If you are thinking of a trip to the Southern hemisphere it would be a great chance to see some of the wonders of the Southern skies.
Timing:
The best time to go would be when the Milky Way is right across the sky splitting it in two. This would be during May and June and especially a week before new moon so that the skies are really dark.
Locations:
Looking at the 'Light Pollution map' it should be possible to find really dark sites near your destination. To get the best look for a site that has a S.Q.M. reading of 21.6 or better (22.00 being the darkest).or (Bortle scale 1 , 2 , or 3).
Equipment:
A pair of 10 x 50 binoculars or a spotting scope (70 - 100 mm) mounted on a table top tripod.
The bigger the better if you can transport it.
Contacting a Local Astronomy Club before your trip may enable you to use some of their scopes especially in Australia and New Zealand.
What to see:
- The Milky Way
With all its Nebulae, 'just amazing' Best seen with naked eye lying on a camping mat or lounger with some 10 x 50 binoculars, to zoom in on any interesting objects.
- Large Magellanic Clouds
Lots of H2 regions especially the naked eye 'Tarantula Nebula'. 10 x 50 binoculars show so much more. A small scope will show dozens of its open clusters and some of the globular clusters. To study the L.M.C. on its own would take many months.
- Small Magellanic Cloud
Some H2 regions and a few open clusters.
- Globular Clusters
The brightest and biggest is 'Omega Centaurus' a fabulous sight and resolved into many stars in 10 x 50 binoculars. Just stunning in a travel scope.
Next is 47 Tucana, a beautiful sight (next to S.M.C.). A couple of other large globular clusters are:-NGC 6397 in ARA and NGC 6792 in Pavo.
- Open Clusters
The 'Southern Pleiades' in Carina. 'The Wishing Well' Cluster in Carina (NGC 3532). The 'Jewel Box' in Crux. Note: The Wishing Well group is about 4 times larger version of M37). There are many more esp in Carina and Vela.
- Nebula (bright and dark)
- Eta Carina, a naked eye object like M42 but about 5 times larger, great in 10 x 50 binoculars.
- The 'Coal Sack' a dark nebula (a naked eye object) South and West of The Southern Cross.
- The 'Emu' a very large dark nebula spanning a greater part of the 'Southern Milky Way' (similar to the Pipe nebula but much much larger). It fills most of the space between the 'Pipe' and the 'Coalsack'.
- 'Thor's Helmet' NGC 2359 a bright nebula in Canis Major (this can be seen from Northern latitudes also.) Needs 12" scope or larger together with an 03 filter.
This is a 'Wolf -Rayet' star blowing a big bubble in the interstellar medium; a really fascinating object.
- 'Pencil Nebula' in Vela again needs a 12" or larger scope.
- Other Galaxies
- Alpha Centaurus NGC 5218, an eliptical galaxy with a dark bank crossing its center, binoculars and telescopes needed to see it.
- NGC 4945, an 'edge on' in Centaurus (just to the right and below Omega Cent. Glob.)
- NGC 6744, the 'Great Pavo Spiral' galaxy. Needs a 8" or larger scope.
To see some other famous galaxies it is necessary to visit the Southern hemisphere in September when the following will be available early in the night.
- In the constellation of Cetus and Sculptor are the following NGC 247, 253 and 55, all large 'edge on' type, the best by far is 253, a really big bright one with lots of mottling.
- The GRUS Triplet NGC 7582, 7590 and 7599 (similar to the Leo Triplet), a little nearer to the South Pole.
- M83 the Seashell galaxy in Centaurus, can also be seen from U K but very very low down in the South through the thick atmosphere.
I hope the foregoing will help if you venture South for some stargazing.
Rod