Observations of Sagittarius resumed on June 21st, 2015, wrapping up for good in early autumn. Here are the objects seen in 2015:
pn 6439: 14"; Vis. 12.6; Cent. * mag. 20.2: Though bright enough and easy to locate, the object is stellar up to 250x. It appears much smaller than the given size.
oc 6506: (Ru. 138): 6'; Br. * mag. 13; 20 *s: There seems to be a good argument for calling this 6506, though Uranometria uses only the Ruprecht designation. Whatever you wish to call it, it is a faint but attractive group in a 12" scope. The cluster shows up well at 125x, being pretty large and moderately rich. At 200x it is still a faint cluster, but well resolved. More than 30 stars were counted.
oc 6514--Messier 20: 30'; Vis. 6.3; Br. * mag. 6; 70 *s and
gn 6514--Messier 20: 20' x 20'; Emission and Reflection: South preceding Messier 21, it is an easy star hop between them. The cluster is not the highlight here, though it is attractive enough at 42x in the 2" eyepiece. The cluster and rich surrounding star field easily reach to Messier 21. The nebula is much fainter and considerably smaller than M8, and not that impressive without a filter. The brightest patch is north preceding the bright double star in the center. Even with a Skyglow filter at 120x the view is so-so. However, using my Orthoscopic eyepiece at 125x with an O3 filter the view is suddenly pretty amazing! The triffid pattern becomes very obvious, with the central close double star sitting in its midst. Not a showpiece of the same rank as M8, but one of the better gn nonetheless.
gn 6523--Messier 8: 45' x 30'; Emission: The Lagoon Nebula is a vast area of nebulosity, one of the wonders of the heavens! Best seen with a filter, I used a Skyglow and then an O111. Though spread far and wide, including across the main star cluster (see oc 6530, below), it climaxes following the cluster at a very bright, large knot of gas. Lines and swirls show vast amounts of detail, comparable to the Orion Nebula. 120x with a filter offers great views. Worth many return visits. I prefer the O111 filter here over the Skyglow. An outstanding object!
gn 6526: Mistakenly plotted on Uranometria! A huge error! There is nothing at the location plotted on the chart. 6526 is actually part of M8, and well attached to it. It comprises the southern portion of the nebula. Herschel's 1 degree error was mistakenly used by Uranometria. See write up for 6523, above.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6439.jpg
oc 6506: (Ru. 138): 6'; Br. * mag. 13; 20 *s: There seems to be a good argument for calling this 6506, though Uranometria uses only the Ruprecht designation. Whatever you wish to call it, it is a faint but attractive group in a 12" scope. The cluster shows up well at 125x, being pretty large and moderately rich. At 200x it is still a faint cluster, but well resolved. More than 30 stars were counted.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6506.jpg
oc 6514--Messier 20: 30'; Vis. 6.3; Br. * mag. 6; 70 *s and
gn 6514--Messier 20: 20' x 20'; Emission and Reflection: South preceding Messier 21, it is an easy star hop between them. The cluster is not the highlight here, though it is attractive enough at 42x in the 2" eyepiece. The cluster and rich surrounding star field easily reach to Messier 21. The nebula is much fainter and considerably smaller than M8, and not that impressive without a filter. The brightest patch is north preceding the bright double star in the center. Even with a Skyglow filter at 120x the view is so-so. However, using my Orthoscopic eyepiece at 125x with an O3 filter the view is suddenly pretty amazing! The triffid pattern becomes very obvious, with the central close double star sitting in its midst. Not a showpiece of the same rank as M8, but one of the better gn nonetheless.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6514.jpg
gn 6523--Messier 8: 45' x 30'; Emission: The Lagoon Nebula is a vast area of nebulosity, one of the wonders of the heavens! Best seen with a filter, I used a Skyglow and then an O111. Though spread far and wide, including across the main star cluster (see oc 6530, below), it climaxes following the cluster at a very bright, large knot of gas. Lines and swirls show vast amounts of detail, comparable to the Orion Nebula. 120x with a filter offers great views. Worth many return visits. I prefer the O111 filter here over the Skyglow. An outstanding object!
