Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums
Privacy Policy |
Please read our Terms
of Service | Signup and
Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu.... uh, User
Hrundi
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/06/08
Posts: 1247
Loc: Estonia
|
|
I've just had several weeks in a green zone of continuous observation. While I usually observe in darker than blue zones, those are long drives, and I have to admit that I'm stunned at the quality of sky green can get you.
Now to the subject matter, NGC 6866. I planned to knock this one off in my tour of cygnus open clusters, but it completely surprised me. It's definitely one of my favorite open clusters now. Fairly rich, nice clumping and darker patches, but most of all, no matter how I looked at it, I saw a flying bird. The second I saw it, I knew it was a flying duck/goose/something.
Anyone else managed to see the bird in this one? I quite like the idea of a flying bird cluster in cygnus. A bird within a bird
--------------------
|
MikeRatcliff
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 06/12/04
Posts: 1329
Loc: Redlands, CA
|
|
Hrundi,
No bird shape that I remember, but I'll take another look. Thanks for the tip!
Mike
-------------------- 16" f/4.9 dob, 1.25" Paracorr, 24 TV Widefield, 18 Circle T ortho, 13 Nagler T6, 12.5 UO ortho,
9 Circle T ortho, 2x TV Barlow 1.25"
|
Hrundi
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/06/08
Posts: 1247
Loc: Estonia
|
|
I actually saw two birds in one. I recall that one view seemed to be of a bird flying as in the attached picture, the other impression I got was of a bird top down or bottom up, like cygnus.
--------------------
|
BillFerris
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 07/17/04
Posts: 2910
|
|
This is a striking open star cluster. When I observed it with my old 10 inch, the cluster appeared to me as similar to the heel of a sword: NGC 6866.
Bill in Flag
-------------------- Grand Canyon Adventure
Lowering the Threshold
18" Obsession
4.5" Meade 4500
10x50 Swift Audubon
Cosmic Voyage
|
Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1930
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
|
|
Hrundi, I saw a bird right away myself when I observed it a couple years ago. Although, based on how Bill described it, I could also see a sword grip and quillion. I have a sketch with a rollover graphic showing the bird shape here: NGC 6866.
--------------------
Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/5.9 Dob) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars || Coronado PST
The Belt Of Venus || Sketch Gallery || Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
|
scopethis
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/30/08
Posts: 638
Loc: Kingman, Ks
|
|
Went to the link and saw the bird, but no bird mentioned in my notes of it being a very good cluster. Seems there was some hazy patching within this cluster (per notes) also. Soon as the moon vacates I'll take another look for that bird.
|
JakeSaloranta
sage
Reged: 09/18/08
Posts: 237
Loc: Sisu, Sauna, Sibelius...
|
|
Quote:
Anyone else managed to see the bird in this one? I quite like the idea of a flying bird cluster in cygnus. A bird within a bird
Unfortunately not! I'll give it a show before Cygnus sets completely. My 2005 observations shows only a beautiful group of fairly faint stars with beautiful chains around it:
The only bird I've seen is NGC 956.
/Jake
|
Jim Curry
sage
Reged: 10/29/07
Posts: 434
Loc: Maine
|
|
My notes mention an e-w flattening, somewhat discernable in Jake's drawing. Funny though, in Jake's I see the classic pose of the Archaeopteryx!
Jim
-------------------- Vixen 140 refractor
|
wb9sat
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Posts: 328
Loc: Eagar, Arizona USA
|
|
Bill Ferris? Good to see you're still around. Nice seeing you on CN. Bill in Eagar
-------------------- Bill Logan
Logan Observatory
Eagar, Arizona, USSA
Elevation: 7,400 feet (2,600 meters) ASL
NexStar 11 GPS on Milburn wedge
Permanent steel pier
12' x 12' Roll-off-roof
WO ZS-66ED refractor
Meade DSI Pro II monochrome
Meade DSI II OSC
Orion 7nm Narrowband filters
73 de WB9SAT
[url=http://loganobservatory.shutterfly.com[/url]
|
Achernar
Postmaster
   
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 5029
Loc: Mobile, Alabama, USA
|
|
In your drawing, NGC-6866 resembles the outline of a crown to me more than anything else.
Taras
-------------------- 15-inch F/4.5 Dob under construction
10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
4 1/4-inch F/4 Homebuilt reflector
A whole bunch of eyepieces, filters and other accessories....
Two curious cats
|
|
4 registered and 3 anonymous users are browsing this forum.
Moderator: Olivier Biot
Print Thread
|
Forum Permissions
You cannot start new topics
You cannot reply to topics
HTML is disabled
UBBCode is enabled
|
Thread views: 227
|
|
|
|
|
|
|