Telescope Reviews: Another report from the Redzone, Redlands Calif

Yet Another Backyard Observation Report from the Redzone, aptly named for Redlands California

Sun and Monday August 23-24, Wed Aug 26, 8:30 -10:00 pm each night.

Could just see the 4 main stars of Equuleus (mag 3.9 to 4.7 approximately) and could detect the Milky Way brighter clouds when overhead. This is consistent with the Red zone of the Bortle Scale. Transparency good for the summer. Seeing fair to good. 16" f4.9.

Best views:

NCG 7009 Saturn Nebula (PN, Aquarius). This was the highlight. Seen several times before but these were my the best views so far. Obvious green color, and I believe the first time I've seen the green. Overall oval shape, easy to see the central star at 160x (UO ortho 12.5mm) and the "oval racetrack" brighter ring around the central star also. First night a hint of the extensions at the ends of the oval. UHC filter didn't help much. 220x didn't help the first night but did well the second night.

NGC 7027 (PN, Cygnus). Another nice object. obvious green color again. Small but a brighter lobe and a smaller dimmer lobe nearby. The brighter lobe was actually brighter in one part of the lobe, but it did not look sharp like a central star, 160x 220x.

Hunting around Delta Aquila in the middle of Aquila:

NGC 6760 (GC Aquila). This was a dim one, a bit hard to detect. New one for me. Small and dim, though maybe larger than NGC 7006 from a few nights ago. (Stats imply it should be larger and brighter than 7006, but not by much in my opinion). I don't recall any resolved stars. Needs a dark sky. 80x, 160x

NGC 6755 (Open cluster, Aquila). As open clusters go, this one is small and not that bright. Recall a semicircle of stars with a small bunch of fainter ones off to the side of the semicircle. Need to check the DSS picture. Maybe 30 stars visible. In the Herschel 400. 80x, 160x. New to me.

NGC 6756 (Open cluster, Aquila). Holy moley, this one is even smaller and dimmer, are my eyes going bad? But a distinct tight cluster of dim stars, no doubt a cluster. OK read another description saying this is a difficult one, so it's not my eyes. Maybe 10 stars visible. H400. 80x, 160x New to me.

NGC 6781 (PN, Aquila). A nice circular PN, no color, some vaguely light/dark areas but no real structure that I could see. No central star. H400.

NGC 6790 DID NOT SEE (a stellar sized PN and I didn't have a detailed chart, so skipped it after a quick look.)

NGC 6709 (OC, Aquila). A nice relatively easy open cluster compared to 6755/56. Surprisingly not in the H400 but is in the Astronomical League Urban List. Brighter stars in a formation that resembles the letter "J" with the bottom turned around facing to the right, like the letter Tau. New to me.

Some old friends:

M2 (GC, Aquarius). Nice, easy, easy to see in finder scope too. Broad core, numerous resolved stars, a sight for sore eyes. Not looked at this one in a while. 160x and 220x (Circle T Ortho 9mm).

M15 (GC, Pegasus). Also nice and easy, visible in finder. Very small core compared to most GC's. 160x and 220x. Seen many times.

NGC 7331 (GX, Pegasus). A classic well known spiral galaxy. Not bright but visible at least. I could not see the actual dark lane, but could see that the core and extended area was "cut off" to one side where the dark lane would be, giving the appearance that the galaxy was lopsided. None of the nearby faint galaxies were visible although I suspected one. 80x, 150x.

Could this be true?:

I'm pretty sure I could see a bit of the Bubble Nebula. I have seen it several times in dark skies, but was surprised to see anything here.

Thanks,

Mike

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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"