What's In The Sky - March 2021

Take your family on a journey to the stars from the comfort of your own backyard! Here are some of Orion Telescope and Binoculars' top picks for March stargazing:

Orion Continues to Shine

Constellation Orion is still well-placed in March skies for telescopic study. Check out the bright nebula M42, also called the Orion Nebula, which is visible as the middle "star" of Orion's "sword" just south of the three recognizable stars of Orion's belt. While easily detected in astronomy binoculars, the wispy Orion Nebula will reveal more intricate details in a telescope. After March, Orion's namesake constellation will get lower and lower in the west, making it harder to see as the Sun moves eastward in the sky.

Planetary group of Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, and the Moon in the south-eastern sky on March 10th around 5:40 am MST. Graphic created from Stellarium.

Morning Planetary Group

March 10th brings a nice group of planets. Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury, and the Moon will all be grouped together. Get up early, grab a telescope and take a look!

M45 - The Pleiades star cluster (left) was imaged on ATEO-1 and processed by Chris Lin using Insight Observatory's online Personal Image Request (PIR) application and the Double Cluster in Perseus was imaged and processed by ATEO-1 user Claudio Tenreiro.

Brilliant Binocular Clusters

Grab a pair of 50mm or larger astronomy binoculars in March for great views of the Pleiades star cluster (M45), the Beehive cluster (M44), and the must-see Double Cluster in Perseus. These sparkling sky gems are simply beautiful when observed with big binoculars, or use a wide-field eyepiece and short focal length telescope for a closer look.

Leo Triplet of galaxies M65, M66, and NGC 3628 (left) imaged and processed on ATEO-1 by Utkarsh Mishra and M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy imaged on ATEO-1 and processed by Jeff Padell using Insight Observatory's online Personal Image Request (PIR) application.

Galaxies Galore

By about 9-10pm throughout March, Ursa Major, Leo, and the western edge of the Virgo galaxy cluster are high enough in the eastern sky to yield great views of some of our favorite galaxies. Check out the bright pair of M81 and M82 just above the Big Dipper asterism. Look east of bright star Regulus to observe the Leo Triplet of galaxies M65, M66, and NGC 3628. In the northeastern sky, check out the famous Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). While the Whirlpool can be seen with modest 50mm binoculars, using a 10" or 12" telescope in a location with dark skies will display the distant galaxy's beautiful spiral arms. With an 8" or larger telescope and a dark sky, this region of the sky harbors dozens of galaxies - try to find them all!

All objects described above can easily be seen with the suggested equipment from a dark sky site, a viewing location some distance away from city lights where light pollution and when bright moonlight does not overpower the stars.

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What's In The Sky - February 2021

Clear February nights present some great stargazing opportunities suggested here by Orion Telescopes and Binoculars. Be sure to bundle up and keep warm while you get outside for some stargazing fun!

M81 - The Cigar Galaxy and M82 - Bode's Galaxy in Ursa Major. Image processed by Insight Observatory Starbase subscriber, Daniel Nobre from image data acquired on the 16" f/3.7 Dream astrograph reflector (ATEO-1).

Bright Galaxies

In late February, bright galaxies M81 and M82 will be about as high in the sky as they will get for North American stargazers. From a dark sky site, these galaxies are visible with a 50mm or larger binocular, but we suggest you use a large telescope to chase these galaxies down just off the leading edge of the Big Dipper asterism. Many observers consider M81 and M82 the best pairing of visual galaxies in the sky!

M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy (left) was processed by Utkarsh Mishra and M45 processed by Chris Lin both imaged on ATEO-1 using Insight Observatory's online Personal Image Request (PIR) application.

Binocular Targets

Astronomy isn't always about how much gear you have! Grab some Astro binoculars and check out the night sky without a lot of equipment. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is high in the sky in the evening right now, with the Pleiades (M45) higher up. Both make great targets for almost any binocular!

The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter

On February 11th there is a conjunction between Venus and Jupiter in the early morning just before sunrise. With a separation of 0.5 degrees, the pair will be close enough together to fit into the field of view of most telescopes with around 75x-100x magnification. Plus with Saturn still, nearby, it's a great morning for planetary viewing. Get up early, find a clear southeastern horizon, and see if you can get a good view before sunrise!

