Unistellar Citizen Astronomers are invited to participate in this week’s special quest to observe nebulae from the Messier Catalogue!
The Messier Catalogue is a set of 110 deep sky objects which includes galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. The catalogue was published by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1774.
Below you’ll find a selection of some of the best eVscope nebulae observations from the Messier Catalogue.
eVscope image captured by Unistellar Citizen Astronomer Jean-Marie Laugier, from France
M1: The Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula is the first object in Messier’s famous astronomical catalog. In 1054, a supernova occurred that was bright enough to be observed during the day by Chinese astronomers. The expanding Crab Nebula was formed by this supernova! The supernova not only produced a nebula, but also left behind a pulsar, a special type of neutron star that spins about 30 times per second! The Crab Pulsar is an extremely compact star: about 12 miles across!
Quick Facts and Observing Tips:
- Distance from Earth: 6,500 light years
- Constellation: Taurus
- Size: 11 light years
- Discovery: 1731 by doctor, electrical researcher, and astronomer, John Bevis
- Search for “M1” or “Crab Nebula” in the Explore tab of the Unistellar app.
- Depending on the sky quality at your location, you may want to leave the Enhanced Vision mode on for at least 5 minutes
- Recommended Bortle Class is 5 or lower.
eVscope image captured by Unistellar Citizen Astronomer Scott Kardel, from Southern California
M97: The Owl Nebula
The Owl Nebula is a planetary nebula, meaning that it formed from a dying star that was once similar to our Sun as it collapsed from a red giant to a white dwarf, ejecting its outer layers. Those outer layers, made of gas, expand and form the shape of the nebula. In case you are wondering, planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets! The remnant white dwarf in the center of the nebula is about 40 to 140 times brighter than our own Sun and is about 123,000 K (220940°F, 1227267°C)!
Quick Facts and Observing Tips:
- Distance from Earth: 2,000 light years
- Constellation: Ursa Major
- Size: 2 light years
- Discovery: 1781 by astronomer and surveyor, Pierre Méchain
- Search for “M97” or “Owl Nebula” in the Explore tab of the Unistellar app.
- Depending on the sky quality at your location, you may want to leave the Enhanced Vision mode on for at least 5 minutes
- Recommended Bortle Class is 5 or lower.
eVscope image captured by Unistellar Citizen Astronomers Nicole Ruel and Jacques Bérard, from Québec
M78: Reflection Nebula in Orion
M78 is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula in our night sky! Reflection nebulae scatter light from a nearby star or mutiple stars. M78 lies within the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, one of the most active regions of star formation in our night sky. This complex, which spans hundreds of light years across, is home to a multitude of nebulae, newborn stars, and even the beginnings of new planetary systems!
Quick Facts and Observing Tips:
- Distance from Earth: 1,600 light years
- Constellation: Orion
- Size: 10 light years
- Discovery: 1780 by astronomer and surveyor, Pierre Méchain
- Search for “M78” in the Explore tab of the Unistellar app.
- Depending on the sky quality at your location, you may want to leave the Enhanced Vision mode on for at least 10 minutes, possibly up to about 30 minutes.
- Recommended Bortle Class is 5 or lower.
eVscope image captured by Unistellar Citizen Astronomers Nicole Ruel and Jacques Bérard, from Québec
M16: The Eagle Nebula
The Eagle Nebula is part of a diffuse emission nebula, a vast stellar nursery that doesn’t have well-defined boundaries. You have probably heard of the “Pillars of Creation,” the towers of gas and dust made famous by the Hubble Space Telescope’s image of the region. They are located in the heart of M16 and are about 4 light years high. The gas and dust within the pillars is creating new stars, and the light from those newly born stars is simultaneously eroding the pillars.
Quick Facts and Observing Tips:
- Distance from Earth: 7,000 light years
- Constellation: Serpens
- Size: 70 by 55 light years
- Discovery: 1745-1746 by astronomer, Jean-Philippe Loys de Cheseaux
- Search for “M16” or “Eagle Nebula” in the Explore tab of the Unistellar app.
- Depending on the sky quality at your location, you may want to leave the Enhanced Vision mode on for at least 5 minutes
- This will be a challenging object to observe since it will only be visible in the early morning. The further south you are, the longer it will be visible — It will be easier to observe in the Southern Hemisphere
- Recommended Bortle Class is 6 or lower.
eVscope image captured by Unistellar Citizen Astronomer 後藤干城 Tateki Goto, from Osaka, Japan
M20: The Trifid Nebula
The Trifid Nebula is composed of three different types of nebulae as well as an open star cluster. The lower red portion is an emission nebula, the upper blue portion is a reflection nebula, and the darker regions or what appear to be gaps within the emission nebula is a dark nebula. It gets its name from the dark nebula that separates the red emission nebula into roughly three sections. “Trifid” literally means divided into three divisions or lobes.
Quick Facts and Observing Tips:
- Distance from Earth: 5,000 light years
- Constellation: Sagittarius
- Size: 40 light years
- Discovery: 1764 by astronomer Charles Messier
- Search for “M20” or “Trifid Nebula” in the Explore tab of the Unistellar app.
- Depending on the sky quality at your location, you may want to leave the Enhanced Vision mode on for at least 5 minutes.
- This will be a challenging object to observe since it will only be visible in the early morning. The further south you are, the longer it will be visible — It will be easier to observe in the Southern Hemisphere
- Recommended Bortle Class is 6 or lower.
We encourage you to share your observations and join the conversation through our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #UnistellarChallenge!
If you’d like to send us your observations by email, send them to community@unistellaroptics.com.
Clear skies! 🔭
