FirstSight
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Raleigh, NC
|
|
To those of you for whom the south-facing Brunswick County, N.C. Atlantic Ocean shoreline (latitude about 33.9 North) is within accessible distance, the spectacular Omega Centauri globular cluster is easily findable and readily visible from near the beachfront for much of the month of April, either as a binocular or as a telescopic object. However, it only rises to just under 10 degrees for about an hour either side of midnight EST (1am Eastern DST), moving from just east of due south to just west of due south during that time frame - so you need a clear, relatively dark, stable southern horizon, such as you get on the south-facing beaches of Brunswick County, NC. Also, while fortunately this week the worst of the horizonal murk only extended up about 6 degrees above the ocean, the 9-10 degree range is still 2-5 degrees too low to entirely escape the transitional haze zone that extends upward to about 12-15 degrees, depending on where the cutoff point for clear skies is for your visual tastes.
The view was good enough that I could resolve the cluster with my Orion XT8 at about 110x using a Nagler 11mm into countless tiny sugar-like stellar grains, but not really into articulately individual stars. However, attempting to view the cluster at just over 170x using a 7mm Nagler, the atmospheric thickness and haze were enough to more than offset any increased detail with dimming of the image, so the view really wasn't net qualitatively any better, just bigger but dimmer.
But like seeing a dog that can passably sing the first few bars of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", the wonder is simply in seeing Omega Centauri, even if the view of Omega Centauri from only 9.5 degrees above the horizon along the Brunswick Co. North Carolina beaches is a long way from the best version obtainable for sighting that object.
Still wonderously beautiful, about twice the diameter of M13.
--------------------
Chris M., aka "First Sight"
Orion XT12i Dob with Moonlite CR-2 focuser
WO Megrez 90 refractor on UniStar Light mount
Nikon 10x50 Binoculars
|
Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14682
Loc: Hurricane Alley
|
|
Thanks for the reminder. I live in southern coastal Louisiana, and I should be able to see this object with relative ease...however, I have obstructions to my south and I cannot view lower than ~25-30 degrees due to a garage and trees.
Congrats on bagging this object from NC - that's an accomplishment considering it's low altitude and all that atmosphere interfering.
MikeG
--------------------
Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
|
FirstSight
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Raleigh, NC
|
|
It would be worth a short trip to a coastal area on the Gulf (or north shore of a large bay or lake) in S. Louisiana to see this great globular cluster - it ought to be a couple of degrees higher in the sky down where you are. It's a very bright, easy object to find in binoculars - despite some atmospheric impairment due to low altitude and haze. First, it can be directly located, without any need of star-hopping from any landmark visible stars, as long as you know which direction is due south, and look up which local time it's highest in your location. Second, at least in my location it was located just a couple of degrees below where some haze began to be perceptible (but I could tell wasn't too thick because I could easily see brighter stars shining through in binocs) - so the start of the haze layer was actually a perverse help in locating it.
Even that low through a bit of haze, Omega Centauri packs quite a bit of WOW! factor. I can only imagine how spectacular this must be at a latitude where it's 45 degrees or better overhead at a dark site.
--------------------
Chris M., aka "First Sight"
Orion XT12i Dob with Moonlite CR-2 focuser
WO Megrez 90 refractor on UniStar Light mount
Nikon 10x50 Binoculars
|
jeffk1965
sage
Reged: 05/02/04
Posts: 333
Loc: South Florida
|
|
I live in South Florida and viewed Omega Centauri this past weekend. It rises to about 15 degrees and hits the dark part of the sky. This object is absolutely spectacular and is completely resolved with my C11.
It is possibly the finest deep sky object I have ever seen.
jeff
C11S-GT
Tec140
N8i-se
|
Silicon Owl
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 943
Loc: Waimea, Hawaii
|
|
We were looking at it last weekend in both 11" and 16" instruments. Beautiful! Fully resolved and huge! Here in Southern AZ it rises about 10 degrees up, just enough to appreciate well. One of these days I would really like to see it high in the sky.
Andrew
--------------------
Andrew Cooper
Personal Website and CN Gallery
Handmade 18" Dob / NS11GPS / 6" RFT / 90mm APO / TV-76 ...and a twin 10m
"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." --Sarah Williams
|
L. Regira
super member
Reged: 07/10/05
Posts: 193
Loc: Theriot, LA 29' 25"N; 90.46W
|
|
I live in south Louisiana too and I saw Omega Centauri last year in my RV6 for the first time. I used a star map to get the general location and used binoculars to find the hazy glow. I then checked out M13. What a let down. Omega rocked even though it was relatively low (slightly above the treetops) it filled the field in a way M13 couldn't.
