#65 Cassiopeia Summary 3: Objects From Other Catalogues

There are nearly 60 clusters from other catalogues!  Lots to challenge the viewer here besides NGC and IC objects.  I have also included 3 great double *s.

oc Be 01:  5'.  15 stars at 150x.  Pendant on a necklace!  Pendant is the cluster.
oc Be 02:  2'. Brightest * mag. 15.  Very very small, very very faint.  4 stars at 250x.  Noticed at 100x.
oc Be 04:  4'. Brightest * mag. 18(?).  15 faint stars around a bright one.
oc Be 05:  5'.  Brightest * mag. 17.  A few mag. 12 *s overlay a very faint, irregular unresolved background haze.  Viewed at 100x-150x.
oc Be 06:  5'. Brightest * mag. 14.  Very tight, very small group of 8-10 *s, resolving at 200x and 250x.
oc Be 07:  4'. Brightest * mag. 14.  Resolves well at 125x, and includes several bright *s.  Nicely resolved at 200x.  About 20 *s.

oc Be 58:  8'.  Vis. mag. 9.7.  3rd member of group with 7788 and 7790.  25 stars along a zigzag line.
oc Be 60:  4'. Barely noticed at 60x  250x shows small circle, about 6 very very faint stars.
oc Be 61:  3'. Brightest * mag. 14.  Small, hazy patch at 60x.  Resolves at 125x upward, but very few stars. 
oc Be 62:  6'.  Brightest * mag. 13.  A dozen faint stars involved with a 5-star asterism.  Use high power.
oc Be 63:  3'. Brightest * mag. 15.  A faint haze was suspected and noted at 60x.  100x confirms the sighting, with averted vision.  125x-200x resolves 7 or 8 *s, best with averted vision.
oc Be 64:  2'.  brightest * mag. 14.  Sparse and faint.  Resolves at 250x.  2 *s at mag. 14, with others very faint.  2 close sections resolving, though very few *s.  Seen in a moderately light-polluted sky.
oc Be 65:  5'.  Observed at 125x and 150x, 12-15 *s were resolved just north of a somewhat brighter group that has a dipper shape.

oc Be 102:  5'. 8 stars in faint cloud N of triple star.  Also a double *.
oc Be 103:  4'.  Threshold group begins to resolve at 150x. 6 very faint *s.
oc Be 104:  3'.  Brightest * mag. 16.  South of star V639.  6 stars resolved at 250x, hampered by the variable.

oc Cr 034:  25'.  Even larger than nearby IC 1848, this one is viewed best at 60x.  A bright pair lies in the center, and intersecting lines of faint *s pass through, giving this cluster its identity.  The bright central * has 7 faint companions at 100x.  Moderately rich but widely scattered. 
oc Cr 463:  A huge group, best at 43x.  Widely scattered but rich in bright stars.  Orange and blue double following.  Extension of main cluster preceding.
oc Cz 01:  3'. 8 tiny, dim stars at end of brighter line of slightly curving stars.
oc Cz 02:  10'. Mostly resolved at 100x.  25 stars at 150x.  Large and dim at 60x.
oc Cz 03:  1'.5.  Visual mag. 9.9:  A faint haze surrounding a mag. 10 * noted at 100x.  200x shows 3 or 4 *s, very very faint.
oc Cz 04:  4'.  10 faint *s counted at 200x, around a much brighter one.  Same high power field with Tr 1.
oc Cz 05:  2'.  Not even spotted until 200x was applied!  Extremely faint, small cloud of *s noted, with a few resolving.  Good luck even finding this one!
oc Cz 06:  2'.  Located at 60x, a bright * was seen with haze.  At 250x 9 *s could be counted, most very faint.
oc Cz 07:  4':Between 2 close bright *s.  8-10 *s resolved, mag. 14-16.
oc Cz 09:  10'.  Noticed at 100x, I saw 2 bright *s involved with a large cloud of very faint *s.  about 12 *s.
oc Cz 10:  4'.  Small group of very faint *s, with 8 counted at 200x.  A brighter, richer asterism is almost adjacent.
oc Cz 13:  4'.  Brightest * mag. 12.8.  Spotted at 100x as a very faint cluster of tiny *s.  The group is still resolving at 200x and 250x.
oc Cz 43:  6':  Double cluster with M 52, but fine on its own.  Low x shows both.

