Hello All,
It has been a while, combination of work and cloudy weather has limited my opportunities. Have at least had the 'scope out a few times for social show-n-tell evenings with friends.
Did some observing back in March and May of the Crux region and finally got around to typing up what I wrote in the dark by the red-led. Here it is for amusement or to cure insomnia.
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28 March 2009 local time +10.5 to UT
Telescope is 70mm Skywatcher with the 25mm Plossl, 25mm basic, 15mm GSO, 10mm basic and 6mm Plossl. If eyepiece unspecified it is 60x 15mm GSO.
Second telescope 120mm Skywatcher is used later. 26mm Plossl, 6mm Plossl, 10mm basic and 4mm Ortho. 15mm GSO is horrible in the 120x600 due to the low F number of the telescope.
Tour of Crux
Maps: Tri-Atlas 2nd Edition Hybrid (M)
Observing list compiled from CNebulaX (CNX) and from having M maps near the telescope and attempting to see anything marked near where the telescope is.
Post observation checking also incorporating StarCalc (SC) and Cartes du Ciel (CdC)
Information on the objects either from CNX or CdC adopting their native notations.
28 March at +10.5 to UT
Alpha Crux (2155)
A gem of a double with two nearly equal bright closely spaced (4") stars of blue-white colour with a fainter third star not too far away all of which is situated in a nice star field. The star is a good guide to the quality of seeing, with the split in a 70mm low power eyepiece the test.
ALP1 CRU 12 26.5 -63 06 CRU STR4B 1.33m/B0.5IV
ALP2 CRU 12 26.6 -63 06 CRU STR5B 1.73m/B1V
Mimosa (2205) (Beta Crux)
A nice bright star with a faint deep red-star nearby drowned out by Mimosa - the colour is hard to tell in the 70mm as a result. The colour is strongest in the 25mm Plossl out of all the eyepieces.
Kappa Crux (2110)
A lovely cluster, triangular in formation and a nice red star in the middle. There is a scattering of colours amongst the stars with blues and yellows. There are a myriad of fainter stars to one side of the triangle. The triangle points almost towards Mimosa with fainter stars away. The fainter stars leap out with averted vision. There is a little ring around one point that is very nice. Stars to nearly 12th magnitude, very clear. Beautiful in the 15mm but not as crisp as the 25mm.
NGC 4852 (2225) over the border in Centaurus
Large open cluster of faint stars, barely, if at all, resolved. Somewhat circular with four arms coming out of >9 magnitude stars.
Loden 694 (2230)
Faint stars, nothing really to distinguish from the background Milky Way.
Loden 682
Sense of a faint ball at the location but not resolved, compact and small. The cluster itself is recorded as being large so suspect that it is hard to tell what it is from the background.
Iota Crux (2235) HJ4547
Bright star with two trailing stars that are faint and leap out with averted vision.
WDS HJ 4547 m1: 4.72 m2:10.24 sep: 28.1 pa: 8 date:1991.00
B804 (2240)
Not resolved.
B804/BD-594449 12 47.6 -60 10 CRU DBL0B
BL0B/9.66-10.3m/0.7/0º B9 429u1/198u2/25s/988-2m/83HBc
HJ 4543 (2245)
Very clearly separated with a bright yellow-orange primary. Secondary is wide but only seen with averted vision, very clear at 90x and 60x but harder at 36x. Nice ring of stars around it.
HJ 4543 12 43.5 -58 54 CRU DBL3E 6.5-9.8m/36.5/96ACº
JSP 550 (2255)
Nice star field, not much else to notice.
JSP550 12 41.0 -58 15 CRU DBL0B
BL0B/9.44-9.92m/0.7/260ABxº 1929 429u1/198u2/25s/988-2m/83HBc
HJ 4534 (2300)
Faint, fairly equal pair only just make out at 60x. Good separation. Faintness is the issue.
HJ4534/BD-575607 12 38.3 -58 07 CRU DBL0E
BL0E/9.75-9.80m/15.7/280º 429u1/198u2/25s/988-2m/84HBc
Mu 1 & 2 Crux, Dun 126 (2300)
Beautiful wide unequal pair but not too large brightness difference. Primary appears white, secondary a bit of blue tint.
DUN126/MUCRU1,2 12 54.6 -57 11 CRU DBL1E
BL1E/3.94-4.95m/35.0/17º 1826 Bisvar. 429u1/198u2/25s/988-2m/83HBc
RU 165 (2305)
Loose smattering of stars, not much to say cluster versus background stars.
RU165 12 28.6 -56 26 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/IV1p/22.0'/35* 428u1/198u2/25s/974-2m/84HBc
ESO 131-09 (2310)
Not much to tell, faint group that is hard to distinguish from background.
ESO131-09 12 29.6 -57 53 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/5.0' 428u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
NGC 4337 and BSO 8 (2315)
Nothing much to see of NGC 4337, a faint arc of stars.
BSO 8 is not resolved although it should have been?
BSO8 12 24.8 -58 07 CRU DBL0D
BL0D/7.84-7.98m/5.2/335º 1913 428u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
NGC4337/OCL878 12 24.1 -58 07 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/II3p/8.9m/3.5' Cl,pRi,lC,*12...14 428u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
RU 103 (2325)
Nothing much to be seen.
RU103 12 17.0 -58 25 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/III2p:/2.7' 428u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
INN 902 (2330)
Not resolved.
INN902 12 15.5 -59 11 CRU DBL1C
BL1C/8.51-9.86m/2.5/168º 1911 428u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
*** No longer in Crux
Omega Cent (2330)
Can not help but to come back to this gorgeous cluster with stars on the edge of resolving in the 70mm.
