Star Deck Observatory DSO of The Month

Hello!

Welcome to The Star Deck Observatory's DSO of The Month!
This month's choice for The DSO Of The Month was a bit of a challenge! It was tough to choose which one of the many great binocular objects would get the feature place on this page. In choosing this month's object I looked at several key points and based the final choice on how well each object fit into those points.

So here is why I chose The Double Cluster to be the selected object for The Star Deck Observatory DSO for the month of December, 2007. Keeping in mind the Star Deck's chosen DSO Of The Month is chosen based on even the beginning star gazer to be able to easily find and see with a moderate set of binoculars, or even naked eye under good dark seeing conditions. Using this as part of the key points to determine the object reduced the available choices down to just a very few of the many objects in the December sky that still make good binocular targets. The Messier clusters 35 in Gemini; 36; 37; & 38 in Auriga, 34 in Perseus, are all great binocular targets that a good set of binoculars can reveal a little more detail than just a dim fuzzy. They are a bit dimmer though than the chosen object and not really viewable naked eye.

M45 is a very large, easy to find open cluster readily naked eye visible with some more faint stars and details showing up in a good set of binoculars. I passed it because it is very easy to locate and I want the DSO Of The Month object I choose to at least have some sky searching to be done to find it. M31 the Andromeda Galaxy was high on the list too as it can be acquired visually with the naked eye on a good night, and readily with a set of binoculars. It was a very close second to the Double Cluster and would do quite well as a Star Deck Observatory DSO Of the Month choice, but I ultimately went with the Double Cluster because it is in a prime viewing position in the sky for most of the night. M33 is yet another large galaxy that can be viewed as a really faint object in a good set of binoculars from a good site with mag 5.0 skies or greater, but really a bit dim when compared to the other choices for a budding observer.

To find Caldwell 14 The Double Cluster you need to locate both Cassiopeia and Perseus in the northern portion of the sky. Look to center of the sky between the eastern third of Cassiopeia and the brightest star of Perseus (Mirfak), almost at the center of a straight line drawn between Mirfak and the second star to the west of the last star visible at the east end of Cassiopeia. The Double Cluster will show up well with good star separation in a good set of binoculars, if dark and clear enough it will show up naked eye as a just noticeable separated double set of small fuzz spots. As always here is the Tirion Star Chart below courtesy of NGC891 The Observer's Challenge to assist you in locating The Double Cluster. While your out try to see if you can locate any of the other Deep Space Objects I have mentioned in this month's DSO Of The Month article. Take a surf over to NGC891.com and look them up to find out where to look for them, have fun!

CS
Mark Jordan
The Mad One
39 47' 06" North / 85 46' 10" West