Monthly Messier Star-Hop; June #2
By Art Russell

The second of our star-hops for the month of June combines a bit of the best of both the Spring and Summer skies; galaxies from the Spring, and globular clusters from the Summer. Lets get started. We’ll begin initially in the constellation Virgo and find M104, the Sombrero Galaxy. Then we’ll head south to the constellation Hydra to find M68 a globular cluster, and M83 a galaxy. We’ll then return to Virgo and head east to find the globular cluster M5 a globular cluster in the constellation Serpens Caput. Finally, we’ll then head southeast to the constellation of Scorpius to track down the M4, a beautiful globular cluster near the star Antares, "The Heart of the Scorpion", and the globular cluster M80 nearby. As ever, find the darkest possible skies to add to your enjoyment of these sights and make finding them a bit easier. Enjoy!

Star-Hop #1: M104, "The Sombrero Galaxy," (NGC 4594).
Star-Hop #2: M5 (NGC 5904).
Star-Hop #3: M68 (NGC 4590).
Star-Hop #4: M83 (NGC 5236).
Star-Hop #5: M4 (NGC 6121).
Star-Hop #6: M80 (NGC 6093).

Star-Hop #1: M104, "The Sombrero Galaxy," (NGC 4594). When you think about the countless galaxies and other deep sky objects, only a very few get named. In doing so, observers have identified some unique quality inherent in that object. So it is with "The Sombrero Galaxy." As its name suggests, it can be seen as appearing like a sombrero with the galaxy’s core forming the crown and its disk forming the brim. Locating M104 is relatively easy at this time because the planet Mars provides an immediate orientation to the proper part of the sky; the constellation Virgo. Presently, Mars is located in the eastern reaches of Virgo. From Mars, the bright star Spica, Alpha Virginis, is roughly west about 8 degrees, or the distance spanned by four fingers held together and outstretched at arm’s length against the sky. Spica is one of our guide stars to M104. We’ll need another. Look due east of Spica at a distance of about 10 degrees, or the distance spanned by the knuckles of your fist held at arms length against the sky, to find the star Kappa Virginis. Starting at Kappa Virginis, extend an imaginary line to Spica. Extend this line for approximately the same distance as that between Kappa Virginis and Spica, or about 11 degrees. If you search this area with high power binoculars or a telescope at low to moderate magnifications, you should quickly find M104. It should appear as an edge-on galaxy with a very apparent bi-secting dust lane. Use higher powers to glean increasing amounts of detail if possible.

Star-Hop #2: M5 (NGC 5904). Returning to the heart of Virgo. Our next star-hop takes us to the one of the more spectacular globular clusters of the Spring and Summer skies. From Spica, look northeast about 15 degrees or the distance spanned by your index and little fingers spread against the sky at arms length. There you’ll find the star Tau Virginis. From there, extend a line due east about 11 degrees to the star 109 Virginis. Extend the line east and a little north for about 15 degrees to the star Epsilon Serpens. M5 will be located about half way along and a little south of the line between Epsilon Serpens and 109 Virginis and can be successfully found with binoculars and smaller telescopes using low to moderate powers. Here you’ll find a beautiful globular cluster with many well resolved stars. At higher powers you may notice what appear to be whisps of stars drifting away from the core of the cluster.

Star-Hop #3: M68 (NGC 4590). We’ll leave Virgo for our remaining star-hops. Starting at Spica, look about 15 degrees or the distance spanned by your index and little fingers, east-southeast to find the star Gamma Corvi in the constellation Corvus ("The Crow"). From Gamma Corvi, extend a line south and a bit east for about 6 degrees, or the distance spanned by 3 fingers, to find the star Kraz, Beta Corvi. Extend the line for about 3 degrees, or the distance spanned by about 2 fingers, and you should find the glow of M68 in large binoculars or small telescopes in low to moderate powers. M68 appears as a sparse, not well consolidated globular cluster at moderate to higher magnifications. You may also note many outlying stars straggling away from cluster.

Star-Hop #4: M83 (NGC 5236). Starting at Kraz in Corvus, find the star Gamma Hydrae located about 10 degrees due east in the constellation Hydra. From Gamma Hydrae, locate the star Pi Hydrae which is about 11 degrees east-southeast of Gamma Hydrae. To find M83, imagine that it is the apex of a triangle formed with Gamma and Pi Hydrae as the other apexes. The distance from both Gamma and Pi Hydrae to M83 is about 7 degrees in each case, or about the distance spanned by 4 fingers held against the sky. You should be able to find M83 in moderate sized telescopes using low to moderate magnifications when you search that area. M83 will have a relatively low surface brightness, so its important to take your time. However, its nucleus is relatively bright compared to its halo at moderate magnifications.

Star-Hop #5: M4 (NGC 6121). Starting at Pi Hydrae, look east about 30 degrees, or twice the distance spanned by your index and little fingers to find the prominent red-yellow supergiant star Antares, Alpha Scorpii ("The Rival of Mars, "or "The Heart of the Scorpion"). From Antares, M4 is located a little more than 1 degree, the width of your little finger, to the west. Binoculars and telescopes will have no problem finding the glow of M4, one of the more prominent globular clusters, at this location. In binoculars, M4 will appear as a circular nebulous object with increasing brightness towards its center. In moderate sized telescopes will resolve many stars and suggest the possibility of lanes in the globular cluster.

Star-Hop #6: M80 (NGC 6093). The globular cluster M80 is located midway between Antares and Graffias, Beta Scorpii. Medium sized telescopes at moderate magnifications will show M80 to be a very compact globular cluster in which not many stars are well resolved. You may be able to do better with higher magnifications once you have this globular in the field of view.