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2011 December 13 at 10:50
Last but not least - Messier 103
NGC 581, a.k.a. Messier 103, is the last entry in Charles Messier's original list of deep sky objects. It's also the most distance open cluster in his catalogue.
It was first noted by Messier's colleague, Pierre Mechain, who picked it up on the night of March 27, 1781.
Two and a half years later, William Herschel swept it up, noting: "The compound eye glass shews a few more that may be taken into the cluster so as to make about 20. I exclude a good many straggling ones, otherwise there would be no knowing where to stop."
Some 16 million years old, NGC 581 is still a young cluster, and lies one galactic arm outward from ours, in the Perseus Arm, some 9,400 light years from Earth.
The image above, captured by Anthony Ayiomamitis, measures 45' x 30' and has north up with east to the left.
Messier 103, imaged by Anthony Ayiomamitis
Recent news
2017 July 25 at 10:53
top story: A charming planetary nebula in eastern Triangulum Australe. — A charming planetary nebula in eastern Triangulum Australe.
2015 March 25 at 14:33
March newsletter of the ASSA Deep-Sky Section, featuring 47 Tuc on the cover. — "Nightfall" (2015 April) is the current newsletter of the Deep-Sky Observing Section of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa.
2013 March 20 at 18:30
A globular cluster in the realm of the galaxies — A rare gem - a bright globular cluster in the realm of the galaxies.
2013 February 26 at 15:09
The Dark Emu rises, in pursuit of the Magellanic Clouds — The beautiful complex of dark nebulosity along the southern Milky Way appears like an ancient monster, its serpentine neck reaching out as if to gobble up the Magellanic Clouds.
2012 November 19 at 12:00
Massive star forming region in the Small Magellanic Cloud — Dale Liebenberg images NGC 346, a gigantic star forming region in the SMC.
2012 August 22 at 09:44
Flocculent Galaxy in Southern Leo — Dale Liebenberg images the spiral galaxy NGC 3521 in southern Leo.
2012 July 16 at 17:23
Ancient open cluster in Lyra — Anthony Ayiomamitis images the old open cluster NGC 6791.
2012 May 06 at 13:20
Golden Coin Galaxy — Dale Liebenberg images the Golden Coin, NGC 4945 in Centaurus.
2012 March 03 at 08:00
NGC 2467 in Puppis — Dale Liebenberg images NGC 2467 in Puppis.
2011 December 13 at 10:50
Last but not least - Messier 103 — Anthony Ayiomamitis images Messier 103 in Cassiopeia.
2011 October 24 at 13:40
The Arkenstone of Thrain — Dale Liebenberg images Messier 22, the "Arkenstone of Thrain" according to Burnham.
2011 January 31 at 09:53 SAST
ConCards available — A handy set of beginner's star charts, "Constellation Cards" are now available for free download.
2010 November 17 13:04 SAST
Deep sky celebrations — Three deep sky observers of yore have birthdays this week: William Herschel (1738), the Fourth Earl of Rosse, and Stephane Javelle.
2010 November 03 at 17:11 SAST
Necklace Nebula featured on APOD — The recently-discovered planetary nebula nicknamed the Necklace Nebula, recently featured on APOD.
2010 October 21 12:07 SAST
Methuselah Nebula featured on APOD — The old bipolar planetary nebula MWP1, a.k.a. Methuselah Nebula, is today's APOD.
2010 October 02 18:32 SAST
New deepsky book from CUP — Deep sky author Wolfgang Steinicke's latest book, "Observing and Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters: From Herschel to Dreyer's New General Catalogue", has just been published by Cambridge University Press.
2010 September 23 00:39 SAST
NGC 1365 in infrared (ESO VLT) — The bright barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365 in Fornax has been imaged in the infrared with the ESO VLT telescope.
2010 September 16 19:41 SAST
New HST image of eta Carinae Nebula — New observations, combined with images made in 2005, show beautiful detail in part of the extensive eta Carinae Nebula.
2010 September 16 00:27 SAST
First planetary in open cluster found — A team of astronomers from Australia, the UK, the USA and France have discovered the first planetary nebula known to be associated with a galactic open cluster.
2010 September 09 00:44 SAST
NGC 300 in Sculptor imaged at ESO — The bright spiral galaxy NGC 300 has been imaged with the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.
2010 September 01 03:13 SAST
Superwind galaxy NGC 4666 — A remarkable galaxy with very vigorous star formation has been newly imaged on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile.
Quote
The amateur astronomer has access at all times to the original objects of his study; the masterpieces of the heavens belong to him as much as to the great observatories of the world. And there is no privilege like that of being allowed to stand in the presence of the original.
Robert Burnham Jr.
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