#69 The Poetry of Galaxies

Imagine you are standing in a fog so dense that you cannot see any objects around you.  There is fog, and nothing else.  You know there is a landscape surrounding you--trees, buildings, a lake, perhaps.  But none of it can be seen.  You take a few hesitant steps, hoping to glimpse a familiar landmark.  Then, suddenly the outline of something appears before you.  It is very indistinct.  Nothing definite can be perceived, just the hint of something.  For an instant it becomes slightly less mysterious, but then the fog enshrouds it again and it is gone.  This little game continues for a few moments, until you are almost sure that what you are seeing is a building or a village, but you cannot be 100 % certain....

 Old Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England
Author's photo.

And now imagine it is a dark and very clear night.  The humidity is low, there are no lights nearby, and you are away from any cities and towns.  In the eyepiece of your 12" reflecting telescope you are seeking a galaxy of magnitude 15, at the very limit of what you are able to see on the best of nights.  The sky background in your eyepiece view is black, though a few very faint stars are sprinkled across it.  You have been searching for several minutes, with no luck.  Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, there is a slight flaring.  Is it a faint star, near the limit of visibility?  No, it's larger than a star.  A moment later and it is seen again, this time as a  nearly undetectable oval haze that increases in brightness when you do not stare right at it.  It is probably the galaxy, but you cannot be 100% certain.  You try a different eyepiece, likely a higher magnification.  If it is the galaxy, it should appear again....

http://www.asod.info/?p=1920

Both cases, the foggy scene and the very faint galaxy, are extreme.  Seldom is it so foggy that nothing can be seen nearby, but it does happen.  And out of all the galaxies that I hunt in the darkest skies, only a very small percentage of them are at the limit of what I can expect to see.  Yet just as the foggiest day seems to have more poetry in it than most average days, sometimes recognizing these really faint, difficult galaxies can be the biggest thrill of a whole night's observing.

Galaxies, being what they are, are often the most studied and most photographed objects in the deep sky (deep sky being beyond the moon and the planets in our solar system).  There is no such thing as a typical galaxy, though they all have things in common.  Plenty of stars, for one.  However, from the largest earth-based telescopes used for observing with the human eye, even the brightest and closest northern hemisphere galaxies all look like haze.  Without photography we would still not know what these island universes are, nor have seen their immense beauty.  In fact, it wasn't until 1925 that the debate was settled, when Edwin Hubble, using photographs taken with the 100" Hook Telescope, was able to distinguish variable stars in another galaxy and compute their distance from earth.  Since the stars were hundreds of thousands of light years beyond our galaxy, then other galaxies like ours had to exist.  All of that haze we had been seeing were stars; billions of stars.  We now know that there are more galaxies out there then there are stars in our Milky Way galaxy!  If that isn't mathematical poetry, then I don't know what is.

Galaxies are grouped by scientists into classes, depending on their shape and their light output.  The many different types need not overly concern us in this discussion, but they are important when observing.  Some galaxies that do not fit neatly into any class are referred to as peculiar.  More poetry!  For me, the galaxies that provide the most poetry when observed are called "edge-on."  That is, we are seeing them along their equatorial line.  They appear long and thin, with a central bulge.  Though only haze to the eye, to the imaginative mind we are seeing billions of stars shining together to produce a grayish haze coming from hundreds of millions of miles away.  The bulge is the center of the galaxy, always its busiest, most populated and most active place.  As an extra bonus, some of these edge on galaxies have dust lanes, material within the galaxy that has not yet been converted into stars.  Our own galaxy is filled with such dust, as are many other galaxies.

 An edge-on galaxy, photographed through a large telescope.  Note the central bulge

and the very distinct dust lane running the length of the galaxy.

http://mgio.arizona.edu/older-mgio-journal-entries

In the eyepiece, sometimes only the central bulge of such galaxies can be seen.  However, other galaxies clearly display their full length, and these can send shivers up one's spine when viewed.  With fainter galaxies the full length sometimes comes through only like our foggy day analogy--a glimpse now and then of the full extent of the object.  Patience, and looking indirectly at them (called averted vision) often show faint objects more readily than staring at them.  More poetry!

