Sky & Deep Sky

f

28 Major Constellations Named Stars The Nick Strobel's Tutorial Tables

25 Lesser Constellations Southern Sky Messier Tables The Greek Alphabet

1) MONOCEROS 2) PUPPIS 3) LEPUS 4) COLUMBA 5) LYNX

MONOCEROS - the Unicorn - Mon

Date & Time

Angular separation Gamma Mon - Zeta Mon = 28°

S Mon and Cone Nebula.
Some of the smallest wispy tendrils seen here are jets of matter ejected from newly formed stars still hidden inside the nebula that fills this picture. The nebula itself is associated with the bright star S Monocerotis and is complex mixture of vivid red hydrogen gas and dark obscuring dust lanes that are tipical of star forming regions. The largest of the dust clouds is in the foreground; it is the curious straight-sided feature that gives the object its name. Some dust patches are close enough to bright stars to reflect light from them; these appear blue for the same reason that the daytime sky is blue, because some of the interstellar particles preferentially scatter blue light.

The Cone Nebula. The brightest star in the picture is the B3 (20.800° K.) star SAO 114264, magn. 7.0

The Rosette Nebula and Open Cluster NGC 2244. The Rosette Nebula exibits a striking circular symmetry which gives it the appearance of a partly-opened rose, an impression enhanced further by the rich red hues seen in this color photograph. Near the center of the nebula is a cluster of blue stars catalogued as NGC 2244. These stars are responsible for making the nebula visible and for creating the hollowed-out central cavity. This cluster of stars formed from the gas that now surrounds it less than a million years ago, and is thus very young by astronomical standards. The gas and dust at the center of the nebula have been forced away from the bright stars by radiation pressure and the intense stellar wind often associated with very hot stars, forming a hollow centered on the cluster.

The centre of Rosette Nebula with NGC 2244 Open Cluster - Magn. 4.8 - Dist. 5.500 l.y.

M 50 - NGC 2323 - Open Cluster Magn. 6.0 - Dist. 2.970 l.y. The open cluster M50 is probably about 3,000 light years distant. Its angular diameter of about 15x20' therefore corresponds to a linear extension of about 18 light years, the central dense part being only about 10' or 9 light years in diameter. Its population is about 200 stars in the main body. The visual appearance is described as a "heart-shaped figure". The brightest star is of spectral type B8 and mag 9.0, and the age is estimated as 78 million years. 7' south of the center is a red M giant, contrasting prominently against its blue-white neighbor stars. The cluster also contains some yellow giants.

PUPPIS - the Stern (of the Argo) - Pup

Date & Time

	Angular separation Azmidiske - Tau Pup = 28°	Click on a star name for more informations         Name Magn. Dist. (L.Y.) Temp.°K C. Type Greek Const. Naos 2.25 2.040 40.000   O5 Zeta Pup Tureis 2.81 281 6.480   F6 Rho Pup Asmidiske 3.34 800 5.360   G6 Xi Pup
		M 47 - NGC 2422 - Open Cluster Magn. 4.5 - Dist. 1.600 l.y.
		M 46 - NGC 2437 - Open Cluster Magn. 6.0 - Dist. 5.400 l.y. A planetary nebula (NGC 2438) appears within the apparent borders of M46. However, this nebula is most probably not a true member but is superimposed.

LEPUS - the Hare - Lep

Date & Time

Angular separation Delta Lep - Epsilon Lep = 11°

M 79 - NGC 1904 - Globular Cluster
Magn. 8.0 - Dist. 43.000 l.y.

M79 is a beautiful globular cluster at a quite unusual location in the sky: most globulars are grouped around the Galactic center, but this is one of the few which are situated in the other hemisphere, i.e. it is beyond us for hypothetical observers in the central stellar bulge of our Milky Way galaxy. It is little over 40,000 light years from us, but about 60,000 light years from the galactic center. M79's apparent diameter of 8.7 minutes of arc corresponds to a linear extension of over 100 light years. This cluster is slightly elliptical, extended at position angle 45 deg, and has only 7 known variables.

COLUMBA - the Dove - Col

Date & Time

Angular separation Phaet - Eta Col = 9°

Click on a star name for more informations         Name Magn. Dist. (L.Y.) Temp.°K C. Type Greek Const. Phaet 2.64 270 13.600   B7 Alpha Col Wezn 3.12 144 4.560   K2 Beta Col

LYNX - the Lynx - Lyn

Date & Time

	Angular separation Alpha Lyn - 2 Lyn = 38°
	Name Magn. Dist. (L.Y.) Temp.°K C. Type Flam. Const. Alsciaukat 4.25 142 4.320   K4 31 Lyn

Constellation pictures are modified screen displaies of Voyager II™ version 2.0 for the Macintosh™, the Astronomy Program of Carina Software, 12919 Alcosta Blvd Suite #7, San Ramon, CA 94583

Go ErectusHome Page