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Old 30-03-2010, 03:48 PM
astrospotter (Mark)
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Location: San Jose, CA, USA
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Observation Report - 13th March, 2010 from Arkaroola

This OR is part 1 of 4 and is the shortest of 4 ORs total for observations from Arkaroola Resort in South Australia between March 13 and 18th 2010. Much time was spent in 'taking it all in' so number and quality of observations was minimal this night. A story format earlier posting discussing the overall 5 nights of observing was done in Observational and Visual Astronomy section a few days ago from this Southern Noob from the North visiting the great south sky.

Many of the observations below were preliminary and quick in case the following nights were a skunk. (But only the 14th was a skunk so I got lucky later).

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Arkaroola Sat 13Mar10 Observations from 11:30pm till 2:25am. 21.6 Mag/ArcSec2

Observers: Mark Johnston, solo trip.
Arkaroola Location: 139 20 East, 30 18 South
Sky was cloud covered then started to clear at 11 then all clear by 11:30.

Southern sky never seen objects.

Date: 3/13/2010 Site: Arkaroola Scope: 14SctF7 Obs: 23
NELM: 6.6 see: 4 trans: 4 sqm: 21.6


con: Car lst: C92,SSAL cmt: EtaCarinaeNebula:
NGC 3372 Eta Carinae Nebula and Eta Carinae star itself
BrtN 120.0' E SKY 10 44 00.0 -59 30 00
11:30 35mmPan > 60' and Entire field and more in size. Stunning view with huge amounts of contrast and bright stars in clusters or not appearing here and there for added charm. Huge dark lane shows as a giant V. Keyhole dark nebula is just to west of eta star as a lightly oblong like a guitar shape but not totally black. 5mm Nag is 5' in len mouth of guitar has a light spot with averted. EtaCar star blooms towards keyhole mouth and the color is a distinct yellow-orange. 1' yellow glow around the star then a break in darkness encircling the homunculous yellow nebula. Then white light nebula starts up after the darkness. The SCT has some collimation issues so will do homunculous detail another night. [PostNote: A detailed observation of the Homunculus nebula from a carefully collimated 12" dob shows up in a later OR]

I made a few observations of 3324 and a few objects to the NW of 3372 but noise from motors made it very hard to hear these preliminary recordings due to poor placement of my recorder. The objects were better observed on 3-17 so I will not detail them any more here.


con: Car lst: C91,SSAL
NGC 3532 Cr 238 Mel 103
Open 3.0 55.0' 150 8.0 II 3 r LYN 11 05 30.0 -58 44 00
11:45pm 35mmPan 71x 60'x45' Similar mag stars, Bright CStar N of center, EW dark lane. Obvious standing out from background. SW side has apparent dark area. Far WSW is bright carbon star. Note: A binocular observation from 3-12-2010 describes this as resembling a large EW 2x1 'fish' shape from Horrocks pass.

con: Dor lst: C103,SSAL cmt: TarantulaNebula:
NGC 2069
BrtN 18.0x11.0' E UNK 05 38 30.0 -69 07 00
11:50pm 16mmNag 156x 20' size. No filter (NPB seemed worse) This appears to me as a face (like a monkey). Eyes to north side. Big hole to East with filliment. Out of north is fat nebulous arm that splits to 2 medium tendrals to North. Out of south is broad nebulous region similar size to central main 'head'. [PostNote: A far more detailed observation is in the OR for 15 March, 2010]

NGC 2070
Open 8.3 5.0' --- --- BAA 05 38 42.4 -69 06 03
12:05am 16mmNag 156x 50 stars, about 20 resolvable. slight NS EL.

NGC 2060
Open 2.0' --- --- III m n BAA 05 37 48.0 -69 10 18
12:10am 9mmNag 280x Cluster is apparent here. Nebulous with darker, lower nebuloscity break to it's east.

con: Tuc lst: C106,SSAL
NGC 104
Glob 4.0 50.0' 11.7 14.1 --- --- BAA 00 24 05.2 -72 04 51
12:15 16mmNag 156x 15' obvious size. High concentrated and small 1.5' dia central core. Very gradual fading. Massive numbers of resolvable stars. Maybe slightly less concentrated on the East.


con: Tuc cmt: SMC:
NGC 121
Glob 1.5' --- --- --- --- BAA 00 26 41.3 -71 31 24
Tuc HiPrio SW100 30' E of 47Tuc
12:20am 5mmNag 500x 1' len 2EL 60dPA sort of a feel to it. NW of SMC but just N of Tuc 47.


NGC 395
Open 1.5x 1.5' --- --- NGC 01 05 09.9 -71 59 39
12:25am 9mmNag 280x 1' len 2EL 90dPA. Averted only, direct looses it. Less obvious than 371

NGC 371
Open 7.0' --- --- n NGC 01 03 33.3 -72 04 38
12:27am 9mmNag 280x 3.7' dia brighter than 395. Broad, 8 stars resolvable in the midst of nebulous area.

