AAQ Special Interest Sections
Visual ObservingThe AAQ holds, weather permitting, a deep sky field night for members, their guests and visitors each month between March and November inclusive. Field nights are not held from December to February due to the generally adverse weather conditions. The deep sky field nights are held at dark sky sites away from the interferring light pollution of the city to allow the observation and photography of fainter stellar and non-stellar objects outside the solar system. A list of the proposed deep sky field nights for the current year is provided here. For further information on these field nights please contact the Visual Observing Section Director. Public observing nights can be arranged for community groups and schools. Please direct enquires about public observing nights to the Visual Observing Section Director. AAQ Visual Observing Programme AAQ Deep Sky Observing Articles Visual Observing Section Report On Selected Highlights For October 2007Deep Sky Observing in the Constellation of Norma by Graeme Jenkinson This month we shall return to the southern skies to check out this obscure constellation. While not an easy group to see in suburban areas, persevere and you will be rewarded with many fine sights. Thanks again to Tim Napier-Munn for his reporting of the double stars and observations that are highlighted with this different text. Tim Napier-Munn uses a 14” SCT and an 8” reflector for his reports. All my observations are made with a 150mm. F8 refractor. Epsilon Nor, H4853 (RA. 16 27.2 Dec. -47 33) mags. 4.5 & 6.1, sep. 22.8”, pa. 334˚ (1999). A fine easy pair with 40x, showing a blue/green secondary. Lovely pair. Pale yellow and blue in the 14” but the secondary indeed looked greenish in the 8”. NGC 6134 (RA. 16 27.7 Dec. -49 09) This small open cluster can be seen with a finder scope, and looks quite attractive with the main grouping immediately adjacent to a smaller fainter collection of stars. Pale and condensed in a light sky. NGC 6167 (RA. 16 34.4 Dec. -49 36) While this is somewhat smaller than 6134 with about 24 stars, the two brighter stars set in it make this open cluster easy to find. Small dim “V” set inside a larger “V”, like antelope horns. HJ 4857 (RA. 16 31.4 Dec. -46 29) mags. 7.8 & 9.4, sep. 6.0”, pa. 62˚ (1999). Whilst well separated I could only just see the very faint secondary with 120x. Just visible with the 8” at 98x in a light sky. HJ 4838 (RA.16 14.6 Dec. -50 06) mags. 8.4 & 10.0, sep. 23.1”, pa. 144˚ (2000). Set in a fine star field this attractive pair was easy with 40x. Agreed, with 8”. Dunlop 195 (RA. 15 55.2 Dec. -50 21) mags. 6.8 & 7.5, sep. 12.0”, pa. 10˚ (1999). Use 80x and you should see a fine pair of similar magnitude components crowned by a triangular asterism of small faint stars immediately adjacent. HJ 4797 (RA. 15 44.5 Dec. -50 14) mags. 6.9 & 10.6, sep. 21.3”, pa. 257˚ (1999). Located in a fine bright star field this well separated pair can be seen with 80x, but the much fainter secondary is just visible. Secondary not visible with 8” in light sky. HJ 4805 (RA. 15 50.1 Dec. -53 14) mags. 5.8 and 11.8, sep. 28.5”, pa. 119˚ (1999). Another easy pair to split, but I could only just see the faint secondary with 80x. Easy at 142x in the 14”. B 1792 (RA. 15 49.1 Dec. -52.27) mags. 6.2 & 10.3, sep. 1.2”, pa. 288˚ (1991). I could not resolve this pair with 320x. NGC 5946 (RA. 15 35.5 Dec. -50 40) With a magnitude of 8.4, I could clearly see this compact globular cluster with 80x. There appeared to be a brighter field star located near the centre. Very dim in 8”. NGC 6067 (RA. 16 32.2 Dec. -54 13) Look for the bright pair in the middle of this lovely bright open cluster. The group concentrates to a central scattering of diamond dust – use 40x. Agreed. Nice large irregular cluster which fills a 0.5˚field. I 987 (RA. 16 17.1 Dec. -53 43) mags. 6.6 & 8.8, sep. 0.6”, pa. 229˚ (1991). A wide and easy pair in the eyepiece at 40x, though not a true double. Both stars are however real doubles, the brighter being I 987. Look for the beautiful strong orange star to the south. Couldn’t split I 987 in the 14” at magnifications up to 1665x in good seeing. CR 299 (RA.16 18.4 Dec. -55 07) It was hard to distinguish this sparse open cluster from the surrounding star field. NGC 6152 (RA. 16 32.7 Dec. -52 37) Another scattered open cluster showing a weak concentration of stars, and not very prominent with 40x. Look for the interesting easy double close by in the same field of view. Rather pale in the 8” in semi-suburbia. PK 329 (RA. 16 14.5 Dec. -54 57) Not surprisingly at a magnitude of 11.9 I was unable to see this planetary nebula. SAO 226218 and SAO 226220. (RA. 15 48.5 Dec. -49 47) mags. 7.5 & 7.8, sep. 110”, pa. 132˚. Not a true double but a nice wide pair with 40x, and can in fact be split with the finderscope. Pretty pale orange/pale yellow colours. Brighter star pale red in the 8”.
References:Sky Atlas 2000.0 Tirion & Sinnott |
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