A second type of galaxy that telescope observers love to view is called "face on."  Now we are situated above the galaxy, looking directly down at it (or it is "above" us--it's all relative in deep space).  With some of the brighter and closer galaxies, we can see the haze shaping itself into spirals, called arms.  Sometimes, these arms show tiny clumps of brighter areas.  These are not commonly seen in smaller amateur scopes, but they are star forming regions, places where stars are either being born or are newly born.  Realizing that one is actually looking at star birth in another galaxy can be an overwhelming experience.  Galaxies where such regions can be viewed in larger amateur instruments are not hard to track down.

Nice comparison of a sketch from the eyepiece

and a photograph.  This is Messier 101, a face-on

spiral galaxy, displaying arms and bright knots, 

which are actual star-forming regions.

http://www.perezmedia.net/beltofvenus/archives/001416.html

Galaxies abound in the skies of Summer, Autumn and Winter.  However, the best time to see them is Spring.  At this time of year, we are in the part of our orbit around the Sun when our night sky faces away from our own galaxy.  The Milky Way, with all of its stars and dust, can make it difficult to see beyond, into really deep space.  But when we look up at the sky in Spring, it can seem a barren field to the naked eye.  There are fewer stars, no Milky Way; just plenty of dark space.  We are looking directly opposite the center of our galaxy, our view now extending out into deepest intergalactic space.  This part of the sky is simply swimming in galaxies; bright ones, faint ones, large ones and small ones, and everything in between.  They are often so crowded together that more than one of them can be seen at a time in the eyepiece.  Sometimes they are physically close to one another, and even interacting, but just as often they happen to be in a line of sight, from our vantage point.  A closer galaxy may appear larger and brighter, with a further and fainter one seemingly right beside it.  

It is a wonderful experience to see and contemplate one galaxy on a fine night, but to see two, three, four or more all at once can really test the limits of one's ability to comprehend.  Just what are we really seeing?  How many stars?  How many possible planets?  It is beyond mind boggling. These experiences are relatively common for amateur astronomers, though I never find anything common about them.  It is always such a thrill and a privilege that sometimes after such an experience I simply stop observing for the night!  Such treats are thus best reserved for the end of an observing session, rather than at the beginning.

 Several galaxies can be viewed at once sometimes.

http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc7436wide.jpg 

Just as intensely foggy days can reteach us the essence of what is, so can observing faint galaxies through a telescope.  By stretching our imagination we can fill in some of the details that the eye cannot fully grasp.  By combining what we know and what we can imagine, there is a meeting of science and poetry; between the universe and humankind.  It is so true that we and our planet are insignificant when compared to objects that are on a cosmic scale, such as galaxies.  However, this fact in itself is significant.  And poetic.

Clear skies.

Mapman Mike

#68 Treasures of Monoceros, Part 3: Objects from Other Catalogues

Concluding this series of deep sky objects in Monoceros, I will comment on each of the open clusters from other catalogues besides the NGC.  There is a wealth of material here for a 12" telescope.

oc Bas 7:  5'; Mag. 8.5; Br * 10.4:  Immediately following oc 2251, this cluster features a faint, curving line of stars that leads north to the main body.  It resembles a mini-Draco!  It was not really noticed in my milky, moony, snowy-reflective sky until 100x, though it was better at 125x and 150x.
oc Bas 8:  30'; 50 *s:  7 stars are plotted on Uranometria, the brightest one a double.  This star was orange with a blue companion, and had the most interesting part of the cluster near it.  I counted about 35 *s at 60x.  It was fun hopping north to oc 2251 and back again.  Bas 8 is widely scattered overall, but the south area is richer and more fun to observe.

