Celestial Objects for Computerized Suburban Telescopes by Michael Covington
January - February Sky (R.A. 6h - 10h)
Name or Type	LX200 Designation	RA (2000)	DEC (2000)	Magnitude and Seperation	Description
Open cluster	NGC 2244	6h 32.4	+4° 52	Mag. 4.8	Caldwell 50. This bright open cluster forms the center of the Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237-9). The nebula’s glow is visible only under clear, dark skies, but you may be able to observe it as a dark nebula, i.e., a star-poor region encircling the cluster, where light from more distant stars is blocked by interstellar gas.
Sigma(S) 939		6h 35.9	+5° 19	Mag. 8.3, 9.2, 9.4 Sep. 30",40"	Striking triple star forming a nearly equilateral triangle, discovered by F. G. W. Struve. Not in Meade’s built-in catalogue; find by right ascension and declination.
Hubble’s Variable Nebula	NGC 2261	6h 39.2	+8° 44	Mag. 9 - 10	Hubble’s Variable Nebula is a compact, comet-shaped, relatively bright nebula surrounding the irregular variable star R Monocerotis (GCVS 550001). The nebula varies with the star.
Christmas Tree	NGC 2264	6h 41.1	+9° 53	Mag. 3.9	An attractive star cluster near the Cone Nebula (also part of NGC 2264) in the constellation Monoceros. The brightest star in the cluster, S Monocerotis, is double, with a 7.5-magnitude companion at 3".
Open cluster	NGC 2301	6h 51.8	+0° 28	Mag. 6	Cluster with conspicuous chains of stars (Karkoschka).
Mu(m) Canis Majoris	SAO 152123	6h 56.1	-14° 03	Mag. 5.1, 7.4 Sep. 2.8"	Nice double star with color contrast.
145 Canis Majoris	SAO 173349	7h 16.6	-23° 19	Mag. 4.8, 6.0 Sep. 27"	Appearances can be deceiving. This fine double star, with a nice color contrast, is not a double star at all - the components are respectively 2000 and 250 light-years away from us.
Open cluster	NGC 2362	7h 17.8	-24° 57	Mag. 4.1	Caldwell 64. Attractive cluster surrounding the star Canis Majoris, which has been called the “Mexican Jumping Star” (by Bill Arnett, 1996) because of an amusing optical illusion. Apparently, when your telescope shakes in the wind, the bright star and cluster will appear to move in different directions because the star is brighter and produces a stronger afterimage.
Clown Nebula	NGC 2392	7h 29.2	+20° 55	Mag. 8.6	Caldwell 39. Also called the Eskimo Nebula because, in observatory photographs, it resembles a smiling face surrounded by a fuzzy hood. This 15" planetary nebula has a clearly visible 11th-magnitude central star.
Castor	SAO 60198	7h 34.6	+31° 53	Mag. 1.9, 2.9 Sep. 3.9"	A magnificent double star. The separation is increasing. 4.7" in 2010, 5.6" in 2020.
Galaxy	NGC 2403	7h 36.9	+65° 36	Mag. 8.5	Caldwell 7. This relatively bright galaxy is seldom observed because it is in a relatively blank area of Camelopardalis (there are those who would say that all of Camelopardalis is relatively blank). It probably forms a physical system with M81 and M82.
Open cluster	NGC 2451	7h 45.4	-37° 58	Mag. 3.5	A bright cluster with "few stars, but very bright and colored ones" (Karkoschka).
Zeta(z) Cancri	SAO 97645	8h 12.2	+17° 39	Mag. 5.0, 6.1 Sep.6.2"	Triple star. Besides the easily visible companion at 6.2", the brightest star has another 6th-magnitude companion at 0.9", widening to 1.1" by 2010, resolvable in a well-collimated 8-inch telescope in steady air. The orbital period of the two closest stars is only 60 years. They were aligned east-west in 1997 and will be aligned north-south in 2020.
AI Velorum	GCVS 850063	8h 14.1	-44° 35	Mag. 6.2 - 6.8	This low-amplitude pulsating variable star has an unusually short period, just 2 hours and 41 minutes. Compare it to the magnitude 7.4 star in the same field  and come back every half hour and compare it again.
Iota(i) Cancri	SAO 80415	8h 46.6	+28° 46	Mag. 4.0, 6.5 Sep. 30.5"	Fine double star with slight color contrast.
Chi(C) Cancri	GCVS 120007	8h 55.4	+17° 14	Mag. 6.0 - 6.5	With a color index of 3.2, this semiregular variable is one of the reddest stars in the sky. See however V Aquilae.