oc Do 13: Large and widely scattered group.  About 40 stars at 100x, many of them bright.  Attractive group.  Immediately south preceding at mag. 5 *.
oc Do 46:  12'.  Brighter white star surrounded by a large cloud of very faint *s.

oc Fr 01:  Brightest * 10.6.  5 bright stars and a dozen faint ones.  North preceding NGC 7788.

oc Ha 21:  3'. Mag. 9.  Seen well at 125x. 5 bright stars with some very faint ones.  Situated between 3 brighter *s.  Seen well at 125x.

oc King 01:  9'.  Brightest * 13.  Very faint at 60x.  150x shows 16 stars in 2 groups.  A bright group is adjacent.
oc King 02:  4'. Brightest * mag. 17.  3 stars at 200x. Very small, very faint haze near bright, compact group.
oc King 04:  5'.  Brightest * mag. 13.  A decent cluster with nearly 20 *s resolved at 100x-200x.
oc King 12:  3'. Brightest * mag. 10.  A true cluster. 200x shows 15 stars around a close double.
oc King 13:  5'. Brightest * mag. 12.  Very small, very faint.  About 12 stars near a brighter one.
oc King 14:  The best of three close clusters, all appearing in a 100x field.  Largest of the three and most interesting to view.  150x shows 30+ stars.  oc 133 is hard to identify.  Look for 4 bright stars in an uneven N/S line.  The 2nd star from the N is a close double.  13 stars seen at 250x.  oc 146 is just preceding.  An 11.6 mag. star lies at the center of a faint, hazy cloud at 60x.  25 stars resolve at 150x.
oc King 15:  3'. Brightest * mag. 18 (?).  I saw a moderately rich group at 125x, surrounding a gold star.
oc King 16:  Spotted at 60x.  I have named it the "Martini Glass Cluster."  Resolves nicely at 150x.  At 250x 15 *s are noted, including the 5 brightest outlining the glass shape.
oc King 20:  4'.  4 11 mag. *s amidst small cloud of mag. 13 and 14 *s.
oc King 21:  An impressive number of stars can be seen at 125x and 150x.  The cluster is near a bright triple.
 
oc Mayer 01:  8'. Curving line of stars, S-shape, about 25.  Curious group, with a bright * on the edge, and a bright triplet just off the edge.

oc Mrk 06:  6'.  Vis. mag. 7.1.  Observed at 60x and 120x.  A group of about 12 *s, most of them pretty bright.  Not small.  Quite suitable for smaller scopes. 

oc Skiff j00584+6878:  7'.  Brightest * mag. 10.2.  125x begins to show a dozen stars, widely scattered.  Located out of the way.
oc SkiffJ23302+ 6015:  Small, very faint cloud.  6 or 7 faint stars.
 
oc St 02:  60'.  Brightest * 8.2.  On the border with Perseus, this group is an utter wonder at 43x!  The eyepiece is filled with bright stars in a dense field.  Great in the 6" scope, too.
oc St 03:  5'. Brightest * 11:  9 *s seen in a central area. 
oc St 05:  Another large, scattered cluster good at low to medium power.  Contains a star circle, and V781, an orange star.  Fine for all apertures. 4 bright *s frame this moderately rich group.

oc St 11:  10'.  10 white stars.  Triple star within.
oc St 12:  30'. Very large.  15 bright stars plotted on Uranometria.  I saw 40 bright ones at 43x.
oc St 18:  5'.  Line of 5 bright stars.  2nd from west surrounded by faint stars.
oc St 19:  3':  Viewed up to 250x, 6 *s were seen.
oc St 21:  4'.7. Brightest * mag. 12.  A 'V' shaped * group was noted, open end to the northwest.  The line in the south (running east-west) had a compact group of very faint *s around it, the actual cluster.  However, the whole group was attractive in the 12".  Resolved at 150x.
oc St 24:  5'. Brightest * mag. 13. 200x shows 9 faint stars.  Very close double involved, equal mag.

oc Tom 04:  5'.3.  Brightest * mag. 16.  The cluster is not small, and beginning to barely resolve at 100x.  Good at 125x with decent resolution at150x.  Not many *s, and all very faint. 

oc Tr 01:  3'. Brightest * 10.  North preceding M 103.  2 lines of converging *s, one line bright and the other dim.  Like a "V" without the apex.  Bright line contains 2 doubles, both at the bottom.  Faint line has a double at the top.  12 *s at 200x.  Same high power field with Cz 4. 
0c Tr 03:  15'.  Vis. mag. 7.  First seen at 43x, this a large, bright and attractive group, well worth the detour.  Lovely at 60x and 83x, too.  60 *s at 100x.  Recommended.

