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Messier Marathon
| Title |
Messier Marathon |
| Explanation |
Gripped by an astronomical spring fever [ http://www.zzotto.com/rfc/CFTrip.htm ], it's once again time for many amateur stargazers to embark on a Messier Marathon [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/marathon/marathon.html ]! The Vernal Equinox [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960922.html ] occurs March 20, marking the first day of Spring for the Northern Hemisphere. It also marks a favorable celestial situation [ http://www.reflector.org/MESSIER.HTM ] for potentially viewing all the objects in 18th century French astronomer Charles Messier's catalog [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/biograph.html ] in one glorious dusk to dawn [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/marathon/hall.html ] observing run. This year [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/marathon/mm2000.html ] a bright full moon will interfere with dark skies near the actual equinox, so good nights near new moon for weekend marathoners are March 11/12 and April 1/2. (As an added bonus all the planets [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000310.html ] in the solar system can be viewed on these dates.) Astronomer Paul Gitto has created this masterful Messier Marathon [ http://www.cometman.com/messier.html ] grid with 11 rows and 10 columns of Messier catalog objects [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/m-cat.html ]. In numerical order, the grid begins with M1, the Crab Nebula, [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960626.html ] at upper left and [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m102.html ] ends with M110 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m110.html ], a small elliptical galaxy in Andromeda (lower right). Gitto's images were made with a digital camera and a 10-inch diameter reflecting telescope. |
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A Galaxy is not a Comet
| Title |
A Galaxy is not a Comet |
| Explanation |
This gorgeous galaxy and comet portrait [ http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/comets/ gallery_iz.html ] was recorded on April 5th in the skies over the Oriental Pyrenees near Figueres, Spain [ http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ sp.html ]. From a site above 1,100 meters, astrophotographer [ http://www.skylook.net/nav/indexe.htm ] Juan Carlos Casado used a guided time exposure, fast film, and a telephoto lens to capture the predicted conjunction of the bright Comet Ikeya-Zhang [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020404.html ] (right) and the Andromeda Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000908.html ] (left). This stunning celestial scene would also have been a rewarding one for the influential 18th century comet hunter Charles Messier [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/ biograph.html ]. While Messier scanned French skies for comets, he carefully cataloged positions of things which were fuzzy and comet-like in appearance but did not move against the background stars and so were definitely not comets. The Andromeda Galaxy [ http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ANDROMEDA_Atlas/ frames.html ], also known as M31, is the 31st object in his famous not-a-comet catalog [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/xtra/history/ m-cat.html ]. Not-a-comet object number 110 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/ m110.html ], a late addition to Messier's catalog, is one of Andromeda's small satellite galaxies, and can be seen here just below M31. Our modern [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/diamond_jubilee/ debate20.html ] understanding [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/goodies/data_resources/ galaxies.text ] holds that the Andromeda galaxy is a large spiral galaxy some 2 million light-years distant [ http://www.anzwers.org/free/universe/localgr.html ]. The photogenic Comet Ikeya-Zhang [ http://www.stardate.org/nightsky/comet_IZ.html ], now a lovely sight in early morning skies [ http://www.spaceweather.com/images2002/08apr02/ skymap_north.gif ], is about 80 million kilometers (4 light-minutes) from planet Earth. |
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A Galaxy is not a Comet
| Title |
A Galaxy is not a Comet |
| Explanation |
This gorgeous galaxy and comet portrait [ http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/comets/ gallery_iz.html ] was recorded on April 5th, 2002, in the skies over the Oriental Pyrenees near Figueres, Spain [ http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ sp.html ]. From a site above 1,100 meters, astrophotographer [ http://www.skylook.net/nav/indexe.htm ] Juan Carlos Casado used a guided time exposure, fast film, and a telephoto lens to capture the predicted conjunction of the bright Comet Ikeya-Zhang [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020404.html ] (right) and the Andromeda Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021021.html ] (left). This stunning celestial scene would also have been a rewarding one for the influential 18th century comet hunter Charles Messier [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/ biograph.html ]. While Messier scanned French skies for comets, he carefully cataloged positions of things which were fuzzy and comet-like in appearance but did not move against the background stars and so were definitely not comets. The Andromeda Galaxy [ http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ANDROMEDA_Atlas/ frames.html ], also known as M31, is the 31st object in his famous not-a-comet catalog [ http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/xtra/history/ m-cat.html ]. Not-a-comet object number 110 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/ m110.html ], a late addition to Messier's catalog, is one of Andromeda's small satellite galaxies, and can be seen here just below M31. Our modern [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/diamond_jubilee/ debate20.html ] understanding [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/goodies/data_resources/ galaxies.text ] holds that the Andromeda galaxy is a large spiral galaxy some 2 million light-years distant [ http://www.anzwers.org/free/universe/localgr.html ]. The photogenic Comet Ikeya-Zhang [ http://www.stardate.org/nightsky/comet_IZ.html ], then a lovely sight in early morning skies was about 80 million kilometers (4 light-minutes) from planet Earth. |
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Messier Marathon
| Title |
Messier Marathon |
| Explanation |
Gripped by an astronomical spring fever [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/marathon/marathon.html ], this week many amateur stargazers embark on a Messier Marathon [ http://www.reflector.org/MESSIER.HTM ]. The Vernal Equinox [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960922.html ] occurs Saturday, March 20, marking the first day of Spring for the Northern Hemisphere. It also marks a favorable celestial situation for potentially viewing all the objects in 18th century French astronomer Charles Messier's catalog [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/biograph.html ] in one glorious dusk to dawn [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/marathon/results.html ] observing run. This year, interference from bright moonlight will be minimal as the the moon is near its dark or new phase. Astronomer Paul Gitto has created this masterful Messier Marathon [ http://www.cometman.com/messier.html ] grid with 11 rows and 10 columns of Messier catalog objects [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/m-cat.html ]. In numerical order, the grid begins with M1, the Crab Nebula, [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960626.html ] at upper left and ends with M110 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m110.html ], a small elliptical galaxy in Andromeda (lower right). Gitto's images were made with a digital camera and a 10-inch diameter reflecting telescope. |
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