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6523.jpg
gn 6526: Mistakenly plotted on Uranometria! A huge error! There is nothing at the location plotted on the chart. 6526 is actually part of M8, and well attached to it. It comprises the southern portion of the nebula. Herschel's 1 degree error was mistakenly used by Uranometria. See write up for 6523, above.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6526.jpg
oc 6530: 15'; Vis. 4.6; Br. * mag. 6; 113 *s: The Lagoon Cluster is a lovely, roundish group of bright stars seen well at 60x, with most members resolving. At 100x the white stars are clothed in wisps of nebulosity. 120x shows more than 100 stars. The central area is relatively dense, but stars do branch out. A line of stars curves out from the center, north following.
oc 6531--Messier 21: 16'; Vis. 5.9; Br. * mag. 8; 100 *s: The central star is the brightest, and it is white, like most of the members. It lies amidst the densest section. Even at low power this is a very large group, and divided into differing segments. At 150x a resolved stellar necklace is quite captivating, with a bright star like a diamond part way around. The necklace lies just north of the bright central star. A busy but long and scattered group precedes the central area. Perhaps not a great Messier showpiece, but worth a stop for all apertures. About 25 stars are plotted in Uranometria Chart A 17. There are at least 3x that amount of stars as seen in the 12".
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6530.jpg
oc 6531--Messier 21: 16'; Vis. 5.9; Br. * mag. 8; 100 *s: The central star is the brightest, and it is white, like most of the members. It lies amidst the densest section. Even at low power this is a very large group, and divided into differing segments. At 150x a resolved stellar necklace is quite captivating, with a bright star like a diamond part way around. The necklace lies just north of the bright central star. A busy but long and scattered group precedes the central area. Perhaps not a great Messier showpiece, but worth a stop for all apertures. About 25 stars are plotted in Uranometria Chart A 17. There are at least 3x that amount of stars as seen in the 12".
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6531.jpg
pn 6537: 10"; Vis. 11.6; Cent. * mag. 18.8: Noted at 120x with a filter, it was quite faint. It showed a noticeable disc at 200x, while at 300x it shows an uneven, oval shape. It is gray-blue in colour, and was similar in magnitude to a preceding star.
gc 6544: 9'.2; Vis. 7.5; Br. * mag. 12.8: Easily located at 60x, it appeared as a large, hazy ball of brightness. 100x resolves a star in the center. 125x-200x gives some resolution when a perfect focus can be achieved. The center has a triangular shape at high power. A slightly misshapen Hyades-like star group is following. 250x gives pretty good resolution, elongated north-south. Individual stars and clumps of them are visible. Previously viewed with the 8" (1984!), it was resolved there, too, with high power.
oc 6546: 15'; Vis. mag. 8; Br. * mag. 10.6; 150 *s: Viewed at 60x and 100x, this is a rich, large and widely scattered open cluster. Many bright stars are intermingled with dimmer ones. A bright triangle of stars is involved, on the following side. At 120x I noticed two very faint pairs of close doubles near the center. Recommended.
gc 6553: 9'.2; Vis. 8.3; Br. * mag. 15.3: Like its predecessor 6544, this globular cluster is very bright at 60x. It appears fan-shaped, the wide end north. At 100x a bright star is seen at its north end. 125x does show some resolution in the outer sections, using averted vision. The core is very bright. It was viewed up to 250x. While overall resolution was not much improved, the object is still very bright. Previously viewed with the 8", it was found to be dimmer and smaller than 6544. 112x power was the highest that could be used back then, though some outer resolution was noted.
gc 6558: 4'.2; Vis. 8.6: Spotted at 60x, it was smaller and fainter than 6569 (see below). At 100x and 150x the core is small but now pretty bright. 187x and 200x resolve a very few outliers, quietly winking in and out using averted vision.
gn 6559: 8'x5'; Emission: A bit of haze involved with a very small star cluster. A Skyglow filter was required to see anything. It is quite small.
pn 6563: 48"; Vis. 11; Cent. * mag. 17.3: This was a fun way to begin a night's observing (Aug. 16th). At 60x the object was medium large and quite dim. It was seen better at 100x. next 120x with the skyglow filter, where the brightness seemed uneven, with the preceding edge a bit brighter. It was round, and no dark center was noted. Though 150x gave good views, 187x with filter was quite lovely. 200x on its own showed the nebula as faint, but still glowing. A crescent of faint stars precedes the object.
oc 6568: 12'; Vis. 8.6; 50 *s: This is a bit of a minor showpiece in the 12". At 60x it is a rich, medium-dense group. It becomes a bit scattered at 83x, but with a busy central area. At 100x the cluster is well resolved, becoming large and quite spread out. Many of the members are of uniform brightness (mag. 11?). 125x shows a circle and a half circle of stars.
