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Man in a Tub
Not Retired!, But a little cranky!!!
Reged: 10/28/08
Posts: 3333
Loc: Fogpatch, CA
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Earlier this year, I checked out Collinder 65, a large open cluster bisected by the boundary between Taurus and Orion. Almost immediately, I was amused by the appearance of a huge bat flying towards me.
I've searched as best I can to see if anyone has ever reported an "asterism" in Collinder 65. I've found nothing. I think it looks like a bat and it will always look like a bat. Visually, I'm stuck with the darn thing. Couldn't it have been something cute? I was using my Brunton Eterna 15x51. Three stars are identified for reference. Below and left of the image center is 116 Tau. Above and from left to right are 113 and 110 Tau. North is up.
Credit: The star background of this image is based on photographic data obtained using the Oschin Schmidt Telescope on Palomar Mountain. The Oschin Schmidt Telescope is operated by the California Institute of Technology and Palomar Observatory. The Digitized Sky Survey was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (ST ScI) under U.S. Government grant NAG W-2166.
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Todd
Brunton Eterna 15x51 ° Garrett Optical Signature Series 15x70
Nikon Action EX 12x50 ° Oberwerk 15x60 and 20x80 (Standard)
Pentax 20x60 PCF WP II
Orion Paragon Plus Mount and Paragon XHD Tripod
Garrett Optical Series 2000 Grip-Action Monopod
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Mark9473
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/21/05
Posts: 3654
Loc: 51°N 4°E
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That's interesting and a nice catch! I just "discovered" this cluster yesterday when browsing over a map made with my newly installed Cartes du Ciel v.3. I haven't even seen it 'live' yet, and looking at the weather won't for a while.
CdC indicates 113 Tau is the center of the cluster, but it's at the top of your asterism. Can't wait to check it out myself.
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Mark
Leica 8x20; Nikon 7x35; Vixen 8x42; Swift 8.5x44, 10x50; Orion 15x63; Docter 15x60
WO Megrez II 80 FD
APM 107mm f/6.5 on GR3-DX
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18UCinVA
sage
Reged: 10/24/08
Posts: 231
Loc: Virginia
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The unmarked star between 117 and 122 Tau is Struve 730, a double for high powered bino's or small scope.
Regards
Ray
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Ray
Intes MN65
UO Konigs 24, 16, & 12mm
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Mark9473
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/21/05
Posts: 3654
Loc: 51°N 4°E
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Thanks for the tip. 9.6 arc seconds separation between the 6.1 and 6.4 components - sounds like a challenge object for 15-16x binoculars.
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Mark
Leica 8x20; Nikon 7x35; Vixen 8x42; Swift 8.5x44, 10x50; Orion 15x63; Docter 15x60
WO Megrez II 80 FD
APM 107mm f/6.5 on GR3-DX
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GlennLeDrew
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/18/08
Posts: 2451
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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And czech out 119 Tau, a red supergiant that stands out splendidly amidst the predominantly bluish-white stars of similar brightness strewn about the field. Cr 65 is most probably not a true cluster or association (although a couple or few stars may share fairly similar space motion), but it's a lovely binocular target.
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Home-made 11X50 right angle bino, 8.1 deg. FOV
Modified 26X100 bino, 3.5 deg. FOV
Home-made Mk II RA bino, using interchangeable objectives and eyepieces
My Gallery (mostly DIY stuff)
Simple minds discuss people. Good minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas. - Hyman Rickover
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Man in a Tub
Not Retired!, But a little cranky!!!
Reged: 10/28/08
Posts: 3333
Loc: Fogpatch, CA
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To Mark 9473
Thanks for the CdC comparison chart.
For the first chart/image, I used SkyAtlas 2000.0, 2nd Edition, for the three reference stars. The critter is quite visible in Chart 11, although Cr65 is not identified.
Attached is another image created via hnsky. I put the same star references on top of the chart in Photoshop. Please ignore the RA/DEC in the chart's upper left corner (if it's at all readable)--it's not the "true" center of Cr65 displayed by hnsky. I nudged the image around just a little before I copied it to the clipboard. But it's not off by much. hnsky gives Cr65's center as RA 5:26, DEC +16:00 with a 220' diameter. The Cr65 circle in the attached chart is from the program, not me.
Right now, I can't see the other replies. The Struve double is beyond my binoculars. I am generally aware that some clusters may not be clusters--in some cases just asterisms. In the SkyAtlas 2000.0 Companion, the author writes that NGC1807 on the right side of the CdC chart may be an asterism.
Got in a little handheld observing tonight before the moon wiped out the views. I didn't expect it but M27 is visually tenacious. I used the Oberwerk and the Brunton.
