July Observing list  

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As July approaches, and Sagittarius rises higher in the night sky, summer time observing only gets better and better. The summer sky is filled with numerous globular clusters, a wide variety of planetary nebulae, and many pretty open clusters as well.


Globular Clusters
Point the scope in between Gamma 1 Sag and Gamma 2 sag, for a spectacular view of two globular custers, that fit in the same FOV. These globulars are designated NGC 6522 and 6528, with dark nebula B 298 also in the FOV. 6522 is the brighter and larger of the two, it contains a bright core than can be resolved into stars with a 10 inch. These two globulars are within a very dense starfield. These two clusters are in the center of Baade's Window, a lapse in the interstellar dust of the milky way.
NGC 6522 and 6528
Also, take the time to observe a showpiece globular M19, even if you've done so in the past, because this globular is very interesting, though often overlooked within the messier catalog. This globular lies halfway between Antares, and Theta Ophiuchus, in the same 5 degree finder field as 36 Oph, a naked eye star. What makes this globular interesting, is that at moderate to high magnifications it is noticeably oblate, and almost football shaped at 180x or so. In fact, M 19 is the most oblate of all globular clusters.

Planetary Nebulae
This is a hard one, as there are such a wide variety of shapes and sizes, of planetary nebulae visible in July. NGC 6309, is a planetary in a rather rare arrangement, a box shape! The Box nebula lies in the same 5 degree finder field as Eta Oph, and Nu Ser. Use around 200x, for the box like shape to really become apparent. The next planetary on the list is in Aquila, NGC 6781. to locate this moderately sized planetary, make a triangle with 22 Aql and Delta Aql. This planetary is actually bigger than the Ring Nebula. Notice how one side of the object sort of droops down. This nebula reminds me of a cross between the ring nebula and the owl nebula!

Galaxies
Bright galaxies in Cygnus, and the summer sky in general are rare. However, on the border between Cygnus and Cepheus lies the beautiful NGC 6946, also known as the Fireworks Galaxy. This is a pretty face-on spiral, clouded by the dust of the milky way, appearing somewhat ghostly to an inexperienced observer. note the deep red V778 Cyg nearby. Also, open cluster NGC 6939 will fit in the same 60x FOV. NGC 6822, also known as Barnard's galaxy is another ghostly galaxy lying in Sagittarius. This galaxy is unique because it is an irregular barred galaxy. These kind of galaxies are few and far between.

Open Clusters
On a dark night where the milky way is clearly visible, one should be able to see M24, the Sagittarius star cloud. If you scan this region with very low power, around 35 to 40x, inside of it you should notice what looks like a globular or an open cluster. Higher power will reveal that this object, known as NGC 6603, is indeed a tight open cluster.

Nebulae
No nebula this month, as the August list will be jam packed with nebula!

Casual Friday Night Observing  

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On Friday, I met up with a fellow observer, who had his 18 inch obsession in tow. We were going to be hosting a public event at a moderately dark, but very beautiful location, Northwest River Park. The site is located in a clearing, after about a mile drive down a gravel road through the woods. It's located in an open field right on the Northwest River. I had observed here once before in August of 2008, on a new moon weekend. The only hindrances would be the bright Moon, rain forest dew, and aggravating bugs.


When the public arrived we mostly showed them Saturn, craters on the moon, and Venus. Once it got completely dark, I showed off various globular clusters, the Ring Nebula, and a few binary stars. Most of the people who attended the event were pleased with the views of the various objects.

Once they left, I moved my scope to the front of the pier, overlooking the water, with a perfect southern horizon. I was hoping to get a look at Omega Centauri and Centaurus A, but they were just too low, this time of year. Because of the moon, we mostly observed bright messier objects, though I managed to observe the fetus nebula, NGC 7008, for a little bit. We also got another look at Me 2-1, though this time in the 18 inch at 380x. The "blooming" inner region, and smooth outer region are clearly visible at these powers. I wanted to observe NGC 6905, the Blue Flash Nebula. When I went to log it in Sky Tools 3, I noticed I had already seen it in August of 2009. Before leaving we took a look at M19, its amazing how oblate this globular is compared to the others. We also had an amazing view of the Omega Nebula in the 18inch, the detail shown in an 18 inch compared to a 10 inch is amazing. Clouds started rolling in around 1am, so we shared some blackberries and then packed up and left shortly after.

