Catch a Dying Star
High in the western skies of November, early in the evening, the constellation Cygnus is still prominently visible and topped off by the bright star Deneb at the top of the “Northern Cross.” Use a star chart to track down the Veil Nebula on the eastern side of Cygnus near the star 52 Cygni.
High in the western skies of November, early in the evening, the constellation Cygnus is still prominently visible and topped off by the bright star Deneb at the top of the “Northern Cross.” Use a star chart to track down the Veil Nebula on the eastern side of Cygnus near the star 52 Cygni.
November’s Challenge Object
Low in the southern sky, in the constellation Grus, lies a BIG planetary nebula called IC5148. This 13th magnitude planetary is 120″ x 120″ of arc across, so it’s nice and big, but it’s tough for most observers to catch since it is so low in the south and the surface brightness is low. IC 5148 is about 3000 light years away and is sometimes called the “Spare Tire” Nebula.
Low in the southern sky, in the constellation Grus, lies a BIG planetary nebula called IC5148. This 13th magnitude planetary is 120″ x 120″ of arc across, so it’s nice and big, but it’s tough for most observers to catch since it is so low in the south and the surface brightness is low. IC 5148 is about 3000 light years away and is sometimes called the “Spare Tire” Nebula.