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10 Messier Objects Associated with the Big Dipper, Kurt Zeppetello

10 Messier Objects Associated with the Big Dipper

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10 Messier Objects Associated with the Big Dipper, Kurt Zeppetello

10 Messier Objects Associated with the Big Dipper

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There are 10 Messier objects associated with the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is an asterism (group of stars that form a recognizable pattern) made up of the seven brightest stars of constellation Ursa Major. It is one of the most popular asterisms in the Northern hemisphere and has many astronomical features in its realm that most people are unaware of including me until recently.

Late winter to spring is an excellent time to image or observe the Big Dipper and nearby objects as it is high overhead around midnight. Eight of the ten Messier objects associated with the Big Dipper are galaxies, one is a planetary nebula, and one is a double star.

It has been cloudy here for over two weeks straight so to occupy my time I put this composite together as a blog post after seeing something similar from Trevor Jones at AstroBackyard.com.

http://kurt-zeppetello.blogspot.com/2017/04/10-messier-objects-around-big-dipper.html

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10 Messier Objects Associated with the Big Dipper, Kurt Zeppetello

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