Category: Star Clusters

Glorious Globular of the Keel

NGC 2808
Globular Cluster
Carina
30/01/11
Ilford NSW Australia
56cm f5 Dobsonian telescope
Field: 17′
Magnification: 354x
Sky quality meter reading: 21:62

Black Canford paper
White pen
White pastel pencil
White pastel chalk
White oil pencil
Paint brush

This sublime globular cluster proved to be a difficult object to sketch.
I almost threw in the towel on this one, as it was so dense with innumerable stars that it was just not turning out as planned.
Then I thought so what if a few stars are miss-plotted, a sketch of a deep sky object is never 100% perfect otherwise you may just as well copy it off an image.

3½ hours at the eyepiece later and I was satisfied enough to call it a day on this one.

NGC 2808 was discovered by James Dunlop in 1826.
It is one of the Milky Way’s most massive clusters and is estimated to be around 12.5 billion years old.

Scott Mellish

Montage of the Open Clusters of Scorpius

Dear APOD,

I will post my montage about a photo and sketches from the Sky in Crete.
From 2 to 10 April, 2010 we three – all Hungarian amateur astronomers (János Gábor Kernya, Gábor Sánta and me, Gergő Kovács) – were at Crete to enjoy near-south deepsky wonders in Puppis, Vela, Centaurus and Scorpius because these constellations or southern parts of them are never seen from our home. Observed Omega Cen, Cen A, NGC 2451, NGC 2477, NGC 6231 and more in the very clear sky. Light pollution was minimal.

In the image is the Scorpius constellation (with red lines), and in the rings is open star clusters. The clusters is the (in clockwise order) “False Comet” – cluster complex (next to the Scorpius constellation), M7, NGC 6231 and NGC 6242. The “False Comet and M7 is my sketches, the NGC 6231 drew is János Gábor Kernya, and the NGC 6242 is Gábor Sánta’s sketch.

Objects: M7, NGC 6231, NGC 6242.
Constellation: Scorpius
Date: 08. 04. 2010.
Time: 1:00-3:35 UTC
Location: 27 m above sea level next to Kalo Nero, SE Crete, Greece, EU
Instrument: 60mm Akr., 100mm Akr., 130mm Newton.
Limiting magnitude: better than 5.5
Media: white paper, black pencil (0.5mm), graphite, invert, Photoshop.

Best regards,

Gergő Kovács
Báránd, Hungary

Swarm of the Praesepe

Hi,

This is a sketch I made last year from my home.

Object name: Messier 44 – Praesepe

Object type: Open Cluster

Constellation: Cancer

Location: San Fernando de Henares, near Madrid (Spain)

Equipment: Refractor Vixen 102M,

Technique: digital sketch directly draw in Photoshop CS3.

I draw the cluster with the laptop in my legs and drawing it directly since I view through the telescope. It’s an impressive cluster.

Thanks,

Carlos Tapia

http://web.mac.com/carlosz22

Glorious Omega Centauri

NGC 5139
Omega Centauri
Globular Cluster
Centaurus
09/08/10
Ilford NSW Australia
76mm Televue Apo Refractor
Field: 62′
Magnification: 48x
Sky Quality Meter reading: 21:38

I always find NGC 5139 a bit much in large scopes, a more elegant view of this grandiose globular can be had in smaller instruments.

As rain had been forecast I had packed the 56cm dob away, but I left my 76mm Apo set up just in case.
I went into the shed to lay down and listen to some music.

About an hour later I felt the urge to proceed to the toilets, and lone and behold it was completely clear.
It was not long before I was at the 76mm Apo with a bino view and two 14mm Radian eyepieces.

Needless to say it was a splendid view with the globular just barely giving the chance to resolve a smattering of tiny stars.

I just had time to complete this sketch when the clouds rolled back in, and then it began to rain, and rain, and rain.

Come the next morning it was still raining, and I could not get out of the place quick enough and go back home.

Scott Mellish.

Small Treasure of Auriga

Object Name M37 in Auriga
Object Type Open Cluster
Location Budy Dłutowskie – small village in central Poland
Date 04.01.2011
Media graphite pencil, white paper, color invert
Telescope Meade SCT 8” f/10 with 40mm Willam Optics SWAN
Seeing 3/5
Transparency 3/5
NELM 4,5 mag

We didn’t have much good weather in Poland last time.
Yesterday we had only 2-3 hours of quite nice sky and I used this time to made this sketch.

Cluster was clearly visible from the edge to center. Background of object was little lighter than surroundings.
Around cluster there was little number of stars (only brightest) because of low transparence and near lights dispersed in the fog.

Clear sky
Łukasz

Pair of Open Clusters

Name: M35 and NGC 2158
Type: Pair of open clusters
Constellation: Gemini
Location: Negev desert, southern Israel
Date: 2-3/12/2010 , 03:30
Media: Graphite pencils, white paper, red light. Scanned and processed in Photoshop
Equipment: 203 mm F/5 Orion skyview pro Newtonian, 13mm Vixen LVW eyepiece (77X).

M35 is a bright, beautiful open cluster. It can easily be spotted with a naked eye under right conditions. The cluster isn’t very uniform, and features an interesting arc of stars, with a yellowish bright star on it’s end.
Through a moderate telescope M35’s tiny neighbour can be spotted – NGC 2158, which is a small, tight, faint open cluster (once thought to be globular).

Open Cluster with Heart and Soul Nebulae

The data of the drawing:
NGC 1027

Telescope: 7×50 binocular
Date: 11.25.2010

Observing Location: Zakany – Hungary, 46° 15′ N 16° 57’E elev.: 129m
This digital drawing preparated GIMP 2.6 programs.

Thank you for it!

Clear Sky !

Tamas Bognar

http://tamasasztro.haminfo.hu/