Time for tea and cake.

The Teapot: July 2006 : View from nr Wolfscastle

It's that time of year when the teapot comes around.

The teapot is an asterism found in the constellation of Sagittarius.

It contains many interesting objects, so many infact that I will be re-studying the teapot for several weeks to come. 

Tonight I'm hoping to catch a few of the Messier objects that are scattered in and around the teapot.

Screen Shot : Stellarium

If I stay at home tonight, my only real chance of seeing the teapot will be at around 23.45 BST.

As you can see from the screenshot the asterism fits pretty much within the confines of the trees at the end of the garden...   Those trees are a real pain for extended observing of southerly objects...

I really now need to go mobile...!

Talking of mobile astronomy, does anyone fancy doing some stargazing evenings around the county of Pembrokeshire?

I cannot do any mobile observing for the next few weeks, I'm still recovering from shingles and painful abdomen muscles..!

A fortnight ago I nearly gave my self a hernia....!

Thankfully all is OK again, but no way am I lifting anything heavy for the next few weeks.

OK enough moaning ..... here are some "Teapot" Messier objects to see this evening:

• At the base of Teapot: Globular clusters Messier 54 , Messier 69 and Messier 70
• Just above the Teapot lid: Globular Clusters Messier 22 and Messier 28
• Up above the teapot spout: The Trifid Nebula (Messier 20)
• Just below the Trifid Nebula: The Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8)
• Just above the Trifid Nebula: Open cluster Messier 21

That list should keep me busy for awhile...

All this talk of tea has made me thirsty... time for some Earl Grey... and definitely time for cake..!

Clear Skies