Category: Star Clusters

A Wide Look at M35

M35

M35
Sketch and Commentary by Rony De Laet

While Gemini is far past its optimum appearance in the sky, the view of M35 is still very exciting in a pair of binoculars.

The open cluster M35 was probably discovered in 1745 by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux. In 1764 Charles Messier added the object in his famous catalog with the entry number 35. The cluster has once been called the Shoe-Buckle Cluster for an evident reason. This misty patch can easily be found at Castors foot, between Eta and 1 Geminorum. At a distance of 2.700 l-y, M35 is visible as a mottled, misty patch to the naked eye under very dark skies. It shines with a total magnitude of 5.1.

M35 is a very rewarding object in small binoculars. Once Eta Geminorum is centered in the field of view, the sparkling cluster is easily visible near the western border of the field. I could partially resolve the cluster with my 8×56. Four stars were visible with direct vision, while a total of 14 stars could be picked out of the glow with averted vision. A few dark lanes were visible as well. Unfortunately, the sky was not very clear during the observation and M35 was approaching the north-western horizon. I saw a brightening near the position of NGC 2158, but I could not confirm its presence. M35 is certainly an object to return to next year, when it appears again near zenith. The bright star near the bottom left corner of the sketch is Eta Geminorum.

Observing data:
Date : April 7, 2008
Time : around 20.30UT
Binoculars : Bresser 8×56
FOV: 5,9°
Filter : none
Mount : Trico Machine Sky Window
Seeing : 2,5/5
Transp. : 2,5/5
Nelm : 4,8
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with PhotoPaint, based on a raw pencil sketch.

Messier 41

M41

M41
Sketch by Michael Vlasov

M41 is an open cluster containing about 100 stars, including several red giants with a chemical composition similar to our sun. The stars are distributed over a volume about 25 to 26 light years across, and the cluster is receding from us at 34 km/sec. at a distance of 2300 light years.

M41 was possibly recorded by Aristotle in 325 BCE. Hodierna was the first to catalog it before 1654, then it was rediscovered by John Flamsteed in 1702. It was found again by LeGentil in 1749, and finally by Charles Messier in 1765. Phew.

Binocular Beehive – M44

M44

M44
Sketch and Commentary by Rony De Laet

M44 in Cancer is a typical binocular object. With a total magnitude of 3.1 the Beehive Cluster or Praesepe was known since antiquity. And indeed, at a distance of 520 lightyears, the cluster is faintly visible as a large nebulous patch to the naked eye. With a simple pair of binoculars the patch resolves into a beautiful V-shaped open cluster measuring more than 1° across. Several multiple stars are visible at low power. The binocular view is perfect for such a large object. Most telescopes don’t offer a wide enough view to show the cluster in it’s ‘natural environment’. While studying the object, I got the impression of a deeper darkness behind the cluster, compared to the overal background brightness. Could this be an optical effect created by the contrast between the cluster stars and the background? I don’t know if it shows in the sketch. The bright star in the lower left part of the sketch is Delta Cancri. The one in the upper left corner is Gamma Cancri.

Observing data:
Date : March 31, 2008
Time : around 20.30UT
Binoculars : Bresser 8×56
FOV: 5,9°
Filter : none
Mount : Trico Machine Sky Window
Seeing : 2,5/5
Transp. : 2,5/5
Nelm : 5,0
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with PhotoPaint, based on a raw pencil sketch.

Orange Embers and Blue Ice in Messier 18

M18

M18
Sketch and Commentary by Wade Corbei

Here is an older sketch that has been hiding in the middle of my current sketch book. As the date indicates, this sketch was made back in October of ’07 when Sagittarius was still fairly prominant towards the south.

My notes also make note that I was a little more than 1 hour at the EP while plotting all the faint stars that surround this great open cluster, and that there was no Moon in the sky, which allowed for some great dark-sky observing.

I also noted that this cluster had a few stars of varying colors as well, a few that were slightly orange as well as a few almost ice-blue. The rich starfield of this region just adds to the overall experience of observing this large OC. This is indeed a fairly large OC as well. Although I tried several EP’s (15mm Expanse, 10mm, 6.3mm) I got my best over-all view of this OC with my 20mm.

A Cluster Between the Two Dogs

M47

M47
Sketch by Michael Vlasov

According to the fine folks at SEDS, M47 lies about 1600 light years away, contains around 50 stars, and spans 12 light years. Overall, the population of stars is similar to that of the Pleiades. It contains two orange K-type giants with masses about 200 times that of the sun. It is estimated to be 98 million years old and is receding from us at 9 km/sec. Charles Messier cataloged it in 1771, but due to an error in marking its position, it was not recognized as a Messier object and so re-discovered by William Herschel in 1785. In 1984, a book by Hodierna came to light in which he described the cluster as “a Nebulosa between the two dogs” in 1654, making him the original discoverer on record.

