Friday, May 26
NGC 6760 in Aquila is relatively easy to get to by star hopping, from (A) Altair back along the eagle's body where the stick-figure wings join, then following a chain of four dim stars. This shows well in the image at left. Seeing it though it more of a challenge. Called "faint, small, no resolution, very diffuse" by Steve Gottlieb viewed in his 8" telescope, it will present a challenge. Only with an 18" does Steve begin writing of resolving its members. The cluster is visual magnitude 9.0 and a small 6.6 arc-minutes diameter. At 24,000 light years, the intervening dust and gas in the disk of the Milky Way obscures much of our view.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope, Orion SkyLine 12" Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

Tomorrow Evening: Moon Targets

Saturday, May 27
Tonight the Moon is at first quarter, 55.1% illuminated at 8.5 days. The walled plain (1) Plato is a fine 10X binocular target, circular with a 61 mile diameter. Its very flat floor is filled with dark lava. In the south (2) Rupes Recta is known as the Straight Wall, and a view at 50X will show why. It is actually a low angle rectilinear fault inclined at 7 degrees, running north-south over its 67 mile length. Just west is (3) Rima Birt, requiring 300mm to view the 30 mile long rille and its small tight central S-curve. With 200mm (4) Rima Arzachel sits east in its name crater, a network of north-south narrow rilles.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion 10x50 WA Binoculars, Orion SkyLine 12" Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

Tomorrow Evening: NSV 11960

Sunday, May 28
NSV 11960 in Aquila is a carbon star with slight variability easily visible in a finder at magnitude 7. A 50mm finder scope starting at (L) Lambda Aquilae will present magnitude 5.3 star 20 Aquilae halfway to the target. The inset image's field of view is around 7 degree, so two finder views will let this rather bright red star stand out.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion Observer 134mm Equatorial Reflector Telescope, Orion AstroView 6 Equatorial Reflector Telescope

Tomorrow Evening: Moon Targets

Monday, May 29
At 10.5 days and 73.8% illumination, the Moon is not large and waxing gibbous. A 10X binocular for (1) Sinus Iridum shows the low bay filled with dark lava with only its western edge in darkness. Use 50mm aperture for (2) Montes Carpatus, running east-west and creating a southern border for Mare Imbrium. The domes of (3) Hortensius Omega west of crater Copernicus show several volcanoes with summit craters, one with a double summit crater. (4) Rima Hesiodus requires 200mm to view the large 182 mile long northeast-southwest rectilinear rille.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars, Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Tomorrow Morning: Binocular Double star 57 Aquilae

Tuesday, May 30
Try these two neighboring 50mm binocular double stars. 57 Aquilae is a challenge with a separation of 36.3 arc-seconds it is challenging to split this blue-white/blue-white binary pair. Their magnitudes are 5.65 for the primary and 6.35 for its companion. Just south is 56 Aquilae, also a double with a magnitude 5.75 yellow primary star, but its companion is a dim magnitude 12 orange star at 46.5" separation. Find them hopping from (L) Lambda Aquilae to (K) Kappa and 37 Aquilae, then 57 and 56. Or start at (AC) Alpha Capricorni to 56/57 and 37 Aquilae.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion 10x50 Binocular Stargazing Kit II, Orion 15x70 Astronomical Binocular & HD-F2 Tripod Bundle

Tomorrow Evening: Moon Targets

Wednesday, May 31
The Moon tonight is in southern Virgo, waxing gibbous at 89.5% illumination. Using 10X binoculars try the southern walled plain (1) Schickard, 137 miles diameter and filled with dark lava. (2) Crater Aristarchus' high albedo is visible in earthshine. Use 50mm for its 24 mile diameter, high terraced walls and small central peak. North is fantastic (3) Vallis Schroteri, showing well in 100mm this 97 mile long rille runs north then curves east. With 300mm try (4) Rima Marius, a 151 mile long sinuous rille running east-west then north-south.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars, Orion SkyLine 12" Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

Tomorrow Morning: The Glowing Eye Nebula

Thursday, June 1
NGC 6751 in Aquila is called The Glowing Eye or Dandelion Puffball Nebula. Discovered by Albert Marth in 1863, it shines at apparent magnitude 11.9 over 0.43 arc-minutes size from 6,500 light years. You can find it easily one degree south of magnitude 3.4 (L) Lambda Aquila. An Orion Ultrablock filter will enhance your view, adding contrast to show better its glowing annular shell. Note too the fine carbon star V Aquilae just west of the planetary, obvious by its stunning color.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: 1.25" Orion UltraBlock NarrowBand Filter, Orion AstroView 6 Equatorial Reflector Telescope

