Date:	Sat, 05 Aug 1995, 10:27:42 -0500 (EST)
From:	Tony Cecce, Corning, NY <[email protected]>
Subject:	August Messier Tour

Twelve Month Tour of the Messier Catalog

August Messier Objects

This is the month that we begin to sneak into the summer Milky Way and the

heart of our galaxy as we find 12 more object. Some are visible to the

naked eye, all are possible in binoculars. There are six globular clusters,

four open clusters, and two diffuse nebula. Many of these objects also

appear to be in pairs, either in visual appearance or location.

M10,

M12

This pair of globular clusters in the middle of Ophiuchus are

easily swept up in binoculars looking like small blue snow balls. Through

an 8″ telescope M12 is well resolved while M10 is slightly more fuzzy

looking. Both become very bright towards the center.

M107

A small, fairly faint globular cluster in Uphiuchus. It is a

tough binocular object, appearing as a very small faint patch of light

possibly requiring averted vision. In a telescope, M107 is a larger and

brighter fuzzy patch of light than what can be seen in binoculars.

M9

Another small, relatively faint globular cluster in Ophiuchus. M9

is very similar to M107, only slightly brighter. Another tough, but possible

binocular object.

M19,

M62

Another pair of globular clusters in Ophiuchus separated by about

four degrees. Fairly easy to find in binoculars, they are smaller than

M10 and M12 thus not quite as obvious. These clusters are not resolvable

through small scopes, and appear as round fuzzy patches brightening towards

the center. M19 is slightly brighter than M62.

M6,

M7

This is a pair of large, bright open clusters in Scorpius visible

to the naked eye. Binoculars provide the best view of these clusters. Both

are completely resolvable in 10×50 binoculars and can be fit into the same

field of view. M7 is the larger and brighter of the pair.

M8

This is a bright emmission nebula in Sagittarius, easily visible to

the naked eye. The common name of M8 is the Lagoon nebula. In binoculars

M8 is an oval cloud of light larger than the full moon with several bright

stars embedded within it. A telescope makes this nebula larger and

brighter but does not really improve the view.

M20

Another diffuse nebula in Sagittarius only 1.4 degrees northwest of

M8 and is called the Trifid nebula. This is easily seen in binoculars

looking like a cloud of smoke around some bright stars. A view through

a telescope appears much the same, although try to pick out the three

dust lanes that gives M20 its name. This is a somewhat difficult object

to see right away, at first glance it looks like the optics are in need

of cleaning and are causing the light from the bright stars to “smear”.

M21

This is a small, but bright open cluster in Sagitarius right next

to M20. Binoculars show a very small bright patch partially resolvable.

Small telescopes easily resolve all of the clusters members. M8, M20, and

M21 are all within the same binocular field and lie in a very rich

region of the Milky Way. This view is one of the finest to be found.

M23

The last object of the month is a large open cluster in Sagittarius.

through binoculars M23 is a large, hazy patch of light almost the size of

the full moon. A telescope at low powers easily resolves this cluster

among a rich background of other stars.

Last Month

– M3, M4, M5, M53, M68, M80, M83

Next Month

– M13, M14, M22, M28, M54, M69, M70, M92

A.J. Cecce, Rev. 7/95

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Twelve Month Tour Index –

August tour in Ascii

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Hartmut Frommert

([email protected]).

Christine Kronberg

([email protected])

Last Modification: 6 Apr 1998, 21:30 MEST