We'd love you to take part in the August Observing and Imaging Challenge. Please post your reports, sketches and deep-space images of M55 in this thread. Discussions about the images can also be in this thread.
Please ensure the images obey the posting guidelines when you attach them.
While it would be nice if the report, sketch or image were taken in the month of August, it's not essential so feel free to post older reports and images if you're unable to take some new ones.
One of the nicer globs for small scopes, M55 is a rather loose globular much like Omega Centauri. From memory it is also a Class III like Omega. Using high powers (100x and above) the glob looks more like an open cluster in my C6 (6"f/5) than a globular. Numerous stars are also resolvable in my Orion 80ST at moderate magnifications. And I can distinctly detect granularity in my tripod mounted 15x70 binocs. As it is so "loose", the globular does not have a condensed core and therefore appears dimmer than other "more concentrated" globs. Only problem with this one is that it does not have very distinct signpost stars to guide you to it. see my sketch at:
An easy find with a 10x finderscope, I was surprized by its dimness through the eyepiece & found it a bit hard to resolve at 180x with a 7mm widefield on my 10" dob.
Dropping back to 100x with a 12.5mm possol gave a better image & i can see where the comparrison to a compact open cluster comes from, an interesting object certainly.
Good to be able to get out before moonrise !
Saw it about an hour ago (8.15 24th aug) using the binos & 6" refractor. Not a bad view in the 15X70 binos. Unfortunately their screaming out to be collimated. No stars resolved, just a fuzzy blob. Much better views using the refractor @ 50X A lot of stars resolved.
Update: Saw it again this time using the 12.5" reflector...WOW! Resolved really well, nice bright stars. I must say I didn't expect to by stunned by the sight of this open cluster, but I was! Very nice!
Interesting reports guy's on the Glob M55,I too have always found my self dropping back to medium power with a lot of the Globs. Tend to enjoy them better that way I guess, even in large aperture instruments. John E, I don't think that 70mm bino's could resolve It even If collimated well anyway mate. You would need a least 100mm I would think,then again I could be wrong . Do I smell a challenge to resolve in the smallest aperture coming !
Hi Atalas. Your post got me off my behind! Just made a quick aperture mask of 70mm for the refractor..."to resolve or not to resolve" THAT is the question..
I'm back with my results. Stars resolved at 70mm is 1! only JUST too. (with 10 mins dark adaption)
Easily resolvable at 150mm. At 120mm easily resolvable with only a couple of mins dark adaption. Good call Atalas! Judging by all that, I'd guess a 4" aperture minimum to resolve it. Now I need a variable aperture mask rather than making a dozen of them at different sizes.
I must say I didn't expect to by stunned by the sight of this open cluster, but I was! Very nice! 
yes I know this isn't a joke thread !