A few outstanding double stars are included.  These are not to be missed.

WZ:  7.5-8/58":  Orange and blue.  A breathtaking sight at 60x!
N (Eta): 3.5-7.5/11":  Yellow and deep orange at 60x.  Wow!
i (iota):  4-7/8":  A triple!
                -8/7".3:  Lovely triple * at 100x, not to missed.  Yellow, gold and blue.  Stunning object, even in the 6". 

Mapman Mike 

#64 Cassiopeia Summary 2: Other NGC and IC Objects

In addition to the 29 NGC open clusters discussed last time, there are an additional 7 NGC objects in Cassiopeia.

eg 0147:  13'.2 x 7'.8:  Visual 9.4; Sur. br. 14.5:  This whale-sized galaxy was viewed on several occasions, along with its neighbour 185.  Both are part of the Andromeda Family.  At 43x, 147 is oval and enormous, lying amidst a rich star field.  Dark skies and adapted eyes are requirements for good sightings.  At 59x it shows an inner oval area brighter than the outer area of haze.  100x shows the object well, including 3 *s within.  At 125x mostly the brighter central area was only seen.  This is a faint object, so wait for good skies, and be patient.  It is not a problem for an 8" or a 12".

eg 0185:  8' x 7':  Vis. 9.3; Sur. br. 13.7:  Much easier to view than its near companion 147, then both fit into my 43x field of view.  Quite bright and somewhat oval.  Averted vision shows the full extent of this very large galaxy, with a few *s involved.

eg 0278:  2'.1 x 2':  Vis. 10.7; Sur. br. 12.1:  Despite being a poor night for galaxies (lots of dew) the galaxy was large and bright at 60x.  It appeared slightly oval.  Central core much brighter at 150x.  Good object for 6" scopes, too.

gn 0281:  35' x 30':  This emission nebula was seen well at 60x with an Orion Skyglow filter.  It is very large, with some areas showing more brightness.  100x also shows it well.

gn 0896:  10' x 10':  Emission nebula, paired with IC 1795.  Both seen at 60x with the Skyglow filter.  Two distinct patches of very faint nebula, they were like seeing galaxies.  896 is brighter, with 2 faint *s north,  IC 1795 is involved with a 9 mag. *.

eg 1343:  2'.6 x 1'.6:  Vis. 12.8; Sur. br. 14.2:  Located at 125x and also observed at 150x and 200x.  Very faint overall, though it had a brighter and wider middle.  Elongated, with 2 faint *s following.

gn 7635:  15' x 8':  The "Bubble" Nebula isn't much to look at with a telescope, even with a nebula filter.  One star sits within it, at mag. 8.5.  Attached to and north of this star is some wispy gas.  Magnificent area for sweeping, and close to M 52. 

Cassiopeia has several noteworthy IC objects.  I observed all the ones listed in Uranometria 2000, ten in all.

 eg IC 0010:  6'.4 x 5'.3: Vis. 11.2; Sur. br. 14.9:  Located with just a bit of trouble, the galaxy was seen tonight at 60x and 100x, just north following variable * TV and its wide companion.  The galaxy was large, faint and oval.  A * was seen near the center, and other *s were also involved with the haze.

gn IC 0059:  10' x 5':  This was seen as a fairly solid block of nebulosity, large and especially noteworthy near a faint circlet of *s.  It was seen with and without the filter.

gn IC 0063:  10' x 3':  Separate from IC 59, and seen as more clumpy.  Just as faint as its companion.  

oc IC 0166:  8'.  Br. * mag. 17:  Immediately preceding a mag. 9 * lies a cloud of extremely faint haze.  Not large, but appears to be very dense.  A few *s resolved at 200x.  Well beyond what a 12" mirror can resolve.  However, I have seen it now with a friend's 22".  Still hard to resolve, but doable.
pn IC 0289:  48"; Vis. mag. 13.2; Cent. * 15.9:  Located at 60x and 120x with the filter, good views were had up to 250x.  It is round, large and ghostly and faint.  No detail can be seen.

