Uranus is currently the UK’s best-placed planet

close to the quoted typical naked-eye limit of +6.0 from a dark-sky site.

Another thing that is in the planet’s favour is its location against the stars, placing it against a rather barren patch of sky. A few stars of similar magnitude are nearby, and these can be used productively to navigate towards the planet.

The first thing to do is prepare. Locate a dark spot where you will be able to avoid any contact with light sources for at least 40 minutes. Obviously, this also means timing your observation for a period when the Moon is out of the way. This month, the period between 9–22 November should be

1 NGC 1499

This month we look at objects scattered around the pattern of stars depicting Perseus’s western foot. Lodged in his shin is the emission nebula NGC 1499, also known as the California Nebula because it’s outline resembles the US State. NGC 1499 has an integrated magnitude of +5.0, but as it’s spread over a 145 x 40 arcminute area, its surface brightness is quite low, making it a challenge to see visually. It’s located between Menkib (Xi (x)) and Zeta (z) Persei and has been seen in 7x50 binoculars. It best suits a low power view; hydrogen-beta filters can bring out the nebula, revealing it as a gentle glow elevated in brightness against the background sky.  SEEN IT.

2 NGC 1342

Using the imaginary line between Epsilon and Xi Persei, identify the mid-point and head 5.3˚ to the west to locate the mag. +6.7 open cluster, NGC 1342. This is a rich but loose cluster; a small aperture shows a fair number of stars grouped together in an approximately rectangular area 12 x 7 arcminutes in size. The rectangular shape is echoed in the star patterns: three distinct star strings defining two shorter sides and one long side of the shape.

A 250mm scope reveals about 60 stars in the cluster, the brightest of which approach mag. +8.5, while larger apertures or photographic setups will reveal a mix of oranges and blues in the cluster stars. NGC 1342 is around 400 million years old.  SEEN IT.

3 IC 351

Next is planetary nebula IC 351, a 12th magnitude object, 8 x 6 arcseconds in size. Although visible in a 150mm scope, it appears virtually star-like at powers less than 100x. Navigate 1.9˚ east of NGC 1342 to locate HIP 17203. Now look 1.3˚ south-southeast to find HIP 17460. A line drawn from HIP 17203 through HIP 17460, extended for 1.5˚ (both stars are 1.3˚ apart)