March - April Sky (R.A. 10h - 14h)
Name or Type	LX200 Designation	RA (2000)	DEC (2000)	Magnitude and Seperation	Description
Spindle Galaxy	NGC 3115	10h 05.2	-7° 43	Mag. 8.9	Caldwell 53. This galaxy, seen nearly edge-on, looks very narrow and has a relatively bright core.  It is about 25 million light-years away.  “An easy telescope object, even for urban skies” (Ratledge). Use medium power. For positive location, sync on  Hydrae (STAR 95, Alphard) first.
Eight-Burst Nebula	NGC 3132	10h 07.0	-40° 26	Mag. 8.2	Caldwell 74. Most planetary nebulae block the view of the central star that illuminates them, but you may well be able to see the 11th-magnitude star in this one. “Eight-burst” refers to its structure as shown on photographs. Apparent size, 84” x 54” (Ratledge).
Gamma(g) Leonis	SAO 81298	10h 20.0	+19° 51	Mag. 2.3, 3.5 Sep. 4.7"	Algeiba. Fine bright double with stars exactly matched in color though not in brightness.
Ghost of Jupiter	NGC 3242	10h 24.8	-18° 38	Mag. 8.6	Caldwell 59. A whopping 45" wide, this bright, oval-shaped planetary nebula looks like a ghost image of Jupiter, hence its name. Note its unusual color.
R Crateris	GCVS 290001	11h 00.5	-18° 18	Mag. 8 - 9	In field with  Crateris, which is much brighter.  The color of this semiregular variable is something of a puzzle. It was described as “scarlet” by John Herschel (1847) and as “ruby” by T. W. Webb, but its spectral class, M4, would lead one to expect only a mild reddish color. Has the color varied? Does interstellar gas contribute to it?
Xi(x) Ursae Majoris	SAO 62484	11h 18.3	+31° 32	Mag. 4.3, 4.8 Sep. 1.8"	Sometimes called Alula Australis. Double star in a very fast orbit seen face-on, so the position angle is changing rapidly but the separation is not. The two stars are aligned east-west in 2000, northeast-southwest in 2006, and north-south around 2014. Steady air and high power are required.
Ring-Tail Galaxy	NGC 4038-4039	12h 01.9	-18° 53	Mag. 10.3, 10.6	Challenging object. Caldwell 60-61. This strange object is now believed to be a pair of colliding galaxies; Bart J. Bok once described them as “two spirals having a fight of some kind.”  At least an 8-inch telescope is needed to see the unusual structure.
Sigma(S) 1604	SAO 157111	12h 09.5	-11° 51	Mag. 6.6, 6.8, 9.0 Sep. 12",10"	Unusual quadruple star forming a right triangle. The fourth member, magnitude 8.5, is 2” from the primary. Listed as a triple by Roger W. Sinnott in Sky and Telescope, March 1999, p. 101; deserves observation. The four stars do not all form a system in space.
17 Comae	SAO 82330	12h 28.9	+25° 55	Mag. 5.3, 6.6 Sep. 145"	This very wide double, best seen at very low power, is in the middle of the Coma Berenices star cluster, prominent to the unaided eye or in the finderscope.
3C 273		12h 29.1	+2° 04	Mag. 12.86	Challenging object. PGC 41121, the only quasar visible with an 8-inch telescope, and even then, not an easy object; it looks like a faint bluish star of magnitude 12.8, close to another 12th-magnitude star with which it seems to form a double. A 10th-magn
Delta(d) Corvi	SAO 157323	12h 29.9	-16° 31	Mag. 3.0, 9.2 Sep. 24"	A double star, variously described as "white and orange" or "yellowish and pale lilac."
ADS 2583		12h 31.2	+1° 20	Mag. 7.6, 8.6 Sep. 50"	This fine double star is of interest mainly as a guidepost to 3C 273 (previous object in this list).
Gamma(g) Virginis	SAO 138917	12h 41.7	-1° 27	Mag. 3.5, 3.5 Sep. 1.8"	Challenging object. PGC 41121, the only quasar visible with an 8-inch telescope, and even then, not an easy object; it looks like a faint bluish star of magnitude 12.8, close to another 12th-magnitude star with which it seems to form a double. A 10th-magnitude star is about 8’ to the southeast. A degree to the southeast is the fine double star ADS 2583 (next object in this list).  Like all quasars, 3C 273 has a strongly redshifted spectrum. This does not make it look reddish because the blue parts of the visible spectrum are filled in by light shifted from the ultraviolet range. If due to the expansion of the universe — as it appears to be — 3C 273’s redshift implies a distance of 3000 million light years, probably the most distant object (and most ancient photons) you will ever see. Other quasars have even stronger redshifts implying distances up to 12,000 million light years.
