Globular Cluster Cluster?

[Robh (Rob)]

I have seen a number of small visual clusters of galaxies of roughly equal brightness that you can see "close together" in the same field e.g. M65/M66 in Leo, triplet in the Grus Quartet, M84/M86 in Virgo.
Does anyone know of a "good" visual cluster of globular clusters you can see as being fairly close in the same low power field. They don't have to be at the same distance (i.e. gravitationally bound). To make it tougher, they have to be reasonably bright in say an 8 or 10 inch scope, maybe magnitude 9 or better.
Curious, Rob

[ngcles]

Hi Rob,

Only one that I can think of in the same FOV - the NGC 6528 and 6522 pair near Gamma Sagittari.

A few other pairs not too far apart that spring to mind are the GCs in Musca NGC 4833 and NGC 4372 and Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) & NGC 5286.

There are quite a lot of clusters in Scorpius, Sagittarius and Ophiuchus and many of them are only a few fields apart. A quick search there with a planetarium program should turn up a few more.

Ohhh ... nearly forgot. M53 and NGC 5053 are just under a degree apart in Coma Berenices too.


Best,

Les D

[Robh (Rob)]

Les (ngcles),

I looked up some data on your recommendations.
This is a goer (in Coma Berenices) ...
M53 and NGC 5053 have Vmags 7.7 & 9.5 and are 58 minutes apart.
And I like this one (near gamma Sgr) ...
NGC 6522 and NGC 6528 have Vmags 8.3 & 9.6 and are 16.5 minutes apart.

I wonder if we can get more in the same FOV?

Thanks, Rob.

[ngcles]

Hi Rob,

One thing you need to remember is that 5053 is a fairly sparse low concentration class and and low surface brightness cluster that in a 10" looks quite a bit different to M53. M53 looks more like a "real" globular. Both will show some resolution, M53 decidedly more and it will also appear somewhat bigger.

With the other two, it is interesting to see how the background changes quite a bit from one to the other. There is a quite noticable (from a dark sky) dark nebula just to the south of the cluster (Barnard 298). Neither of these two will exhibit much in the way of resolution -- just a grainy texture and maybe the odd star in the brighter one (-22)

Best of luck with them -- you should have few problems with these two in 10" and probably 8" as well.


Best,

Les D

[gary]

Originally Posted by ngcles

Only one that I can think of in the same FOV - the NGC 6528 and 6522 pair near Gamma Sagittari.

Hi Les,

This is a particularly beautiful pair even in 8" of aperture.
I still recollect how stunned I was when I stumbled across them for the
very first time. Highly recommended.

Best Regards

Gary

[ngcles]

Hi Gary, Rob & All,

Originally Posted by gary

This is a particularly beautiful pair even in 8" of aperture. I still recollect how stunned I was when I stumbled across them for thevery first time. Highly recommended.

I think my favourite view of the two was down at Bargo 17-odd years ago through Chris Toohey's 4" f/9 Vixen APO with 35mm Panoptic. I think it was either 1991 or 1992. The FOV was a bit over 2.5 degrees across -- the background panorama is amazing.


Best,

Les D

[Robh (Rob)]

Les and Gary,
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds good. When I get the chance, I'll check out this globular cluster pair (NGC 6522 and NGC 6528).
Could be the only close "bright" pair.
Regards, Rob.

[Saturnine (Jeff)]

Hi Guys
Hope you don't mind me adding some more to the list, though they have a wide mag. discrepancy. M4 and NGC 6144 in Scorpio, mag. 5.8 & 9.0 respectively, near Antares and about 1.5 deg apart and NGC 104 (47 Tuc.) and NGC 121, mag. 4.0 & 10.6 and about 1.0 deg. sep. A scope 100mm or over with a wide field eyepiece from dark sites should bag them.
Though I've been a member for a while this is my first post, guess I'm more a reader than a writer but Hi anyway.

Jeff

[ngcles]

Hi All,

Originally Posted by Saturnine

Hi Guys
Hope you don't mind me adding some more to the list

Not at all mate. I think I must be getting old having forgot these two pairs of clusters. Well picked up Jeff.


Best,

Les D

[Robh (Rob)]

Call me crazy, but I went through every map in Sky & Telescopes POCKET SKY ATLAS to look for more. Best I could find (other than the ones you guys have mentioned) were ...
<<can't vouch for the accuracy of all the Vmags>>

NGC 5927 and NGC 5946 in Lupus, Vmags 8.9 & 9.6, 71 minutes apart. A bit too far apart!
NGC 5927 is easy but how bright is NGC 5946?

NGC 6569 and NGC 6558 in Sagittarius, Vmags 8.6 and 9.3, 43 minutes apart. This could be a goer. Anyone comment on this pair?

Closest trio I could find was M9, NGC 6356 and NGC 6342 in Ophiuchus, Vmags 7.8, 8.9 and 9.7. NGC 6356 to M9 is 75', NGC 6342 to M9 is 70'. Hard to get each pair in the same field let alone all three in the same field (1.8 degrees overall). Anyone seen NGC 6342, how bright is it?

Les, looks like your NGC 6528 and 6522 pair near Gamma Sagittari are still "the winners" based on brightness and proximity!

Regards, Rob.