oc Be 24:  6'; 25 *s; Br. * mag 17:  Impossible from my back deck.  However, in a dark sky a very faint hazy patch was seen.  Good test for observing conditions.
oc Be 37:  4'; 25 *s; Br. * mag 15:  This one is a very small, faint cloud of 12-15 mag. stars, resolving at 200x.  The group makes a triangle with two nearby bright stars, forming the apex.  Even finding it from my back deck was a thrill.
oc Be 39:  8'; 120 *s:  Very faint and difficult to see even at 100x from my light polluted deck.  Resolution occurred at 200x.  In a dark sky this one might be a minor gem.
oc Be 73:  2'; 15 *s; Br. * mag 16:  A small number of very faint stars was seen mostly north of a brighter (mag. 10?) star.  Up to 300x was used with some effectiveness.
oc Be 77:  5'; 30 *s; Br. * 13:  The cluster lies north of a bright star.  The center of it is a very tight knot of 5 mag. 13 and 14 stars.

oc Bi 7:  4'; 30 *s; Br. * mag 14:  Noticed at 100x, the very faint stars were contained within a semi-circle of less faint stars.  Observed up to 250x, it resolves nicely at 200x, showing perhaps a dozen stars.  There is a rich background all around it.
oc Bi 8:  5'; 70 *s; Br. * mag 14:  This elongated group of very faint stars was resolved at 200x and 250x.  15 stars were seen.
oc Bi 9:  3'; 30 *s; Br. * mag 15:  Located at 60x, a hazy patch was noted.  100x begins to resolve stars.  About 20 were seen at 183x, in this dense, very compact cluster.
oc Bi 10:  3'; Mag. 10.4; 20 *s; Br. * 15:  Located at 100x, it was like a nebula surrounding a mag. 10 star.  At 183x and 200x the "nebula" resolved into 8-10 very faint stars, with several in a line on either side of the bright star.
oc Bi 11:  2'; Br. * mag 15:  This tiny cluster lies south-following a bright double star.  6 faint stars are resolved.  A lot of time was spent trying to find the area of this group and Bi 12.
oc Bi 12:  4'; Br. * mag 17:  The haze from this cluster is largely drowned by the surrounding bright star field.  A pair of 9.5 mag. stars lie in the south part of it.  Faint haze was noted, but nothing very distinct.
oc Bi 13:  2'; Br. * mag 17:  A tiny, faint patch of haze was noted, following a bright star.

oc Bo 2:  1'.5; Mag. 9.7; Br. * mag 10.9:  4 stars were noted, 3 of them in a line and of equal mag.  The 4th star was quite dim, and seen at 183x.
oc Bo 3:  4'; Mag. 9.9; 25 *s; Br * 11.2:  Located at 100x, I counted 12 faint stars and 4 brighter ones in a line.

oc ClvdB 1:  5'; Mag. 9.5; 39 *s:   This object consisted of 4 brighter stars and a small group of very faint ones.  200x was best here.  Perhaps 10-12 stars were seen.


oc Cr 91:  14'; Mag. 6.4; 20 *s:  Uranometria plots 4 stars in the boundary of this group.  It is large, with several bright stars, especially 2 of them.  Widely scattered and thinly populated.  Seen best at 60x.
oc Cr 92:  11'; Mag. 8.6:  A large and scattered group, which may not be a true cluster.  A denser knot of fainter stars surrounds an 8.5 mag. star.  At 120x and 150x many more stars were seen.  Medium rich but mostly faint.
oc Cr 95:  27'; 10 *s:  The cluster is seen well at 60x and up to 100x.  15 brighter stars are easily counted and there are other, fainter ones at 100x.  Immersed with gn I. 2169, which is easily noted with a Skyglow filter at 120x.
oc Cr 96:  12'; Mag. 7.3; 15 *s; Br. * mag 8.8:  Another large, loose group best seen at 60x.  One section resembles an arrowhead shape, with 4 or 5 brighter members.  The cluster itself lies in a rich field.  2 stars withing the boundary are shown in Uranometria.
oc Cr 97:  25'; Mag. 5.4; 15 *s:  A wide group with bright members.  Yellow variable star AX is amidst the group, as is Struve 926, opposite the variable.  Best at 60x.
oc Cr 104:  20'; Mag. 9.6; 15 *s:  This decent group shares its following border with Cr 107.  It consists of a large field of relatively bright stars (3 shown in Uranometria), interspersed with dense pockets of fainter, background stars.  A rich area, fine for sweeping at low to medium power, beginning at oc 2244.
oc Cr 106:  35'; Mag. 4.6; 20 *s:    A very large cluster!  7 stars are plotted on the atlas, including V640, called "Plaskett's Star."  Seen well at 60x, I also enjoyed using 100x.  There are many widely scattered bright stars, with 2 areas of fairly intense fainter ones.  One of these groups is on the following end (west) of the cluster, and the other is north-preceding, near a brighter star.  Both knots resolve well.  The entire area is wonderful for casual sweeping and getting happily lost among the stars.
oc Cr 107:  30'; Mag. 5.1; 204 *s; Br. * mag 7.1:  This very large cluster contains V731 and V 732.  11 stars are plotted within its borders on Uranometria.  There are about 30 bright stars, and many more fainter ones.  I viewed it successfully at 43x, 60x, 100x and 120x.
oc Cr 110:  18'; Mag. 10.5; 70 *s; Br. * mag 11:  A widely scattered, faint but busy field of stars, preceding a mag. 8.5 star, one of 2 shown on Uranometria.  The cluster resolves well at 60x.
oc Cr 111:  3'.2; Mag. 7:  A 7 mag. star is surrounded by 7 or 8 really faint ones, best seen at 200x.  Probably not a true cluster.
oc Cr 115:  10'; Mag. 9.2; 25 *s; Br * mag 11:  Viewed at 60x, 100x and 125x, this is a moderately rich cluster of faint stars.  It was fully resolved at 125x, and had an elongated shape.