Globular with a Wealth of Variables

M3

M3
By Cyprien Pouzenc

Lying about 33,900 light years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, M3 is a globular cluster populated by about a half million stars. This cluster is notable for being rich in variable stars and also contains a relatively large number of Blue Stragglers. It provides a visual delight to the telescopic observer, as noted by Cyprien Pouzenc in this sketch from Southern France. Cyprien’s translated notes can be seen below:

Sketch done with graphite pencil on white paper.

Object : M 3
Nature : Globular Cluster
Constellation : CVn

RA : 13h 42′ 11,2″
Dec. : +28° 22′ 48″

– Date, hour, duration : 10-05-07, 22:35 TU, 9′
– Location, elevation : La Roque d’Anthéron (south of France), 175m

– No wind, T°16
– T1 (limit magnitude in UMi with naked eye : 6.17), P1 (light
pollution), S2/200x (Seeing) — all in 0 to 5 scale, 0 is the best.

– Reflector : Meade Lx90, 203/2000, F/10

Comments :
200x, H=73°; Circular cluster saw in direct vision, seemingly
fully resolved in beautiful dust of stars. A luminous central area
without important gradient is surrounded by a halo less luminous and by
a crown very grainy.

Web page of this object : http://cyprien.pouzenc.free.fr/M-3.htm
Web site : http://cyprien.pouzenc.free.fr

Clear Sky !

—
Cyp

A Ring in the Bouquet

M46

M46 (NGC 2437) and NGC 2438
By Kiminori Ikebe

From Mr. Ikebe’s observing notes:

M46 (NGC 2437) Pup open cluster Difficulty level 1

NGC 2438 Pup planetary nebula Difficulty level 3

Date of observation: 1998/11/21 03:29
Observing site: Hoshinomura
Transparency/seeing/sky darkness: 1/4/3
Instruments: 32cm Dobsonian with Er32 at 50x
Width of field: 1 degree

This is a large and bright open cluster. Even at 50x it is almost completely resolved. This fine cluster is filled with numerous pin-points of faint stars and very difficult to draw. This sketch shows it as nebulosity. There are also many bright stars embedded in this cluster. The neighboring M47 makes a good contrast with M46. M47 has fewer stars with unequal brightness. M46 presents itself as a dainty cluster while M47 shows its coarseness. Another similarly contrasting pair is NGC 2451 and NGC 2477 in Puppis. They are more contrasting than the M46 and M47 pair.

At this magnification the planetary nebula NGC 2438 is clearly seen. Its image overlapping with the open cluster is mysterious and unreal. It is rather large as planetary nebulae go. Switching to high powers a ring structure becomes clearer. This nebula is interesting by itself but it is usually viewed in association with M46 playing second fiddle to it.

(Mr. Ikebe’s sketch gallery can be found here: Visual Observation of Deep Sky Objects)

NOTE TO OUR VISITORS: Please accept my apologies for the lapse in updates for the last three days. I returned from a trip out of town to hear that Rich Handy has come down with pneumonia. He is getting some much needed rest and antibiotics and sounds like he is slowly getting better. I’ll work on keeping the posts going until he is feeling well again. Your submissions are always appreciated!

Jeremy Perez

Splendid encounter

Moon and Pleiades 

Hello astronomy’s lovers, this is my last sketches of Moon and Pleiades.The sky was
clear, but strong windy make many difficult for made the drawings. I stay in my
observation site in front of my home with bino 16×80 on the heavy wood’s tripod and
inox column, all very steady fortunely!!I make the first sketch at 8,25p.m.,second at
8,50p.m., last at 10p.m. What fantastic vision!
Title:”Splendid encounter”
Instrument:Binocular 16×80.
Mount:Wood’s trypod,inox column and photographic head.
Seeing:Good
Temperature:cold and strong windy.
Location:Pergola,Marche,Italy.
Date:March 12,2008.

Giorgio Bonacorsi

Seven Sisters over Georgia

M45 

Seven Sisters Over Georgia
By Carlos E. Hernandez

I was able to view the Pleiades (M45, or Seven Sisters) under dark and clear skies using my 10 x 50 Oberwerk binoculars while visiting my son in Georgia on November 21, 2007 (01:30 U.T.). The view was spectacular as the cluster sparkled in the field of view with many fainter stars visible. I hope that you all like it.

A digital image produced in Corel Painter X.

Carlos