(Mar - May 2005)

Mercury		may be visible in the west right at sunset in early March
Venus		becomes visible in the west in late April/May in Taurus; gibbous in telescope.
Mars		in Sagittarius and Capricorn, is in the daytime sky
Jupiter		brilliant in Virgo (east/overhead); rises 10pm in early March
Saturn		in Gemini, is superb, with its rings at an excellent angle for observing.
Distant		Uranus (Aquarius), Neptune (Capricorn) & Pluto (Serpens) invisible in daytime sky
Meteor Showers		April 22: Lyrids (Comet Thatcher)   May 5: Eta Aquarids (Comet Halley)

Little Dipper /Ursa Minor (L. Bear)
Cepheus (the King)
Draco (the Dragon)

Gemini (the Twins)
Leo (the Lion)
Taurus (the Bull)
Ophiuchus (the Serpent-Holder)

Aries (the Ram)
Cancer (the Crab)
Libra (the Scales
Virgo (the Maiden)

Auriga (The Charioteer)
Corona Borealis (Northern Crown)
Cygnus (the Swan)
Hercules
Lyra (the Lyre)
Perseus (the Hero)

Andromeda
Canes Venatici (Hunting Dogs)
Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair)
Delphinus (the Dolphin)
Hercules
Pegasus (the Winged Horse)

Too dim for our urban sky: Camelopardis; Leo Minor; Lynx; Monoceros; Triangulum

Bright Stars
(Mag. 0 or 1)

(M=1 solar mass)

(ly=light years)

Winter Hexagon (clockwise, with Betelgeuse at the hub):

  Betelgeuse (Orion): mag. 0.69; red supergiant; 650 ly; 15 M
  Sirius (Canis Major): mag. -1.42; white; A-class, 8.7 ly, 2 M
  Procyon (Canis Minor): mag. 0.38; white, F-class; 11 ly
  Pollux (Gemini): mag. 1.13; yellow-white, K-class; 40 ly; 3 M
  Capella (Auriga):mag. 0.08; yellow, G-class; 41 ly; 2.5 M
  Aldebaran (Taurus): mag. 0.86; orange giant; 60 ly; 1 M
  Rigel (Orion): mag. 0.15; blue supergiant; 815 ly; 20 M

Other:

Regulus (Leo): mag. 1.35; blue-white, B-class; 69 ly; 3.5 M
Arcturus (Bootes): mag. -0.04; orange supergiant; 40 ly; 2 M
Spica (Virgo): mag. 0.98; blue-white, B-class, 262 ly; 9 M
Vega (Lyra): mag. 0.03; white, A-class; 25 ly; 3 M

Doubles
& Multiples:

• Mizar / Alcor ("horse and rider" - the middle star in the Big Dipper's handle).
• Theta Tauri: just south of Aldebaran in Taurus; white & orange
  
• Almach (Gamma Andromeda): gold and green
  
• Castor (Gemini)

OPEN CLUSTERS
groups of young stars (10-100) travelling together:

• Pleiades (M45) in Taurus
• Hyades in Taurus
• Beehive (M44) in Cancer
• E.T. or "Owl" below Cassiopeia
  
• Double Cluster (Perseus - Cassiopeia)
• M35 in Gemini

GALAXIES

• M31: Andromeda (spiral, our closest at 2.2 mly away) & its satellite M32 (elliptical)
• M 81 & 82 (Ursa Major)
•  M51: "Whirlpool" (spiral, Canes Venatici)
•  M63: "Sunflower" (spiral, Canes Venatici)
•  M94: spiral in Canes Venatici
•  M106: spiral in Canes Venatici
  

GLOBULAR CLUSTERS
Spherical clusters of up to about a million ancient stars. About 150 globular clusters are known, forming a "halo" around our galactic core.

•  M3 (Canes Venatici) midway Cor Caroli-Arcturus    
•  M5 in Ophiuchus
  
•  M13: "Great Cluster" (Hercules)
  
•  M53 in Coma Berenices
  
•  M79 in Lepus

NEBULAE

• Orion Nebula (M42) - area of star formation in Orion's "sword"
• Ring Nebula (M57) in Lyra - atmosphere "blown out" by a star at the end of its life
• Crab Nebula (M1) in Taurus - remnant of a supernova that was visible from Earth in 1054 C.E