Costa Rica - OC's in Vela, Carina, Cen and Crux

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): remarkably rich carpet of mag 11-13 stars at 105x with perhaps 250-300 stars resolved in a 25' field. The appearance is very similar to a highly resolved globular without a sharply concentrated core. There are no distinct boundaries as stars loop outside the main grain and many stars are arranged in long streamers. Located roughly 20' N of a mag 4.5 star (HD 64503).

13.1" (2/17/04 - Costa Rica): this bright naked-eye cluster is located SW of the "False Cross" (3 degrees SW of Epsilon Carinae) and is the only open cluster in western Carina. It was well resolved in the 9x50 finder. At 105x, the main group is 25'-30' with outliers increasing the size and roughly 100 stars are resolved including a number of mag 6.5-8 stars. Many of the stars are arranged in loops and strings and overall the cluster is quite irregular in magnitudes and star distributions. There is a close, fairly bright double on the SE side (7.2/8.0 at 5") and a neat 13' chain of stars on the west side running N-S.

10x30 Canon IS (7/10/02 - Australia): this is a prominent naked-eye cluster below the "False Cross" (formed by Epsilon and Iota Car as well as Delta and Kappa Vel), on a line with the longer axis (Epsilon Car and Kappa Vel) of the cross. In binoculars, it appeared well-resolved, ~50' diameter including outliers with 5 bright stars (mag 6.5-7.5) with a few dozen stars resolved overall. Appears fairly rich towards the center with a number of mag 9-10 stars.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): this is a very bright naked-eye cluster which includes a number of mag 7-8 stars. It appears at least 20'-25' in diameter, though the outer boundaries are pretty arbitrary. Very unusual arrangement as a number of the brighter stars are arranged in a curving arc which is bowed out toards the W which defines the E side of the cluster! The brightest mag 6.5 star is within this arc on the south side of the cluster. The cluster is encased in faint reflection nebulosity, though this was not visible.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): this cluster is a very bright, scattered field of stars which completely fills the nearly 40' field at 105x. Partially resolved in the the 9x50 finder. At the NW edge is a rich elongated strip of two dozen stars including a couple of close, unequal pairs and tight fainter triple. John Herschel's description applies to this denser group of stars. A mag 6.4 star (h4051 = HD 68450) with two mag 13.5 companions is off the NW side of the larger group but does not appear to be part of the cluster and a similar star is to the SE (HD 68862).

13.1" (2/17/04 - Costa Rica): this very large naked-eye cluster appears as a fuzzy glow surrounding mag 3.6 Omicron Velorum (1.8 degrees NNW of mag 2.0 Delta Velorum in the False Cross). This scattered 50' group contains perhaps three dozen stars and barely fits in the field of the 20 Nagler. Perhaps a better view is obtained in the 9x50 finder or 10x30 IS binoculars which does a nice job of resolving the brighter stars, but the group is really too scattered to look impressive in the 13".

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): this bright naked-eye group includes mag 5.5 HX Velorum on the W side. Resolved in 9x50 finder. In the 13.1", roughly three dozen stars are visible in a 10' field. The bright stars are scattered mostly on the following side of the group in an elongated arrangement extending to the SE. There is also a fairly rich gathering of stars within 4' of HX Vel. N2660 is located 48' S.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): bright, compact group with 15-20 stars in a 4' group including five mag 10-10.5 star. Includes a distinctive brighter pair. This cluster is in the same field as the Vela Supernova Remnant, though I didn't search for filaments in this region.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): this distant cluster appeared relatively faint, small, and was only partially resolved. It appeared ~2' in diameter and comparable to a faint globular cluster. A few faint stars were resolved on the west side and an unresolved brighter knot of stars resides on the south side. The cluster is wedged between a yellow/orange mag 8.4 star 2.5' S and a mag 10 star to the N. Located 16' ENE of mag 4.7 HD 74272.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): at 166x, this fairly bright open cluster has an unusual appearance. Roughly two dozen stars mag 10-12 are arranged in a "wishbone" arrangement with a distinctive string of stars running SW-NE with the brightest mag 9.4 star on the SW end, with another string running E-W and a third side running N-S. The group is ~6' in diameter.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): bright, 15' open cluster in Vela. Prominent in 9x50 finder and easy in 10x30 IS binoculars. The main portion consists of 9 mag 8-10 stars. Scattered about are a few additional mag 9 and 10 stars in a 15' field. Perhaps 3 dozen stars total are within the boudary, though besides the bright stars the remaining are mostly mag 13-14 and just appear to be a random background scattering of stars in a rich milky way field.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): at 105x, ~30 stars mag 10-13 in a 6'x3' group elongated N-S. Three brighter mag 10 stars are on the south side but the main group of stars is on the north side including another mag 10 star. Easy 10x30 IS object and partially resolved in 9x50 finder.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): naked-eye an obvious halo is visible around mag 2.7 Theta Carinae and a couple of stars are visible. In the 9x50 finder, a couple of dozen stars are resolved in a one degree region. The "Southern Pleiades" is really too large and scattered for an impressive view in the 13". Includes about a dozen mag 6-7.5 stars scattered in the field and a couple of mag 5 stars along with Theta.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): this amazing naked-eye cluster packs several hundred stars, filling the 20 Nagler field (74x and 65' field of view) wall-to-wall with stars! The central region is condensed and quite rich with several dense knots consisting of pairs, triples, chains, etc. The brighter stars are extended ~E-W, although there is no well-defined edge to this huge cluster. There is a huge "U" shaped chain of stars around the periphery including a bright star on the SE end. A neat equal mag equilateral triangle of stars stood out within the maze of stars. The cluster is quite prominent naked-eye 3° ENE of Eta Carina in the NE corner of Carina and is densely packed with resolved stars in the 9x50 finder.

