Tuesday 15th August 2006

Southern Sentinel Observing Report

Tuesday 15th August 2006

Date:

15th August 2006 (Local)

Time:

19:00 - 22:30 NZDT (UT +12)

Location:

Kumeu Obseratory

30 Minutes from Home

Weather:

Cold, Calm & Clear

Seeing:

Limiting Magnitude 6.0, transparency 3/5, seeing 5/5

Moon:

New Moon.

Equipment:

13.1 Inch Dobsonian, TeleVue Paracorr & Eyepieces & Lumicon Filters

Dave Ek Box and Palm

Left home early to get up to Kumeu Observatory and set up in the twilight. It was cold but very clear and the seeing was particularly good. I was the first there and was all set up ready to go by about 6:30 PM.

An easy alignment using the Palm and I proceeded to start looking at some setting Messier objects in the NE.

There was plenty of company later on, Dave turned up and 7:15PM and three of the AAS rental scopes turned up with their respective users. Alistar Duhs was also there.

Object	Type	Magnification	Notes
M 3	Globular Cluster	176x	Messier Glob low in the North West. Not logged for some time so observed in the twilight before it disappeared.
M 53	Globular Cluster	176x	Messier Glob in the Northwest. Not enough contrast to resolve.
M 70	Globular Cluster	176x	One of three Messier globular clusters along the southern edge of the Teapot Asterism. Well resolved, has a distinct core (Type 4 or 5). Bright star in the halo on the S edge, and on the NE side the are two 8th mag stars.
M 54	Globular Cluster	176x	One of three Messier globular clusters along the southern edge of the Teapot Asterism. Smaller than nearby M70, but very similar has a distinct core (Type 4 or 5). Not as easy to resolve as M70.
M 69	Globular Cluster	176x	One of three Messier globular clusters along the southern edge of the Teapot Asterism. Largest of the 3, even in brightness with no core. Easy to resolve.
M 75	Globular Cluster	176x	Small compact Messier Globular, contrast reduced in the glow of the city.
M 83	Galaxy	176x	M83 at high power. Small core but large a large halo with anticlockwise arms. Spiral arms are not easy but with some study they can be identified. Fills a good portion of the FOV.
M 68	Globular Cluster	176x	Large Messier globular. Sparse and large for a glob (Type 10). Well resolved. Fills a good portion of the half degree FOV.
NGC 6229	Globular Cluster	176x	Very low gobular in the North, 5 degrees above the horizon. No detail, but globular makes an equilaterial triangle with two 8th Mag stars. Same declination N as M51, so M51 is possible from Kumeu. Herschel 400 Object.
NGC 6210	Planetary Nebula	176x	Very conspicious bright PN with round disc, about 20" wide. Blue/Green in colour.
NGC 6181	Galaxy	176x	Faint oval galaxy with an even brightness. Herschel Second 400 Object.
IC 4593	Planetary Nebula	176x	Small PN with a bright central star. Looks stellar at first glance but has a halo and which is very defined with the UHC filter.
NGC 5970	Galaxy	176x	Fairly faint oval galaxy, possibly a face on spiral. No real detail of note. Herschel Second 400 Object.
NGC 5921	Galaxy	176x	Galaxy with a stellar looking core. No defined halo. Has two 9th mag stars to the S.
NGC 5813	Galaxy	176x	Moderately bright oval galaxy with no detail, even in brightness.
NGC 5806	Galaxy	176x	Small elongated oval galaxy with an even brightness. No detail noted. Herschel Second 400 Object.
NGC 6549	Galaxy	176x	Faint elongated oval galaxy. No real detail. Forms a pair with NGC 6549 4' NE.
NGC 6548	Galaxy	176x	Moderately faint galaxy. Round with no real detail. Forms a pair with NGC 6549 4' SW. Herschel Second 400 Object.
NGC 6482	Galaxy	176x	Small galaxy, with a bright stellar nucleus. Forms the equalaterial triangle with two mag 10 stars. Very starry field.
NGC 6384	Galaxy	176x	Oval galaxy, faint with a brightening twords the core. No defined halo.
NGC 5791	Galaxy	176x	Small oval galaxy with an even brightness. Fairly bright and on the edge of an area devoid of stars. Herschel Second 400 Object.
NGC 5824	Globular Cluster	98x	Small globular cluster partially resolved with a small core. Object near to the point where Hydra, Centaurus, Lupus & Libra meet.
M 71	Globular Cluster	98x	Small, bright, Messier Globular cluster. Very loose cluster, must be a Type 10, in a very starry field.
M 57	Planetary Nebula	98x	The ring. Contrasty view tonight, ring very apparent even at this lower power.
M 56	Globular Cluster	98x	Small Messer globular, partially resolved, no apparent core so perhaps a Type 9 or 10 glob. Starry field.
M 29	Open Cluster	98x	Unremarkable Messier OC. Large and loose with about 30 members and 15 are bright and even in brightness (mag 8 or 9).
M 27	Planetary Nebula	98x	Nice views of the Dumbell tonight. Contrasty with extra nebulosity noted beyond the apple core shape.
M 30	Globular Cluster	98x	Bright Messier Globular. Compact cluster with a small core. Possibly Type 6. Partially resolved.
NGC 6067	Open Cluster	98x	Bright open cluster with about 100 members. It has a kite asterism buried within. The top and right stars are orange and have the same brightness. The bottom of the kite is a double star. Very nice object in a starry field.
M 15	Globular Cluster	98x	Beautiful Messier globular cluster. Bright, large and well resolved, with a bright core. Possibly Type 4.

Higher power was easily achievable and some nice views were obtained.

The DSC's worked well and my new Uranometrias worked in well with the Palm. This will be the configuration that is used more often due to the ease of use. I am continuing with my more descriptive observations as they are making me take in more about each object.

Some very interesting objects of note tonight. Two PN in Hercules NGC 6210 & IC 4593. Also NGC 6229 very low down, confirming that on a good night M51 and M106 should be visible from Kumeu.

Home by 11 PM.

Paul Kemp

13.1" Reflector

Auckland, New Zealand

36° 55' 09 " South, 174° 43' 30" East

-- The Southern Sentinel --