oc IC 1590:  4'. Br. * mag. 9:  The cluster is within gn 281.  At 100x the brightest * in the nebual is a close triple system.  Up to 200x was used to see a few very faint stars around it, plus several brighter ones.

pn IC 1747:  19"; Mag. 12; Cent. * mag. 15.4:  Spotted at 100x, it was medium bright, round, small but very distinct.  Viewed up to 250x with a nebula filter.

gn IC 1795:  40' x 20':  See abstract for ngc 896, above.

oc IC 1805:  20'.  Br. * mag. 7.9:  Though hardly a showpiece, it is a large, fine group with many bright members.  60x and 100x were used, with 100x showing an inner circlet of *s in the center quite well.  This central ring gives the cluster its main interest and uniqueness.  Very faint nebulosity could be seen using the Skyglow filter. 
oc IC 1848:  18'. Vis. mag. 6.5:  A wonderful cluster at 60x, with 2 bright *s in the very center.  The brightest one has 3 faint companions.  The 2nd brightest * has about 10!.  125x resolves the cluster, a very large group with several bright *s and many faint ones.  Though a rich group, it is scattered.  60x and 83x shows the group well.  With a Skyglow filter there is some faint, thin and wispy nebula.  Recommended.

In the third part of my Cassiopeia review I will take a look at the many non-NGC/IC objects in that constellation.  To be continued...

Mapman Mike

#63 Cassiopeia Summary 1: NGC Open Clusters

     I will say something about each and every deep sky object observed in this most wondrous constellation.  I began observations in August 2013, and had just a few objects left to finish in August of 2014.  Many of the comments have been taken from previous Monthly Summary blog entries, but there is a significant amount of new detail.  There are 29 NGC open clusters, and I will discuss them in numerical order.

oc 0103:  5'.  Brightest * mag. 11.  30 stars on a stem with a branch.  Haze at low x, with 4 *s.
oc 0110:  19'. Brightest * mag. 9.7.  83x shows 60+ *s in this large, bright group.  A bright orange * is following, and a wide double south of it, yellow and mauve.  Medium rich even under a 1st quarter moon.  A low x beauty.
oc 0129:  12'. Brightest * mag. 11. Large group seen well at 60x and 83x. 35 stars near a triangle, with more further.  Rich group.
oc 0133:  3'. Mg. 9.4.  4 bright *s form an uneven north/south line, seen well at 60x.  2nd * from the north is a close double.  13 *s counted in a small area at 250x.  Adjacent to 146 and King 14.
oc 0136:  1'.5.  Brightest * mag. 13. 8 stars resolved at 250x.  Haze at low x.  Very tight and faint.
oc 0146:  5'. Brightest * 11.6.  An 11.6 mag * sits at the center at 60x, surrounded by a faint hazy cloud.  125x resolves most members, with 35 faint *s counted at 150x.  Adjacent to 133 and King 14.
oc 0189:  5'. Brightest * mag. 10.9.  Medium rich, dense.  Near a mini-Cepheus, and oc 225.
oc 0225:  15'. Brightest * mag. 9.3.  40 stars at 83x.  Good for 6" and up.  Large and bright.
oc 0358:  3'. Asterism of 4 stars.  Faint group south, involved with a 2nd asterism.
oc 0366:  4'. Brightest * mag. 10. 4 bright and 4 dim stars at 200x.
oc 0381:  7'. Brightest * mag. 10. 30+ stars at 150x, resolved well.  Dense group.
oc 0443:  4'. Brightest * mag. 9.  At 125x I observed a mag. 9.5 orange * closely surrounded by a cloud of tiny, faint *s.  200x shows 12 *s immediately surrounding the bright one, but there are many more in a wider area, using125x.
oc 0436:  5'. Brightest * mag. 10.  Little brother to oc 457, it is very close and an easy star hop away.  Both objects seen together at low x.  30 *s at 150x. 

