Constellation of the Month: June
Sagittarius Sign of the Zodiac (The Archer)

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
  M8!
(NGC 6523)		 18hr 03.8m -24° 23' The "Lagoon Nebula" - a 5th magnitude (naked eye) emission nebula, 80 x 35 arc minutes in size. Responds well to LPR filters. The embedded star cluster is 7.5 mag NGC 7530.
  M17!
(NGC 6618)		 18hr 20.8m -16° 11' The "Omega Nebula" - an easy mag 6.9 emission nebula, very high surface brightness. 46 x 37 arc minutes in size.
  M18
(NGC 6613)		 18hr 19.9m -17° 08' A small open cluster of 12 stars, mag 9 to 10 in an area 7 arc minutes in diameter. Total magnitude of 8. Gets "lost" in scopes, due to high number of background stars.
  M20!
(NGC 6514)		 18hr 02.3m -23° 02' The "Trifid Nebula" - a region of emission/reflection nebulosity, 29 x 27 arc minutes, mag 9.0. Observing the trisecting dark lanes requires fairly good skies.
  M21
(NGC 6531)		 18hr 04.6m -22° 30' A bright 7th mag open cluster of 50 stars, about 1/2° north of M20. Stars are mag 9 to 12, in an area 10 arc minutes in diameter.
  M22
(NGC 6656)		 18hr 36.4m -23° 54' A wonderful globular cluster. Mag 6.0, 17 arc minutes in diameter. Can be resolved in 6" and larger scopes.
  M23
(NGC 6494)		 17hr 56.8m -19° 01' An easy open cluster, W of M24. 7th mag, 25 arc minutes in diameter. 100 stars, mag 9 and fainter. 660 parsecs distant.
  M24 18hr 16.5m -18° 50' The "Small Sagittarius Star Cloud" - a naked eye detached section of the milky way. Mag 4.5, 120 x 40 arc minutes.
  M25
(IC 4725)		 18hr 31.6m -19° 15' A bright open cluster of 50 stars, magnitudes 6 to 10. 35 arc minutes in diameter, total integrated magnitude of 6.
  M28
(NGC 6626)		 18hr 24.5m -24° 52' A compact mag. 8.0 globular cluster, 6 arc minutes in diameter. Near M22.
  M54
(NGC 6715)		 18hr 55.1m -30° 29' Another compact globular, 6 arc minutes in size, magnitude 9.0.
  M55
(NGC 6809)		 19hr 40.0m -30° 58' A large, loose globular cluster, 15 arc minutes in diameter, mag 7.0.
  M69
(NGC 6637)		 18hr 31.4m -32° 21' A bright but small globular, 4 arc minutes across, mag 7.5
  M70
(NGC 6681)		 18hr 43.2m -32° 18' Another 4 arc minute globular, slightly fainter at mag. 8.0.
  M75
(NGC 6864)		 20hr 06.1m -21° 55' The smallest of the Messier globulars, mag 8.0 - 3 arc minutes across.
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Big Scope Objects:

Name R.A. Decl. Details
  NGC 6520! 18hr 03.4m -27° 54' A bright open cluster of 25 stars, mag 9 to 12. 5 arc minutes in diameter, total magnitude of 9.0. (110NGC)
  B 86 18hr 03m -27° 50' Small but obvious dark nebula W of NGC 6520, 4.5 x 3 arc minutes.
  B 92 18hr 16m -18° 19' A patch of dark nebulosity located in M24, 15 arc minutes across.
  NGC 6822 19hr 45m -14° 46' "Barnard's Galaxy" - a low surface brightness irregular galaxy, 9th magnitude, 20 x 11 arc minutes. Located south of NGC 6818.
  NGC 6818! 19hr 44.0m -14° 09' The "Little Gem" - a 10th mag planetary nebula, 22 x 15 arc seconds in size. Central star is 15th mag. (110NGC)
  NGC 6445! 17hr 49.2m -20° 01' A mag. 11.8 planetary 34 arc seconds across, near M23. (110 list)
  NGC 6544 18hr 07m -25° 01' A very compact globular, 1 arc minute across, mag 9. (S of M8)
  NGC 6603 18hr 18m -18° 26' A mag 11.4 open cluster in M24. 50 stars, 4.5 arc minutes in diameter, stars are mag. 14 and fainter.
  NGC 6835 19hr 55m -12° 34' An elongated SBa spiral galaxy, 2.7 x 0.7 arc minutes, mag. 12.5.
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Challenge Objects:

Name R.A. Decl. Details
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Constellation Maps:

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Lines No Lines Reverse Reverse No Lines No Map

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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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