![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/I33A43A6ZV94ELZETS0GOSA58771-1024x601.jpg\")
1. Jupiter\u2019s and Saturn\u2019s moons<\/strong><\/h4>\n\nRecommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/p>\n\nStart by finding the \u2018sweet spot\u2019 in your field of view where the binoculars\u2019 chromatic aberration partly counteracts atmospheric dispersion and Jupiter\u2019s colour-fringing is minimal. Don\u2019t expect to see planetary detail with 10×50 binoculars, but you can plot the night-tonight dances of the gas giants\u2019 moons. Jupiter\u2019s Galilean moons and Saturn\u2019s brightest moon, Titan, are easy to spot when they are separated from the planet by more than an arcminute.<\/span><\/p>\n\n2. Capricorn\u2019s rhombus, kite and parallelogram<\/strong><\/h4>\n\nRecommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/p>\n\nOne way of remembering star patterns in different regions of the sky is to use familiar shapes as aidem\u00e9moires. Delta (\u03b4) Capricorni is common to three quadrilateral asterisms. It makes a rhombus with Mu (\u03bc)), Lambda (\u03bb)) and 42 Capricorni; a kite if we include 46 Capricorni instead of \u03bb; and a parallelogram with<\/span> Nashira (Gamma (\u03b3)), Epsilon (\u03b5) and Kappa (\u03ba) Capricorni. What other shapes can you find in this region of sky?<\/p>\n\n3. Psi Aquarii star field<\/strong><\/h4>\n\nRecommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\nThis star field contains stars of the main spectral classes except O, so you can use it to get a sense for the colours of each. Psi 2 <\/sup>(\u03c8 ) Aquarii is B, Psi (\u03c8 ) Aquarii is A, 96 Aquarii is F, 94 Aquarii is G, Psi (\u03c8 ) Aquarii is K, and Chi (\u03c7) Aquarii and Phi (\u03c6) Aquarii are both M.<\/span> Also seek Neptune, which is 2\u00b0 east of 96 Aquarii and is easy to view in binoculars, if you know where to look.<\/p>\n\n4. TX Piscium <\/strong><\/h4>\n\nRecommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\nThe easternmost star in the southern circlet of Pisces is one of the reddest in the sky, the variable (mag. +4.8 to +5.2) TX Piscium. This ruby droplet is a carbon star: it pulsates in size, brightening as it expands, then throws off layers of soot as it contracts, making it dim. <\/span><\/p>\n\n5. The Pisces parallelogram <\/strong><\/h4>\n\nRecommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n7.5\u00b0 southeast of TX Pisces we find another quadrilateral asterism. This 3\u00b0 x 1\u00b0 parallelogram has 27, 29, 30 and 33 Piscium at its corners. The northeast corner is blue-white 29 Piscium, and diagonally opposite is orange 30 Piscium. The other two corners appear yellowish. At first glance, the parallelogram seems to be empty: it contains only one star brighter than 8th magnitude.<\/span><\/p>\n\n6. The Helix Nebula, NGC 7293<\/strong><\/h4>\n\nRecommended Equipment: <\/strong>15x 70<\/strong><\/p>\n\nYou\u2019ll need a good southern horizon, along with a transparent sky and full dark-adaptation, if you want to observe this planetary nebula. Use the chart to identify Upsilon (\u03c5) Aquarii and 47 Aquarii. About a thid of the way from Upsilon Aquarii to 47 Aquarii you\u2019ll find a faint circular patch about 10 arcminutes in diameter. <\/span><\/p>\n\nIMAGES: PETE LAWRENCE<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Locate the presence of a black hole at Cygnus X-1<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":24449,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"54","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"54","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_54-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_54-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"October-2021","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"October-2021","purple_external_id":"October-2021-54-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"October-2021-54-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086545||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086545||","purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.197","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.197","purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.197","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.197","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"075fab74-0a21-4201-866a-899d6c41c40c","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[14],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da.jpg",2048,1248,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-300x183.jpg",300,183,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-768x468.jpg",768,468,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-1024x624.jpg",800,488,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-1536x936.jpg",1536,936,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da.jpg",2048,1248,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Locate the presence of a black hole at Cygnus X-1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23408"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23408"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24961,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23408\/revisions\/24961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Start by finding the \u2018sweet spot\u2019 in your field of view where the binoculars\u2019 chromatic aberration partly counteracts atmospheric dispersion and Jupiter\u2019s colour-fringing is minimal. Don\u2019t expect to see planetary detail with 10×50 binoculars, but you can plot the night-tonight dances of the gas giants\u2019 moons. Jupiter\u2019s Galilean moons and Saturn\u2019s brightest moon, Titan, are easy to spot when they are separated from the planet by more than an arcminute.