8.5X43 Pentax
Oakwood Illinois
July 23-24, 2019
2320 to 0130 and moonrise.
Clear dark sky.
Transparency 7 out of 10.
Seeing 5 out of ten.
Temperature has fallen to very comfortable levels the last two days. It is great for astronomy but murder on my arthritis. :-)
I Scouted with the 8.5X43 Pentax for about 20 minutes and then spent the rest of the evening reclining and hand holding my 25X100 Oberwerks in my ZG recliner. There were times when I contorted my knees up to rest the glass, but it actually was not too difficult.
Details are on the few I have not noted in orior observations, or I have forgotten. The end is just a list. :-)
IC4665 Open Cluster
IDSA Chart 55 left.
This open cluster, (4665), lies just North and East of Beta Ophiuchus, an unassuming neighbor. Both are well within the
This group forms a rather round shape with some bits outlying on the north side. There appears to be a slightly brighter star more or less in the center, but I may be confusing this bright spot with the cumulative glow of close members, or maybe a close double in the group. I am not sure of the double.
Taurus Ponatowski
Almost within same
In this group there are 6 or8 bright stars forming a "V" shape prominently with 68 Oph at the southern tip, then 67 Oph, 66 Oph, 68 Oph, 70 Oph, and 73 Oph making up the sides of the "V" to the north. Of these, 68, 67, and 70 are doubles which of course I was unable to resolve. Apparently this group is now considered at
I spent myself crisscrossing this region and enjoying several other open clusters among them being NGC6633 also in Oph, and IC4756 just over the border into Serpans. I found both to be visually pleasing through the big binoculars with many stars in view. The dimmer stars are not represented in the IDSA.
See chart 54 right. IC4756 appears to be a broad field to me in the 25X100. NGC6633 is smaller in my view, more concentrated.
I viewed a dozen or so other delights last night but I will leave you with only the details of these new ones for now.
All views were either Open Cluster or Globular Clusters with a few Nebula for good measure. :-)
I spent time laying in my recliner staring into the center of Cygnus which I explored with the 25X100. I have included a cell phone snap of this area.
In all I was able to review many old friends which I have listed below and I have thoroughly enjoyed my Illinois sky, cantankerous as it is.
M19
M14
M23
M19
M4 early in the session
M7 early
M6 early
M8
M22
M28
M17
M11
M25
I also had a gander into Hercules and M13 which was a real neck bender by the time I got around to it. I tried to catch M92 but failed to acquire that one.
As the moon came up the sky got milky. I was not interested in her tonight so I packed up and drove slowly home, satisfied.
Ckear skies to you all.
Pffff, did Superman help?
