TAAS Fabulous Fifty Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Saturday August 8, MDT (8:00 pm) All TAAS and other new and not so new astronomers are invited Scorpius

Evening Events 8:00 pm – Meet inside Dee’s house for overview of summer sky pm – View night sky outside. 9:30 pm – Social session inside Dee’s house. 10:00 pm – Optional additional viewing outside.

1.Provide new astronomers a list of 50 night sky objects that can locate with the naked eye. 2. A list that will showcase the night sky for an entire year. 3. A list that the beginning astronomer will remember from one observing session to the next. 4. A list that once observed will be the basis for knowing the night sky well enough to perform more detailed observing. Objectives

1. Divide the observing activities into the four seasons: a. winter –Jan-Feb-Mar b. spring –Apr-May-Jun c. summer – Jul-Aug-Sep d. fall –Oct-Nov-Dec 2. Begin with the bright and easy to locate and identify stars and associated constellations. 3. Add the other constellations for each season. Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Methodology Lyra

4.Add a few naked eye Messier Objects. 5.Include planets as a separate observing activity. 6.Include the Moon as a separate observing activity. 7. Include meteor showers as separate observing activity. Methodology (cont.) Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita M 8 “The Lagoon Nebula” A star forming area Visible to the naked eye

Star Charts Free on-line

Tonight’s process 1.We will first look at a “free” Skymap. It can be downloaded at 2. Then we will examine each constellation and its bright star(s) in detail. 3. Observe outside.

The Evening Sky Map We will examine how to best use the Sky Map We begin by locating the four cardinal directions: a. South b. North c. West d. East Next we will learn how to hold or “orient” the Sky Map as we observe. It is very simple. As you observe, you hold the chart so that the direction that you are looking is at the bottom of the chart. We will now use the Evening Sky Map to find some objects in the night sky. This lesson will use the Northern Hemisphere August Sky Map.

The Messier objects are a set of over 100 astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in Messier was a comet hunter, and was frustrated by objects which resembled but were not comets, so he compiled a list of them in collaboration with his assistant Pierre Mechain, to avoid wasting time on observing them. The number of objects in the catalog is currently 110. The Messier objects are the first deep space objects (outside of our solar system) that amateur astronomers will attempt to observe after observing the moon and the planets. All of the Messier objects are visible in small telescopes and many are observable in binoculars. A few are visible to the naked eye. What Are the Messier Objects (M)?

Constellations Stars Messier Object Ursa Major Dubhe Merak Leo Regulus M 44 “The Beehive” Boötes Arcturus M 3 Review of Spring

Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Constellation Ursa Major “the Big Bear” Two bright stars Dubhe Merak North Star “POLARIS” Pointers to the North Star

Spring Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Constellation Leo “the Lion” Bright star Regulus “The backward question mark” This constellation actually “LOOKS LIKE” a lion.

Spring Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Constellation Bootes (bow-OH-tease) “the herdsman” Bright star Arcturus

Spring Objects in August SkyMap Ursa Major Bootes Leo Looking west Summer Objects

Constellations Stars Messier Object Lyra Vega Cygnus Deneb Aquila Altair Scorpius Antares M 4 Sagittarius Nunki M 8 Summer

Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Constellation Lyra “the Lyre” Bright star Vega “The leaning over” parrelogram

The Summer Skymap Lyra Hold your Skymap with EAST on the bottom and view to the EAST. Lyra

Summer Cygnus “the Swan” Deneb (DEN-ebb) Albireo (double star) Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

The Summer Skymap Cygnus Hold your Skymap with EAST on the bottom and view to the EAST. Cygnus

Summer Constellation Aquila Bright star Altair The “eagle” Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

The Summer Skymap Altair Hold your Skymap with EAST on the bottom and view to the EAST. Aquila

A crowded sky These three constellations are very close to each other. Lyra Cygnus Aquila

Three Bright Stars Three bright stars in three separate constellations create a very visible pattern. Lyra Cygnus Aquila

Three Bright Stars (cont.) Three bright stars in three separate constellations create a very visible pattern. Lyra Cygnus Aquila Summer Triangle

Summer The Summer Triangle Is an asterism Photo Stellarium

A prominent pattern or group of stars, typically having a popular name but smaller than a constellation. Asterism The Summer Triangle is NOT a constellation it is an asterism.

