by Tom Campbell
| Observer | Tom Campbell |
|---|---|
| Location | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95 30' W Lat: 37 55' N) |
| Equipment | 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepieces | 1.25" Plössls (25mm, 15mm, 10mm, 6.5mm, 4mm) |
| Time | 10:00pm - 11:30pm CDT |
| Transparency | Clear |
| Seeing | Stable |
| Weather | Temperature in the upper 80s. There was a 5mph breeze. |
For the last week or so, I have been chomping at the bit to get outside and observe. But between clouds, haze, and the occasional thunderstorm, the weather just wouldn't cooperate. Today, the temperature nearly reached 100 degrees, but the sky was relatively clear.
By sunset, there were no signs of clouds. My telescope was screaming at me to take it outside. Who am I to argue? After all, it's nearly as big as I am. ;^)
It had been a few weeks since I had the opportunity to sit under the stars, so while my telescope's mirror was adjusting to the outside temperature, I looked up a few favorites. First I viewed M57 (the Ring Nebula). The familiar smoke ring is always a pleasure to view. I didn't worry about trying to squeeze subtle details out of it tonight. I just wanted to stop by and say "Hello."
Even with my low-power 25mm eyepiece, the number of stars in this region of the sky was amazing. Hundreds of faint pinpricks dotted the field of view everywhere I pointed along this arm of the Milky Way. I was starting to get excited about the viewing conditions.
High overhead, the Keystone asterism of Hercules was beckoning to me. One of the most difficult spots for a dob to view is directly overhead. In order to aim the telescope, you can't simply point the telescope, but have to swing the azimuth axis large amounts to get just the right angle. Then, the eyepiece is slightly higher than what is comfortable for viewing from a seated position with my collapsible fishing chair.
I felt like a submarine captain, moving my periscope around in search of my prey. Finally, M13 swung into view. It was in full glory tonight, with stars leaping into view even at 49X. I could just barely make out nearby NGC-6207. I had seen it look better, but the seeing must be halfway decent, at least.
My sightseeing tour over, I now settled down to begin my observations in earnest.
| NGC 7510 | Open Cluster | Cepheus | 10:25pm CDT |
|---|---|---|---|
| RA: 23 13.1 | Dec: +60 34 | Mag: 7.9 | |
|
This cluster is small, but fairly easy to locate. At low power, you can
slowly sweep the general area and it will stand out when it gets in the
field of view. At 49X, the brightest few stars can be resolved along with a
bit of nebulosity.
Increasing the magnification to 122X, much of the nebulosity disappears. The brighter stars are in the shape of a lowercase "y" or an inverted Lambda (l), depending on how you look at it. At my maximum magnification, 305X, the cluster still easily fits within the field of view. The nebulosity has been completely replaced by a few dim stars. In all, about 15-20 are visible within the cluster. | |||
While debating over my next target, I swung the telescope around again to the area of Cygnus. On a whim, I decided to try my luck at the Veil Nebula. To my surprise, I was barely able to detect some of the brighter wisps with averted vision. Nothing definite, just little patches where the background became slightly lighter in color. I've been considering buying a good-quality barlow as my next purchase. I may have to change that to an O-III filter instead.
| Gamma | Double Star | Delphinus | 10:55pm CDT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | RA: 20 46.7 | Dec: +16 07 | Mag: 4.5, 5.5 |
| This is a pretty double, with a good separation. Even at 49X, the pair can be split, but it looks much nicer at 81X. The primary component of this pair is yellow. The white color of the second star makes it appear to be a little brighter than it really is. It is a nice "headlight" double, with both stars appearing as eyes staring back at you. | |||
| M 71 | Globular Cluster | Sagitta | 11:00pm CDT |
| NGC 6838 | RA: 19 53.8 | Dec: +18 47 | Mag: 8.3 |
| This is a pretty faint globular, and it appears to be fairly sparse. At 188X, about a dozen individual stars are resolved across the cluster. The rest of the cluster is a dim fuzzy circle, more reminiscent of a planetary nebula than anything else. At 305X, the view didn't improve to any noticeable degree. | |||
| Dumbbell (M 27) | Planetary Nebula | Vulpecula | 11:05pm CDT |
| NGC 6853 | RA: 19 59.6 | Dec: +22 43 | Mag: 8.1 |
|
Every time I aim my telescope at this planetary, I'm surprised at how large
it is! At 49X, it is fairly bright grey, and has an irregular shape similar
to an hourglass or an apple core. Off to the sides are fainter, dark gray
smudges.
At 81X, the contrast between the nebula and the background sky is improved. The outer edges of the hourglass appear to be only slightly curved, and aren't quite parallel with each other. One end of the nebula is noticeably brighter. With averted vision, little patches of fainter and darker gray are strewn throughout the core of the nebula, with the center being the faintest. | |||
| NGC 7789 | Open Cluster | Cassiopeia | 11:30pm CDT |
| RA: 23 57.0 | Dec: +56 43 | Mag: 10.0 | |
| This cluster is faint, but extremely rich. Even at 49X, dozens of stars are visible. 81X seems to offer the best view. The entire cluster nicely fits within the field, and the contrast is increased so that even more stars are visible. The open cluster is roughly round in shape, with the brightest members distributed randomly throughout. The most intriguing part of this cluster is a cigar-shaped knot of stars a little offset from center. | |||
| M 15 | Globular Cluster | Pegasus | 11:40pm CDT |
| NGC 7078 | RA: 21 30.0 | Dec: +12 10 | Mag: 6.4 |
| This is a bright, but small globular. At 188X, it starts to resolve. The central core is extremely bright and almost stellar, similar to many galaxies. Indeed, the cluster looks a lot like a slightly elliptical galaxy with an open cluster superimposed in front of it. | |||
I hated to call it a night, but the necessity of going to work early the next morning forced my hand. All in all, it was a fantastic viewing experience. I was pleasantly surprised to have a completely dew-free night, and even the mosquitos stayed away. You can't ask for more than that!