Features Vulpecula

the constellation vulpecula can seen naked eye.


stars

there no stars brighter 4th magnitude in constellation. brightest star in vulpecula alpha vulpeculae, magnitude 4.44 red giant @ distance of 297 light-years. star optical binary (separation of 413.7 ) can split using binoculars. star carries traditional name anser, refers goose little fox holds in jaws.

23 vulpeculae second brightest star in constellation.

in 1967, first pulsar, psr b1919+21, discovered in vulpecula jocelyn bell, supervised antony hewish, in cambridge. while searching scintillation of radio signals of quasars, observed pulses repeated period of 1.3373 seconds. terrestrial origin of signal ruled out because time took object reappear sidereal day instead of solar day. anomaly identified signal of rapidly rotating neutron star. fifteen years after first pulsar discovered, first millisecond pulsar, psr b1937+21, discovered in vulpecula, few degrees in sky away psr b1919+21.

vulpecula home hd 189733 b, 1 of closest extrasolar planet being studied spitzer space telescope. on 12 july 2007 financial times (london) reported chemical signature of water vapour detected in atmosphere of planet. although hd 189733b atmospheric temperatures rising above 1,000 °c far being habitable, finding increases likelihood water, essential component of life, found on more earth-like planet in future.

deep-sky objects

the dumbbell nebula

the dumbbell nebula (m27), large, bright planetary nebula discovered french astronomer charles messier in 1764 first object of kind. can seen binoculars in dark sky location, appearing dimly glowing disk approximately 6 arcminutes in diameter. telescope reveals double-lobed shape, similar of hourglass. brocchi s cluster (collinder 399) asterism formerly thought open cluster. called coathanger because of distinctive star pattern when viewed binoculars or low power telescope.

planetary nebula hen 2-437 located in constellation of vulpecula.

ngc 7052 edge-on spiral galaxy in vulpecula @ distance of 214 million light-years earth. has central dusty disk diameter of 3700 light-years; there supermassive black hole mass of 300 million solar masses in nucleus. astronomers surmise disk remnant of smaller galaxy merged ngc 7052. jets can seen emanating galaxy, , has strong radio emissions. means classified radio galaxy.

the eastern part of vulpecula occupied hercules–corona borealis great wall. galaxy filament, length of 3,000 megaparsecs, making largest structure in universe.