Astronomy/DSOs

The Astronomy DSO list specifies which Deep Sky Objects may be covered in the Astronomy event that year.

2012 DSOs

2012 DSO's

Name	Images		Constellation	Magnitude	Distance	Coordinates	External Links
Mira (Omicron Ceti)			Cetus	Apparent: 2.0 to 10.1	~420 ly	Right Ascension: 02h 19m 20.70s; Declination: -02° 58' 39.51"	Chandra NASA Science News
			Mira is the prototype for Mira variables, which are red giants that oscillate over long periods.
SNR 0509-67.5			Dorado		~160,000 ly	Right Ascension: 05h 09m 31.7s; Declination: -67° 31' 18.01”	NASA APOD Chandra
			A supernova remnant in the LMC (Large Magellanic Cloud). The explosion occurred 400 years ago for Earth observers.
CH Cyg			Cygnus	Apparent: 5.6 to 10.5	~815 ly	Right Ascension: 19h 24m 33.07s; Declination: +50° 14' 29.13"	Chandra AAVSO
			CH Cyg is a symbiotic star system between a red giant and a white dwarf.
Kepler's SNR (SN 1604)			Ophiuchus		~13,000 ly	Right Ascension: 17h 30m 40.80s; Declination: -21° 29' 11.00"	Chandra NASA APOD
			A Type 1a supernova remnant that was observed by Johannes Kepler in 1604.
Tycho's SNR (SN 1572)			Cassiopeia		~9000 ly	Right Ascension: 00h 25m 17s; Declination: +64° 08' 37"	Chandra NASA APOD
			A Type 1a supernova remnant that was observed in 1572 and later studied by Tycho Brahe.
Messier 15 (NGC 7078)			Pegasus	Apparent: 6.2	~33,600 ly	Right Ascension: 21h 29m 58.38s; Declination: +12° 10′ 00.6″	Messier Catalogue U of Alabama
			M15 is one of the oldest known and closest globular clusters to Earth.
Carina Nebula	File:CarinaNebula.jpg		Carina	Apparent: 1.0	~7500 ly	Right Ascension: 10h 45m 04s; Declination: -59° 41' 03"	Chandra Universe Today
			The Carina Nebula is a very bright and large nebula. It contains Eta Carinae, which is one of the largest known stars and a prime candidate for a hypernova.
T Tauri			Taurus	Apparent: 9.3-14	462 ly	Right Ascension: 04h 21m 59.43s; Declination: +19° 32′ 06.42″	NASA APOD Universe Today
			T Tauri is the prototype for T Tauri stars, which are the stars in the life stage between protostar and main sequence. there is a nebula located close to the star called Hind's Variable Nebula, which changes in luminosity as T Tauri varies.
Sirius B			Canis Major	Apparent: 8.30; Absolute: 11.18	8.6 ly	Right Ascension: 06h 45m 11s; Declination: -16° 42' 05.00"	Chandra NASA APOD
			Sirius B is the smaller, white dwarf component to the Sirius star system.
RR Lyrae			Lyra	Apparent: 7.1 to 8.2	~850 ly	Right Ascension: 19h 25m 27.91s; Declination: +42° 47′ 03.69″	AAVSO Encyclopedia of Science
			RR Lyrae is the prototype for RR Lyrae variables, which are low-mass stars that pulsate regularly.
U Scorpii			Scorpius	Apparent: 8.7 to 19.3	>15000 ly	Right Ascension: 16h 22m 30.78s; Declination: -17° 52′ 42.8″	Universe Today Sky and Telescope
			U Scorpii is a recurrent nova, and one of ten known recurrent novae in the Milky Way. Its most recent outburst was in January 2010, and it was the best-observed outburst in history.
Rosette Nebula (Caldwell 49, 3C 163)			Monoceros	Apparent: 9.0	4700 ly	Right Ascension: 06h 31m 52.00s; Declination: +04° 55' 57.00"	Atlas of the Universe Chandra
			A large stellar nursery that produces several O and B type stars. It has an appearance similar to a rose, hence its name.
BP Psc			Pisces	Apparent: 11.9	~1000 ly	Right Ascension: 22h 22m 24.70s; Declination: -02° 13' 41.40"	Chandra NASA NGC 2440 PDF
			BP Psc appears to be a red giant, but it has an accretion disc similar to that of a protostar. This has led to hypotheses that BP Psc has recently consumed a companion star or a large, gaseous planet.
NGC 2440 (VV 45)			Puppis	Apparent: 11.5	~4000 ly	Right Ascension: 07h 41m 54.91s; Declination: -18° 12′ 29.7″	NASA APOD Hubble
			NGC 2440 is a planetary nebula whose star of origin is now an extremely hot white dwarf.
RX J0806.3+1527 (HM Cnc)			Cancer	Apparent: 21.1	~1600 ly	Right Ascension: 08h 06m 23.20s; Declination: +15° 27' 30.20"	Chandra Space.com
			An x-ray binary system composed of two white dwarves that are rapidly orbiting each other. Their orbits are slowly getting closer, and the stars will eventually collide. Since they are faint, they are being observed by x-ray emissions.
DEM L238 & L249			Dorado		~160,000 ly	Right Ascension: 05h 34m 08.80s; Declination: -70º 34' 28.00"	Chandra Space Daily
			Two remnants from neighboring stars that exploded as white dwarves in the LMC.