La Superba	GCVS 130008	12h 45.1	+45° 26	Mag. 5.0 - 7.5	Y Canum Venaticorum. This semi-regular variable is a carbon star (spectral class C5) and is a beautiful reddish color, with a color index of 2.54. The name, given by Secchi, refers to the dramatic appearance of its spectrum in a spectroscope.
Cor Caroli	SAO 63257	12h 56.0	+38° 19	Mag. 2.9, 5.5 Sep. 19.4"	Handsome double star, also known as  Canum Venaticorum. The name Cor Caroli ‘heart of Charles’ honors either Charles I or Charles II of England, but accounts of its origin are contradic-tory.  Some observers see a color contrast, others do not.
Mizar	SAO 28737	13h 23.9	+54° 56	Mag. 2.3, 4.0 Sep. 14.4"
Alcor	SAO 28751	13h 25.2	+54° 59	Mag. 4.0	Mizar and Alcor,  z1 and  z2 (Zeta 1 and 2) Ursae Majoris respectively, are a naked-eye double star known since ancient times. Mizar is itself the first telescopic double ever discovered (by Riccioli in 1650). Between them is an unrelated star, sometimes called Sidus Ludovicianum, that was briefly mistaken for a new planet in 1723.
Centaurus A	NGC 5128	13h 25.5	-43° 01	Mag. 7.0	This galaxy is so far south that it can only be seen briefly from southern U.S. locations, and not at all from the northern United States or Europe. Clear air and a dark sky are required. This galaxy is a strong radio source. In photographs or a large telescope, it looks like a ball with a dark dust lane across it.
Omega(w) Centauri	NGC 5139	13h 26.8	-47° 29	Mag. 3.6	Perhaps the finest globular cluster in the sky, Omega Centauri is so far south that only the southern mostparts of the United States can see it, and even then only for an hour or less each day, when it is highest. It is due south of Spica and is visible when Spica is on the meridian.
3 Centauri	SAO 204917	13h 51.8	-33° 00	Mag. 4.6, 6.1 Sep. 7.8"	Most people don’t realize the constellation Centaurus extends this far north. In ancient times it was visible from Europe; precession has shifted it southward. Unfortunately, its most famous star,  Centauri, is not visible from the continental United States. This double comprises two white stars, matched in color though not in brightness. The brighter one is very slightly bluer.
May - June Sky (R.A. 14h- 18h)
Name or Type	LX200 Designation	RA (2000)	DEC (2000)	Magnitude and Seperation	Description
Izar (Mirak)	SAO 83500	14h 45.0	+27° 04	Mag. 2.5, 4.9 Sep. 2.8"	e Bootis, named Pulcherrima (Latin for ‘most beautiful’) by F. G. W. Struve. A close double star requiring steady air and high power. Yellow and blue.
Xi(x) Bootis	SAO 101250	14h 51.4	+19° 06	Mag. 4.7, 6.9 Sep.6.6"	A beautiful double star with a color contrast, described yellow and red-tinged, though both stars have nearly the same color index. A fine sight even at low power.  The orbit is relatively rapid (151 years) so that the position angle changes appreciably within one observer’s lifetime. The stars were aligned north-south around 1950 and will be aligned east-west by 2040.
Mu(m) Lupi	SAO 225638	15h 18.5	-47° 53	Mag. 4.2, 7.0 Sep. 240"	Actually an intriguing quadruple star. Besides its 7th-magnitude companion at 240”, visible in binoculars, it has a 6.8-magnitude companion at 23” and a 5th-magnitude companion at 1”.  At mid-northern latitudes this star is above the horizon only briefly;
Delta(d) Serpentis	SAO 101624	15h 34.8	+10° 32	Mag. 4.2, 5.2 Sep. 4"	A nice close double comprising two white stars.
Beta(b) Serpentis	SAO 101725	15h 46.2	+15° 25	Mag. 3.5, 9 Sep. 31"	A fine double, well seen at low power, variously described as "both blue" or "blue and yellow."
R Coronae Borealis	GCVS 270001	15h 48.6	+28° 10	Mag. 5.7 - 14.8	R Coronae Borealis is normally 6th magnitude but unpredictably fades to 12th magnitude or fainter for a period of days to weeks. Compare it to the 7.4-magnitude star 1/3° to the north-northwest, in the same low-power field.