18" (7/7/02 - Australia): This spectacular naked-eye and binocular cluster (3° ENE of Eta Carina) and fills the entire 51' field of the 27 Panoptic (76x) with several hundred stars mag 7 and fainter. It is unusually elongated ~E-W, perhaps 55'x30' and widening on the following side. The stars are irregularly distributed with many in pairs, small groups, chains and loops. A group of about a dozen stars form a perfect "S" asterism. Interestingly, there is a lack of dense knots although the entire central region is rich. Many of the stars appear to have a blue or yellow tint. This is one of the top open clusters in the sky although it is probably best in a wider field view.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): scattered group of a dozen stars at 105x in 7' but with an interesting arrangement as many of the stars are arranged into two intersecting lanes crossing at a right angle. Includes a few mag 10-105 stars.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): this is a superb naked-eye open cluster in Centaurus with several hundred stars resolved in a 15' field including a beautiful string of stars running SW-NE on the S side of the cluster. Contains a very dense mass of stars in the central 5' seemingly arranged in a spiral configuration. A mag 7.3 star is at the NW end and a mag 7.2 star is off the SE side. This impressive cluster was a surprising showpiece. Located 50' NW of a mag 5.1 star and 1.4° due N of mag 3.1 Lambda Centauri.

13.1" (2/18/04 - Costa Rica): bright group of two dozen stars elongated NW-SE, ~12'-15' diameter, centered ~30' SE of mag 3 Lambda Cen. Situated in the midst of a fascinating field of nebulosity and dark lane which run just north of the cluster and which spreads out to the east of the cluster! The field seems riddled with dark lanes and brighter patches. The position is given for mag 6.5 HD 101205 near the center of the group and a mag 7 star lies 4.6' NW.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): roughly 30 fainter stars are resolved in a 6' group over unresolved background haze. The cluster is moderately bright, weakly compressed and rich in faint stars although it contains not stars brighter than 12th magnitude! Located 1.5 degrees due N of the "Blue Planetary", N3918. This is an old open cluster with an age of roughly one billion years.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): this cluster is located in the field, just 10' NW of mag 4.3 Theta 1 and 15' W of mag 4.7 Theta 2 Crucis in the SW portion of the constellation! At 105x, ~60 stars mag 10 and fainter are mostly scattered in a 9' diameter. More striking, though, is a dense 3' subgroup of mostly mag 12-13 stars on the SE end of the cluster over a background of haze from unresolved stars. A neat string of six stars oriented WNW-ESE is located on the south end with a brighter mag 9.5 star about 2.5' further W.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): at 105x, ~60 stars mag 9.5-13 are resolved in a 8' region including ~10 mag 10 stars. The cluster has a very interesting asymmetric arrangement with a perfect 5' string of 5 stars extending out of the cluster to the WSW. Two other short strings on the following end meet up and make a perfect arrow asterism. Located 12' ESE of mag 6.6 HD 104971. Located 2 degrees WSW of mag 3.6 Epsilon Crucis.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): at 105x, ~15 stars are arranged in a striking 4.5' diameter partial oval for ~270 degrees and open on the W side. A few stars are situated both in the interior and outside this 3/4 complete ring. In the center of the loop are a few mag 13-14 stars and a fairly bright background glow from a dense group of unresolved stars in the core of the cluster. The cluster is located 6' W of a gorgeous double star Brs 8 = 7.6/7.9 at 5". Following the cluster is a gorgeous equal mag double star. Located midway between Delta and Gamma Crux along one side of the Southern Cross. This group may be an asterism an not a physical cluster.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): at 105x, ~150 stars are resolved in a 15' field. This cluster is rich and uniform in magnitudes except for a single mag 8.4 star (HD 107944) on the SE side which stands out over the large number of mag 10.5-12.5 stars. The outline is elongated NW to SE but the stars are distributed fairly evenly with the boundaries. This is a very pleasing group and an easy binocular object. Located along the western side of the Southern Cross and 75' N of Acrux!

