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
YankeeJeff
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/11/06
Posts: 537
Loc: Brooklyn, NY
|
|
I had given up on this globular a couple of times prior to last night's observing session. In the past I have known for sure I was in the right spot but simply could not make out the cluster at all. It's a very easy star hop, and sagitta is easily seen with the naked eye from my location but this thing kept giving me trouble. On a very clear night (for NYC) a few weeks back I thought I saw (averted imagination?) some stars in the general vacinity but nothing that looked like a 'cluster'. Anyway - I recently purchased a Nagler 3.5T6, and yes - it is 410X which is over the recommended 60x/inch of telescope aperture but now I'm very happy I got it.
Last night after 11pm, my SQM was at 18.08 - not the highest I've seen it from my house in Brooklyn, but still decent for my skies. Anyway - at that time of night I thought I saw of hint of it in the 5T6 so I popped in the 3.5 and TADA! A bunch of faint stars that created a kind of diamond shape pattern - what a thrill. I loved that this thing just floated by and I could move the scope and find it again, stars with direct vision, and more with averted. This thing did not look like a globular, and after looking it up online today, I was happy to confirm that there was a little debate as to whether or not this was an open cluster instead - FYI, the latest info says globular. Maybe that's why I had initial trouble finding it.
I'm sure you folks lucky enough to have dark skies get a chuckle out of this easy find for you - you lucky @#*$! 
--------------------
Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dream
I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been
24Pan, 17T4, 13T6, 11T6, 9BTMB, 8TVpl, 7T6, 5T6, 3.5T6, 5/6BTMBs
Z10"Dob, Paracorr, 2xBrlw, Telrad, RACI,°Circles, )Spider
FBF, Brooklyn: 
|
blb
sage
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 214
Loc: Piedmont NC
|
|
I too have had trouble seeing it in town where I live. It is an exceptional night when it can be seen here. Though As difficult as it is here, I was supprised to find it an easy binocular target at the Green Bank Star Party this year! With my 10x50 Nikon Bino's it was a fairly bright ball of smoke. M4 is another Globular that gives me trouble in town with my light pollution.
Clear Skies Buddy
--------------------
C-11, C-6, XT10i Dob, ETX125PE, TV102, & AT66
Edited by blb (09/16/09 12:59 AM)
|
RAKing
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 2074
Loc: West of the D.C. Nebula
|
|
There isn't much debate in my mind - it's definitely a globular cluster. But it's in the middle of a rich star field and sometimes you don't see the foggy mass for the field stars surrounding it. 
There is an asterism of "pointer" stars that always helped me find it in my star-hopping days.
I like both M71 and M56. These are both "hidden" nuggets in a rich river of stars. The visual effect is very 3D when you look at them.
Ron
--------------------
Time spent looking at the stars is added to your life.
Tak FS-128, C925-CF, along with other stray cats and refractors.
A-P Mach1 GTO
Zeiss orthos to Ethos - and some stuff in between.
|
Astraforce Paul
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/05/05
Posts: 1879
|
|
I'm impressed you saw it from the city! That's a testament to your observing skills-- and perseverance.
From semi-light polluted skies, it's ghostly and large--and great to view. It's part of a nice DSO hop in rich field scopes-- you can start with the Coathanger Cluster (CR 399) sweep over to M71 and then to the Dumbbell Nebula, M27. 3 different types of objects all close together and easily swept up.
Wonderful observing fun!
|
blb
sage
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 214
Loc: Piedmont NC
|
|
Thanks Paul,
I live on the edge of a white zone, on the light pollution map, so I have adopted some tricks to observing faint objects. Usually I observe late night, after one AM, so that most of the traffic and business lights are off. I try to pick dark moonless nights with very low humidity, for the best seeing. If possible after a front moves thru when the air is cleaner. The best observing usually is late summer to mid winter and sometimes in the spring. Summers in town are reserved for planets, moon and double stars.
Clear Skies Buddy
--------------------
C-11, C-6, XT10i Dob, ETX125PE, TV102, & AT66
|
|
1 registered and 7 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: 196
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
