Realm of the nebulae
Map 13: Equatorial Region 4
Virgo to Ophiuchus
Published: Sunday, August 12, 2007
Nineteenth-century observers called the area covered by Map 13 the "realm of the nebulae." They weren't describing nebulae in the current sense, however. Their nebulae were galaxies, which looked nebulous through the small telescopes most observers used. Luckily, amateur scopes today are bigger, better, and easier to acquire. Unfortunately, our sky is brighter due to light pollution.
