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| Overnight Open Thread (3-28-2013) - Spud Edition »
March 28, 2013
CAC's Spaced Out ChallengeSince we have a few months before Comet ISON can wow us, and PANSTARRS is leaving us fast, here's two challenging object for you morons and ettes blessed with a decent pair of binoculars or gifted with a half-decent telescope. In the Northern Hemisphere, only a small portion of the Centaurus constellation makes an appearance**. However, two of the most spectacular objects "in" it are visible right now if you know where to look. Late March/April gives everyone south of NYC their best chance at spotting Centaurus A and Omega Centauri. Here's how. First up, a bit on the target objects. Omega Centauri Omega Centauri was known until the mid 17th century as a star, hence it's designation. It is the brightest globular cluster in the night sky, and the largest, covering double the apparent view of a full moon. Some have speculated it isn't even a globular at all, but a captured galaxy, regardless it makes for an impressive sight with even a modest telescope. Centaurus A (the "Hamburger" Galaxy) Centaurus A is the fifth-brightest galaxy in our night sky, though it's southern declination discourages a lot of amateurs in our hemisphere from sneaking a peak. It's active galactic nucleus is shooting out relativistic jets at half the speed of light, with radio jets over a million light years long. How to find them What should you expect? Barring exceptional vision, you won't see the Hamburger Galaxy naked-eye in any zone. The further south you are, the more details you may pick out with moderate binoculars and an amateur telescope. Omega Centauri, on the other hand, changes radically the further South you live. IF THE MOON IS FULL, DON'T BOTHER LOOKING FOR BOTH. This should be obvious, but in case it isn't, the brighter the moon, the brighter the sky, and the dimmer the deep sky objects, regardless their apparent brightness. Aim for observing around new moons or consult this site to see when the moon isn't up. Beyond anything else, first thing's first: find a clear, flat view of the Southern horizon. Then find someplace flatter and more horizon-y. The further North you are, the more essential this is. The map below gives you a rough picture of what to expect in your hunt for the southern object, Omega Centauri: If you live in the impossible zone, you're shit out of luck. Zone 1 residents may theoretically spot Omega Centauri with absolutely perfect conditions and little atmospheric interference on the horizon. Zone 2 residents will need to consult the chart below and adjust for their latitude (see how far from the horizon?). Some further tips for urban residents in this zone can be found here.) A naked-eye view is virtually impossible, and binocular viewing will yield at most a fuzzy star. Telescope viewing will require a lot of prep but will yield a slightly less fuzzy clump of stars. Zone 3 residents really start to enjoy the view. Naked-eye viewing is possible, I spotted Omega in Amboy, California on a less-than-ideal night last year and used my binoculars to confirm. The view in the binos resembled a fuzzy clump, through my telescope (with which I had a good two hours of seeing) it started to resemble the picture above. Zone 4 residents: moderately easy naked-eye with good vision and transparency, here both targets rise high enough where atmospheric interference begins to subside. Binocular view in simple 8x50's will yield a swarming ball, through a cheap telescope you are closing in on the above view. Zone 5 residents (southern Lousiana, Texas, most of Florida) can really enjoy all three views. Through a moderate-sized telescope you can resolve individual stars, and large binoculars will yield a view similar to what I enjoyed with a scope. Zone 6 residents: spectacular view, particularly in the Florida Keys. Binoculars of 10x50 or better should bring out the Hamburger Galaxy from the darkest sites in zones two and better, and a modest telescope should yield a view in all six. So the second piece of advice: bring a scope or binos. You've figured out your spot, and you have your binoculars or your dob. Now what do you do? Starhopping to the Objects I don't live in SoCal, you might say. How far above the horizon should I look? ωCentauri is at -47 declination on the celestial map, while Centaurus A is about -43. To figure out how many degrees above the horizon you can expect to spot it, add 47 to your latitude, and subtract that from 90. For example, if you live in, say, Los Angeles, you get just under 9 degrees, or just about a fists-width held out at arms length, and a spread-hand's-width for the Hamburger Galaxy. With every two degrees of latitude north or south, subtract/add a finger's width from the object's altitude above the horizon. Good luck and clear skies!
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