M104 - The Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo (left) and M51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy in Canes Venatici (right) both imaged on ATEO-1 by Charles Weaver using Insight Observatory's online Personal Image Request (PIR) application.

Midnight Spirals

Some galaxies for the night owls, the Sombrero Galaxy (M104) and the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) are some nice spiral galaxies that are both visible after midnight in February. The spiral arms of M51 can be glimpsed under dark skies with a 4.5" telescope, but will have more definition in larger telescopes. M104 is similar, it is visible in a 4" size telescope, but to distinguish the central "bulge" and 8" or larger instrument is required.

All objects described above can easily be seen with the suggested equipment from a dark sky site, a viewing location some distance away from city lights where light pollution and when bright moonlight does not overpower the stars.

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What's In The Sky - January 2021

January kicks off the New Year with wonderful sights for backyard astronomers to enjoy. Don't forget to bundle up on clear, cold evenings as you explore the sparkling night sky. Here are a few top picks for January stargazers from Orion Telescopes and Binoculars...

Quadrantid Meteor Shower

Bundle up and get outside on the night of January 2nd into the early morning hours of the 3rd to see the Quadrantids meteor shower peak. Some meteors associated with the Quadrantids are expected to be visible until January 12th, but the shower peaks after midnight on the night of January 2nd-3rd, with up to 120 meteors expected per hour. This year, the waning gibbous Moon will outshine fainter meteors, but you can still enjoy the brightest "shooting stars" as they appear to radiate from the constellation Boötes. You don't need a telescope to enjoy the show, just a clear, dark sky, and a comfy chair or blanket.

Stargazers point out the constellation Orion. Original image by Night Skygaze.

Hunting the Hunter

Our favorite constellation Orion continues to be high in the night sky in January, providing backyard astronomers spectacular sights throughout the month. Take a closer look at the middle star of Orion's sword with binoculars to reveal amazing views of the bright emission nebula M42. Use a telescope to resolve the system of four "newborn" stars that form a trapezoid at the center of M42, known as the Trapezium. If you'll be viewing in a light-polluted area, use an Orion UltraBlock filter to boost contrast for better views.

NGC 2024 -The Flame Nebula imaged by students from Barnstable High School, MA using a remote telescope, ATEO-3 located in Chile (left), and Barnard 33 - The Horsehead Nebula processed by Insight Observatory Starbase subscriber, Daniel Nobre.

Just above Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion's belt, the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) can be found in larger telescopes. Dark lanes of dust give this emission nebula its fiery appearance. The picturesque absorption nebula Barnard 33, also called the Horsehead Nebula, can be found in large telescopes just south of Alnitak. Use a Hydrogen-Beta filter to improve your chances of spotting the elusive Horsehead.

Reflection nebula, M78 in the constellation Orion imaged on ATEO-1 by Vincent M. using Insight Observatory's online Personal Image Request (PIR) application (left), and M42 - The Orion Nebula imaged on ATEO-3 by 5th-grade students from Plymouth South Elementary School, MA (right).

Scan the skies above and to the east of belt star Alnitak to find reflection nebula M78. Since M78 is much fainter than M42, a 4.5" or larger telescope is recommended for the best views.

Hind's Crimson Star

Just South of Orion is the constellation Lepus, the Hare. In the constellation Lepus, you can catch a glimpse of the rare winter globular cluster M79, as well as R Lepori, a well-known variable star that varies between magnitudes +5.5 (just visible to the naked eye) to +11.7 with a period of about 427 days. What's interesting about this star is that because it is a "carbon star" it is very red; when at its brightest, the red color is unmistakable.

January Challenge Object

Just west of Rigel, the bright blue/white star that marks the western "knee" of Orion, lies the Witch Head Nebula (IC 2118), in the neighboring constellation Eridanus. The Witch-Head is a reflection nebula that shines from reflected light off of Rigel, like the reflection nebula in the Pleiades, M45. You don't need a big telescope; a wide field of view, low power, and a dark sky are needed to see this challenging nebula. (Hint: Don't use filters).

IC 2118 - The Witch Head Nebula imaged on ATEO-1
by Tom L. using Insight Observatory's online
Personal Image Request (PIR) application.

All objects described above can easily be seen with the suggested equipment from a dark sky site, a viewing location some distance away from city lights where light pollution and when bright moonlight does not overpower the stars.

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