Visual Observing

The Visual Observing Section of the AAQ aims to assist and encourage members in observing sky objects with the unaided eye, with binoculars or through a telescope. Various articles in this category provide lists of objects that have been reviewed and observed by members, and provide observing programmes for those members wanting to achieve more outcomes from their viewing.

In this section is the Visual Observing Programme of Bright Southern Deep Sky Objects which was introduced to AAQ members in June 2000. Members are encouraged to participate in this programme and to submit their observations and images of the listed objects at the AAQ meetings, in the Newsletter and on this website.

Enjoying Red Coloured Stars

Sections - Visual Observing
Written by Graeme Jenkinson
Graeme Jenkinson & Tim Napier-Munn I must admit I have always had a fascination with red coloured stars and writing the AAQ Monthly Observing lists for the last few years has given me the opportunity to enjoy many fine examples of these. Some have been as one component of a binary system, and others as stand alone single stars. So for something different this month, I have compiled a list of over 50 for you to enjoy over the entire year. I have limited them to targets south of about 25˚ north declination and brighter than magnitude 8.5. The data for this list has come from a number of sources - our own Monthly Observing lists as previously published in the AAQ newsletter being the first. Another list I have used which was very helpful is available in full from the website of the Arizona based Saguaro Astronomy Club. This site also has a number of other useful observing lists. At this time I have not had the opportunity to check these targets myself, and you will find I have notated them thus - SAC List. Tim also kindly added some additional double stars that I have notated as - TN-M List. Again, I have not viewed these myself as yet. Thanks also to AAQ members Mary Petr and Lindsay Ball for their favourites, and Peter Culshaw for a number of lists he has discovered on the internet. As usual I have also found Hartung's "Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes", "Sky Atlas 2000.0" and "Sky Atlas 2000.0 Companion" a great help. The list has been laid out over a full 12 month time frame, with the optimum viewing month noted, along with the location co-ordinates. By their very nature red stars are often variable in brightness, so you will see that the SAC List objects include the maximum and minimum magnitudes, with the time period in days shown in brackets. The great majority of doubles are of reasonable separation and should be resolvable using modest sized telescopes. I don't pretend that this list is comprehensive by any means, so if you know of any others that I have not included it would be great to hear from you and I shall add them in. UPDATE 20/06/09 Since first compiling this list from the sources mentioned above I have carried out my own observations on about 24 of the listed stars. I have added an additional column to the list showing the dates on which this occurred, as well as my own comments on what I could see using my 150mm F8 refractor. Let me know about your observations, I would be interested in what you could see!
Last Updated on Thursday, 25 June 2009 22:19

