Vital Statistics Its our home Contains more than 200 billion stars and a mass of 10 12 suns Its almost as old as the Universe itself 137 billion years old Structure The core and spiral arms are of different ID: 612062
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Slide1
Tour of the Milky WaySlide2
Vital Statistics
It’s our home!
Contains more than 200 billion stars, and a mass of ~10
12
suns
It’s almost as old as the Universe itself!
13.7 billion years oldSlide3
Structure
The core and spiral arms are of different
colors
. Why?Slide4
Us and the Milky Way
An artist impression of our motion through space
(start around 2:20 for the highlight)Slide5
Us and the Milky Way
We orbit around the Sun…
But the Sun also orbits our galaxy
The planets DO NOT orbit along the plane of the Milky Way
Because we are inside the Milky Way, we get a very different view compared to outsidersSlide6
A 360° view of the Milky Way
Objects near and far all blend into a single view. There is very little sense of perspective!Slide7
Tips to find yourself in space
Cardinal directions!
Are you near the plane of the MW?
Season?
Familiar Asterisms/Patterns (if any)
Bright stars and their plausible identitySlide8
Asterisms and Familiar Patterns
(Non-exhaustive)
Seasonal Markers: 3 Triangles and 1 Square
Winter Hexagon
The 4 Crosses
The Big/Little Dipper
The Teapot of Sagittarius
The Circlet of Pisces
The Keystone of Hercules
The W/M of Cassiopeia
The J of ScorpiusSlide9
Getting to the actual target:
Starhopping
Know your FOV!
Is your image upside down/ laterally inverted?
Identify prominent shapes/connections of bright stars on the path to the targetSlide10
Getting to the actual target:
Starhopping
Know your FOV!
Finder
8” SCTSlide11
Getting to the actual target:
Starhopping
Is your image upside down/ laterally inverted?Slide12
Getting to the actual target:
Starhopping
Identify prominent bright stars/patterns on the path to the targetSlide13
Navigating the Milky Way
For all four seasonsSlide14
SPRING: MARCH to
june
Our ViewSlide15
Spring: Mar - Jun
As we look down along the Centaurus Arm, many objects flood the zoneSlide16
Spring: Mar - Jun
From our perspective, the Milky Way plunges from
Canis
Major and deep into the Southern sky. Let’s zoom in…Slide17
Spring: Mar - Jun
Now, we are looking directly along the Centaurus Arm. You can see this by the many bright stars in this areaSlide18
Spring: Mar - Jun
If you are lost among the stars, never fear!
The Southern Cross is here!Slide19
Spring: Mar - Jun
However, be careful not to mix this up with the bigger False Cross…
Acrux
Beta
Crucis
Gacrux
Delta
CrucisSlide20
Spring: Mar - Jun
Notice that the Southern Cross has a 5
th
star, unlike the False Cross.Slide21
Spring: Mar - Jun
Another way is to remember that the Southern Cross is next to two bright stars, called the PointersSlide22
Spring: Mar - Jun
Not only do they “point” to Crux, the brighter star (Alpha Centauri) is the closest star system to the Sun.
Alpha CenSlide23
Spring: Mar - Jun
We can use the stars of the Cross to reach three bright objects.
