Obviously, Hevelius had no great respect for the fox and even less respect for the goose. Nowadays, Anser the Goose has been gobbled up by the Fox, no great surprise I'm sure.

Aquarius the Water Carrier - Aquarius the ‘Water Carrier’ has been associated with water since time immemorial, possibly because the Sun passed through its regions during the rainy season. Many cultures depicted this group of stars as a man or boy pouring water from a receptacle of some kind, usually a bucket or urn. The Arabians saw it as a mule carrying two barrels of water upon its back.

Eridanus the River - In Virgil (VI, 659) a river of the underworld. In Herodotus (III, 115) a river which, by some of his contemporaries, was associated with the river Po. This because the Po is situated near the end of what used to be the so-called Amber trail. According to legend, amber originated from the tears shed by the Heliades over the death of their brother Phaeton, who fell from the sky into the river Eridanus.

The Teapot of Sagittarius - “These magnificent star clouds are the finest in the sky. They are full of splendid details; one necessarily fails in an attempt to describe this wonderful region of star masses. They are like the billowy clouds of a summer afternoon; strong on the side toward the Sun, and melting away…on the other side. Forming abruptly at their western edge against a thinly star strewn space, these star clouds roll backwards toward the east in a broadening mass to fade away into the general sky…In the dimmer regions, below the great bright clouds, the dark details become more interesting and delicate…”

Birds Of The Mist - The winter sky opens with a celestial panorama of stunning deep sky objects and bright stars, marking out the constellations in all their unashamed glory. Indeed, it is sometimes difficult to know where to start, the telescopic eyepiece overwhelmed with rich astronomical jewels. The region of Sagittarius and its surrounds are well known to many, a celestial romp through this area a delight and a privilege.

Corona Australis - One of the most fascinating fields in the heavens. Here we find a tantalising field of heavy obscuring dust and gas, lit up here and there by the stellar furnaces ignited within. This is the playground of the hyperactive and macho T-Tauri stars, still maturing and yet to learn the rules of civilised behaviour, their unpredictable outbursts demanding attention as they develop towards the main sequence. A tour through this region is a lesson in stellar evolution, where the young progeny of interstellar clouds mingle with the older generation stars of their neighbourhood.

Grus the Crane - There are 13 stars of 5th magnitude, packed within the Crane's 366 square degrees. Unfortunately, because of Grus's position away from the plane of the Galaxy, there are no open or globular clusters. There are therefore, a number of faint galaxies, quite often three or more in the same low power field but needing a dark sky to see at all.