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Old 26-06-2011, 08:33 PM
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Paddy (Patrick)
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Scorpionic and Sagittarian sights 25/6/11

Finally got some clear skies and a chance to give my new copy of Uranometria Vol 2 first light. The plan was to chase down some fainter globulars using my new wonder book, but the abysmal transparency ruled this out. Still, I had very nice time. Here are my notes. My tape recorder seems to have turned up its toes, so I'm developing the skill to write them - the virtue may be that they are a tad briefer.

Telescope 410mm (16”) f4.9 tri-dob reflector
Eyepieces 28mm UWAN, 17,13,9 mm Naglers, Paracorr
Navigation: Night Sky Observer’s Guide (NSOG) Uranometria Vol 2

Data from NGC/IC Project


2050

Seeing poor, transparency poor – lots of high altitude moisture makes observing faint objects very difficult

It took me a little getting used to the scale of charts in Uranometria, but once I had, I found that the stars included are a very good representation of the view in the finderscope and this made finding the right location of objects very easy. On this night, seeing the object if they were faint was another matter altogether and seeing faint GCs was very frustrating.

NGC 6072 PN in Scorpius Class 3a
16h 12m 58.21s -36º 13' 47.6"
Vmag 11.7 Dia 70”

250X At first this appears to be a very smooth regular 1’ disc of soft glow with no central star. Closer inspection shows a brighter large central section elongated N-S within a larger soft envelope to the east and west. The inner bright part looks to be slightly spiral shaped and is accentuated by OIII filter. UHC doesn’t make much difference.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6072&r=16:13.0&d =-36:14&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

NGC 6124 OC in Scorpius Class I 3 r
16h 25m 20.0s -40º 39' 13"
Vmag 5.8 Dia 40’
90X This is a 30’ diameter cluster of >100 bright stars of similar magnitude and colour. There are lots of interesting arcs and patterns. In this poor transparency the star poor area around the cluster looks like a grey smudge.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6124&r=16:25.6&d =-40:40&e=J2000&h=34.8&w=34.8&f=GIF&c =none

NGC 6139 GC in Scorpius Class 2
16h 27m 40.4s -38º 50' 56"
Vmag 9.1 Dia5.5’

175X 4’ dia round and regular GC with marked central core. No stars are resolvable and tonight the GC seems to float in a grey fog.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6139&r=16:27.7&d =-38:51&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

NGC 6144 GC in Scorpius Class 11
16h 27m 14.1s -26º 01' 29"
Vmag 9 Dia 9.3’

175X A 5’ somewhat irregular glow with no central concentration and about 15 resolvable stars scattered across the halo.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6144&r=16:27.3&d =-26:02&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

NGC 6475 Messier 7 OC in Scorpius. Class I3r
17h 53m 51.1s -34º 47' 34"
Vmag 3.3 Dia 80’

90X With the aid of the excellent chart of this OC in Uranometria, I decide to pick out some of the various components to this spectacular cluster. In its midst is a complex pattern of bright stars featuring a 20’ long NE-SW line of 5 bright stars. At the eastern end of this line, another star makes a right angled end to the south. A convex-north arc of stars joins the line of stars from the north at the middle star. 30’ to the south of this asterism is the dark nebula Barnard 287 which is a 20’x5’ rectangle oriented ESE-WNW and boxed in by 4 stars. 40’ to the NW of the asterism is globular cluster NGC 6453 which is a 3’ dia moderately concentrated glow with some stars resolvable. 40’ to the north of the asterism is dark nebula Barnard 283, a very long bifid nebula running E-W. The northern limb is darker and thinner than the southern and they merge at the eastern end. It is well over one 1 degree FOV long. There are many interesting asterisms dotted throughout the whole cluster.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6475!=!M7&r=17:5 3.9&d=-34:49&e=J2000&h=60&w=60&f=GIF&c=non e

NGC 6444 OC in Scorpius Class IV 1 p
17h 49m 35.1s -34º 49' 11"
Dia 12’

