[goober (Doug)]

Time: 2130 EST
Location: Melbourne
Telescope: 4" F5 refractor on alt-az
Seeing: 5 (Pickering)
Transparency: 6
Conditions: moon=Half, dew=light, wind=calm, temperature ~7C

At least a month since I was last out with the scope. Wanted to spend an evening or two under dark skies in Virgo and Coma Bernices, but that chance is fast fading for the year.

I tossed the scope into the back yard. The moon was up, and the neighbours floodlights were on in celebration of the first clear Melbourne night in 3 weeks. I set up around the back of the house and restricted myself to looking into the low eastern muck. Better than nothing!

Conditions were chilly - I got to try out my budget snow boots to stop the chill coming up into my feet - they worked well. I also used the Argo Navis for the entire session (~90 minutes) - it held up well to the colder conditions.

M62 - globular cluster in Ophiucus
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Bright, easy to make out despite low altitude, around mag. 6-7.

M19 - globular cluster in Ophiucus
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Looked more like a bright, nebulous patch rather than a globular cluster. Not a lot of detail spotted. Low in the east.

M6 - open cluster in Scorpius
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: The Butterfly cluster was rather washed out, being low in the east and well into the sky glow. Still, easy to spot and pleasing.

M80 - globular cluster in Scorpius
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Easy despite being low in the east. Bright core, hazy halo, estimated about 5' across. No resolution.

M4 - globular cluster in Scorpius
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Large and uneven, and very washed out in the skyglow. Resolved a couple of stars - not my best view of this object!

M7 - open cluster in Scorpius
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Large, with many bright members. Great cluster. About 1 degree across - nearly filled the field.

M9 - globular cluster in Ophiucus
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Small, faint globular, low in the east and very washed out.

M107 - globular cluster in Ophiucus
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Could not see it.

M12 - globular cluster in Ophiucus
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Very faint, couldn't see it initially low in the glow of the east. About to give up on it, when my averted vision must have been placed just right, as it snapped into view. Quite difficult given the altitude and light pollution.

NGC 6193 - open cluster in Ara
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Bright open cluster, with two v.bright stars that looked like a binary close together. About a dozen fainter stars in the shape of a saucepan. Caldwell 83.

NGC 6397 - globular cluster in Ara
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Big, fantastic globular - bright mag. 5-6, around 25' across. Around 5 stars popping in and out of resolution. Puts the earlier globulars in Ophiucus and Scorpius to shame.

Dunlop 213 - double star in Ara
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Nice double split at 49x, around 10" separation, mag. 6/8. Secondary looked gold, primary blue/white.

Hogg 22 - open cluster in Ara
EP: 11mm, 49x, 1.7 deg
Notes: Small open cluster - resolved ~6 stars, some quite bright, mag. 6 or fainter.