DEEP-SKY OBJECTS

In northern Eridanus you’ll find the naked-eye mag. +2.9 star Zaurak (Gamma (_) Eridani) at RA 3hr 58.0m, Dec. –13° 31’. This star is rare, being one of the brightest known red giants (class M0). Binoculars will assist in seeing any orange-red colouration.

A short hop 3.7° west, you’ll find the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 1421 (pictured) at RA 3hr 42.5m, Dec. –13° 29’. Although only mag. +11.4, it makes a rather pleasing white streak, with an obvious halo around a short, pencil-line core. Move 5° south to enjoy two spiral galaxies in the same field, NGC 1400 and 1407. Separated by only 12 arcminutes, both exhibit bright stellar nuclei surrounded by obvious halos. NGC 1407 is the slightly larger and the slightly brighter of the two (mag. +9.7 vs mag. +11.0).