NGC 6905, in Delphinus

Observing Obscurities  

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Friday night, we had a mostly clear night for new moon, in the southeast Virginia area. I spent the night observing in a yellow zone, with a limiting magnitude of about 5.9, maybe 6 at zenith. When I arrived, two people who I observe with frequently were already set up, with another on the way. All three of them are excellent observers. One observer was using a 5 inch takahashi refractor, and the rest of us were using 10 inch Orion Dobs. Once again, we started off the night observing bright objects until it got completely dark.


At about 10:15, when it was completely dark, I viewed M5, at 150x. I observe M13 almost every night out, but haven't observed M5 in forever. Too me, It's probably the second best globular in northern skies. I noted it's tight core, and the beautiful spray of stars surrounding it , mostly concentrated on the north side. This globular really does rival M13.

Now for a much smaller and dimmer globular, NGC 6642, this tiny globular has a bright star superimposed, and it also has a dim outer haze surrounding the core. This object is pretty easy to locate because of its close proximity to M22.

The highlight of the observing session was the obscure planetary nebula, Me 2-1, also known as He 2-126. It sits right next to a magnitude 9.8 star, and at 150x it shows a bright fuzzy, mottled, almost twisted core, surrounded by dim outer shell. Also the core is slightly elongated. I was amazed at how much detail could be discerned for such an obscure object, also none of the present observers had ever logged the object before.

I tried minkowski's butterfly and failed to see anything ,so afterwards me and two others decided to attempt the starfish galaxy, NGC 6240. The trick with objects that push the limits of your optics, is to be completely dark adapted and be absolutely certain you're looking where the object should be. I used sky tools to make sure I had the correct star field, and after spending about 10 minutes looking and using averted vision, a slight brightening was noticeable.

NGC 6645 is a neat open cluster, that fills in a diamond shaped area, with a double star inside of it. NGC 6781 is a beautiful planetary in Aquila, it shows features of the Owl Nebula, and the Ring nebula, also one side of it droops down somewhat. I also viewed the Bug Nebula in Scorpius, this a neat planetary nebula, the bipolar structure is easily noticeable. This is a truly unique object, it's interesting the way the outer structure fans out.

Other notable observations were Campbell's Hydrogen star, The Fetus nebula, The delphinus Globulars; NGC 7006 and 6934, and a few other bright showpiece objects such as M15 and NGC 7009. I spent the rest of the nigh observing bright objects I haven't seen in awhile. We also managed to split Antares in the 5 inch Takahashi refractor. I packed up around 2am and went home for the night.

NGC 6781

A Long Overdue Night  

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Last night was one of those rare nights for observers on the East coast, where the conditions were perfect for the entirety of the night. I spent most of the day trying to figure out what the weather would do, and even by 7:30pm we had no clue! Every forecast was predicting something different, and the actual conditions had been changing all day. I arrived at our observing site at sunset. The two people who I had plans to observe with that night were already set up and letting their optics cool off. One of them was using a 5 inch Takahashi Refractor, and the other a 14 inch truss tube Dob. I, like always brought my 10 inch Dobsonian. After setting up, I noticed that the thin layer of clouds blanketing the sky was miraculously rolling out, and aside from a few solitary stray clouds around 9:30pm, it was clear all night! This would be my first night out under a dark sky since December, due to my current living arrangements (college).


While waiting for it to get completely dark, we exchanged views of Saturn and Mars. This was actually the first time Ive seen Mars since August 2008. I missed Mars this Winter and Spring, because I've been living in Northern Virginia, without a Telescope. Mars looked terrible and could barely be resolved into a disk, because of its poor location near tree limbs. Also, around 9:30 we checked out M13 and the nearby galaxy NGC 6207, which was barely visible during the evening twilight, however I noted the core being visible and noticeable elongation. I also Observed the Antennae Galaxies in Corvus during evening twilight, and only the heart shaped cores were visible. One of my favorite Planetary Nebulae, NGC 4361, lies in the center of Corvus. I noted this PN as being noticeably mottled with a central brightening. The central star was visible, and I noticed that the brightness is irregular.

