Category: Star Clusters

Globular Cluster M5 and STF 1930

M5 and Double Star
Messier 5 and STF 1930
Sketch and Details by Mariano Gibaja

Object Name: M 5 (NGC5904) and STF 1930 in Serpens constellation.
Object Type: (Globular Cluster/Double Star)
Location: Bonilla (Cuenca) SPAIN
Date: 2010-April-10; UT: 23;30
Medium used: Graphite pencil one white paper. Photoshop:inverted
Equipment used: SCT 8″ (64X)

The observation of this globular cluster is very rewarding. It finds itself
in Serpens’ constellation, approximately 25.000 light years away. M5 and M13
are the two most brilliant globular cluster in the northern hemisphere. It
has a very thick core and it can be observed how ramifications of starts
have their origin in it, the famous ‘spider legs’ that give to the cluster
its elliptical shape. The image of this beautiful cluster is completed with
the star 5 SER, with a magnitude of 5. But actually, if we observe closely
we can see that it is a double star. In this case it is the STF 1930, make
up of the star of magnitude 5 and its partner of magnitude 10, with a
separation of 11,4”.

I have done this draft in the observation area of the Astronomical
Association of Madrid (Agrupación Astronómica de Madrid) in Bonilla, Cuenca.
The weather was good and the temperature was around 3º C.

Do not miss the spectacle that this globular is offering and that will be
with us during the warm summer nights.

Unsheathing the sword

Orion's Sword

Orion’s Sword: NGC 1980, Messier 42 and 43, NGC 1977, NGC 1981
Sketch and Details by Peter Mayhew
Move cursor over image to view labels.

Location: York, UK
Date: 17th January 2010

How do you do justice to Orion’s sword? Whilst photography can reveal what the eye cannot see, it cannot easily record what the eye does see. Here is my attempt at the winter showpiece of the Northern skies. The more you linger and let the photons work over your retina, the more shades of grey and ripples of dark and light emerge: the scene really sucks you in. The sketch covers two degrees of arc top to bottom, and I viewed through a 25mm eyepiece on my Skywatcher Skyliner 152mm f8 Dobsonian, which gives a field of view of about half the sketch. The sketch was done in graphite pencil on white paper at the eyepiece and then scanned and inverted. Labels added later.

Globular Cluster M 79 in Lepus

Messier 79
Messier 79
Sketch and Details by Kiminori Ikebe

M79 (NGC 1904) Difficulty level 2

Date of observation: 1997/11/02 02:10
Observing site: Kuju
Transparency/seeing/sky darkness: 3/3/3
Instruments: 32cm Dobsonian with TPL10.5 at 150x
Width of field: 0.3°

This is a mid-sized bright globular. At 150x it is finely resolved but the central region is not completely resolved. Even at 50x it is relatively well resolved. The level of concentration is rather weak. The bright central region looks pointed in three directions just like a maple leaf. The southeastern side of the center has not such extension but the outline is sharp with four stars shining outside it. A bright star off the northern side stands out. There is a conspicuous line of stars which encircles the edges of the globular and extends further to the south. This line of stars is clearly seen in photographs. This globular is full of interesting characteristics.

Blazing Ball of Diamond-like Stars

Messier 5
Messier 5
Sketch and Details by Michael Geldorp

From: geldorpmh@hotmail.com
To: webmaster@asod.info
Subject: ASOD: “Messier 5”–”Michael Geldorp”.
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:04:06 -0700

Submission for ASOD:

Object Name (Messier 5 (NGC 5904))
Object Type (Globular Cluster)
Location (Alphen a/d Rijn, Netherlands)
Date (6/25/1998)

This sketch was made using an 8″ Dobsonian (F/6) at 244X magnification under fairly clear skies. I used pencils of various hardness on quality printer paper. The sketch was then scanned into the computer and inverted white-on-black.

My notes for that night read:
“49X: Easily found. Few stars resolved at this power with one star very obvious in the center.
98X: Partially resolved with a grainy core.
203X: Blazing ball of diamond like stars with a bright star to the SSW.
244X: Fully resolved at 244X. Beautiful sight! Stars are seen right across the cluster including in the core. Large round bright center. Stars appear to form arms radiating outward from the center, almost forming circles around the cluster.”

It was the first sketch (first night out in fact) made using the 8″ Dobsonian telescope.

For more information and other sketches please visit http://milou.blackapplehost.com/Astrohomepage/htmlfiles/index2.html

Michael Geldorp

The ’37’ Cluster

NGC 2169
NGC 2169
Sketch and Details by Radek Drązikowski

Object Name: NGC 2169
Object Type: Open Cluster
Location: Sochaczew (Poland)
Date: 2.02.2010
This beauty open cluster in orion has a shape similar to the number 37. I like observing this object and I decided to sketch it.
I used graphite pencil on white paper.
low transparency
Newton 10″ Dobsonian mount
SP 25 mm

Greetings

Seven Sisters

M45
Messier 45 – The Pleiades
Sketch and Details by Krzysztof Bednarek (Scaiter)

Hello.
Here is my sketch of m-45, Seven Sisters”. M-45 is a very well-known open cluster, very pretty.
Location: Poland, Lodz.
Date: January 22, 2010.
Object Type: Open Cluster.
Vixen NPL eyepiece is 30 mm 50 *, the telescope is Vixen achromat 80/1200
technique is pencil on white paper, the improvement in PC.