oc 0457:  Stunning object in virtually any instrument, this one does require a low to moderate power.  For my scope 83x was the ideal range.  I also saw it well in Deb's 6" at 84x.  Highlighted by 3 bright stars, it is a moderately rich group.  Worth coming back to often.  Makes a nice showpiece for star parties or beginning observers.  
oc 0559:  7'. Brightest * mag. 9.  100x resolves a rich, dense group.  Up to 250x shows about 50 *s.

oc 0581--M 103:  6'. Brightest * mag. 9.  Not an object to hurry over, especially with a 12".  Not as instantly likeable as M 52, nor as many stars, but it is still beautiful and quite rich.  The cluster remains bright, even at higher powers.  A yellow star on one end, an orange one near the middle and a triple on the opposite side of the yellow one make a nice beginning.  The cluster is quite dense but don't be put off.  Even a 6" shows the group well.
oc 0609:  3'. Brightest * mag. 14.  Located at 60x with averted vision, it is confirmed at 100x, but still haze.  125x begins to resolve this tiny cluster.  A challenging object to observe.
oc 0637:  3'. Brightest * mag. 8.  7 brighter *s seen at 100x, some in a curving line.  Fainter members resolve here with averted vision.  Up to 300x shows a circular, torque-shaped group with a dense knot in the preceding section.  There are 20 to 25 *s.
oc 0654:  Already rich and dense at 60x, the stars swarm around a yellow 7.5 mag. star.  This reminds me of a Berkeley cluster on steroids!  High power shows 30 faint members.
oc 0657:  7'.  Brightest * 7.1.  A dozen bright *s seen preceding a lovely bright, wide double, yellow and blue.
oc 0659:  6'.  Brightest * mag. 10.  Near a bright triangle of *s.  Curving line noted, encircling faint haze.  Two circles of stars, attached in the middle, with about 25 *s in their middle sections, mostly faint.  Resolved at 200x.  
oc 0663:  15'.  Brightest * mag.9.  An outstanding cluster in my 12" mirror!  Large and bright, I viewed it at 60, 100 and 125x.  Though a major showpiece in my scope, it is bright enough to be appreciated in almost any aperture.  A rich cluster, highly recommended.  Two pair of double stars, one on either side of the group, add interest.  Easy sweeping to 654 and 659.
oc 0743:  7'. Brightest * mag. 10.  Wedge-shape at low x.  Compact and medium rich.  Dense inner section resolves at 100x.
oc 0886:  14'. Brightest * mag. 11.  Framed by 2 *s, mag. 8.5 and 9.  12 cluster *s relatively bright, with many faint ones also.  25 *s counted in 2 wide lines.
oc 1027:  15'. Brightest * mag. 9.  Lovely at 60x, with a white mag. 7 * in the center, along with a 9.7 mag. pair.  Many other fainter *s surround these 3.  Large and scattered.  About 60 *s at 100x, mostly white.  There is a double line of *s, crescent-shaped and faint, following the main *.  Fine object.
oc 7654/M52:  16'. A deep sky wonder!  60x shows well. 125x resolves all. Also see Cz 43.
oc 7788:  4'.  Cone-shaped.  Pair with larger 7790.  20 *s at high power.
oc 7789:  25'.  One of the finest ocs!  For 6" or higher.  Do not miss!  Uncountable stars in 12".
oc 7790:  5'.  A must with a 12".  Middle of 3 clusters, including 7788.  Medium rich at high x.

...to be continued 
Mapman Mike



 

#62 2014: A Look Back

     It's now been just over two years since I purchased my Orion 12" Intelliscope and threw myself headlong back into amateur astronomy.  The past two years have been packed with fun and adventure, and in a month or two things will start again in earnest for hopefully another banner year.  Although my focus will continue to be the NGC catalog, I will explore all corners of a constellation, leaving no deep sky object or outstanding double star unobserved.

     

     2014 was an incredible year for my unique observing program, and for sheer number of nights of observing and total number of hours, it comes in second only to 2013.  I have been keeping records of my observations since 1968, and have had many very good years in there.  However, nothing compares to the quantity and quality of observations over the past two years.  Those two years have both had crappy beginnings (January is a fearsome month in Canada) and endings (November and December both years have been unbelievably cloudy, except near the full moons).  The middle parts of a year are sometimes not so great, either.  However, when we do get a good month, it can mean many hours of observing, including several nights in a row.  I am fortunate in that I can usually make use of any available clear night.

