A Tour of the Messier Catalog ~~ in ~~ Eight Spellbinding and Enlightening Episodes ~~ This Being Episode Three ~~ Globulars and Galaxies Warm-up for The Realm
M83 Spiral Galaxy Constellation Hydra the Hundred-Headed Beast Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 13 : 37.0 (h:m) -29 : 52 (deg:m) 15000 (kly) 7.6 (mag) 11x10 (arc min) The Southern Pinwheel galaxy Classified between a normal and barred spiral 1 of the 25 brightest galaxies in the sky Very unusual for its high number of supernovae 6 since 1923; the average is 1 per 300 years per galaxy. Only 1 galaxy has more at 8!
M68 Globular Cluster Constellation Hydra Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 12 : 39.5 (h:m) -26 : 45 (deg:m) 33.3 (kly) 7.8 (mag) 11.0 (arc min) Very rich cluster, over 100,000 members Fast: moving towards us at over 100 km/s Has a diameter of just over 100 light years
M104 Spiral Galaxy Constellation Virgo Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 12 : 40.0 (h:m) -11 : 37 (deg:m) 50000 (kly) 8.0 (mag) 9x4 (arc min) The Sombrero Galaxy Seen 6 degrees from edge-on Noted for its intense equatorial dust lane and large central bulge Hubble has found nearly 2,000 globular clusters 10 X as many as in the Milky Way!
M95 Barred Spiral Galaxy Constellation Leo the Lion Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 10 : 44.0 (h:m) +11 : 42 (deg:m) 38000 (kly) 9.7 (mag) 4.4x3.3 (arc min) Has a ring at the end of the bar About 40 SW of M96 M95, 96 and 105 and several other galaxies comprise the Leo I Group, at a distance of about 38 mil light years Brian Kimball
M96 Spiral Galaxy Constellation Leo Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 10 : 46.8 (h:m) +11 : 49 (deg:m) 38000 (kly) 9.2 (mag) 6x4 (arc min) Companion to M95 Sa type spiral small, bright core Larger and ½ magnitude brighter than M95 Asymmetrical dust lanes
M105 Elliptical Galaxy Constellation Leo Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 10 : 47.8 (h:m) +12 : 35 (deg:m) 38000 (kly) 9.3 (mag) 2.0 (arc min) The 3 rd Messier galaxy in the Leo I group Elliptical class E1 nearly circular on a scale of E0 to E7 In the same field with NGC3384 (top) and NGC3379 (not in Leo I)
M65 Spiral Galaxy Constellation Ursa Major Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 11 : 18.9 (h:m) +13 : 05 (deg:m) 35000 (kly) 9.3 (mag) 8x1.5 (arc min) Forms the Leo Triplett with M66 and NGC3628; an incredible view in the eyepiece! M65 and M66 are only 21 apart; M65 is to the west Long dust lane runs along the east edge Sa type spiral
M66 Spiral Galaxy Constellation Leo Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 11 : 20.2 (h:m) +12 : 59 (deg:m) 35000 (kly) 8.9 (mag) 8x2.5 (arc min) Brian Kimball M66 is the brighter and larger of the 2 M s in this group Irregular arms due to interaction with its neighbors? Messier missed these when his comet of 1773 passed through the field, due to the comet s brightness. He catalogued them 7 years later The companion, NGC3628, is over half again as long as 65 & 66, and over ½ a magnitude fainter. It is an edge-on spiral
M61- Face-On Spiral Galaxy Constellation Virgo Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 12 : 21.9 (h:m) +04 : 28 (deg:m) 60000 (kly) 9.7 (mag) 6x5.5 (arc min) 1 of the largest galaxies in the Virgo cluster 100,000 LY similar to the Milky Way SAB type barred spiral almost round Widely spaced arms
M49 Elliptical Galaxy Constellation Virgo Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 12 : 29.8 (h:m) +08 : 00 (deg:m) 60000 (kly) 8.4 (mag) 9x7.5 (arc min) Elliptical class E4 1 of if not the brightest member of the Virgo cluster 1 st member of Virgo group discovered by Messier Due to a lack of young blue stars, it is yellower than most galaxies 1 of the largest ellipticals known, with a mass 5 X that of the Milky Way
M53 Globular Cluster Constellation Coma Berenices Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 13 : 12.9 (h:m) +18 : 10 (deg:m) 58.0 (kly) 7.6 (mag) 13.0 (arc min) Large, rich cluster Concentration class V for comparison purposes if you are working on the Globular certificate How far in can you resolve individual stars? 1 degree SE is NGC5053; it was thought to be a very rich open, but has now been confirmed as a very loose globular! How does it look to you?
M64 Spiral Galaxy Constellation Coma Berenices Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 12 : 56.7 (h:m) +21 : 41 (deg:m) 19000 (kly) 8.5 (mag) 9.3x5.4 (arc min) The well-known Black Eye or Sleeping Beauty Galaxy The dark dust cloud is easily seen Thought to be the remnant of an absorbed small companion; there are active star-forming regions along the edge of the dust cloud, otherwise it is a fairly homogenous galaxy
M3 Globular Cluster Constellation Canes Venatici Right Ascension Declination Distance Visual Brightness Apparent Dimension 13 : 42.2 (h:m) +28 : 23 (deg:m) 33.9 (kly) 6.2 (mag) 18.0 (arc min) 1 of the best globular clusters in the sky it is 1 of the 3 brightest with M5 and M13 Can be a naked-eye object in dark skies have you seen it? Many lines and streams of stars radiating outward Brian Kimball Very resolvable in large scopes how far in can you resolve individual stars?
Credits & Acknowledgements: Star Maps: Text: Photos: Night Vision, courtesy of Brian Simpson Burnhams Celestial Handbook National Optical Astronomy Observatory SEDS University of Arizona Brian Kimball National Optical Astronomy Observatory