Our winter galaxy
We reach the outer edge of the Milky Way as we hit the darker days of the year
During this much colder time of the year, we can enjoy the longer hours of night for extended tours and observations of targets in the night sky. Sadly, winter isn’t the best time of year to observe the Milky Way as our planet only looks towards the sparser regions of our galaxy – the outer portion of the disc.
That’s not to say that the Milky Way doesn’t hold a degree of wonder during the winter. Stars still clump together in the splash of white that’s characteristic of our galaxy as it laces through the constellations Canis Major (the Great Dog), Monoceros (the Unicorn), Orion (the Hunter) and Puppis (the Poop Deck), bringing with it a spectacular selection of objects for stargazers to enjoy.
12 Messier 47 Constellation: Puppis
Right Ascension: 07h 36m 00s Declination: -14° 30’ 00” Magnitude: +4.2
Minimum optical aid: Naked eye
It is possible to view the coarse brightness of the open star cluster M47 with the naked eye under very good night sky conditions. However, the 50 stars it contains won’t be resolved so easily without the assistance of a pair of binoculars or a telescope. The swarm of young stars takes over a portion of the sky around the same size as the full Moon.
13 Rosette Nebula and NGC 2244
Constellation: Monoceros
Right Ascension: 06h 33m 45s
Declination: 04° 59’ 54”
Magnitude: +9.0 (Rosetta Nebula) +5.0 (NGC 2244)
Minimum optical aid: 10x50 binoculars
The Rosette is a giant ring nebula in the constellation of Monoceros, and NGC 2244 is a young star cluster that has emerged from that nebula. Spotting the cluster is easy in binoculars or a small telescope, but seeing the nebula visually is very difficult without a large telescope, a dark countryside sky and an ultra-high contrast filter.
14 Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis)
Constellation: Orion
Right Ascension: 05h 55m 10s Declination: +07° 24’ 26”
Magnitude: +0.2 to +1.2
Minimum optical aid: Naked eye
It’s not too difficult to spot its proud orange-red hue, even if it does appear to be dimming at present. Red supergiant Betelgeuse is a variable star, meaning that its brightest fluctuates. You can also use a telescope or binoculars to view Betelgeuse, but you will see nothing more than you can with the unaided eye.