gc 6569: 6'.4; Vis. 8.4; Br. * mag. 17.1: Located at 60x, it was faint but impressively large. 100x show a very faint star just north. The three classic levels of brightness were observed: a small, very bright core; a larger area of somewhat less intensity around the core; and the largest area, mostly faint haze that gradually fades to sky background. At 150x several outliers were resolved, especially south. 187x and 200x shows a small, intense core, still pretty bright, with 6-8 stars now resolved close to it.
oc 6573: 6'; 40 *s: I was tired when I arrived at my final object of this particular observing night. Though not a great cluster, at least it wasn't difficult to observe. Viewed at 60x, 100x and 120x, I saw a large, uneven oval of brighter stars, preceded by a very compact, dense group of them. At 187x 40+ stars are seen, not counting a 3rd area, a busy attachment to the north.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6537.jpg
gc 6544: 9'.2; Vis. 7.5; Br. * mag. 12.8: Easily located at 60x, it appeared as a large, hazy ball of brightness. 100x resolves a star in the center. 125x-200x gives some resolution when a perfect focus can be achieved. The center has a triangular shape at high power. A slightly misshapen Hyades-like star group is following. 250x gives pretty good resolution, elongated north-south. Individual stars and clumps of them are visible. Previously viewed with the 8" (1984!), it was resolved there, too, with high power.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6544.jpg
oc 6546: 15'; Vis. mag. 8; Br. * mag. 10.6; 150 *s: Viewed at 60x and 100x, this is a rich, large and widely scattered open cluster. Many bright stars are intermingled with dimmer ones. A bright triangle of stars is involved, on the following side. At 120x I noticed two very faint pairs of close doubles near the center. Recommended.
gc 6553: 9'.2; Vis. 8.3; Br. * mag. 15.3: Like its predecessor 6544, this globular cluster is very bright at 60x. It appears fan-shaped, the wide end north. At 100x a bright star is seen at its north end. 125x does show some resolution in the outer sections, using averted vision. The core is very bright. It was viewed up to 250x. While overall resolution was not much improved, the object is still very bright. Previously viewed with the 8", it was found to be dimmer and smaller than 6544. 112x power was the highest that could be used back then, though some outer resolution was noted.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6553.jpg
gc 6558: 4'.2; Vis. 8.6: Spotted at 60x, it was smaller and fainter than 6569 (see below). At 100x and 150x the core is small but now pretty bright. 187x and 200x resolve a very few outliers, quietly winking in and out using averted vision.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6558.jpg
gn 6559: 8'x5'; Emission: A bit of haze involved with a very small star cluster. A Skyglow filter was required to see anything. It is quite small.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6559.jpg
pn 6563: 48"; Vis. 11; Cent. * mag. 17.3: This was a fun way to begin a night's observing (Aug. 16th). At 60x the object was medium large and quite dim. It was seen better at 100x. next 120x with the skyglow filter, where the brightness seemed uneven, with the preceding edge a bit brighter. It was round, and no dark center was noted. Though 150x gave good views, 187x with filter was quite lovely. 200x on its own showed the nebula as faint, but still glowing. A crescent of faint stars precedes the object.
pn 6563
oc 6568: 12'; Vis. 8.6; 50 *s: This is a bit of a minor showpiece in the 12". At 60x it is a rich, medium-dense group. It becomes a bit scattered at 83x, but with a busy central area. At 100x the cluster is well resolved, becoming large and quite spread out. Many of the members are of uniform brightness (mag. 11?). 125x shows a circle and a half circle of stars.
gc 6569: 6'.4; Vis. 8.4; Br. * mag. 17.1: Located at 60x, it was faint but impressively large. 100x show a very faint star just north. The three classic levels of brightness were observed: a small, very bright core; a larger area of somewhat less intensity around the core; and the largest area, mostly faint haze that gradually fades to sky background. At 150x several outliers were resolved, especially south. 187x and 200x shows a small, intense core, still pretty bright, with 6-8 stars now resolved close to it.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6569.jpg
oc 6573: 6'; 40 *s: I was tired when I arrived at my final object of this particular observing night. Though not a great cluster, at least it wasn't difficult to observe. Viewed at 60x, 100x and 120x, I saw a large, uneven oval of brighter stars, preceded by a very compact, dense group of them. At 187x 40+ stars are seen, not counting a 3rd area, a busy attachment to the north.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6573.jpg
pn 6578: 11"; Vis. 12.9; Cent. * mag. 15.8: Two double stars are noted north preceding Star 17. The north-most pair contains the planetary nebula, itself being the north-most star. Up to 300x shows a round, distinct hazy patch, almost stellar but not quite. Viewed at 120x, 200x and 250x also.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6578.jpg
oc 6583: 5'; Vis. 10: A small hazy patch was noted at 60x. 100x resolves a few central stars, with 120x showing the same. 150x gives fair resolution with averted vision. The group is very faint and very tight. 187x shows more stars resolving, as does 200x. Though resolved well here, there is still haze in behind. Up to 250x gives good results, with 18-20 stars showing. A prominent north-south chain of stars passes through the center. 3 bright stars in a curving line are located just south of the group. This is a challenge to resolve in my southern sky.
