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What's your favorite constellation and why?


Jepjep

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Visually, Orion. Everything from the easy (M42) to the almost impossibe (Horsey!) and wonderful from anything from the naked eye to the 20 inch.

Photographically... maybe Cepheus. It looks fairly void to the eyeball but, boy, get a camera on it... It would keep you busy for years.

But then there's sagittarius. Aaarrrgghh!!!!

The good news is that we don't have to choose!  :hello2:

Olly

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Has long been Orion, because its arrival in the evening skies heralds the return of the sun.

Ironically, I'm sure astronomy (just as a casual pair of eyes) over the last few years has helped me be far less down about the dark winter nights. I actually looked forward to them this year - no-one told me they would be long pale-yellow nights. Still starting to look more promising.

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Sagittarius - it's where all the best stuff is located: Lagoon, Trifid, Omega nebulae, M22, M28, tonnes more globulars and open clusters, plus it's the location for the centre of the galaxy.

Or... possibly Virgo for all the bazillion galaxies. I'd say the Summer Triangle, but that's an asterism so doesn't count.

I'd mention Orion but after the Orion Nebula I find it a bit... meh... with a small telescope. Oh no... I've started trolling Orion...

Paul

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Orion. The first constellation I've recognised, plus it looks cool. Love it better during a clear night with Taurus, Lepus, Canis Major & Minor, Gemini, Auriga and also the star Canopus visible. Haven't been able to make out nearby (but faint) Monoceros though.

Centaurus with Lupus—absolutely majestic! And large! Keeps me glued to the skies for hours during April–late June. Better with Crux, Scorpius, and Sagittarius when it's rising.  The more stars the merrier!!!

Eridanus—can't make out the whole constellation yet, but I'm sure I'll be awestruck when I witness the whole river glimmering from nearby-Rigel to Achernar.

Cassiopeia, undoubtedly the constellation of vanity—cuz it's so beautiful! Love the 'W' pattern. Together with Perseus and Auriga they form a great "Northern Constellations" combo, worthy to be viewed for hours.

Big Dipper and Crux—the 'hallmark' constellations of the North and South. Coincidentally, they're both visible and they culminate at about the same times,and thankfully being near the equator means I can see them both at the same time, although big dipper would be upside down. :p

Tbh every constellation is beautiful in some sort of way. It all depends on how you view it, when you view it, and your mood.

Though nowadays it's always cloudy here in the evening, so I appreciate anything that I get to see in the sky. :)

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Cetus, anyone? It contains 300+ galaxy clusters including the most distant known Abell group, and a similar number of interacting/compact groups of galaxies, as well as Mira the wonderful and the large bright galaxy NGC 247.

Impossible to choose only one of course. If I lived a little further south I think it would have to be Centaurus, what with Omega C and Centaurus A, perhaps the strangest galaxy out there. I've learned to love Draco too, which is useful since it is more or less circumpolar and is packed with edge on galaxies and quasars...

Martin

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My favorite is Cygnus.

Deneb and the North American Nebula area I am very familiar with as this was the launching point for my first major star hopping experience to find M39 which took a lot of effort but with perseverance I did it and for me at least it was an achievement. I have good memories of this as it was when I started to understand what the more experienced observers mean when they say that you have to spend time really looking at things and in doing so you see a lot more. Because  this was the first area I really spent time focusing on it has a familiarity when I look at it - a bit like going home if you know what I mean. I've not seen the North American Nebula yet - I don't have the gear, or the skies(!), or the observing skills yet but to know it is there is amazing. Also, Deneb is a beast of a star if you think about it.

It's home to Cygnus X-1 which is an object I read and wondered about as a child and it's second top on my list of things I want to see even though all you can see is the star HDE266868 not the black hole - but for me it is what things mean not what they look like that I find most interesting. I've tried to spot it from eta but so far have not managed to be sure I've pinned it down.

Cygnus is also a launching point for the object that is top of my list to spot one day - BL Lacerte but I don't have a scope good enough for that - maybe when I'm grown up I'll get one that will do it!

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Cygnus is a hot favorite of mine too.

As a child with an overactive imagination, not only could I visualise a beautiful swan flying overhead, I'm sure I could hear it too!

Fond memories of autumn evenings sat out on the old coal bunker watching Cygnus head a little further west as the season progressed.

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  • 1 month later...

Growing up in Oz in the sixties, I asked my mum what a certain bunch of stars was called.  Being clueless about astronomy she said "oh thats the saucepan"......it has been the saucepan for the last 45/50 years:)

56c4439705b9f_quickorioncrop0.thumb.jpg.

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16 minutes ago, saggiemaggie7 said:

M  favourite is Lyra not for any astronomical reason i just love the name :) my dog is called Lyra lol :)

I should say it's Norma as thats my mums name but have you seen it?

Norma.PNG.65137d275e13d2b438a8493d373585

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I remember one night, as a young boy, seeing Ursa Major suddenly standing out amongst the starfields and realising what it was. If I had to choose a favourite at the moment it would have to be Orion. Predominantly because, weather permitting, M42 looks so good in my binoviewers at the moment!

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Sagittarius. "...not because they are easy, but because they are hard..." It's much richer than Orion, though hard due to it's altitude. It's worth the effort, though. A summer evening trawling through these low gems - fantastic.

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Orion for me too because it contains so many interesting imaging targets:

M42, The Running Man, Horsehead Nebula, M78, Witch head, Barnards Loop, Flame Nebula etc.

Sagittarius is also interesting too for the same reason, but it's behind the trees in my garden, and I only get little chance at camps to image it.

Carole 

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