Previous Years' DSO Lists

<spoiler text="2011 DSOs">

2011 DSO's

Name	Images		Constellation	Magnitude	Distance	Coordinates	External Links
Epsilon Aurigae			Auriga	Apparent: 2.9 normally, 3.8 during eclipse; Absolute: -6.0	~2000 light years (ly)	Right Ascension: 05h 01m 58.1s; Declination: +43° 49’ 24”	AAVSO: Epsilon Aurigae Citizen Sky: Epsilon Aurigae
			Epsilon Aurigae is an eclipsing binary. One part is a white giant, and the other appears to be a star shrouded by a dark cloud of dust. In the middle of this cloud, there is a clearing where the star probably is, so during an eclipse, the system appears momentarily brighter as this clearing passes over the giant. An observation project of Epsilon Aurigae took place from 2009-2011.
NGC 6240 (IC 4625, UGC 10592, PGC 59186, VV 617)			Ophiuchus	Apparent: 12.8	~330 million ly	Right Ascension: 16h 52m 58.9s; Declination: +02° 24' 03"	Chandra: NGC 6240 NASA APOD: NGC 6240
			NGC 6240 is an extremely luminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG). It is the result of two smaller galaxies colliding to form one large galaxy with two nuclei and an irregular shape. Possible hypotheses for the high infrared emission are intense star formation or the presence of one or two AGNs.
3C 321			Serpens		~1.4 billion ly	Right Ascension: 15h 31m 42.7s; Declination:: +24° 04’ 25.00"	Chandra: 3C 321 Space.com: 3C 321
			3C 321 is a binary system of galaxies. One of the galaxies is directing a large jet of energy at its companion. It is nicknamed the “Death Star Galaxy” and it is theorized that the galaxy with the jet contains a supermassive black hole. It was discovered in 2007.
Centaurus A (NGC 5128, Arp 153, PGC 46957, Caldwell 77, 4U 1322-42)			Centaurus	Apparent: 6.84	~15 million ly	Right Ascension: 13h 25m 27.6s; Declination: -43° 01’ 09”	SEDS: Centaurus A Solstation.com: Centaurus A
			Cen A is one of the closest radio galaxies containing an AGN to Earth. It is the fifth brightest galaxy in the sky, although it is mostly only observable from the Southern Hemisphere. It is slowly consuming another spiral galaxy, causing rapid star formation, helping the radiation coming from the nucleus. The supermassive black hole at the center sends out jets of X-rays and radio waves in which the inner parts are moving at one half of the speed of light.
Stephan's Quintet (HGC 92, Arp 319, VV 288)			Pegasus	Apparent: 13.9	300-370 million ly	Right Ascension: 22h 35m 57.5s; Declination: +33° 57’ 36”	Chandra: Stephan's Quintet NASA APOD: Stephen's Quintet
			Stephan's Quintet is a visual grouping of five galaxies. Four of the galaxies are in a compact group, and collisions have altered the form of the galaxies. Eventually, the four will likely merge into one large galaxy. The collisions have caused emissions of both x-rays and molecular hydrogen. The four than are physically interlocked are NGC 7317, NGC 7318a, NGC 7318b, and NGC 7319. NGC 7320 is not actually part of the interacting cluster but is a foreground object in the same area as the other galaxies. The galaxies NGC 7335, NGC 7336, and NGC 7337 in the NGC 7331 group, or Deer Lick Group, was used to determine this. Occasionally, the tidal forces cause NGC 7318b to emit huge shock waves of X-rays. It is also the brightest member of the group with an apparent magnitude of 13.9. NGC 7319 is classified as a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy.
MACSJ0717.5+3745			Auriga			Right Ascension: 07h 17m 31.00s; Declination: +37° 45’ 39.60”	Chandra: MACSJ0717.5+3745
			MACSJ0717.5+3745 (MACSJ0717 for short) a galaxy cluster where four separate galaxies have been involved in a collision. The collisions are caused by a stream of hot gas known as a filament that pours into the cluster. It is one of the most complex clusters ever studied and was discovered in 2003.
