Aries; don't forget the ram.

[cotterless45]

Overlooked and now easy, with bright Jupiter in Taurus, keep going through the Pleiades, until you hit Aries. You'll spot Hamal just under Triagulum. Hamal is 15 times the Sun's diameter. Nice to point out sizes to newbies.

There are some easy doubles here and some challenging galaxies,

Lambda is the rhs of Hamal and is a wide binocular pair.

Mesartim is a simple blue white double.It is to the lower rhs of Hamal.

Then over to a fainter Eta, a binary even with a small scope.

Pi is a cute multiple grouping of stars nearly on the ecliptic.

To the lhs, further along the ecliptic is 53, nice to point out that this Cephei variable escaped from the Orion nebula 2 million years ago.

There's an easy galaxy;

NGC772, a 10.3 mag spiral to the lhs of Mesartim. I did pick out some detail in the 10" Dob.

For GOTO targets and a darker sky, last year under dark skies;galaxies;

NGC891 (12.7) between NGC and epsilon in Cetus.

NGC877 (12.5)

NGC972 (11.3)

NGC1156 (11.7)

An interesting and overlooked Ram, worth paying a visit and a change from the drama of Andromeda.

Nick.

[JamesF]

Thanks for posting, Nick. Aries seems quite easy to overlook and there's a fair bit on your list I wasn't aware of. I'm still waiting for a decent view of Pisces, but I'll definitely make a point of looking around Aries too.

James

[carlc]

Nice one - loving the chart!

[Mike73]

Do you face east Nick? I meant to say are your best views to the east?

Its the one direction thats ruined for me because of Plymouths skyglow, will be another month or so until Aries is worth a look but its good to know whats coming.

[estwing]

Plymouths been the ruin of many things mike!!

[cotterless45]

Do you face east Nick? I meant to say are your best views to the east?

Its the one direction thats ruined for me because of Plymouths skyglow, will be another month or so until Aries is worth a look but its good to know whats coming.

Yep, the back garden faces east. I also get good views to the south, except for a mature oak tree.I also get good views to the North.

If I knocked down the house, I'd get views to the East.

We've also got a local dark site with 360 degree views, nice.

Seeing conditions vary from grot to great!

We also get flybys from East Midlands airport.

Nick.