This Week's Targets and How to Find Them

  • M11 (Wild Duck Cluster, deep sky object)
    • Find Altair first (bottom star in Summer Triangle), and then follow the body of the eagle down to the bottom / tail star. Then there are 2 stars that curve off to the west, getting fainter as you go. Travel about the same distance as between these stars (4 degrees total) to get to the wild duck cluster. Visible until about October.
  • M25 (deep sky object)
    • Follow Kaus Media and Kaus Borealis (the western side of the lid of the teapot) up about 3 finger widths, and slightly to the North. It's an open star cluster, so you're just looking for lots of points of light. You might stumble on M22 first. Visible until about October.
  • M22 (deep sky object)
    • M22 is the 90º corner of a right angle triangle made with Kaus borealis and Namalsadirah, the left side of the teapot's lid and the hypotenuse of this 90º triangle (so M22 is just above and to the left of the teapot's lid). This is a globular cluster, so you're looking for a large fuzzy spot. Visible until about October.
  • M23 (deep sky object)
    • Find the spout of the teapot, and then find M8 above the spout. M23 is about the same distance again above M8 and in the same direction. It's a cluster of stars, so don't look for nebulae like in M8, just look for lots of little points of light! Visible until about October.
  • Aristoteles (lunar crater)
    • In Mare Frigoris, just above a second crater (Euxodus). North part of the Moon, and you should see the two craters in a row along the terminator to help you identify it. Only visible Monday August 24th!
  • Ptolemaeus (lunar crater)
    • Northernmost crater below Sinus Medii / Mare Vaporum (basically northernmost crater below the visible dark spots at that time). There are two little craters under it as well, Alphonsus and Arzachel that you can see using a telescope. Only visible Wednesday, August 26th.
  • Gassendi (lunar crater)
    • Looks like a diamond ring right on the terminator! It's right in the middle of some Mares (Mare Humorum and Oceanus Procellarum) and it's really the only crater visible in between those two mares / in amid all the dark. Only visible Saturday, August 29th.
  • Mare Frigoris (lunar mare)
    • Northernmost mare, above Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis. Not very well defined, but slightly darker than surrounding area, and with a large crater in it (Aristoteles). Best Sept 2, but visible Aug 26 to Sept 4.
  • Mare Imbrium (lunar mare)
    • Large circular mare right in front of Wilma's face, on the left/west side of the Moon. Best Sept 2, but visible Aug 29 to Sept 8.
  • BONUS Sinus Iridum (lunar mare)
    • Little bubble of darkness off the top of Mare Imbrium, towards the edge of the Moon and in line with Wilma's eyes. Best Sept 2, but visible Aug 29 to Sept 8.