Bullet Cluster (1E 0657-56)			Carina			Right Ascension: 06h 58m 37.9s; Declination: - 55° 57’ 0”	Chandra: Bullet Cluster NASA APOD: Bullet Cluster
			The Bullet Cluster is a system of two colliding clusters of galaxies. It is one of the best examples of evidence for the existence of dark matter. In the collision, the stars mostly did not interact, but the gases and other matter were significantly altered. This other matter is hypothesized to be dark matter, and is supported by the supposed Modified Newtonian Dynamics that explains the lensing phenomenon in the cluster. It is one of the hottest known clusters of galaxies.
Perseus A (NGC 1275, PGC 12429, UGC 2669, Caldwell 24, 3C 84, QSO B0316+413)			Perseus	Apparent: 12.6.		Right Ascension: 03h 19m 48.1s; Declination: +41° 30’ 42”	NASA APOD: Perseus A Hubble Heritage: Perseus A
			Perseus A is a Type 1.5 Seyfert galaxy, which signifies that both broad and narrow lines on the emission spectrum are present, but there are less pronounced broad lines than a Type 1 Seyfert galaxy. It consists of two galaxies, one in the center and another that lies in front of it. Long filaments of gas stretch out from the system.
SN 2006gy			Perseus	Peak Apparent: 14.2		Right Ascension: 03h 17m 27.10s; Declination: +41° 24’ 19.50”	Chandra: SN 2006gy NASA APOD: SN 2006gy
			SN 2006gy was an extremely energetic supernova that reached an extremely high luminosity level. The large size of the star caused it to gain energy in its core, eventually causing it to be blown apart violently. This type of supernova is sometimes referred to a hypernova, and it compared to the star Eta Carinae in the Milky Way.
SN 1996cr			Circinus			Right Ascension: 14h 13m 10.05 s; Declination: -65° 20’ 44.8”	Chandra: SN 1996cr
			SN 1996cr is a powerful supernova that was noticed in a Chandra image after it was taken, and was widely studied afterward. The star exploded between 1995 and 1996, but was not discovered until 2001. It is of interest because it is located in an active galaxy with a growing supermassive black hole and rapid star formation.
NGC 4603 (PGC 42510)			Centaurus	Apparent: 12.3		Right Ascension: 12h 40m 55.2s; Declination: -40° 58’ 35”	NASA APOD: NGC 4603 HyperPhysics: NGC 4603
			NGC 4603 is a large spiral galaxy. It is the most distant galaxy in which Cepheids have been used to determine the distance to the galaxy. Using this distance and determining recession velocity, it has served as a benchmark for determining the Hubble constant (70 km/sec/Mpc ±10%).
NGC 7771 (VV 2002)			Pegasus	Apparent: 12.9		Right Ascension: 23h 51m 25.0s; Declination: +20° 06’ 49”	NASA APOD: NGC 7771
			a large spiral galaxy in close proximity to two other galaxies. This trio of galaxies is named the NGC 7771 group after its largest member, a spiral, the three galaxies, NGC 7769-7771, have passed by each other closely and will eventually form one huge galaxy. It is considered an accurate representation of the formation of the Milky Way. Dusty nebulae in front of the group obstruct clear viewing.
NGC 2623 (Arp 243)			Cancer	Apparent: 13.9		Right Ascension: 08h 38m 24.1s; Declination: +25° 45’ 01”	NASA APOD: NGC 2623 Hubble: NGC 2623
			a system of two or more interacting galaxies. The galaxies have formed one common nucleus, but there are two strands of stars branching out from the galaxy, indicating a merger has taken place.
JKCS041							Chandra: JKCS041
Messier 77 (NGC 1068, UGC 2188, PGC 10266, Arp 37, 3C 71)							Chandra: Messier 77 Universe Today: Messier 77
H2356-309							Chandra: H2356-309