Lawrence
--------------------
CaveAstrola 12.5"F5(1979)Refigured by Swayze(2002)
with 1/13 wave Protostar Quartz secondary
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope (1975)
Denk Big Easy(7/20/07)Siebert OCA,and Mag Wheel
Sears #6332 Classic Blue-Green 60mm F11.7(thanks to Glassthrower Mike G.)
8x12 Roll-Off Roof Observatory
Eyepiece pairs:
Meade Research Grade 20mm Erfles
Garrett Optical 32mm Plossls
Garrett Optical 15mm Plossls
Orion 10mm Plossls
Tak LE 7.5mm
One 32mm Meade Research Grade Erfle (2")
|
NewAstronomer
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/03/04
Posts: 2690
Loc: Scranton, PA U.S.A
|
|
Hmmm, I'm heading to Outer Banks (Duck) in late May. Wonder if it will be visible then? I only have room for my 80mm , but still it sounds like it will be worth looking at.
--------------------
Chris
AT66ED f/6
C80ED f/7.5
10" GSO Dob f/5
SVP w/ autoguide mod
Oly E-500 DSLR, DSI-P, DSI-C, NexImage
|
FirstSight
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Raleigh, NC
|
|
Quote:
Hmmm, I'm heading to Outer Banks (Duck) in late May. Wonder if it will be visible then? I only have room for my 80mm , but still it sounds like it will be worth looking at.
By late May, Omega Centauri will still reach its maximum possible elevation for any given latitude, but much earlier in the night than now - between 9 and 10pm eastern standard time (make those an hour later to adjust for daylight savings). Two special issues you'll have to deal with are: a) most of the beaches on the upper OB are predominately east-facing, not south; b) in more developed areas, there will be more ambient lights still on (read: light pollution) around 9-10pm in-season there are at midnight in the off-season (as was the case with my observations at Sunset Beach in southern NC).
YES I think it's definitely worth bringing your 80mm scope, but you're more likely to be rewarded with a worthwhile view of Omega Centauri if you do some thoughtful advance planning to where you might be able to go to find a beach (or perhaps even soundside location) that locally faces south, or at least within 30 or so degrees of south, and toward open water (i.e. with few ambient lights intervening on the horizon).
If you have a software astro program such as Starry Night, set it to the latitude/longitude of the nearest available city and see what the approximate optimal times will be. However, since it will likely at best only rise to around nine degrees or so up on the Outer Banks, knowing when the optimal 60-to-90 minute window is will be important to success.
Go for it!
--------------------
Chris M., aka "First Sight"
Orion XT12i Dob with Moonlite CR-2 focuser
WO Megrez 90 refractor on UniStar Light mount
Nikon 10x50 Binoculars
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
I wish I could see Omega from The Holler. Glad you got to see it.
Roger
|
jack45
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/07/03
Posts: 2060
Loc: Lacey WA
|
|
Yes,that would be nice to view Omega. I'm glad we do have M13,M5,M22 and others. Maybe not as big but still nice!
Clear Skies!
--------------------
16"f/4.5 Discovery Split Tube/TV Paracorr
12.5"f/5 Discovery PDHQ/TV Barlow
Orion SkyQuest f/4.9 XT12"Intelliscope
Orion 120mm F/8.3 Refractor
Burgess BV 24mm aperture/Siebert 4 pc OCA
BV Pairs:26mm,20mm,17mm,14mm,12.5mm
Tele Vue Smooth Side Plossl,10.5mm,13mm,21mm,26mm,TV 11mm
UO Abbe Set,40mm 5000s Plossl,31mm Axiom LX,26mm T/5,LX,23mm Axiom LX,20mm T/2,16mm T/2,15mm Panoptic,14mm Meade UWA,10mm Axiom LX!
|
Chopin
Canis Insanus
Reged: 02/03/05
Posts: 3376
Loc: In the doghouse.
|
|
Ah yes, to dream of Omega Centauri, LMC, and SMC...   Some day.
--------------------
Jason®
Phlog
|
Skylook123
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 3966
Loc: Tucson, AZ
|
|
Seeing Omega Centauri is one of the pleasures of living in Tucson. I tried to view it last night; punched it into the Atlas and ... looked right into my neighbor's bathroom window. DOH! Not out in the desert....
