messier-caldwell (MesCal) marathon

messier-caldwell marathon

adding the available caldwell showpieces- many within a stone’s throw of the messiers- is a rewarding way to keep the dso hunt momentum going while waiting for the sky to turn.
here’s a template for 40°n, but can easily vary as to when one wishes to jump on and off the messier track, and for latitude dependent target additions/omissions. this route adds 62 caldwells to the 110 messiers. some march caldwells not reaching at least 10° altitude are not included.

M74, M77, M33
C28 (ngc752)
C23 (ngc891)
M31, M32, M110
C18 (ngc185)
C17 (ngc147)
M52
C11 (ngc7635)
C13 (ngc457)
M103
C8 (ngc559)
C10 (ngc663)
C5 (ic342)
C14 (ngc869/884)
M76, M34
C24 (ngc1275)
M45

M79, M42, M43, M78, M50, M41
C64 (ngc2362)
M93
C58 (ngc2360)
M46, M47
C54 (ngc2506)
M48
C50 (ngc2244)
C49 (ngc2237-9)
C46 (ngc2261)

C41 (mel25)
C39 (ngc2392)
M35, M1, M37, M36, M38
C31 (ic405)
C25 (ngc2419)
M44, M67
C48 (ngc2775)
M95, M96, M105, M65, M66
C40 (ngc3626)
C53 (ngc3115)
C59 (ngc3242)

M81, M82
C7 (ngc2403)
C3 (ngc4236)
M97, M108, M109, M40, M106
C21 (ngc4449)
C26 (ngc4244)
C32 (ngc4631)
C29 (ngc5005)
M94, M63, M51, M101, M102

M98, M99, M100, M85, M84, M86
M87, M88, M91, M90, M89

M58, M59, M60, M49, M61
C38 (ngc4565)
C36 (ngc4559)
C35 (ngc4889)
M64, M53, M3
C45 (ngc5248)
C52 (ngc4697)
M104
C60 (ngc4038)
C61 (ngc4039)
M68, M83
C66 (ngc5694)

M5, M13, M92
C6 (ngc6543)
C1 (ngc188)
M57, M56
C15 (ngc6826)

M39
C20 (ngc7000)
M29
C27 (ngc6888)
C33 (ngc6992/5)
C34 (ngc6960)
C37 (ngc6885)
M27, M71

M12, M10, M14, M107, M9, M4
M80, M62, M19

M11, M26, M16, M17, M18, M24
M25, M23, M21, M20, M8, M28
M22

C75 (ngc6124)
C76 (ngc6231)
C69 (ngc6302)
M6, M7, M69, M70, M54, M55, M75
C57 (ngc6822)
C47 (ngc6934)
C42 (ngc7006)
M15, M2, M72, M73
C55 (ngc7009)
C30 (ngc7331)*
C19 (ic5146)
C16 (ngc7243)
C22 (ngc7662)
C12 (ngc6946)
C4 (ngc7023)
C9 (sh2-155)
C2 (ngc40)
M30

*this pre-m30 target sequence is ordered to allow cepheus maximum altitude while moving away from the approaching morning twilight dome.

*****

[c38/the needle galaxy courtesy of sdss]

seds messier marathon homepage

saber does the stars

c14 is awesome! (sdts vol. 2: the index catalogue)

sharpshooting: caldwell 7

sharpshooting: caldwell 7

at magnitude 8.9, caldwell 7 (aka ngc 2403) is the brightest of the non-messier galaxies. in fact, most do a double-take on their first sighting, wondering how this beauty managed to evade chuck’s scrutiny. c7’s nickname ‘the island universe’ comes from its isolation among the realm of dim suns comprising the constellation camelopardalis.

but to draw an rdf bead on c7 we’ll start at the nose of the big bear asterism in ursa major. muscida (1 uma, mag 3.3) is the vertex of a slightly flattened triangle, with c7 and 23 uma (mag 3.7) forming the base. to more easily relate its position i’ve shown a july-ish, right-side up bear, but midnight culmination for c7 is actually in mid-january when our bear is almost upside-down (at which time the galaxy can also be found roughly 25° directly above polaris). the famous galactic pair m81/82 are its closest bright kin, so they’re a good jumping-off point to throw some glass and appreciation at the island universe as well.

happy hunting!

caldwell 7 forms a triangle with muscida and 23 uma

*photo courtesy of dss/chart courtesy of mobile obs*

stephen saber/saber does the stars/2019/all blog contents are free use and may be reprinted with author acknowledgement

* * * * *

 

saber does the stars *external site links*

@ Tumblr:

https://saberdoesthestars.tumblr.com

C14 Is Awesome! SDTS Vol. 2: The Index Catalogue @ Blogger

https://c14isawesome.blogspot.com

@ WordPress:

https://saberdoesthestars.wordpress.com

Saber Does The Stars/Downloadable PDF: http://tinyurl.com/saberdoesthestars-pdf

Sabertime@Photobucket

http://s135.photobucket.com/user/Sabertime/albums/

SaberScorpX@Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/saberscorpx/

Total Solar Eclipse: 21 August 2017

​

For up to 2 1/2 minutes on the afternoon of Monday August 21, 2017 the sky went dark, the stars came out, and the beautiful solar corona was on display for those along the eclipse centerline.

The next total solar eclipse viewable from North America will occur on April 8, 2024.

Link to Google Interactive Map and Path Of Totality Data: http://tinyurl.com/2017pathoftotality

​
*solar corona courtesy of kongregate.com*
*map courtesy of xavier m. jubier*

http://tinyurl.com/saberdoesthestars-vol1
http://tinyurl.com/saberdoesthestars-vol2

*****

Asterisms: Ally’s Braid

​
Prolific stargazer and musician Stephen Saber coined the term Ally’s Braid for this beautiful chain of stars running south and east from the Pleiades (aka the Seven Sisters) in the constellation Taurus, describing the asterism as “the flowing locks of Lady Alcyone”. 
Alcyone is the name of the star marked ‘1’ on the map below.

