Date:	8 June 2004 (Local)
Time:	19:30 - 22:30 NZST (UT +12)
Location:	Symes Rd, Maramarua Forest, North Waikato.
	60 Minutes fro Home
Weather:	Icy Cold conditions. Very Clear with No Wind. No Fog.
Seeing:	Limiting Magnitude 6.0, transparency 4/5, seeing 4/5
Moon:	No Moon. Waning Moon, rises 22:40
Equipment:	13.1 Inch Dobsonian, TeleVue Paracorr & Eyepieces & Lumicon Filters

First observing session back from overseas. The day was pristine, clear calm and very warm in the sun. The evening was planned and trailer was packed and conditions were excellent on sunset.

We went to Symes Rd again and ended up with seven people including Dave, Guy & Martin the regulars. No cloud but very cool and no sign of fog tonight. With the moon up at after 10:30 a decent 3 hour observing session was to be had under almost perfect conditions.

Not much planned for the evening but I did put my new Sirius contrast enhancer though it's paces and looks to be a good addition to the accessories box. Just a continuation of the Hartungs list which the objects remaining are diminshing by the month as I observe them. A few deep southern objects and a few Messier globs to finish the session at the end.

Object	Type	Magnification	Notes
C/2002 T7 LINEAR	Comet	88x	Nice views of T7. Still bright and just on naked eye so probably in the order of 5th Magnitude. In the 80mm comet was about 1 1/2 degrees long and contrasty. Comet located just 2 degrees SE of Alphard with the comet's tail heading in the same direction.
NGC 2573	Galaxy	88x	Closest galaxy to the south cetestial pole, Polarissima Australis is very faint, with only the nucleus visible. Slightly more detail in the 16 Inch Binos but not much.
NGC 1841	Globular Cluster	88x	Faint unresolved globular cluster which looks like a elliptical galaxy. Fairly large in comparison to galaxies in this region.
IC 2051	Galaxy	88x	Slightly oval galaxy with a condensed but clearly non-stellar core, with a clearly fainter but defined outer halo.
NGC 6005	Open Cluster	20x	A open cluster visible in this region of intensely starry fields through the finder. NGC 6005 is very similar to the nearby NGC 5999, but is slightly more compact and slightly fainter than 5999.
NGC 5999	Open Cluster	114x	A small compact open cluster with stars of an even brightness. Part of a beautiful starry field visible in the finder along with Cr 292 which is a starry knot in the Milky Way. Approx 40 stars of an even 13th Mag brightness with no brighter members.
Cr 292	Open Cluster	20x	Part of a beautiful starry field visible in the finder, Cr 292 is a widefield/binocular object which is a starry knot in the Milky Way. Not really any benefit through the Dob.
NGC 6193	Open Cluster	114x	Large open cluster with bright members. There is a double star right in the middle. Many stars brighter than 8th Mag. Previously unlogged nebulosity was very contrasty tonight reacting well to the UHC and the CE filter. The Nebulosity is NGC6188 and is continuous mass and is about 30 arcminutes long and 10 arcminutes wide.
NGC 6188	Bright Nebula	114x	Previously unlogged nebulosity was very contrasty tonight reacting well to the UHC and the CE filter. The Nebulosity is NGC6188 and is continuous mass and is about 30 arcminutes long and 10 arcminutes wide.
NGC 6134	Open Cluster	114x	A nice open cluster, beautiful through the finder and has a brighter and fainter members. A looser cluster which benefits from the aperture and higher power of the Dob.
NGC 2442	Galaxy	114x	Nice views of a favourite but with a twist. Tonight a nearby ESO galaxy is visible although others in the field are not. NGC 2434 is also visible off the the NW.
NGC 2434	Galaxy	114x	Bright elliptical galaxy near NGC2442. Makes a nice triple with a nearly observed ESO galaxy.
ESO 59-11	Galaxy	114x	Previously unobserved ESO 10 arcminutes to the E of NGC 2442. Actually quite easy tonight and suprising that it has not been seen before. Slightly more oval than round and even in brightness.
NGC 5903	Galaxy	114x	A nice galactic grouping with 3 7th Mag Stars. The stars are in a line along with the galaxies which are also in a line nearly parallel with the stars. The galaxies are 11th magnitude elliptical twins.
NGC 5898	Galaxy	114x	A nice galactic grouping with 3 7th Mag Stars. The stars are in a line along with the galaxies which are also in a line nearly parallel with the stars. The galaxies are 11th magnitude elliptical twins.
He 2-126	Planetary Nebula	114x	Small, compact, relatively bright PN in Libra. Makes a twin with a very close star (1 arcmin), giving the impression on being a double star.
NGC 5897	Globular Cluster	176x	A fairly large globular that is partially resolved, milky with stars in the 'halo', probably partially resolved.
M 80	Globular Cluster	176x	Small bright Messier globular not seen in a while. Resolved and nice at higher power.
M 107	Globular Cluster	176x	Another Messier globular not observed for some time. Nice and contrasty and beautiful at higher power.
M 19	Globular Cluster	176x	Large Messier globular wonderfully framed with the 11mm. Hundreds of stars filling the eyepiece.
M 62	Globular Cluster	176x	M62 is very similar to the just observerd M19. Filling the eyepiece this object is a showpiece at this power.

A interesting set of objects observed with a bright ESO galaxy near NGC 2442 not noticed before very noticable just to the east of NGC 2442. A bright nebula was spotted next to the open cluster NGC 6193, which also has not been seen. The conditions must have been very good for observing tonight.