NGC 6960 NGC 6992 and NGC 6995 Move mouse over images to see photographic overlays of the Veil Nebula.NGC 6960 Rollover photograph courtesy of: T. Rector/University of Alaska Anchorage and WIYN/NOAO/AURA/NSFNGC 6992 Rollover photograph courtesy of: N.A.Sharp, REU program/NOAO/AURA/NSF Observation Notes: This was my first view of the Veil Nebula...
September 2005 Archives
Observation Notes: This planetary nebula is huuuge. I really needed the ultrablock to find detail. Without the filter, it was just a slight brightening above the level of the sky. Overall, it was circular with a bit of a wisp running off the southeast side. It had a hollow...
Observation Notes: This is a large, but unresolved cluster. I didn't pick up any granularity. But hints of mottling suggest that I'm a couple inches of scope aperture shy of seeing some member stars. The core was not strong, and the outer halo faded softly to nothing. I believe...
Observation Notes: This is a big, mottled globular cluster. Averted vision gave it an overall grainy appearance with brighter stars flickering in and out across the surface. The central condensation was there, but not it was not strong. It seemed to form a trianugalr shape with one apex pointing...
Observation Notes: Right after viewing M5, this was definitely a shift to the other end of the globular spectrum. I didn't resolve any member stars, although once or twice I saw what looked like a star flicker into view near the north-center core region. The brightness was very soft...
Click image for larger version. The above sketch is an update to the original to clean it up and update formatting. The original is shown below. Observation Notes: This is a huge and structurally interesting globular cluster. The core is compact and clumpy in places. The outer halo is extensive,...
Move mouse over sketch to view labels. East and West noted in the sketch are Martian E/W, not celestial E/W. Observation Notes: Well it keeps getting better and better. I viewed Mars earlier in the evening, and the regions east and west of Syrtis Major gave the rough impression...
Observation Notes: This is my second observation, a year later. The nebula is huge and bright. At first glance, it looked like a two-lobed blob. But closer inspection showed an overall oval, slightly elongated west-northwest to east-southeast. The lobes were on the southeast and northwest quadrants. The southwest lobe...
Observation Notes: This was my second observation of M57, a year down the road. At 38X it was a distinct oval amidst pinprick stars. It was evident to me that it was not colorless, but possessed a subtle smoky blue color that verged ever so slightly toward green. At...
Observation Notes: Granularity resolved nicely on this cluster. The core was not distinct. There was just a subtle brightening toward the center. Overall, it was circular, but some regions in the center seemed to extend north-northeast to south-southwest. It's visual extent looked to be 3.5'. There was some extra...
Observation Notes: I regret not making this observation at a better time of year and from a better location. Scorpius was headed into bad light pollution as seen from my home, and the neighbors were kind enough to shoot on the porch light as soon as I began the...
Before tonight, I've never witnessed the shimmering plume of a distant rocket launch. I've seen pictures on the news and in print of the spiraling, swirling, opalescent clouds the rockets leave behind, but I've always wanted to see it for myself. Well today, I got an email, forwarded by the...
Eric Graff from Cloudy Nights contacted me recently and raised some excellent questions about a few double star sketches that I posted last week. They touched on concerns that I've been mulling over since I posted them. You see, the Astronomical League double stars I've been working on are filled...
Move mouse over image to view labels. East and West noted in the sketch are Martian E/W, not celestial E/W. Observation Notes: This was my best view of Mars yet. I made out obvious detail in the northern hemisphere, which turned out to be Mare Acidalium. The dark peninsula...
October 9, 2006: To help provide a consistent style for my double star sketches, the above sketch is a digital update to the original sketch. Observation Notes: This doubly was very close to a brilliant star. The primary is orange. The secondary is white. PA appears to be 240°...
October 9, 2006: To help provide a consistent style for my double star sketches, the above sketch is a digital update to the original sketch. Observation Notes: The primary star in this double is orange-yellow, with what is probably a white secondary. But the secondary appears dirty gray-violet in...
Sketch Refinement Above is the cleaned up sketch that was submitted to Sky and Telescope for the September 2006 issue. September 12, 2005 Observation Observation Notes: These two were so very close and perfectly similar, it was a very cool double. The PA is either 360° or 175°, depending...
Sketch Refinement Above is the cleaned up sketch that was submitted to Sky and Telescope for the September 2006 issue. December 12, 2005 Observation Observation Notes: This was a beautiful yellow/white combo. The yellow star was the primary. PA appeared to be 280° with a separation about 9 diffraction...
Move mouse over image to view labels. Observation Notes: Promontorium Laplace was in a very striking position along the terminator when I made this observation Monday night. The gusting breezes tried to shake me off, testing my patience with the vibrating image in the eyepiece, but I hung in...
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