[§AB]

Originally Posted by goober

Onya SAB - I have to admire any obs session that begins with "I got wasted earlier in the day..."

Got to get the scope out again - been 3 months since I last looked through it.

mate it's been a while since I've read your reports! Just another unfortanate byproduct of living in Australia's version of Ireland.

Originally Posted by ngcles

Hi §AB,

Thanks for your report -- an interesting read as always.

Interesting thoughts on M15 -v- NGC 362. Indeed NGC 362 is a wonderful object that if in the northern sky, we would never hear the end of! Down here, it is completely overshadowed by you-know-who. I've got to say though, I can't quite agree with your assessment.

I'd rate M15 as a slightly better object than NGC 362 only because it is a little brighter and seems a little better resolved. To my eyes using the 'scope, M15 is at least a couple of arc-mins bigger. But these things are always a matter of opinion, not fact!

The total magnitude of M15 is +6.2, the overall size is about 18 arc-mins, the brightest resolved stars (Vtip) are 12.6 and the Horizontal Branch stars (H-B) are at 15.9. Distance is 10.3Kpc.

The total magnitude of NGC 362 is 6.8, the overall size is 14 arc-mins, the Vtip magnitude is 12.7 and the H-B is 15.4. Distance is 8.5 Kpc.

The figures look awfully similar don't they? Maybe your "seeing" was a bit better to the south than to the north?

Interesting comment about the small dark bay near the centre of 47 Tucanae (NGC 104). I have seen it several times in 12 and 18" but usually when the seeing is good and always at magnifications x250 and above. I've also (once) seen in a 20" 'scope, a very small dark "cross" (+) over the dead centre of NGC 362 at high magnifications. Two other observers confirmed it at the same time.

A good read!

Best,

Les D

Thanks Les I'm not sure if seeing here will ever be good enough to magnify high enough to view that little cross in NGC 362, but there is always hope. The seeingwas the most cooperative since last summer, so there might be light at the end of the tunnel. BTW, what mag were you using to see it? Those stats for M15 + NGC 362 are interesting, almost identical, but at the eyepiece M15 was nothing compared to NGC 362. My theory is the slightly more light pollution in the northern sky.

Originally Posted by Solanum

Ha, great obs report and I now see why you were so sympathetic about my own plight with neighbours with dogs and their backyard lights!

I viewed M4, 47Tuc, NGC6752, M30, M2 & M15 the other night. I actually thought NGC 6752 in Pavo was the second best on that list (47Tuc and Omega Centauri look just superb in my 15 mm Siebert). You could add that to your list next time perhaps.

Apparently NGC 6752 is sposed to be the sky's 3rd best globular. But because it is exclusive to the southern hemisphere, most people don't realise that it even exists! Heck, even I had no idea it was so grand until I read about it a few months ago. I've seen it during the last clear sky in April, but these days my house is getting in the way.