DEEP-SKY OBJECTS

This month’s trip is to Lupus, sitting high in the evening sky between the Pointers (Alpha ( a) and Beta ( b) Centauri) and Libra. Xi ( x) Lupi (RA 15hr 56.9m, dec. -33° 58’) is a bright double star.

Its near-white components are mag.+5.3 and mag. +5.8, separated by 10.4”.

Approximately 3° west of Xi Lupi is a fine example of a dark nebula called Barnard 228. This dust cloud is best viewed through wide-angle instruments (even large binoculars) to see its blackness contrasted against the surrounding bright Milky Way star field. Overall, the nebula is around 3° long, approximately 0.3° wide and orientated in a SE to NW direction. It runs roughly parallel to Psi1 and Psi2 Lupi around 0.6° westward. This wide pair of mag. +4.6 stars offer a good colour contrast, white and yellow respectively, separated by 0.7°.