AAQ Visual Observing Section
Selected Deep Sky Objects In CarinaWith the cooler clearer nights of autumn almost upon us I am pleased to be able to share with you some of the fine sights of Carina. Now rising in the south east, listed below are just some of the many easily located objects you will find here. There are many hours of enjoyment in this interesting constellation, so be sure to spend some dark nights making the most of what it has to offer. Note: All observations made with a 150mm. F8 refractor. NGC 2516 (07h 58.3m RA -60° 52’ Dec) you will need a wide field of view to best appreciate this While in the area of NGC 2516, have a look at Rmk 8 (8h 15.2m RA -62° 55' Dec) Look for the yellow coloured primary of this wider pair (4.0"). Nearby in a fine starfield is a delicate 3 star system HJ 4053 (8h 08.2m RA -61° 05' Dec) visible with 40x. Also nearby is a very wide double Dunlop 62 (8h 04.5m RA -62° 51' Dec) which is an easy pair at 40x. NGC 2808 (09h 12.1m RA -64° 52' Dec) you will easily find this tightly condensed globular with your finderscope, and it is a fine sight with 40x. Despite being set in a fine background star field at least 240x is needed to resolve individual outlying members of the group. IC 2602 (10h 43.2m RA -64° 24' Dec) commonly known as the Southern Pleiades this prominent open cluster is best viewed with binoculars or a wide field scope. For contrast, look for the much fainter and smaller open cluster Mel 101 immediately adjacent. You may need a dark sky to find this group SW and in the same field of view as IC2602. NGC 3114 (10h 02.7m RA -60° 07' Dec) set in a fine background star field, this is a beautiful open cluster of fainter stars with only a couple of brighter ones. Use a wide field eyepiece for the best image. NGC 3532 (11h 06.4m RA -58° 40' Dec) look for the bright orange star near the edge of this open cluster. I could see a curving dark lane almost devoid of stars that divides the cluster almost evenly in two. Check this out on a dark night and see if you agree. NGC 3293 (10h 35.8m RA -58° 14' Dec) also known as the Gem Cluster, a very compact open cluster near Eta Carinae. With 40x it is a beautiful sight with different coloured stars ranging from orange to yellow and through to blue/green. My favourite open cluster in Carina. NGC 3372 Eta Carinae (10h 45.1m RA -59° 41' Dec) there is not a lot I can add to the existing descriptions of this magnificent object with its huge area of nebulosity. Look for the dark dust lanes and delicate star groupings within. If you have a UHC filter, try it, you will be stunned with the extra detail it brings forward. Make sure while in this area to check the nearby double t2. This is an absolutely stunning sight at 40x with a orange primary and fainter blue secondary set amongst the nebulosity and star fields of Eta Carinae. NGC 3572 (11h 10.4m RA -60° 14' Dec) at 40x this loose collection of stars fills almost the entire field of view. Look for one brighter star near the edge. In almost the same FOV is the much smaller TR18 and NGC3590. These are both faint open clusters with no individual stars resolved with 120x, although TR 18 looks slightly brighter and larger. Look for a dark band between NGC 3572 and the two others, which can be enhanced with a UHC filter. You may need a dark sky to fully enjoy this interesting area. NGC 3136 / 3136B / IC 2554 (10h 05.8m RA -67° 23' Dec) these faint galaxies (3136 is slightly brighter) will require a dark sky to view. NGC 3199 (10h 17.1m RA -57° 55' Dec) this bright nebula can be found easily with 40x, and is a very pretty crescent shaped object, slightly brighter at one end. Try a UHC filter for a better view, and a dark sky will help. Would be a good photographic object. Close to 3199 is a double easily split with 80x. Look for the orange/yellow primary and fainter blue secondary. Upsilon Carinae (9h 47.2m RA -65° 04' Dec) 120x is needed for a good clear split of this pretty pair of different coloured stars. Close by in the same field using a low powered eyepiece is a delicate fainter pair easily split with 40x. Avior, or Epsilon Carinae (8h 22.4m RA -59° 31' Dec) at the foot of the "False Cross", I found this too difficult to split, unlike the nearby b1 which was very easily separated with 40x. Whilst in the same area try e1, I found it a very difficult split with 320x. Dunlop 39 (7h 03.2m RA -59° 11' Dec) at 1.6" this is a good test double which required 320x for me to clearly separate.
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