KT4HX

Normally I would say welcome to May and a new edition of the DSTM. However given the larger scale and complexity of this edition, I am releasing it earlier so that folks can take advantage of the dark cycle in April as well.

This time of year the attention of many observers is focused on galaxies. The coming of spring in the north and autumn in the south has become known as galaxy season because of the favorable placement of the Virgo Galaxy Cluster. Of course galaxies are in such ...

Updated 04-14-2018 at 03:27 PM by KT4HX

Tags: coma berenices, galaxies, messier, virgo, virgo galaxy cluster

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Deep Sky This Month

April showers bring May flowers. This saying is as old as the hills, but does contain more than a modicum of truth. But April also brings spring galaxies galore. It is easy to get wrapped up in the galaxy fields of Leo and Virgo, but we’re not going to do that here. Above the back of Leo is an oft forgotten constellation, the little lion. Leo Minor isn’t a bright or large constellation, as it is number 64 of the 88 in terms of area. Nor does it have any Messier objects, unlike its big brother ...

Tags: dsos, dstm, galaxies, leo minor

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Deep Sky This Month

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The southern skies during mid-evening in April are alive with treasures as one sweeps east through Carina, Vela and Centaurus. One could easily immerse themselves in any of these three constellations for a while and still have plenty left over for more visits. Our focus this month will be on a bright globular in Carina and a bright planetary nebula in Vela. These are fine objects visible in smaller apertures, but of course as with many DSOs, if you have more aperture to throw at them, they can ...

Tags: carina, dstm, globular cluster, planetary nebula, vela

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Deep Sky This Month

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Simpson 7 or HD 115319 Group
Position: RA 13h 16m 19.2s; Dec +19° 00’ 44”
Constellation: Coma Berenices, Berenices’ Hair
Brightest star: HD 115319 (mag 6.5)
Size: 38.5’ x 18.5’


My next group for your consideration also lay in Coma Berenices. We will move east of the primary right triangular pattern formed by the constellation’s three brightest stars and focus our attention northeast of mag 4.3 Alpha (Diadem). Of course the main reason most come to this ...

Tags: asterism, coma berenices, simpson 7

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Simpson Asterisms

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Simpson 6 or 28 Comae Berenices Group
Position: RA 12h 46m 42.7s; Dec +13° 29’ 37”
Constellation: Coma Berenices, Berenices’ Hair
Brightest star: 28 Comae (mag 6.5)
Size: 64.5’ x 18.0’



This is an asterism that I have seen numerous times during my countless forays into the Virgo galaxy cluster over the decades. While I have certainly began many journeys into this galaxy rich area from Denebola in Leo, I have also utilized the stars ...

Tags: asterism, coma berenices, simpson 6

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Simpson Asterisms

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