oc 6596: 10'; 30 *s: It took a few moments to positively id this fine little cluster, south preceding Messier 17. It was viewed at 60x, 100x and 150x. In the 12" it is a fairly scattered group of bright stars, at low power. The brightest member is in the north central area and has several faint and close double stars near it. In all, there are about 15 brighter stars, and about the same number of faint ones. Undoubtedly overshadowed by nearby M17 and M18, it is nonetheless worth a stopover.
oc 6613--Messier 18: 7'; Vis 6.9; Br. * mag. 8.6; 40 *s: Hardly a standout amongst open clusters, its unusual shape and bright members do make it a worthwhile stopover, just south of showpiece object M 17. The cluster is elongated, and has a large number of bright members. Views at 60x, 100x, 150x and 187x all give good views. A few areas of denser, faint stars are of interest with a larger aperture.
oc/gn 6618--Messier 17: 20' x 15', Emission Nebula: Cluster is 27'; Vis. mag. 6; Br. * mag. 9.3; 660 *s: The "Swan," "Omega," or "Horseshoe" Nebula is one of the major sights available to amateurs. It looks fine in binoculars, small telescopes, medium telescopes, and larger ones. It also looks completely amazing without a filter, but for a truly immersive 3D experience, by all means add a filter. My Skyglow filter worked perfectly, and I enjoyed long, lingering views, spending at least 40 minutes here tonight. So much detail comes to the eye that one is left bewildered. Two areas of intense brightness can be observed along the northern rim, or lower body of the swan. Filaments and feathery detail abound, and I need to get in at much higher powers here again. At times it seems to equal, or nearly so, the Great Nebula in Orion. The star cluster is mostly invisible to viewers, but a nice group can be seen north, beneath the swimming body of the swan. Here lies an impressive array of new-born stars, all bright and white and super hot. Millions of years in the making, and still largely a work in progress, M17 is a don't miss viewing event. Take your time and enjoy your visit, and come back often!
gc 6624: 8'.8; Vis. 7.6; Br. * mag. 14: Spotted easily at 60x, it was very bright and quite large. The cluster was even larger at 100x, with the outer haze very mottled. At 150x the full expanse of the outer haze can be seen, with 2 or 3 winking stars. At 187x a few more stars begin to pop out. 200x and 250x show more than a dozen stars popping in and out with averted vision. The core is still blazing.
gc 6637--Messier 69: 9'.8; Vis. mag. 7.7; Br. * mag. 13.7: At 60x Messier 69 is compact and very bright. At 100x a few stars are resolving. 150x gives sparse resolution across a broad area. 187x continues to improve the number of stars now showing. At 200x and 250x some stars are resolved to the core. The core itself is now becoming clumpy. Dark lanes appear in the main mass, which is still bright.
gc 6642: 6'; Vis. 8.5; Br. * mag. 13.3: Easy to locate at 60x, closely south following M 69, and immediately south following a mag. 7 star, white. 100x showed a very bright center and a mottled outer area. 150x clearly shows a notable "bright" star preceding the cluster, with others resolving following. 187x, 200x, and 250x gives fair to good resolution, with the bright core breaking up into dense knots. This would be an amazing object from a more southerly vantage poiont. Though dimmer and smaller than M69, it is still impressive in a 12" mirror.
oc 6645: 15'; Vis. 8.5; Br. * mag. 12; 40 *s: At 60x this large cluster of many faint stars is already a beauty! Though there is good resolution already, there is more to come. At 100x this object is a gem! Two bright stars immediately following the cluster point northwest. The south star is mag. 8 and the preceding one is 8.5. The cluster really spreads out a lot at 100x, and there is dense central area with a conspicuous double. A circular group of stars is in the north section, and there is another large area with many faint stars preceding, also somewhat circular. At 150x and 187x I zoomed in on two dense areas just preceding and the other one following the central double star, now a triple. Though spread out, the cluster is still fun to observe at 200x. Highly recommended!
oc 6681--Messier 70: 8'; Vis. 7.8; Br. * mag. 13:
Large, bright and conspicuous at 60x, some resolution already begins at
100x. 150x gives fair resolution, especially south preceding the core.