oc Cr 465:  9'; Mag. 10.1; 30 *s:  A semi-circle of 12-15 faint stars was noted.  Nebulosity was noted using the Skyglow filter.  Located just preceding oc 2343 and south of 2335.  A rich area for sweeping.
oc Cr 466:  4'; Mag. 11.1;25 *s; Br. * mag 11.1:  Not much to see from my back deck.  A very small, very faint group was observed at 200x.  A linear group of 8-10 stars was noted.  There is nebulosity.

oc Cz 26:  5'; 35 *s:  Located north of oc 2232, this was a very faint group.  3 or 4 stars resolved at 120x.  The small group was best at 300x.  Unimpressive in light-polluted skies, except that I did find it.
oc Cz 28 (King 5):  5'; 20 *s:  Immediately following oc Be 37, just past its triangle star (the south one).  It is a slightly easier target than its neighbour, with several stars brighter than those in Be 37.  It resolves nicely at 200x.
oc Cz 30:  3'; 20 *s:  Located south of variable star U and also close to a bright star located S of the cluster.  12 very faint stars were counted at 200x.  The glare of the star south doesn't help with resolution.

oc Do 22:  8'; 10 *s:  Immediately north-preceding star 8, itself a lovely double.  A field of faint stars lies between star 8 and a tiny group resembling a mini-Lyra configuration.  Rewarding area for general sweeping, and very close to oc 2244.  The brighter stars may be part of the cluster.
oc Do 23:  10':  At 100x, the richest part precedes 3 bright stars.  An attractive group, all resolved.
oc Do 24:  15'; 40 *s:  This is a large group with many bright members.  They all resolve at 100x.
oc Do 25:  20'; Mag. 7.6; 50 *s; Br. * 8.9:  Seen well at 60x.  The cluster is very large, and shaped like a wishbone.  The densest area of stars is along the south branch.  A bright star marks the apex.  At 100x, only a few stars were seen between the 2 diverging lines.

oc Haf 3:  5'; Br * 14; 25 *s:  Located 1 degree south of Bo 3, and making a triangle with oc 2338.  The haze resolves at 200x-250x.  The cluster is contained in a "bowl" of 4 stars.  One brighter star (mag. 14?) is in the very center; the cluster surrounds it.

oc Mel 72:  5'; Mag. 10.1; 40 *s; Br. * mag 12:  Even at 60s there is some nice resolution in this unexpectedly fine cluster.  Viewed at 60x, 100x, 125x, 150x, 183x and 200x!  And it was cold out!  This is a faint but dense and rich group.  Though smaller than oc 2324, it is similar.  A bright star is in the field, mag. 7.  183x and 200x resolves the cluster nicely.  Recommended!  Here is a photo.

oc Ru 4:  6'; Br. * mag 14:  A few dozen very faint stars are mixed in with a bright star field.

oc Tr 5:  15'; Mag. 10.9; Br. * 17; 150 *s:  Not even visible from my back deck.  However, from a dark sky this is a pretty amazing object!  Easily seen at 60x, it is a vast area of unresolved haze, with several less faint foreground stars above it.  This one requires a larger scope to resolve, but it is still an amazing object in the 12".  Here is a sweet photo of it.