​
*image courtesy of SDSS*

saberdoesthestars.wordpress.com c14isawesome.blogspot.com

* * * * * 

concordiem borealis

​
Concordiem Borealis

by Stephen Saber

This collection of DSOs and doublestars unifies the Astronomical League’s Messier, Bino Deepsky, Caldwell (the 76 most northern), and Double Star targets as well as the RASC’s 110 Finest NGC Objects (90 of which are Herschel 400s). Three doubles I couldn’t live without are also included.
Designed with those tackling the Observe Programs in mind, the overlapping entries have been omitted- leaving a treasure chest of 400+ gems for northern observers.
Grouped by constellation, the basic data and corresponding Pocket Sky Atlas chart follow each entry.

ANDROMEDA
obj/type/mag/radec/psa
M31 GX 3.5 0043+4119 03
M32 GX 8.2 0043+4055 03
M110 GX 8.0 0041+4144 03
C28/NGC752 OC 5.7 0158+3743 02
C23/NGC891 GX 10.0 0223+4223 02
C22/NGC7662 PN 9.0 2326+4236 03
gammaAnd DS 2.3 0204+4222 02

AQUARIUS
M2 GC 6.5 2134-0047 77
M72 GC 9.4 2054-1230 77
M73 AS 9.0 2059-1236 77
C55/NGC7009 PN 8.0 2105-1120 77
C63/NGC7293 PN 7.5 2230-2046 76
zetaAqr DS 4.3 2229-0001 77
94 Aqr DS 5.3 2319-1328 76

AQUILA
NGC6709 OC 6.7 1852+1022 65
NGC6781 PN 12.0 1919+0634 65
57 Aql DS 5.8 1955-0814 66

ARIES
NGC772 GX 10.3 0200+1903 04
gammaAri DS 4.8 0154+1918 04
lambdaAri DS 4.9 0158+2336 04

AURIGA
M36 OC 6.0 0537+3408 12
M37 OC 5.6 0553+3233 12
M38 OC 6.4 0529+3550 12
NGC1893 OC 7.5 0523+3324 12
NGC1907 OC 8.2 0529+3519 12
NGC1931 CN 11.3 0532+3415 12
NGC2281 OC 5.4 0650+4103 23
C31/IC405 EN — 0517+3416 12
thetaAur DS 2.7 0600+3713 12

BOOTES
C45/NGC5248 GX 10.2 1338+0851 44
NGC5466 GC 9.1 1406+2830 44
deltaBoo DS 3.5 1516+3319 42
iotaBoo DS 4.9 1416+5122 42
kappaBoo DS 4.6 1414+5147 42
epsilonBoo DS 2.5 1445+2704 44
muBoo DS 4.3 1525+3723 42
piBoo DS 4.9 1441+1625 44
xiBoo DS 4.7 1451+1906 44

CAMELOPARDALIS
NGC1501 PN 13.0 0408+6056 13
C7/NGC2403 GX 8.4 0738+6535 21
NGC2655 GX 10.1 0857+7811 21
C5/IC342 GX 9.1 0348+6807 11
Stock23 OC 6.5 0316+6002 11
Kemble1 OC 4.0 0358+6306 11
1 Cam DS 5.7 0432+5355 12
32 Cam DS 5.3 1249+8325 21

CANCER
M44 OC 3.1 0841+1957 24
M67 OC 6.9 0851+1147 24
C48/NGC2775 GX 10.3 0911+0700 24
iotaCnc DS 4.2 0847+2846 24
zetaCnc DS 5.5 0812+1739 24

CANES VENATICI
M3 GC 6.3 1343+2821 44
M51 GX 8.4 1330+4710 43
M63 GX 8.6 1316+4159 43
M94 GX 8.2 1251+4104 43
M106 GX 8.3 1219+4715 43
NGC4111 GX 10.8 1208+4301 43
NGC4214 GX 9.7 1216+3617 43
C26/NGC4244 GX 10.2 1218+3746 43
C21/NGC4449 GX 9.4 1229+4403 43
NGC4490 GX 9.8 1231+4135 43
C32/NGC4631 GX 9.3 1242+3229 43
NGC4656/7 GX 10.4 1244+3207 43
C29/NGC5005 GX 9.8 1311+3700 43
NGC5033 GX 10.1 1314+3633 43
alphaCVn DS 2.9 1256+3819 43

CANIS MAJOR
M41 OC 4.5 0646-2045 27
NGC2359 EN 11.0 0719-1313 27
C58/NGC2360 OC 7.2 0718-1538 27
C64/NGC2362 OC 4.1 0719-2457 27
epsilonCMa DS 1.5 0659-2858 27
h3945 DS 5.0 0717-2318 27

CAPRICORNUS
M30 GC 7.5 2141-2309 77
alphaCap DS 3.6 2018-1233 66
betaCap DS 3.4 2021-1447 66

CASSIOPEIA
M52 OC 6.9 2325+6138 03
M103 OC 7.4 0134+6044 03
NGC129 OC 6.5 0030+6017 03
C17/NGC147 GX 9.3 0034+4833 03
C18/NGC185 GX 9.2 0039+4823 03
NGC281 EN 7.0 0053+5640 03
C13/NGC457 OC 6.4 0120+5823 03
C8/NGC559 OC 9.5 0130+6320 01
C10/NGC663 OC 7.1 0147+6117 01
C11/NGC7635 EN — 2321+6115 71
NGC7789 OC 6.7 2357+5647 03
IC289 PN 13.1 0311+6121 02
Cr463 OC 5.7 0148+7157 01
Stock2 OC 4.4 0215+5916 01
Mark6 OC 7.1 0230+6039 01
Mel15 OC 6.5 0233+6127 01
Tr3 OC 7.0 0312+6315 01
etaCas DS 3.4 0049+5749 03
iotaCas DS 4.0 0229+6724 01
sigmaCas DS 5.0 2359+5545 03