187x, 200x, and 250x shows some good resolution, right to the edge of
the small, very bright inner core. There is generally good resolution
throughout the faint, surrounding haze. An interesting line of mag. 9
and 9.5 stars can be seen south following.
gc 6715--Messier 54: 12'; Vis. 7.7; Br. * mag. 15.2: It is very bright and compact at 60x. Lying at -30.5 degrees, it was my highest viewed object tonight in Sagittarius (Sept. 5th). At 100x the globular cluster suddenly appeared much larger, especially the surrounding outer haze. 187x shows a fair number of stars resolving, all in the outer areas. At high power the core is stellar. M54 may turn out to be quite different from other globulars--its stellar make-up indicates it may once have been the core to a galaxy that collided with ours!
oc 6716: 10'; Vis. 7.5; Br. * 8.3; 38*s: Located at 60x, an S-curve of bright stars was noted, coming to a busy end like the distorted head of a small dragon. 100x resolves the cluster nicely. 125x shows this fun group well, with 30+ stars.
gc 6717: 5'.4; Vis. 8.4; Br. * mag. 14: First spotted at 42x, very close to bright star 35. At 100x the cluster was large but hazy, as the viewer is nearly blinded by the 5 mag. star in the field. At 200x the cluster resolves into stars and bright clumps at the center. There is good resolution at 250x. Worth a visit.
gc 6723: 13'; Vis. 6.8; Br. * mag. 12.8: This is a faint but enormous object, just north of the border of Corona Australis at -36.6 declination. A 9 mag. star sits just south of the cluster. Though still faint at 100x, it is impressively big! 150x, 187x and 200x give resolution all across the object. Again, this globular star cluster needs to be seen about 10 degrees higher in the sky.
oc 6774: 20'; Br. * mag. 9; 25 *s: The cluster is big and bright at 60x. The stars are widely scattered but distinct and obviously a group. The central area contains many fainter stars. At 100x the cluster fills the eyepiece with stars. North following is a pair of double stars that should not be missed!
gc 6809--Messier 55: 19'; Vis. 6.3; Br. * mag. 11.2: This enormous but faint globular cluster was already resolving well at 60x. It appears to be quietly glowing from the center. 100x gives good resolution to the center, especially the area north preceding. 150x, 187x, 200x, and 250x show an uncountable number of stars, clearly resolved and still resolving. There is still unresolved haze in the background, however. A faint but overwhelming object! Watching it creep past the field of view at 250x is a special event!
eg 6816: 1'.2 x 0'.8: Vis. & SB mag. 12.7: I had tried 3x for this object, and was finally successful! Normally an object like this would be a piece of cake, but at -18.5 degrees it is my most southerly sighting of a small, faint galaxy in this constellation. Spotted at 150x between two north south stars, it was very faint, round but had a bright core. Views were had up to 250x.
pn 6818: 46"; Vis. 9.3; Cent. * mag. 16.9: Viewed at 60x and all the way through 375x, it remained bright at all powers and was large. A central hole was obvious from 100x up. Three faint stars frame the object, which is slightly bluish. This should look good in any size of scope. Amazingly bright; no filter required.
eg 6822: 15'.5 x 13'.5: Vis. 8.7; SB 14.4: Forget the visual mag. listing and focus instead on the surface brightness. Barely noticed at 43x with averted vision, ti was somewhat easier to see at 60x. It is very large and oval, and seems to include a large number of foreground stars. 100x still shows it well, but at 8" of aperture I required averted vision, and only saw the center, which is noticeably brighter. We could not find it in Deb's 6". A fun object to try and find.
eg 6835: 2'.3 x 0'.5: Vis. 12.5; SB 12.5: The galaxy is already a nice elliptical at 60x. At 100x and 150x there is a faint star following. The galaxy has a stellar core and overall it appears much brighter than 6836, below. Higher powers to 250x show a long, thin object with averted vision. the middle bulge is still bright.
