Introduction and Monthly Reminders
March started off cold and snowy. As the first half of the month continued, it began to warm up, the snow storms turning into rain storms. On most days, it seemed like the mornings would begin with clear skies with the afternoon and evenings becoming cloudy and stormy.
The second half of the month may continue this cloudy trend but with any luck, observers will be able to experience some clear nights to enjoy some stargazing. March still offers observers the chance to see a conjunction between the Moon and several planets. The most notable will be a conjunction with Jupiter and Venus on the 22nd and 23rd, respectively. On the 28th, Mercury and Jupiter will be found close together in the evening sky, followed by Venus and Uranus on the 31st.
Messier Targets ðŸ”
The Messier Catalog is a collection of 110 objects that can be seen throughout the year. March and April offer observers the unique opportunity of allowing observers to see all 110 objects in a single night! Astronomers refer to this event as a "Messier Marathon." Many of the objects can be seen with a pair of binoculars, with all of them becoming visible through a 3-inch telescope. The larger the telescope, the more detail an observer can see! I have not been able to highlight all of the objects yet, but I encourage interested observers to take the opportunity to participate in this marathon if the weather allows it. Start by viewing the constellations in the west after sunset, then move eastward until sunrise. Feel free to use my Messier List file to aid in the hunt for these objects. Don't forget that there are tabs at the bottom of this spreadsheet to easily find objects according to Season, Constellation, Magnitude, and Classification.
I will continue the hunt for Messier objects with Canes Venatici, a constellation found near Ursa Major. Canes Venatici is Latin for "hunting dogs." The two bright stars of this constellation make up an eye of each dog. During March, Canes Venatici can be found rising above the eastern horizon after sunset. This constellation is home to four spiral galaxies and a globular star cluster. The images below show what an observer will see after sunset in this region of the sky.
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| The night sky as an observer faces north-northeast after sunset during March. |
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| The north-northeast sky in March with constellation lines and labels and a few star names. |
The first target will be the globular cluster, M3 (aka NGC 5272) located in the lower region of Canes Venatici. I recommend using the bright star, Arcturus, a Red Giant found in Bootes, to find M3. First, center Arcturus in the field of view, then slowly move towards the zenith roughly 12° to locate M3. See the image below for the location of M3.
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| Location of M3 in Canes Venatici. |
Next up is M51 (aka Whirlpool Galaxy, NGC 5194) a spiral galaxy. This Messier object consists of two interacting galaxies and is broken into two separate objects, M51a and M51b, with M51a being the Whirlpool Galaxy and M51b being a dwarf barred-spiral galaxy. The Whirlpool Galaxy was the first object to be designated a spiral galaxy. To find M51, center Alkaid, the tip of the handle of the Big Dipper, in the eyepiece, then slowly scan 4° to the right. A larger telescope and a dark sky will offer an observer the opportunity to see more detail. See the image below for the location of M51.
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| Location of M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) in Canes Venatici. |
Following the Whirlpool galaxy, an observer should continue their journey with M63 (aka Sunflower Galaxy, NGC 5055), a spiral galaxy to the right of M51. If the Whirlpool Galaxy is centered in the eyepiece, scan the sky roughly 8° to the right of M51 to locate the Sunflower Galaxy. See the image below for the location of M63.
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| Location of M63 in Canes Venatici. |
After viewing M63, center the star, Cor Caroli, the brightest of the stars in Canes Venatici, in the field of view. We are going to search for M94 (aka NGC 4736), a spiral galaxy just a short distance (from our vantage point) from Cor Caroli. After locating Cor Caroli, slowly guide your scope to the left and up, roughly 4° to find M94. This object will likely look like a fuzzy star or fuzzy blob in the field of view. A dark sky and a larger telescope will increase the views of M94. See the image below for the location of M94.
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| Location of M94 in Canes Venatici. |
The final Messier target in Canes Venatici is M106 (aka NGC 4258), a spiral galaxy. This object is a little trickier to locate compared to the previous four. I like to center Alioth, the first star that makes up the handle of the Big Dipper, in my eyepiece. From here, I slowly move to the right, roughly 12° to locate M106. See the image below for the location of M106.
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| Location of M106 in Canes Venatici. |
That concludes the Messier objects in Canes Venatici. See the images below for the location of the five Messier objects belonging to this constellation.
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| The locations of the five Messier objects of Canes Venatici. |
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| The locations of the five Messier objects belonging to Canes Venatici with constellation lines and labels. |
April's Night Sky Report will continue to highlight the Messier objects of the Spring Constellations. The next target constellation will be Leo the Lion. These stars are sandwiched between Hydra the Snake and Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs. The above images were provided by Stellarium, a free planetarium software that can be found online, downloaded, or installed as an app on your favorite mobile device. My updated Messier list can be found here.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
