This is M38, a spiral galaxy with really pretty colors of pink, lilac, and yellow. M38 is 12 million light years away. The M38 spiral galaxy is in the constellation Hydra, at the very end of it. Above M38 in the picture is the Thousand-Ruby Galaxy, which looks completely differemnt. It is interesting how each galaxy looks so different than each other.

This picture is the unique Orion Nebula. This is the first picture I've seen of a nebula with these same patterns and colors. The Orion Nebula is over 1,500 light years away. It is a stellar nursery, which means that a lot of new stars are being formed within the nebula.

This picture is of two galaxies colliding.
In billions of years, they will form only one galaxy. The smaller glaxy on the right will become engulfed in the bigger galaxy on the left. When I look at this picture, it is hard to comphehend because the points of light look so far from each other that it seems like it wouldn't have that type of force on the smaller galaxy. I wonder what these galaxies will look like over time.

This is the Helix Nebula. It's seven hundred light years. This is in the constellation Aquarius. It has complex geometry and it is a good example of a planetary nebula. It reminds me of the same pattens of different planetary nebulas I've seen in pictures, except with different colors.

Date: January 9/10, 2014

Time: 11:00 P.M. - 1:00 A.M.

Place: Northern Sarasota

Sky Conditions: Mostly clear

Instruments Used: Naked eye

Planets: Jupiter (In Gemini)

Bright Stars noted: Polaris

Constellations noted: Taurus, Gemini, Orion, Puppis, Canis Major/Minor

Deep Sky Objects: M45, Orion Nebula, Pleiades

Date: January 3, 2014

Time:  9:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.

Place: northern Sarasota

Sky Conditions: a bit cloudy, but clear

Instruments Used: naked eye

Bright Stars noted: Polaris

Constellations noted: Taurus, Andromeda, Cephus, Cassiopeia, Little&Big Dipper

Deep Sky Objects: Andromeda Galaxy, Pleiades, Hyades

Date: December 20, 2013

Time:  9:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.

Place: Northern Sarasota

Sky Conditions: Clear

Instruments Used: Naked Eye

Constellations noted: Orion, Andromeda, Taurus

Deep Sky Objects: Pleiades, Hyades, Orion Nebula

Date: December 16-17, 2013

Time:  12:00 P.M. - 2:00 A.M.

Place: northern Sarasota

Sky Conditions: Mostly clear w/ few clouds

Instruments Used: naked eye

Constellations noted: Andromeda, Monoceros, Orion

Deep Sky Objects: Cone Nebula, Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy

Pierre Mechain Works Cited

Works Cited

"Pierre François-André Méchain." Mechain Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.

"Pierre Méchain (1744-1804)." Pierre Méchain (1744-1804). N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2014.

"Pierre Mechain (French Scientist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.

Russell, Jesse, and Ronald Cohn. Pierre Méchain. New York: Book on Demand, 2012. Print.

Pierre Mechain

Sofia Quinteros

Dacey

Astronomy Honors

Period 4

Astronomer Biography: Pierre Mechain

                Pierre Mechain was born in Laon, France, on August 16th, 1744. He died on September 20th, 1804, in Spain at the age of 60. The French astronomer and mathematician was the son of a ceiling designer in France. Ever since Pierre was young, he showed interest in the sciences and mathematics, specifically physics. The young boy wasn’t able to pursue these interests right away because of his family’s poor financial position. He worked whatever other jobs he could get, like proofreading or assistant hydrographer. Through these jobs, Pierre Mechain was able to make friends in the astronomy field, such as Charles Messier. Later on in his life, he produced maps of different parts of the world and attended the French Academy of Sciences. Pierre published astronomical works and scientific papers.

                Pierre Mechain became a very accomplished astronomer by discovering many deep sky objects. He and Charles Messier devoted much of their time to observing and trying to discover more objects of the universe. Pierre’s specialty was observing comets; he was known as what some people would call a “comet hunter”. Mechain had originally discovered 8 comets, and co-discovered 3 comets. His love for finding comets served as a gateway to his discoveries of deep sky objects. In the year of 1781, Pierre Mechain discovered two comets in the same year. This was an impressive accomplishment, but to top it, he also calculated the orbits of many comets. These calculations were the ones that caused him to get elected into the very prestigious “Academie des Sciences”. In just the years of 1779-1782, Pierre Mechain discovered over 30 deep sky objects, and most of them were original discoveries. Much of Pierre Mechain’s work was documented and included into Charles Messeir’s famous catalog. This catalog contained information about all different clusters and nebulae.

                Many of Pierre Mechain’s discoveries are still observed by modern day astronomers. The numerous deep sky objects can be found in charts all over the place. After Mechain, Delambre, another astronomer, kept Mechains work alive and continued to add and modify the content. Mechains work always remain a part of history and continue to be a part of astronomers work in the future.

This is the Horsehead Nebula. It is a emission nebula.Protons and electrons combine to form hydrogen atoms and that's what gives the nebula it's red color. In the bottom left there is a reflection nebulae. This gets its color from the reflection of nearby blue stars.