ω Centauri - got it!

[pete_l]

It's 5:30. Last night's rain has moved away leaving a crisp, clear sky. There is a small cloud on the eastern horizon and Scorpius is poking it's head (or is it the tail?) up in the S.E. Corvus is high and points towards Centaurus.

Two widths of Corvus' longest diagonal takes me to the bright star i Centaurii and then I pan my 10x50's down towards the horizon. Just above the landscape there is a dim, but distinct fuzzy patch. It's best detected (you can hardly call it "seen") when I move the bino's around and it stays in the same place. It's only 4° above the horizon and extincted by 2 magnitudes - but it's there!

It's now time for bed.

[southernman]

Well done! It must be a very difficult target from your location.

I was out early this morning with my 10" dob looking at this fine object.

Peter

[Don_K]

It's 5:30. Last night's rain has moved away leaving a crisp, clear sky. There is a small cloud on the eastern horizon and Scorpius is poking it's head (or is it the tail?) up in the S.E. Corvus is high and points towards Centaurus.

Two widths of Corvus' longest diagonal takes me to the bright star i Centaurii and then I pan my 10x50's down towards the horizon. Just above the landscape there is a dim, but distinct fuzzy patch. It's best detected (you can hardly call it "seen") when I move the bino's around and it stays in the same place. It's only 4° above the horizon and extincted by 2 magnitudes - but it's there!

It's now time for bed.

Outstanding Pete! Yesterday morning at 5am I too found Omega Centauri for the first time in my 12x70. It was fuzzy but fairly easy to see. I judged it to be less brighter and less dense than M13 which I also looked at, but certainly much bigger and a no brainer as to what I was seeing. Not difficult at all. I'm at 33 degrees north in California and Omega never rises above 9.3 degrees here, and it was just about at that altitude during my observation. I was also viewing through the light dome and haze from nearby San Diego, Ca. I was definitely impressed and extremely pleased.

[Walshie79]

Nice reports, jealous as it never comes close to rising here. Saw it when I was in New Zealand a few years ago, its a stunning sight but I think 47 Tucanae is even better. Not a hope of seeing that one anywhere in Europe, alas.

[Martin Meredith]

Well spotted. I also managed this in the Cadiz region last Easter in 10x50s after failing the previous year. Its a surprisingly large object but more diffuse than other bright globs. Now how about Centaurus A just a few degrees higher? That's a spectacular photographic object even when low. Up here in t'north it just scrapes the horizon so no chance...

Martin