--------------------
Jim
A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats A Good Night Doing Anything Else
Tectron 18" Truss Dob/Sky Commander DSCs, "Derrick"
Meade 10" LX-5 SCT/Atlas-G "Ol' Blue Eye"
Orion 90mm refractor,
Meade 10" Starfinder Newt/JMI NGCMax DSCs,
Celestron 10x50 Ultima Pro
|
Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14682
Loc: Hurricane Alley
|
|
A friend of mine has a 12" reflector, so we are going to try for Omega Centauri (amongst other things) at the end of this month under the New Moon.
Our "dark" site outside Gray Louisiana has a NELM ~5.5, but we are currently scouting a site that is 6 or better.
BTW, Lawerence, where is Theriot Louisiana? Are you referring to the area south of Dularge in Terrebonne?
Clear dark skies...
MikeG
--------------------
Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
|
FirstSight
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Raleigh, NC
|
|
Provided you have clear weather and your southern horizon is unobstructed by either a treeline or intruding light dome, and you know local time when the optimal 90 or so minute window of maximum elevation will be on the night in question, you should have no trouble finding and seeing Omega Centauri. It's prominent and bright enough to find by searching with binoculars in the correct general direction, without necessarily having to use any starhop landmarks to find it.
The one problem I had using my XT8 to optimally view it was that it required such a relatively horizontal position for my scope that my mirror collimation was put slightly off in that position by the small (business-card thick) amount of "play" I left in the primary mirror clamps to prevent pinching of the optics (i.e. permitting the upper edge of the primary mirror to temporarily tilt by gravity slightly off it's collimated position - it returned to its proper position when tilted back up somewhere just above about 20 degrees). I still got a beautiful view, but this was probably why I couldn't resolve individual stars beyond the appearance of countless tiny grains of sand, whereas e.g. I can get much better individual resolution of stars in the M13 or M3 clusters. This may be an issue to consider with your friend's reflector, depending on how he has the mirror clamps set, since I'll bet he doesn't normally try to view objects at this low an elevation.
--------------------
Chris M., aka "First Sight"
Orion XT12i Dob with Moonlite CR-2 focuser
WO Megrez 90 refractor on UniStar Light mount
Nikon 10x50 Binoculars
|
CollinofAlabama
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/24/03
Posts: 918
Loc: Lubbock, Texas, USA
|
|
Here in Lubbock, Texas, 33.5° N, we can see it in April/May, also. Haven't caught it yet, this year, but I recall last year watching it pass through telephone poles and some trees on its way to the horizon as it set.
This is one more reason not to be an eskimo 
--------------------
Coelum Serendum
|
miniventures
Something Else
Reged: 09/13/03
Posts: 11054
Loc: Powell Butte, Central Oregon
|
|
Quote:
This is one more reason not to be an eskimo
or a northwesterner...sigh
--------------------
LarryC
Volunteer
http://www.sunrivernaturecenter.org
|
Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33042
Loc: Gulfport, MS
|
|
I will be heading to the beach with my 4" for this one.
--------------------
  Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
|
L. Regira
super member
Reged: 07/10/05
Posts: 193
Loc: Theriot, LA 29' 25"N; 90.46W
|
|
Theriot and DuLarge are synonmous. I live about a mile north of Falgout Canal. Sorry for the late reply but life has been busy lately. Here is a picture of my near complete observatory which will house my 12.5 inch Cave Astrola which is also undergoing renovation.
Lawrence
--------------------
CaveAstrola 12.5"F5(1979)Refigured by Swayze(2002)
with 1/13 wave Protostar Quartz secondary
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope (1975)
Denk Big Easy(7/20/07)Siebert OCA,and Mag Wheel
Sears #6332 Classic Blue-Green 60mm F11.7(thanks to Glassthrower Mike G.)
8x12 Roll-Off Roof Observatory
Eyepiece pairs:
Meade Research Grade 20mm Erfles
Garrett Optical 32mm Plossls
Garrett Optical 15mm Plossls
Orion 10mm Plossls
Tak LE 7.5mm
One 32mm Meade Research Grade Erfle (2")
Edited by L. Regira (04/11/06 01:14 AM)
|
boatstar
super member
Reged: 04/10/05
Posts: 149
Loc: Cowtown, Texas
|
|
Its a real crowd pleaser. From here in North Texas, its low but above the tree tops. While it is a tremendous sight in a 20", the foreground trees give it a sense of scale through binos that's unbelievable. It reminds me of a full moon behind thin cloud cover when viewed that way.
|
Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14682
Loc: Hurricane Alley
|
|
Lawrence -
I am not far from you. I'm located about 2-3 miles north of the intercoastal-Dularge bridge...close to the Houma Civic Center. I bet you are just far enough outside of Houma to avoid the worst of the skyglow.
