#50 Summer Observing Plans, 2014

With spring galaxy season officially ended (for me it finally ended last night, when I logged a tiny, faint one in Bootes), it is time to bring on the summer milky way and all of the awesome areas of sky contained within. Last summer I enjoyed quite a lot of clear skies, and was able to begin and finish detailed deep sky observations of Lyra and Cygnus, as well as nearly finish Cassiopeia.  The summer constellations are "up there" a lot longer than those of any other season, thanks to the increasing level of darkness creeping back into our lives.  Combined with generally nicer weather, many of us spend entire nights observing in July, August, and September.  I have already observed most of the summer sky with my previous 8" scope, and I am now having another go with my 12".

My summer plans include observing all of the NGC and IC objects in Aquila, Delphinus, and Sagitta, and also getting a start in Sagittarius.  Hundreds of deep sky objects await, many of them completely new to me.  I have also included all of the open clusters from other catalogs shown on Uranometria 2000, as well as the occasional globular cluster and planetary nebula.  My main goal, however, is the NGC list.  Double stars are not forgotten, as I will go back and review some of the best ones seen previously, along with several I could not split with the 8", or could not find back in the day.  Refer to my earliest blogs for exactly how I go about setting up my observing lists. It's an old-fashioned way, but keeps me entertained for hours on cloudy nights and weekends.

I've already had a good start in Aquila, logging four open clusters last night, including 6709.  There are also three (less impressive) clusters in the immediate vicinity.  However, by star hopping to them from 6709 I got to see a lot of lovely star fields, and got to know another small part of the sky very well.  On previous nights I viewed oc 6755 and 6756, along with other open clusters, a few globulars and planetaries, a variable star and a double.  Since I spent April, May and June hunting down (mostly) faint galaxies, it is pure joy to behold the wonders of the Milky Way once again.  I especially like viewing open clusters, and the 12" has revealed them to me in ways only that level of aperture could.  6709, for example, is a minor treasure in my scope, and I spent a very long time last night enjoying the sight.  I began at 43x, and slowly worked my way up to 200x, stopping off for lengthy views at 60x, 83x, 100x, 125x, 150x, and 187x.  Each view gave a new perspective, and it was like arriving amidst the cluster in a spaceship, having begun some distance away. Once deep inside the cluster, I pulled away again and enjoyed low power views.  Believe me, this is a fun way to spend a night!  Afterwards, once the notes are in the logbook, I go back and compare what I saw now with what I saw years ago with the 8".

My wife and observing partner, Deb, has her own method of tracking down deep sky objects.  Deb now has about a year of solo observing under her belt, after assisting me with sketches at the eyepiece for decades.  She started with our Astroscan 4 1/4" RFT, locating all of the Messier objects to boost her driving and hunting skills. Once she had completed that project, she upgraded to an Orion Starblast 6".  That is one fine little telescope, with some of the sharpest views of stars and deep sky objects I have ever seen.  It more than holds its own against all the super expensive 5" refractors that come out to the observatory to observe. It's only drawback is that it does not accept 2" eyepieces. 

Right now Deb is completing her NGC globular cluster project.  Previous to this she took on Spring galaxies. Her next project, just currently getting underway, is finding open clusters within a specific size and magnitude. Basically she observes a large selection of objects in one category (galaxy, open, or globular cluster) and does a comparative study.  She observes each object with the same three eyepieces, comparing size, brightness and ease of finding and seeing the object.  So she is now an expert observer of galaxies and globular clusters using a 6" reflector.

Because we travel to the observatory in one vehicle, and because my 12" scope takes up a lot of the cargo room, Deb is limited to a 6" aperture, though she is often more than happy to take a peek through the 12". Sometimes we have fun by observing the same object at the same time in both scopes, comparing the views.

As always, I am interested in hearing about other observing methods.  Just remember to have a peek at what else may lie around that deep sky object you are looking at, especially if it lies in the Milky Way.  Star chains, small but colourful double stars, tiny asterisms... it's fun to be surprised by uncateloged, undiscovered wonders, too. Happy summer observing!

Mapman Mike

#45 Two Spring Globular Clusters

          Any seasoned observer knows that Spring is galaxy season.  The skies are rich with bright galaxies, and armed with a 6” telescope the best and brightest can be enjoyed.  With our club’s 14” scope (RASC Windsor), most of the fainter NGC list can be picked off, too.  Uranometria 2000 lists over 26,000 galaxies and/or galaxy clusters in its charts, a daunting task for any one person to observe or photograph.  Until summer constellations begin to rise later in the night, there is not much to see in the way of clusters.  In a future Spring post, I would like to discuss in greater detail some of the galaxy wonders of Leo, and not just the one famous triplet, but a number of other “triplets” as well.

            This time, however, I am turning to a pair of globular clusters, one of them a highlight of the entire flock.  Uranometria 2000 plots 170 globulars, including those inside the Magellenic Clouds.  I’m not certain how many are observable from northern latitudes, but it seems reasonable to assume that observing the entire viewable list is not too daunting a task.  We all know that the summer sky is crowded with globulars, though after seeing too many in short order they can tend to look somewhat similar, at least in smaller scopes. 

If you did not catch the recent Hubble view of M5 published in APOD on April 25^{th 2014} you should stop reading now and go take a look ("Astronomy Picture of the Day").  Hubble’s view of M5 is the perfect image of this object type, and the image we are all seeking when we go to the eyepiece, whether with a 6” mirror or a 36”.  I am convinced that globular clusters alone are responsible for most of us wanting bigger and bigger mirrors at our disposal.

            M5 is not well placed in early spring skies, but a worthy competitor is.  M3 (gc 5272) is one of the finest globulars in the sky, and makes a very refreshing sight after viewing so many galaxies.  Finding M3 is easy.  Locate Arcturus, and then nearby Eta (just south preceding it, mag. 2.5).  Make Arcturus and Eta the east-west baseline for a right-angle triangle, shooting north twice the distance of that baseline (see map, below: note M53 is also shown, but is not part of this discussion).  At a visual mag. of 6.3, even in binoculars M3 is impressive.  It resolves nicely in a 6” mirror, and in my 12” at 170x I’m beginning to get that Hubble feeling.  The main body spreads out over 18’, though outliers go well beyond.  The brightest star is mag. 12.7, so in a really dark sky smaller scopes will partially resolve this cluster nicely.

            By comparison, the second globular is much harder to see and resolve.  GC 5466 can be located 25’ following M3, and looks impressive enough on paper.  Its combined visual mag. is 9.2.  However, it is spread out over 9’ and the brightest star is only mag. 13.8.  In a great sky this one is barely visible in a 6” scope, and I have swept past it with the 12”.  Once located, it provides another wonderful lesson in interstellar distances.  In the larger scope the centre shows a slow burn, rather than the hot intensity of M3.  Resolution of stars is more ephemeral.  Patience is needed to begin to see the wonders of this large but very faint object.  Still, it is a gem and would be worth a trek to the club observatory’s 14” to see.  In fact, it would be better to begin with gc 5466, as our observatory scope will track right to it.  After observing the fainter object for a time with different eyepieces, moving to M3 will be guaranteed to give the viewer a rush.

            Amidst a night of viewing Spring galaxies, I always enjoy stopping for a break and viewing these two globulars.  Even after dozens of times I still enjoy the contrast and quiet spectacle they provide.

Mapman Mike