eg 6836: 1'.5 x 1'.3: Vis. 12.9; SB 13.5: This one was tricky, but seen with averted vision at 100x and 150x. A 9.5 mag. star is preceding, and the galaxy is just south of 6835, which is much brighter. 36 is large, round and pretty faint up to 250x. The center is marginally brighter.
eg 6841: 1'.5 x 1'.4; Vis. 12.6; SB 13.4: Looked for on previous nights, tonight (Sept. 13th) I saw it at 100x! At 150x, 187x and 200x it was slightly oval and had a bright center. It was pretty small but unmistakable, south of a triangle of faint stars. Located at nearly -32 degrees, which is pretty good for my not so great south horizon!
oc 6864:--Messier 75: 6'.8; Vis. mag. 8.6; Br. * mag. 14.6: Spotted at 60x as a very bright, glowing ball. At 100x the larger, fainter haze surrounding the main area can be seen, extending out to a brighter star nearby. At 125x and 150x a few outliers begin to resolve. 187x shows the haze as mottled, with the full extent of the cluster easily seen. The core is blazing! Also viewed at 200x, 250x, and 300x, the center is still very bright. Only a very few stars are resolved.
gn I. 1274: Some haze surrounds a bright star, which is at the very north end.
gn I. 1275: 10' x 6'; Emission: Very faint haze is noted near and between some of the brighter stars.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6583.jpg
oc 6596: 10'; 30 *s: It took a few moments to positively id this fine little cluster, south preceding Messier 17. It was viewed at 60x, 100x and 150x. In the 12" it is a fairly scattered group of bright stars, at low power. The brightest member is in the north central area and has several faint and close double stars near it. In all, there are about 15 brighter stars, and about the same number of faint ones. Undoubtedly overshadowed by nearby M17 and M18, it is nonetheless worth a stopover.
oc 6596
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6613.jpg
oc/gn 6618--Messier 17: 20' x 15', Emission Nebula: Cluster is 27'; Vis. mag. 6; Br. * mag. 9.3; 660 *s: The "Swan," "Omega," or "Horseshoe" Nebula is one of the major sights available to amateurs. It looks fine in binoculars, small telescopes, medium telescopes, and larger ones. It also looks completely amazing without a filter, but for a truly immersive 3D experience, by all means add a filter. My Skyglow filter worked perfectly, and I enjoyed long, lingering views, spending at least 40 minutes here tonight. So much detail comes to the eye that one is left bewildered. Two areas of intense brightness can be observed along the northern rim, or lower body of the swan. Filaments and feathery detail abound, and I need to get in at much higher powers here again. At times it seems to equal, or nearly so, the Great Nebula in Orion. The star cluster is mostly invisible to viewers, but a nice group can be seen north, beneath the swimming body of the swan. Here lies an impressive array of new-born stars, all bright and white and super hot. Millions of years in the making, and still largely a work in progress, M17 is a don't miss viewing event. Take your time and enjoy your visit, and come back often!
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/dss_n6600.asp
gc 6624: 8'.8; Vis. 7.6; Br. * mag. 14: Spotted easily at 60x, it was very bright and quite large. The cluster was even larger at 100x, with the outer haze very mottled. At 150x the full expanse of the outer haze can be seen, with 2 or 3 winking stars. At 187x a few more stars begin to pop out. 200x and 250x show more than a dozen stars popping in and out with averted vision. The core is still blazing.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6624.jpg
gc 6637--Messier 69: 9'.8; Vis. mag. 7.7; Br. * mag. 13.7: At 60x Messier 69 is compact and very bright. At 100x a few stars are resolving. 150x gives sparse resolution across a broad area. 187x continues to improve the number of stars now showing. At 200x and 250x some stars are resolved to the core. The core itself is now becoming clumpy. Dark lanes appear in the main mass, which is still bright.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6637.jpg
gc 6642: 6'; Vis. 8.5; Br. * mag. 13.3: Easy to locate at 60x, closely south following M 69, and immediately south following a mag. 7 star, white. 100x showed a very bright center and a mottled outer area. 150x clearly shows a notable "bright" star preceding the cluster, with others resolving following. 187x, 200x, and 250x gives fair to good resolution, with the bright core breaking up into dense knots. This would be an amazing object from a more southerly vantage poiont. Though dimmer and smaller than M69, it is still impressive in a 12" mirror.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6642.jpg
oc 6645: 15'; Vis. 8.5; Br. * mag. 12; 40 *s: At 60x this large cluster of many faint stars is already a beauty! Though there is good resolution already, there is more to come. At 100x this object is a gem! Two bright stars immediately following the cluster point northwest. The south star is mag. 8 and the preceding one is 8.5. The cluster really spreads out a lot at 100x, and there is dense central area with a conspicuous double. A circular group of stars is in the north section, and there is another large area with many faint stars preceding, also somewhat circular. At 150x and 187x I zoomed in on two dense areas just preceding and the other one following the central double star, now a triple. Though spread out, the cluster is still fun to observe at 200x. Highly recommended!