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Todd
Brunton Eterna 15x51 ° Garrett Optical Signature Series 15x70
Nikon Action EX 12x50 ° Oberwerk 15x60 and 20x80 (Standard)
Pentax 20x60 PCF WP II
Orion Paragon Plus Mount and Paragon XHD Tripod
Garrett Optical Series 2000 Grip-Action Monopod
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Mark9473
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/21/05
Posts: 3654
Loc: 51°N 4°E
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My CdC version uses the SAC database version 8 for its object parameters. With an object like this one there's no telling which is the more accurate I guess; Cr 65 is just too loose.
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Mark
Leica 8x20; Nikon 7x35; Vixen 8x42; Swift 8.5x44, 10x50; Orion 15x63; Docter 15x60
WO Megrez II 80 FD
APM 107mm f/6.5 on GR3-DX
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Mark9473
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/21/05
Posts: 3654
Loc: 51°N 4°E
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I saw Cr 65 tonight - in between clouds in a hazy sky brightly lit by the Moon. At 15x I could easily make out the stars of the "bat" asterism, but they didn't click in my mind into a stick figure. I'm not too surpised at this; I'm not the best for spotting asterisms. 119 Tau did stand out due to its vivid orange colour.
Saw a nice meteor flashing through the FOV, and then a colourful lunar corona just before it clouded over.
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Mark
Leica 8x20; Nikon 7x35; Vixen 8x42; Swift 8.5x44, 10x50; Orion 15x63; Docter 15x60
WO Megrez II 80 FD
APM 107mm f/6.5 on GR3-DX
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Man in a Tub
Not Retired!, But a little cranky!!!
Reged: 10/28/08
Posts: 3333
Loc: Fogpatch, CA
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STRAIGHT FROM THE BELFRY
Good Evening, Mark
I looked at the dates of two Cr65 GIFs I have from the ESO DSS Browser. The files are dated January 4th of this year. So, I figure I spotted the "bat" stars in Cr65 sometime between midnight and 3 AM -- either on the 4th or a night or two earlier. (If I see something surprising, I go to the DSS browsers.) This time frame will show my San Francisco vantage point in any planetarium program.
When I first tracked down an asterism in Taurus called Davis' Dog, I didn't get it. Then, I recognized this funny, stick figure pooch when I thought of the balloon dogs clowns make! Well, at least that's how I got it.
Asterisms are just imaginative fun. I'll always see the bat!
Man in a Tub's Totally All Wet Observing Tip:
Just like in a zombie movie, go for the head, and in this case, go for the wings too! The hind feet and claws are just not that critical!
By the way, are bats attracted to binocular aromas?
Regards,
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Todd
Brunton Eterna 15x51 ° Garrett Optical Signature Series 15x70
Nikon Action EX 12x50 ° Oberwerk 15x60 and 20x80 (Standard)
Pentax 20x60 PCF WP II
Orion Paragon Plus Mount and Paragon XHD Tripod
Garrett Optical Series 2000 Grip-Action Monopod
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Man in a Tub
Not Retired!, But a little cranky!!!
Reged: 10/28/08
Posts: 3333
Loc: Fogpatch, CA
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Attached is one more image of Collinder 65. This one is a 550x550 pixel, 4 degree square view obtained through the Skyview Query Form. The image data is from the optical survey DSS, which I think is the first Palomar Sky Survey. There are no enhancements or changes to the image.
In the future, if I think I see another "asterism," I will attach an original image of the stars in a wider field of view as well as an image similar to the two "asterism" images I've already submitted for Collinder 65.
Regards to all of you who have chosen to view this post.
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Todd
Brunton Eterna 15x51 ° Garrett Optical Signature Series 15x70
Nikon Action EX 12x50 ° Oberwerk 15x60 and 20x80 (Standard)
Pentax 20x60 PCF WP II
Orion Paragon Plus Mount and Paragon XHD Tripod
Garrett Optical Series 2000 Grip-Action Monopod
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jdavalos
member
Reged: 08/24/04
Posts: 72
Loc: Guadalajara, Méx 20.30N\103.20...
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Could it be named "The batman's asterism"? 
Good find... congratulations.
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Man in a Tub
Not Retired!, But a little cranky!!!
Reged: 10/28/08
Posts: 3333
Loc: Fogpatch, CA
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Thank you. I'm happy you took a "look-see" and it works for you.
There are doubtless many, many asterism lists all around the world. If somewhere, there is an asterism already listed within Collinder 65 involving the same star configuration, I am unaware of it.
As to a name, I hadn't thought of the Batman association. If a little comic-book relief is in order, about all I can say is I didn't first see this bat from a darkened window in Edgar Allen Poe's House of Usher.
Clear Skies!
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Todd
Brunton Eterna 15x51 ° Garrett Optical Signature Series 15x70
Nikon Action EX 12x50 ° Oberwerk 15x60 and 20x80 (Standard)
Pentax 20x60 PCF WP II
Orion Paragon Plus Mount and Paragon XHD Tripod
Garrett Optical Series 2000 Grip-Action Monopod
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