HOW TO FIND IT:
If you can identify 16 and 17 Virginis, then M61 is about half way between these two stars.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
M61 appears as a circular nebula, with a brighter elongated center. Around the nucleus, you may be able to see some brighter patches, which give hints to the spiral arms of this galaxy we are viewing face-on.
HOW TO FIND IT:
Simply scan between Beta and Lamda Lyrae.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
With binoculars, don't expect to see the well photographed smoke ring. It will have more of a solid look than that. In fact, at some low powers there is a sense in which it looks the opposite of a globular cluster, being a circular haze with a DIM center.
Through telescopes, the ring becomes easily defined and the challenge becomes trying to see the central in the ring's center.
HOW TO FIND IT:
Use the same two guide stars that led to M57, Beta and Gamma Lyrae. Don't look between them, however. Draw a line from Beta, through Gamma, and continue to a point about half way between Gamma Lyrae and Beta Cygni.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
M56 has a rich star field.
HOW TO FIND IT:
M55 sets off by itself, compared with the other Messier objects in Sagittarius that come in chains or groupings, but it is a wonderful deep sky object that you need to take a look at.
Drawing a line from Delta to Zeta in the teapot of Sagittarius and extending it almost that same apparent distance gives a rough location. Another set of guide stars are Sigma and Tau in the teapot's handle, but these guides give no idea or how far from the teapot area M55 is found.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
M55 will have the appearance of many globular clusters, looking like a bright hazy patch. A distinctive feature is the single conspicuous bright star that the observer ought to try to locate.
At an estimated distance of 70,000 light years, M54 is the most distant globular in the Messier list. The other two, M69 and M70, are about half that distance from us and are relatively close to each other.
HOW TO FIND IT:
These three globular clusters are all found by scanning the area between Zeta and Epsilon Sagittarii, which are the two stars that make up the bottom of the "teapot." Draw a line from Zeta to Epsilon, and you will first come to M54, followed by M70. M69 will be somewhat north of the line, in the teapot area.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
M54 will be one of the most densely packed globular clusters in Messier's list. M69 was described by Messier as a "nebula without a star." All three appear rather small. M70 may appear with a slightly irregular outline.
HOW TO FIND IT:
M53 is about one degree northeast of Alpha Coma Berenices.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Look for a round nebulous circle growing brighter toward the center. It is a somewhat compressed globular, with the bright center relatively large.
HOW TO FIND IT:
Cassiopeia has a "W" shape to it. The last leg of that "W" are the stars Alpha and Beta. Draw a line through those stars and continue above the "W" for slightly more that the apparent distance between Alpha and Beta.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
M52 is a large, rich open cluster that is compressed in the middle. It is one of the richest open clusters. In binoculars, it will have a nebulous appearance, but these are stars that are easily resolved in the telescope.
M51 was discovered by Charles Messier in 1773. It is the first galaxy recognized as having a spiral character. Lord Rosse was the first to detect this nature in 1845, while using a 72 inch reflector. Until the 1920's, when Edwin Hubble conceived the galactic view of the universe, astronomers thought this was a solar system being created. M51 was listed as two different numbers in the NGC.
HOW TO FIND IT:
Here are three ways to find it.
Find Alpha Canum Venaticorum. Move your telescope north 9 degrees then east 5 degrees.
Or, find the star at the end of the Big Dipper (Alkaid), and move 3 degrees southwest.
Or, locate Alkaid and Mizar, the two end stars of the Big Dipper. Below the handle, find star 21. Alkaid, Mizar and 21 will form a triangle. Star 21 and Alkaid will form another triangle with M51.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
You should easily see a round glow with a distinctive nucleus. I find that it looks like a double nebula. On a good night, you ought to be able to see the spiral arms if you have an 8 inch telescope or better.
Photo by Pittendreigh
HOW TO FIND IT:
On a star chart M50 will look like it is in the middle of nowhere, with no bright stars close by.
Don't worry, M50 is easy. Just find Sirius and Procyon, which are two rather bright stars that will be easy to locate. Scan the area between these stars, moving from Sirius to Procyon. M50 is one-third of the way toward Procyon. A pair of binoculars will spot it. A very low power viewfinder will reveal a nebulous spot.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Binoculars will show M50 as a cluster of a half dozen stars with a hazy background. A telescope with greater power will show more of the 80 or so stars in the cluster. Some observers will see a heart shape within the cluster.
