[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Observing Report 16/2/10 – 18/2/10
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 2808 (Hartung 337) Globular Cluster in Carina
Located Beta Carinae (Miaplacidus) by naked eye. Then moved to Alpha Volantis about 4deg slightly p of North. Then North about 2deg to group about 1deg wide consisting of mag 6-7 stars. Target is just visible in finder 1deg f of this group. Reminiscent of 47 Tucanae with a very dense core and a gradually fading halo. Very good view at 115x

NGC 1531-2 (Hartung 108) Galaxy pair in Eridanus.
Located Upsilon Eridani by naked eye. It is brightest star to Sp from Mu and Epsilon Leporis. It consists of 4 stars, Upsilon Eridani1 and Upsilon Eridani2 and about 4deg Sp are Upsilon Eridani3 and Upsilon Eridani4 (43 and 41 Eridani) There is a distinct “crown” of 4 stars of mag 7-7.5 about 1.5deg to Np of Upsilon Eridani4. NGC 1532 is just to p side of the closest of these stars. Core is prominent. Galaxy is aligned roughly NS. Has a distinct spindle shape. No initial sighting of smaller companion galaxy NGC 1531. Later observation after about 1 hour with better dark adaption and darker skies allowed sighting of NGC 1531. Elliptical “spot” on p side of NGC 1532.

Regulus, Alpha Leonis (Hartung 363) Double star in Leo.
Locate by naked eye. Wide pair, secondary is quite faint, I estimated about mag 10. Haas gives mag as 8.2 but bright primary may account for this difference. Primary is brilliant blue while Hartung describes secondary as red. Secondaries colour is hard to determine. Separation was measured as 165” which is close to Hartung and Haas (176”).

Algieba, Gamma Leonis (Hartung 375) Double star in Leo.
Located by naked eye within the “sickle” of Leo. Close almost touching double at 115x. Primary star just barely brighter which agrees with mags given in Haas of 2.4 and 3.6. Both stars very orange. Easily split at 230x, wider split does not provide any colour contrast, just barely detectable as a double at 67x.

M1, NGC 1952 (Hartung 175)The Crab Nebula. Supernova remnant in Taurus.
Object lies just to Np of naked eye star Zeta Tauri. Faint oval nebulous patch, large and easily found. No structure is evident beyond its general shape.

NGC 6025 (Hartung 640, Caldwell 95) Open Cluster in Triangulum Australe.
From Beta Trianguli Australis, move North about 2.5deg to line of 3 stars of about mag 5.5 aligned NS, then 1deg in f to cluster easily seen in finder. Very striking open cluster, fills field at 115x. Shape is like an “S” or a seahorse. About 20 brighter stars, many fainter field stars.

NGC 6087 (Hartung 653, Caldwell 89) Open Cluster in Norma.
From NGC 6025, move N to line of three stars running pf about 2.5deg away. The 2 p stars are Iota Normae1 and Iota Normae2 . Star on f end is S Normae, target lies about 20’ to f of this star. Loose cluster, about 20 main stars. Appears to consist of 4 groups. On South side are two lines of stars of about 4/5 tars each which form a rough “V” shape. Remaining stars form two rounder groups on North side.

NGC 5189 (Hartung 528) Planetary Nebula in Musca.
Located Alpha and Beta Muscii by naked eye. Then move in f about 3.5deg to a wide pair of mag 5.5 stars. Southern star of this pair is Eta Muscii. Then moved about 3deg slightly N of p to a pair of stars at boundary with Centaurus. About 1.5deg Sp of these is a line of mg 6 stars. Target is just to North of the Southern star in this line. Irregular PN. Appears to have a “comma” shape vaguely reminiscent of M43. OIII filter reveals nebula clearly. Unfiltered view shows on fairly bright star and two very faint ones within its bounds. Not sure if any of these is the central star.

NGC 3699 (Hartung 421) Planetary Nebula in Centaurus.
Locate Lambda Centauri n finder. Move about 1.4deg to North to easy Open Cluster NGC 3766, then about 2deg further to wide even pairing of Omicron1 and Omicron2 Centauri, both of which are mag 5.5. A mag 7 star sits just to SP, follow the line of this star about 0.5deg to Sp and target is visible as a faint roundish nebula. No structure or central star visible at 115x.

NGC 3242 (Caldwell 59, Hartung 380, Ghost of Jupiter) Planetary Nebula in Hydra
Previously observed on 9/2 as follows. (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.)
Follow up observation made . Averted vision revealed glimpses of central star. Colour was still bluish.

Malcolm