Tomorrow Evening: Mars in the Beehive

Friday, June 2
The Beehive Cluster is a large binocular open cluster target in constellation Cancer. This evening as the sky darkens after sunset, treat yourself to a view of our outer neighbor Mars at magnitude 1.59 shining brightly directly in front of the big cluster. The mythical god of war is among the buzzing bees. To the west, our inner neighbor Venus is moving toward the cluster, and Mars, for a beautiful grouping later this month on the 21st, as we will then celebrate entry into another earth season passing through Solstice.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion Observer 134mm Equatorial Reflector Telescope, Orion SkyLine 6" Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

Tomorrow Evening: Full Moon

Saturday, June 3
Tonight is the last Full Moon of northern spring, and southern fall. Rising in Scorpius, the bright star Antares glows remarkably red set against the moon's white glare. This full moon has been called the Full Strawberry Moon, Rose, Meade and Honey Moon. With the Summer Solstice occurring on June 21, this full moon straddles the seasons depending on when it falls during the month.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Lawnchair and naked eyes, no equipment needed

Tomorrow Evening: Constellation Serpens

Sunday, June 4
Let's explore Serpens, the only constellation occupying two separate areas in our skies, Serpens Caput and Serpens Cauda. The (A) Alpha star Unukalhai is multiple star 71 light years distant, at magnitude 2.62. The constellation's area is a combined 637 square degrees, ranking 24th of the current 88. (4) Ophiuchus the serpent bearer bisects Serpens, the snake. Bordering constellations include (1) Bootes, (2) Corona Borealis, (3) Hercules, (4) Ophiuchus, (5) Libra, (6) Virgo, (7) Aquila, (8) Scutum and (9) Sagittarius.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion 2x54 Ultra Wide Angle Binoculars, Orion SkyLine Deluxe Green Laser Pointer

Tomorrow Morning: Jupiter, Mercury and Pleiades

Monday, June 5
A fine late spring early morning view is yours today simply by looking east as dawn brightens. The object almost due east will be Jupiter, big and bright at 35 arc-seconds and 99% illumination, shining at magnitude -2.11. If you have a low horizon you can also pick out Mercury and the famous star cluster The Pleiades, rising at the same altitude below and north of Jupiter. Mercury is a full to magnitudes dimmer than Jupiter, ad 0.06, while The Pleiades will be visible in binoculars. Quick and easy Monday astronomy!

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Lawnchair and naked eyes, no equipment needed

Tomorrow Evening: Double Star DSG 18

Tuesday, June 6
DSG 18 is a close magnitude tight double star in Serpens Caput, an easy star hop from (B) Beta Serpentis. The magnitudes are 8.5 and 8.9, with a separation of just 1.0 arc-seconds with a position angle of 350 at 170 light years. First measured only recently in 2014, it is still unknown if the yellow-white pair is a binary. Find (B) Beta as the western member of a bright star triangle above and east of (A) Alpha. Once at the correct location, mag up! See if you can split the pair, it's a challenging target.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Suggested Gear: Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope, Orion SkyQuest XT10 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Tomorrow Morning: Moon Targets

Wednesday, June 7
Today's Moon is waning gibbous with 85.2% illumination, and nearing perigee 18.83 days. Use 10X binoculars for the 75 mile diameter walled plain (1) Fracastorius on the southern shore of Mare Nectaris. North in 50mm find crater (2) Hercules, with high walls and terraces in a 42 mile form, paired with Atlas on the Terminator. The volcanic crater domed volcano (3) Cauchy Tau in Mare Tranquilitatis is fine in 100mm instrument, while (4) Rima G. Bond east of crater Posidonius requires 200mm to show as a north-south 91 mile long rille.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars, Orion SkyLine 10" Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

Tomorrow Evening: Carbon Star FO Serpentis

Thursday, June 8
Late tonight in the southeastern corner of Serpent Cauda you can hunt down the carbon star FO Serpentis. It is an easy find, 2-1/2 degrees west of (G) Gamma Scuti and directly above the orange magnitude 5.3 star HIP 89851. FO is a type LB variable; a slow irregular variable giant red star ranging between magnitudes 8.45 and 8.74. Its 167 solar radii size puts out the luminosity of 1564 Suns.

Skill Level: Beginner

Suggested Gear: Meade 6" f/4.1 LX85 Astrograph Reflector Telescope, Orion SkyLine 12" Dobsonian Reflector Telescope

Tomorrow Evening: Moon Targets

Charts from Starry Night Pro. NGC 6760 sketch by Taras Wertelecki. Lunar images from NASA LRO, Other images from Virtual Moon Atlas and Starry Night Pro.

Mark Wagner is a lifelong astronomy enthusiast and deep sky observer in the San Francisco bay area. Visit our Facebook Page if you'd like to post comments, questions, sketches or images you've taken to our Night Sky Tonight post.