Moon River

Naked Eye Moon
Waxing Gibbous Moon
Sketch and Details by Carlos E. Hernandez

We are experiencing hurricane season (June 1 to December 1) in South Florida and therefore lots of rain. On July 16, 2008 (01:45 U.T.) I was fortunate to experience a break in the clouds which exposed a Waxing Gibbous Moon (12.7 days old) which had a copper glow to it floating within a river of dark blue sky. The clumps of clouds on either side of the Moon had a lavender tint to them. The cloud border west of the Moon had a reddish-orange half arc visible over it. It was a very beautiful sight to behold while fighting off bad weather.

A digital rendering made using Corel Painter X.

I hope to post telescopic observations as soon as possible. My hectic work schedule and weather have prevented me from making them. I look to everyone’s observation in the future.

Carlos

Binoculars Along the Spine of the Scorpion

Antares, M4, & Rho Oph
Antares, M4, and Rho Ophiuchi
Sketch and details by Michael Rosolina

Scorpius is well placed right now for northern hemisphere observers and holds many beautiful and interesting objects. Scanning the constellation with widefield binoculars can be particularly rewarding. I found that I could see this trio all at the same time with my 15×70 binoculars. They make an interesting combination: Antares, a red giant, Rho Ophiuchus, a bright binocular triple, and Messier 4, a globular cluster containing countless stars.

The sketch was done in the field with 2B and HB pencils and a stump loaded with 4B graphite for M4. I then scanned and inverted the sketch digitally, colorised Antares, and added a little blur (5%).

There are many images of this region–time exposures showing the stars embedded in glowing clouds of gas and dust. None of that can be seen visually, but the binocular view has its own beauty.

Michael Rosolina
Friars Hill, WV USA

Marbled Milky Way Magesty

NGC 6604
NGC 6604
Sketch and details by Eric Graff

Object Name: NGC 6604
Also Known As: H.VIII.15, Cr 373, C1815-122
Object Type: Open Cluster + Emission Nebula (Sh2-54)
Constellation: Serpens (Cauda)
Right Ascension (2000.0): 18h 18.0m
Declination (2000.0): –12° 14′
Magnitude: 6.5
Size: 6′ (some sources say 60′)
NGC Description: Cl, lRi, lC
Discovery: William Herschel, 15 July 1784

Date/Time: 4 July 2008 • 09:05 to 10:30 UT
Location: Oakzanita Springs (4,010 ft. elevation), San Diego Co., California, USA
Telescope: Parks Astrolight EQ6 • 6″ f/6 Newtonian Reflector
Eyepiece/Magnification: Parks 15mm Gold Series Plössl • 60x • 52′ FoV
Filters: Lumicon UHC, Lumicon OIII
Conditions: Clear, calm, 62°F
Seeing: Pickering 4-5
Transparency: NELM 6.3; TLM 14.0

If you sweep 1.6° north and slightly west of M16 you’ll chance upon a tight knot of five stars in a glittering field awash with hundreds of stars and marbled with complex swirls of bright and dark nebulosity. This small group (and undoubtedly many of the fainter stars that surround it) comprises the open cluster NGC 6604. The nebulosity (which I found remarkably easy to detect, even without filters) is the southernmost section of a large, but faint, HII region catalogued as Sh2-54. The 7th magnitude lucida of NGC 6604 is an O8 type star that is also an eclipsing binary (of the Beta Lyrae type) designated MY Serpentis. In spite of its spectral type, MY appears yellowish in the eyepiece; this is because the cluster (and nebulosity) is buried deeply in the Great Rift of the Milky Way, severely dimming and reddening its light.