T Coronae Borealis	GCVS 270003	15h 59.5	+25° 55	Mag. 2.0 - 10.8	T Coronae Borealis is a recurrent nova. This star is normally magnitude 10.8 (fainter than the eighth- and ninth-magnitude stars nearby) but occasionally flares up to naked-eye visibility; there have been three outbursts since 1970, each of them very short. Take a look and see what it’s doing tonight.  For positive identification, sync on  Coronae Borealis (SAO 84098). There is a fine double starwithin the same low-power field, magnitudes 10.6 and 10.8.
Nu(n) Scorpii	SAO 159763	16h 12.0	-19° 28	Mag. 4.3, 6.4 Sep. 41"	A quadruple star more challenging than  Lyrae, resolvable into four stars with a well-collimated 7-inch or larger telescope in steady air. The fourth-magnitude star has a 7th-magnitude companion at 0.9”, and the sixth-magnitude star has an 8th-magnitude companion at 1.1”. These separations are from Sky Catalogue 2000.0; the true separations may be greater.
U Scorpii	GCVS 730004	16h 22.5	-17° 53	Mag. 8.7 - 19.3	You should not see a star here, but have a look just in case. U Scorpii is a recurrent nova that flared up in 1979 and 1998. Compare it to several 10th- and 11th-magnitude stars in the field.  This star is not in Meade’s built-in GCVS catalogue. For positive identification, sync on  n Scorpii (previous object).
Antares	SAO 184415	16h 29.4	-26° 26	Mag. 1.0, 5.5 Sep. 2.8"	Antares is both a semiregular variable (mag. 0.9–1.8) and a binary. Its companion is cooler and often described as green in color. High power and steady air are required to see it.
Planetary nebula	NGC 6210	16h 44.5	+23° 49	Mag. 9	Splendidly bright planetary nebula, only 20" across, and seems even smaller. Use medium to high power; below 100  it is easily mistaken for a star. Reddish 7th-magnitude star in field.
Open cluster	NGC 6231	16h 54.0	-41° 48	Mag. 2.6	Caldwell 76. A very bright but neglected open cluster in Scorpius, triangular in shape. Containing large numbers of bright blue-white stars, it physically resembles the Pleiades.
Alpha(a) Herculis	SAO 102680	17h 14.6	+14° 23	Mag. 3.5, 5.4 Sep. 4.7"	Ras Algethi. Fine close pair, yellow and blue. The primary is a semi-regular variable, mag. 2.7–3.6.
Pluto	STAR 909				Pluto is in this region through 2020. At magnitude 14, it is just within reach of an 8-inch telescope at a very dark site; faint but plainly visible in a 16-inch against a dark sky.
Open cluster	IC 4665	17h 46.3	+54° 30	Mag. 4.8	A neglected but bright open cluster that more than fills the low-power field.
Barnard’s Star		17h 57.8	+44° 20	Mag. 9	Not in the LX200’s built-in catalogue, this star must be found by right ascension and declination; sync on a bright nearby star such as STAR 203 (b Ophiuchi) first.  At 6 light-years, Barnard’s Star one of the nearest stars and is the star with the largest known proper motion, about 1 in 350 years; see the chart in Sky Atlas 2000.0, second edition. Its move-ment relative to the field stars is noticeable over periods as short as twenty years. Make a careful sketch now and return to this star in your old age.
Cat’s Eye Nebula	NGC 6543	17h 58.6	+66° 38	Mag. 8.8	Caldwell 75. A surprisingly bright planetary nebula 18” in apparent diameter, oval or eye-shaped.  The “cat’s eye” appearance is evident only on large observatory photos.  To find it precisely, sync on  Draconis (SAO 17365). Use medium to high power to avoid mistaking it for a star.
July - August Sky (R.A. 18h - 22h)
Name or Type	LX200 Designation	RA (2000)	DEC (2000)	Magnitude and Seperation	Description
Loch im Himmel	NGC 6520	18h 03.4	-27° 54	Mag. N.A.	When viewing this field, Sir William Herschel is reported to have exclaimed, “Hier ist wahrhaftig ein Loch im Himmel!” (“Here is truly a hole in the sky”). He thought the starless region to the south and west of the star cluster NGC 6520 was a gap in our galaxy through which one could peer into intergalactic space. Today we know it is a dark nebula, Barnard 86.
Planetary nebula	NGC 6572	18h 12.1	+6° 51	Mag. 9.0	Unusually bright planetary nebula about 8” in diameter, easily mistaken for a star except for its bluish-green color. Use medium to high power; at 80X  it is almost indistinguishable from a star, and at 140X  it is a fine object, brighter than anything else in the field.