Red Star Observing List

Sections - Visual Observing

Written by Graeme Jenkinson

DEC	CONSTELLATION	MONTH	MAG. RANGE	OBSERVATION DATE	COMMENTS
-14 48	Lepus	December			Hind's Crimson Star
-10 14	Eridanus	December			Strong orange primary - 120x needed.
-26 05	Fornax	December	7.5 - 13 (387)		PC list
01 20	Orion	January	6.5 - 10 (210)		SAC List
14 43	Orion	January	6.3 - 7.0 (irregular)		PC List
20 70	Taurus	January	7.1 - 9.5 (241)		SAC List
-62 05	Dorado	January	4.8 - 6.6 (irregular)		Mira type variable
00 28	Monceros	February			Orange star in centre of open cluster
06 09	Monceros	February	7.0 - 8.9 132)		PC List
17 20	Cancer	February	6.2 - 7.5 (170)		SAC List
-20 44	Canis Major	February			Bright orange star near centre of open cluster
-11 90	Canis Major	February	7.0 - 8.0 (irregular)		SAC List
-23 19	Canis Major	February			TN-M List
26 00	Gemini	February	7.5 - 8.4 (230)		SAC List
-14 30	Puppis	February			Orange primary of double star within this open cluster
-37 58	Puppis	February			Bright orange star centrally located in open cluster NGC 2451
-43 18	Puppis	February			Bright orange primary star of this pair
-41 19	Puppis	February			Unusual combination of yellow primary and red secondary stars
-33 34	Puppis	February			Use 40x to see the orange/red star nearby to this pair
-60 52	Carina	March		24/04/2009	There are a number of much brighter outer stars in this open cluster. Most interesting is an orange star of similar colour to the one in NGC3532 located near the centre. Look for the curious short chain of four stars radiating outward near the edge. These four menbers become progressively dimmer as you move out from the innermost one.
-58 40	Carina	March		24/04/2009	Bright orange star at the end of an angular chain of three much fainter stars. This is quite a large open cluster with prominent chains of component stars.
-39 59	Antlia	March	5.7 - 8.6 (170)	24/04/2009	Look for the lovely orange coloured bright star centrally located in a short line of three fainter companions.
-21 30	Hydra	March	6.5 - 12.0 (533)	24/04/2009	This is prominent amongst a sparse background star field. I could see a much stronger orange colour than previous ones observed tonight.
-23 01	Hydra	March	6.0 - 9.0 (303)	24/04/2009	Presented very similarly to V Hya. Perhaps the orange colour is not quite as vivid.
-13 40	Hydra	March	4.7 - 6.2 (irregular)	24/04/2009	This is very prominent sitting atop a V shaped asterism of much fainter stars. Look for the delicate double on one side of this group.
-59 41	Crux	May		24/04/2009	The brilliant ice blue/white Beta really highlights the strong colour of the fainter orange/red star (DY Cru) close by.
-60 20	Crux	May		24/04/2009	The central orange star of this open cluster really highlights the beauty of this showpiece southern group.
-60 46	Crux	May		24/04/2009	This is easy to locate in a relatively sparse area of sky. I would not agree with the description of a string red colour - more a subtle orange.
-61 15	Crux	May		24/04/2009	There is a triangle of three brighter stars in this open cluster. I did not find their soft orange colour particularly striking.
00 50	Virgo	May	6.0 - 9.6 (355)	24/04/2009	A similarly strong orange colour to V Hya, and stands out well against a sparse background. It shows it's colour well despite a lack of nearby stars to accent it.
19 05	Bootes	May			TN-M List
-40 40	Scorpius	June		30/05/2009	A softer colour and not as prominent as BM Scorpii. Nearby are the two bright stars Zeta 1 And Zeta 2 Scorpii - both showing a noticeable orange hue.
	Scorpius	June		30/05/2009	Similarly to M6 and BM Scorpii this strong red coloured star is located on the edge of this open cluster. While probably as red as BM Scorpii the cluster lacks the brightness to contrast it most effectively.
-32 13	Scorpius	June		30/05/2009	Located on the perimeter of the Butterfly Cluster - M6. There is a spectacular contrast between it and the other blue white cluster members. This contrast makes it a better example than SAO253059.
-26 60	Scorpius	June	0.9 - 1.0 (1730)		Antares
-45 16	Lupus	June		30/05/2009	Using a low power (40X) eyepiece gives a nice contrast between the nearby bright white Lambda Lupus and this orange coloured pair.
-46 08	Lupus	June		30/05/2009	Contrasts well with the fainter blue secondary. In the same FOV (40X) is is another prominent orange star of similar colour and magnitude.
-66 20	Triangulum Australe	June		30/05/2009	Bright orange primary, with another slightly darker orange star in the same FOV (40X)
-60 10	Triangulum Australe	June		30/05/2009	Did not have apper to have a prominent colour to me.
-61 46	Circinus	June		30/05/2009	Same field of view as double star I 329. Easily found at one end of a prominent U-shaped loop of stars. One of the best colours I have seen so far. (30/05/09)
-59 51	Circinus	June			Bright field stars create a mixture of yellow, red and blue stars.
-64 58	Circinus	June		30/05/2009	Easily visible with 40X, but 120X brought out the secondary's colour better.
-12 40	Ophiuchus	July	7.3 - 11.5 (298)	14/06/2009	Located in a line of 5 stars it shows a prominent red colour despite the sparse star field.
-24 17	Ophiuchus	July		14/06/2009	Increasing the magnification from 40x to 120x really highlights the beautiful orange primary with its blue-white companion. A spectacular pair.
02 30	Ophiuchus	July		14/06/2009	Another fine orange coloured primary, probably not quite as good as Omicron. The companion star lacks sufficent colour difference to help the primary really stand out.
17 03	Hercules	July			TN-M List
14 23	Hercules	July			TN-M List Close pair
35 47	Cygnus	August			Look for bright orange 27 Cygnus near the edge of this open cluster
-30 43	Sagittarius	August			Located near Gamma Sgr
-15 90	Sagittarius	August	6.7 -7.1 (irregular)		SAC List
-16 40	Sagittarius	August	6.6 - 7.7 (200)		SAC List
-05.70	Aquila	August	6.6 - 8.1 (350)		SAC List
-07 90	Scutum	August	7.3 - 9.0		SAC List
-21 30	Capricornus	September	6.5 - 8.1 (395)		SAC List
-45 57	Grus	September	5.4 - 6.7		Contrasts well with a yellow-white Pi 2 Mary Petr
-32 50	Sculptor	October	6.1 - 8.8 (363)		SAC List
25 80	Pisces	October	7.0 -7.9 (144)		SAC List
3.29	Pisces	October	5.5 - 6.0 (irregular)		PC List

