The skies started out hazy to the south from either low clouds or smoke from wild fires burning to the East. Visibility started out poor in the early evening an improved as the night went on. I tried spotting M3 to check out the seeing conditions. Seeing was poor. I decided to start my session to the North where skies appeared clearer. Later in the evening, as the Southern skies cleared, I moved South to Nebula region near the core of the Milky Way.
Cassiopeia to Cepheus
M 52 (Mag = 6.9, size = 16’, SB = 12.66) Faint fuzzy spherical shape open cluster. Averted vision was required to see it. Could not detect individual stars.
Garnet Star (Absolute Mag = -7.1) Bright star with a slight reddish or orange hue. Diffraction through the binocular lenses effected the color.
Sagittarius to Scutum
M8-
M 21 (Mag = 5.9, Size = 16’, SB = 11.66) Bright open star cluster.
M 22 (Mag = 5.10, size = 32’, SB =12.36) Dim, yet distinct, globular cluster. It appeared as a circular glowing object.
M 25 (Mag = 4.6, size = 26’, SB =11.41) Dim open cluster. No distinct visible stars. It appeared as a fuzzy glow similar to M 22.
M 24 Mag = 4.6, size = 1d 30’ X 1d, SB = 13.67) Very large bright elongated open cluster. Individual stars were easily seen.
M 17 (Mag = 6.0, size = 40’ X 30’, SB =13.44) Very faint fuzzy glow from the nebula. It was difficult to see without averted vision.
M 16 (Mag =6.0, size = 2d X 25’, SB =14.46) Very faint fuzzy glow similar to M17 only slightly larger.
M 11 (Mag =6.3, size 14’, SB = 11.77) Faint, yet distinct, fuzzy open cluster. The appearance was similar to M 25. No individual stars could be seen. It could clearly be seen without averted vision.
Ophiuchus
M10 (Mag = 6.4, size = 20’, SB = 12.64) Extremely faint globular cluster. It was barely visible using averted vision.
By this time a haze began to roll in, so I ended the session.