     So, what made 2014 special?  I set up the scope and observed 52 times!  Considering that there are about 180 available nights for some moonless observing, that means the ratio of clear nights to cloudy is about 1:3.6.  Not exactly ideal for a rabid astronomer, but it's the best Nature can do for me.  During those 52 nights, I stayed out for 165 hours of intense observing; on average just over three hours per session.

     In that time I was able to observe no less than 437 deep sky objects!  That's even better than last year, so my skills at locating objects have improved, and so has my observing eye.  Practice does make one better!  That's 2.6 objects per hour of observing, so I am not hurrying through the sky, but rather taking my time and enjoying the view, whatever might be in the eyepiece.

     How am I doing with my NGC project?  I observed 248 new (to me) NGC objects, and 27 from the IC.  In addition I was able to observe 83 objects from other catalogs, all listed on Uranometria 2000 charts.  I also reviewed 79 NGC/IC objects with the 12" that I had seen previously with my 8" Edmund reflector.  I do not yet have a final count of how many NGC objects I have logged in my life, but I am working on it (990, as of the end of 2014).  Also, I am working on a list of how many of these objects are possible from my location.  It's one thing to say that there are 7800+ objects up there, but many of those are in southern latitudes.  So I am compiling a to-do list of how many I can see from my latitude (42 degrees N).  I will report both of these figures in a future blog once they are complete.  I'm guessing that my life list is now at around 1,000 NGC objects, though likely short of that figure.

      What were the observing highlights of 2014 for me?  Certainly one had to be my increased skill guiding my scope and locating very faint objects.  I have been doing this for years now with my right eye, which is deteriorating rapidly due to a cataract.  I used to observe with my left eye, but it developed a cataract that ripened very quickly.  It (the cataract) was removed in November, so I am hoping to begin using a near-perfect eye for observing in 2015!  The limited amount of observing I have done with it already is very encouraging.  So finding faint fuzzies might be easier than ever in 2015!

     I made progress in Lepus and Monoceros towards the end of last winter, and hope to do so again this year.  Monoceros is so loaded down with fine objects, though most people only observe a few of them.  My jaunt through this area has been most rewarding, even though in winter I am usually stuck on my back deck, which is seriously light-polluted.

     In Spring my attention turns to Leo and then to Bootes, and last year it was a great year for both constellations.  Leo, sadly, passes through the Spring skies at breakneck speed, and it will take me years and years to finish work here.  Bootes, on the other hand, stays up there well into summer, so I should be able to finish up work here in two or three years.

     Last summer I was able to redo three constellations that I had very much enjoyed seeing with the Edmund 8".  Aquila, Delphinus and Sagitta are wonderful areas to explore with a 12" scope, and I really took my time observing here, even finding some of the faintest galaxies imaginable.  Resolving M 71 almost to the core was certainly a highlight for me!  Then I began work in Sagittarius, and I can't wait to get back here in 2015.  This might be my favourite constellation--it is loaded down with many of the finest deep sky objects anywhere, and I can access most of them from my latitude.  There are a few faint galaxies that will have to wait for a more southerly site.

      When autumn came around I finished up a few objects in Cassiopeia, then moved on to Cepheus.  I still have to do a summation essay of my work in Cassiopeia (watch for it here soon), and I have one page left to complete in Cepheus (about eight or nine objects).  I inched along in Cetus, and even did a bit of work in Taurus before the weather obliterated observations for the year.

     Finding a particular highlight is not possible.  Many of the nights were superb, and almost magical in their transparency and seeing.  It's the best possible feeling when you are setting up at sunset and you know it's going to be a great night!  Those are the nights that make the hobby worthwhile, and keep me coming back hoping for more of the same.  Whenever the weather clears up and warms a bit, I will resume work in Lepus and Monoceros.  I am anxious to get going, and hope that February will offer at least a few opportunities to observe without freezing conditions.  Usually I am fine for several hours if it isn't much colder than 25 F.  Much colder than that and things become more complicated, especially trying to keep fingers warm while changing eyepieces, scribbling notes and sketches, and keeping batteries alive on flashlights and the push-to computer.

     Clear skies to everyone hoping to observe in 2015!

Mapman Mike