CEPHEUS
C2/NGC40 PN 11.0 0013+7235 71
C1/NGC188 OC 8.1 0045+8523 71
NGC6939 OC 7.8 2032+6040 61
C12/NGC6946 GX 8.9 2035+6011 61
C4/NGC7023 CN 7.0 2101+6812 71
NGC7129 RN 12.0 2141+6608 71
NGC7160 OC 6.1 2154+6238 71
NGC7235 OC 7.7 2213+5719 71
C9/Sh2-155 DN — 2257+6237 71
betaCep DS 3.2 2129+7034 71
deltaCep DS 3.9 2229+5825 71
xiCep DS 4.4 2204+6438 71
Struve 2816 DS 5.6 2139+5729 73

CETUS
M77 GX 8.8 0243+0001 04
C56/NGC246 PN 8.0 0047-1150 07
C62/NGC247 GX 8.9 0047-2043 07
NGC936 GX 10.1 0228-0107 04
C51/IC1613 GX 9.3 0105+0207 05
gammaCet DS 3.5 0243+0314 04

COLUMBA
C73/NGC1851 GC 7.3 0514-4003 18

COMA BERENICES
M53 GC 7.7 1313+1807 45
M64 GX 8.5 1257+2138 45
M85 GX 9.2 1226+1808 C
M88 GX 9.5 1232+1422 C
M91 GX 10.2 1236+1427 C
M98 GX 10.1 1214+1451 C
M99 GX 9.8 1219+1422 C
M100 GX 9.4 1223+1546 C
NGC4274 GX 10.4 1220+2934 45
NGC4414 GX 10.3 1227+3110 45
NGC4494 GX 9.9 1232+2544 45
C36/NGC4559 GX 9.9 1236+2755 45
C38/NGC4565 GX 9.6 1237+2556 45
NGC4725 GX 9.2 1251+2527 45
C35/NGC4889 GX 11.4 1300+2755 45
Mel 111 OC 1.8 1225+2600 45
24 Com DS 5.2 1235+1823 45

CORONA AUSTRALIS
C68/NGC6729 EN 9.7 1902-3657 69

CORONA BOREALIS
zetaCrB DS 5.1 1539+3638 53
sigmaCrB DS 5.6 1615+3352 53

CORVUS
C60/NGC4038 GX 10.7 1202-1855 47
C61/NGC4039 GX 13.0 1202-1856 47
NGC4361 PN 10.0 1225-1851 47
deltaCrv DS 3.0 1230-1631 47

CYGNUS
M29 OC 6.6 2024+3834 62
M39 OC 4.6 2132+4828 62
NGC6819 OC 7.3 1942+4012 62
C15/NGC6826 PN 10.0 1945+5032 62
C27/NGC6888 EN 7.5 2012+3822 62
NGC6910 OC 7.4 2023+4049 62
C34/NGC6960 SN — 2046+3045 62
C33/NGC6992-5 SN — 2057+3145 62
C20/NGC7000 EN 6.0 2059+4422 62
NGC7027 PN 10.0 2107+4216 62
NGC7063 OC 7.0 2125+3632 62
C19/IC5146 CN 10.0 2154+4718 73
betaCyg DS 3.1 1931+2758 62
31 Cyg DS 3.8 2014+4644 62
61 Cyg DS 5.2 2107+3845 62

DELPHINUS
C47/NGC6934 GC 8.7 2034+0724 64
C42/NGC7006 GC 10.6 2102+1611 64
gammaDel DS 4.5 2047+1607 64

DRACO
M102 GX 10.0 1507+5544 42
C3/NGC4236 GX 9.7 1217+6928 41
NGC5907 GX 10.4 1516+5619 42
NGC6503 GX 10.2 1749+7009 61
C6/NGC6543 PN 8.8 1759+6638 51
muDra DS 5.7 1705+5428 52
nuDra DS 4.9 1732+5511 52
psiDra DS 4.9 1742+7209 51
16/17 Dra DS 5.4 1636+5255 52
40/41 Dra DS 5.7 1800+8000 51

ERIDANIS
NGC1232 GX 9.9 0310-2035 17
NGC1535 PN 10.4 0414-1244 17
32 Eri DS 4.8 0354-0257 17
55 Eri DS 6.7 0444-0848 16

FORNAX
C67/NGC1097 GX 9.2 0246-3017 06

GEMINI
M35 OC 5.1 0609+2420 25
NGC2158 OC 8.6 0608+2406 25
NGC2371/2 PN 11.0 0726+2929 25
C39/NGC2392 PN 9.9 0729+2055 25
alphaGem DS 1.9 0735+3153 25
deltaGem DS 3.5 0720+2159 25

HERCULES
M13 GC 5.9 1642+3627 52
M92 GC 6.5 1717+4307 52
NGC6210 PN 9.0 1645+2348 54
alphaHer DS 3.5 1715+1423 52
deltaHer DS 3.1 1715+2450 54
kappaHer DS 5.3 1608+1703 55
rhoHer DS 4.6 1724+3709 52
95 Her DS 5.0 1802+2136 54

HYDRA
M48 OC 5.8 0814-0549 26
M68 GC 8.2 1240-2648 47
M83 GX 7.6 1337-2954 47
C59/NGC3242 PN 8.6 1025-1838 37
C66/NGC5694 GC 10.2 1440-2632 46
N Hya DS 5.8 1132-2916 36

LACERTA
NGC7209 OC 7.7 2205+4630 73
C16/NGC7243 OC 6.4 2215+4953 73
8 Lac DS 5.7 2236+3938 72

LEO
M65 GX 9.3 1119+1302 34
M66 GX 9.0 1121+1256 34
M95 GX 9.7 1044+1139 34
M96 GX 9.2 1047+1146 34
M105 GX 9.3 1048+1232 34
NGC2903 GX 8.9 0933+2128 35
NGC3384 GX 10.0 1049+1235 34
NGC3521 GX 8.9 1106-0005 34
NGC3607 GX 10.0 1117+1800 34
C40/NGC3626 GX 10.9 1121+1818 34
NGC3628 GX 9.5 1121+1333 34
alphaLeo DS 1.4 1008+1158 35
gammaLeo DS 2.2 1020+1951 35
54 Leo DS 4.5 1056+2445 34