Cent A (2335)
A faint bisected ball with a hint of the dust lane that becomes more apparent as time is spent with the object. One side of the dust lane is brighter than the other. There are stars superimposed over the dust lane.
Saturn (2345)
A beautiful ball on a stick.
Iapetus is just seen.
Rhea, Tethys, Encl. form a small grouping but only one clearly seen (Rhea).
Titan is tucked in close to Saturn just below the ring plane.
Dione is by itself on the other side of the planet.
M66 & M65 (0000)
M66 is brighter and larger with stars nearby. A "bright" football compact shape.
M65 is thinner and fainter, it seems longer in size and the centre appears as a small globular cluster.
No sign of NGC 3628, the region needs aperture, the 70mm is not enough.
M68 (0015)
Small, fairly even soft faint glow and has larger glow around it i.e. sort of two layered. Overall okay but nothing special.
M83 (0025)
This is a nice round glow with a stellar like centre. It is not symmetrical with a hint of cartwheel/spiral structure. Worth many more looks and more aperture.
*** Back in Crux, now 120mm Skywatcher refractor and now 2nd May at +9.5 to UT
Alpha Crux (2045)
6mm Plossl, beautiful with some colour distortion.
Gamma Crux (2055)
Intense orange star with two lesser stars forming an isosceles triangle.
NGC 4439 (2105)
Small cluster of stars in an arc - faint. Lovely area, rich star field, nice in the 25mm Plossl.
NGC4439/OCL884 12 28.5 -60 06 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/II1p/8.4m/4.0' Cl,S,*11...12 428u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
HJ 4524 (2110)
On the edge of NGC 4339 with the pair pointing towards the cluster. Unequal pair with a fair bit of difference, resolves in 25mm and 6mm.
HJ4524 12 28.1 -60 02 CRU DBL1E
BL1E/8.05-9.93m/31.3/338º 1917 428u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
HOGG 23, COL 258 (2120)
Region is a nice star field but nothing to say what is what.
LODEN 624 (2130)
Not seen.
CPO 12
Group of stars
CPO12 12 28.3 -61 46 CRU DBL0C
BL0C/7.32-8.24m/2.0/204AxBº 1880 450u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
HE 2-83
Nothing
NGC 4349 (2140)
Region of glow at 25mm with "bright" star on edge, glow is elliptical. Stars are just resolved but on edge so grainy appearance. 6mm shows cluster that fills centre of field of view partial resolved, disappears into the background, nice enough.
NGC4349/OCL882 12 24.1 -61 52 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/I2m/7.4m/4'/30* Cl,vB,vL,lC,*12...14 450u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
RU 105, RCW 67, 66 (2150)
Nothing seen.
COO 140 (2155)
Nice triangle of stars but which is the double?
COO140 12 45.2 -62 13 CRU DBL1C
BL1C/7.91-9.87m/4.6/97º 1901 451u1/198u2/25s/988-2m/83HBc
NGC 4609 (2200) (no sign of HOGG 15)
Easily seen as a small collection of stars next to a bright one (25mm eyepiece), in 6mm takes a parallelogram shape with three sets of doubles, it seems nice enough, compact, bright star sets it off nicely - in a faint arc of stars.
NGC4609/OCL890 12 42.3 -63 00 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/II1p/6.9m/5.0'/40* Cl,pL,pC,cE,st10 NearCoalsack 451u1/209u2/25s/1001-2m/83HBc
HJ 4516 (2210)
Wide unequal pair, primary yellow-orange, secondary cannot tell. No sign of PK299-1.1 or VDB HGN 132.
HJ4516 12 23.8 -63 59 CRU DBL1E
BL1E/8.14-9.96m/22.3/96º 1882 450u1/209u2/25s/1002-2m/84HBc
SAURER 4 (2225)
Just background Milky Way, no sign of NGC 4184 (RU 102) or RU 101.
SAURER4 12 13.8 -63 36 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/1.8' 6190pc/1513yr/1.24e(B-V) 450u1/209u2/25s/1002-2m/84HBc
RU101 12 09.6 -62 59 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/IV1r:b/10.0' 450u1/209u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
RU102 12 13.5 -62 43 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/IV1p:b/5.0' 450u1/209u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
NGC 4052 (2230)
Faint cluster near Theta 1&2, needs darker skies and contrast. Resolve in 6mm but sparse and largish. Faint somewhat thin triangle.
NGC4052/OCL870 12 01.0 -63 14 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/II1p/8.8m/10'/80* Cl,pRi,lC 450u1/209u2/25s/1002-2m/84HBc
RU 98
Sparse, nice cluster of almost equal stars on brighter side.
RU98 11 58.7 -64 35 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/II2p/7m/10.0'/50* 450u1/209u2/25s/1003-2m/84HBc
NGC 4103 (2235)
Choice cluster of evening in 25mm. Situated in nice star field which looks like an extension of the cluster. Has straight lines of stars in 6mm. Stars of equal brightness.
NGC4103/OCL871 12 06.7 -61 15 CRU OPNCL:OPNCL/I3m/7.4m/7.0'/45* Cl,pL,pC,iR,*10...14 450u1/198u2/25s/989-2m/84HBc
DUN 117 (2240)
Two almost equal stars with faint third one that maybe orange in colour. The others are yellow/green.
WDS DUN 117 AB m1: 7.40 m2: 7.83 sep: 22.7 pa:149 date:2000.00
WDS DUN 117 AC m1: 7.40 m2:10.02 sep: 25.1 pa: 18 date:2000.00
*** Rest of the evening just cruising around.
