Aquarius
By Shawn Grant
September is a transition month where summer turns slowly into fall. The days are still warm but the nights are turning cooler. September nights are often very comfortable not to hot or cold. Cool fronts often sweep the skies clear of haze and pollution leaving crystal clear star filled skies. In September the summer constellations are still visible for exploration and the fall constellations are just coming up. In this star hop we will explore the constellation Aquarius the Water-Bearer. We will only cover six of the most interesting objects in the constellation.
The first object is a very large planetary nebula NGC 7293 or better known as the Helix nebula. It is best found by pointing your scope at the 5.2 magnitude star n Aquarius. The Helix is just one degree to the west. The planetary is very large with a size of 12 minutes in size. It is large probably because it is so close at a distance of 300 light years. It has a magnitude of 7.3 but appears very faint because it has a low surface brightness. Visually the nebula appears as an evenly illuminated outer ring with a darker center. The darker center can be hard to pick out. A nebula filter greatly enhances the Helix.
NGC 7606 is a galaxy that is located a degree north of the three psi's. The three psi's is a group of 4th magnitude stars named Y 1, 2 and 3 located in the northeast portion of Aquarius. Point your telescope to the center star and move up a degree and you should see the 11.5 magnitude galaxy NGC 7606. The galaxy has a size of 4.4' X 2'. The Galaxy is fairly obvious though it does appear fainter then the said magnitude. It is elongated northwest to southeast. It is mostly uniform in brightness with a gradual brightening to a stellar nucleus. NGC 7606 has had a remarkable supernova history. One was discovered in 10-4-1965 with a magnitude of 16 and later one was found on 12-14-1987 at magnitude 13.8.
M2 is perhaps one of thebest globular clusters in the fall sky. Maroldi 
discovered the globular and later Messier added it to his catalog. It is located 5 degrees north of the star b Aquarius. It has a bright magnitude of 6.4 and a size of 13 minutes. The cluster is rich and compressed. In my 13" the cluster can be easily resolved. There are several hundred stars visible all the way to the core with a fainter background haze. There are several star chains radiating from the core and a few dark lanes can be seen.
M72 is a little globular cluster in Aquarius. It is 5.9 minutes in size and has a magnitude of 9.3. It is located about 3 degrees to the southeast of e Aquarius. M72 is small and faint compared with some other Messier globulars but it is still interesting nonetheless. In a 13" telescope the cluster is pretty well resolved. The cluster has a rugged unsymmetrical shape that is very interesting and catching to the eye. There are few star chains radiating from the core. The cluster is a worthwhile entry in the Messier catalog and worth a close examination.
M73 has caused confusion withmany beginners thinking it is a grand cluster filled with stars when in reality it is an asterism of a few stars. It is located just 1.3 degrees east of M72. It is a Y-shaped asterism of 4 stars from 10th to 12th magnitude. There isn't much to look at but now you know what to look for when trying to find M73.
NGC 7009 also known as the Saturn Nebula is a very remarkable planetary nebula. It is located just 1.3 degrees to the west of n Aquarius. The planetary is just 25 seconds in size and has a magnitude of 8.3. The nebula is uniform in brightness. There are two faint projections extending out from each side. That is how the nebula got its name.
Aquarius is void of huge galaxy clusters like Virgo and clusters and nebulas like Sagittarius but it still has its showpieces.
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