20x80 Observations - Session #4

20x80 Observations - Session #4

Date: 02 September 2013
Time: 05:07 - 07:40 UT
Zenith NELM: 6.3
Strong natural sky-glow
Thin smoke from distant forest fires
20x80 binoculars - used handheld

Objects (ordered alphanumerically):

Cr 399 - Coathanger (asterism) aka Brocchi's Cluster
This lovely asterism consists of an east-west line of 6 bright stars about one and a half degrees long with 4 additional stars extending southward in a westward bending hook shape. It's nicely framed in the 20x80's 3 degree field. The Coathanger is visible to the naked-eye as a small, extended patch of light with hints of resolution.

M27 - the Dumbbell Nebula (planetary nebula)
In the 20x80s the Dumbbell was a large, bright glow slightly elongated in the northeast-southwest direction with a slightly narrower northwest-southeast mid-section -- rather like an extremely overweight, plump dumbbell.

M29 - (open cluster)
This cluster appeared in the 20x80s as a small, tight grouping of half a dozen or so stars about 2 degrees south of Gamma Cygni.

M39 - (open cluster)
Shaped somewhat like an arrowhead pointed toward the west-southwest, this large open cluster consists of a scattering of about 20 stars, many of which are fairly bright. M39 is about one-half degree in size. It was visible to the naked-eye

M45 - The Pleiades (open cluster)
I like to call this cluster the "Dinky Dipper" due to its size and resemblance to the sky's other dippers. It consists of many bright stars, 6 to 12 (or more or less) of which may be visible to the unaided eye depending on sky conditions and one's visual acuity. This large, brilliant cluster is beautifully framed by the 3 degree field of the 20x80s. On this night, as imperfect as it was, the Merope Nebula was immediately obvious as a fat, nebulous 'tail' extending southward from Merope. Other nebulosity, such as that around Alcyone, was less certain due to the ease of confusing glare with nebulosity. The Merope Nebula's distinctive shape allows for a much easier positive identification. A distinctive chain of stars arcs southward from Alcyone.

M56 - (globular cluster)
This globular presented to the 20x80s a round, nebulous patch of light with a fuzzy edge. A slight brightening toward the center was noticed. A somewhat dim star was very close to M56's western edge, nearly in contact with the cluster.

M57 - Ring Nebula (planetary nebula)
This fine object appeared in the 20x80s as a very small, sharply defined, round disk -- appearing much like Uranus or Neptune does in a small telescope. It really 'jumps out' with averted vision.

M71 - (globular cluster)
To the 20x80s M71 was a soft, roundish, nebulous patch of light with a gradual brightening toward the center. A faint star was a very short distance away to the east-northeast. A short, straight line of three stars was nearby to the west of M71 extending from the northeast to the southwest. These three stars were evenly spaced with the nearer of the three being the least bright and more distant being brightest.

NGC 6960 - Veil Nebula West (Supernova Remnant)
This was visible in the 20x80s as a long, faint streak of light extending south-southeastward from 52 Cygni.

NGC 6992-95 - Veil Nebula East (Supernova Remnant)
This object showed up in the 20x80s as a very nice, large, slightly lumpy, strongly curved arc of light that was convex to the East.

NGC 7000 - The North America Nebula (Bright or Emission Nebula)
This humongous object actually looks like a correctly oriented (with north up and east to the right) rendition of the North American continent. Identification is aided by the distinct appearance of Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Peninsula. This object was easy for 20x80s, but a wider field of view would frame it better. The view with 8x42 binoculars provided a more satisfying (wider) field, but NGC 7000 was significantly fainter in the smaller optics.

Sketcher,
To sketch is to see.

On Monday, September 2, 2013 4:22:57 PM UTC-5, Sketcher wrote:
20x80 Observations - Session #4



Date: 02 September 2013

Time: 05:07 - 07:40 UT

Zenith NELM: 6.3

Strong natural sky-glow

Thin smoke from distant forest fires

20x80 binoculars - used handheld



Objects (ordered alphanumerically):



Cr 399 - Coathanger (asterism) aka Brocchi's Cluster

This lovely asterism consists of an east-west line of 6 bright stars about one and a half degrees long with 4 additional stars extending southward in a westward bending hook shape. It's nicely framed in the 20x80's 3 degree field. The Coathanger is visible to the naked-eye as a small, extended patch of light with hints of resolution.



