May 13, 2011: Farewell session down-under

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Last Friday I had my final session down-under. Conditions were not ideal, what with a gibbous moon, but the skies were clear, so I got out the 15x70s for a farewell session. Besides, I sometimes get this superstitious feeling that if I do not go out when the sky is clear, it will proceed to sulk (with the usual symptoms of rain and cloud) for at least a week .

First up was Omega Cen, really impressive, even in the moonlit skies. A circular glow, as big as the moon showed up clearly.

I then moved to the Jewel Box, and moved west to the lambda Cen cluster and Nebula, and nearby NGC 3766. The latter is a nice compact cluster, less famous than some other southern Caldwells, but a nice view in binoculars.

Further east I got open clusters NGC 6067, Cr 299 and NGC 6087 just fitting in a single FOV, with NGC 6025 just outside.

One of my favourite finds came next: NGC 6231, a really nice open cluster, with a trio of bright, colourful stars just to the south-west.

Moving on to globulars: NGC 6388 (nice, compact globular with quite high surface brightness) and NGC 6397 were next. The latter is a really impressive one, easily on a par with M22.

To verify this, I swung east to pick up M22, which was by now well above the horizon. Though NGC 6397 was higher up, I think the two differ in that NGC 6397 is more extended, and has a slightly lower surface brightness, M22 is more compact, and has the higher surface brightness. M28 was duly spotted near M22.

I then spotted a naked eye nebulosity in the sky, and inspected it with the bins. M7 hove into view, a great open cluster which I have only added to the Messier list a few days ago from Sydney. M6, M8 and M20 were also found nearby: a real smorgasbord of DSOs which has me looking forward to summer!

I finished with M3, symbolic maybe of my impending journey north, spotted below Arcturus (I am getting the hang of these upside-down constellations). As I had a train and plane to catch the next morning, I decided to call it a day.

In all the trip (apart from a success in terms of the work I did here) was a great success from an astronomical point of view. Bagging 45 new DSOs, including most of the southern Caldwells down to magnitude 8 (23, I had already bagged a number last Xmas from South Africa), and 15 out of the 17 remaining Messiers on my to-do list (alongside 7 other NGCs), in the span of just two weeks is much more than I had expected. I have also got to know a large chunk of the southern skies very well indeed.

The bins were also a very good choice of instrument to take. It has zero set-up time, and is much more easily swung at gaps in cloud than my travel scope (80mm F/6). Having said that, the latter would have been able to resolve a few objects I could not resolve with the bins (not because of lack of aperture, but due to the glare of the optics). Next time I will bring a travel scope, but probably also some bins.

Light pollution was a bit of a problem, and it limited the objects detected to magnitude 8. It is also the reason I got very few nebula and galaxies, but very many open and globular clusters. Still, the fact that the hotel overlooked the lane Cove National Park helped a great deal, and almost all sessions left me with a grin that threatened to split my face at the ears :D

[Skylook123]

And, it would seem, left you thirsting for more!

Nicely written, Michael; reading it was almost like being there.

During your adventure did you have an opportunity to check Centaurus A? We lived for several years at 9 degrees N latitude in the Pacific, and this galaxy was pretty striking at low power, like a fat hamburger. Never did try in binoculars, though.

It will be quite a tool to have, those memories, when you are back north; a bigger palette from which to compare northern views.

Many thanks for the travelogue.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

And, it would seem, left you thirsting for more!

Nicely written, Michael; reading it was almost like being there.

During your adventure did you have an opportunity to check Centaurus A? We lived for several years at 9 degrees N latitude in the Pacific, and this galaxy was pretty striking at low power, like a fat hamburger. Never did try in binoculars, though.

It will be quite a tool to have, those memories, when you are back north; a bigger palette from which to compare northern views.

Many thanks for the travelogue.

I got Cen A, but not in moonlight. It was quite hard compared to globulars of similar magnitude, but I got it after some failed attempts. Cen A and Messier 83 were the only galaxies I did get. Had it been better weather on the day I went into the Blue Mountains, I no doubt would have had a better view of it.

Thirsting for more? Of course! With each DSO you find, the hunger grows .

[m_j_lyons]

Superb report as always - you leave us all motivated to keep our eye to the scope (or eyes to the binos I guess). There is always something more to bee observed.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Superb report as always - you leave us all motivated to keep our eye to the scope (or eyes to the binos I guess). There is always something more to bee observed.

Thanks! There is indeed always more to see. I have found that even under moderate LP you can see a lot more than I previously thought possible.

[QldLiz]

Wow, sounds like you have a fabulous time observing our southern skies, and so many objects nabbed, well done.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Wow, sounds like you have a fabulous time observing our southern skies, and so many objects nabbed, well done.

It was fabulous. Next time I will have to take a bigger scope