The Coathanger
CR 399
A unique grouping of stars that is shaped like a old-style coathanger. Located in
Vulpecula near border with Sagitta. Hipparchus showed these stars to be a
chance grouping (asterism) and technically not a related cluster. Find by sweeping
across the Milky Way between Altair and Vega, about a third of the way toward
Vega.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
Cr 399
Asterism
3.6
varies by star
~60’
Double Cluster
C14
Two-for one special on open clusters in Perseus. You can see this with the naked
eye. To the west, the denser NGC869 has nearly 200 stars. On the right
(NGC884), about 150. We can see about 30-40 in NGC869 and 24 or so in
NGC484.. Look for the colors, you may see yellow and orange amid the blue and
white. Try looking near the center of the smaller cluster.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
C14, NGC 869
2 open clusters
3.7, 3.8
7,500
~60’
Mizar and Alcor
SAO 028751
The second star in the handle of the Big Dipper, also referred to as the Horse and the Rider. An eyesight
test for the Roman Army. Can you see them both with the naked eye? Actually, the Mizar–Alcor stellar
sextuple system consists of the quadruple system Mizar and the binary system Alcor.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
SAO 028751
double star
2.23,3.99
83 ly
~12’
Owl Cluster
NGC 457
Looks like an Owl, E.T. the extra terrestrial, or Dragon fly. We might call it the
Lobster here in Bar Harbor, and why not? Children like it because it's easy to
identify the two bright eyes.150 stas of mag. 12-15 in Cassiopeia, est. age of 21
Million years
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
NGC 457
Star Cluster
6.4
7922
13.0’
The Inkspot
NGC 6520
The inkspot, one of Elissa’s favorite objects in the dark night sky. Elusive, yet sure
to be a crowd pleaser. Located near the teapot in Sagitarrius it is a bright open
star near a strangely shaped dark cloud called Barnard 86. This cosmic pair is set
against millions of glowing stars from the brightest part of the Milky Way. Very
near galactic center.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
NGC 6520
Star Cluster
?
?
?
Hershel’s Garnet
Star
SAO 033693
Herschel’s Garnet Star is a unique star also known as Mu Cephei. It is a red
supergiant in the constellation Cepeus. It is one of the largest and most luminous
stars known in the Milky Way. It appears garnet red and is given the spectral class
of M2la. The spectrum of this star has served as on of the stable anchor points by
which other stars are classified. The star is approximately 1000 times larger than
our Sun’s radius and were it placed in the Sun's position, its radius would reach
beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Mu Cephei could fit almost 1 billion Suns into its
volume.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
SAO 33693
Star
-7.63
6,000 ly
1000X our Sun
Albireo
SAO 087301
Albireo is a blue-gold double star found at the beak of Cygnus the Swan.
Consisting of Albireo A (amber, mag 3.1), and Albireo B (blue-green, apparent
magnitude 5.1). Separated by 35 seconds of arc, the two components provide one
of the best contrasting double stars in the sky due to their different colors. It is not
known whether the two components are orbiting around each other in a physical
binary system. If they are, their orbital period is probably at least 100,000 years.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
SAO 87301
Double Star
3.1
430 ly
?
Kembles
Cascade
K1
This interesting linear grouping of stars is located beside the Double Cluster. It is
located in the constellation Camelopardalis, is an asterism. It is an apparent
straight line of more than 20 colorful 5th to 10th magnitude stars over a distance of
approximately five moon diameters. The open cluster NGC 1502 can be found at
one end.
#
Type
NGC 1502
Asterism
Magnitude
Distance
varies by star
Size/Diameter
Double Double
SAO 067309
A classic double star, also called Epsilon Lyrae. The widest two components of
the system are easily separated when viewed through binoculars, or even with the
naked eye under excellent conditions. When viewed at higher magnifications, both
stars of the binary can be further split into binaries; that is, the system contains
two binary stars orbiting each other. Being able to view the components of each is
a common benchmark for the resolving power of telescopes.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
SAO 67309
Double Star
3.6
162 ly
Size/Diameter
Antares
SAO 184415
A supergiant star with radius 883 times that of our own Sun. If placed on our sun,
it surface would lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It’s luminosity is 10,000
times of our Sun and 15-18 solar masses. Has a companion star Antares B. Noted
by early Mesopotamian astronomers, named by Ancient Greek for Anti-Mars
similar to reddish Mars.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
SAO 184415
Variable Star
.88-1.16
470 ly
Size/Diameter
Delta Cephei
SAO 034508
A cepheid variable, meaning it changes brightness, and the coolest star of this
type. Varies from a mag 3.48-4.37 over 5 days. In 2002, Hubble Telescope was
used to determine its distance 890 ly. These type of stars are unstable and formed
originally from masses 30 times the mass of our own sun combine.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
SAO 034508
variable star
3.6
890 ly
Size/Diameter
Almach
Gamma And
The third brightest star in Andromeda constellation is actually a double star.
Discovered to be a double in 1778 by Johann Mayer. A bright golden star next to
dimmer indigo-blue star. They are separated by 10 arc-seconds. A beautiful
striking contrast of color.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
SAO 037734
double star
2.3
350 ly
Giant
Uranus
7th planet
Our 7th planet from the sun is considered the “Ice Giant”. Uranus is blue-green in
color and has an atmosphere that is mostly methane. It has has a rotation period
of 17 hours, and orbital period of 84 years. Discovered by William Hershel. It has a
total of 27 different moons! Tough to see in just any old scope, appreciate getting
a glimpse at it!
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
Size/Diameter
7th
planet
3.3
20 AU
Big
Veil Nebula
Cygnus
The Veil Nebula is a cloud of heated and ionized gas and dust in the constellation
Cygnus. It constitutes the visible portions of the Cygnus Loop(radio source W78,
or Sharpless 103), a large but relatively faint supernova remnant. The source
supernova exploded some 5,000 to 8,000 years ago, and the remnants have since
expanded to cover an area roughly 3 degrees in diameter (about 6 times the
diameter, or 36 times the area, of the full moon). The Hubble Space Telescope
captured several images of the nebula. The analysis of the emissions from the
nebula indicate the presence of oxygen, sulfur, and hydrogen.
#
Type
Magnitude
Distance
C 34
Large Nebula
3.6
1470 ly
Size/Diameter