T Lyrae	GCVS 520003	18h 32.3	+37 00	Mag. 8.3 - 8.9	Another unusually red star, with color index 3.67. Compare to V Aquilae and the Garnet Star.
Sigma(S) 2398		18h 42.8	+59° 38	Mag. 8.9, 9.7 Sep. 18"	This rather faint double star consists of two red dwarfs only 11 light-years away. Red dwarfs are the most common stars, but we don’t see very many because they are not very luminous. One of the two is thought to be a flare star, which means it may sometimes appear substantially brighter than its companion. S 2398 is not in the LX200’s built-in catalogue. To find it, sync on o Draconis (see below).  S stands for Struve, who catalogued double stars about a century ago. This star is also known as Hipparcos 91768 and 91772 and Aitken Double Star (ADS) 11632.
Epsilon(e)1 Lyrae	SAO 67309	18h 44.3	+39° 40	Mag. 5.0, 6.1 Sep. 2.6"
Epsilon(e)2 Lyrae	SAO 67315	18h 44.3	+39° 36	Mag. 5.2, 5.5 Sep. 2.4"	The famous “double-double” in Lyra, two stars 205” apart, each of which is a close double; all four form a single system in space. These stars are a good test of telescope optics. In steady air, a well-collimated 7-inch or larger telescope will show each pair clearly distinct, with a distinct dark gap between the adjacent star images.
Zeta(z) Lyrae	SAO 67321	18h 44.8	+37° 36	Mag. 4.3, 5.9 Sep. 44"	A fine double star at low power, due south of  Lyrae.
Beta(b) Lyrae	SAO 67452	18h 50.1	+33° 22	Mag. 3.4, 8.6 Sep. 46"	Another fine low-power double star. The primary star is variable (magnitudes 3.3–4.3, period 13 days). Two 10th-magnitude stars on the opposite side of the primary are probably also part of the system, making it a quadruple.
Omicron(o) Draconis	SAO 31219	18h 51.2	+59° 23	Mag. 4.5, 7.5 Sep. 32"	Omicron Draconis is not a real double star, but an optical pair, described as orange and blue and useful as a sync object for S 2398 (see above).
Sinnott 7		18h 55.4	+11° 18	Mag. 10.7, 10.7, 11.2 Sep. 29",26"	Triple star forming an equilateral triangle, number 7 in a list of nearly equilateral triples discovered by Roger W. Sinnott by means of a computer search of the Hipparcos and Tycho catalogues (Sky and Telescope, March, 1999, 100–101); not previously noted as a multiple star. Not in Meade’s built-in catalogue; find by right ascension and declination. Note that these stars are relatively faint.
V Aquilae	GCVS 050005	19h 04.4	-5° 41	Mag. 6.6 - 8.4	This semiregular variable is one of the reddest stars in the sky, with a color index of 4.19. It is the second reddest star in Sky Catalogue 2000.0.
Gamma(g) Coronae Australis	SAO 210928	19h 06.4	-37° 04	Mag. 4.9, 5.1 Sep. 1.3"	A binary star in a rapid orbit seen face-on, so that the position angle changes but the separation remains relatively constant. In 1995 the stars were aligned east-west; in 2000, northeast-southwest; and around 2010, north-south. The orbital period is 120 years.  This is a close double and requires steady air and high power. Note that steady air may be elusive because this star does not rise very high in the North American sky.
Coathanger	SAO 104831	19h 25.4	+20° 11	Mag. 3.6	Brocchi’s Cluster, Collinder 399. This prominent loose star cluster looks like a coathanger. It is too large for the field of the telescope but is well seen in the 8  50 finder. SAO 104831 is one of the stars in it.
h 2866		19h 23.4	-18° 00	Mag. 8.6, 8.8, 9.3 Sep.  35", 23"	Triple star forming a compact right triangle, discovered by Sir John Herschel.
Albireo	SAO 87301	19h 30.8	+27° 58	Mag. 3.1, 5.1 Sep. 34"	Magnificent yellow-and-blue double star.
Blinking Planetary	NGC 6826	19h 44.8	+50° 31	Mag. 9.8	Caldwell 15. This comparatively faint 26” planetary nebula doesn’t hide its central star – you can see the star, which is magnitude 10.4. The nebula around the star is called the “blinking planetary” because it pops in and out of view as you switch from direct to averted vision, or so the folklore says.  The bright double star 16 Cygni is just out of the field to the west.
