Tuesday 13th July 2004

Date:	13 July 2004 (Local)
Time:	19:00 - 22:00 NZST (UT +12)
Location:	Symes Rd , Maramarua Forest
	60 Minutes from Home
Weather:	Very Cold & Icy. Early Cloud clearing. No Wind & No Fog.
Seeing:	Limiting Magnitude 6.0, transparency 4/5, seeing 4/5
Moon:	No Moon. Waning Moon
Equipment:	13.1 Inch Dobsonian, TeleVue Paracorr & Eyepieces & Lumicon Filters

After having a weekend away and missing the JOG observing sessions an observing session was organised for the Maramarua Forest. The cloud in Auckland was worrisome, but it was clear beyond the Bombay Hills.

I was first to arrive and setup and was away observing by 7:20 PM. Dave and Guy arrived at about 7:45 and setup the Binos. The skies were good but we were in for a cold one. Ice had already formed on the trailer by 8:30 as others started to arrive.

I planned to chase some Herschel II galaxies in the Libra and Serpens direction.

Object	Type	Magnification	Notes
NGC 6118	Galaxy	88x	Small diffuse galaxy, oval in shape, near a bright 6th Mag star.
NGC 6070	Galaxy	88x	Small round galaxy with a hazy halo. No detail and even in brightness and near a bright 6th Mag star. Herschel II Object.
NGC 6106	Galaxy	88x	Hard galaxy to spot. Adverted vision a must. No detail noted but probably oval. Hershel II Object.
NGC 5970	Galaxy	88x	A slightly more oval than round galaxy. Fairly bright and easy. Just south of a bright 7th Mag star. Herschel II Object.
NGC 5812	Galaxy	114x	Small round galaxy, quite like a small globular. Located on the end of a 'D' asterism. Defined and bright with a condensed core. Herschel II Object.
NGC 5885	Galaxy	114x	Faint galaxy with no real special details. Object nearby a target object. Hard to spot.
NGC 5872	Galaxy	114x	Small but very faint galaxy near the NGC 5861 pair. Featureless and adverted vision necessary.
NGC 5861	Galaxy	114x	Galaxy pairing NGC 5858 & NGC5861. NGC5861 is oval and even in brightness, brighter and larger than the nearby NGC 5858. NGC5858 has a stellar core, but no other features.
NGC 5858	Galaxy	114x	Galaxy pairing NGC 5858 & NGC5861. NGC5861 is oval and even in brightness, brighter and larger than the nearby NGC 5858. NGC5858 has a stellar core, but no other features.
NGC 5878	Galaxy	114x	Faint galaxy with a hint of irregularity. Condensed core, probably a spiral. Herschel II Object.
NGC 5728	Galaxy	114x	An oval spindle shaped galaxy. No halo noted but has a condensed core. Hershel II Object.
NGC 5597	Galaxy	114x	A pair of evenly bright pair. Same shape and size. Twins. No detail noted in either. Both are Herschel II Objects.
NGC 5595	Galaxy	114x	A pair of evenly bright pair. Same shape and size. Twins. No detail noted in either. Both are Herschel II Objects.
NGC 6729	Bright Nebula	114x	Wispy Nebulosity lit by R Coronae Australis with the nearby NGC 6726 also making a spooky nebulous area. No filters used. Nebulosity is distinct without the help of the filters.
NGC 6726	Bright Nebula	114x	Gasous nebula around B957. Extensive nebulosity is the nearby NGC 6729.
NGC 6723	Globular Cluster	114x	A fantastic bright globular cluster, easy in the finder, with nebulosity on the fields edge. A fairly loose globular cluster by standards really.
NGC 6325	Globular Cluster	114x	Small compact globular cluster, faint but distinct from the starry field.
NGC 6287	Globular Cluster	114x	A small compact globular cluster, faint but distinct from the starry field. Near a strip of dark nebulosity.
NGC 6235	Globular Cluster	114x	Small compact globular cluster, fairly bright. Not resolved.
IC 4634	Planetary Nebula	114x	Brightish planetary but almost stellar. It is not stellar though. Adverted vision 'grows' this object making the disk look larger.

Object

Type

Magnification

Notes

NGC 6118

Galaxy

88x

Small diffuse galaxy, oval in shape, near a bright 6th Mag star.

NGC 6070

Galaxy

88x

Small round galaxy with a hazy halo. No detail and even in brightness and near a bright 6th Mag star. Herschel II Object.

NGC 6106

Galaxy

88x

Hard galaxy to spot. Adverted vision a must. No detail noted but probably oval. Hershel II Object.

NGC 5970

Galaxy

88x

A slightly more oval than round galaxy. Fairly bright and easy. Just south of a bright 7th Mag star. Herschel II Object.

NGC 5812

Galaxy

114x

Small round galaxy, quite like a small globular. Located on the end of a 'D' asterism. Defined and bright with a condensed core. Herschel II Object.

NGC 5885

Galaxy

114x

Faint galaxy with no real special details. Object nearby a target object. Hard to spot.

NGC 5872

Galaxy

114x

Small but very faint galaxy near the NGC 5861 pair. Featureless and adverted vision necessary.

NGC 5861

Galaxy

114x

Galaxy pairing NGC 5858 & NGC5861. NGC5861 is oval and even in brightness, brighter and larger than the nearby NGC 5858. NGC5858 has a stellar core, but no other features.

NGC 5858

Galaxy

114x

Galaxy pairing NGC 5858 & NGC5861. NGC5861 is oval and even in brightness, brighter and larger than the nearby NGC 5858. NGC5858 has a stellar core, but no other features.

NGC 5878

Galaxy

114x

Faint galaxy with a hint of irregularity. Condensed core, probably a spiral. Herschel II Object.

NGC 5728

Galaxy

114x

An oval spindle shaped galaxy. No halo noted but has a condensed core. Hershel II Object.

NGC 5597

Galaxy

114x

A pair of evenly bright pair. Same shape and size. Twins. No detail noted in either. Both are Herschel II Objects.

NGC 5595

Galaxy

114x

A pair of evenly bright pair. Same shape and size. Twins. No detail noted in either. Both are Herschel II Objects.

NGC 6729

Bright Nebula

114x

Wispy Nebulosity lit by R Coronae Australis with the nearby NGC 6726 also making a spooky nebulous area. No filters used. Nebulosity is distinct without the help of the filters.

NGC 6726

Bright Nebula

114x

Gasous nebula around B957. Extensive nebulosity is the nearby NGC 6729.

NGC 6723

Globular Cluster

114x

A fantastic bright globular cluster, easy in the finder, with nebulosity on the fields edge. A fairly loose globular cluster by standards really.

NGC 6325

Globular Cluster

114x

Small compact globular cluster, faint but distinct from the starry field.

NGC 6287

Globular Cluster

114x

A small compact globular cluster, faint but distinct from the starry field. Near a strip of dark nebulosity.

NGC 6235

Globular Cluster

114x

Small compact globular cluster, fairly bright. Not resolved.

IC 4634

Planetary Nebula

114x

Brightish planetary but almost stellar. It is not stellar though. Adverted vision 'grows' this object making the disk look larger.

Last observing session I had bit of difficulty getting the mirror section onto the cradle section. I had done some work on this and I believe I have solved this problem. Snapped a Paracorr screw tonight which meant that I was limited to the two 2 Inch Naglers.

Most of the objects tonight were faint with not much detail but the finder proved it worth yet again.