Good luck with your restoration and observatory. A friend and I are going out stargazing near Patterson at the end of this month under the new moon. You are welcome to attend.
Clear dark skies to you...
MikeG
--------------------
Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
|
L. Regira
super member
Reged: 07/10/05
Posts: 193
Loc: Theriot, LA 29' 25"N; 90.46W
|
|
Thanks for the invite. I am very busy right now and don't even have time to work on my astronomy projects but when done sometime this summer you guys can come and check it out. As far as the sky conditions, it is pretty dark down my way. Houma being north of me is no problem. There is a low light dome to my southeast from DuLac but the Milky Way is easily visible and I am surrounded by marshy swamps so the seeing is usually very good.
Lawrence
--------------------
CaveAstrola 12.5"F5(1979)Refigured by Swayze(2002)
with 1/13 wave Protostar Quartz secondary
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope (1975)
Denk Big Easy(7/20/07)Siebert OCA,and Mag Wheel
Sears #6332 Classic Blue-Green 60mm F11.7(thanks to Glassthrower Mike G.)
8x12 Roll-Off Roof Observatory
Eyepiece pairs:
Meade Research Grade 20mm Erfles
Garrett Optical 32mm Plossls
Garrett Optical 15mm Plossls
Orion 10mm Plossls
Tak LE 7.5mm
One 32mm Meade Research Grade Erfle (2")
Edited by L. Regira (04/14/06 01:56 PM)
|
Mr. Bill
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/09/05
Posts: 2759
Loc: Just passing through.....
|
|
Just below horizon by about 2-3 degrees because of mountains to my south...
OBTW, I'm at 40 degrees .
--------------------
10x50 Fujinon FMT-SX binos
15x70 AP binos + Paragon p-mount
Oberwerk 100BT 45 degree + Hercules fork mount
120mm f/5 Orion achromat + Moonlite focuser
140mm f/5.7 Vixen NeoAchro Petzvel refractor
150mm f/6.5 Antares achromat
150mm f/8 homemade achromat....EE Barnard MW Sweeper
8 inch newt with f/5 Swayze mirror
10 inch f/4.7 Orion newt + Paracorr
15 inch f/5 Discovery split tube
35mm Pan, 26mm Nagler, 17mm Nagler, 13mm Ethos, 8mm Ethos
Member IDA
|
Starman1
Vendor - Scope City
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 10955
Loc: Los Angeles
|
|
Yeah, at 40 degrees north, Omega Centauri culminates (crosses the meridian) at an amazing 2.5 degrees above the horizon. It's a little better for me at 35 degrees north, with a 7.5 degree culmination altitude.
I've viewed it several times at a latitude of 33-1/4 degrees north, where the culmination altitude was a little over 9 degrees, and it begins to be truly spectacular at that altitude.
This is no southern M13. It's more like M13 + M5 + M92 all together.
Mama mia! That's some spicy meat ball!
--------------------
Don Pensack
12.5" Truss Dob, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member, TeleVue junkie
|
ForgottenMObject
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/11/04
Posts: 3585
Loc: Maryland, US
|
|
I have so many trees (which I don't mind) and hazy light pollution (which I DO mind) that I have no hope of seeing it.
I think I should start a petition to get it moved more northwards... hehehehe...
--------------------
Matthew
IDA member
XT8i, 10x50 binoculars, lots of eyepieces
|
FirstSight
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Raleigh, NC
|
|
Quote:
I have so many trees (which I don't mind) and hazy light pollution (which I DO mind) that I have no hope of seeing it.
This is exactly why I made such a deal out of my site for viewing Omega Centauri in North Carolina at lat 33.9 being on a south-facing oceanfront beach - takes care of a whole galaxy of problems one usually has with trying to view objects at a low-angle. The horizonal murk/haze doesn't extend as thickly or as high as on land, and the nearest tree or light pollution is in the Virgin Islands.
I'm not sure whether any satisfactory inland sites exist at this far north a latitude (33.9) on the east coast where Omega Centarui could be satisfactorily viewed. It sure isn't doable from Raleigh.
|
Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14682
Loc: Hurricane Alley
|
|
Bill Faatz -
With that view, I wouldn't be worried about missing Omega Centauri. Shoot, I'd give up M45 and M42 to have that view outside my backdoor!
MikeG
--------------------
Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 