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6681.jpg
gc 6715--Messier 54: 12'; Vis. 7.7; Br. * mag. 15.2: It is very bright and compact at 60x. Lying at -30.5 degrees, it was my highest viewed object tonight in Sagittarius (Sept. 5th). At 100x the globular cluster suddenly appeared much larger, especially the surrounding outer haze. 187x shows a fair number of stars resolving, all in the outer areas. At high power the core is stellar. M54 may turn out to be quite different from other globulars--its stellar make-up indicates it may once have been the core to a galaxy that collided with ours!
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6715.jpg
oc 6716: 10'; Vis. 7.5; Br. * 8.3; 38*s: Located at 60x, an S-curve of bright stars was noted, coming to a busy end like the distorted head of a small dragon. 100x resolves the cluster nicely. 125x shows this fun group well, with 30+ stars.
gc 6717: 5'.4; Vis. 8.4; Br. * mag. 14: First spotted at 42x, very close to bright star 35. At 100x the cluster was large but hazy, as the viewer is nearly blinded by the 5 mag. star in the field. At 200x the cluster resolves into stars and bright clumps at the center. There is good resolution at 250x. Worth a visit.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6717.jpg
gc 6723: 13'; Vis. 6.8; Br. * mag. 12.8: This is a faint but enormous object, just north of the border of Corona Australis at -36.6 declination. A 9 mag. star sits just south of the cluster. Though still faint at 100x, it is impressively big! 150x, 187x and 200x give resolution all across the object. Again, this globular star cluster needs to be seen about 10 degrees higher in the sky.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6723.jpg
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6774.jpg
gc 6809--Messier 55: 19'; Vis. 6.3; Br. * mag. 11.2: This enormous but faint globular cluster was already resolving well at 60x. It appears to be quietly glowing from the center. 100x gives good resolution to the center, especially the area north preceding. 150x, 187x, 200x, and 250x show an uncountable number of stars, clearly resolved and still resolving. There is still unresolved haze in the background, however. A faint but overwhelming object! Watching it creep past the field of view at 250x is a special event!
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6809.jpg
eg 6816: 1'.2 x 0'.8: Vis. & SB mag. 12.7: I had tried 3x for this object, and was finally successful! Normally an object like this would be a piece of cake, but at -18.5 degrees it is my most southerly sighting of a small, faint galaxy in this constellation. Spotted at 150x between two north south stars, it was very faint, round but had a bright core. Views were had up to 250x.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6816.jpg
pn 6818: 46"; Vis. 9.3; Cent. * mag. 16.9: Viewed at 60x and all the way through 375x, it remained bright at all powers and was large. A central hole was obvious from 100x up. Three faint stars frame the object, which is slightly bluish. This should look good in any size of scope. Amazingly bright; no filter required.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6818.jpg
eg 6822: 15'.5 x 13'.5: Vis. 8.7; SB 14.4: Forget the visual mag. listing and focus instead on the surface brightness. Barely noticed at 43x with averted vision, ti was somewhat easier to see at 60x. It is very large and oval, and seems to include a large number of foreground stars. 100x still shows it well, but at 8" of aperture I required averted vision, and only saw the center, which is noticeably brighter. We could not find it in Deb's 6". A fun object to try and find.
eg 6822
http://www.astrosurf.com/antilhue/NGC6822LRGBhi.jpg
eg 6836: 1'.5 x 1'.3: Vis. 12.9; SB 13.5: This one was tricky, but seen with averted vision at 100x and 150x. A 9.5 mag. star is preceding, and the galaxy is just south of 6835, which is much brighter. 36 is large, round and pretty faint up to 250x. The center is marginally brighter.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6836.jpg
eg 6841: 1'.5 x 1'.4; Vis. 12.6; SB 13.4: Looked for on previous nights, tonight (Sept. 13th) I saw it at 100x! At 150x, 187x and 200x it was slightly oval and had a bright center. It was pretty small but unmistakable, south of a triangle of faint stars. Located at nearly -32 degrees, which is pretty good for my not so great south horizon!