By this time it had gotten completely dark, and we were getting SQM readings of 20.22, corresponding to about magnitude 6.2! The darkest I had ever seen at this location. I set out to tackle some of the Leo Galaxies before they fell behind the trees. I had been trying for a chance to log NGC 3626 for over a year now, and tonight would finally be my chance. The thing about Leo, is that there are so many Galaxies! Sometimes it can be difficult to know what you are looking at. I finally picked out 3626, this galaxy is about midway between face-on and edge-on, with a bright elongated core, and an even brighter nearly stellar nucleus. While I was in the area, I also took a quick glance at M65 and M66. The amount of detail these show from a dark sky is amazing!

After this, I focused on the Globulars in Libra. I started with the Caldwell Catalog object, NGC 5694. Even at 150x, this Globular remains small. It has a very bright core with a dim outer haze, individual stars were not resolvable. Another globular in Leo is NGC 5897. This Globular is large and loose, with uniform density, and brightness, there is no central brightening. Stars are barely resolvable with averted vision.

I also viewed various Open Clusters in Vulpecula and Scorpius. Eventually I observed the easy to locate, but difficult to see galaxy, NGC 6000. The core in this galaxy is noticeably elongated. What makes this galaxy interesting is that there was a supernova recorded in it back in march, at magnitude 15.2, however last night I, and 3 others, were able to view the supernova in my 10 inch at 150x, so I think its safe to say this supernova has brightened. The last observations of this SN were over a month ago, so it would be nice if others would take it upon themselves and confirm this observation. Seeing the supernova required averted vision in my 10 inch. I really enjoy transient phenomena like this because they always make observing more exciting.

After viewing this supernova, my observing partners had begun to pack up. I spent the rest of the night observing stellar planetaries such as the White Eyed Pea in solitude. I also experimented viewing various bright nebulae through an OIII filter, such as the Dumbell, the Lagoon, and the Swan. Before beginning to pack up myself, I viewed a few bright messier Globulars and Barnard's star in Ophiuchus. This star has the highest recorded proper motion, and is also a red dwarf, so the overall of novelty of this object makes it an interesting target to observe. At this time I also noticed th at M22 was a naked eye object tonight! I had frequently seen M13 naked eye, but never M22!

At about 1:30am I sat down and looked at the Milky Way, rising overhead in the southern sky. It's such a welcoming sight to see this again, after nearly 10 months without seeing it rise. This was my first extraordinary observing session this summer, and I hope it's not the last.


Not even the clouds could ruin tonight!  

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Tonight was my clubs monthly event called Skywatch, where we observe under a moderately dark site and allow the public to join in on the fun. The forecast called for clouds, but when I got noticed that the event wasn't canceled I decided to pack up the car and head out, in hopes of seeing some people I haven't seen since Christmas time. We spent about an hour and a half under the clouds waiting for it to get dark, and before we knew it, we were able to see Saturn, Arcturus, and Spica peaking through a thinner area in the clouds! By this time about 30 or so people had gathered around, mostly boy scout and girl scout troops on a camping trip. Saturn looked terrible because of the clouds, although incredibly steady. Almost every member of the public who got a look at Saturn was blown away by the rings, and the moon Titan, that was visible. After viewing Saturn, I showed people Epsilon Lyrae, and M13, though some of the small kids had trouble seeing M13 through the thin layer of clouds blocking it. I also showed of the star system Graffias, in Scorpius, until it got cloudy again. Once the people left, I decided it was time to pack up and go home, as it had begun to get cloud again and other club members were leaving as well. I really can't wait to get out to a darker and clearer sky sometime soon!!


Just as I arrived home, about a half hour from the observing site, the skies were crystal clear, too bad I was in the light polluted city!

Clear skies to all!

