Howdy Star Gazers and welcome to this episode
of Star Trails. I'm Drew and I'll be your guide
to the night sky for the week starting March
30th through April 5th. We've just entered galaxy
season, that time of year when astronomers often
set their sights on deep sky objects. We'll cover
some potential targets and offer up viewing tips
later in the show, but now let's see what's happening
closer to home. We begin the week with a waxing
crescent moon, barely noticeable at just 2 %
illumination. It grows gradually brighter each
night, reaching first quarter moon by week's
end. The moon is worth keeping an eye on, as
it's going to make a couple of lovely appearances
near planets this week. More on that in a moment.
Now, let's talk about the planets. Venus is back,
but not where you might expect. It's now the
morning star, shining brilliantly in the eastern
sky before sunrise. By April 1st, it'll be rising
about an hour before the sun. Through your telescope,
you'll spot it as a slender crescent, but even
to the naked eye, it's a spectacular, dazzling
sight. Mars is still hanging out in the evening
sky, tucked away in the constellation Gemini.
You'll spot it as a reddish point of light. And
if you're looking for a great viewing moment,
circle April the 5th on your calendar. That night,
the first quarter moon will cozy up near Mars,
right alongside the twin stars Castor and Pollux,
creating a beautiful gathering in the western
sky after sunset. Jupiter is still shining brightly
in Taurus. Look for it on April 2 when the waxing
crescent moon will be close to the king of planets.
Look toward the western sky just after sunset
for that eye -catching conjunction. Saturn, Mercury,
and Neptune are all in the sun's glare, so you
won't spot them this week. But for an extra challenge,
telescope and binocular astronomers may want
to hunt down Uranus. It's visible at magnitude
5 .8, about 7 to 8 degrees below the Pleiades
near Taurus. As always, consult with a star chart
or app for the exact location. Tonight we're
heading into one of the most exciting times of
the year for deep sky observers Galaxy season
this stretch of springtime nights typically from
late March to early May Offers some of the best
views of distant galaxies, especially for those
of us in the northern hemisphere During galaxy
season Earth's position and its orbit around
the Sun tilts our view away from the bright star
-packed plane of the Milky Way With less interference
from the Milky Way's dense core, we're treated
to some of the clearest and darkest views of
the universe beyond our own galaxy. So let's
explore some galaxies that haven't been getting
the spotlight lately, but absolutely deserve
some attention. Here's what to point your telescope
at this galaxy season. and the Cigar Galaxy,
M82. Located in the constellation Ursa Major,
these two galaxies make an intriguing pair. M81
is a grand spiral galaxy, while M82 is a striking
elongated starburst galaxy. They're just about
12 million light years away from us and show
up in smaller telescopes as faint patches of
light. M101, the pinwheel galaxy. Also located
in Ursa Major, M101 is a gorgeous face -on spiral
galaxy. It's known for its large size and distinct
spiral arms. Under dark skies, with a 6 -inch
or larger telescope, you can start to make out
some of its delicate structure. It's approximately
21 million light -years away. Number three, M51,
the Whirlpool Galaxy. Found in the constellation
Canes Venetici, the Whirlpool Galaxy is a stunning
interacting galaxy that's just about 31 million
light years away. What's amazing about this galaxy
is that with a telescope of six inches or more,
you can actually see hints of its spiral arms
and even its smaller companion galaxy. NGC 5195,
seemingly connected by a bridge of stars. Number
four on our list, NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy.
Located in the constellation Coma Berenices,
the Needle Galaxy is a spectacular edge -on spiral
galaxy. Its slender elongated shape makes it
stand out. With a large telescope, you can catch
a clear view of its bright central bulge bisected
by a dark dust lane. It's around 40 million light
years away. And finally, number five, M106, the
splinter galaxy. Also in the constellation Canes
Venetici, you'll find M106, a bright and fairly
large spiral galaxy that's about 22 million light
years away. Its bright core is easy to spot even
with a small telescope, and if you have a larger
scope, you might even notice some of its spiral
structure. To get the best view of all these
galaxies, use a telescope with at least six to
eight inches of aperture. Make sure you're observing
from a dark sky site with minimal light pollution.
Using averted vision that's slightly looking
off to the side of the object, can help make
faint details more noticeable. If you're using
binoculars, you'll be able to catch M81 and M82,
but most of these galaxies will require a telescope.
Galaxies are always popular with astrophotographers,
and for good reason. Keep in mind, most galaxies
will appear as a faint grayish smudge against
the darkness. Astrophotographers have the unique
advantage of using long -exposure photography
to reveal incredible details that our eyes simply
can't capture in real time. When a camera's sensor
collects light over minutes or even hours, it
brings out the intricate structure of galaxies.
For example, the glowing spiral arms of the pinwheel
galaxy, the dust lanes in the needle galaxy,
or the swirling interactions of the Whirlpool
galaxy and its companion. Astrophotography also
allows us to capture the colors of these galaxies,
from the reddish glow of star -forming regions
to the bluish hues of hot young stars. These
details provide important information about the
galaxy's composition, age, and evolution. For
budding astrophotographers, galaxy season is
a fantastic time to push your equipment's capabilities.
Even a modest setup with a DSLR or mirrorless
camera and a decent lens on a tracking mount
can produce some jaw -dropping images. And with
more advanced gear, like dedicated astro cameras
and larger telescopes, you can create breathtaking,
high -resolution views of these distant worlds.
So, if you've been thinking about trying your
hand at astrophotography, there's no better time
than right now. Also, we can't forget the Messier
Marathon. Attempting to view all 110 Messier
objects in a single night is a fantastic challenge
during galaxy season. Many of the objects on
the list are galaxies, making this time of year
perfect to run the marathon. Try to complete
the challenge when skies are darkest, like during
the April new moon. Many of these objects can
be viewed with a cheap pair of binoculars. The
Astronomical League publishes an excellent field
guide for viewing all the Messier objects. I'll
include a link to that in the show notes. If
you found this episode helpful, let me know and
feel free to send in your questions and observations.
The easiest way to do that is by visiting our
website starrtrails .show. This is also a great
way to share the show with friends. Until next
time, keep looking up and exploring the night
sky. Clear skies everyone!