Viewing targets: Winter solstice 2020

The Winter Solstice is on Monday, the 21st. In many countries, the Solstice is the official start to Winter. After this, while the Southern Hemisphere gets more sunlight, the cooling by radiation into space is still greater, meaning the coldest weather is just starting.

This date coincides with the new Moon - so it's a great weekend for astronomy - weather permitting.

I've prepared a list of things for you to find.

If you’ve got a small scope, look for the Moon, larger planets and star clusters. If you've got a Dobsonian, you can see dimmer objects. My target this season is the Lagoon Nebula. I've never got that before. This one is Josh Carnovale's.

I've sorted the list by the time each object passes the meridian, so start at the top of the list.

Clear skies!

⦁    Mel 111 - Coma Berenices Star Cluster (06:55 PM)
⦁    M87 - Virgo A Galaxy (06:55 PM)
⦁    M104 - Sombrero Galaxy (07:09 PM)
⦁    NGC4755 - Jewel Box Cluster (07:24 PM)
⦁    NGC5128 - Centaurus A Galaxy (07:52 PM)
⦁    Globular cluster: NGC5139 - Omega Centauri (07:52 PM)
⦁    M83 - Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (08:07 PM)
⦁    Double star: Hadar - Beta Centauri (08:36 PM)
⦁    Globular cluster: M5 (09:48 PM)
⦁    Dark nebula: B228 - The Dark Wolf Nebula (10:02 PM)
⦁    Globular cluster: M4 (10:45 PM)
⦁    M13 - Great Globular Cluster in Hercules (11:00 PM)
⦁    Globular cluster: M12 (11:14 PM)
⦁    Bright nebula: IC 4628 - The Prawn Nebula (11:14 PM)
⦁    Dark nebula: B78 - The Pipe Nebula (11:57 PM)
⦁    Open cluster: M6 - Butterfly Cluster (11:57 PM)
⦁    Open cluster: M7 - Ptolemy Cluster (12:12 AM)
⦁    Diffuse nebula: M20 - Trifid Nebula (12:26 AM)
⦁    Diffuse nebula: M8 - Lagoon Nebula (12:26 AM)
⦁    Globular cluster: NGC6541 (12:26 AM)
⦁    Diffuse nebula: M16 - Eagle Nebula (12:40 AM)
⦁    Diffuse nebula: M17 - Omega Nebula (12:40 AM)
⦁    M22 - Sagittarius Globular Cluster (12:55 AM)
⦁    M11 - Wild Duck Cluster (01:09 AM)
⦁    Planetary Nebula: M57 - Ring Nebula (01:24 AM)
⦁    Globular cluster: NGC6723 - Chandelier Cluster (01:24 AM)
⦁    Open cluster: Cr 399 - Brocchi's Cluster (01:52 AM)
⦁    Double star: HIP 95947 - Albireo (01:52 AM)