The Coathanger

[Astralstroll]

Finally got around to viewing The Coathanger this evening. A combination of moon, intermittent cloud and generally poor transparency made me look at some different objects this evening. Has to wait til 1am for it to clear the neighbours roof. Can't believe it's taken be the best part of a year to see this particular asterism.

Also managed to spend a little time enjoying Saturn before it went behind another neighbours roof. Not 100% sure, but I may have seen Rhea as well as Titan. The positions and relative distances from Saturn looked correct on Sky Safari.

[swamp thing]

My first DSO was the Coathanger. Found it totally by luck sweeping the Milky Way with my first telescope many years ago.

So it has a special memory for me.

[ollypenrice]

Same for me. It was one of the first objects on which I had to work out the scale between the charts and the eyepiece.

Olly

[andrew63]

Yes It's a lovely sight - i remember viewing that whole region when Comet Garradd was close by. That part of the sky is so rich to lose yourself in.

I think it was probable that you saw Rhea, after Titan i find it the next one to see most easily.

andrew

[mapstar]

I also found it by complete accident looking for the messiers near there and thought it looked like its name sake.

Brocchis cluster to name it correctly.Good surprise

[Schorhr]

I found it the same way, just sweeping over the night sky with a 76/300 and a cheap 12 and 20mm eyepiece.

It's a nice object...

[JB80]

Yes It's a lovely sight - i remember viewing that whole region when Comet Garradd was close by. That part of the sky is so rich to lose yourself in.

I think it was probable that you saw Rhea, after Titan i find it the next one to see most easily.

andrew

I was going to say something similar, if it wasn't for the comet I might still be waiting to see it.

Since then I pick up the coat hanger quite easily.

[steppenwolf]

Every summer I have a look out for and enjoy this one - while I am imaging in the environs of Cygnus from the dome I often lie outside and scan into Vulpecula with my binoculars and I can't resist this sight, it really jumps out at you when you see it!

[cotterless45]

Every time that I see it, it's upside down !

Nick.

[steppenwolf]

Every time that I see it, it's upside down !

Clearly you haven't seen my wardrobe .....

[laser_jock99]

Every summer I have a look out for and enjoy this one - while I am imaging in the environs of Cygnus from the dome I often lie outside and scan into Vulpecula with my binoculars and I can't resist this sight, it really jumps out at you when you see it!

The Coathanger sits in a dark rift of the Milky Way - which is probably why it's so prominent. Such a juicy area for widefield sweeping.

[Sam]

I remember seeing the coathanger by accident, thinking oh that looks like a hook, and then finding out on SGL that is was in fact the coathanger. I had one of those moments when the light bulb flicks on and "oh yeah it does look like a coathanger". Well done on having a good look at it, it's in an interesting part of the sky.

[Astralstroll]

I should spend some more time to see if I can spot any more of the Saturnian moons. I think I saw another one as part of the Moore marathon, but never confirmed it. Still, plenty of time for more moon hunting.

[steppenwolf]

This is one my earlier images but it captures the essence of this most attractive asterism. I really must have another go at it now that I know how to process my images better!!

[DirkSteele]

I remember stumbling across the Coat Hanger during the first year that I owned a telescope. I called both my parents out of the house to take a look! Then I went and consulted my star charts to find out what exactly I was looking at. Definitely one of the great celestial asterisms.

[omahaastro]

I tried searching for it on the forum here and didn't find it... if anyone's interested in another fascinating, 'coat hanger sized' asterism, suitable for binoculars/wide field scopes... try 'Kemble's Cascade'. It's located in Camelopardalis, named by well known (over here at least) Sky & Telescope columnist Walter Scott Houston, after a Canadian amateur who brought it to Houston's attention back in 1980.