LEO MINOR
NGC3003 GX 11.7 0949+3323 33
NGC3344 GX 10.0 1044+2452 35
NGC3432 GX 11.3 1023+3634 33

LEPUS
M79 GC 8.0 0525-2433 16
HR1944 DS 6.4 0539-1751 16
gammaLep DS 3.8 0545-2227 16

LIBRA
NGC5897 GC 8.6 1518-2103 57
alphaLib DS 2.8 1451-1602 57

LYNX
C25/NGC2419 GC 10.4 0739+3852 23
NGC2683 GX 9.7 0853+3323 22
12 Lyn DS 5.4 0646+5927 23
19 Lyn DS 5.6 0723+5517 23
38 Lyn DS 3.9 0919+3648 22

LYRA
M56 GC 8.3 1917+3012 63
M57 PN 9.0 1854+3303 63
betaLyr DS 3.4 1850+3322 63
zetaLyr DS 4.3 1845+3736 63
epsilonLyr DS 5.0 1844+3940 63
Struve 2404 DS 6.9 1851+1059 63
O.Struve 525 DS 6.0 1855+3358 63

MONOCEROS
M50 OC 5.9 0704-0821 27
NGC2232 OC 3.9 0627-0445 27
C50/NGC2244 OC 4.8 0633+0452 25
NGC2251 OC 7.3 0635+0822 25
C46/NGC2261 EN 10.0 0639+0844 25
NGC2264 CN 3.9 0642+0952 25
C49/NGC2237+ EN — 0631+0503 25
NGC2301 OC 6.0 0652+0027 25
NGC2343 OC 6.7 0709-1040 27
C54/NGC2506 OC 7.6 0801-1048 26
betaMon DS 4.7 0629-0702 27
epsilonMon DS 4.5 0624+0436 25

OPHIUCHUS
M9 GC 7.9 1720-1831 56
M10 GC 6.6 1658-0126 56
M12 GC 6.6 1648-0158 56
M14 GC 7.6 1738-0315 56
M19 GC 7.2 1703-2617 56
M62 GC 6.6 1702-3008 56
M107 GC 8.1 1633-1304 56
NGC6369 PN 13.0 1730-2346 56
NGC6572 PN 9.0 1812+0651 65
NGC6633 OC 4.6 1828+0634 65
IC4665 OC 4.2 1746+0543 54
omicronOph DS 5.4 1718-2417 56
36 Oph DS 5.1 1715-2636 56
70 Oph DS 4.2 1806+0230 65

ORION
M42 EN 3.9 0536-0527 16
M43 EN 9.0 0536-0516 16
M78 RN 8.0 0547+0003 16
NGC1662 OC 6.4 0449+1057 14
NGC1788 RN — 0507-0320 16
NGC1973+ EN — 0535-0444 B
NGC1981 OC 4.6 0536-0426 16
NGC2022 PN 12.0 0543+0905 14
NGC2024 EN — 0542-0151 14
NGC2169 OC 5.9 0609+1357 14
NGC2194 OC 8.5 0614+1248 14
betaOri DS 0.1 0515-0812 16
deltaOri DS 2.2 0532-0018 16
theta1 Ori DS 5.4 0536-0523 B
theta2 Ori DS 5.2 0536-0525 B
iotaOri DS 2.8 0535-0555 B
lambdaOri DS 3.6 0535+0956 14
sigmaOri DS 4.0 0539-0236 16
zetaOri DS 1.9 0541-0157 16
Struve 747 DS 4.8 0535-0600 B

PEGASUS
M15 GC 6.4 2130+1212 75
C30/NGC7331 GX 9.5 2237+3427 72
C44/NGC7479 GX 11.0 2305+1222 74
C43/NGC7814 GX 10.5 0004+1612 74
epsilonPeg DS 2.4 2144+0952 75

PERSEUS
M34 OC 5.2 0243+4249 13
M76 PN 12.0 0143+5136 13
C14/NGC869 OC 4.0 0220+5711 13
C14/NGC884 OC 4.0 0223+5709 13
NGC1023 GX 9.5 0241+3906 13
C24/NGC1275 GX 11.6 0320+4133 13
NGC1342 OC 6.7 0332+3722 13
NGC1491 EN — 0404+5120 13
NGC1528 OC 6.4 0416+5115 13
NGC1582 OC 7.0 0433+4352 12
Tr2 OC 5.9 0237+5559 13
Mel20 OC 1.2 0322+4900 13
etaPer DS 3.8 0251+5554 13
Struve 331 DS 5.3 0301+5221 13

PISCES
M74 GX 9.2 0137+1549 04
alphaPsc DS 4.2 0202+0246 04
zetaPsc DS 5.6 0113+0735 05
psi1 Psc DS 5.6 0106+2128 05
65 Psc DS 6.3 0050+2743 05

PUPPIS
M46 OC 6.1 0742-1450 27
M47 OC 4.4 0737-1431 27
M93 OC 6.2 0745-2353 26
NGC2440 PN 11.0 0742-1814 26
C71/NGC2477 OC 5.8 0753-3834 28
NGC2527 OC 6.5 0806-2811 28
NGC2539 OC 6.5 0811-1251 26
NGC2571 OC 7.0 0819-2946 28
kappaPup DS 4.5 0739-2648 27

