| rodelaet |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 08/05/08 09:58 AM |
| Attachment |
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Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius.
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M4, the beautiful globular in Scorpius, is one of the closest globular clusters to our sun. With a distance of 7.200 l-y, the globular appears bright and large.
M4 is very easy to locate. Just point your binoculars at Antares. The globular cluster can be seen as a little glowing cloud one and a half degree to the west of Antares. Unfortunately, the scorpion stays low in the south for northern latitude observers.
During a vacation at Mallorca, I visited a dark observation site ( lat. 39° ). From there I had a clear view to the south. No lights were visible, but the sky line was lit up by the coast cities. M4 was not visible with the naked eye. With a pair of 15x70 , the globular’s soft glow was very obvious. I remembered my telescopic observation of a few years back. I then noted a chain of stars running from north to south through the partially resolved cluster. My pair of binoculars did not resolve M4. The bright core, seen with direct vision, was surrounded by a soft halo that gradually faded away in the sky glow. There was a brightening in the cluster’s glow, running from north to south.
Another globular cluster, NGC 6144, is in the same view with Antares and M4. This object was too faint to be seen.
Site : Andratx, Mallorca, Spain
Date : July 25, 2008
Time : around 21.30UT
Binoculars : TS 15x70 Marine
FOV: 4.4°
Filter : none
Mount : Trico Machine Sky Window
Seeing : 2,5/5
Transp. : 4/5
Sky brightness : 20.40 magnitudes per square arc second near zenith (SQM reading).
Nelm : 6.0
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.)
| rolandlinda3 |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 08/05/08 12:18 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius.
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Good one, Rony. We have been enjoying the 8x56s to get these while the 16x70s are getting a little adjustment.
Roland
| frank5817 |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 08/05/08 12:26 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius.
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Rony,
Great sketch from your vacation.
You really do a great job capturing the soft glow in your globular cluster sketches. Nice to have you back here. 
Frank
| rodelaet |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 08/05/08 03:47 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius.
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Roland and Frank,
Thank you for the kind words!
It's nice to be back on the forum again. There are so many fine sketches posted while I was absent. I'll take a good look at them.
Roland, how do the Sky Window and the bino's perform?
| xfile101 |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 08/05/08 08:59 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius
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Nice one Rony, was wondering where you've been, glad you're back. I particularly enjoy these binocular sketches, absolutely beautiful. This one is particularly nice as in my LP skies and because of the low altitude of this cluster it is somewhat of a difficult object for even my 8" scope. I envy your skies.
| WadeVC |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 08/06/08 12:31 AM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius
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RONY!!!
Boy, have I missed seeing your sketches, and this one is no exception! Very nice rendering of M4.
| CarlosEH |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 08/06/08 04:18 AM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius
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Rony,
I always appreciate reviewing your wonderful binocular observations of the heavens. Thank you for posting your excellent observation of M4 in Scorpius. This is an interesting globular cluster that is often overlooked.
Links;
http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/maps/sco/sco2.gif
http://members.cox.net/sidleach/m4_2.htm
http://www.astr.ua.edu/gifimages/m4v.gif
Carlos
| PhilH |
| (sage) |
| 08/06/08 05:21 AM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius
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Beautiful rendering of M4, Rony! As others have said, you have really captured the view through binoculars very nice!
| rodelaet |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 08/06/08 04:40 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius
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Thank you, guys!!
Scorpius is such an impressive constellation. I'm always happy when I get a chance to go deep in Scorpius.
| Special Ed |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 08/08/08 09:57 AM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius
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Rony,
You've done yourself proud with those new 15x70's--excellent sketch. Nice capture on that N-S glow, too. I looked at M4 in July at the Green Bank StarQuest through a friend's 16" (40cm) Lightbridge and that chain of stars was very prominent.
| rodelaet |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 08/08/08 04:56 PM |
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Re: Binocular Icon 28 : M4, a globular in Scorpius
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Michael,
Thanks, and also for recommending me these well build 15x70.
They offer great views and fit nicely on the Sky Window.