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
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
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