markan's continuing Messier marathon

[markan]

Out for a couple of hours last night with my 200mm. The weather's been fantastic.

M 83
2012 June 14 23:33 with SW 200mm Reflector
Galaxy in Hydra, Explore Scientific 18mm, 56x

This was really my last chance of the year to see it. A start hop from Gamma Hya using S&T Packet Atlas to guide me. Towards the end of twilight I was able to see it. Very, very faint but the nucleus was visible.

M 101
2012 June 14 22:33 with SW 200mm Reflector
Galaxy in Ursa Major, Explore Scientific 18mm, 56x

I also had my best ever look ever at M101. Definitely circular in appearance with a brighter core.

[neal_mlc]

So, How many have you collected so far? I just collected M83 and 101 last month myself. Good luck with the rest!

[markan]

I've got about 76 now. I hope to get all the rest over the summer and fall with the exception of M43 and M79 which will need to wait until winter.

[markan]

I went to a dark viewing sight last night and had a pretty good night with my binoculars. Transparency wasn’t the best because of a slight haze in the sky. The best view was at the vertex so I spent much of the night just scanning Lyra and Cygnus. It was dark enough that I could trace out some of the North American Nebula with both 10x50s and 15x70s although the best view was with the 15x70s. Once again the Fuji’s and Garrett’s gave me some excellent views.

M57 - Ring Nebula
2012 June 18 00:59 with Garrett 15x70
Planetary Nebula in Lyra

I was reading a thread over at Cloudy Nights about observing this target with binoculars. The advice I got from reading was have a good chart. Once you know it’s location it can be identified as non-stellar at least with larger aperture. So I had another look. Looked like a star with 10x50s. With 15x70s it looked a more non-stellar and slightly fuzzy.

M 103
2012 June 18 01:33 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Cassiopeia

A very compact open cluster seen with both 10x50s and 15x70s. Probably a better target for a telescope.

M 24
2012 June 18 00:38 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Sagittarius

The Star Cloud. It looked magnificent in both 10x50s and 15x70s but especially rich with the 15x70s.

M 52
2012 June 18 01:27 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Cassiopeia

An easy star hop using a line made by Alpha and Beta Cas. Easy to spot open cluster. Both 10x50s and 15x70s gave me a nice view.

M 28
2012 June 18 00:44 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Sagittarius

More difficult to see with 10x50 because of transparency conditions and low altitude. Much easier to spot with 15x70s. In the same FOV as M22.

M 22
2012 June 18 00:55 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Sagittarius

Easily seen with 10x50s and 15x70s. An impressive globular.

[JuanM]

Well done, markan !

I'm always impressed with people bagging Messiers with binoculars. It's very difficult to do so in my location due to LP.

[markan]

Last night I drove about 75 minutes to get to a darker sight. Every couple of months I like to do that. Normally I use a spot about 30 minutes from home but it's got a decent sky to the east and south so I can get lots of binocular observing done. I'm going to try for all the Messier's in Sgr, Sct, Sco and Ser with my binoculars.

[markan]

I had a good night with my binoculars. Around 23:00 I drove about 60 minutes to a dark area and simply pulled off to the side of the road and did some observing. There was a warm, pleasant breeze to help with the mosquitoes. Lots of fireflies, croaking frogs, crickets, and some very dark skies with the Milky Way almost down to the horizon. Also one porcupine ambling on past.

Omega Nebula
2012 June 21 00:30 with Garrett 15x70
Diffuse Nebula in Sagittarius

A nice, bright nebula. Easily seen with binoculars.

Butterfly Cluster
2012 June 20 23:50 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Scorpius

A nice open cluster. Easily seen with 10x50s. Looked good with both binoculars.

M 20
2012 June 21 00:12 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Sagittarius

A very nice open cluster. Easily seen.

M 21
2012 June 21 00:14 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Sagittarius

Easily seen . Almost like part of the same cluster as M20.

M16 - Star Queen
2012 June 21 00:27 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Serpens Cauda

Easily found with both 10x50s and 15x70s. Some nebulosity with the 15x70s.

M 25
2012 June 21 00:40 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Sagittarius

An attractive open cluster framed by an arc of stars. Looked wonderful in the 15x70s.

M 80
2012 June 20 22:47 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Scorpius

A little difficult to locate with my 10x50s but better with the 15x70s. Probably a better target for telescopes.

M 4
2012 June 20 22:48 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Scorpius

Easily seen with both binoculars. An impressive globular.


M 62
2012 June 20 23:13 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus

A little low on my horizon but found easily enough. Best view was with my Garrett's.

M 19
2012 June 20 23:15 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus

A smaller globular but easily found. Best view was with 15x70s.

M 9
2012 June 20 23:31 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus

An easy to spot globular. Seen with both 10x50s and 15x70s.

[markan]

A few more globulars and an open cluster. All were fairly low on my horizon and in some sky glow. Hopefully I’ll get another look at these from a darker viewing sight in July or August. I also had a look at the Blinking Planetary but didn’t see it blink. Also another attempt at Comet C/2011 F1 Linear but no trace of it whatsoever. Just for fun I split Eps Lyr with my 200mm while in the neighborhood although my refractors are much better at doing this. They give me a more precise spit than the 200mm.

M 7
2012 June 24 00:46 with Garrett 15x70
Open Cluster in Scorpius

A very nice open cluster with a more concentrated grouping of stars at the centre. Looked good in the FOV. The nicest looking object of the night.

M 69
2012 June 24 01:23 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Sagittarius

Faint but easily found from Eps Sgr.

M 70
2012 June 24 01:35 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Sagittarius

Small, faint but visible.

M 54
2012 June 24 01:46 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Sagittarius

Small globular, fairly low and in some sky glow but still visible.

M 55
2012 June 24 02:31 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Sagittarius

Low on the horizon in sky glow but still visible. Quite large and ghostly.

M 75
2012 June 24 02:49 with Garrett 15x70
Globular Cluster in Sagittarius

Another small globular. Faint but detectable.

Ring Nebula
2012 June 24 01:43 with SW 200mm Reflector
Planetary Nebula in Lyra, Explore Scientific 6.7mm, 149x

My best look ever at the Ring Nebula. Very nice. Higher magnification helped a lot.

Dumbbell
2012 June 24 02:33 with SW 200mm Reflector
Planetary Nebula in Vulpecula, Explore Scientific 18mm, 56x

The dumbbell shape was barely perceptible with my 200mm. I've seen the dumbbell shape quite clearly on previous occasions. I recall it was much closer to the vertex when I did so perhaps more altitude helps.

[Maverick199]

Keep it up, good job! You must have had a brilliant night sky to have seen the dumbbell shape quite clearly. Has eluded me but then I view from a city.

[markan]

Thanks Maverick. I view in a rural area so my skies are pretty good. The Milky Way is clearly visible.