"Mira" - the prototype of long-period variable stars.
Variability was first noticed in 1596, by German astronomer David Fabricius. Varies in magnitude
from about ninth to third magnitudes over a period of about 331 days. Believed to be a pulsating red
giant some 70 parsecs away.
g Ceti
02hr 43m
+03° 15'
A blue and yellow double star, separated by 2.7 arcseconds.
Components shine at magnitudes 3.6 and 6.1. A third physical 10th magnitude companion is
located 14 arc minutes NW.
UV Ceti
01hr 39m
-17° 58'
"Luyten's Flare Star" - one of the closest star systems to the sun, 9 light-years away. A
double star system,(red dwarfs) each star has only 8% of the sun's mass. Magnitudes 12.4 and 12.95,
separation is about 7 arc seconds. Proper motion is 3.35 arc seconds/year, in P.A. 80°. "B"
component is variable. This star can increase 1 or 2 mags. and
fade back to normal in 3 minutes or less!
M77 (NGC 1068)
02hr 42.7m
-00° 01'
A bright compact Sb galaxy, mag 9.6. Only 2.5 x 1.7 arc minutes in
size with a very bright core. M77 is a Seyfert galaxy, with intense and variable UV emissions.
Located near M77, this edge-on Sbc galaxy measures 5.0 x 1.0
arc minutes in size, magnitude 11.4. It appears as a faint sliver of light with a dust lane
visible in larger scopes.
NGC 1073
02hr 44m
+01° 23'
A face-on SBc barred spiral galaxy near M77. Mag. 11.5 and
about 4 arc minutes across giving low surface brightness. Central bar may be visible in larger
'scopes.
NGC 936!
02hr 27.6m
-01° 09'
An 11th magnitude SB0 barred spiral galaxy, 3 x 2 arcminutes
in size. (110NGC) Look for 13th mag Sc galaxy NGC 941 12 arc minutes to the west.
NGC 908
02hr 23m
-21° 13'
A bright Sc galaxy, but located deep in the south. Magnitude 10.9,
measuring 4.0 x 1.3 arc minutes.
NGC 578
01hr 30m
-22° 41'
Another reasonably bright Sc galaxy glowing at magnitude 11.5.
Covering 4.5 x 2.5 arc minutes of sky with a bright nucleus.
NGC 246!
00hr 47.0m
-11° 53'
A large but faint planetary nebula. 8th magnitude, but spread over
240 x 210 arc seconds giving low surface brightness. An OIII or UHC filter will help a lot.
Central star is 12th mag, forming part of a "Y" shaped asterism which helps in locating this
nebula. Will appear "lumpy" in larger apertures. (110NGC)
NGC 247
00hr 47m
-20° 45'
The largest galaxy in Cetus, 18 x 5 arc minutes. Magnitude 9.5, but
of low surface brightness. Part of the Sculptor group of galaxies, including NGC's 45, 55,253,300
and 7793. This is the closest group of galaxies to us, outside of the Local Group. NGC 45 is
fainter at magnitude 11.1, covering 8 x 5.5 arc minutes. Difficult due to southern declination.
A faint irregular galaxy some 680 kiloparsecs distant, about the
same distance as M31. Magnitude 12.0 but 11 x 9 arc minutes across giving low surface
brightness.