There you have it--the deep sky treasures of Monoceros!  Let me know if I have inadvertently missed anything.  As soon as the full moon phase has passed, I wish you clear skies!
Mapman Mike

#67 Treasures of Monoceros, Part 2: The Other NGC Objects

In Part 1 I discussed all of the NGC open clusters in this amazing constellation.  Most of the remaining NGC objects are galactic nebula.  There are also two very faint, difficult galaxies and one pretty decent planetary nebula.  In Part 3, I will tackle a wealth of open clusters from other catalogues.

gn 2149:  3' x 2'; Reflection:  Impossible from my light polluted deck, it was an easy target in a dark sky.  It had a bright middle and uneven brightness outwards.  In a bright star field.  Originally, Shapely mistook it for a galaxy.  Good object at low to high powers.
gn 2170:  1':  Involved with two faint stars, it was only seen with the Skyglow filter at 83x.  Unsuitable for suburban skies.
gn 2182:  3':  Involved with a 9 mag. star. The nebula was seen only with the Skyglow filter at 83x.  It was a very faint haze surrounding a white star.
gn 2183: 2' x 2'; Reflection:  A pair with 2185, neither was visible from my light polluted deck. 
gn 2185: 2' x 2': Reflection: However, both were seen well in a dark sky, side by side.  Several bright stars were involved with the two patches.  60x-150x was used.  Worth a stopover.
gn 2237: 80' x 60'; Emission:  Rosette Nebula, associated with oc 2244.  More suitable for photography than eyepiece observing.  Using an Edmund Astroscan 4 1/4 " RFT with a Skyglow filter at 54x, it was not difficult to see  some puffs of nebula, especially south preceding the cluster and north preceding.  The cluster itself is mostly devoid of any nebula.  This is a very large area of nebulosity.
gn 2238: See 2237.
gn 2239:  See 2237.
gn 2246:  See 2237.
gn 2245:  2' x 2'; 10.8 mag. *: Seen fairly well in the 12".  The star was dim enough to allow the reflection nebula to be easily seen, and the nebula was wedge-shaped.  Seen well at 120x, with flaring at 200x.
gn 2247:  2' x 2'; Reflection:  Due to the brightness of the involved 8.5 mag. star, this nebula was seen only faintly at 250x and 300x, not far from the star and also around it.
gn 2261:  Hubble's "Variable Nebula."  An easy target, despite moonshine, reflected snow, and light pollution.  Seen much better with no filter, and it was observed well from 60x-150x.  Fan-shape, very bright in the S, and stellar down there.  As the fan expands it fades away.  Bright enough for much smaller telescopes, and seen well in the 6".
gn 2282:  3' x 3'; Reflection:  Some barely visible haze surrounds a 10 mag. star, especially on the south end.  A few very faint stars are involved.
gn 2316:  4' x 3'; Emission and reflection:  Clearly seen without any filter in a dark sky, it was observed at 60x thru 200x.  A triangle of stars just south helps locate the haze, if black skies are not available.
pn 2346:  60" x 50":  Cent. * mag. 11.3--13.5:  A suspicious, out-of-focus star was seen at 60x, confirmed as a small but bright planetary at 120x.  The central star was not difficult to see, and even at 150x the object appeared round, though with faded, less distinct edges.  It was significantly larger and brighter at 150s with the Skyglow filter.  Not featureless, but nearly so.
eg 2377:  1'7 x 1'.3: Vis. mag. 12.8; Surf. br. 13.5:  Difficult object due to involvement with a star or stars.  Located at 100x and seen using up to 200x.  It was very small and somewhat oval.  Due to star (s) involved the shape was difficult to perceive.
eg 2494:  0'.9 x 0'7: V. mag. 13.1; S. br. 12.4:  A threshold object through my humid skies, it appeared round at 100x-200x.