SAGITTA
M71 GC 8.3 1954+1848 64

SAGITTARIUS
M8 CN 5.8 1804-2423 67
M17 EN 6.0 1821-1611 67
M18 OC 6.9 1820-1708 67
M20 EN 6.3 1803-2302 67
M21 OC 5.9 1805-2635 67
M22 GC 5.1 1837-2354 67
M23 OC 5.5 1757-1901 67
M24 SC 4.6 1817-1850 67
M25 OC 4.6 1832-1915 67
M28 GC 6.9 1825-2452 67
M54 GC 7.7 1856-3028 67
M55 GC 7.0 1940-3057 66
M69 GC 7.7 1832-3221 67
M70 GC 8.1 1844-3217 67
M75 GC 8.6 2007-2154 66
NGC6445 PN 13.0 1750-2001 67
NGC6520 OC 8.0 1804-2754 67
NGC6716 OC 6.9 1855-1952 67
NGC6818 PN 10.0 1944-1408 66
C57/NGC6822 GX 9.0 1945-1447 66

SCORPIUS
M4 GC 5.9 1624-2633 56
M6 OC 4.2 1741-3213 58
M7 OC 3.3 1754-3449 58
M80 GC 7.2 1617-2300 56
C75/NGC6124 OC 5.8 1626-4041 58
C76/NGC6231 OC 2.6 1654-4148 58
C69/NGC6302 PN 13.0 1714-3707 58
betaSco DS 2.6 1605-1948 56
nuSco DS 4.3 1612-1928 56
xiSco DS 4.8 1604-1122 56
Struve 1999 DS 7.4 1604-1127 56

SCULPTOR
C72/NGC55 GX 8.0 0015-3908 78
C65/NGC253 GX 7.1 0048-2514 07
C70/NGC300 GX 9.0 0055-3738 09

SCUTUM
M11 OC 5.8 1852-0615 67
M26 OC 8.0 1846-0923 67
NGC6712 GC 8.2 1854-0841 67

SERPENS CAPUT
M5 GC 5.8 1519+0203 55
deltaSer DS 4.2 1535+1032 55

SERPENS CAUDA
M16 CN 6.0 1819-1347 67
IC4756 OC 4.6 1839+0527 65
thetaSer DS 4.5 1856+0412 65

SEXTANS
C53/NGC3115 GX 9.2 1006-0745 37

TAURUS
M1 SN 8.4 0535+2201 14
M45 OC 1.2 0047+2407 15
NGC1514 PN 10.0 0410+3048 15
NGC1647 OC 6.4 OC 0446+1905 15
NGC1746 OC 6.0 0504+2350 14
NGC1807 OC 7.0 0511+1633 14
NGC1817 OC 7.7 0513+1643 14
C41/Mel25 OC 1.0 0427+1600 15
chiTau DS 5.5 0423+2538 15
118 Tau DS 5.8 0529+2509 14

TRIANGULUM
M33 GX 5.7 0134+3041 02
iotaTri DS 5.3 0212+3018 02

URSA MAJOR
M40 DS 9.0 1222+5805 32
M81 GX 6.9 0956+6902 31
M82 GX 8.4 0956+6939 31
M97 PN 11.2 1115+548 32
M101 GX 7.7 1403+5419 42
M108 GX 10.1 1112+5537 32
M109 GX 9.8 1158+5320 32
NGC2841 GX 9.3 0923+5056 33
NGC3079 GX 10.6 1003+5539 33
NGC3184 GX 9.8 1019+4123 33
NGC3877 GX 12.0 1147+4727 32
NGC3941 GX 11.0 1153+3656 32
NGC4026 GX 12.0 1200+5055 32
NGC4088 GX 10.5 1206+5030 32
NGC4157 GX 12.0 1212+5026 32
NGC4605 GX 11.0 1240+6134 32
zetaUMa DS 2.3 1324+5456 32

URSA MINOR
alphaUMi DS 2.0 0232+8916 01

VELA
C74/NGC3132 PN 8.2 1008-4026

VIRGO
M49 GX 8.4 1230+0757 C
M58 GX 9.8 1238+1146 C
M59 GX 9.8 1242+1136 C
M60 GX 8.8 1244+1130 C
M61 GX 9.7 1222+0425 45
M84 GX 9.3 1226+1250 C
M86 GX 9.2 1227+1254 C
M87 GX 8.6 1231+1221 C
M89 GX 9.8 1236+1230 C
M90 GX 9.5 1237+1307 C
M104 GX 8.3 1240-1140 47
NGC4216 GX 10.0 1216+1306 C
NGC4388 GX 11.1 1226+1237 C
NGC4438 GX 10.1 1228+1258 C
NGC4517 GX 10.5 1233+0004 45
NGC4526 GX 9.6 1234+0739 C
NGC4535 GX 9.8 1235+0809 C
NGC4567/8 GX 11.3 1237+1112 C
C52/NGC4697 GX 9.3 1249-0551 47
NGC4699 GX 9.6 1249-0843 47
NGC4762 GX 10.2 1253+1111 C
NGC5746 GX 10.6 1445+0155 44
gammaVir DS 3.5 1242-0127 45

VULPECULA
M27 PN 8.1 2000+2244 64
NGC6802 OC 8.8 1931+2017 64
NGC6823 CN 7.1 1943+2319 64
C37/NGC6882-5 OC 6.0 2012+2630 64
NGC6940 OC 6.3 2035+2820 64
Cr 399 OC 3.6 1925+2011 64

*****

c76 (the northern jewelbox) in scorpius courtesy of sdss

saber does the stars vol 2: the index catalog
tinyurl.com/saberdoesthestars-vol2

all contents within are free use with author/website acknowledgement

* * * * *

messier marathon from memory (m-cubed)

​
Messier Marathon from Memory (M-Cubed)
by Stephen Saber

Running the M-Cubed is an advanced approach to the Messier Marathon requiring the observer to already be very familiar with each target’s position.
Sharpshooting the Messiers for a few seasons before even hearing of the M-Cubed, my approach included committing the entire sequence to memory.
For easier memorization the 110 Messier objects are broken down into 10 groups, each corresponding to a specific area of the sky. Numeric patterns are added whenever possible while still following the basic search sequence.
I have used this technique to manually hunt and observe all 110 Messiers from Arizona, and 109 on four occasions from 41°N latitude without the aid of starcharts, notes, or red light. Very liberating.
Begin by memorizing the first string of numbers while visualizing their positions. As you become comfortable with these, repeat the process for the subsequent groups.

