1. TAAS Fabulous Fifty Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Saturday August 8, 2015 2000 MDT (8:00 pm) All TAAS and other new and not so new astronomers are invited Scorpius

2. Evening Events 8:00 pm – Meet inside Dee’s house for overview of summer sky. 9.00 pm – View night sky outside. 9:30 pm – Social session inside Dee’s house. 10:00 pm – Optional additional viewing outside.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Star Charts Free on-line http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

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

8. 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.

9. The Messier objects are a set of over 100 astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1771. 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)?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25. Summer The Summer Triangle Is an asterism Photo Stellarium

26. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

34. Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita Summer has a very big star

35. Antares A SMALL star A very BIG star Sun

36. So, how BIG is Antares? 864 million miles ------------------------.= 9. 3 93 million miles 9.3 x distance to the sun

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

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

39. The Center of the Milky Way Galaxy

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

41. The Center of the Milky Way Galaxy

42. 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

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

44. 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

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

46. Review Scorpius Aquila Triangle of Summer Cygnus Lyra

47. Coming in the Fall

48. 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.)

49. Fall Cassiopeia Schedar Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

50. Fall Pegasus Alpheratz in Andromeda Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

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

52. Fall Perseus Mirfak Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

53. Fall Piscis Austrinus Fomalhaut Photo Courtesy of Naoyuki Kurita

54. Fall Objects in August SkyMap Looking east Perseus Andromeda Cassiopeia Pegasus

55. Review Scorpius Aquila Triangle of Summer Cygnus Lyra

56. 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

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

58. The Summer Triangle

59. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

67. 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”

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