Autumn Equinox

22 March 2019

Welcome to the Autumn Equinox!

For the stargazers among us, I've prepared a list of things to look at at this time of year - better when the Moon goes away, of course.

Some are suited to larger scopes, but clusters work well in small ones.

I've ordered it by the time each object reaches its highest point, so it'd be best to start at the top of the list, as these will be starting to set (some don't set at all, remember).

For example, the picture is my dodgy effort at M83, which rises at 20:18 and sets at 09:45 tomorrow, reaching the meridian at about 3am.

Good hunting!

Galaxy: Large Magellanic Cloud (06:49 PM)
Globular cluster: M 79 - (06:50 PM)
Bright nebula: M 1 - Crab Nebula (07:00 PM)
Bright nebula: M 43 - De Mairan's Nebula (07:01 PM)
Diffuse Nebula: M 42 - Orion Nebula (07:01 PM)
Bright nebula: NGC 1977 - Running Man Nebula (07:01 PM)
Bright nebula: NGC 2070 - Tarantula Nebula (07:04 PM)
Dark nebula: B 33 - Horsehead Nebula (07:06 PM)
Diffuse nebula: NGC 2024 - Flame Nebula (07:07 PM)
Variable Red Star: Betelgeuse (07:21 PM)
Double star: Canopus (07:51 PM)
Cluster with nebulosity: NGC 2237 - Rosette Nebula (07:57 PM)
Open cluster: NGC 2516 - Diamond Cluster (09:23 PM)
Open cluster: M 44 - Beehive cluster (10:05 PM)
Open cluster: IC 2391 - Omicron Velorum Cluster (10:05 PM)
Bright nebula: NGC 3324 - Gabriela Mistral Nebula (12:02 AM)
Open cluster: IC 2602 - Southern Pleiades (12:08 AM)
Bright nebula: NGC 3372 - Carina Nebula (12:10 AM)
Open cluster: NGC 3532 - Wishing Well Cluster (12:30 AM)
Bright nebula: IC 2944 - Running Chicken Nebula (01:03 AM)
Open cluster: Mel 111 - Coma Berenices Star Cluster (01:50 AM)
Galaxy: M 87 - Virgo A (01:55 AM)
Galaxy: M 104 - Sombrero Galaxy (02:04 AM)
Dark nebula: C 99 - Coalsack Nebula (02:17 AM)
Open cluster: NGC 4755 - Jewel Box (02:18 AM)
Galaxy: NGC 5128 - Centaurus A (02:50 AM)
Globular cluster: NGC 5139 - Omega Centauri (02:51 AM)
Galaxy: M 83 - Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (03:01 AM)
Double star: Hadar (03:32 AM)