Constellation of the Month: November
Pisces Sign of the Zodiac (The Fish)

by: John Mirtle.
Page last updated: May 3, 2004

Contents
Small Scope Objects    Big Scope Objects    Challenge Objects    Maps    Photos

Small Scope Objects:

Name R.A. Decl. Details
  Wolf 28
(van Maanen's star)		 00hr 49.1m +05° 25' One of the closest white dwarf stars to our solar system, at 14.1 light years. Magnitude 12.4 with a proper motion of 2.98 arc seconds/year in position angle 155.5°. Approx. 7800 miles in diameter with a surface temperature of 6000° K.
  a Psc 02hr 02m +02° 46' A close double star with a separation of 1.5 arc seconds. Magnitudes 4.33 and 5.23 at a distance of 130 light years with an orbital period of 720 years. Pale green and blue in colour.
  z Psc 01hr 14m +07° 35' An easy, colourful double star, magnitudes 6.6 and 6.2, separated by 23 arc seconds. Primary star is yellowish, the secondary pale lilac. 140 light years distant.
  M74
(NGC 628)		 01hr 36.7m +15° 47' A large face-on Sc spiral galaxy, probably the most difficult of the Messier objects. Magnitude 9.2, covering 10.2 x 9.5 arc minutes giving low surface brightness. Discovered by Pierre Mechain in September 1780, and sighted by Messier one month later.
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Big Scope Objects:

Name R.A. Decl. Details
  NGC 514 01hr 24m +12° 55' A small Sc spiral a few degrees SW of M74. Magnitude 11.9, 3.5 x 2.9 arc minutes in size. Visible in a 3" scope under good conditions.
  NGC 488 01hr 22m +05° 15' A reasonably bright face-on Sb spiral, magnitude 10.3. Located about 8° due south of NGC 514, it measures 5.2 x 4.1 arc minutes. Faint spiral arms, but a very bright nucleus.
  NGC 520 01hr 25m +04° 44' An irregular galaxy, located within a degree of NGC 488. 3 x 1 arc minutes, magnitude 11.2. Unusual mottling and shape is visible in larger scopes.
  NGC 470 01hr 20m +03° 25' An Sc spiral similar in appearance to NGC 514. 3 x 2 arc minutes, magnitude 11.9. Look for NGC 474, a 0.4' 13th mag. lenticular galaxy in the same field.
  NGC 7541 23hr 15m +04° 32' An Sc spiral located near the western "fish head". 12th magnitude, 3.5 x 1.4 arc minutes. Visible with a 6 inch at low power under good skies. Look for NGC 7537 in the same low power field.
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Challenge Objects:

Name R.A. Decl. Details
  NGC 383 Group 01hr 07m +32° 25' A group of a dozen or so galaxies, located near M33. Ranging in size from 0.4 x 0.4 arc minutes to 2.3 x 1.9, with magnitudes ranging from 11.9 to 15.7.
  NGC 507 Group 01hr 24m +33° 15' Another group if 14 or so galaxies near M33. 4 x 4 arc minutes and smaller, magnitudes 13 to 15.2.
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Constellation Maps:

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Photos:


 
Photo 1
South is at top to match the view in an inverting telescope.
Photo credit: John Mirtle.
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