HOW TO FIND IT:
M48 is in the middle of nowhere. That is what makes it a challenge.
It is about half way between Sirius and Regulus, which covers a lot of sky!
Use binoculars and a little patience. The other open clusters of winter have been so easy to find because they are near guide stars. M48 will be easy to relocate once you've seen it.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
M48, like many of the open clusters in Messier's list, is best viewed in low power.
HOW TO FIND IT:
Alpha and Beta Canis Majoris point the way. Alpha and Beta appear the distance equal to the width of three fingers at arms length. Drawing an imaginary line from Beta, through Alpha and beyond, M47 is six finger widths away from Alpha Canis Majoris (or Sirius). It is not difficult to find, and M46 is just 1.5 degree to the east. M47 can be seen with the unaided eye.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
These are fine clusters to savor and enjoy. M46 is not as bright as its neighbor M47, but it has a hidden treasure that will be beyond the reach of those using binoculars. In smaller binoculars, M46 will appear as a hazy nebula. In small telescopes, the individual stars can be resolved. With an 8 inch, and maybe with a 4 inch owned by a young person with good eyes, a planetary nebula can be seen on the northern edge of M46. You will need a dark sky, a well dark adapted eye, and some time using averted vision, but the nebula can be seen.
The planetary nebula is like a smaller version of the Ring Nebula, M57, but is not as regularly shaped. Some may see it as an incomplete ring, like a letter "C." This planetary nebula (NGC 2438) is between us and the cluster and is not a member of M46.
HOW TO FIND IT:
Alpha and Beta Canis Majoris point the way. Alpha and Beta appear the distance equal to the width of three fingers at arms length. Drawing an imaginary line from Beta, through Alpha and beyond, M47 is six finger widths away from Alpha Canis Majoris (or Sirius). It is not difficult to find, and M46 is just 1.5 degree to the east. M47 can be seen with the unaided eye.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
These are fine clusters to savor and enjoy. M46 is not as bright as its neighbor M47, but it has a hidden treasure that will be beyond the reach of those using binoculars. In smaller binoculars, M46 will appear as a hazy nebula. In small telescopes, the individual stars can be resolved. With an 8 inch, and maybe with a 4 inch owned by a young person with good eyes, a planetary nebula can be seen on the northern edge of M46. You will need a dark sky, a well dark adapted eye, and some time using averted vision, but the nebula can be seen.
The planetary nebula is like a smaller version of the Ring Nebula, M57, but is not as regularly shaped. Some may see it as an incomplete ring, like a letter "C." This planetary nebula (NGC 2438) is between us and the cluster and is not a member of M46.
Photo by Pittendreigh
HOW TO FIND IT:
It's like finding Superman -- Look! Up in the sky! I know I gave this a difficulty level of 1, but maybe a difficulty level of NONE would be more appropriate.
If you can find Taurus, you can spot this easily. For many, it looks like what non-astronomers expect the Little Dipper to look like. I wish I'd kept track of the number of people I've taken outside for a look through the telescope who have tried to impress me with their knowledge of the stars by pointing to the Seven Sisters and saying, "At least I know where the North Star is." If that happens to you, be gentle as you show them the true location of Polaris, the North Star.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Forget the telescope or even the binoculars for this one. At most, use the lowest viewfinder you have. This is a wonderful object for the unaided eye.
M45 is often ignored by amateurs, but don't. You should especially take time to look at it on one of those rare nights when the sky is absolutely clear and dark. That would be a good time to use the telescope of a small power. It is impressive how many stars are really in this cluster. On such a night, it might be possible to see some hints of nebulosity often seen in photographs.
HOW TO FIND IT:
Scan in the area half way between the sickle of Leo and the twins of Gemini. M44 will be visible with the unaided eye.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Don't look through the telescope, just use the viewfinder for a while. As with many open clusters in Messier's list, the lower the power the better. Small binoculars are also good.
Without moving to too great of magnifying power, look for some of the patterns in the field. One you will want to find is a triple star called Burnham 584. The stars in this system are almost equally bright. They can be found just south of the cluster's center.