90X Just to the west of M7 this 10’x5’ spread of fainter stars runs NE-SW with a wide NW-SE S-shaped asterism at the eastern end. A ridge of stars seems to form a NE-SW spine for the cluster.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6444&r=17:49.5&d =-34:49&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

NGC 6425 OC in Scorpius Class II 1 m
17h 47m 01.6s -31º 31' 46"
Vmag 7.2 Dia 15’

135X A 10’x10’ box of about 25 stars of similar magnitude and colour – the box appears to have 2 open flaps to the SW and a few scattered stars inside including a delightful little equilateral triangle.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6425&r=17:46.9&d =-31:32&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

NGC 6522/6528 GCs in Sagittarius Class 6/5
18h 03m 35.1s -30º 02' 06"/18h 04m 49.6s -30º 03' 21"
Vmag 9.9 Dia 5.6’/ Vmag 9.6 Dia 3.7

175X These GCs both easily fits within one 28’ FOV, 6528 being about 20’ to the east of 6522. Both look very similar although 6522 is larger and brighter at about 5’ across. 6528 looks about 3’ diameter. Both are very round and regular with no resolvable stars, although 6522 has a foreground star inside the northern edge of its halo. A delightful pair of twins.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6522&r=18:03.6&d =-30:02&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6528&r=18:04.8&d =-30:03&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

NGC 6540 OC in Sagittarius Class I 1 p n
18h 06m 08.5s -27º 45' 55"
Vmag 14.6 Dia 1.5’

175X This is a 2’x1’ lenticular glow with a convex-west arc of 5-6 stars at its western edge – quite an elegant little object.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6540&r=18:06.3&d =-27:49&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

NGC 6520 OC in Sagittarius Class I 2 r n
18h 03m 25.1s -27º 53' 28"
Vmag 7.6 Dia 6’

175X A gorgeous 5’x2’ N-S cluster of many delicate stars of varying magnitude with a graceful dome at the southern end. Dark nebula Barnard 86 to the west provides a nice contrast and separates the cluster from a bright foreground star.

http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6520&r=18:03.4&d =-27:54&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e

Last edited by Paddy; 26-06-2011 at 08:34 PM. Reason: typo
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Old 27-06-2011, 05:06 PM
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orestis
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Great observations Paddy,

Great to hear you enjoying our winter evening skies.

Though some of the objects that many of us observe can be a bit frustrating to finally see them in the end can be very rewarding.

Your Description of M7 is very detailed I didn't know there was so much to see in this small area of space(well small on a cosmic scale).I shall revisit it and see waht i can grab out of it.

Thanks for posting,A great read
Cheers Orestis
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Old 27-06-2011, 08:10 PM
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barx1963 (Malcolm)
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Nice one Paddy! I'll have to check my notes as I think I have observed some of these recently, had a nice session a while back exploring the M7 and M6 region.
Welcome to the world of paper notes also!

How did you find Uranometria? I know you had a bit of a go at SV with mine last camp, but it is always different using it on the home ground. I am finding using the DSOG and U2000 in tandem a really powerful combination, anly drwback is I need a bigger table, whic means I'll need a bigger tent to take to Snak Valley and BSG.

Malcolm
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Old 27-06-2011, 08:32 PM
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barx1963 (Malcolm)
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Here is my note for NGC 6124 from April last year
NGC6124 (Caldwell 75) Open Cluster in Scorpius
RA 16 25 17.2 Dec -40 40 00 Mag 5.8 Diam’ 40 No of Stars 100 Mag Brightest Star 9.0 Type cl (Open Cluster)
From NGC 6231 move in p 2.5deg to pair of mag 6 stars, then scan to Sp for a line of 3 stars of similar mag running Np to Sf about 2deg long. This line points at cluster which is just visible in cluster. Sparse with not many bright stars, but fairly large, very pretty, best with low power.
And here is one on NGC 6139 from April this year

NGC 6139 Globular Cluster in Scorpius
RA 16 27 40.4 Dec -38 50 56 Total Vm 9.1 Brightest Star Vm 15.0 HB Vm 17.9 Diam’ 8.2 Conc Class 2

From Mu Scorpii a right angled asterism 1deg long lies 2.5deg to p. From this a group of 3 stars mag 5 lies 3deg to p. Target forms Sf corner of a large parallelogram with these. Small with a brightish core, some granularity at 115x but appears just beyond being resolveable.