Pi(p) Aquilae	SAO 105282	19h 48.7	+11° 49	Mag. 6.1, 6.9 Sep. 1.4"	This fine double star is a good test for a 5 or 6 inch telescope in steady air. With an 8-inch at 250  I saw it very cleanly split. It is at the Dawes limit for a 3.5-inch (9-cm) telescope, such as a Meade ETX or Questar, which should show it as two disks just touching, without a dark space in between.
Chi(C) Cygni	SAO 68943	19h 50.6	+40° 36	Mag. 3.3 - 14.2	Prominent long-period Mira-type variable, visible to the naked eye during part of its 406-day cycle, but sometimes beyond the reach of even an 8-inch telescope when at minimum. Maxima are expected in December 2000, February 2002 (hard to observe because of the sun), March 2003 (ditto), May 2004 (more favorable), June 2005 (convenient), July 2006 (very convenient to observe).
Cygnus X-1	GCVS 311357	19h 58.4	+35° 12	Mag. 8.8	This white 9th-magnitude star, V1357 Cygni (a low-amplitude variable), has an optically invisible companion that emits X-rays and is thought to involve a black hole. To identify it positively, first sync on  Cygni (SAO 69116) nearby. Then slew to Cygnus X-1. It is the brighter of two stars close together, at the apex of an asterism shaped rather like the constellation Triangulum.
16 Vulpeculae	SAO 88098	20h 02.0	+24° 56	Mag. 5.8, 6.2 Sep. 0.8"	This double star is a good test for an 8-inch telescope in steady air.  At 500X, I saw it as two Airy disks with dark sky clearly visible between them.
Gamma(g) Delphini	SAO 106475	20h 46.6	+16° 08	Mag. 4.3, 5.2 Sep. 9"	A fine double star, described by observers as gold and blue even though the actual difference of color index is small. How does it look to you?
Epsilon(e) Equulei	SAO 126428	20h 59.1	+4° 18	Mag. 5.4, 7.2 Sep. 10.6"	The brighter component of this double star is itself a very close double in a rapid orbit, with quickly decreasing separation. It consists of two sixth-magnitude stars, separated by 0.8” as of 2000 and therefore still just within reach of a well-collimated 8-inch telescope in very steady air.  By 2015 the separation will diminish to 0.2”.
Reflection nebula	NGC 7023	21h 01.8	+68° 12	Mag. 7	Challenging object. Caldwell 4. This reflection nebula requires clear, dark skies and low power; it is the only object in this list that is genuinely hard to see. But all the other reflection nebulae (except M78) are even fainter. Its total extent is about 14.  To locate it precisely, sync on T Cephei (see below), which is only a degree away, or  b Cephei.
Saturn Nebula	NGC 7009	21h 04.2	-11° 22	Mag. 8	Caldwell 55. Famous bright planetary nebula, looking somewhat like a ghost of Saturn rather than Jupiter, definitely not a star even at low power. Larger telescopes show the "handles" at the ends.
61 Cygni	SAO 70919	21h 06.9	+38° 45	Mag. 5.2, 6.1 Sep. 30’	This handsome double star was this first star whose distance was measured by parallax (by Bessel in 1838). At one time it was known as Piazzi’s Flying Star because of its large proper motion. Both components are yellowish, with a color index of about 1.
T Cephei	GCVS 200003	21h 09.5	+68° 29	Mag. 5.2 - 11.3	A reddish Mira-type variable almost in the field with NGC 7023 (next object). Period 388 days (a year plus almost a month). Maxima of T Cephei are predicted for January 2001, February 2002, March 2003, April 2004, and so on.
Beta(b) Cephei	SAO 10057	21h 28.7	+70° 34	Mag. 3.2, 7.9 Sep. 13"	A fine double, white and bluish-white. The primary is a very low-amplitude variable.
Sinnott 10		21h 35.1	+38° 07	Mag. 10.4, 10.6, 10.8 Sep. 19",19"	The most perfect equilateral triple star in the heavens, according to Roger W. Sinnott, who discovered it by computer (see Sinnott 8, listed above). Not in Meade’s built-in catalogue; find by right ascension and declination.
SS Cygni	GCVS 310019	21h 43.0	+43° 37	Mag. 7.7 - 12	An extreme type of recurrent nova – this star is bright about 20% of the time. A comparison star of magnitude 8.5 is 60 to the east, and 75 Cygni (SAO 51167, mag. 5.5, a close double) is just outside the field.  SS Cygni consists of a spectroscopic binary star with an unusually short orbital period, just 6 days.  The two stars are orbiting almost in contact, and the smaller star refuels itself from the larger one, temporarily flaring up with greater light as it does so.
