The demise of Scorpius' Command Carrier
N.J. Night Sky: Dazzling lights in downtown Milky Way
M17 is most commonly known as the Omega Nebula. This is one of the largest stellar factories in our galaxy. (
strung across the southern section of sky, but if you want to look a little farther out into the space around us, a dark clear summer night is the perfect opportunity.
The summertime constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius are at their best around 9:30 p.m. You will need a good view to the south, especially if you want to see all of the scorpion's curving tail.
The southern sky at around 9:30 p.m. The summer constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius are well-placed for stargazing now. You will need a clear view to the south to see all of Scorpius' tail.
When you look at this point in the sky, you are actually facing the center of our Milky Way galaxy. The sun is located out in the suburbs of the galaxy. The core - the downtown section of the Milky Way - is about 30,000 light years away. The exact center of our galaxy lies at a spot right in front of the spout on the teapot shape of stars in Sagittarius.
The center of our galaxy lies near the spout of the teapot in Sagittarius. This region of the sky is rich in star clusters and nebulae.
Just as the bright lights of the city dazzle, this region is rich with stars, star clusters and nebulae. Scanning this area with a pair of binoculars will show many of them. With a telescope you can pick out some really interesting celestial objects here. The Lagoon Nebula (M8 in the
) is a giant interstellar cloud of gas about 4 Scorpius ,000 light years away. Its name comes from its appearance as a tropical island. There's a small cluster of stars here near the center which formed from the gases inside the nebula.
The Triffid Nebula (M20) has a flower-like shape and its name refers to division into three portions. It is visible in the same field of view as the Lagoon Nebula. The Triffid is 5,000 light years away. It is a complex object made up of a nebula, 000 light years away. It is a complex object made up of a nebula Scorpius
Saturn is also here. Look for it to the left of M8 and M20. Its rings are on full display.
This region is also home to star clusters M22, M23 and M25. While M23 and 25 are typical neighborhood clusters, M22 is a so-called globular star cluster. It lies off in the distance about 10,000 light years away and contains perhaps as many 100,000 stars. Globular star clusters are satellites of the Milky Way, orbiting around the core. They are among the oldest stars we know.
it contains well over a thousand hot young stars. Scorpius , but it has also been known as the Horseshoe or the Checkmark. Astronomer John Herschel was one of the first to draw the nebula in 1833. He thought it resembled the Greek capital letter omega. Also at a distance of 5,000 light years, it is one of the largest star-forming regions we know of in the Milky Way. Only about one million years old, it contains well over a thousand hot young stars.
Scorpius
Kevin D. Conod is the planetarium manager and astronomer at the Newark Museum's Dreyfuss Planetarium. For updates on the night sky, call the Newark Skyline at (973) 596-6529.
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