M27 - the Dumbbell Nebula (planetary nebula)

In the 20x80s the Dumbbell was a large, bright glow slightly elongated in the northeast-southwest direction with a slightly narrower northwest-southeast mid-section -- rather like an extremely overweight, plump dumbbell.



M29 - (open cluster)

This cluster appeared in the 20x80s as a small, tight grouping of half a dozen or so stars about 2 degrees south of Gamma Cygni.



M39 - (open cluster)

Shaped somewhat like an arrowhead pointed toward the west-southwest, this large open cluster consists of a scattering of about 20 stars, many of which are fairly bright. M39 is about one-half degree in size. It was visible to the naked-eye



M45 - The Pleiades (open cluster)

I like to call this cluster the "Dinky Dipper" due to its size and resemblance to the sky's other dippers. It consists of many bright stars, 6 to 12 (or more or less) of which may be visible to the unaided eye depending on sky conditions and one's visual acuity. This large, brilliant cluster is beautifully framed by the 3 degree field of the 20x80s. On this night, as imperfect as it was, the Merope Nebula was immediately obvious as a fat, nebulous 'tail' extending southward from Merope. Other nebulosity, such as that around Alcyone, was less certain due to the ease of confusing glare with nebulosity. The Merope Nebula's distinctive shape allows for a much easier positive identification. A distinctive chain of stars arcs southward from Alcyone.



M56 - (globular cluster)

This globular presented to the 20x80s a round, nebulous patch of light with a fuzzy edge. A slight brightening toward the center was noticed. A somewhat dim star was very close to M56's western edge, nearly in contact with the cluster.



M57 - Ring Nebula (planetary nebula)

This fine object appeared in the 20x80s as a very small, sharply defined, round disk -- appearing much like Uranus or Neptune does in a small telescope. It really 'jumps out' with averted vision.



M71 - (globular cluster)

To the 20x80s M71 was a soft, roundish, nebulous patch of light with a gradual brightening toward the center. A faint star was a very short distance away to the east-northeast. A short, straight line of three stars was nearby to the west of M71 extending from the northeast to the southwest. These three stars were evenly spaced with the nearer of the three being the least bright and more distant being brightest.



NGC 6960 - Veil Nebula West (Supernova Remnant)

This was visible in the 20x80s as a long, faint streak of light extending south-southeastward from 52 Cygni.



NGC 6992-95 - Veil Nebula East (Supernova Remnant)

This object showed up in the 20x80s as a very nice, large, slightly lumpy, strongly curved arc of light that was convex to the East.



NGC 7000 - The North America Nebula (Bright or Emission Nebula)

This humongous object actually looks like a correctly oriented (with north up and east to the right) rendition of the North American continent. Identification is aided by the distinct appearance of Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Peninsula. This object was easy for 20x80s, but a wider field of view would frame it better. The view with 8x42 binoculars provided a more satisfying (wider) field, but NGC 7000 was significantly fainter in the smaller optics.



Sketcher,

To sketch is to see.

Very nice! Thanks for that

To me, the Pleiades was "Nebraska" before I found out what it really was...

The Coathanger... J Ellard Gore describes an old Arabic asterism of a clay pot in his book "Astronomical Curiosities." It starts at the tip of Aquila's wing, swings out in a little arc, then comes back toward Cygnus. I looked at Al Sufi's Pot for many years, and I looked at the coathanger for many years, before I realized that the coathanger was the Northern end of Al Sufi's Pot. Interesting how things fit together sometimes.
Marty

Hi Marty, The thought of the Pleiades resembling Nebraska had never occurred to me. But after a brief comparison I found the resemblance quite striking, especially if one makes the comparison with a very low magnification image or a naked-eye view.

Similarly, I had never heard of Al Sufi's Pot. But considering that one of the oldest, if not the oldest reference to the Coathanger comes to us from Al Sufi, perhaps we should refer to this object as "Al Sufi's Coathanger".

Sketcher,
To sketch is to see.

On Monday, September 2, 2013 8:15:02 PM UTC-6, wrote:

To me, the Pleiades was "Nebraska" before I found out what it really was....

The Coathanger... J Ellard Gore describes an old Arabic asterism of a clay pot in his book "Astronomical Curiosities." It starts at the tip of Aquila's wing, swings out in a little arc, then comes back toward Cygnus. I looked at Al Sufi's Pot for many years, and I looked at the coathanger for many years, before I realized that the coathanger was the Northern end of Al Sufi's Pot. Interesting how things fit together sometimes.

Marty