Garnet Star	SAO 33693	21h 43.5	+58° 47	Mag. 3.4 - 5.1	m Cephei, a semiregular variable named the Garnet Star by Sir William Herschel because of its unusual golden or reddish color (spectral type M, color index 2.35). It is actually a triple; there are 12th-magnitude companions at 19” and 40”, both of which should be visible with an 8-inch under a good dark sky.
Neptune	STAR 908				Neptune (STAR 908) is in this region through 2020. At magnitude 8 and angular diameter 2”,it is easily mistaken for a star at low power, but look for its very un-starlike bluish-green color.  In late 2000 and early 2001, Neptune is in the field with the bright wide double star Omicron(o) Capricorni.  Closest approach occurs on 2000 December 30, but it is then hidden in the glare of the sun.  On 2009 December 21, Neptune and Jupiter will pass within a degree of each other. The same thing happened in 1613; at the time Galileo saw and recorded Neptune, though he thought it was a star.
September - October Sky (R.A. 22h - 2h)
Name or Type	LX200 Designation	RA (2000)	DEC (2000)	Magnitude and Seperation	Description
Pi(p) Gruis	SAO 231105	22h 22.7	-45° 57	Mag. 5.6, 6.3 Sep. 258"	An unusually wide double with a color contrast. Between Alpha(a) and Beta(b) Gruis (the feet of the Crane).  Use low power.
Krueger 60	GCVS 200137	22h 28.0	+57° 42	Mag. 9.8, 11.4 Sep. 2"	Challenging object. One of the smallest stellar systems visible in amateur telescopes, this double star consists of two red dwarfs in a 44-year orbit seen face-on so that the separation is always between 1.5” and 3”.  The stars’ true separation is comparable to that of the Sun and Saturn.  The fainter of the two is a flare star (DO Cephei), which means that it sometimes brightens sud-denly to equal or surpass the brighter one.  Krueger 60 is just within the reach of an 8-inch telescope at a dark site with steady air. In the same field are two 8th-magnitude stars and a wide 10th-magnitude double. To identify Krueger 60 positively, sync on Delta Cephei (previous object), which is less than a degree away.  Even then, some care is needed in identifying it. See the chart in Burnham’s Celestial Handbook, or proceed as follows.  At the center of the low-power field is a 30-60-90 triangle consisting of stars of magnitudes 8, 9 and 10.  The 10th-magnitude star is at the right angle of the triangle. The 9th-magnitude star is double, with a 12th-magnitude companion. Krueger 60 is two thirds of the way from the star at the right angle to the double star.
Delta(d) Cephei	SAO 34508	22h 29.2	+58° 25	Mag. 4.0, 7.5 Sep. 20"	This famous variable star is also a double. The primary star varies from magnitude 3.5 to 4.4 in a very regular 5.37-day period. The companion looks, to me, bluer than the primary.  There is at least one more double star in the same low-power field.
51 Pegasi	SAO 90896	22h 57.5	+20° 46	Mag. 5.5	This ordinary-looking 5th-magnitude star was found, in 1995, to have a planet orbiting it, the first of a string of discoveries of extrasolar planets. This planet is half as heavy as Jupiter but orbits very close to the star, only 1/20 as far as the earth is from the Sun, with an orbital period of 4 days.  Its existence was inferred from Doppler shifts in the star’s light, the planet itself cannot be seen.
Blue Snowball	NGC 7662	23h 25.9	+42° 33	Mag. 8.6	Caldwell 22. A planetary nebula with relatively high surface brightness and large size; a fine sight even at 63X. Apparent diameter 15", half the apparent size of Jupiter, but it seems larger. To locate it precisely, sync on 17 Andromedae, SAO 53216.
Galaxy	NGC 253	0h 47.6	-25° 17	Mag. 7.1	A surprisingly bright galaxy in a barren area of the sky, requires a dark sky and low power. If not sure you have located it, sync on R Sculptoris (see below).
Uranus	STAR 907				Uranus (STAR 907) is in this area through 2020.  At magnitude 6 and angular diameter 3”, it is not as easy to mistake for a star as Neptune is, but look carefully.  At dark-sky sites, Uranus is just within the reach of naked-eye visibility; in even a small telescope, its blue-green color makes it stand out.
R Sculptoris	GCVS 740001	1h 27.0	-32° 33	Mag. 6.5 - 8.1	This unusually red star (color index 3.86) is a semi-regular variable.
