12 Comae Berenices is a pretty double star in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices. At a magnitude around +4.8, backyard astronomers can enjoy this bright binary on spring nights.
Tag Archives: Coma Berenices
Struve 1678: A Light Yellow Double of Equal Brightness in Coma Berenices
Struve 1678 (STF 1678) is a double star of nearly equal brightness in the constellation Coma Berenices, best viewed on spring nights. The binary stars are wide apart at 37 arc seconds, making it an easier target. This double is also known as SAO 100235 or HIP 62249.
Messier 85 (NGC 4382): An Intriguing Haze in a Cluster of Galaxies
Messier 85 happens to be one of the brightest galaxies among the Como-Virgo cluster and is best viewed in May. So if you are a backyard astronomer fighting light pollution, be sure to give this object a try.
Messier 53 (NGC 5024): An Old, Bold Globular Cluster on the Outskirts of the Milky Way
Messier 53 is a globular cluster on the outskirts of our galaxy at nearly 60,000 light years above us. M53 is also unique as it has a more blue straggler stars than other globulars.
Coma Star Cluster: An Egyptian Queen’s Long Hair
The Coma Star Cluster is nearby open cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices. It’s best viewed in the spring. Open any app or astronomy book with drawings of the constellations. While looking at Coma Berenices, you’ll see a cluster of around 40 stars and few cascading bright stars that make up the queen’s long-flowing hair.ContinueContinue reading “Coma Star Cluster: An Egyptian Queen’s Long Hair”
24 Comae Berenices: An Amber and Sapphire Double Graces the Spring Sky
24 Comae Berenices is a pretty double star. This striking contrast of the primary amber star against the smaller bluish star makes this pair a worth target in springtime skies.
Messier 64 (NGC 4826): The Black Eye Galaxy
As NASA points out, M64, or the Black Eye galaxy, is characterized by its bizarre internal motion. The gas in the outer regions of this remarkable galaxy is rotating in the opposite direction from the gas and stars in its inner regions.
The Garden Astronomer 