Post Observation Notes. Also known as Dunlop 536, discovered by Dunlop May 13 1826 at Parramatta. DSS Image http://spider.seds.org/ngc/ngcdss.cgi?obj=NGC!6139&r=16:27.7&d =-38:51&e=J2000&h=15&w=15&f=GIF&c=non e shows the scattered stars around the central core that give impression that it nearly resolveable. Given brightest star is only mag 15, would make an interesting test for a larger scope.

And for NGC 6144 from April 15th last year

NGC 6144 Globular Cluster in Scorpius
RA 16 27 14.1 Dec -26 01 29 Total V Mag 9.0 Brightest Star V Mag 13.4 HB V Mag 16.5 Diam 7.4’ Concentration Class 11
About 30’ p and just N of Alpha Scorpio (Antares) Very faint. 1 bright star in foreground. Moderate power (115x) reveals some stars. Like M4 (NGC 6121) nearby it appears to be dimmed by dust and by brightness of the milky way around this area.

Observed NGC 6444 twice this year, haven't written up yet. On 29/4 noted that it looked like an "arrowhead". On 30/5 counted nearly 30 stars.

Also saw NGC 6522 and 6528 that same night, lovely pairs of globs in the same field.

The others apart from M7 I haven't caught up with yet.

Malcolm
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Old 28-06-2011, 09:53 AM
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Paddy (Patrick)
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Thanks Orestis and Malcolm.

Malcolm, I have found Uranometria to be superb and a joy to use. Whilst I found star hopping with the Night Sky Observer's Guide to be relatively straightforward, the detail in Uranometria makes it so much easier and I'm a lot more confident about where I am. The combination of the NSOG & Uranometria is fantastic. I know what you mean about the need for a bigger table - also a wheelbarrow.
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Old 28-06-2011, 11:19 PM
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barx1963 (Malcolm)
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Paddy
I've had to get a milk crate to hold all the books and charts that I use these days. Got sick of making 3 trips to get them all outside!

Malcolm
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Old 29-06-2011, 10:19 AM
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Paddy (Patrick)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by barx1963 View Post
Paddy
I've had to get a milk crate to hold all the books and charts that I use these days. Got sick of making 3 trips to get them all outside!

Malcolm
It's on the shopping list.
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Old 02-07-2011, 12:04 AM
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Suzy
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Great report as usual, thanks Paddy.

I've added NGC 6522/28 to my list to view.

Regarding the crates, how do you keep the dew off them? Cover with a tarp? I use a plastic storage box with a lid. Everything in one box (books, binos, torch, notebook etc, one trip, one plonk. Then there are other nights when I go out there just for a couple of objects but then end up running in and out of the house to grab things.


I've just invented a new way to keep dew off my books . Slit the top and bottom of a clear plastic sleeve (x2 for 2 pages of an open book) and pop it on the page. I did this with my Night Sky Observers Guide and even though the book is quite large, it covered it beautifully with extra over hang to boot.
Or maybe people do this already and my idea isn't so unique.

And, for an easy dew hutch, on a card table I stand a large storage box on its side. I can fit my lappy in it, a couple of books standing up, torch, note book etc.

I also cut out arrows using the sticky part of post it notes which allows me to move them around on different maps. I put the arrow next to the object I need to find. That's my idea too. Hmmm... problem is though it still takes me forever to find anything .
But as a girl, I use typical girl solutions, and a girls best friend are her post it notes. Why... sometimes my entire lappy is covered in them.

I love the NSOB book, but I found that I needed a bigger field than the finder scope charts provided in the book. So I too have needed to use other companion maps along with it. I love this book so much!

Are you getting another voice recorder Paddy?
Your notes were still excellent, regardless, by the way!
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Old 02-07-2011, 09:50 PM
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Paddy (Patrick)
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Thanks Suzy.