Basic note sheet for the 2011 DSOs, intended for use when asked to quickly identify things, or for those new to the event. </spoiler> <spoiler text="2010 DSOs">

• Epsilon Aurigae**
  • AAVSO: Epsilon Aurigae
• Milky Way Galaxy
  • NASA: Our Milky Way Gets a Makeover
• Sagittarius A*
  • Chandra Photo Album: Sagittarius A*: 06 Jan 03
• Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
  • NASA APOD: November 14, 1999 - M31: the Andromeda Galaxy
• Cartwheel Galaxy
  • Chandra Photo Album: Cartwheel Galaxy: 11 Jan 06

-**is part of a special viewing campaign this year and will be included up to at least 2011. </spoiler> <spoiler text="2009 DSOs">

• Circinus X-1
  • http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/C/Circinus_X-1.html
  • Chandra Photo Album: Circinus X-1
• RU Virginis
  • AAVSO: RU Vir
• Epsilon Aurigae*
  • AAVSO: Epsilon Aurigae
• RX Andromedae
  • AAVSO: RX And — a CV in transition?
• Z Andromedae
  • AAVSO: Z And, October 2000 Variable Star Of The Month
• SN 1006
  • Chandra :: Photo Album:SN 1006, 15 Dec 05
  • Chandra :: Photo Album:SN 1006, 1 July O8
• RX J0822-4300
  • Chandra :: Photo Album :: RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A: Chandra Discovers Cosmic Cannonball :: November 28, 2007
  • Chandra Press Room :: Chandra Discovers Cosmic Cannonball :: November 28, 2007
• G292.0+1.8
  • Chandra :: Photo Album :: G292.0+1.8 :: October 23, 2007
  • Chandra :: Photo Album :: G292.0+1.8 :: 22 Oct 01
  • NASA ADS: Spitzer Spectroscopy of the Galactic Supernova Remnant G292.0+1.8: Structure and Composition of the Oxygen-Rich Ejecta
• NGC 2440
  • The colourful demise of a Sun-like star
• Betelgeuse
  • AAVSO: Alpha Orionis
• RS Ophiuchi
  • AAVSO: RS Ophiuchi
• Mira
  • AAVSO: Mira Revisited
• T Tauri
  • AAVSO: T Tauri
• Hind's Variable Nebula
  • Hinds Variable Nebula
  • APOD: 2007 December 13 - T Tauri and Hind's Variable Nebula
• M13
  • M13.
• RS Puppis

-*is part of a special viewing campaign this year and will be included up to at least 2011. </spoiler>