[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Observing Report 8/2/10 – 9/2/10
Just did a quick check, have 48 of 95 Caldwells logged (Half way there!) and only 7 more Messiers to go, hope to reduce that a bit this Sat at Heathcote if I stay up late enough.

All observations made using Dobsonion mounted 305mm Newtonian reflector at f/5. Eyepieces use are 32mm (47x) 24mm Panoptic (67x) 13mm Nagler T6 (115x) or 13mm Nagler with Barlow (230x)
Charts Uranometria 2000 (2nd ed.)

NGC 5617 (Hartung 571) Open Cluster in Centaurus
From Alpha Centauri, moved in p to equilateral triangle of stars of about 7.5mag about 30’ away. This point at the target which is about 30’ in same direction. Small compact open cluster with no bright stars. There is a small triangle of mag 9 stars to south. Uranometria indicates mag 9.5 double star that is not immediately obvious.

NGC 5286 (Hartung 541) Globular Cluster in Centaurus
Located Epsilon Centauri by naked eye. Moved to M Centauri which is a mag 4.5 spectrocopic binary about 2deg to Np of Epsilon Centauri. Cluster is just to the north of M Centauri. Nice compact cluster although overshadowed by nearby star.

NGC 5316 Open Cluster in Centaurus
Locate Hadar (Beta Centauri) then find two faint stars about mag 6.5 about 40’ apart to Sp of Hadar. The westernmost star of this pair is a double. Cluster is located about 35’ to south and slightly p of this star. Cluster is open with many stars of about 9th mag. Two doubles lie just outside on the Nf side. About 10’ in diameter.

NGC 5281 (Hartung 540) Open Cluster in Centaurus
From Hadar moved Sp to 2 stars mentioned above. Two more stars in same area form a broad (1deg wide) trapezium. Western star of this second pair has a small group of 3 stars of mag 7 to Np, then move Sf about 1deg to 2 stars about about 10’ apart. In finder a third star is visible to 20’ to South. When examined in scope this is revealed as cluster. A line of four stars runs Sp to Nf. End star at Nf is brighter. A fainter line crosses this line, both lines curve. Many faint stars in field.

NGC 5284 Star Cloud in Centaurus
From Hadar move slightly N of p about 3deg to line of three brightish stars in finder which are aligned Np to Sf. Sf star is a double. A faint asterism resembling Crux is visible about 1deg to Sf. Target lies in area between the double and this asterism. Very broad and sparse, slightly denser than surrounding Milky Way field.

NGC 5662 Open Cluster in Centaurus
From Alpha Centauri move 4deg Np to wide right angled triangle of mag 4.5 and 5 stars. Approximately 1.5deg to f of two northerly stars is a pair of mag 6.5 stars, cluster is visible in finder deg to Sf of this. Very wide and open. Seems to consist of two “lobes” . Southerly lobe is V shaped, vaguely reminiscent of the Hyades, while the Northerly one is rounder. Estimate approx 100 stars visible.

NGC 3242 (Caldwell 59, Hartung 380, Ghost of Jupiter) Planetary Nebula in Hydra
Located Mu Hydrae by naked eye. Moving South there is a tight triangle of faint stars about 1deg away, then bright pair of mag 6.5 and 7.5 stars 40’ South. Target is located about 50’ to Sp. Large, prominent and bright with very round outline. Inner structure or central star is not obvious. Colour is more bluish than yellowish which was expected colour given likeness to Jupiter reported by other observers. May be worthy of follow up observation for colour.

NGC 3115 (Caldwell 53, the Spindle Galaxy ) Lenticular Galaxy (S0) in Sextans
From Alpha Hydrae (Alphard), locate Lambda Hydrae by naked eye. Move in N about 4deg to two pairs of stars about 1deg apart visible in finder. Pair of stars to Np has target about 40’ to p. Bright and elongated easily seen in 24mm eyepiece at 67x. Bright core, extended arms appear “sharp”.

NGC 4038, 4039 (Caldwell 60 & 61, Hartung 434) The Antennae Galaxies. Irregular Galaxies (4038 is IBPm, 4039 is IPm) in Corvus
From Gamma Corvi, move about 4deg S of to 31 Crateris (although this star is in Corvus, it retains original Flemsteed designation). Target is located about 1deg Nf. Faint but very large irregular light patch. Two cores are just evident especially with averted vision. Connection between these two is just detectable. Worthy follow up in dark skies.

NGC 5822 (Hartung 601) Open Cluster in Lupus.
Located Zeta Lupi, scanned about 3deg South and slightly p. Large open cluster with many bright stars. Filled field in 24mm eyepiece at 67x.

NGC 5823 (Caldwell 88) Open Cluster in Lupus
There is a mag 5 star about 1deg Sf of NGC 5822. Scanned about 1deg to p of this star. Faint open cluster about 10’ in size. No bright stars. There are a large number of foreground stars thatappear as part of cluster with huge number of fainter stars. Interesting target as it is fairly hard to find.

Malcolm