Steve & Debbie Russell's Telescope Clinic
Sculptor
NGC 253 barred spiral galaxy m7.1 25 x
5’ 0h 47m, 25d 17m S SA # 18
Find Diphda, 27° NE of Fomalhaut; 7-1/3°
south is the galaxy.
From Diphda, 4° south are 3 m5 stars; hop
same again to galaxy.
Andromeda
M31 Andromeda Galaxy m3.5 >3° 0h 43m,
41° N SA # 4
find northernmost star in Great Square of
Pegasus, then hop northeast “down 2” then turn northwest “up
2” the galaxy is near that star. Also nearby are galaxies M32
(nearly stellar but easy) and M110 (diffuse).
NGC 891 edge-on galaxy m10 14' x 2' 2h 23m
, 42° N SA # 4
When finding M31, “down 2” is hops of 7
& 8°, hop again 12-1/2° to Almach (gamma Andromeda) a
blue/yellow double, then scoot east 3-1/2° for this galaxy.
Pegasus
NGC 7331 galaxy 1/2° SW is Stephan’s
Quintet (4 of 5 are 300 million ly)
m9.5 10 x 3’ 50 million ly 22h 37m, 34° N
SA # 9
5° southwest of Scheat (westernmost star in
the Great Square of Pegasus) find the finder-double (m4 1°
apart). Scoot 6° north to a similar pair then continue 6°
to a close pair of m6 stars, backtrack 1° past 2 m8 stars to
the galaxy. Look for nearby galaxies. Fainter <difficult>
Stephan’s Quintet lies 1/2° south-southwest, and millions of
light-years farther away.
NGC 7479 barred spiral galaxy m11 4 x 3.3’
130 million ly 23h 4m, 12° N SA # 17
3° from Markab, in line with the side of
the Great Square of Pegasus formed by Scheat and Markab
(Markab is the southernmost star in the square; Scheat is
toward west).
M15 GC m6.2 12’ 21h 30m, 12° N SA # 17
Hop from 7-1/2° Theta (Biham) to Epsilon
(Enif) and half that distance again.
Theta (Biham) is 16° south-southwest of
Alpha Pagasus (Markab), the southernmost star of the great
square of Pegasus.
This GC contains a very <difficult>
PN, Pease 1.
Pisces
M74 NGC 628 face on spiral galaxy <difficult>
m9.19 11 x 9’ 2 million ly 1h 36m, 16°
N SA # 10
The 2 principle stars of Aries are 4°
apart. Use them to hop south 6-1/2°, 1° past a m6 star.
Also – Mesarthim, m4.8 sep 8” orange-green
double, 1-1/2° south of 2nd star in hop.
Perseus
M76 NGC 650 Little Dumbbell PN m12 4.8’
1500 ly 1h 42m , 51° N SA # 4
As when finding M31, “down 2” hops of 7
& 8°. Hop 14° northeast to m4 star; M76 is 3° past.
M34 NGC 1039 OC rich m5.2 35’ 1500 ly 2h
42m, 43° N SA # 4
Find Triangulum. Hop 10° (half way) from
northernmost star (brightest, at “short end” of triangle)
toward Alpha Persei
NGC 1499 California Nebula <difficult>
2-1/2 x 3/4° 4h, 37° N SA # 4
12° north of the Pleiades. Mid-way between
pair of m3 stars on outskirts of Perseus.
Eridanus
NGC 1300 barred spiral galaxy m10.4 6 x
3.5’ 3h 19m, 19d 25m S SA # 10, 18
Fornax
NGC 1365 barred spiral galaxy 60 m. l-y
m9.5 8’ 3h 33.6m, 36d 8m S SA # 18
Cetus
M77 NGC 1068 round galaxy <difficult>
m8.8 7’ 47 million ly 2h 42m, 0° S SA # 10
Mid-way between 2 bright stars (m2 &
m2.8) (13° apart) in Cetus. 1° east of m4 star. This part of
Cetus found 28° southwest of Pleiades or 23° south-southeast
of Aries.
Monoceros
NGC 2244 open cluster surrounded by
faint Rosette Nebula <difficult>
m4.8 24’ 6h 32m, 5° N SA # 11, 12
9-1/2° east-southeast of Betelgeuse. Angle
is ~90° from Alnitak in Orion.
