Messier 6&7.

[alan potts]

I was observing these two objects last night amoung others which in the conditions were nothing short of, better luck next time, but they were there. I couldn't help but wonder, are these visible from the UK as they are very low for me from here?

Alan

[ronin]

A planner I have with a 10 degree horizon says not, Latitude 52 North, for today Aug 27. May be easier at other times.

It says M7 is the most Southerly Messier.

If I set the horizon to 0 then it says both are visible, so a well chosen location is vital, South coast or up the South side of a big hill.

[Stu]

I got both from Dorset on Saturday night. Was basically at the coast with a sea horizon. They were about 2 or 3 degrees above the horizon. Not great, but identifiable

[Stu]

By the way, don't want to ask stupid questions..... but here goes.... What is the very large bright star cloud top middle of this snapshot? Going up from M6..... Doesn't seem to have a designation?

[avtaram]

No hope of seeing them from my observing position, the lowest I can get is about minus 20 degrees but the seeing conditions that low down are pretty grotty.

Avtar

[Paul73]

You can get the horizon fairly easily. Beating the haze in another thing (51°N).

Effective observing below 5° is a rare treat. I got M55 from my garden last Saturday but realised too late that the seeing was great so missed M6 & 7. I've only seen them from the continent in binos.

Paul

[andrew63]

Could it be Collinder 347 Stu ?

WEBDA: Open cluster page

andrew

[Stu]

I thought that Andrew but this implies not?

Can't see it in S&T pocket atlas, strange one

[dick_dangerous]

I've seen both from London - conditions were pretty good though not ideal. It needs to be clear right down to the horizon, but they can punch through a lot of light pollution because they're open clusters.

Now M83 - there's a challenge...

DD

[alan potts]

DD,

I can't recall trying that one, M83, I will give it a go though I will be able to see for sure. I cannot see right to the horizon to the south due to 7,000 feet high lumps of rock 30 miles away, in fact I cant see the horizon anywhere I live in a sort of very big fruit bowl on one side of it.

Alan

[glowingturnip]

By the way, don't want to ask stupid questions..... but here goes.... What is the very large bright star cloud top middle of this snapshot? Going up from M6..... Doesn't seem to have a designation?

it's not M24 is it ? 

Bit confused by your pic though, the lagoon neb doesn't look to be in the right place compared to M6 and M7

[alan potts]

I had about the clearest sky so far this year, I could see both M 6&7 without the need for a scope which don't happen too often, both were lovely with the APO and a 9mm Nagler, oh how I wish they were higher.

Alan

[southernman]

I have to take my hat off to you far northern observers for hunting out these deep southern objects. According to skysafari pro M7 reaches an altitude of 81 degrees from my location and M22 71 degrees. M83 transits at an altitude of 76 degrees although it is now past it's best.

When I take my 10" dob out to a dark sky site the views into the Centaurus - Scorpius - Sagittarius area make me realise how fortunate us southern observers really are.

Peter

[Mark at Beaufort]

Alan I have only seen M6 and M7 from Spain and that was with a pair of 8x35 binos. Stu I checked out the object in my Uranometria atlas. If you draw a line from 3X to M6 it does seem to go through Cr347

[alan potts]

Southern man,

I have been to your Country and seen with my own eyes it is nothing short of fabulous, you really know how to rub salt in though, some of can't even see them.

Mark,

Is that your boat?

Alan

[Mark at Beaufort]

Mark,

Is that your boat?

Alan

No Alan - I was visiting Anderton Lift in Cheshire last month and these two Hotel boats moored up in front of the lift. My boat is 58 foot long and semi trad.

With regard to M6 and M7 I am visiting my son in San Francisco next June and I will be taking a 80mm frac + Pentax zoom to view these Messier objects.

[southernman]

Hi Alan. Not trying to rub salt in. There is much in your sky that I cannot access which would be as amazing to me as some of 'our' stuff is to you. I have never travelled further north than Brisbane , Australia so think of all those incredible far northern DSO's that I may never see. I'm sure it sort of balances out.

Peter

[mjpfc]

From the Eastern SIde of the Isle of Wight with a southward gap to the Sea, I see them each year from my Garden over a wall that puts the

lowest I can see about 8 degrees above the Sea Horizon.

I can see some of 6645 Starcloud below M7 but not all, For that and a sight of Shaula preceding it I have to get to the south side of the Island

and up 500 feet on Boniface down.

The cluster above M6 in your photo I think is CR 347 with RU 29 being the small one to the lower left of it.

(Position looks good in Uranometria 2000.0).

Regards, Mick.

[kerrylewis]

No Alan - I was visiting Anderton Lift in Cheshire last month and these two Hotel boats moored up in front of the lift. My boat is 58 foot long and semi trad.

Another thing we have in common - i have a boat on the River Nene locally. Not a narrowboat and only a mere 23ft - but lots of fun. Perhaps I should continue that subject in the Lounge

With ref to the true subject of this thread: I've seen M7 but not M6, the latter being one of my missing 10 

[alan potts]

Kerry,

It was me that went off course, as I often do. Mark is about the only member I have spoken to on the phone when I was over in England and he often used to go pasted a place I worked at from time to time in Middlewich.

Peter,

I think some where around Jakarta would be good so you can get the best of both would do, polar areas would not be very good though, still as you say you can't have evrything.

Mick,

Good information from the Isle of Wight, I spent a week end there and it poured with rain. I can see the whole of Scoripus when the sky is nice and clean, last night was again superb. I must lose a good bit of sky though with the mountains which are about 7,000 feet high but are about 30 miles away.

Alan