Acrux
Beta
Crucis
Gacrux
Delta
CrucisSlide24
Spring: Mar - Jun
From Delta
Crucis
, extend a line past
Gacrux
into the stars of Centaurus to reach Omega Centauri
Gacrux
Delta
CrucisSlide25
Spring: Mar - Jun
Right next to Beta
Crucis
lies a wonderful gem called the Jewel Box
Beta
CrucisSlide26
Spring: Mar - Jun
From Beta
Crucis
, extend a line past the 5
th
star of the Cross to reach the Eta
Carinae
Nebula
Beta
CrucisSlide27
SUMMER: JULY TO OCTOBER
Our ViewSlide28
Summer: July-August
This is the heart of the Milky Way: there is much to see here! Slide29
Summer: July-August
Two prominent constellations/asterisms dominate the fieldSlide30
Summer: July-August
Directions to M8, the Lagoon NebulaSlide31
Summer: July-August
Directions to M7, the Ptolemy ClusterSlide32
Summer: July-August
Directions to C76, the False CometSlide33
Summer: Sep-Oct
Over months, our perspective shifts and other areas rise…Slide34
Summer: Sep-Oct
The Summer Triangle is made up of 3 prominent starsSlide35
Summer: Sep-Oct
Can you see a Northern Cross?Slide36
Summer: Sep-Oct
The Northern Cross connects the brightest stars in CygnusSlide37
Summer: Sep-Oct
Directions to Albireo, a
colorful
double starSlide38
Summer: Sep-Oct
From Cygnus, we can trace the start of the Great Rift
Made up of cold clouds of gas and dust, the Great Rift highlights the plane of the Milky WaySlide39
Summer: Sep-Oct
Trace out the constellation of Aquila the EagleSlide40
Summer: Sep-Oct
Altair, the brightest star in Aquila, marks its beakSlide41
Summer: Sep-Oct
Its “tail” helps us locate M11, the Wild Duck ClusterSlide42
Fall:
OCTober
TO
DEcember
Our ViewSlide43
Fall: Oct-Nov
As Summer ends, the Milky Way arcs to the Northern Sky.
As we are looking outwards, there are less objects to be seen.Slide44
Fall: Oct-Nov
Cygnus remains for a little while longer.
Can you see the Northern Cross?Slide45
Fall: Oct-Nov
Draw a line from the Northern Cross, and we’ll hit
the W of Cassiopeia. Lets zoom in!Slide46
Fall: Oct-Nov
A favorite fall object is the Double Cluster…Slide47
Fall: Oct-Nov
Can you also spot a special object in this image?Slide48
Fall: Oct-Nov
Cassiopeia points to the region around the Andromeda GalaxySlide49
Fall: Oct-Nov
The Great Square of Pegasus is an easier way of getting thereSlide50
Fall: Oct-Nov
The Great Square has a northern ‘leg’. That’s Andromeda!Slide51
Fall: Oct-Nov
From
Mirach
, draw a perpendicular line to get closer…Slide52
WINTER: December TO MARCH
Our ViewSlide53
Winter: Dec - Mar
From Cassiopeia and Perseus, the Milky Way plunges south
through GeminiSlide54
Winter: Dec - Mar
As we are looking away from the center of the galaxy, the Milky Way appears dimmest here.
Thankfully, the winter sky boasts of two famous objectsSlide55
Winter: Dec - Mar
But first: let us familiarise ourselves with some signpostsSlide56
Winter: Dec - Mar
With its belt of 3 bright stars, Orion is hard to missSlide57
Winter: Dec - Mar
Extend his belt to reach two bright starsSlide58
Winter: Dec - Mar
The orange star is Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus the BullSlide59
Winter: Dec - Mar
The other star is Sirius, the brightest star in the night skySlide60
Winter: Dec - Mar
Can you see an equilateral triangle containing Sirius?Slide61
Winter: Dec - Mar
The Winter Triangle connects Procyon to Betelgeuse and SiriusSlide62
Winter: Dec - Mar
We can also extend this into a misshapen Winter Hexagon…Slide63
Winter: Dec - Mar
As it connects 6 constellations at one go, this is a good way to navigate the winter night sky
Taurus
Orion
Canis
Major
Canis
Minor
Gemini
AurigaSlide64
Winter: Dec - Mar
But Orion is more than just a signpost. Lets zoom in…
Taurus
Orion
Canis
Major
Canis
Minor
Gemini
AurigaSlide65
Winter: Dec - Mar
Recap: where’s the belt of Orion?Slide66
Winter: Dec - Mar
Below Orion’s belt, we have a fuzzy “star”: the Orion NebulaSlide67
Winter: Dec - Mar
Next: locate Bellatrix
Bellatrix is on the same “side” of Orion as BetelgeuseSlide68
Winter: Dec - Mar
From Bellatrix, extend a line across Aldebaran.
You’ll reach the PleiadesSlide69
Winter: Dec - Mar
The Pleiades and Orion Nebula are both visible with the naked eye, even in Singapore!Slide70
A test!Slide71
What objects can you spot?