Constellation of the Month: September
Capricornus Sign of the Zodiac (The Sea Goat)

by: John Mirtle.
Page last updated: May 3, 2004

Contents
Small Scope Objects    Big Scope Objects    Challenge Objects    Maps    Photos

Small Scope Objects:

Name R.A. Decl. Details
  M30
(NGC 7099)		 21hr 40.4m -23° 11' A compact globular cluster, 11 arc minutes in size. Mag. 7.5. Partial resolution with a 6" scope at high power. Discovered by Messier in August 1764.
  a Cap 20hr 18m -12° 30' An easy double in any scope or binoculars, magnitude 3.6 for a1 and 4.2 for a2. Separated by over 6 arc minutes. Yellowish in colour, a double by alignment only. Each star does have real companions. a1 has 2 physical companion stars. The first is a 9th mag star 45.4" away in p.a. 221°, the second is 13th mag. at 44.3 arc seconds at p.a. 182° . a2 has an 11th magnitude companion 45.4" away at p.a. 172° .
  b Cap 20hr 21m -14° 47' An easy double star, magnitudes 3.4 and 6.2, separated by 205 arc seconds. Primary star is white, the secondary is blue.
  p Cap 20hr 27m -18° 13' Another double star, with only 3.2 arc seconds of separation. Primary is magnitude 3.4, secondary 8.9.
^ top

Big Scope Objects:

Name R.A. Decl. Details
  NGC 6907 20hr 25m -24° 49' A mag. 11.3 SBb spiral galaxy, 3.4 x 3.0 arc minutes in size, may be visible in a 6" scope under very good skies.
  NGC 6903 20hr 24m -19° 19' A fainter magnitude 12.9 galaxy, 2.7' x 2.5' in size.
  NGC 6924 20hr 33m -25° 30' A faint, compact S0 galaxy. Magnitude 13.5, 1.6 x 1.4 arc minutes in size.
  NGC 6936 20hr 36m -25° 17' Another faint S0 galaxy, not far from NGC 6924. Fainter and smaller - magnitude 13.8, 1.5 x 0.9 arc minutes in size.
^ top

Challenge Objects:

Name R.A. Decl. Details
  Palomar 12 21hr 47m -23° 11' A difficult class 12 globular cluster, being small and faint. Mag. 11.7, 2.9 arc minutes in diameter with low surface brightness.
  NGC 6912 20hr 27m -18° 38' A challenging SBc spiral, not far from p Cap. Only 1.6' x 1.3' in size, magnitude 14.
^ top

Constellation Maps:

Lines No Lines Reverse Reverse No Lines


Lines No Lines Reverse Reverse No Lines No Map

^ top

Photos:


 
Photo 1
South is at top to match the view in an inverting telescope.
Photo credit: John Mirtle.
^ top
Back