Deep sky challenge
Forget the stunning Andromeda Galaxy and enjoy some of the many other fascinating objects lurking nearby
Forget the Andromeda Galaxy and enjoy some of the many fascinating objects nearby
Easily visible to the naked eye late on Moon-free summer nights as a smudge of light larger than the Moon, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is one of the most beloved and most frequently observed and photographed deep-sky objects. Even a small telescope transforms that smudge into a beautiful misty oval, and larger instruments can show not just tantalising hints of its spiral structure, but its pair of fainter satellite galaxies and its bright, curdled core.
It’s easy to spend a whole night just looking at Andromeda, but close to it you can find many other deep-sky objects worthy of your telescope’s attention. They are much more challenging to see because they are much smaller and fainter, but because they are so different to big, brash M31, they are definitely worth tracking down.
A couple of this month’s challenges are really only worth looking for with large-aperture, light-gulping telescopes under a sky that’s unaffected by light pollution – the closer to new Moon the better, too. Others will be visible through smaller instruments, but all are hard to see. In fact, one can’t be seen at all, not even through the largest telescopes in the world. So why have we included it on our list this month? Because sometimes in astronomy the satisfaction comes from knowing what you’re looking at, rather than how amazing the view actually is.
1
NGC 7479
This barred-spiral galaxy is undergoing violent starburst activity. Shining at +11.6, it is visible in almost any telescope, but you’ll need medium or large apertures under a dark sky to find it.
2
The ‘Taffy’ galaxies (UGC 12914)
Expect to see nothing more than a dim, elongated smudge through a large-aperture telescope, even at high power. This barely-there galaxy is more than 163 million light years away.
3
Pegasus Dwarf Galaxy (UGC 12613)
If you have a large telescope and a very dark sky you might be able to pick this +12.6 galaxy out. It is a quite large, extended object visually, but its low surface brightness makes it very challenging.
4
The Little Sombrero (NGC 7814)
Larger apertures will show this galaxy as an elongated misty patch with a dark central band. Seen edge-on from our point of view, it owes its nickname to its resemblance to the larger M104.
5
51 Pegasi (Helvetios)
Finding this star is no challenge, but it is worth taking a look at through any telescope because it was the first Sun-like star found to have a planet – now named Dimidium – orbiting it.
6
Mirach’s Ghost (NGC 404)
Almost lost in the glare of bright star Mirach, this irregular galaxy can be glimpsed in small telescopes as a tiny smudge. You’ll need a mediumor large-aperture telescope to see it properly.
“Because they are so different to big, brash M31, they are definitely worth tracking down”