What started out as a very cold night of Galaxy searching quickly changed to my pleasant surprise!
After the usual trip around the regulars (Orion Neb, 47 Tuc, Jupe & Sat, Omega Cent, Cent A, Virgo galaxies etc) it was time for a squizz at Scorpius.
With a slow scan around the area of Scorpius the 30mm SV was picking out anything and everything. I am still amazed at how this EP draws DSO's like a magnet (very dark skies do help). After finding the Bug Nebula I also spotted the Butterfly Cluster. I wasn't looking for it but it shines in the 30mm SV. Then I started concentrating on Globular and open clusters all over the place. I decided to step up to the 9mm Plossl and take a better look. My God!!! there was stuff everywhere I looked! After about an hour or so in Scorpius, Sagittarius was very high (1:30am). Time to try out this area.
I placed the 30mm SV back in and WOW! A scan of the area and stuff was jumping out. It was still a bit early to try find Barnards Galaxy so I put the 9mm back in and concentrated on what was visible. Hooley Dooley, I found the Lagoon Nebula, Triffid Nebula, M20, M21 and a host of others I can't recognise on this star map (I need to learn to read one of these things properly).
2:15am and Sagittarius was very high so It was time I went looking for the elusive Barnards Galaxy. The 30mm SV showed me something in the general area of Barnard so in went the 9mm again. It was Barnards neighbour, the planetary Nebula! That meant I was close. I stepped down to the 15mm Plossl to get a slightly wider FOV and I could just make out a small faint blur next to the planetary Neb. Back in with the 9mm and sure enough it was what I think was Barnards Galaxy!!! It was a huge strain on the eye but I beleive it was. I stared at it for about 15 minutes trying averted vision, different EP's, the works.
I am content in saying I found it. All up, this has been the most productive night for me in 20 years of looking through scopes. After my shonky 4.25" reflector, this is the first chance I have had to look at Scorpius and Sagittarius through a big scope with pitch black skies. I will be back in there tomorrow night too if the weather holds up for me. I had to stop tonight (2:45am) as the frost had started forming on everything around me.
Can anyone recognise this object? I saw it somewhere in between Scorpius and Sagittarius and cannot find it on my star map (lousy map).
I do not recognise it from any photos either. Although my drawing of it looks like lots of stars, it is suppose to be nebulous gas.
It has a knife shaped section of black dust running through it.
It was an exceptional night here in Melbourne too (exceptional for the location that is.... can't do much about light pollution). Great seeing & transparency, & lots of dew.
I was just out checking for another great night but Sagittarius is still too low at the moment. Everything is already dewed up so I have a towel over the OTA!! I will have to wait another hour or so. No sight yet of the reported Auroras either. I watched for half an hour but my legs started freezing. Back inside in the warm for now.
Finally decided to give up waiting for Sagittarius to rise high enough as I am near frozen solid. Currently 1 degree!
I didn't want to waste the night so I went to the SEDS site and looked up some targets on their sky map of Scorpius.
M7 sounded interesting but there was a more tantalising target hidden in between M7 and K Scorpii. It is a tiny Gobular called NGC 6441. So off I went in search of this little critter.
I started with a star hop to get to M7. Found that very easy! O.K, now to hop half way between M7 and K Scorpii to bring me to G Scorpii. And there it was, clear as day, a tiny but very bright Globular Cluster right next to G Scorpii. Both of them in a 15mm EP look very attractive together.
Had to give up for the night again as the frost is back and I'm frozen. Below is a pic of NGC 6441 and G Scorpii courtesy of the SEDS site exactly as I saw them.
Give yourself the challenge and see if you can find NGC 6441 (without GoTo's).
Absolutely wonderful Ken and one of those nights that will stick in your mind for a long time. NGC 6441 is lovely sitting alongside orange G Sco. and in a 22" scope appears a purplish colour, perhaps in contrast with orange G.
Another globular which uses the same NGC numbers is NGC 6144, appearing faintly as a scattering of faint stars right alongside orange Antares. I have seen this one from s city sky with an 8" aperture.
Another object that I think you would enjoy, if you haven't seen it already, is NGC 6520, an open cluster with the dark cloud Barnard 86 lying right alongside. Looks like a bag has fallen open and strewn jewels across a background of even fainter stars. Lies around 4 degrees south of M8.
I'll give them a try. Both sound very interesting especially NGC 6520. I like this idea of target hunting between members. Gives our hobby an interactive mode.
Ken, you really need a dark sky to fully appreciate the inky black cloud in contrast with the dazzling stars. If anyone has a large aperture, have a look, it is awesome as the effect is so much grander.
Rich
A Night of Nebulas
