Introduction and Monthly Reminders
July has been filled with plenty of hot days. Unfortunately, the heat brings dry conditions and increases fire danger. As such, many days have had smoke-filled skies due to irresponsible people neglecting the fact that Utah is in a serious drought. Hopefully, the remaining weeks of summer and into early fall will bring less smokey skies. On a more positive note, the first images from the JWST were revealed on July 12. If you have not had a chance to view them, be sure to check them out! The JWST will bring many more great images and discoveries over the next several years.
Over the remaining days of July, observers should be on the lookout for the Southern Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower on the 30th. There are also many close approaches between the Moon and the morning planets which can still be enjoyed. Observers can still view the Messier objects in Hercules, Draco, Lyra, Serpens, Scorpius, and Scutum, as well as several others that have not yet been discussed.
Messier Targets 🔭
The Messier Catalog contains 110 objects to view throughout the year. Most of these objects require a telescope or a pair of binoculars. As with all DSOs, observing from a location with minimal light pollution will enhance your views. If using a telescope, I recommend using a low-power eyepiece to help find the object, then increase the power to bring out more detail. So far, I have highlighted the Messier objects belonging to Hercules, Draco, Lyra, Serpens, Scorpius, and Scutum. For this post, I will highlight the seven Messier objects which belong to Ophiuchus. I will continue to highlight each object and the directions that I use in locating these objects, but I will also include a single image at the end of this post showing the location of each object in Ophiuchus.
The seven objects located in Ophiuchus are globular star clusters, like the famous Hercules Cluster (M13) that was highlighted in the June Monthly Night Sky Report. Ophiuchus translated from Latin means "serpent bearer" and is often associated with medicine and medical images. To get started, face towards the south as the sun sets during the summer months. A majority of our targets from the Messier Catalog have been in this region of the sky so far. Locate the bright star Antares, which belongs to Scorpius. Ophiuchus will be the next constellation upwards, closer to the zenith than Scorpius. If you can recall the location of the constellations Scutum and Serpens, Ophiuchus is the constellation sandwiched between them. Below is a sample image from Stellarium of what the night sky will look like on the evening of the 15th.
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| Looking south after sunset during the summer months. |
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| Constellation labels and lines. |
By using the above image, the top star represents the head while the enclosed area represents the body of Ophiuchus. The line that breaks off the main body is the leg of Ophiuchus and will be our beginning region of this constellation for locating Messier objects. The first target will be M9 (aka NGC 6333). This star cluster may be more challenging than some of the others this month since it shines dimly at magnitude 7.7. To find M9, I locate the three stars making up the lower body of Ophiuchus and use the two stars on the right side of his body to draw a line towards the left leg. Along this line, M9 can be located. As usual, I start with a low-power eyepiece until I locate the object, and then bump up the magnification as high as the conditions allow. See the image below for the location of M9.
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| Location of M9 in Ophiuchus. |
The next target is M19 (aka NGC 6273). This star cluster shines brighter than M9 at magnitude 6.8. To find M19, I nudge my telescope downwards, closer to the horizon from M9. I keep adjusting it downward until I'm in the region of the sky that is to the left of Antares. Alternatively, I could find M19 by centering Antares in my eyepiece and then nudging my telescope directly towards the Milky Way Band. During this time of year, this area is directly to the left of Antares. Below is an image of the location of M19.
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| Location of M19 in Ophiuchus. |
While in this region of the sky, I typically search for M62 (aka Flickering Globular Cluster, NGC 6266) next. This globular cluster is the brightest of the clusters in Ophiuchus, shining at magnitude 6.5. I locate M62 by nudging my telescope toward the horizon even farther until it is centered in my low-power eyepiece. See the image below for the location of M62.
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| Location of M62 in Ophiuchus. |
Moving into the body of Ophiuchus, I first target M10 (aka NGC 6254), a globular cluster that shines at magnitude 6.6. To find this object, I locate the star representing the head of Ophiuchus and the star representing the belly button region. I then center the belly button star in my low-power eyepiece. Connecting these two stars with an imaginary line, I guide my telescope towards the head star. Before making it halfway up the body, I notice M10 in my field of view. See the image below for the location of M10.
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| Location of M10 in Ophiuchus. |
After I have viewed M10 to my heart's content, I guide my scope to the right, following the slant of Ophiuchus. Before reaching the boundary of the body of this constellation, I notice M12 (aka Gumball Globular Cluster, NGC 6218). M12 shines at nearly the same magnitude as M10. See the image below for the location of M12.
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| Location of M12 in Ophiuchus. |
The next target can be found by once again using the head and belly button stars of Ophiuchus. Instead of following the line from the belly button star to the head star, follow the line down from the belly button star, towards Scorpius. M107 (aka The Crucifix Cluster, NGC 6171) can be found just below the stars that make up the main body of Ophiuchus. If I have a hard time locating M107 using this method, I will use the belly button star and the bright star that represents the left leg of Ophiuchus. M107 forms a right triangle with these two stars. See the image below for the location of M107.
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| Location of M107 in Ophiuchus. |
The final Messier object in Ophiuchus is a little more challenging to find for me than the others. The easiest way for me is to center the star that represents the top left shoulder of Ophiuchus in my low-power eyepiece and slowly nudge my telescope down towards the horizon. If I make it to the Milky Way Band, then I know I've gone too far so I try again. Eventually, I will locate M14 (aka NGC 6402) in my field of view. See the image below for the location of M14.
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| Location of M14 in Ophiuchus. |
As mentioned, here is an image that shows the locations of the seven Messier objects belonging to Ophiuchus. Additionally, I have provided an image that shows the constellation lines and labels to help identify Ophiuchus.
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| Location of Messier Objects in Ophiuchus. |
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| Location of Messier Objects in Ophiuchus with constellation lines and labels. |
All of these images were provided by Stellarium. My updated Messier list can be found here. Next month, we will focus on Sagittarius and the 15 Messier objects that can be found in this constellation. August will also bring the return of the Perseids and the opposition of Saturn.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
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