In order to concentrate on the nebula itself, Eric notes: “I sketched the object(s) and a couple dozen of the brightest field stars and background nebulosity. Then, due to the extreme richness of the field I got out printed DSS negatives and started circling the stars I could see (which still took a fair amount of time). These were transferred to the sketches over the weekend. “

Siamese If You Please

Siamese Twins

The Siamese Twins (NGC 4567, 4568, and 4564)
Sketch and Details by Bill Ferris

NGC 4567 & NGC 4568 “Siamese Twins”: Galaxy Pair (Virgo)
RA: 12h 36.6m / DEC: +11º 15′.5
Instrument: 18-inch Obsession

This interacting galaxy pair resides in the heart of the Virgo cluster. My sketch presents a 199X view in the 18-inch Obsession. NGC 4567 and NGC 4568 stand just inside the southern field boundary. This duo is known collectively as the “Siamese Twins.” Of the two, NGC 4567 is more prominent. This 11.3 magnitude SA-type galaxy ranges over a 2′.8 by 1′ area and is aligned nearly east-to-west. This galaxy features a stellar core embedded within a brighter core region. NGC 4568 connects at the eastern tip and extends to the south-southwest. This 10.8 magnitude spiral is about the same length but cuts a slimmer profile. NGC 4568 also presents a brighter core region within the larger oval but does not present a stellaring at the center. A close pair of bright stars simmers 3′ to the east. About 11′ north just inside the opposite field boundary, NGC 4564 is seen. It’s an 11.1 magnitude elliptical galaxy about 1′.5 by 0′.6 in size. NGC 4564 is arranged along a northeast-to-southwest axis. It is flanked 4′ to the southeast and 3′ to the northwest by 12th magnitude stars. You’ll find the Siamese Twins about 38 southeast of M58.

Bright Gem in Virgo’s Collection

M58

M58, Virgo Cluster Galaxy
Sketch and Details by Jeremy Perez

M58 was my final Virgo Cluster galaxy observation on the evening of July 25. The core was faintly stellar and had a soft plateau of brightness that then dropped off gradually at the edges. It was mildly elliptical at a PA of about 70 degrees. The NGCIC project database notes a PA of 95 degrees. Checking the DSS Image shows the extended outer halo aligning reasonably well to 95 degrees. The inner core region however does line up closely to 70 degrees and is certainly the only portion I actually saw that night.

Object Information:

As with its neighbors, M58 lies about 60 million light years away. It is one of the brightest members of the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. Charles Messier discovered M58 on April 15, 1779 along with M59 and M60 while observing the comet of 1779.

M58 is also cataloged as: NGC 4579, UGC 7796, MCG+02-32-160, CGCG 070.197, h 1368, GC 3121, VCC 1727, IRAS 12351+1205, PGC 42168

Subject M58 (NGC 4579)
Classification* Spiral Galaxy (Sb)
Position* Virgo [RA: 12:37:43.5 / Dec: 11:49:05]
Size* 5.9′ x 4.7′
Brightness* 10.1 vMag
Date/Time June 25, 2008 – 10:20 PM MST (June 26, 2008 – 05:20 UT)
Observing Loc. Flagstaff, AZ – Home
Instrument Orion SkyQuest XT8 (203 mm dia./1200 mm F/L)
Eyepieces/Mag. 10 mm Sirius Plössl (120X)
Conditions Clear, calm
Seeing 5/10 Pickering
Transparency ~ Mag 5.5 NELM
*References SEDS; NGCIC.org

Six Degrees of Libration

Crater Barrow

Lunar Crater Barrow
Sketch and Details by Frank McCabe

With six and one half degrees of libration in latitude, the lunar North Polar Region was favorably positioned for viewing from our home planet. A morning sun ray was illuminating the floor of crater Barrow as I set up my scope for an evening of observing the moon and stars. I was not expecting to sketch the moon tonight because of its low altitude. I just couldn’t pass up this opportunity to catch this sight on the floor of Barrow and a sketch was in order.

Crater Barrow is an old worn 95 km. Nectarian period impact dent adjacent to larger older walled plain crater Meton (126 km.). Meton appears particularly large and irregular in shape because of the common lava flooded floors of Meton, C, D E, and F. Much smaller and younger crater B (6 km.) can be seen on the floor of Meton C (77 km.). It was only after I began sketching that I noticed a second ray of sunlight crossing the floor of Scoresby M (54 km.) just to the north of Barrow. Other craters visibly here include: Scoresby (57 km.) one of the younger craters here with the brightly lit rim and just northeast of M, Challis (56 km.) and Main (48 km.) are paired up to the north of M.