The Summer Triangle The summer triangle is one star from three different constellations.

Visible for almost 7 months. The Summer Triangle June looking EASTDecember looking WEST

Asterism The Big Dipper is NOT a constellation it is an asterism.

The constellation is called “URSA MAJOR.” The asterism is called “THE BIG DIPPER.” The constellation called URSA MAJOR

The constellation is called “URSA MAJOR.” The asterism is called “THE BIG DIPPER.”

Summer Scorpius “the scorpion” Antares M 4 globular cluster Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita M 4

The Summer Skymap Scorpius Hold your Skymap with SOUTH on the bottom and view to the SOUTH. Scorpius

Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Summer has a very big star

Antares A SMALL star A very BIG star Sun

So, how BIG is Antares? 864 million miles = million miles 9.3 x distance to the sun

Summer Photo Wikipedia Constellation Sagittarius Bright star Nunki The “teapot” Nunki

The Summer Skymap Sagittarius Hold your Skymap with SOUTH on the bottom and view to the SOUTH. Sagittarius

The Center of the Milky Way Galaxy

The Summer Skymap Hold your Skymap with South on the bottom and view to the South. Sagittarius Scorpius Galactic Center

The Center of the Milky Way Galaxy

Star hopping to find objects 1. Learning how to move from a know object to an unknown object. 2. Looking for “geometric situations” half-way between two visible stars is the object I want to view

Summer Sagittarius “the teapot” Nunki M 8 Lagoon Nebula Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Nunki M 8

How to Find M 8 Nunki M 8Top of the Pot Almost equal distance In a dark sky M 8 visible to naked eye Almost always visible in binoculars

Two stars of the bowl always point to Polaris (north)

Review Scorpius Aquila Triangle of Summer Cygnus Lyra

Coming in the Fall

Stars Constellations Messier Schedar Cassiopeia Alpheratz Pegasus / Andromeda Alpheratz Andromeda / Pegasus Mirach Andromeda M 31 Mirfak Perseus Fomalhaut Piscis Austrinus Fall Cassiopeia Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita TAAS Fabulous 50 (cont.)

Fall Cassiopeia Schedar Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

Fall Pegasus Alpheratz in Andromeda Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

Fall Andromeda Alpheratz Mirach M 31 Andromeda Galaxy Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Pegasus

Fall Perseus Mirfak Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

Fall Piscis Austrinus Fomalhaut Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

Fall Objects in August SkyMap Looking east Perseus Andromeda Cassiopeia Pegasus

Review Scorpius Aquila Triangle of Summer Cygnus Lyra

The End of Dee’s mumblings Begin to dark adapt by closing one eye before you go outside. Bring with you 1. A red light (cell phone app) 2. Sky Map

The Summer Triangle “an asterism” Star Constellation Vega Lyra Deneb Cygnus Altair Aquila Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

The Summer Triangle

Spring Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Constellation Ursa Major “the Big Bear” Two bright stars Dubhe Merak BUT this photo is actually just an ASTERISM North Star “POLARIS” Pointers to the North Star

The Summer Skymap Hold your Skymap with EAST on the bottom and view to the EAST. Lyra Cygnus Aquila Summer Triangle

Constellations Stars Messier Object Virgo Spica Lyra Vega Cygnus Deneb Aquila Altair Scorpius Antares Sagittarius Nunki M 8 Summer

Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Constellation Virgo “the Virgin” Bright star Spica

The Summer Skymap Hold your Skymap with EAST on the bottom and view to the EAST. Lyra Cygnus Aquila Summer Triangle

Summer Aquila (ack-WILL-lah) “the eagle” Altair Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

Summer Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Constellation Cygnus “the Swan” Bright star Deneb “The Northern Cross”

Summer Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Constellation Scorpius Bright star Antares Looks like a scorpion

Summer Stars Constellations Messier Spica Virgo Deneb (DEN-ebb) Cygnus Altair Aquila (ack-WILL-lah) Antares Scorpius M 7 Nunki Sagittarius M 8 Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Scorpius TAAS Fabulous 50 (cont.) “Summer triangle”

Summer Cygnus “the Swan” Deneb (DEN-ebb) Albireo (double star) Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita