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August Messier Catalog List |
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This Messier Catalog list is the copyright of Barbara Wilson who has allowed it to be posted on this website. No changes, credits or prohibited use of this list is authorized without first contacting the author Barbara Wilson. bwilson2@ix.netcom.com |
August
This globular lies in a sparse star field. Easy in 11x80 binoculars.
A fine open cluster, especially from Texas where we can see it a little
higher in the sky than most northern observers.
Look at it's shape as it is known as the Butterfly Cluster. Easy in binoculars under suburban skies.
A brilliant and extensive open cluster low in the sky which is seen with
the naked eye on clear nights here in Texas.
Lovely in binoculars.
A fine open cluster for low power. There
are at least 120 stars arranged in curved lines.
The 6th magnitude star on its western edge will help you
find this beautiful cluster.
The Triffid Nebula, named for the three dark rifts which meet at the
center of this cloud of gas. Beautiful
at high power, but the rifts are difficult in small apertures.
The Lagoon Nebula. A large
irregular naked eye nebulosity under dark skies, which is easy to locate.
Use lower powers for best effect, then higher powers for the dark
patches in this extended diffuse nebula.
This open cluster is surrounded by more spectacular objects, so is
neglected by most amateurs, but well worth attention.
Bright
but small, this open cluster is hard to find since it lies in a dense star
field.
A bright open cluster of about 100 stars, but lies in a dense star field
like M24. It lies 3º north
of the Swan (Omega) Nebula. is in a vast diffuse nebula which is enhanced
visually with a nebula filter. Robert Burnham calls this the "Star Queen" Nebula,
and is also named the Eagle Nebula in some observing guides.
Large telescopes reveal it's wonderful dark patches.
A small
galactic cluster about 1 degree from the Swan Nebula. Notice this small group of stars shape.
The Swan or Omega Nebula. Beautiful,
brilliant, wonderful even in small apertures.
Use your highest powers for detail and wait for the moment of best
seeing. Try a nebula filter
as well.
This globular is not a bright object for small scopes due to its
obscuration by dust in this part of the Milky Way.
It needs a lot of aperture to be resolved.
A compact and dense globular cluster.
A small globular below the bowl of the teapot of Sagittarius, which needs
a large scope to achieve resolution.
There is a 9th magnitude star to the NNW, about 4' away.
It should appear hazy in smaller scopes. A challenge in large binoculars.
A
sprawling, scattered open cluster of about 50 stars.
It contains the cepheid variable U Sagittarii.
One of the six finest globular clusters in the Northern sky, and only
outranked by M13, and possibly M5. A
great globular cluster of hundreds of thousands of stars.
A compact
globular with a bright condensed center.
Does it seem similar to M69?
A small
cluster in a rich Milky Way field, contains about 70 stars, but 25 are
generally seen in 6” to 8” scopes.
A breathtaking galactic cluster for large telescopes made up of hundreds
of stars. Visible to the
naked eye under dark skies.
A
wonderful open cluster for a 6” scope, one of the richest and most
compact of the open clusters and described by Admiral Smyth as resembling
a flight of wild ducks. My
personal favorite open cluster of all.
The lovely Ring Nebula in Lyra. You
may not be able to see the central star unless you have a 12" or
more, but you can see the doughnut in any instrument.
Look for the illumination in the center of the ring.
A small globular 1.5º WSW of the southernmost star in the bowl of the
teapot. Bright and strongly
compressed. Compare with M69
and M22 to see an interesting variation of size and brightness of globular
clusters in the same region of sky.
Very overshadowed by it's famous neighbor, the Ring Nebula, this is a fine
little globular. Easy to find
halfway between Beta Cygni and Gamma Lyrae.
A 6” will resolve its edges. Date on Meridian = Date each subsequent object is on your meridian at 10
PM local time.
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Key to abbreviations: GAL= Galaxy PLN= Planetary Nebula Glob = Globular Cluster RA= Right Ascension DEC= Declination Date on Meridian= Date each object is on your meridian at 10 PM local time. Compiled for the Houston Astronomical Society's Novice Group by Barbara Wilson. |
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