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): at 105x, 20 stars mag 10-13 are arranged in a perfect semi-circle (180 degree arc) open towards the west, with the endpoints directly N-S. A string of 3 collinear stars, oriented WNW-ESE, sits right in the middle of the semicircle! A wide bright double (mag 8/9.5 at 30") less than 5' NW appears to point directly to the cluster! Situated in the middle of the Southern Cross 55' ENE of mag 3.6 Epsilon Crucis.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): at 166x, 30 stars mag 9.5-13 are resolved resolved in a 4'-5' region. Most of the stars are arranged in a curving lane NNW-SSE with fainter stars trailing off to the NNW. A few stars are scattered to the E of this string which is oriented roughly N-S and which bends towards the E on the N side. Includes some doubles and triples including a nice mag 10 star pair at 16" and a distinctive triple on the south end of the lane. Situtated just 7' NW of mag 5.3 BZ Crucis = HD 110432. This star is located within the Coal Sack, 1.8 degree E of Acrux, and is the only easy naked-eye star with the Coal Sack! The cluster, itself, is located behind the coalsack and is dimmed accordingly.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): at 105x, 120-150 stars are resolved with careful viewing as a huge number of mag 13-14 stars form a rich carpet in the background for the half-dozen very bright stars in the cluster. Most prominent is the string of three 6-7th magnitude stars including orange-red Kappa Crucis. The star distribution is very irregular and a number of stars arranged in strings, loops, pair and triplets. This naked-eye cluster is just N of the Coalsack roughly one degree SE of mag 1.3 Mimosa (Beta Crucis).

12" (6/29/02 - Bargo, Australia): the Jewel Box cluster is a beautiful, naked-eye cluster about a degree SE of Beta Crucis. At 186x, the cluster includes a half-dozen very bright stars (mag 6-7.5) set over a rich background of scores of mag 9-13 stars within a compact 10' diameter. A line of three mag 6-7 crosses the center of cluster from NW to SE with a striking orange-red star (Kappa Crucis) at the center. Other stars have blue-white and yellow-whites tints, though these are more subdued. To the south of the cluster is the remarkable 6°x4° oval dark Coalsack which sits adjacent to the SE side of the Southern Cross.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): at 105x, two mag 10 stars are surrounded by a number of very faint stars within 3' which are superimposed on a fairly bright milky background of unresolved stars. A third mag 10 star is apparently outside the border off the SW edge. At 200x, the unresolved glow is most prominent at the following end and 12-15 mag 13 stars are sprinkled over the unresolved glow (the cluster was viewed at a very low elevation which probably detracted from the view). This reddened cluster is heavily obscured and is located just within the SE border of the Coalsack and barely over the border into Musca, 1.1 degrees ENE of the bright double Theta Muscae (5.9/7.7 at 5"). The two brighter mag 10 stars (separated by 1.3') may be field stars and not actual cluster members.

13.1" (2/19/04 - Costa Rica): this fairly bright open cluster consists of 35-40 stars in a 10' triangular group. Includes a number of brighter mag 9.5-12 stars. Off the NE side is a neat string of stars oriented WNW-ESE.

13.1" (2/20/04 - Costa Rica): ~75 stars are irregularly distributed over a 10' region. The stars have a wide range of magnitudes from 10-14.5 and the cluster is dense in spots. Many of the stars are arranged in strings and most the stars are along a fairly dense string of stars running ~N-S with some groups of stars to the E and W. Located 1.2 degrees WNW of Alpha Centauri between Alpha and Beta. The planetary He 2-111 lies 26' ESE.