November 2021 TSS Monthly DSO Challenge
Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2021 3:09 am
We were over at the dark site for a couple of nights and I revisited the northern objects for this month using the 17.5 inch scope. Here are my notes, which are part of a larger report for the first night, which I link here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21696
NGC 869 (Perseus, open cluster, mag=5.3, size=30.0’, class=I3r):
NGC 884 (Perseus, open cluster, mag=6.1, size=30.0’, class=I3r):
Facing the northeast, I could easily see the infamous Double Cluster with the naked eye. While my 17.5 inch isn’t the best instrument to use for these showpieces, I dropped in the 21mm Ethos (94x) and quickly aimed the scope their way using the Rigel unity finder. What greeted my eye in the 1.1° TFOV was an explosion of stars. Too much so actually, as my true field could not contain all these clusters have to offer. That is why they are much better fare for binoculars and smaller wide field instruments, in the same manner as M44 and M45. Wider, lower magnification views give one a much better perspective in these larger cluster fields within the surrounding sky. Nonetheless, my eye was dazzled by myriad stars curving and streaming in all directions, with countless little patterns formed among their number.
Messier 33 / NGC 598 (Triangulum, spiral galaxy, mag=5.7, size=66.0’x41.41.6’, SBr=14.1):
Aiming my scope using the Rigel unity finder to the galaxy’s approximate location, I quickly scooped it up in the 8x50RACI optical finder. Again at 94x, as my eye relaxed and adjusted to the field in which it swims, the galaxy began to take shape. After a few moments its delicate and diaphanous spiral structure became readily apparent, with the soft low surface brightness arcs of its light unwrapping from a noticeable broadly brighter core. The arms were curdled with countless pockets of light and dark structure as the eye moved outward. The large and bright H-II region NGC 604 was an obvious punctuation to one of the arms as it trailed off to the northeastern edge of the galaxy. Though conditions were not superb, they were more than good enough to let this true beauty of the Local Group strut its stuff for my pleasure.
NGC 7789 (Cassiopeia, open cluster, mag=6.7, size=25.0’, class=I2r):
Aiming the scope now at mag 2.3 Beta Cassiopeiae (Caph) I drifted nearly 3° SSW of the star and quickly scooped up this fine open cluster in the 8x50RACI optical finder between Rho (mag 5.1) and Sigma (mag 4.9) Cas. In the finder it presented a small and round diffuse glow with no stars resolved. However, it was clearly evident and invited closer inspection. Moving to the eyepiece (94x), the sight was a stunning round mass of stars, far too many to count with any reasonable accuracy. In fact, the amount of stars visible was dizzying and confusing – but beautiful all in the same moment. As I studied the cluster’s field more, I began to get a sense of darker voids of less stellar density within its structure. I could trace flowing curves of these voids as they wound their way throughout the cluster body. This lent a very curious maze-like appearance to this wonderful cluster. While I have seen it previously with smaller apertures, the view in this scope was simply overwhelming.
Facing the northeast, I could easily see the infamous Double Cluster with the naked eye. While my 17.5 inch isn’t the best instrument to use for these showpieces, I dropped in the 21mm Ethos (94x) and quickly aimed the scope their way using the Rigel unity finder. What greeted my eye in the 1.1° TFOV was an explosion of stars. Too much so actually, as my true field could not contain all these clusters have to offer. That is why they are much better fare for binoculars and smaller wide field instruments, in the same manner as M44 and M45. Wider, lower magnification views give one a much better perspective in these larger cluster fields within the surrounding sky. Nonetheless, my eye was dazzled by myriad stars curving and streaming in all directions, with countless little patterns formed among their number.
Aiming my scope using the Rigel unity finder to the galaxy’s approximate location, I quickly scooped it up in the 8x50
Aiming the scope now at mag 2.3 Beta Cassiopeiae (Caph) I drifted nearly 3° SSW of the star and quickly scooped up this fine open cluster in the 8x50