TheSkySearchers

If you have any ideas for the September 2019 challenge we would love to hear them!

Please posts your suggestions to this thread, we will put them in the hat for the draw at the end of August!

Remember to be sure they are visible from both hemispheres and easily found with smaller scopes under moderately light polluted skies.

Looking forward to your suggestions!!!

I don't know what would be visible from the southern hemisphere. Would it be below a certain dec?

How about a galaxy? maybe NGC 7331 is too far north, so lets do NGC 7479.

Steve

NGC 7479 would be a worthy challenge.
And for those so inclined posting the hop from Markab or some other starting point would add a nice spice to the dish. :-)

I'm not sure what the parameters of the search area are but I was looking for something that might be interesting. Are Barnard's Galaxy (NGC 6822) and The Little Gem (NGC 6818) in the ballpark? If so maybe they could be a 2 for 1. They are less then a degree apart. I don't know how visible they are and in what.

Let me submit the most difficult bright Galaxy challenge -- M33!!!

Cheers,
JT

For September, I suggest Messier 15 (NGC 7078). At magnitude 6.3 and with an angular size of about 18', it is well within reach of binoculars and small scopes, even in more light polluted locations. At our dark site I have discerned it with the naked eye, and in any instrument it is impressive. As a Class 4 on the Shapley-Sawyer core concentration scale, it displays a compact bright central region that disperses nicely into component stars toward the edge, with some streamers visible as well. It has the unique distinction of being one of only four Milky Way globular clusters that are known to contain a planetary nebula, Pease 1 in this case. This bonus object is an extreme visual challenge for those with larger aperture and access to darker skies and detailed charts/images.

It was discovered in 1746 by Jean-Dominique Maraldi of the Paris Observatory while he was tracking Comet de Cheseaux of 1746. Messier late made an independent discovery of the cluster in 1764. Given that it lies at +12° declination, I feel its characteristics fit nicely into the criteria of the challenge. Of course if someone wishes to give Pease 1 a shot, you can check out the following link - http://www.messier.seds.org/more/m015_ps1fc.html

To find M15, for those who have not committed its position to memory, :smile: see the below chart. I have indicated its position relative to Epsilon Pegasi (Enif) and labeled both its angular distance to that star's northwest (04° 10’ 28”) near the border with Equuleus. I have also indicated the path of stars to follow, labeling them with their magnitudes. The chart is plotted to stellar magnitude 12.0. M15 is relatively easy to locate, but of course we have varying degrees of star hopping skills here. Then again, someone using push-to or go-to it becomes a bit of a no-brainer. Main thing is that everyone enjoy this fine autumn (or spring down south) globular.

i like m32 yea i know its an easy target, but by 9:30 its already at 30 deg high,
hopefully we won t get rain,, so guys no buying stuff for the next month or so

Saturn?

Regards

Graeme

I'm with JT on this one, it has to be M33.

Which gives the better view, your 10" dob, or your binoculars?

I'd go with M33 for Oct, but transits too late for us diurnal people, day folks, that is.

My 8am tee times would not go well!
Steve

M57, the Ring Nebula?

Regards

Graeme