Here is the transcript for my podcast about how to see the constellation Piscis Austrinus, globular cluster M2, and the Saturn Nebula.
Check out the Astronomy.com's interactive star chart to see an accurate map of your sky. It'll help you locate some of this week's key targets. Astronomy magazine subscribers have access to a slew of cool functions with StarDome PLUS.
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The constellation Piscis Austrinus, globular cluster M2, and the Saturn Nebula are visible in the next few days. We’ll help you find them in this week’s Astronomy magazine podcast.
Hello, I’m Astronomy magazine senior editor Michael Bakich. Each week, I highlight three different night-sky targets for you to see:
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One object you can find without optical aid
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One object to find with a small telescope
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One deep-sky object to find with an 8-inch or larger telescope for you avid astronomers
Look for a really bright star
As its name might lead you to think, the constellation Piscis Austrinus represents the Southern Fish. This refers to its position relative to another watery constellation, Pisces, which lies a bit to the north.
Piscis Austrinus would be a standard, middle-of-the-road constellation except for one thing — Fomalhaut, the constellation’s Alpha star and the sky’s 18th-brightest star. This luminary shines at magnitude 1.16, but it dominates its part of the sky because there are no nearby bright stars. The nearest reasonably bright star — Al Nair (Alpha [α] Gruis) — sits some 20° to the south-southwest and shines at magnitude 1.7.
Unfortunately, Piscis Austrinus contains no more of the 200 brightest stars, and none of its other stars have names. Also, the constellation can boast of no meteor shower or Messier object.
You can find Piscis Austrinus most easily by using the Great Square of Pegasus. The Square’s two westernmost stars — Markab (Alpha Pegasi) and Scheat (Beta Peg) — point southward to Fomalhaut. That being said, it’s a long haul. Fomalhaut lies 45° — one-eighth of the way across the sky — south of Markab. After you find Fomalhaut, use a star chart to locate the rest of the figure, which lies to the west of that bright star.
A swarm of fireflies
A small telescope will reveal the beautiful globular cluster M2 in the northern part of Aquarius. This deep-sky object is a real showpiece, even though it doesn’t have a common name. M2 shines at magnitude 6.6, making it the 18th-brightest globular cluster.
To find M2, scan roughly 4.5° due north of Beta Aquarii. If you have sharp eyes, you might spot the cluster without optical aid from a dark site. Through your telescope, you’ll notice that M2 appears slightly elliptical. It’s one of the sky’s richest and most compact globulars.
A superb planetary
This week’s deep-sky object is the Saturn Nebula, also known as NGC 7009. This planetary nebula’s common name arises from thin extensions on either end of its disk. These extensions resemble Saturn’s rings and represent material ejected from the nebula in two directions. Astronomers call objects like NGC 7009 bipolar planetaries.
The Saturn Nebula lies slightly more than 1° west of the magnitude 4.5 star Nu (ν) Aquarii. Through an 8-inch or larger telescope, view NGC 7009 with magnifications above 200x. Its oval disk measures 25" in its long dimension. The extensions each protrude another 15". At the end of the extensions are fainter bulbs, but you’ll need at least a 12-inch scope to pick them out.
Finally, what color is the Saturn Nebula to you? Whether you see it as mostly blue or mostly green depends on your color perception. And, just so you know, there’s no right answer.
Last week's episode: Constellation Equuleus, double star Albireo, and Polarissima Borealis
Last week's transcript
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