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Instruction Manual
26
Possible observation targets
The following section details several interesting and easy-to-find celestial objects
you may want to observe through your telescope.
The moon
The moon is Earth's only natural satellite.
Diameter:
3,476 km
Distance:
384,400 km from Earth (average)
The moon has been known to humans since prehistoric times. It is the second bright-
est object in the sky, after the sun. Because the moon circles the Earth once per
month, the angle between the Earth, the moon and the sun is constantly changing; one
sees this change in the phases of the moon. The time between two consecutive new
moon phases is about 29.5 days (709 hours).
Constellation Orion: The Orion Nebula (M 42)
Right Ascension: 05
35
(hours : minutes)
h
m
Declination:
-05° 22' (Degrees : minutes)
Distance:
1,344 light years from Earth
Though it is more than 1,344 light years from Earth, the Orion Nebula (M 42) is the
brightest diffuse nebula in the sky. It is visible even with the naked eye and a worthwhile
object for telescopes of all types and sizes. The nebula consists of a gigantic cloud of
hydrogen gas with a diameter of hundreds of light years.
Constellation Lyra: The Ring Nebula (M 57)
Right Ascension: 18
h
53
m
(hours : minutes)
Declination:
+33° 02' (Degrees : minutes)
Distance:
2,412 light years from Earth
The famous Ring Nebula (M57) in the Lyra constellation is often viewed as the pro-
totype of a planetary nebula. It is one of the magnificent features of the Northern
Hemisphere's summer sky. Recent studies have shown that it is probably comprised of
a ring (torus) of brightly shining material that surrounds the central star (only visible with
larger telescopes), and not a gas structure in the form of a sphere or an ellipse. If you
were to look at the Ring Nebula from the side, it would look like the Dumbbell Nebula
(M 27). When viewed from Earth, we are looking directly at the pole of the nebula.
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