| rodelaet |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 06/29/08 05:16 PM |
| Attachment |
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Binocular Icon 22 : NGC 6885.
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Some of the finest galactic clusters can be found in Vulpecula. The small cluster NGC 6885 is one of them. Our starting point for this journey is Epsilon Cygni. Now go 3° south to 52 Cygni. Another 3° southwest you’ll find the beautiful and large cluster NGC 6940. These four objects form a diamond. Now move the bino’s 4° west to 23 Vul. Then go 1° southwest to 20 Vul. NGC 6885 can be found ‘behind’ 20 Vul. Don’t expect to see a bright object. The cluster might not be visible at first, with 20 Vul shining at mag 5.9. That's why I just scanned over the spot without noticing the cluster at all. Try to use averted vision to see the faint cluster members near 20 Vul. With the 8x56 the cluster seems to be embedded in a faint nebula, produced by the unresolved starglow. The center of the cluster looks rather empty.
Site : Bütgenbach, Belgium
Date : June 28, 2008
Time : around 22.30UT
Binoculars : Bresser 8x56
FOV: 5.9°
Filter : none
Mount : Trico Machine Sky Window
Seeing : 2,5/5
Transp. : 4/5
Nelm : around 5.9
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with Photo Paint, based on a raw pencil sketch.
(Note: if the sketch does look too dark on your monitor, try to darken the room.)
| GlennLeDrew |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/29/08 06:18 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 22 : NGC 6885.
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Nice drawing!
This object is in the Caldwell list, as you know. But this one entry in that list more than any other has led to my complete dismissal of Moore's "catalogue." As a self-confessed "Moon man", Moore has had, I believe, little more than a passing interest in the deep sky.
He might not have even looked once at some of his "Caldwell" objects. If he had, he'd almost certainly have skipped NGC6885 and instead included the *much* more spectacular NGC6940, just a few degrees away.
I believe 6885 got included because its integrated magnitude was bright, due to the uninvolved non-member 20 Vul. Without that one accidental luminary, 6885's total magnitude would be unimpressive indeed.
| frank5817 |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 06/29/08 07:55 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 22 : NGC 6885.
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Rony,
Very nice. Your sketch is my first look at this open cluster--Thank you.
Frank
| rodelaet |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 06/30/08 02:49 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 22 : NGC 6885.
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Glenn and frank, Thank you!!
Glenn, It was not the Caldwell designation that got me interested to seek up NGC 6885. It was Craig Crossen's 'Sky Vistas that triggered my curiosity. NGC 6885 might not be spectacular in a small pair of binoculars, although the gossamer glow of the unresolved stars 'behind' 20 Vul are a very pleasing sight to discover by the patient observed.
