#36 September/October 2013: Summary of Observing #7

It was quite a month of clear skies!  Of course there were 6 cloudy nights centered around new moon, an all-too familiar pattern around here.  But we managed 12 observing sessions beginning just before last quarter moon and continuing till first quarter.  That enabled me to finish up Cygnus, a project I thought would take at least two years.  I am also deep into Cassiopeia now, and beginning to flirt again with Cetus.

Deb and I have been observing a lot at the club's observatory location near Comber, ON Canada.  Though far from perfect, especially in the south and the northwest, overhead skies are superior on good nights.  For example, I was able to finally see the central star of the Ring Nebula in the 12"!  I was mighty pleased about that.  I was also able to glimpse the illusive IC galaxy 1296 for the first time, very close to M 57!  And I helped out a fellow member, whose 20" mirror is in for service, observe a 15.2 mag. variable star.  So it is no surprise that I located every object I went after except for one, a faint Berkeley cluster.

Here is what I accomplished in the past month.  If it seems like a lot, it is, but we put in hours and hours of observing.  12 sessions, with more than 48 hours at the eyepiece!  I observed 137 objects in Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Cetus and Lyra (only 2 in Lyra).  This includes:

20 double stars
66 NGC/IC objects (24 of them brand new to me)
51 clusters from other catalogues.

If that sounds like a lot, it is.  However, that's less than 3 objects per hour, so I am staying pretty true to my goal of not rushing through things.  Some faint objects take more time to hunt down than to observe and make notes about them, but the good ones deserve and get plenty of observing time from me.  I added 10 new sketches to my collection, too.  That's not nearly enough, but I already plan on revisiting certain objects next summer with the hope of drawing them at the eyepiece.

What were the highlights?  For Cygnus, see the previous blog entry, which summarizes the best of the whole constellation.  The two things I saw in Lyra were major accomplishments for me and my scope.  One was that central star in the Ring Nebula, M 57.  I have tried before, but on that one night everything clicked.  I saw it three separate times, mostly winking in and out, and best with averted vision.  I also saw the faint, nearby galaxy I 1296, which I had tried to see all summer.  Very faint and elusive, but unmistakeable at last!  There is only one NGC galaxy left in Lyra for me to see.  Maybe next year.

So I will mostly discuss Cassiopeia in this blog entry, and a bit of Cetus.  Cassiopeia is a truly amazing constellation, filled with some fine nebulae (though not on par with Cygnus), galaxies, planetary nebula and clusters.  Oh, those clusters!  Several of them are better than anything in Cygnus.

Cassiopeia Highlights

oc 457:  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 the 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 438 is very close by, showing about 30 stars at higher power.

 oc 581--M 103:  Not an object to hurry over, especially with a 12".  Not as instantly likeable as M 52, nor as many stars, 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 654:  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 663:  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.

oc I 166:  A cloud of extremely faint haze was noted just preceding a mag. 9 star.  Stars begin to resolve at 200x.  This looks like a job for a 16"!

oc St 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 5:  Another large, scattered cluster good at low to medium power.  Contains a star circle, and V781, an orange star.  Fine for all apertures.

oc Cr 463:  A huge group, best at 43x.  Widely scattered but rich in bright stars.

oc King 14:  The best of three 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 21:  An impressive number of stars can be seen at 125x and 150x.  The cluster is near a bright triple star.

I must mention one triple star.  Iota Cass. is not to be missed, looking splendid in both the 6" and the 12"!

Cetus

Six galaxies were observed in the lower part of Cetus, a difficult project for me.  Southern light pollution is a problem at the observatory, plus the fact that my scope is pointing just a bit higher than horizontal.

eg 47:  A bright star adjacent hampers views.  Best seen at 150x, when the star is out of the field.
eg 50: Noticeably elongated at 125x and 150x, especially using averted vision.
eg 54:  Very elongated at medium power.  Use averted vision.
eg 59:  Large and fairly bright, I only saw it one night, despite trying again a few times.
eg 61 A/B:  Seen as one big blob, I was expecting two separate galaxies.  Look for two "bright" centers, slightly apart but at different angles.

Clear skies to all!
Mapman Mike

#30: Cassiopeia Deep Sky: Prelude

     If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know by now that I am interested in observing as many NGC objects as I can.  The fact that I am in no real hurry, but will take my time observing each one, is a dead giveaway that I will never complete my project.  Even if I lived in New Mexico and had nearly year round access to great skies, my project would never be completed in my lifetime.  If I was interested in a mere glance at an object, and carried out marathon NGC observing sessions during clear nights, I might have a chance.  But as I have already indicated in an earlier post, this is not my idea of observing.  Of course there are many objects, faint galaxies for example, that do not require much observing time once located.  But there are so many wonders that repay long looks, using different eyepieces, and even involving some sketching, that observing more than 5 or 6 in one night is a challenging task for me.

     I have chosen several constellations to view as the seasons pass.  For late summer I will move on to Cygnus and Cassiopeia.  Later in the autumn I will return to studies of Cetus, then back into Lepus.  During the winter I will continue with Monoceros, then on to Leo once more in early spring, and Bootes later on.  I always have planned sessions ready at hand, though I often enjoy just wandering about up there, too.

     The deep sky objects of Cygnus were briefly discussed in the previous post.  Now it's Cassiopeia's turn.  Like Lyra (now completed) and Cygnus, my focus is on the NGC and IC objects.  However, since a 12" mirror can do so much more under a dark sky, I have also included clusters from other catalogues.  Many are very dim and small, but a few promise just as much fun and adventure as some of the better NGC objects.

     Cassiopeia has a grand total of 36 NGC objects, along with 11 IC ones.  These 47 objects are my main focus of interest.  29 of the NGC entries are open clusters, including M 52 and M 103 (and, of course, oc 7789!).  I can also look forward to 4 galaxies (2 already logged) and 3 galactic nebulae.

    The IC list adds 4 more open clusters, 4 nebulae, 2 planetaries and another galaxy. 

    In the "other" category come no less than 59 open clusters from catalogues besides the NGC.  It would appear that a few objects were overlooked back in the day by Dreyer and company!  Many of these, due to their faintness and small size, will get just a quick glimpse.  However, any special ones noted will get as much viewing time from me as an NGC object.

     I can therefore look forward to 92 open clusters, 7 galactic nebulae, 5 galaxies and 2 planetary nebulae in this wonderful constellation (100 deep sky objects!).  Using Uranometria All-Sky Edition, my clipboard notes are fully prepared, my mirror collimated and my eyepieces cleaned.  All I need now is a much later moonrise time and some great skies for observing.  Check back in mid-September to see how I am doing with my Cygnus and Cassiopeia project.

Mapman Mike