June observing  

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Summer and Fall are my two favorite seasons to observe. I like fall because the temperatures are mild, and you can see most of the good winter stuff, provided you observe late enough, also humidity is generally low and there are no bugs. Summer is great, because of good temperatures, the Summer Milky Way, and all of the excellent treasures of the summer sky. Once Summer starts, "Galaxy season" has now ended and "Globular season" has now begun!
One thing to keep in mind when observing, is that you will have a much better experience if you take it slow and spend time observing these objects, instead of racing through them to check them off. Especially with Showpiece objects, you can observe some of them 5o times and still see something new, or still find them amazing, so spend some time studying them and looking for detail. You'll find that your logs become much more interesting if you do.

Globular Clusters:
Many people claim that GC's are their favorite objects to observe. They are definitely beautiful, offering high contrast views, and responding well to a wide range of magnification. I've often heard people describe them as looking like a pile of diamonds, a very fitting description. During the month of June, Hercules is high in the sky. So it is only fitting to observe M13, the greatest of all the northern globulars. From dark skies this object should be naked eye, if your eyesight is decent. M13, was probably my first naked eye deep sky object, while on a ship in the atlantic ocean, traveling to bermuda. First find the Keystone, and focus on Eta Herculis. Then slew towards Zeta Herculis. I move the scope towards Zeta Herculis until Eta Herculis is in the edge of the field of view of my 9x50 finder scope. M13 is easily visible in a finder scope, so should be easy to locate at this point. Notice at low power how it has a bright core, and an outer haze, that begins to resolve into stars. By increasing the power, stars begin to resolve. The funny thing about M13, is that no matter how big of a scope you get, or how much power you use, there always seems to be more stars in the core, and they never resolve all the way. At about 100x you should notice the outer haze begin to look like spider legs of sort. Also at higher powers, the core appears to look like a peace sign, because of less concentrated areas in the core. If you've found M13, make sure to read the section on galaxies as well, for a surprise!! While in Hercules, you might as well observe M92 as well, to see a smaller example of a showpiece globular. To locate it, imagine a triangle, between Pi Herculis and Iota Herculis, with M92 being half way between the two, forming the top of the triangle, or bottom if you're viewing late at night or in the fall. One neat thing about M92, is that I have recorded that the core appears to be slightly off center with the outer haze of stars when viewed at 150x. Try it and see for yourself.

Now, there is also a third, more challenging globular cluster in Hercules, NGC 6229. Right between 52 herculis and 42 herculis. This globular is much more compact than the other two, however in my 10 inch on June 21'st 2009, I recorded it as being remarkably brighter than I expected, with a small compact bright core that begins to resolve at around 150x. For another globular cluster that is a challenge, but easy to locate. Turn your scope to Antares, in Scorpius, preferably in late June, or even later in the summer. Most people have observed the nearby globular, M4. However there is much dimmer, and fainter globular between M4 and Antares, and 57x it will fit in the same 68 degree field as Antares. This globular is NGC 6144. It may require averted vision at first however after repeated observations, I've found I can observe it directly. It is a small-intermediate sized cluster, appearing as a fair mist at 60x. It can sometimes be a challenge for a 10 inch scope, and in scopes smaller than 8 inches it will probably be very difficult. The fact that the glare from Antares often interferes with noticing this cluster initially, only adds to the challenge.

Antares is the bright star, M4 is the larger globular, NGC 6144 is in between the two


Galaxies:
Summer is not known for galaxies, and with Virgo setting, many bright galaxies are now unobservable, and the galaxies that are treasures in the fall have not yet begun to rise. If you managed to observe M13 you are in luck because if you observe M13 with about 60x, and at least a 68 degree field, you may be able to spot NGC 6207, a small galaxy, that appears faint in smaller scopes, but is still detectable. Most people don't notice this galaxy, because of any combination of skies too bright, not enough aperture, or they are simply too attached to the views of M13 to notice a nearby galaxy. In fact I never observed this galaxy until July 2008. This spiral galaxy is also an Arp Peculiar Galaxy, and I find that the best views come at about 100x. See if you can observe its asymmetrical appearance. Another challenging galaxy in hercules is NGC 6181, just off of Kornephoros, in Hercules. 5th magnitude star HR 6152 is in the same field as this galaxy. In a 10 inch scope this galaxy is fairly faint, however the core is relatively bright, and the galaxy is noticeably elongated, from the spiral structure. My first encounter with this galaxy was June 21st 2009.
NGC 6181
Planetary Nebulae:
One of the most magnificent objects visible in the summer is the Ring Nebula, M57. to Locate this object, look between Sheliak and Sulafat. It's not much for color, compared to other smaller PN's but the contrast is excellent, and the ring structure is obvious. I prefer to use about 150x. Look to see if you notice that one side of the ring droops down more than the other, and that the structure is elongated, and not a circular object. If you are using large sized aperture and the seeing is excellent, use high mag and see if the 15th magnitude central star is visible. if you can see it, you've accomplished something that can be quite difficult! I've seen the central star once in an 18 inch dob, and once in a 25 inch dob. Many observers say that M57 is their most viewed object, myself included.

