November Objects

These are some show piece objects listed by object type, catalog number and constellation.

NEBULAS:

M42/43 (Orion Nebula) Orion
M1 (Crab Nebula) Taurus
NGC2392 (Eskimo Nebula) Gemini
NGC2024 (Flame Nebula) Orion
N2237/2244 (Rosette Nebula) and open cluster, Puppis

GALAXIES:

M74 Pisces
M77 Cetus
M31/32/110 Andromeda
M33 Triangulum
NGC7331 Pegasus
NGC253 Sculptor
NGC936 Cetus

GLOBULAR CUSTERS

M15 Pegasus
M2  Aquarius
NGC288 Sculptor

OPEN CLUSTERS

M35/NGC2158Gemini
NGC869 and NGC884 (Double cluster) Perseus
NGC457 (Owl cluster) Cassiopea
NGC7789 Cassiopea
NGC2264 (Christmas tree cluster) Monoceros
NGC2169 Orion
N2237/2244 (Rosette Nebula) and open cluster, Puppis
IC1396 Cepheus (Tripple star system in middle)

MULTIPLE STARS

This list comes from the "BEST MULTIPLE STARS" catalog by A.J. Crayon and Steven Coe version 1.0 dated 01-04-1990.

NAME     CON     RA (2000)   DEC   MAG   SEP     PA           NOTES

BETA     CEP      21 28.6       +70.5   3.5/8    14        250            W/B

a2816    CEP      21 39.0       +57.5   6/8/8    12/20   121/339   TRIPLE IN IC 1396

XI            CEP      22 03.6     +64.6  4.5/6.5    8         278            B/B

DELTA  CEP       22 29.2      +58.5    4/6.5     41      192            O/B

Additional notes from:

Chartrand, Knopf, "National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky", Chanticleer Press., New York, 1996, pp480,481

Beta Cephei - also called Alfirk, a name that may come from the Arabic term for "flock of sheep". This is a high contrast double. The brighter of the two is slightly variable. They are about 750 LYr away.

Xi Cephei - lies in the middle of the pentagram. These have similar brightness and color. They are about 120 LYr away.

Delta Cephei - prototype of the important class of variable stars called Cepheid Variables. Delta Cephei varies in brightness from mag 3.9 to 5.09 over a period of precisely 5.366341 days.

Cepheid variable stars are important to astronomers in calculating distances. Astronomers can even detect Cepheid variables in other galaxies. The absolute magnitude of a Cepheid variable is strictly related to its cycle of variation. The distance to the Cepheid variable can be calculated by comparing its absolute magnitude to the apparent magnitude.

Mu Cephei - NOT a double but worth looking at. Called the Garnet Star because of its deep red color through a telescope. It is the closest star to the north celestial pole of the planet Mars as serves as that planet's north star.

MESSIER LIST

NOVEMBER MESSIER OBJECTS - SEDS, Tony Cecce, Corning, NY,  12 month tour of the Messier catalog

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Last updated March 20, 2005 by Bill Castro