Sunday night gave us denizens Strangways some more clear skies and I had some unfinished business in my chart 5 of the LMC. I spent quite a bit of time in the rich field around NGCs 2011-2040 before browsing some objects to the west of the chart. I think I now have notes for every object in chart 5 that's visible in my scope and feel quite a sense of achievement. Here are my notes for the evening. Except for the usual suspects visited at the end of the session - Omega Cent, M104, Saturn etc.
Telescope 410mm (16”) f4.9 tri-dob reflector
Eyepieces 28mm UWAN, 17,13,9 mm Naglers, Paracorr
Navigation: My charts of LMC Chart (#5 in particular) available at
http://www.cloudsofmagellan.net.au
2250
Seeing excellent 1/5
Transparency good 6/7
NGC 2011/2040/2020/2021/2029/2032/2035/2040 Open clusters and emission nebulae in LMC
135x This is a stunning and complex area of sky, spanning the 37’ FOV of this eyepiece. Myriad stars against background haze through the western part of this complex and a broad area of luminosity with few stars to the east. 175X The eastern area of emission nebula is NGC 2040 (em neb) is a large 3’ area of diffuse glow with a few resolvable stars, roughly circular with a dark lane and further 2’ patch of nebulosity to the south. With averted vision several brighter clumps within the nebula become clearer. NGC 2040 is separated from the western part of this complex by a 4’ wide dark lane. The western part is very complex with a number of bright patches and dark lanes. Has about half a dozen resolvable stars. The western section is larger than 2040 and has a long, fainter extension to the NW. A pair of large bright patches in the southern part of the western section have extensions to the NE. NGC 2035 (em neb) is the southerly of these two patches, NGC 2032 (em neb) is to the north of 2035 and is larger and has a longer NE extension. 2032 appears 2.5’x1.5’ and 2035 is about 3’x4’. The wide NW extension of this western section arcs to the east and contains a 1’x.5’ brightening just to the NW of 2032 and this is NGC 2029(em neb). All of these objects brighten significantly with UHC filter and the dark lanes become more pronounced. A fine tracery of narrow lanes also appears especially in 2032 & 2035. The southern parts of 2032 & 2035 brighten very strongly and look a bit like a pair of kidneys. 2040 also appears more textured with an arc of brightness (convex west) emerging within its broader halo.
7’ to the NW of 2029 is NGC 2021 (OC)- a small, bright, fuzzy and slightly grainy knot against a wide N-S 12’ swathe of haze and stars. Dulls with UHC, but the background swathe of haze brightens. 8’ to the west of the southern tip of the swathe is a very bright knot of stars with a very bright stellar core, NGC 2011 (OC). With direct vision it looks small, about 30”, but averted vision reveals a larger faint halo and a diameter of 1’. Dims with UHC filter. To the south of 2011 is 2014 – a 3’x2’ rhomboid clump of bright stars at the southern tip of a broad 10’ wedge of scattered bright stars and nebulosity. 2014 stands out more distinctly from the wedges of haze and stars with UHC filter. The haze becomes brighter around the perimeter of 2014 and a dark lane to its north is accentuated. A 3’ dark gap separates it from NGC 2020 to the east which is a 2’ circle of smooth haze with one bright star in the centre, surrounded by a small dark inner ring. NGC 2020 lights up with UHC filter but the inner dark ring becomes more pronounced and less regular, with small branches of darkness reminiscent of the Trifid nebula.
A line through 2040 from 2020 leads east to NGC 2095, just to the east of a 25’ N-S line between 2 bright stars.
NGC 2095 Open Cluster in LMC
175X A sprinkling of faint stars against a long 4’x2’E-W rhomboid of haze with a long, thin, graceful arc of haze from its SW corner, heading NW. The whole thing is faint and easy to miss but very interesting on close inspection. The rhomboid looks thinner with UHC filter but the arc becomes more distinct and more contiguous with the rhomboid.
Tried without luck to find N70.
Henize N74 (Lucke/Hodge association116) Emission nebula in LMC
135X Large faint kite-shaped area of nebulosity and stars, tail to the east,
with a bright star, not very distinct against the background glow. To the north is a small flattened triangle asterism. 175X Looks about 12’x5’ and more detailed and distinct at 175x with a small bright knot at the western point, some wide dark lanes and more stars resolved. UHC filter enhances the kite shape and dark lanes. A SE-NW line of haze to the east also becomes more apparent.
NGC 2105 Open Cluster in LMC
175X Soft roughly circular 1’ glow with some grainy central concentration. Dims with UHC filter. 6’ to the SE is another smaller and fainter cluster which I’ve not marked on my charts.
At the western end of chart 5,
NGC 1846 Open Cluster in LMC
175X A bright, distinct and smooth 2’ circle of light with no central concentration. Fades to a soft edge. Not enhanced by UHC.
NGC 1844 Open Cluster in LMC
175X Smaller and brighter than1846 which is 7’ to the SE. Not enhanced by UHC.
NGC 1852 Open Cluster in LMC
175x A very regular round glow, but about half the size and brightness of nearby 1846. Not enhanced by UHC.
NGC 2669 Open Cluster in Vela
135X Very beautiful arch of delicate stars (convex east) and haze within rhomboid of brighter stars. The arch thins at both ends and has a stump of stars emerging from the concave side to give a mushroom shape. Bright outliers to north and south. The rhomboid looks about 15’ across and the mushroom about 10’.