| Man in a Tub |
| (Not Retired!, But a little cranky!!!) |
| 06/19/09 01:31 AM |
|
Re: M4 in 15x70's
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Phil Harrington has made the following request in his inaugural Binocular Universe column here on Cloudy Nights:
Quote:
"Even small binoculars will show M4 as a tiny, undefined smudge of grayish light just to the west of Antares. My 10x50s add in a slightly brighter core at its center. Increase magnification and aperture, and all of a sudden the core appears bisected by a brighter column of light. Large telescopes show this to be a chain of 11th-magnitude stars that just happen to line up in a straight row. I can't make it out through my 10x50s, but can through my 16x70s, as shown below, and 20x80s. I wonder what the smallest binocular is that will show this unusual feature. Give it a try for yourself and let me know how you make out."
from The Heart of the Scorpion, June 2009
I hope folks will respond.
Clear Skies!