Canis Major
Deb’s Cluster NGC 2362 OC m4.1 8’ 7h
18m, 25° S SA # 19
Find 2 bright stars 8-1/2 & 11-1/2°
south-southeast of Sirius. Finder-hop at an angle 90° to the
northeast 2-3/4° to the cluster, which is wrapped around a
m4.4 star.
Gemini
M35 OC m5 28’ 6h 10m, 24° N SA #5
lovely cluster with another nearby that is
5x distant, just above the foot of the western twin of
Gemini.
Lynx
NGC 2419 GC “Intergalactic Wanderer” m10.4 4.1’ 300,000 ly 7h 38m, 39° N SA #
5
7° north of Castor, which is a lovely
double star
NGC 2683 galaxy m9.7 8x2’ 8h 53m, 33° N SA # 6
from M44, hop 9° mostly north to Iota
Cancer (yellow-white double m4.2) then continue 5° same
direction. Galaxy is along base of 1-1/2° wide triangle.
Puppis
M46 NGC 2437 OC m6.1 27’ 7h 41m, 15° S
SA # 12, 19
NGC 2438 small PN m10 1.1’ within cluster,
obvious with larger telescope.
Scoot 2° north of Sirius. Cluster is
13-1/2° east of there, ~1° past M47.
NGC 2477 OC m5.8 27’ 7h 52m, 39°S SA # 19
Far to the south. Hop 11-1/2° from Sirius
to Wezen, then 15° same direction, just past NGC 2451, a
bright OC.
Ursa Major
M81 NGC 3031 & M82 NGC 3034
galaxies
m8.4 8.4 x 3.4’ 11 million ly 9h 55m, 69° N
SA # 2
Hop a diagonal across the Big Dipper bowl
(Phecda-Dubhe, the pointer nearer Polaris) then repeat.
M108 NGC 3556 galaxy m10.1 8 x 2’ 11h 11m,
56° N SA # 2
From Merak (Big Dipper pointer farther from
Polaris), scoot 1-1/2° southeast; not quite toward Phecda,
more like at a right angle from the Little Dipper bowl.
M97 NGC 3587 Owl Nebula PN m11.2 3.2’
10,000 ly 11h 14m, 55° N SA # 2, 6
Less than 1° from M108 in similar
direction, southeast from Merak.
M109 NGC 3992 galaxy m9.8 7 x 4’ 11h 57m,
53° N SA # 2
Less than 1° from Phecda, in line from
Merak (along bottom of bowl).
M101 NGC 5457 face-on galaxy m7.7 40’ 14h
3m, 54° N SA # 2, 7
Forms triangle with Alkaid (end of Big
Dipper handle) and Mizar/Alcor (double, next up the handle).
Large, low surface brightness.<difficult>
Leo
NGC 2903 barred spiral galaxy m8.9 13 x 5’
9h 32m, 21d 30m N SA # 6
1-1/2° south of a m4.5 star at end of Leo’s
backward question mark.
M95 NGC 3351 & M96 NGC 3368 & M105
NGC 3379 galaxies, little detail, bar on M95 not likely seen,
all ~ m9
10h 44m to 10h 47m, 11d 42m to 12d 35m N SA
# 13
Found 9-1/2° east of Regulus
Virgo
M104 Sombrero Galaxy edge-on m8 9' x 4' 12h 40m, 11d 40m S SA # 14
Start at northeast star in Corvus, finder-hop 3° north to 2° long "mini-Sagitta." M104 is 1° northeast of end of the
arrow. The galaxy is 11° east of Spica and 1/2° south. Also check nearby asterism, said to be hammerhead shark.
Hydra
M83 NGC 5236 barred spiral galaxy m7.6
10.5’ 13h 37m, 29d 52m S SA # 21
slightly east of and 19° south of Spica
while en route, Omega Centauri is 36° south
of Spica <difficult>
NGC 3242 Ghost of Jupiter PN m9 20.8’(?)
10h 24m, 19° S SA # 13
31° south of Regulus. Forms shallow
triangle with 2 faint stars southeast of and in line with
Alphard, m2.2.
