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Hi guys, well I thought I'd start the ball rolling on the observing reports by posting mine. Some of the objects on the list I have observed in the past, but some of my more recent ones I thought I would go ahead and post a proper report (the ones in Scorpius, Lepus & one in Cent. just before I did this target list).
The new moon period which just passed unfortunately proved to be very cloudy, so I will have to wait till next new moon to forge ahead with the rest of the targets on the list and post my obs.
So here it is!
Date: 15/7/12
Equipment: 10” Newtonian telescope on a dobsonian base.
Eyepieces Used: Pentax XW10mm (120X magnification). Denkenmeir 14mm (85X magnification).
NGC 6302 (The Bug Nebula) in Scorpius
85X showed this to be very small and not easy to observe so I used 120X and wow this nebula sure loves magnification. It has an incredibly bright centre with a rather long extension on the right. Averted vision showed the extension longer, while the left hand extension was quite short. It looked like a ripped bon-bon! I also think it could be easily mistaken for a galaxy because of its bright nucleus and extensions.
A week later I observed this again, this time using 240X. The seeing was terrible and I was having trouble keeping the stars focused. The object was much larger again, but dimmer. It was fuzzier and hard to make out detail- the sky conditions I’m certain are to blame, so I will need to re-visit this again at this power. As I found the most pleasing view was with 120X during my previous session, I changed to this magnification, but again it was nothing like my previous session.
This has got to be one of the most interesting planetary nebulae I’ve seen to-date in reference to shape as it looks like an exploding star with the gamma rays blowing out of its poles (as opposed to dying quietly in puffs as pns do).
NGC 5986 (Globular Cluster) in Lupus
120X. A good size GC, diffuse and very hard to resolve but I did manage to resolve a few using averted vision when some of the stars became very sparkly. A bright star sits on the left side of the GC- so close that it looks like it’s attached to the cluster.
My view through the scope is much like what Omega Centaurus looks like thru binoculars in light pollution- A fuzzy round and faint ball.
NGC 6572 (Planetary Nebula) in Ophiuchus
120X. A very deep and intense blue, perfectly rounded like ball. No detail was visible but on my next session I will use high power and a filter to see if anything will reveal itself. In my opinion, I think colour wise, this objects knocks The Blue Planetary & The Ghost of Jupiter PNs right off their perch.
I used 85X at first, but it appeared very tiny. This is another object that seems to love high magnification.
NGC 5460 (Open Cluster) in Lupus
A bizarre looking cluster! I’m used to seeing clusters sprayed across the sky loosely or in compact jewels, but this one took me by surprise. A long line of stars containing some loops- It looks like a moving Cobra snake with three stars making up it’s head.
NGC 5102 (Galaxy) in Centaurus
120X. A very bright and round core is easily made out with diffuse long extensions in a blockish, rectangular shape.
And just a few other objects which I observed during this session that I thought I’d throw in...
IC 4406 (Planetary Nebula) in Lupus: 120X. Very round & diffuse, looks like a globular cluster. Sits in a sparse field of stars so easily noticeable.
NGC 5822 (Open Cluster) in Lupis: 120X. A very pretty, loosely scattered cluster. Fills up the entire field of view of my widefield 10mm eyepiece. From the middle of the cluster towards the southern end, it looks very much like a love heart shape.
NGC 5824 (Globular Cluster) in Lupus: 120X. A very pretty glob with a very bright core. Can’t resolve any of the stars within it. With averted vision I could see a diffuse halo surrounding it.
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