With the crates, Malcolm keeps his in a little tent when I've seen him operate at Snake Valley. Don't' know what he does at home. I'm just going to use one to get the stack of books out to my card table then I stack them all in the folding version of Scott Tannehill's Dew hutch. But I do then end up with a big stack of books in a little hutch. Maybe my all purpuse small BBQ cover that is ed80 cover and head cloth for solar observing can have a new role as milk crate cover. I like the idea of the plastic cover for the open leaves - will give it a go.
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Old 02-07-2011, 10:41 PM
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madbadgalaxyman (Robert)
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Catalogue of Milky Way globular clusters

For information about all of our own Galaxy's globular star clusters, I refer all of you to the catalog of Milky Way globular star clusters by William E. Harris at:

http://www.physics.mcmaster.ca/Globular

Harris has specialized in globular clusters for all of his professional life, and I believe that he is still keeping this list of globulars (and their properties) updated.

In this catalog you will find many nuggets of information;
for instance, the fact that NGC 6522 and NGC 6528 are almost the very nearest known globular clusters to the very centre of our galaxy. They sit well within the central bulge component of our galaxy at only 0.6 kiloparsecs (1950 light years) from the very centre of the Milky Way galaxy.

When we view this pair of globulars, we have a "porthole view" into the centralmost part of our galaxy, untroubled by the heavy dimming of light (from interstellar dust) that afflicts many fields in the direction of the centre of our galaxy.

[ If you have any trouble understanding some of this catalog data, with its usual arcane symbols and jargon, just drop a line to "yours truly"(madbadgalaxyman), as I am expert at deciphering numerical data in catalogues. ]
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Old 03-07-2011, 07:51 AM
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Paddy (Patrick)
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Thanks Robert - a very useful link.
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Old 03-07-2011, 01:12 PM
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N6522 & Baade's Window - are low extinction portholes rare?

An interesting question is:
"are there other fields (apart from NGC 6522/6528) where foreground extinction is so low that we can see all the way in to near the centre of our own galaxy?".

The low extinction (little foreground dust) region at and around NGC 6522 corresponds to the famous Baade's Window.
(see this preprint: astro-ph 9512137 at http//arxiv.org
and/or this reference : (1996), ApJ, 460, L37 (letters, page 37)

The stars in this low extinction window have been repeatedly studied, in order to characterize the stellar population that is found in the bulge component of the Milky Way galaxy.
(e.g. stellar ages & masses & metallicities & temperatures & colours)

It is often said that Baade's Window is one of the few places where we can view inwards to near the centre of our own Galaxy, but I wonder if this isn't just the sort of myth that becomes "truth" through constant repetition.
My own impression, from those long ago days when I was a regular night watchman of the Milky Way, was that there should be other places where we can see bulge stars.

It is not uncommon for the same incorrect information to be repeated again and again in astronomy textbooks, for instance the myth of the Milky Way being 100,000 light years across.
In fact, the region of spiral structure is only 70,000 to 80,000 light years across.
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Old 03-07-2011, 01:49 PM
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Paddy (Patrick)
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This is very interesting Robert. I will revisit NGCs 6522/8 with this in mind. It will certainly add to the observing experience.
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Old 03-04-2012, 07:45 AM
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glenc (Glen)
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Paddy, I looked at NGC 6540 this morning. It is now classed as a globular cluster (since 1994) but does not look like one.
http://gclusters.altervista.org/clus...p?ggc=NGC+6540
http://cdsads.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/n...6A...283...67B
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6540.jpg
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Old 03-04-2012, 03:00 PM
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kustard (Simon)
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Very nice report Paddy and thanks for putting in the SEDS links, very helpful indeed
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Old 05-04-2012, 09:44 PM
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Paddy (Patrick)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glenc View Post
Paddy, I looked at NGC 6540 this morning. It is now classed as a globular cluster (since 1994) but does not look like one.
http://gclusters.altervista.org/clus...p?ggc=NGC+6540
http://cdsads.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/n...6A...283...67B
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6540.jpg
Thanks Glen, very interesting.
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