Evening Rush
74, 77, 33, 31, 32, 110, 52, 103, 76, 34, 45

Southern Comfort
79, 42, 43, 78, 50, 41, 93, 46, 47, 48

Early Ecliptic
1, 35, 37, 36, 38, 44, 67, 95, 96, 105, 65, 66

The Big Bear
81, 82, 97, 108, 109, 40, 106, 94, 63, 51, 101, 102

Downtown Virgo
98, 99, 100, 85, 84, 86, 87, 88, 91, 90, 89

Virgo and the ‘Burbs
58, 59, 60, 49, 61, 64, 53, 3, 104, 68, 83

Easy East
5, 13, 92, 57, 56, 39, 29, 27, 71

Got Globulars?
12, 10, 14, 107, 9, 4, 80, 62, 19

Cruising the Milky Way
11, 26, 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, 23, 21, 20, 8, 28, 22

Homestretch
6, 7, 69, 70, 54, 55, 75, 15, 2, 72, 73, 30

With repetition the individual strings will eventually link together as the entire search sequence is committed to memory. (note: the strings’ titles are by no means written in stone, and can be substituted for any phrase the observer finds mnemonically helpful. also, the classic m-cubed only requires memorization of the target positions- not the search sequence.)

I encourage those interested in attempting this method to practice with mini-M-Cubes throughout the year, going over each leg in sections.
Many end up suprised by the number of object locations that are already familiar outside of their chart and starhopping routine.

[Left Ascension, Feb ’04]

*****

saber does the stars (vol 2: the index catalog)
http://www.c14isawesome.blogspot.com
http://www.saberdoesthestars.wordpress.com

seds messier marathon homepage  http://messier.seds.org/xtra/marathon/marathon.html

all contents within are free use with author/website acknowledgement

*m1 (the crab nebula) courtesy of seds*

Messier Reunions/M-Cubed

stephen saber

an annual ‘marathon’ seems to scare some amateurs off, or just makes it sound like too much work. ‘messier reunions’ might have a more inviting and celebratory feel to it. of course, there are those who dread reunions as well; the bratty kids (virgo cluster), the weird uncle (m73), the daughter who has a hot date and can’t wait to get out of there (m74), the black sheep (m30), et al. speaking of the bratty kids, a question arose about difficulties sharpshooting the virgo galaxies while running an m-cubed ‘naked’ (without lists, charts, redlight, etc.). there are red dot patterns i visualize between denebola and vindemiatrix that have their assigned numbers (most maps are too cluttered in this area to give pattern recognition a chance). plus there are only 3-4 galaxies in the entire area that even compete for brightness. i guess i take it for granted as the collective pattern is burned into my brain, but i’ll take a shot at showing what i ‘see’ in a dark sky, (i fingerpainted this with my mobile’s pic tweak tool so cut me some artistic slack) and the same rdf bullets fired into a crowd. m84/86 are close to midway between denny and vin. note the crude backwards checkmark starting at 6 com, and even cruder coathanger to the southeast.

​

​

*****

Saber Does The Stars at http://saberdoesthestars.wordpress.com

C14 Is Awesome! (Saber Does The Stars Vol. 2: The Index Catalog) at http://c14isawesome.blogspot.com

*****

Addiction

​
before, the sky was where rain and sunshine came from, and the sun and moon had these eclipse thingies every once in a while. all the stars pretty much looked the same. i rarely took notice of anything up there, outside of jets and lightning.
now, my obsession has instilled a vast sense of duty, pride, and shared ownership toward the sky. a part of me is always conscious of it. like i’m responsible for the entire dome’s upkeep, inspection, and promotion. i’m aware of the radec grid, moon, planets, bright stars, constellations, and many deepsky treasures’ positions above and below the horizon, day or night, indoors or outdoors. ghostly red finder dots are superimposed among the stars, landmarks of repeatedly drawing a bead on the otherwise invisible wonders littering the nightsky.
and these are just the involuntary effects.

all this because i wanted to show a girl the star i had ‘bought’ for her (but that’s another story).

stargazing can be a powerful drug. be careful what you ask for.

-stephen saber (drummer, stargazer from chicago, illinois)

saberdoesthestars.wordpress.com

The NGC Asterisms/Going Deep For Doubles: The NGC 140

*ngc 7134: the glum cyclops (my nickname for it, anyway) courtesy of sdss* 

The NGC Asterisms 

Stephen Saber 

Along with the single and double stars erroneously logged as deepsky targets in the New General Catalogue we can also find dozens of fainter asterisms that were originally observed to be (or be involved with) nebulous objects.
Large aperture scopes can scrutinize these stellar suspects that snuck their way into our prestigious DSO database. Happy hunting!

NGC #
305 358 453 629 737 1146 1330 1523 1557 1707 1785 1790
1891 1896 1996 2017 2054 2061 2132 2218 2220 2224 2248
2265 2277 2284 2319 2352 2340 2448 2879 2886 2995 4280
4937 4982 5385 5571 6151 6335 6353 6354 6360 6413 6432
6465 6481 6573 6588 6669 6728 6737 6795 6839 6863 6892
6994 7005 7011 7134 7143 7150 7175 7186 7486 7526 7801
7826 7833

*****

Going Deep For Doubles: The NGC 140 

Stephen Saber

Lightbuckets can also check-out these diminutive doublestars from the NGC/IC database. Most are sufficiently dim so as not to have identifiers, exact magnitudes, spectra, or separations recorded.
In addition, the list provides many interesting insights into the NGC, as well as the observers and optics of that era. Also takes the heat off of Chuck Messier for his two stellar entries.
And kudos to Bob Erdmann, the NGC/IC Team, and SEDS for the most excellent and comprehensive resources. 

