Taking a look at the Scales

Before we get to Sagittarius, I want to take a quick jump back to Scorpius, or at least to the area around the scorpion, specifically in what is today called Libra, the Scales.

Specifically, two second magnitude stars in Libra that used to be attached to Scorpius as its fearsome claws, Zubeneschamali--the Northern Claw, and Zubenelgenubi--the Southern Claw.

Ancient astronomers had them attached to Scorpius until Julius Caesar came along and lopped them off to make a new constellation in the zodiac to match his new 12-month calendar. The stars--and the constellation Libra--can be found between Scorpius and Virgo, the Maiden to the right.

They sort of represent the balance bar of the scales.

Now to our Centaur archer turned teapot, Sagittarius.

Star maps show Sagittarius as the half-horse, half-man archer from ancient mythology, however, modern astronomers have simplified his form into a teapot for ease of identification.

Looking toward the southern sky just above the horizon about an hour to an hour and a half after local sunset (for a good, dark sky), first find our old friend Scorpius then look to the left for our archer/teapot.

It is easier to locate the teapot's spout, lid, and handle than to search out the bow, extended arrow, and body of the ancient archer, but use whatever method is easiest for you.

The important thing is to find the teapot's spout because that is where the Milky Way rises -- kind of like steam out of the spout -- and extends across the entire sky to the northern horizon.

That is also the location of the center our galaxy. We know where it is, but we can't see it because of all the dust and gas accumulated in that area, if it wasn't for the dust that would be the brightest part of the sky with the light from the millions of stars blazing away in that area.

That is also the location or the massive Black Hole that resides in the very center of the galaxy.

Let's start our binocular tour just above the lid of our teapot. There you can find small smudge of light. Put your binoculars on it to discover a very nice globular cluster of stars called M22--the twenty-second object on Mr. Messier's list of things that are not comets. It shows very well even in a small telescope.

Now, placing M22 at the 6 o'clock position in the field of view (FOV), just visible at the 12 position is another star cluster, this time an open cluster, called M25 (see previous reference to Mr. Messier).

By observing the two you can see the difference between a globular and an open cluster. Now, swing your FOV one field to the right for two of the prettiest nebular clusters in the sky. M8, the Lagoon Nebula (on the bottom) and the Trifid Nebula, M22. They will be in the same FOV.

If you have even a small telescope, here is where you might want to spend some time.

For the rest of our tour, place the Trifid Nebula at the 6:00 position and at the 12:00 find the little open cluster, M23; put M23 at the 3:00 position and with a little shove right past the 9:00 position look for M17, the Omega Nebula, a nice collection of gas, dust, and stars.

For our final object, slide M17 down slightly until you can see the fabulous M16, the Eagle Nebula. Here is where you will want a telescope. In this nebula is where the Hubble Space Telescope found one of its first iconic space photographs, the so-called "Pillars of Creation."

SKY WATCH: Full moon, Thursday, July 31, a "Blue Moon" being the second full moon in July. Tonight, Wednesday, July 29, the moon is about six degrees left of Pluto. Just so you will know. Saturday, August 2, at midnight MDT, the just-rising moon will be about four degrees from Neptune.

NEXT WEEK: The Perseids are coming, the Perseids are coming and more astronomical blathering.