gn I. 448:  15' x 10'; Reflection:  Oddly enough, this was seen better with the Skyglow filter, perhaps because it dimmed the bright white star involved.  Essentially, some haze surrounds Star 13, having uneven edges.  Poor without the filter.  A line of stars north-following leads to oc Bas 8.  South is Star 14, a fine double.
gn I. 466:  5' x 4'; Reflection:  A faint haze was seen near a faint star.  Nearly impossible without a dark sky.  In such a sky it was very bright, small, round and it took magnification well, resembling a planetary nebula.
gn I. 2169:  25' x 20'; Reflection:  Involved with oc Cr 95.  Nebula easily noticed at 120x with the filter.  More was seen on the preceding half of the cluster, scattered between and amongst the brighter stars.
gn I. 2177:  85' x 25'; Emission:  This massive nebula can be glimpsed as clumps of smokiness with the filter.  Seen best just south of double star Struve 1019, as well as amidst oc Cr 465 and oc Cr 466.  60x and 120x was used to advantage.  1019 is an exquisite trio of stars!

#66 Treasures of Monoceros, Part 1: The NGC Clusters

It was another unusually brutal winter here in Essex Co., Ontario, Canada.  It was too cold for sensible observing until mid-March.  With night temperatures finally up in the high twenties and low thirties, I was able to resume my winter observing program.  I only have a few galaxies left to see in Lepus.  Perhaps on a very late night in November of this year I might be able to complete this constellation, which I have been at for several seasons now.

I recently concluded a multi-season inspection of the deep sky wonders of Monoceros, a busy Milky Way constellation.  Some of the most famous objects of the deep sky are located here, including the Rosette Nebula and the Cone Nebula.  Rich in open clusters and nebula, there are also two tiny galaxies and a single planetary nebula.  There are no globular clusters in Monoceros.  It also has fabulous double and multiple stars.  This first entry will deal with all of the NGC Open Clusters.

oc 2215:  8'; Br. * mag 11; 25 *s:  Noticed at 60x.  Faint members, with a nice double star preceding.  150x shows the group well, with stars all across the field.

oc 2219:  10'; Br. * mag 7.3; 25 *s:  North preceding 2232.  Fainter stars lie N of two brighter ones.  Seen well at 120x, but located at 60x.

oc 2225:  40 *s:  Small group, not dense.  8 brighter stars in a half-circle, with fainter ones showing at higher powers.  Central core is 2226.

oc 2226:  See 2225, above.

oc 2232:  45'; Mag. 4.2; Br. * mag 5; 20 *s:  A huge cluster, best suited for very low power.  Lovely at 43x in the 12".  The main central group is great at 60x.

oc 2236:  8'; Mag. 8.5; Br. * mag 12; 243 *s:  A very small, tight group that took a few moments to locate.  Only one bright star (mag 12), with the remainder being very faint.  Some resolution was apparent at 120x, and it improved at 150x.  At 200x the central knot is resolving.  Stopped to 8", very few stars are resolved in the central area.  Here is a photo.

oc 2244:  30'; Mag. 4.8; Br * mag 7; 100 *s:  15 stars shown on Uranometria!  Those are seen at 60x.  Nebula filter at 83x shows some fuzziness and nebulae.  120x shows many fainter stars.  I used up to 300x on multiple star GAn 3, where I could see 9 stars in all.

oc 2250:  10'; Br. * 8.7; 25 *s:  South following 2232, this one is also called Cr 100.  Moderately rich group with mostly very faint members.  Only one bright member, with the others S of it.  Best at 150x.

oc 2251:  10'; Mag. 7.3; Br. * mag 9.9; 92 *s:  North following and attached to oc Bas 8.  Located at 60x, there are about a dozen stars mag. 9-10, and several fainter ones.  The brightest star is a close double.  A loose group, somewhat crescent-shaped, or at least elongated.  Good views up to 125x.  In a very dense area of clusters and rich star fields.  Unusual and worth a stop, though not a showpiece.

