The frist two weeks of April have been a very prolific phase for sketching on the Northern Hemisphere, no moon, clear nights, dark skies and mild temperatures. I was out almost every single night over the course of ten days or so, in fact, I was almost praying for some clouds to roll in, just because at some point of time, it takes you to your limits, after all it's a hobby!
Many sketches were made during this period, my current project is a complete set of sketches of all 110 Messier objects, an aim, I could get closer to over the last weeks.
Here is a selection of a view objects that might interest people on the board, also due to the fact that they are for the most best observed from the Northern Hemisphere.
An 8" f/6 Dobsonian was used for all observations.
1. M57 - The famous ring nebula, one of the greatest objects in the sky, a 6m0+ sky and an OIII-filter really make a difference.
2. M 3, a Globular Cluster in Canes venatici, they are immensly difficult to draw, due to the enormous amount of stars, it's unbelievable, how many there are. This one came out pretty fine!
3. M 82, also called Cigar Galaxy, the edge-on partner to M 81. Higher magnifications are definitely a plus here, the galaxy tends to reveal a lot of detail and structure.
4. M 94, a fascinating galaxy in Canes venatici, especially remarkable the triple division in the center, embedded in a faint, mysterious glow. Wonderful!
OK, that was just a selection, I hope, you'll enjoy them a little bit!
Greetings to the South!
Sebastian