Coma Berenices
NGC 4565 galaxy m9.6 12 x 1.5’ ~ size of
Milky Way, 25 M l-y 12h 36m, 26° N SA # 7
Identify the 3 principle stars in Coma
(Alpha, Beta, & Gamma). Start at gamma (northwest). Hop
2-1/2° SSE, ending at a wide double. Then hop 1-1/2° east to
the edge-on galaxy.
– OR – from gamma, scoot 2° east &
slightly south to galaxy NGC 4559. Then drop 2° south to NGC
4565
M64 NGC 4826 Black-eye Galaxy m8.5 10 x
3.8’ 12h 56m, 22° N SA # 7
Hop 5-1/2° from alpha Coma toward gamma in
the northwest, to the brightest star in the field, m5. The
galaxy is 1° northeast, a right-angle from the prior direction
of scanning.
Canes Venatici
M106 galaxy m8.4 18x7’ 12h 19m, 47° N SA # 2
from Phecda, southernmost star on handle side of Big Dipper bowl
hop 6° south to m4 star then 6° east toward handle to 2 stars, galaxy
is 1° from fainter star and away from brighter star.
M3 GC m6.4 16’ 13h 43m, 28° N SA # 7
from Arcturus, hop 5° southwest to Muphrid,
then turn 90° to northwest and hop 3° to a double, continue
same direction again 4-1/2° to lone bright star, then 3° again
to 2 stars and the cluster. Visible in finder from good
location on Moonless nights.
Serpens Caput
M5 GC m5.8 17’ 15h 19m, 2° N SA # 4, 15
find wide naked-eye pair in Serpens, in
line with closer pair in Ophiuchus (10° away), find mid-way
point between pairs, then hop west 10°. <<Need a better
hop!>>
Not much better: from Arcturus, hop 8°
southeast to m4 star, then 15° same direction. M5 is slightly
south of the line from Arcturus to the second star.
Scorpius
M4 GC near Antares m5.9 26’ 16h 24m,
27° S SA # 22
from Antares, hop 1-1/3° west. Barely
visible in finder. Ridge of stars running N-S visible on
cluster.
Draco
Cats Eye Nebula m8.1 20x30’ 17h 59m, 67° N SA # 3
Identify star in Draco between bright star in Draco lozenge
and Little Dipper bowl then scoot 4° toward next star in Draco
toward Cepheus and Cygnus to find m5 pair then center finder on that
pair and similar pair 5° southwest, and one star centered in finder
is the nebula.
Sagittarius
M22 GC m5.1 24’ 18 37m, 24° S SA # 22
find Kaus Borealis the star at the top of
the teapot, then hop 2-1/2° east. In finder, will see 2
multiple stars with a large fuzzball between.
Scutum
M11 Wild Duck Cluster OC m5.8 14’ 18h
52m, 6° S SA # 16
from Altair (southernmost of Summer
Triangle), eye-hop 8-1/2° south (in a direction counter to the
2 stars framing Altair), then eye-hop another 10° the same
direction to a large oval arrangement of bright stars. M11 is
one of them, with 4 in a trapezoid pointing to the cluster.
Aquila
NGC 6781 PN m11 1.8' 19h 18m, 7° N SA # 16
from hop-star between Altair and M11, hop NW 2° to 3 stars in a row. Center them, find 3 m7 in a row NW 2°, nebula is 1/2° NE of the northenmost of the 3 stars.
Lyra
M57 Ring Nebula PN m9.0 2.5’ 18h 54m,
33° N SA # 8
from Vega, find the parallelogram to the
southeast, then find the short southern end in the finder. The
nebula is found where 1 star is “missing” in the row of 4 seen
in a finder.
M56 GC m8.2 7’ 19h 17m, 30° N SA # 8
smallish globular. Start in Lyra at end of
parallelogram that includes M57; the stars are 2° apart. Scoot
4° that same direction toward (and half-way to) Albireo.
