A set of 8 Reference Line Maps, star charts and DSS photos of M77.  This series of maps has been developed for use with the Reference Line Method.  This method adapts well to both binoculars and telescopes.

How to Use Reference Line Maps to locate deep sky objects.

Notes:

1. The NE-SW reference line and delta Cetus will lead directly to  M77.  On low power look for the adjacent  star of nearly identical magnitude, as seen in the DSS image.
2. M77 is best seen under higher magnification, unusual for a galaxy 60 million light years away.
3. Smyth:  “A round, stellar nebula.  Small, bright…”
4. John Herschel:  “”brighter in the middle with a nucleus…”

Credits, Links & Resources:

1. The images of galactic position of eemission nebulae, star clusters and planetary nebulae relative to our own Sun are provided courtesy of thinkastronomy.com.
2. A complete online resource for distances, sizes and locations of deep sky objects is available at seds.org.
3. Sky and Tleescope’s This Week’s Sky At A Glance is worth checking before every stargazing session.
4. Danko’s Clear Sky Chart provides a 48 hour forecast of observing conditions for every location in North America.
5. Reference Line Maps are produced by Project DeepSkyMap, a collaborative venture of observers who enjoy knowing the heavens and locating objects for themselves.


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