NGC 346 Lind 60
Open 10.3 5.2' --- --- n BAA 00 59 06.0 -72 11 00
Tuc SuperHiPrio SSAL NNE just East of 330
12:30am 9mmNag 280x 2' len 3EL 160dPA Much brighter than 371. Tight 2 stars NS aligned. Most of brightness on NW side of total nebula.

NGC 330
Open 9.6 2.0' 874 12.6 NGC 00 56 18.4 -72 27 48
Tuc SuperHiPrio SSAL NNE just west of 346
12:33am 9mmNag 280x 1.2' size 1.5EL Bright. Some stars resolve.

NGC 361 Kron 46 Lind 67
Open 1.6' --- --- BAA 01 02 11.3 -71 36 25
12:35am 9mmNag 280x Tiny glow near FS to it's NW. No resolvable stars. 30' N of 371.

NGC 419 Kron 58 Lind 85
Open 11.2 2.4' 1762 15.4 BAA 01 08 19.5 -72 53 02
12:40am 9mmNag 280x 45" round no resolvable stars. Round fading glow. N corner of EQ Tri with 2 other FStars

Big time period of just shuffling papers. I think only missed 416 but recapped after starting tape.

NGC 416 Kron 59 Lind 83
Open 12.6 1.2' 985 15.3 BAA 01 07 59.0 -72 21 19
12:45am 9mmNag 280x < 30' round. fainter than 419. No resolvable stars

lst: C104,SSAL
NGC 362
Glob 6.8 14.0' 12.7 15.4 --- --- BAA 01 03 14.3 -70 50 54
12:50am 9mmNag 280x 4.5' obvious dia Medium concentrated. Less conc than 47 Tuc. SSE has a bit more stars off to that side of concentrated section. Overall fairly spherical. Maybe not as many members on NE outskirts.


con: Car lst: SSAL,C96 cmt: MJ_SpeckledManCluster:
NGC 2516 Cr 172 Mel 82
Open 3.8 29.0' 80 7.0 I 3 r LYN 07 58 00.0 -60 45 00
1:10am 35mmPan 71x 30' main len 2EL NS orientation. About 50 stars Naked Eye visible. Obvious from background and many tiers of magnitudes. Impressive. Like a man with 1-star head to the south. Carbon star on W side of body. Feet both point to E at far N of cluster. Head is 1 star spaced by small gap. 1 leg bends to N in arch. Other one sticks out NW with a foot straight E (brighter stars). Arm on West comes out and drops North.


con: Vel lst: DM,SSAL,C85
IC 2391 Cr 191
Open 2.6 49.0' 30 4.0 II 3 m LYN 08 40 18.0 -52 55 00
1:20am 35mmPan 71x 3EL EW 15-20 stars Very very bright star a NNE end, 5-8 tier2 stars. Very open. Two Tier2 stars just south of main mag Tier1 northern star. Far east is two tighter stars of 2nd Tier mag

con: Car lst: SSAL
NGC 2808
Glob 6.2 14.0' 13.5 16.2 --- --- BAA 09 12 02.6 -64 51 47
1:37am 7mmNag 360x 3.6' obvious size. Sugary averted. Some resolution averted. Fairly high concentration. No streamers noted. Slight notch perhaps on S edge. Maybe also darker on NW.


con: Car lst: DM,SSAL fav: F3
NGC 3114 Cr 215 Mel 98
Open 4.2 35.0' 171 9.0 II 3 r LYN 10 02 42.0 -60 06 00
1:40am 35mmNag 71x 30'x15' NSxEW 200 stars. 1 Real bright member to south. 8 Tier 2, rest all similar mag. Naked Eye visible. Bright star on southern side. Large gap on Easter area. Long line of 6 or so stars border the far Northern edge. Stands out medium in eyepiece. Note: A binocular observation from 3-12-2010, Horrocks pass, describes this as resembling a spider due to central ring as body and several legs extending out that I describe in that OR to more detail.


con: Cen lst: DM,C80
NGC 5139
Glob 3.9 55.0' 11.5 14.5 --- --- BAA 13 26 45.9 -47 28 37
1:45am 16mmNag 156x 16' obvious size. Slight EW elongation. Light concentration with slow fade. Extreme sugar texture. Lots of stars resolving. One void slightly to south of center and one slightly to N of center. Averted shows 2 small darker areas in line NS with fine ridge of stars between them. From North one is darker lane N that arches to the E. Absolutely stunning!


con: Mus lst: SSAL,C108
NGC 4372
Glob 7.2 5.0' 12.2 15.6 --- --- BAA 12 25 45.4 -72 39 33
2:08am 9mmNag 280x 5-6' obvious size. Very low concentration, 20 or so resolvable stars. Appears like even open cluster. like a smudge. Bright FStar just off of NW edge.


con: Mus lst: SSAL,C108
NGC 4833
Glob 8.4 14.0' 12.4 15.5 --- --- BAA 12 59 35.0 -70 52 29
2:20am 9mmNag 280x 4.5' obvious dia. Low concentration but some center concentration. Slightly globular. Bright FS on N edge. Brighter than 4372

Shutdown 2:25am and still jet lagged but anxious to continue this adventure in the South Skies in the following nights.
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