Shiny NGC 7243 is a superb goal for small scopes, situated in Lacerta the Lizard, a zig-zagging star sample close to Cygnus.
NGC 7243 (inside the blue field) lies in Lacerta. Though this constellation will be troublesome to search out, you need to use different celestial landmarks to information the way in which. Credit score: Stellarium
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August 9: The Moon and Mars
This night, the small constellation Lacerta sits slightly below cross-shaped Cygnus within the jap sky after darkish. The zig-zagging define of the Lizard lies roughly 20° east (to the decrease left early within the night) of shiny Deneb, the tail of the Swan and one of many three anchor factors within the easy-to-spot Summer time Triangle.
Lacerta is house to the open cluster NGC 7243. Shining at magnitude 6.4, this can be a nice goal for binoculars or any small scope. You’ll discover it simply 2.6° due west of Alpha (α) Lacertae, Lacerta’s brightest star (magnitude 3.8). Spanning about 21”, NGC 7243 incorporates a couple of dozen stars. Its brightest star sits proper within the heart of the cluster, glowing at magnitude 8.0, with fainter stars crowding in round it. Many extra stars turn into seen as you bump up your magnification, so when you’ve centered the cluster, drop in an eyepiece with greater magnification to see simply what number of of its member stars you possibly can carry out.
Dawn: 6:07 A.M.
Sundown: 8:03 P.M.
Moonrise: 3:15 A.M.
Moonset: 6:59 P.M.
Moon Part: Waning crescent (4%)
*Instances for dawn, sundown, moonrise, and moonset are given in native time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 10 P.M. native time from the identical location.
Alison Klesman is senior editor of Astronomy journal. She holds a Ph.D. in astronomy and has studied quite a lot of matters, from minor planets to supermassive black holes.
