COURTESY OF Chuck Kimball
Above , astrophotographer Chuck Kimball of Julian , Calif ., captured this beautiful image of Barnard ’ s Galaxy – a barred irregular galaxy in Sagittarius . To get this image , Kimball used Explore Scientific ’ s ED127 f / 7.5 refractor telescope and a Canon XT / 350d camera modified with a Baader type 1 filter . Below , Kimball used Explore Scientific ’ s David H . Levy Comet Hunter telescope to get this stunning image of the Sagittarius Star Cloud , which is also known as Messier 24 .
as well . Let ’ s begin with its nebulae . The Lagoon Nebula ( Messier 8 ) is Sagittarius ’ largest and is best viewed with low magnification . Located about three finger-widths above the tip of the teapot ’ s spout , this emission nebula covers an area that is about 110 by 50 light years in size and is one of only a few star-forming nebulae that can be seen by the unaided eye . The massive glowing cloud is split by a
Sky ’ s Up
COURTESY OF Chuck Kimball dark lagoon-like rift , which gives it its name . Its numerous high points include some prominent dark nebulae and a nice open cluster . Described as a glowing checkmark in the sky , Sagittarius ’ reddish Omega Nebula ( Messier 17 ) is an emission nebula 15 light years in diameter that is lit by an open cluster of about 35 young stars . The constellation is also home to the popular Trifid Nebula ( Messier
20 ), a glowing ball that manifests dark dust lanes in larger scopes . It is a combination of a reddish emission nebula , a blue reflection nebula , a dark nebula and an open cluster of stars . Another nebula of note is the pale blue-green Little Gem Nebula ( NGC 6818 ), which is a planetary nebula with an inner elongated shape . In addition to glorious nebulae , the constellation also has some worthwhile galaxies to explore . The first is the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy , which is one of the closest satellite galaxies to our Milky Way . Boasting an apparent visual magnitude of 4.5 , this loop-shaped galaxy has at least four globular star clusters including the dense Messier 54 , which was the first globular star cluster discovered outside the Milky Way . Other galactic offerings include Barnard ’ s Galaxy , a barred irregular galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 9.3 that is best viewed in a big telescope with very low power ; and the Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy , which is the most distant galaxy that is believed to be a member of the Local Group . The Sagittarius constellation is brimming with clusters , but one of the most outstanding is Messier 22 , which is also known as the Sagittarius Cluster . One of the brightest and nearest globular star clusters , M22 can be seen by the naked eye under a dark sky but is particularly brilliant in a telescope . Located northeast of Kaus Borealis , it has an apparent magnitude of 5.1 and is one of only four known clusters of its kind to have a planetary nebula . A final wonder to explore in “ The Archer ” is the Sagittarius Star Cloud ( Messier 24 ). When you observe M24 , you are looking at a spiral arm of our galaxy through a gap in the Milky Way ’ s dust . This is a wonderful target for binocular viewing because you can see hundreds of stars pop within a single field of view . M24 also contains two noteworthy dark nebulae – Barnard 92 and Barnard 93 .
— Compiled by Patricia Smith
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