Page 119 - BBC Sky at Night Beginners Guide to Astronomy - 2017 UK

WHAT TO SEE

NGC 1672 in Dorado
is a stunning barred
spiral galaxy

The last of our deep-sky
objects are galaxies. These
appear in a variety of shapes CATCHING A CLUSTER
and sizes – see ‘Galactic
variety’ on the left. Our top picks. Remember: the lower the magnitude, the brighter the cluster

GIANT GALAXIES Name: M3 Name: M10 Name: M15
Constellation: Canes Venatici Constellation: Ophiuchus Constellation: Pegasus
Occasionally, galaxies are
Magnitude: +6.2 Magnitude: +6.6 Magnitude: +6.2
found alone, but most live in
One of the most glorious A good target with binoculars, A lovely object to look at with
small groups, larger clusters globulars in the northern this large globular is 14,000 binoculars, this globular is
or superclusters containing hemisphere, it looks like a lightyears away. 33,000 lightyears distant.
thousands of galaxies, bound hazy star in binoculars.
together by gravity. Name: M12 Name: M22
Name: M4 Constellation: Ophiuchus Constellation: Sagittarius
Galaxies are huge objects.
Constellation: Scorpius Magnitude: +6.6 Magnitude: +5.1
The Milky Way is over 100,000
Magnitude: +6.0 In the same constellation as M10, A good naked-eye target,
lightyears in diameter and This large globular cluster is also this globular is best seen through it appears elongated
contains somewhere between one of the closest to us, at about a pair of binoculars. through binoculars.
200 billion and 400 billion 6,500 lightyears away.
stars. Others, like Andromeda, Name: M13 Name: M92
Name: M5 Constellation: Hercules Constellation: Hercules
the largest member of the
Constellation: Serpens Magnitude: +5.7 Magnitude: +6.5
Local Group have even more.
Magnitude: +5.6 The fi nest globular cluster in the A gem in binoculars, this is
It’s an understatement to say A lovely globular that you may be northern hemisphere, it can one of the oldest globular
that there really are an awful able to see with the naked eye. rarely be seen without binoculars. clusters known.
lot of stars out there.
skyatnightmagazine.com 2012 119