Easy town clusters.

[cotterless45]

I tried out the highly recommended "Pocket Sky Atlas" from Sky and Telescope this morning, very easy and handy;This combines findable M,NGC and IC targets on the maps.

Some nice easy early morning ones;

M3; large and bright, half way between Arcturus and Cor corioli, I think this is one of the finest.

M53; smaller and tighter, beside alpha Com.bern.,there's a challenging, never found it, but it's there

5053 nearby.

M13;half way up Hercules rhs, visible by eye, lovely , large and stunning, throw up to x120 at the core.

M92;above Hercules, smaller, but brilliant. Hercules is upside down in the sky, what you think are his arms are his legs!

Following this , just swung over to Vega and right in the middle of the 2 stars beneath , the ring nebula M57. Looked blue-ish , had a peek at x120, still glowing.

It's good to see Cygnus setting in the evening and then rising again in the morning.

The Milky way will be sliding along the horizon springtime, it's globular time, as they sit outside of the galaxy .Some theories suggest that these very ancient star groups were captured, as they don't move in the same way as the rest of the galaxy.

The thermometer was then reading minus 9C, clear skies, Nick.

[SeedyF]

I took my first look at M13 and M92 this morning, both stunning views, had M13 filling the field of view with a 32mm eyepiece and 3x TAL barlow. It was great that they were so high at around 5:30am as the seeing wasn't too great.

[swamp thing]

Some fine targets you've picked out there

Looking forward to some some cluster busting myself this spring/summer.

Regards Steve

[Caldwell 14]

Try M44, 45, 35, 36, 37 and Caldwell 14 (Double Cluster)

[Double Kick Drum]

Looking forward to the return of the globs.

In the mean time, it would be nice to get NGC 2419, the Galactic wanderer.

[Phil Fargaze]

Looking forward to the return of the globs.

In the mean time, it would be nice to get NGC 2419, the Galactic wanderer.

I spent quite a while trying to locate that globular from home but I could not find it because of the light pollution. I eventually bagged it under the dark skies of Kelling Heath during the Spring Star Party.

[DazC]

A very useful post. No doubt i'll be looking for a few of those M numbers soon enough.

Think i'll have to invest in a pocket sky atlas.

Thanks cotterless45.

D.C

[Simms]

NGC 457 (Owl Cluster) is a great one to observe from light polluted locations. One of my faves.