Observer's Corner for May
My photos were taken at Borrego Springs, California on April 21/22, 2017. I used a 100 mm (4 inch) ED Refractor on a i Optron Z25 Equatorial mount. A Sony A7 Digital Camera was attached giving a prime focus focal length of 900mm. ISO 2000 at 5 minutes each photo. They are are not for competition with professional images but shows what an observer will see (visually) in the eyepiece of a moderate (8-12 inch diameter) telescope in dark sky environment.
In the month of May, the Milky Way is low on the horizon at Prime Time (9 pm) This allows observers to look up and out of our galaxy as there is less obscured Interstellar Matter, supernova dust and nebulae.
The clear view shows some of famous and spectacular galactic treats:
The Sombrero Galaxy (M-104), Whirlpool Galaxy (M-51) and the Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565).
SOMBRERO GALAXY in Virgo:
A beautiful “edge-on” spiral, 35 million Light Years distant. The dark lane splits the galaxy and is easily detected at 100X. R.A 12h 40 m Dec -11.6 degrees
Hubble Shot of M51
All galaxies are millions of light years distant so the observer is seeing million years into the past! One light year is 5.8 TRILLION MILES! (5,800,000,000,000 miles).
M 104
NGC 4565
May is Galaxy Month!
WHIRLPOOL GALAXY in Canes Venatici:
A large and small nuclei and the spiral arms are faint. Use averted vision. Located near to Alkaid, the last star in the Big Dipper’s handle. 26 million Light Years distant.
R.A. 13h 30 m, Dec. +47 degrees
NEEDLE GALAXY in Coma Berenices:
Although it’s faint, it shows the typical “edge-on” galaxy, very long and a cosmic splinter. This galaxy spans 100,000 light years, about the same size as our Milky Way! 30 million Light Years distant. R.A. 12h 36m, Dec. +26 degrees
If you enjoy “OBSERVERS’S CORNER”, please let VCAS know.
Positive comments or changes will be extremely appreciated!