Hercules
M13 Great Hercules Cluster GC m5.9 17’
16h 42m, 36° N SA # 8
find the 6 stars outlining a butterfly,
then look along the west side of the northern portion
(the “keystone”). Try the faint smudge of
galaxy 1/2° northeast. <difficult>
Cygnus
M39 OC m4.6 1/2° wide 21h 32m, 48° N SA # 9
Start at Alderamin (in Cepheus,
southeastern star of square) then hop <8° to other southern
“square” star, turn 90 degrees toward Cygnus 11°
Le Gentil 3 huge dark nebula north of Deneb
~6°? <difficult> SA # 9 (not shown)
Dark rift in Milky Way, parallel to and
just east of long side of Northern Cross. M29 is at edge of
rift, 1.8° south of Sadr (Gamma).
NGC 7000 North American Nebula 20h 59m, 44°
N SA # 9
3+ degrees east of Deneb. Scan with finder
or lower magnification. <difficult>
NGC 6826 Blinking Planetary m8.8 19h 45m,
50° N SA # 8
From star at west or Vega end of crossbar, finder-hop
north 5° to unbalanced V of m4 to 6 stars, nebula is 1/2° past
the last star. At 100 to 150x, alternate between direct &
peripheral vision to make nebula blink.
M29 OC m6.6 6’ 20h 24m, 38° N SA # 9
Located 1.8° south of star at center of
cross; is at edge of the rift.
NGC 6910 OC m7.4 8’ 20h 23m, 41° N SA # 9
Find small circle of finder stars around star Sadr at center
of cross. Cluster is one of them, 32’ north of main star.
NGC 6866 OC m7.6 7’ 20h 4m, 44° N SA # 8
Located 5° from star at center of cross
toward bright star at west or Vega end of cross. It’s 3-1/2° from
cluster to that star.
NGC 6811 OC m6.8 19h 37m, 46° N SA # 8
from star at west or Vega end of crossbar, finder hop nearly
2° farther, past 2 stars to cluster.
Veil Nebula SA # 9
From star at east end of cross, scoot south
3-1/4° to naked-eye star 52 Cygnus. Western portion of Veil
runs through the star. Eastern portion is northeast from 52,
not the direction this arc might indicate. <difficult>
Cepheus
NGC 6939 OC m7.8 6’ 20h 31m, 61° N SA # 3
NGC 6946 galaxy m8.8 11 x 10’ 20h 35m, 60° N (actually in Cygnus)
Alpha Cepheus is at W end of “floor” of “house.” Hop 4° W to m3 star, then continue 2° farther
to OC, galaxy is 40’ SW from OC.
Delphinus
Gamma Delphinus nose of dolphin 20h
47m, 16° N SA # 16
bright star is double; 1/4° toward
dolphin’s tail is another double.
Beta, where tail connects with dolphin, is
triple. SA # 16
The Flyswatter, 1/4º NW of the dolphin’s
nose; 4 star handle and 4 star rectangular end.
Sagitta
M71 GC m8.2 7’ 19h 54m, 19° N SA # 8
Find 2-2-1 pattern of Sagitta. Finder will
show between 2-1 there are 2 bright stars; the one toward the
“1” star is the cluster.
H20 OC m6.8 6’ 19h 53m, 18° N SA # 8
28’ south-southwest of M71, easy to
overlook.
Vulpecula
M27 Dumbbell Nebula PN m8 15’ 20h, 23°
N SA # 8
From the “1” star in Sagitta, scoot 3°
north in finder. Found near star in zig-zag or “M” pattern, at
bottom-center of M. Looks like a fuzzy star in finder.
Aquarius
Helix Nebula NGC 7293 PN m7.3 16x12’
22h 30m, 21° S SA # 23
Find 2 stars ~2° apart at eastern end of
Capricornus; 16° east is a bright star in Aquarius
(alternately found 14° north of Fomalhaut). Hop 4° southwest
then 3° in the same direction to a mag 5.2 star. The Helix is
1.2° west. Scan with low power. <difficult>
Cassiopeia
M52 OC m6.98 16’ 23h, 62° N SA # 3
Hop 5° from Shedar to Caph then hop another 6° to m5
reddish star, cluster is 45 min. south.
NGC 7789 Caroline's Rose Cluster OC m6.7 30’ 23h, 57° N SA # 1
Between 2 finder pairs of m5 & m6 stars 3° west of
Caph, westernmost of the 5 bright stars in Cassiopeia, many faint stars
in lovely arrangement.
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