Some prominent deep sky objects
Pleiades (M45): Also known as the Seven Sisters, this star cluster is a favorite for binoculars and is visible to the naked eye in Taurus. Shining at a combined at mag. of 1.6
Andromeda Galaxy (M31): As the most distant object visible to the naked eye, this is a great target for naked-eye viewing, appearing as a faint smudge of light at mag. 3.5. Located in Andromeda.
Orion Nebula (M42): Located south of Orion's Belt in the constellation of Orion and is known as the middle "star" in the "sword" of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye at 4th mag..Best viewed with binoculars or a small telescope.
Double Cluster: This is a pair of open star clusters, NGC 869 and NGC 884, in the constellation Perseus that can be seen with the naked eye in dark skies. Best with binoculars.
Crab Nebula (M1): A supernova remnant in Taurus. Recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054AD. Sometimes overlooked by beginners this mag. 8.4 nebula is a wonderful sight in a medium sized telescope.
Hyades: A prominent naked eye star cluster in Taurus that is V shaped with Aldebaran as one of the tips of the horns.
California Nebula (NGC 1499): A large emission nebula in Perseus. While difficult to see with the naked eye, it is a popular target for astrophotographers, appearing red in photos due to hydrogen gas.
Rosette Nebula: Another large star-forming region in the Monoceros, excellent for astrophotography but a tough one for visual but try it anyways.
M35: A bright, beautiful open star cluster Gemini. Almost the size of the Full Moon. The compact open cluster NGC 2158 lies directly southwest of it.
December evenings, you can see two planets. You can’t miss brilliant Jupiter (mag. -2.6) rising after sunset over the eastern horizon. It’ll be visible all night. The moon will pay Jupiter a close visit on Dec. 7 and Saturn (+0.9) is high in the southwest as darkness falls. The moon will lie near Saturn on Dec. 26.
Don't forget the Geminid Meteor Shower on the 13th.
Clear and Dark Skies Dave Holland