Part way through the sketching process I needed to move the entire setup because I lost the moon to a large maple tree. This was a most rewarding observing session even with a moon that tried to hide from my vantage point.

Sketching:

For this sketch I used: black Strathmore 400 Artagain paper 12”x14”, white and black Conte’ pastel pencils and a blending stump. After scanning, Brightness was slightly decreased (-4) and contrast increased (+4) using Microsoft Office Picture Manager.

Telescope: 10 inch f/ 5.7 Dobsonian and 6 mm eyepiece 241 x

Date: 7-10-2008, 1:45-2:50 UT

Temperature: 22° C (72° F)

Partly Cloudy, calm

Seeing: Antoniadi III

Colongitude 353.1 °

Libration in Latitude: 6° 30’

Lunation 7 days

Illumination 49.2 %

Frank McCabe

Gossamer Stellar Ghost

The Veil Nebula

The Veil Nebula, NGC 6992
Sketch and Details by Rony De Laet

The Veil Nebula

The Veil Nebula in Cygnus can be a tricky object to observe, especially without an OIII filter. This supernova remnant is a delicate complex of faint light that encompasses a 3° field. Starting point for this observation is Epsilon Cygni. From there, go 3° south to find 52 Cygni. A small pair of binoculars can show both Epsilon and 52 Cygni in the same field of view. Now try to move both stars near the western border of the field in order to see the brightest part of the Veil (NGC 6992-6992) in the middle of the eyepieces. I had to use averted vision and a lot of patience to reveal that part of the nebula. The other section, NGC 6960, behind 52 Cygni was not visible at all. I believe that the bright 52 Cygni outshines the weak glow of that part of the Veil. I did have the impression that Simeis 229 or Pickering’s Triangular Wisp could be noted as a tenuous brightening of the sky. Or is it maybe the combined light of an unresolved group of stars at that spot? Detecting the Veil Complex is an interesting exercise, which I should repeat later on the year under darker skies. I do strongly recommend the use of a mount to go after the Veil Nebula. The steady view will allow your eyes to study the star field in greater detail.

Site : Bütgenbach, Belgium
Date : July 1, 2008
Time : around 23.15 UT
Binoculars : Bresser 8×56
FOV: 5.9°
Filter : none
Mount : Trico Machine Sky Window
Seeing : 3,5/5
Transp. : 4/5
Nelm : around 5.8
Sketch Orientation : N up, W right.
Digital sketch made with Photo Paint, based on a raw pencil sketch.

Grabbing The Horns of 1058

Waxing Crescent Moon

The Waxing Crescent Moon, Lunation 1058
Sketch and Details by Frank McCabe

Waxing Crescent Moon: Lunation 1058

This was the beginning of a wonderful observing night. I started observing and sketching the moon well before sunset and finished sketching before twilight ended. Because of my early sketch completion, no evidence of earthshine was visible.

The current lunation number is 1058. A lunation number changes approximately at 29.5 days and between two successive new moons. This interval of time for the moon is also known as the synodic revolution of the moon as it returns to the same phase. Lunation number one was the first new moon beginning in 1923 with the first new moon of that year more than 85 years ago.

Sketching:

For this sketch I used: black Strathmore 400 Artagain paper 11” X14”, white and black Conte’ pastel pencils, crayons and a blending stump. Brightness and contrast were slightly adjusted after scanning.

Telescope: 4.25 inch f/ 5 Dobsonian and 21mm eyepiece 26x

Date: 7-5-2008 1:05-2:10 UT

Temperature: 20° C (68° F)

Clear with slight haze, calm

Seeing: Antoniadi III

Colongitude: 303.5 °

Lunation: 2.9 days

Illumination: 11.7 %

Frank McCabe