Last Updated on Thursday, 25 June 2009 23:09

An Introduction to the Visual Observing Programme

Sections - Visual Observing

Written by Max Kilmister

It would be a rare amateur astronomer who did not initially indulge exclusively in visual observation. Usually such observations are conducted in a fairly haphazard manner - maybe using the lists in Norton's Star Atlas or other published guides for inspiration.

The AAQ Visual Observing Programme has been designed to provide a list of bright southern objects and directions for recording observations in order to develop members' observing skills. Objects listed in Messier's catalogue have been omitted although some 46% of them are southern sky objects and most of the remainder are visible from Brisbane at some time of the year. The Messier catalogue could therefore be a separate programme which members could pursue if they so desire.

The observing programme contains 50 deep sky objects divided into two lists of 25 objects each. The first list (Level 1) contains the brightest objects - open and globular clusters - which should be visible from suburban Brisbane using a small (150mm or 200mm) telescope. The second list (Level 2) contains fainter globular clusters, bright galaxies and planetary nebula, and a couple of emission nebula. Some are readily visible from Brisbane whilst others will need a dark sky site to be seen. Of course, all objects in either list will look more impressive from a dark sky site.

The aim of the observing programme is the following:

to encourage familiarity with the use of a telescope;
to learn to find objects using a star atlas and the star-hopping technique or using manual setting circles;
to provide a challenge commensurate with experience.

The use of computerised Go To telescopes or digital setting circles is contrary to the spirit and intent of the programme and is therefore not allowed.

Participants are encouraged to record their observations. The records should include:

location;
date;
time;
telescope diameter and focal ratio;
eyepiece(s) used;
seeing conditions (1 is for perfect seeing and 5 is very bad);
object name (catalogue number and common name if relevant);
description of the object; and
sketch or image of the object (optional).

An observing form incorporating the above is available for members' use.

Visual Observing Programme - Aquarius

Sections - Visual Observing
Written by Graeme Jenkinson & Tim Napier-Munn
For this month I would like to share with you some enjoyable evenings I have spent in one of the ancient constellations of the Zodiac – Aquarius. Unlike some of the previous more prominent groups I have reviewed, Aquarius does not form a particularly bright pattern in the night sky. However, if like myself you use the starhopping method, do not be deterred, as with perseverance you shall be well rewarded with many fine sights. The comments below are based on observations made with a 150mm f8 refractor.
Last Updated on Sunday, 24 August 2008 18:54
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Visual Observing Programme - Canis Major

Sections - Visual Observing
Written by Graeme Jenkinson & Tim Napier-Munn
During these summer evenings, Canis Major is certainly one of the most prominent constellations to find, located close to the magnificent Orion group. As well as some fine star clusters set amongst this beautiful area of the Milky Way, there are many fine and easy double stars to be found. A good thing considering the poor seeing that is common to this hottest part of the year! The comments below are based on observations made with a 150mm f8 refractor.
Last Updated on Monday, 26 January 2009 21:19
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