Bootes

Bootes is known as the protector of the Bear (Ursa Major) because of being on the tracks of the Great Bear, accompanied by two dogs (the Canes Venatici). The constellation includes a major star of Arcturus, alpha Bootis. The star is easily found out by following the sweep of the Big Dipper's handle, and the curve takes you to an another bright star of Spica in south sky, alpha Virginis. The curve across the night sky in spring from the Big Dipper to Spica called "The Spring's Great Curve". Arcturus is the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere and the third brightest in all of the heavens with a magnitude of -0.1 and a color of orange. Arcturus means "Guardian of the Bear", and has a name of the wheat star in Japan because the star is seen at zenith when the wheat is harvested in late spring.

  • M3 (NGC 5272) - A globular cluster located in the constellation Canes Venatici, which is close to Bootes. It is one of the brightest and most well-known globular clusters visible in the northern hemisphere.
  • M53 (NGC 5024) - Another globular cluster, located in the constellation Coma Berenices, close to the border with Bootes.
  • M5 (NGC 5904) - A globular cluster located in the constellation Serpens, also relatively close to Bootes.
  • M13 (NGC 6205) - A globular cluster in the constellation Hercules, which is near Bootes.

Cancer (the crab)

The Cancer is a compact constellation squeezed between Leo and Gemini, members of zodiac. The constellation is in the shape of a monster of crab crushed by Hercules. The constellation of Cancer has a famous and splendid open cluster of Praesepe (M44) at the shell of the crab.

  • Messier 44 (M44) - The Beehive Cluster (Praesepe):
    • Type: Open Cluster
    • Magnitude: 3.7
    • Description: One of the nearest open clusters to Earth, easily visible to the naked eye. It contains a large number of stars spread across a significant area of the sky.
  • Messier 67 (M67):
    • Type: Open Cluster
    • Magnitude: 6.1
    • Description: An older open cluster compared to M44, with a rich population of stars. It is one of the oldest known open clusters and is located about 2,700 light-years away.

Hydra

The Hydra is the largest constellation in the heavens. It occupies the southern sky in spring bordering Cancer, to as far as Libra and Centaurus, stretching out to around one hundred degrees in the process.
This hydra marks a gigantic beast with many heads. And Heracles killed the hydra by cutting off the all of head. Alpha Hydrae, Alphard is very noticeable at the heart of hydra. The star is a bright red-giant, meaning of "Solitary". It came that there are no bright stars around Alphard. Besides, The star has an another name of "Col Hydrae" (The Hydra's Heart), a fitting name.

  • M48 (NGC 2548) - An open cluster in Hydra, discovered by Charles Messier in 1771. It is located near the border of Hydra with the constellation Monoceros.
  • M68 (NGC 4590) - A globular cluster in Hydra, discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. It is a tightly packed cluster of stars located about 33,000 light-years away from Earth.

Hercules

The Hercules is a fairly large constellation in summer, but isn't very obvious. "Hercules" is a name of Greek hero, and the constellation is represented as a kneeling man with his head turning south.
Though the constellation is faint, a fairly strained shape of "H" that forms Hercules' body is a good mark to find that. Alpha Herculis, Ras Algethi, is positioned at the kneeler's head has a magnitude of 3, ancient Chinese had regarded the star as the Emperor's seat, and they had observed this field very carefully whether there was any novae or comets.

  • Messier 13 (M13) - Also known as the Great Hercules Cluster, M13 is a globular cluster located in the constellation of Hercules. It is one of the most famous and brightest globular clusters visible in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Messier 92 (M92) - Another globular cluster in the Hercules constellation, M92 is slightly less prominent than M13 but still a notable cluster. It is located about 26,700 light-years from Earth.

Leo

The Leo is one of the most recognizable constellations in spring skies, although almost all of them are formed out of faint stars and have complicated shapes. A curve of stars arranged like a mark of "?" being turned over, "The Lion's sickle" that represents Leo's head. One of famous meteor streams, Gamma Leonids, has a radiant point in the sickle, and it's expected that the meteor shower will be observed in November 1999.

Alpha Leonis is named "Regulus" meaning of the little king, the star was well known in antiquity as Cor Leonis, the Lion's Heart.

  • Messier 65 (M65):
    • Type: Intermediate Spiral Galaxy
    • Description: M65 is part of the Leo Triplet, a group of galaxies in Leo. It has a prominent bulge and is slightly tilted, making its spiral structure visible.
  • Messier 66 (M66):
    • Type: Intermediate Spiral Galaxy
    • Description: M66 is also part of the Leo Triplet. It has a well-defined spiral structure with prominent arms.
  • Messier 95 (M95):
    • Type: Barred Spiral Galaxy
    • Description: M95 is a barred spiral galaxy with a distinct central bar and a ring structure surrounding the bar.
  • Messier 96 (M96):
    • Type: Intermediate Spiral Galaxy
    • Description: M96 is another spiral galaxy in Leo, slightly larger than M95, and has a less symmetric shape.
  • Messier 105 (M105):
    • Type: Elliptical Galaxy
    • Description: M105 is an elliptical galaxy located near M96. It is the brightest galaxy in the Leo I Group, which includes M95 and M96.

Ursa Major

The Big Bear, Ursa Major, is the third largest constellation in the skies, seen at northern sky in evening of spring. The constellation has no first magnitude stars, but the Big Dipper that forms the bear's tail is a rough guide on the clarity of the evening's sky. Though Ursa Major contains no bright celestial objects, it has plenty of galaxies in outer space.

  • Messier 81 (M81) - Bode's Galaxy
    • Type: Spiral Galaxy
    • Distance: ~11.8 million light-years
    • Notable Features: One of the brightest galaxies in the sky, easily visible in small telescopes.
  • Messier 82 (M82) - Cigar Galaxy
    • Type: Starburst Galaxy
    • Distance: ~11.5 million light-years
    • Notable Features: An edge-on galaxy undergoing intense star formation, appearing cigar-shaped.
  • Messier 101 (M101) - Pinwheel Galaxy
    • Type: Spiral Galaxy
    • Distance: ~21 million light-years
    • Notable Features: A large, face-on spiral galaxy with a well-defined spiral structure.
  • Messier 97 (M97) - Owl Nebula
    • Type: Planetary Nebula
    • Distance: ~2,030 light-years
    • Notable Features: Named for its appearance resembling an owl's face, this is one of the fainter Messier objects.