NGC 8
00h 08m 45.7s +23° 50′ 16″ Peg **

NGC 18
00h 09m 23.0s +27° 43′ 56″ Peg **

NGC 30
00h 10m 50.7s +21° 58′ 37″ Peg **

NGC 33
00h 10m 56.6s +03° 40′ 33″ Psc **

NGC 44
00h 13m 13.3s +31° 17′ 11″ And **

NGC 156
00h 34m 35.7s -08° 20′ 24″ Cet **

NGC 158
00h 35m 05.5s -08° 20′ 45″ Cet **

NGC 313
00h 57m 45.6s +30° 21′ 58″ Psc ***

NGC 372
01h 06m 44.5s +32° 25′ 44″ Psc ***

NGC 405
01h 08m 34.1s -46° 40′ 07″ Phe **

NGC 453
01h 16m 17.4s +33° 01′ 51″ Psc ***

NGC 464
01h 19m 26.7s +34° 57′ 20″ And **

NGC 510
01h 23m 55.5s +33° 29′ 49″ Psc **

NGC 603
01h 34m 44.0s +30° 13′ 58″ Tri ***

NGC 607
01h 34m 16.3s -07° 24′ 46″ Cet **

NGC 616
01h 36m 04.3s +33° 46′ 12″ Tri **

NGC 728
01h 55m 01.4s +04° 13′ 21″ Psc ***

NGC 737
01h 56m 40.8s +33° 03′ 00″ Tri ***

NGC 760
01h 57m 47.4s +33° 21′ 20″ Tri **

NGC 764
01h 57m 03.3s -16° 03′ 45″ Cet **

NGC 793
02h 02m 54.5s +31° 58′ 51″ Tri **

NGC 832
02h 11m 00.8s +35° 32′ 28″ Tri **

NGC 843
02h 11m 08.1s +32° 05′ 51″ Tri ***

NGC 1014
02h 38m 00.8s -09° 34′ 24″ Cet **

NGC 1059
02h 42m 35.6s +17° 59′ 48″ Ari **

NGC 1237
03h 10m 08.9s -08° 41′ 32″ Eri **

NGC 1240
03h 13m 26.7s +30° 30′ 26″ Ari **

NGC 1243
03h 11m 25.5s -08° 56′ 43″ Eri **

NGC 1251
03h 14m 09.0s +01° 27′ 24″ Cet **

NGC 1257
03h 16m 59.5s +41° 31′ 45″ Per **

NGC 1276
03h 19m 51.2s +41° 38′ 31″ Per **

NGC 1312
03h 23m 41.4s +01° 11′ 05″ Tau **

NGC 1378
03h 35m 58.2s -35° 12′ 40″ For **

NGC 1420
03h 42m 39.8s -05° 51′ 09″ Eri ***

NGC 1456
03h 48m 08.2s +22° 33′ 31″ Tau **

NGC 1488
04h 00m 04.3s +18° 34′ 02″ Tau **

NGC 1498
04h 00m 19.3s -12° 01′ 11″ Eri ***

NGC 1639
04h 40m 53.5s -16° 59′ 40″ Eri ***

NGC 1995
05h 33m 03.3s -48° 40′ 31″ Pic **

NGC 2195
06h 14m 33.9s +17° 38′ 22″ Ori **

NGC 2278
06h 48m 16.3s +33° 23′ 35″ Gem **

NGC 2279
06h 48m 24.7s +33° 24′ 44″ Gem ***

NGC 2285
06h 49m 36.0s +33° 21′ 53″ Gem **

NGC 2378
07h 27m 24.1s +33° 49′ 54″ Gem **

NGC 2386
07h 28m 38.1s +33° 46′ 29″ Gem ***

NGC 2399
07h 29m 50.5s -00° 12′ 45″ CMi ***

NGC 2400
07h 29m 55.5s -00° 12′ 53″ CMi ***

NGC 2433
07h 42m 43.6s +09° 15′ 33″ CMi ***

NGC 2464
07h 57m 32.7s +56° 41′ 26″ Lyn ***

NGC 2471
07h 58m 32.9s +56° 46′ 34″ Lyn **

NGC 2515
08h 03m 21.3s +20° 11′ 17″ Cnc **

NGC 2586
08h 23m 31.3s -04° 57′ 07″ Hya ***

NGC 2597
08h 29m 57.4s +21° 30′ 07″ Cnc **

NGC 2653
08h 54m 55.6s +78° 23′ 37″ Cam **

NGC 2703
08h 55m 47.1s -03° 18′ 25″ Hya **

NGC 2757
09h 05m 25.7s -19° 02′ 52″ Hya ***

NGC 2837
09h 18m 23.3s -16° 28′ 54″ Hya **

NGC 2846
09h 19m 40.3s -14° 40′ 34″ Hya **

NGC 2909
09h 36m 59.9s +65° 56′ 26″ UMa **

NGC 2973
09h 41m 34.7s -30° 02′ 54″ Ant ***

NGC 3000
09h 48m 51.3s +44° 07′ 48″ UMa **

NGC 3063
10h 01m 41.8s +72° 07′ 04″ UMa **

NGC 3129
10h 08m 19.3s +18° 25′ 50″ Leo **

NGC 3170
10h 16m 14.5s +46° 36′ 45″ UMa **

NGC 3210
10h 27m 59.3s +79° 49′ 57″ Dra **

NGC 3229
10h 23m 24.4s +00° 03′ 55″ Sex ***

NGC 3272
10h 31m 48.1s +28° 28′ 07″ LMi **

NGC 3317
10h 37m 43.1s -27° 31′ 11″ Hya ***

NGC 3328
10h 39m 40.3s +09° 12′ 50″ Leo **

NGC 3345
10h 43m 32.0s +11° 59′ 07″ Leo **

NGC 3382
10h 48m 25.6s +36° 43′ 28″ LMi **

NGC 3494
11h 01m 10.9s +03° 46′ 28″ Leo **

NGC 3498
