Sunday, April 20, 2025

The Virgo Cluster of Galaxies (all night)

The Virgo Cluster is a group of as many as 2,000 galaxies - dozens of which
are visible with amateur telescopes under dark sky conditions during spring evenings annually. The cluster spans 8 degrees of sky on the border between Virgo and Coma Berenices. The brightest member is the elliptical galaxy
Messier 49, which is located 8.5 degrees to the southwest of the bright star Vindemiatrix (Epsilon Virginis). The area 8.5 degrees directly west of Vindemiatrix contains a large number of bright galaxies, including the Messier objects 84 and 86-91. Markarian's Chain is a spectacular curved line of galaxies, spanning 1.5 degrees. It runs north from M84. Third Quarter Moon

The moon will reach its third quarter phase on Monday, April 21 at 01:35 UT, which converts to 9:35 p.m. EDT or 6:35 p.m. PDT on Sunday, April 20. Third quarter moons rise around midnight in your local time zone, and then linger in the southern sky after sunrise. At third, or last, quarter the moon is illuminated on its western side, towards the pre-dawn sun. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase will be ideal for observing deep sky targets in binoculars and telescopes, especially spring galaxies.

(Data Courtesy of Starry Night)
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Quoting Cj to All <=-

Sunday, April 20, 2025

The Virgo Cluster of Galaxies (all night)

The Virgo Cluster is a group of as many as 2,000 galaxies - dozens of which are visible with amateur telescopes under dark sky conditions
during spring evenings annually.

Wish I had a decent scope to be able to view some of these galaxies.
Astronomy has always been fascinating (for me anyway). I had a small
scope when I was youger, but a good one that you could actually see
faraway galaxies was always out of my price range.

And now that I'm retired...

There are some really good sites to view astronimical items from the
space scopes and ground based scopes.

Thanks for the nudge!

Don


... A truly wise person knows that he knows not.

___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
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Re: Stargazing News - April 1
By: Cougar428 to CJ on Fri Apr 18 2025 11:28 am

Wish I had a decent scope to be able to view some of these galaxies. Astronomy has always been fascinating (for me anyway). I had a small scope when I was youger, but a good one that you could actually see faraway galaxies was always out of my price range.

I was given a Orion StarSeeker II telescope for my birthday years ago. Had been taking it camping with me, until I had to stop camping. I'm about to start camping again and it will go with me. I could use it here at the house, but I think there would be too much light polution. I think I read somewhere that one of the better State Parks for star gazing here in Florida is the Kissimmmee Prairie Preserve. I'm going to have to plan a few trips there I think. :)


Chris (CJ)
SysOp - CJ's Place BBS


...Today is the first day of the rest of the mess.
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