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March 16: Canis Minor the Little Dog
The lovely open cluster M29 flies through the early-morning sky inside Cygnus the Swan. Around 5 A.M. local daylight time, M29 is some 35° high in the east. It’s easy to find, too, located just under 2° south of 2nd-magnitude Sadir (Gamma [γ] Cygni), which serves as the center point in the cross-shaped constellation Cygnus.
Spanning about 7’, M29 shines at 7th magnitude and is a great target for binoculars or any small scope. In fact, lower powers are better when looking with a telescope, allowing you to view the entirety of this young open cluster at once.
This cluster was named the Cooling Tower by amateur astronomer Jeff Bondono, who thought its brightest stars sketched out the curved outline of a nuclear power plant’s iconic cooling tower. Take a look — do you agree?
Sunrise: 7:08 A.M.
Sunset: 7:09 P.M.
Moonrise: 6:26 A.M.
Moonset: 5:54 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (1%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 10 P.M. local time from the same location.