11h 01m 41.7s +14° 20′ 57″ Leo ***

NGC 3538
11h 11m 34.4s +75° 34′ 11″ Dra **

NGC 3792
11h 39m 38.5s +05° 05′ 58″ Vir **

NGC 3874
11h 45m 37.7s +08° 34′ 26″ Vir **

NGC 4367
12h 24m 35.2s +12° 10′ 56″ Vir **

NGC 4397
12h 25m 58.1s +18° 18′ 04″ Com ***

NGC 4427
12h 27m 10.5s +27° 50′ 17″ Com **

NGC 4508
12h 32m 17.4s +05° 49′ 12″ Vir **

NGC 4557
12h 35m 50.3s +27° 03′ 11″ Com ***

NGC 4769
12h 53m 18.0s -09° 32′ 10″ Vir **

NGC 5067
13h 18m 27.7s -10° 08′ 43″ Vir **

NGC 5086
13h 20m 59.3s -43° 44′ 01″ Cen **

NGC 5160
13h 28m 21.6s +05° 59′ 44″ Vir **

NGC 5200
13h 31m 42.3s -00° 01′ 48″ Vir **

NGC 5404
14h 01m 07.5s +00° 05′ 15″ Vir **

NGC 5428
14h 03m 28.0s -05° 59′ 04″ Vir **

NGC 5429
14h 03m 33.3s -06° 02′ 18″ Vir **

NGC 5432
14h 03m 40.6s -05° 58′ 32″ Vir ***

NGC 5435
14h 04m 00.0s -05°55′ 54″ Vir **

NGC 5524
14h 13m 48.9s +36° 22′ 53″ Boo **

NGC 5621
14h 27m 49.7s +08° 14′ 25″ Boo **

NGC 5856
15h 07m 20.2s +18° 26′ 33″ Boo **

NGC 5877
15h 12m 53.1s -04° 55′ 38″ Lib ***

NGC 5884
15h 13m 09.1s +31° 51′ 42″ Boo **

NGC 5922
15h 21m 08.9s +41° 40′ 21″ Boo **

NGC 5948
15h 32m 58.7s +03° 58′ 58″ Ser **

NGC 6092
16h 14m 04.5s +28° 07′ 32″ CrB **

NGC 6133
16h 20m 17.1s +56° 39′ 09″ Dra ***

NGC 6294
17h 10m 16.1s -26° 34′ 28″ Oph **

NGC 6344
17h 17m 18.1s +42° 26′ 03″ Her **

NGC 6406
17h 38m 18.9s +18° 49′ 59″ Her **

NGC 6410
17h 35m 20.5s +60° 47′ 35″ Dra **

NGC 6428
17h 43m 52.5s +25° 33′ 16″ Her **

NGC 6473
17h 46m 58.1s +57° 14′ 21″ Dra ***

NGC 6499
17h 55m 19.9s +18° 21′ 35″ Her **

NGC 6519
18h 03m 20.1s -29° 48′ 15″ Sgr **

NGC 6564
18h 09m 02.3s +17° 23′ 41″ Her ***

NGC 6648
18h 25m 37.7s +64° 58′ 34″ Dra **

NGC 6655
18h 34m 30.8s -05° 55′ 15″ Sct **

NGC 6672
18h 36m 14.3s +42° 56′ 47″ Lyr ***

NGC 6731
18h 57m 13.4s +43° 04′ 36″ Lyr **

NGC 6767
19h 11m 33.8s +37° 43′ 31″ Lyr **

NGC 6797
19h 29m 00.7s -25° 40′ 00″ Sgr ***

NGC 6859
20h 03m 49.5s +00° 26′ 41″ Aql ***

NGC 6896
20h 18m 04.1s +30° 38′ 20″ Cyg **

NGC 6933
20h 33m 38.1s +07° 23′ 14″ Del **

NGC 6963
20h 47m 19.3s +00° 30′ 32″ Aqr **

NGC 6966
20h 47m 26.7s +00° 22′ 04″ Aqr **

NGC 7045
21h 14m 50.2s +04° 30′ 25″ Equ **

NGC 7122
21h 45m 47.8s -08° 49′ 47″ Cap **

NGC 7134   ‘the glum cyclops’
21h 48m 56.2s -12° 58′ 23″ Cap ****

NGC 7136
21h 49m 43.1s -11° 47′ 36″ Cap **

NGC 7148
21h 52m 08.5s +03° 20′ 29″ Peg **

NGC 7158
21h 57m 28.1s -11° 35′ 34″ Cap ***

NGC 7161
21h 56m 57.1s +02° 55′ 39″ Peg **

NGC 7287
22h 27m 16.9s -22° 07′ 00″ Aqr ***

NGC 7304
22h 31m 44.4s +30° 58′ 47″ Peg ***

NGC 7325
22h 36m 48.5s +34° 22′ 05″ Peg **

NGC 7326
22h 36m 52.1s +34° 25′ 23″ Peg **

NGC 7338
22h 37m 31.3s +34° 24′ 52″ Peg **

NGC 7350
22h 40m 48.5s +12° 00′ 23″ Peg **

NGC 7453
23h 01m 25.4s -06° 21′ 24″ Aqr ***

NGC 7502
23h 10m 19.8s -21° 44′ 15″ Aqr ***

NGC 7560
23h 15m 53.7s +04° 29′ 46″ Psc **

NGC 7607
23h 18m 59.1s +11° 20′ 30″ Peg **

NGC 7791
23h 57m 57.3s +10° 45′ 57″ Peg **

NGC 7804
00h 01m 18.7s +07° 44′ 52″ Psc **

NGC 7839
00h 07m 00.6s +27° 38′ 08″ Peg **

*****

Saber Does The Stars at http://saberdoesthestars.wordpress.com

C14 Is Awesome! (Saber Does The Stars Vol. 2: The Index Catalog) at http://c14isawesome.blogspot.com