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6841.jpg
oc 6864:--Messier 75: 6'.8; Vis. mag. 8.6; Br. * mag. 14.6: Spotted at 60x as a very bright, glowing ball. At 100x the larger, fainter haze surrounding the main area can be seen, extending out to a brighter star nearby. At 125x and 150x a few outliers begin to resolve. 187x shows the haze as mottled, with the full extent of the cluster easily seen. The core is blazing! Also viewed at 200x, 250x, and 300x, the center is still very bright. Only a very few stars are resolved.
http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6864.jpg
gn I. 1274: Some haze surrounds a bright star, which is at the very north end.
gn I. 1275: 10' x 6'; Emission: Very faint haze is noted near and between some of the brighter stars.
gn I. 1283: 17' x 15'; Reflection and Emission: Without a filter one can observe a faint but large nebula surrounding 2 bright stars (the south one is a triple star). gn 6589 and 6590 can be seen in the same low power field (see Sagittarius Part 1). With a Skyglow filter the nebula is seen especially well near the south star and vicinity, but also between the two stars.
eg I. 1309: 0'.9 x 0'.7: Vis. 14.2; SB 13.6: Briefly seen on Sept. 14th before clouds arrived, tonight was a better, more leisurely look. It was spotted north of a mag. 7.5 star, first at 100x. 150x shows bright center, and it was a pretty dim haze around it. It appears oval at 187x, but becomes very faint. It seems pretty big at 200x with averted vision, though faint.
pn I. 4670: 5"; Vis. 12; Central * mag. 14.7: I was not expecting to see more than a star. However, the nebula was picked up at 100x as a suspicious bluish-grey object, nearly stellar. Observed at 150x and 200x, it is very faint. A mag. 13 (?) star lies very close--there is also a 10.6 mag. star further away. 150x shows a tiny circle of nebula, which is seen better at 200x. The object is stellar when not using averted vision.
eg I. 1309: 0'.9 x 0'.7: Vis. 14.2; SB 13.6: Briefly seen on Sept. 14th before clouds arrived, tonight was a better, more leisurely look. It was spotted north of a mag. 7.5 star, first at 100x. 150x shows bright center, and it was a pretty dim haze around it. It appears oval at 187x, but becomes very faint. It seems pretty big at 200x with averted vision, though faint.
pn I. 4670: 5"; Vis. 12; Central * mag. 14.7: I was not expecting to see more than a star. However, the nebula was picked up at 100x as a suspicious bluish-grey object, nearly stellar. Observed at 150x and 200x, it is very faint. A mag. 13 (?) star lies very close--there is also a 10.6 mag. star further away. 150x shows a tiny circle of nebula, which is seen better at 200x. The object is stellar when not using averted vision.
http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ic46a.htm#ic4670
gn I. 4684:
3' x 2': Reflection: No nebula is visible. A very close double star is
here, and another pair is south. Photos show only the vaguest of haze.
gn I. 4685: Invisible.
gn I. 4706: First view shows a pair of 9.5 mag. stars, the preceding one having a faint companion. Both stars have faint traces of reflection nebula around them. The stars form the start of a faint star bridge leading to M17.
pn I. 4776: 18"; Vis. 10.8; Cent. * mag. 14.1: Obviously an error given in the size from the guide to Uranometria. Probably 8" was meant. It was stellar up to 223x, perhaps bluer than other nearby stars. Disappointing.
In a third and final installment of the Sagittarius deep sky project I will discuss the non-NGC/IC objects I was able to view. Clear skies!
Mapman Mike
http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ic46a.htm#ic4684
gn I. 4685: Invisible.
gn I. 4706: First view shows a pair of 9.5 mag. stars, the preceding one having a faint companion. Both stars have faint traces of reflection nebula around them. The stars form the start of a faint star bridge leading to M17.
http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ic47.htm#ic4706
pn I. 4776: 18"; Vis. 10.8; Cent. * mag. 14.1: Obviously an error given in the size from the guide to Uranometria. Probably 8" was meant. It was stellar up to 223x, perhaps bluer than other nearby stars. Disappointing.
http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ic47a.htm#ic4776
In a third and final installment of the Sagittarius deep sky project I will discuss the non-NGC/IC objects I was able to view. Clear skies!
Mapman Mike
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