oc 2252:  18'; Mag. 7.7; Br. * mag 9; 30 *s:  A bit of a showpiece in the 12".  Faint members form two distinct lines, meeting at an apex.  To me it looked like the Star Trek badge!  About a dozen brighter members, and many fainter ones.  Looking like a little hazy cloud at 60x, it bears magnification well.

oc 2254:  6'; Mag. 9.1; Br. * mag 12; 93 *s:  A very faint cloud was seen at 120x (in light polluted skies), barely resolving.  8" aperture showed perhaps two stars.  The group is intense, small and faint.  At 150x and 12" it began to resemble a loose globular cluster.  Small and dense at 200x, it was still resolving.  In this range it was hard to even see it using an 8" aperture stop.

oc 2259:  3'.5; Mag. 10.8; Br. * mag. 14; 25 *s:  A small, faint group noticed at 100x as a faint cloud near a mag. 9 star.  Up to 250x was used to resolve about 10 very faint stars.  Observed in a light-polluted area.  (Re-observed in a dark sky)--small, dense group seen well, resolving neatly and looking mildly glorious.  Still a challenge, but so much better in a dark sky!

oc 2260:  20'; Br. * mag 8; 50 *s:  6 *s in Uranometria Chart 116.  Seen well at 60x, it just barely fits in at 120x.  Bright star is orange.  Brighter stars form a sickle shape.  Large, bright and fairly scattered.

oc 2262:  4'; Mag. 11.3; 180 *s:  This is a small, dim circlet of faint stars, and not very rich.  An interesting group zigzags N from it.

oc 2264:  40'; Mag. 4.1; Br. * mag 5; 40 *s:  The Christmas Tree Cluster was studied with the 6" reflector, which was perfect for the task.  It all fits neatly at 28x, and the tree outline is there.  A very large cluster set amidst a very interesting area.  The brightest star in the group is 15, a multiple star.  It was split into three at 125x.

oc 2269:  3'; Mag. 10; Br. * mag 10; 12 *s:  10 stars were counted at 200x.  It is a very faint, small group.

oc 2286:  15'; Mag. 7.5; Br. * mag 9:  Once located within a busy star field, the cluster was quite a minor showpiece!  Though large, it was packed with stars, including several bright ones.  However, most of them are faint, and there are a lot of them.  125x seemed to give me the best view.

oc 2301:  15'; Mag. 6; Br. * mag 8; 80 *s:  A fine cluster!  At 60x 5 bright stars are noticed, resembling a dipper minus a handle star and a top right corner star.  The main part of the cluster is in and around the lower part of the "bowl" of the dipper.  Here it becomes dense with stars, with the final dipper star a lovely double of yellow and blue.  At 100x 15 brighter stars cluster around it, with another 25 fainter ones following seen at 125x.  183x shows many other fainter ones, resolving the haze first seen at 60x and 100x.  A recommended object!  Here is a link to a photo.

oc 2302:  5'; Mag. 8.9; Br. * mag 12; 16 *s:  16 stars were counted at 200x.  The group is tight, and has 3 close brighter stars that precede the fainter ones.  Star V 743 is immediately north preceding.

oc 2306:  20'; Br. * mag 8; 27 *s:  South following oc 2302 is this very large cluster.  Uranometria plots an 8 mag. star in the center, a 9.5 mag star in the north, and HH on the south-following edge.  At 60x I saw the bright stars and not much else.  100x showed the white central star now surrounded by faint ones.  The star in the north also has a group of faint stars around it, with a denser group between it and the central star.  The brightest star had about 15 widely scattered faint stars, while the dimmer one in the north has 12, in a tighter formation.  Observed in a light polluted sky.

oc 2309:  5'; Mag 10.5; Br. * mag 13; 25 *s:  North following oc 2306 is this small cluster, noticed at 60x.  Very faint stars were noted south of a mag. 9 star.  100x resolves the brightest members, forming a loose circle.  The very center resolves at 200x and 250x, where 25 stars were counted in a small area.  Other members straggle out from this central group.

