Astronomy - what's to see in Melbourne in Winter?

Astronomy - what is there to see in Melbourne?

Winter

introduction
objects transiting the meridian:
- August
see also:
- astronomy index and links
- what to see in Spring

Introduction:

although Winter means cold nights with often poor seeing, Melbourne is well placed in latitude so that 3 of the most exciting constellations are now near the zenith near midnight where seeing is likely to be better
these 3 southern constellations are Ophiucus, Scorpius & Sagittarius which lie in the direction of the centre of our Milky Way galaxy and contain nearly half of all the 119 recorded globular clusters and some of the best nebulae.
in addition, the slowly moving planets Uranus & Neptune are at present best seen at this time when they too are near the zenith at midnight and thus are at opposition to the sun.

Some of the best:

globular clusters:
- most are just hazy spots in apertures less than 15cm, usually needing at least 25cm to resolve as stars and good seeing
- Ophiucus:
  - NGC 6171
  - NGC 6218 - well-resolved
  - NGC 6266
- Sagittarius:
  - NGC 6637
  - NGC 6656 - well-resolved into unusually bright stars
  - NGC 6809 - open type
  - NGC 6864 - strongly condensed type
- Scorpius:
  - NGC 6093
open clusters:
- Ophiucus:
- Sagittarius:
  - NGC 6476 - very beautiful region
  - NGC 6567 - a small 8" nebula but wonderful cluster
  - M25 IC 4725 - cluster with 3 deep yellow stars in a line
  - NGC 6645
- Scorpius:
  - Antares cluster
  - NGC 6121
  - NGC 6231
  - NGC 6281
  - M7
  - NGC 6475 - visible to naked eye
nebulae:
- require dark skies and if you wish to see them in colour, you will have to photograph them
- Ophiucus:
  - NGC 6572 - bright 10" planetary nebula
  - NGC 6369 - annular
- Sagittarius:
  - Horseshoe nebula (M17 or NGC 6618)
  - Triffid nebula (M20 or NGC 6514)
  - Lagoon nebula (M8 or NGC 6523)
  - M24 (NGC 6603) - a large nebulosity 4.5' across with many stars
  - M28 (NGC 6626) - rounded nebulosity which is actually a globular cluster needing 15cm to resolve
  - IC 4776 - 6" planetary nebula
  - NGC 6818 - planetary nebula
- Scorpius:
  - NGC 6153
  - NGC 6302

A guided tour of objects transiting the meridian:

Objects for August.

Vega (Alpha Lyrae) about 15 degrees above the north horizon and almost on the meridian
M57 planetary nebula which is quite bright and appears in modest scopes as a smoky ring
M27 the “Dumbell Nebula”. It lies just south of star 14 Vupeculae, which completes the eastern apex of an equilateral triangle formed with the 4th and 5th magnitude stars 12 and 13 Vulpeculae as a base.
M16 in Serpens, the “Eagle Nebula”. The central cluster of stars which form the body of the eagle are very bright in smaller scopes, but the spectacular nebulosity which forms the wings may prove somewhat more elusive. Larger apertures, especially if enhanced by OIII or UHC filters, show this clearly.
M17 - The Omega Nebula” - Just two degrees due south of M 16, and just over the border of the constellation Sagittarius is the equally spectacular, slightly larger cluster with nebulosity. In this object, the situation appears reversed: the nebulosity is as bright as, if not brighter than, the cluster stars. The appearance is unmistakable.This must rate as one of the brighter nebulae in the sky and lies in a very busy area of the Milky Way.
M24 - “the star cloud in Sagittarius” - one of the greatest spectacles in the Milky Way, hundreds of thousands of tiny stars strewn across the field of any eyepiece is a spectacle not repeated often. Here we are looking towards the centre of our galaxy where most of its stars reside. Unfortunately for us, the richness of the galaxy centre is obscured by vast clouds of dust. Only rarely do they part as they do here, allowing us a glimpse of the delights they hide.
M20 - the beautiful Triffid Nebula. This is a large, almost round nebula that is crossed by dark lanes that divide it into three prominent sectors, very bright in the centre and fading gradually away to the edges. Careful observation shows many embedded stars, as well as a faint reflection nebula and many smaller patches of nebulosity on the perimeter. A very fine object.
M8, the Lagoon Nebula, just 1 deg. south of M20, another even larger mass of nebulosity, once again crossed by complex dark lanes and illuminated by many stars embedded in the nebulosity. A wonderful object that repays detailed study.
M22, one of the finest globulars in this incredibly rich area of the sky. Large, almost round, very bright, dense, resolved to the core, with extended edges that blend into the starry background, this is a marvellous example of the genre, and not to be missed.
further south lie the rich constellations of Ara and Pavo, both containing excellent globulars and rich clusters of galaxies.