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Recommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/p>\n\n One way of remembering star patterns in different regions of the sky is to use familiar shapes as aidem\u00e9moires. Delta (\u03b4) Capricorni is common to three quadrilateral asterisms. It makes a rhombus with Mu (\u03bc)), Lambda (\u03bb)) and 42 Capricorni; a kite if we include 46 Capricorni instead of \u03bb; and a parallelogram with<\/span> Nashira (Gamma (\u03b3)), Epsilon (\u03b5) and Kappa (\u03ba) Capricorni. What other shapes can you find in this region of sky?<\/p>\n\n Recommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n This star field contains stars of the main spectral classes except O, so you can use it to get a sense for the colours of each. Psi 2 <\/sup>(\u03c8 ) Aquarii is B, Psi (\u03c8 ) Aquarii is A, 96 Aquarii is F, 94 Aquarii is G, Psi (\u03c8 ) Aquarii is K, and Chi (\u03c7) Aquarii and Phi (\u03c6) Aquarii are both M.<\/span> Also seek Neptune, which is 2\u00b0 east of 96 Aquarii and is easy to view in binoculars, if you know where to look.<\/p>\n\n Recommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n The easternmost star in the southern circlet of Pisces is one of the reddest in the sky, the variable (mag. +4.8 to +5.2) TX Piscium. This ruby droplet is a carbon star: it pulsates in size, brightening as it expands, then throws off layers of soot as it contracts, making it dim. <\/span><\/p>\n\n Recommended Equipment: 10x 50<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n 7.5\u00b0 southeast of TX Pisces we find another quadrilateral asterism. This 3\u00b0 x 1\u00b0 parallelogram has 27, 29, 30 and 33 Piscium at its corners. The northeast corner is blue-white 29 Piscium, and diagonally opposite is orange 30 Piscium. The other two corners appear yellowish. At first glance, the parallelogram seems to be empty: it contains only one star brighter than 8th magnitude.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Recommended Equipment: <\/strong>15x 70<\/strong><\/p>\n\n You\u2019ll need a good southern horizon, along with a transparent sky and full dark-adaptation, if you want to observe this planetary nebula. Use the chart to identify Upsilon (\u03c5) Aquarii and 47 Aquarii. About a thid of the way from Upsilon Aquarii to 47 Aquarii you\u2019ll find a faint circular patch about 10 arcminutes in diameter. <\/span><\/p>\n\n IMAGES: PETE LAWRENCE<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Locate the presence of a black hole at Cygnus X-1<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":24449,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"54","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"54","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_54-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_54-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"October-2021","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"October-2021","purple_external_id":"October-2021-54-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"October-2021-54-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086545||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086545||","purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.197","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.197","purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.197","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.197","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"075fab74-0a21-4201-866a-899d6c41c40c","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[14],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da.jpg",2048,1248,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-300x183.jpg",300,183,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-768x468.jpg",768,468,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-1024x624.jpg",800,488,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da-1536x936.jpg",1536,936,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2021\/09\/394fdd07-3cea-41ea-bdcc-3ba1333971da.jpg",2048,1248,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Locate the presence of a black hole at Cygnus X-1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23408"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23408"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24961,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23408\/revisions\/24961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}2. Capricorn\u2019s rhombus, kite and parallelogram<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
3. Psi Aquarii star field<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
4. TX Piscium <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
5. The Pisces parallelogram <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
6. The Helix Nebula, NGC 7293<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n