oc 2311:  6'; Mag. 9.6; Br. * mag 12:  A fine cluster, viewed from 60x thru 200x.  It is dense and has an irregular north/south shape, with most stars in the north and others straggling south.  Everything resolves well at 125x.  It precedes three brighter stars in a line.

oc 2319:  16'; Br. * mag 8.9; 12 *s:  Seen well at 60x and 100x.  There were 25-30 stars, many of them bright, mostly in 2 straggly lines.  One of the lines is longer and denser.  Up to 125x was used, and all stars were resolved.

oc 2323 (M 50):  16'; mag. 5.9; Br. * mag 9; 80 *s:  The cluster is a wonder to behold at 60x in a 12" mirror, even in a light-polluted sky!  The brightest star is orange, and has a bright double star nearby.  A chain of bright stars outlines a large, open smile shape, with lines of stars passing perpendicular to it and thru its denser core.  The core lies near the center of the smile shape.  100x shows 100+ stars, including many faint ones.  The cluster is very rich, with 125x and 150x filling the viewfinder with stars, though there is a darker area between the orange star and the rich center.  200x takes the viewer into the very center.  A fabulous cluster!

oc 2324:  8'; Mag. 8.4; Br. * mag 12; 25 *s:  At 60x this cluster is already promising much!  100x gives good resolution of this faint, large and medium-dense cluster.  Beyond the main central group, the cluster spreads north a bit.  125x gives fabulous views, as does 150x and 183x, where most of the haze is resolved into tiny stars.  Viewing was good up to 200x.  A minor showpiece in a 12" scope!  Here is a good photo.

oc 2335:  7'; Mag. 7.2; Br. * mag 10; 40 *s:  Seen well and resolved at 100x, where I noticed 10 faint stars close to a brighter orange one.  At 125x the cluster was pretty large and scattered into 3 groups.  The central group was the most dense, with a preceding group and a following one less so, and with fainter stars.  I counted 30 stars at 200x.

oc 2338:  3 degrees north-following M 50, this is a virtually unknown group.  The Deep Sky Field Guide says it might be an asterism.  There is definitely a 4-star asterism present.  However, the cluster seems to be "behind" and around these stars.  The 4 stars make a rough parallelogram.  A medium-rich group of faint stars lies around it, in 2 distinct clumps.  The north-following bright star of the asterism is a close double.  Here is a photo of the lone Messier object in Monoceros.

oc 2343:  6'; mag. 6.7; Br. star mag 8; 55 *s:  I first mistook this for nearby Cr 465.  Along with Cr 466 all three clusters fit in a low power field.  20 stars were seen at 100x in the central group of 2343.  Like 2335, this cluster is dominated by a bright orange star, itself a fine double.  At 125x this is a pretty decent cluster.

oc 2353:  18'; Mag. 7.1; Br. * mag 9; 106 *s:  A fun cluster to observe, big and with a fair number of brighter stars.  Breathtaking at 60x, with too many stars to easily count.  Shaped like a big oval, this is a fine group for 6" scopes and higher.

oc 2364:  2 lines of brighter stars, looking like a mirror view at first glance and low power.  I focussed on the following group, which had 5 stars in a curving line.  2 of these were brighter.  150x gave a good view, and a few fainter members could be seen now.  At 200x 5 or 6 very faint members were added to the original 5 brighter ones.  The bright star field is pretty interesting, but the "cluster" isn't much to see.

oc 2368:  3'; Mag. 11.8; 15 *s:  Not a bad object in the 12", it is led by a bright star on its preceding edge (mag 11?), which turns out to be a double with a faint companion.  At 200x there are 20+ stars, all faint except the one.  It is somewhat triangular, or wedge-shaped.

oc 2506:  10';  Br. * mag. 11; 75 *s.  60x shows a dense central area.  120x resolves many of the fainter stars, and 150x shows the central knot well.  Bright foreground stars make resolving this one very challenging.  In a really dark sky, this cluster is a treasure!  Here is a link to a great photo of this object.

In Part 2 I will discuss the remaining NGC objects, along with the IC ones observed.  In Part 3 I will discuss the clusters from other catalogues in Monoceros.  Until then, clear skies.
Mapman Mike 

#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