Open cluster	NGC 663	1h 46.0	+61° 15	Mag. 7.1	Caldwell 10. Ratledge considers this cluster a finer sight than M103 nearby.
Gamma(g) Arietis	STAR 262	1h 53.6	+19° 18	Mag. 4.6, 4.7 Sep. 7.5"	Mesarthim. A fine double star with well-matched components.
November - December Sky (R.A. 2h - 6h)
Name or Type	LX200 Designation	RA (2000)	DEC (2000)	Magnitude and Seperation	Description
Gamma(g) Andromedae	SAO 37734	2h 04.0	+42° 21	Mag. 2.2, 4.9 Sep. 10"	A handsome double star with a color contrast.
Double Cluster	NGC 869	2h 19.0	+57° 09	Mag. 4.3
	NGC 884	2h 22.4	+57° 07	Mag. 4.4	Caldwell 14. A fine pair of dense open star clusters in Perseus, also designated h and X Persei respectively by Johannes Bayer (1604), who thought they were stars. They are close to each other in space.
Epsilon(e) Eridani	SAO 130564	3h 32.9	-9° 28	Mag. 3.7	If there is life elsewhere in the galaxy, it’s very likely to be here. This star, quite similar to the sun and only 10 light-years away, has a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting it in a Jupiter-like orbit with a period of 7 years. It may have other planets in an arrangement similar to that of our solar system.
Planetary nebula	NGC 1360	3h 33.3	-25° 51	Mag. 9	A relatively large but neglected planetary nebula about 7’ in diameter.  Surface brightness is lower than with the other planetary nebulae in this list.
U Camelopardalis	GCVS 110004	3h 41.8	+62° 39	Mag. 8.1 - 8.6	This low-amplitude variable is the reddest star in Sky Catalogue 2000.0, with a color index of 4.29.
Merope	SAO 76172	3h 46.3	+23° 57	Mag. 4.2	A star in thePleiades (M45), the prominent naked-eye cluster. Merope is surrounded by a reflection nebula that is clearly visible at low power under dark skies. To distinguish the nebula from scattered light, compare Merope to other stars on the periphery of the cluster.
Planetary nebula	NGC 1535	4h 14.3	-12° 44	Mag. 10	Planetary nebula with a bright central disk (20") and an outer halo.
Omicron(o)2 Eridani	SAO 131063	4h 15.2	-7° 39	Mag. 4.4, 9.5 Sep. 8.3"	Omicron-2 Eridani or 40 Eridani. The fainter member of this wide pair is one of the few white dwarfs within reach of amateur telescopes. The dwarf’s diameter is only 20,000 km, less than twice that of the earth.
Phi(f)1 Tauri	SAO 93955	4h 28.6	+15° 58	Mag. 3.85	This star forms a wide double with its twin  Phi(f)2 Tauri; use low power.  They are part of the V-shaped Hyades star cluster, prominent to the naked eye.
Open cluster	NGC 1647	4h 46.0	+19° 04	Mag. 6	A neglected open cluster that fills the low-power field. It is approximately 2000 light-years away.
Crimson Star	SAO 150058	4h 59.6	-14° 48	Mag. 5.5 - 11.7	R Leporis, a Mira-type variable discovered by J. R. Hind in 1845. When near minimum, it won’t look like much even in an 8-inch telescope. To be sure of identifying it, sync on Rigel, nearby.  Despite being called “crimson” it is no redder than a 25-watt light bulb, with a color index of 1.8.
Rigel	STAR 41	5h 14.5	-8° 12	Mag. 0.1, 6.8 Sep. 9.5"	Despite the brightness of the primary, the companion is clearly visible at medium power.
Theta(q)1 Orionis	SAO 132314	5h 35.3	-5° 23	Mag. 5.1, 6.7, 6.7, 8.0	The Trapezium, a roughly square-shaped quadruple star system, about 12” on each side, embedded in the brightest part of the Orion Nebula (M42). Many observers can see a fifth star within the Trapezium; some can see a sixth.  The system is actually more than sextuple,  since the double star  Theta(q)2 Orionis (prominent nearby) is also involved, as are other stars in the nebula.
Sigma(f) Orionis	SAO 132406	5h 38.8	-2° 36	Mag. 3.8, 6.6 Sep. 41"	Multiple-star system in the shape of an arrow.  The brightest star is actually a double (0.25", not resolvable in amateur telescopes). It has companions at 11",12" and 41"; the last of these is itself double, with a companion at 30".