Spring – Page 7 – The Garden Astronomer

6 Leonis: A Glowing Orange Star with a “Dusky” Companion

6 Leonis is a double star in the constellation Leo. The primary star is a orange-red giant with a secondary star positioned 37″ arc seconds away.

Messier 36 (NGC 1960): A Pinwheel of Stars

Messier 36, nicknamed the Pinwheel Cluster, is an open cluster in the constellation of Auriga. It is best viewed in winter through early spring. Approximately 60 stars make up the cluster, with many of the brightest stars making straggling lines or chains streaming from the center.

Messier 37 (NGC 2099): A Diamond Starburst in Auriga

M37 is one of the most beautiful clusters in the northern winter sky. It resides in the constellation Auriga. it fills a wide-field eyepiece wonderfully.

Algieba (Gamma Leonis): A Pretty Double Star with a Planet in Leo

Algieba is an exceptional double star, which would easily be placed in a list of TOP 10 double stars visible to backyard astronomers.

Messier 49 (NGC 4472): The Brightest Galaxy of the Virgo Cluster

Messier 49 (M49 and NGC 4472) happens to be the brightest galaxy in the Virgo Cluster. It’s also the brightest galaxies amateur astronomers can view from the backyard. Learn more of this large elliptical galaxy viewable as a hazy patch of light from the suburbs.

Izar (Epsilon Boötis): A Bit of Science Fiction and Loveliness

The binary star named Izar, also known as Epsilon Boötis, is located in the constellation Boötes and is best viewed in late spring. It takes a decent telescope and clear skies to split this double, but the effort pays off!

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 84 (NGC 4374): A Cotton Ball in a Field of Many

Messier 84 (M84), also designated as NGC 4374, lies in the springtime sky amongst the plethora of viewable galaxies in Virgo. Using a small scope, one can also find it among the array of galaxies in the Virgo Cluster and the stretch of galaxies in Markarian’s Chain. It looks a faint smudge in small to mid-sized scopes from the backyard.