Returning to Hercules, we have NGC 6210, the Turtle nebula. This nebula lies about halfway between Kornephoros and 51 Herculis. Using about 85x or so you should be able to notice a star that appears green/blue and is slightly dim in comparison with its size, or does not focus in the same way as the other stars in the field. This is a dead give away. To me, this is the greenest appearing planetary, however people often argue over whether it appears green or blue. It just depends on the individuals eyes. Up the power to around 200x and you will notice the structure. It has a 12th magnitude central star, which I have never seen. around 400x in a larger scope really makes this object amazing. The other layer of nebulosity begins to show. It's strange elongated "leg" like structures are the reason it is nicknamed the Turtle Nebula.
NGC 6210

Open Clusters:
A good open cluster is IC 4756, in Serpens Cauda. If you have dark skies, look off of Theta Serpens, and you may see this cluster nearby naked eye! This cluster is fairly large and dispersed, I estimate about 80 or so visible stars. Open cluster NGC 6633 is also nearby.

Another naked eye open cluster is IC 4665, off of Beta Ophiuchus. The stars in this are very bright, and I've always interpreted them to make a trident shape.

Multiple Star Systems:
In Lyra, locate Vega, below it is the double-double, also known as Epsilon Lyrae, which splits into two stars easily, I can even split this naked eye. However put a wide field 200x eyepiece on it, and notice how both stars also split into very tight doubles!!

Also, be sure to try Alkalurops or Mu Bootis, an easily split double star, that 200x will show as a triple star. While in Bootes, be sure to observe Izar as well, which splits around 150x and will show a bright orange star accompanied by a smaller bluish-white star.



That's a good list of objects for a night out this month. I have not included any emission nebula, I'll be saving those for later months, so expect to see a lot more of them in the July and August editions.

Enjoy the list and clear skies to all!

A word about the Author  

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I'm a college Student/Amateur Astronomer, working on a Physics Degree at George Mason University. I spend most of my time observing in Southeast Virginia and parts of North Carolina. Unlike many Amateur-Astronomers, there was never a defining moment where I became hooked. I was always interested in Science and Astronomy, since the age of 4 or 5, possibly younger. I do recall a few nights spent under dark skies camping, as well as seeing what was most certainly M13 naked eye, while on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 miles offshore. These experiences were what influenced me to take up Amateur Astronomy as a hobby. Since 2007, It's turned into an obsession for me.


I currently observe with an Orion XT10 Intelliscope, though I have plans to upgrade to a 14inch truss tube design soon. I also use an Orion 4.5 inch Dobsonian for wide field astronomy, and it doubles as my solar scope. I also occasionally use 15x70 Binoculars.

I intend to use this blog as an outlet for publishing my observing experiences as well as my Astronomical knowledge. I plan on putting together a monthly list, like Sue French does for Sky and Telescope, that will consist of showpiece objects as well as challenging or lesser known objects, and I will compile information about these objects, and include my own logs of them. Also I plan to address the real science of astronomy as well.

By no means do I claim to be an expert, since Amateur Astronomy is more so about enjoying the hobby and passing it on to others, than it is about competition. However, I was fortunate enough to learn from some of the most prolific and experienced amateurs in the country, who have decades of experience and much larger instruments.

Hopefully my postings will help or inspire others, or maybe just teach them something new.

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