{"id":26086,"date":"2021-11-18T11:28:37","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T11:28:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=26086"},"modified":"2021-11-18T11:28:37","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T11:28:37","slug":"midwinter-milky-way-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2021\/11\/18\/midwinter-milky-way-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Midwinter Milky Way tour"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Take in the celestial targets of our home Galaxy with Stuart Atkinson\u2019s winter observing tour<\/p>\n\n

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Let Orion be your guide, as the winter delights of the Milky Way emerge from the heavens <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Seeing the misty, mottled arch of the Milky Way spanning the sky late on a clear summer night is one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences for astronomers. It\u2019s right up there with your first view of Saturn\u2019s rings through a telescope and seeing a bright fireball skip and flare across the sky during a meteor shower. But why discuss the Milky Way at this time of year? Everyone knows that you can only see the Milky Way during the summer \u2013 that it\u2019s a \u2018summer sight\u2019, right?<\/p>\n\n

Wrong. The Milky Way is still there on these frosty winter nights, it\u2019s just not as dramatic or obvious. While the summer Milky Way is a naked-eye wonder, a broad trail of starry froth and foam that splits the sky in two, the winter Milky Way is not so obvious and more of a spectacle to seek out. It\u2019s dappled on the sky, and if you take the time and trouble to look at it you\u2019ll be rewarded with some lovely sights. You\u2019ll see another side of the Milky Way; instead of the bright gaseous nebulae of summer, such as the famous Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae, what you will see is a host of sparkling star clusters.<\/p>\n\n

We\u2019re going to go on a tour of the midwinter Milky Way and take in some of these sights. Half are visible to the naked eye, and you\u2019ll need a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to see the rest. One thing\u2019s for sure, all of the sights are worth tracking down after you\u2019ve taken your obligatory nightly look at the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula.<\/p>\n\n

On the next clear, frosty night, before starting the tour pull on several pairs of socks and wrap up in your warmest jacket, hat and gloves. If you look like a seven-year-old child who has been dressed by their mum for a walk on a cold, snowy day, you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n\n

Head out at around 11:30pm and go to the darkest spot you can find. Straight away you\u2019ll see the constellation of Orion, the Hunter standing above the southern horizon, looking splendid with his famous Belt of three icy blue-white stars pulled tightly around his waist and ruddy-hued Betelgeuse (Alpha (\u03b1) Orionis) glowing at his shoulder.<\/p>\n\n

All the objects on this tour lie close to Orion, in the southern part of the sky. Before you begin the tour, let your eyes adapt properly to the darkness; this takes about half an hour. Then let us embark! <\/p>\n\n

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Sights for setting off<\/h4>\n\n

The first targets can all be seen with the naked eye under good conditions, but binoculars will bring out their beauty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

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Although faint at this time of year, the plane of the Milky Way, and the clusters within it, can be seen off the shoulder of Orion <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
1. The Christmas Tree Cluster, NGC 2264<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Located a short distance above and left of Betelgeuse (Alpha (\u03b1) Orionis), this open star cluster is 2,200 lightyears away and spans about 25 lightyears. At mag. +4.0 it\u2019s easy to see with the naked eye as a small smudge of light. It contains around 80 stars, and gets its nickname from the fact that observers think it resembles a Christmas tree when viewed through a telescope. The Cone Nebula is nearby, but is too faint to see without a large telescope.<\/p>\n\n

2. The Shoe-Buckle Cluster, M35<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

One of the most popular star clusters in the northern sky, M35 can be found high above Orion, close to the foot of one of the Twins of Gemini, which explains its (little-used) nickname. At mag. +5.0, it\u2019s a visually large object and on a clear night is easy to see with the naked eye as a misty patch above Orion. M35 contains perhaps 500 stars, and the brightest hundred or so are a lovely sight through binoculars and small telescopes, looking like spilled salt grains. The cluster is approximately 35 lightyears across and lies 3,000 lightyears away from us.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

3. M47<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Often overlooked because of the bigger, brighter star clusters around it, M47 is a treat to observe on a frosty night. This loose cluster of around 50 stars can be found to the upper left of Sirius (Alpha (\u03b1) Canis Majoris) and covers an area of sky the same size as the Moon. At mag. +4.4 it is an easy naked-eye object if you take the time to look for it. M47 is 1,600 lightyears away from our Solar System.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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