m56

[gooseholla]

Tonight I decided to bag some of the Messier objects I hadn't looked at yet. M56 was one of these.

First of all, in a 26mm (61x) it looked like a fuzzy patch in space; I couldn't tell whether it was a nebula or galaxy I was looking at. A 20mm Nagler t5 (80x), with averted vision, and a while of looking at it started to show points of light in this fuzziness. It was a most unique object amongst the messiers that I had seen. It took a lot to reveal its true nature. Until your brain/eye recognises points of light within the object, you could have been looking at anything you wanted it to be!

Not that interesting to look at once you realise it is suppose to be a star cluster, as one writer says, it is one of the least spectacular of the messier objects. However, it is worth a look anyway.

Summary: Looks like a small galaxy or comet - fuzzy patch of irregular light, brighter on one side than the other. Averted vision and a few minutes tracking reveals pin points of light within it.

[Double Kick Drum]

Thanks for sharing.

I wouldn't say M56 is the worst Messier or even in the bottom ten. If you want uninspiring, try M40 (not even a proper DSO) and M73 (dull open cluster in Aquarius with few visible members).

On the flip side, you wonder how Charles Messier mist things like NGC 7009 the Saturn nebula and NGC 869 and NGC 884, the double cluster in Perseus.

Still, glad the sky held out for you. North Kent has had lots of high wispy cloud to contend with, so I gave up this evening.

Clear skies!

[cotterless45]

Yep, just M56 fuzz ball.M40 is off my list!!

How did he miss NGC2903 ?, a bright face on spiral in Leo? This one even grips newbies.

Try M15 , straight along the star line from Enif ( reddish and blue dble, main reddish star being 5000 times larger than our Sun)in Pegasus , you can then drop down to M2 in Aquarius. Both are fine globulars in this area.

If you're far enough south, M71,72 ,30 and 75 all all nearby.Only good thing about M73 is the nearby spectacular NGC7009.

Had a very clear night up to 2am , when the Moon started it's game.

Forecast for Middle Earth is poor for the near future, we've had 7 nights in a row, tasty,

Nick.

[swamp thing]

Sounds like your observing from a LP site. Your 12" scope should pick out individual stars and resolve M56 easily.

Just shows what LP can do to any DSO.

If you can get your big lump of glass to a dark sky it'll blow you away with the views.

Larger scopes need to be able to stretch their legs a bit. Give it a chance, amd it'll not disappoint. Observing with a large scope from a dark sky is astronomy heaven, it doesn't get any better than that.

[SwampStar]

How would you say M56 compares to M15. That's the same thoughts I had when I first saw that one. I thought it was another galaxy...fuzzy blob type thing. I had to resort to my book to identify it. Again through a 25mm EP.

[Double Kick Drum]

How would you say M56 compares to M15. That's the same thoughts I had when I first saw that one. I thought it was another galaxy...fuzzy blob type thing. I had to resort to my book to identify it. Again through a 25mm EP.

M56 is substantially dimmer and smaller than M15, which is one of the Northern sky's best globs. That said, it is still within the capability of a small telescope so long as the sky isn't too polluted with light.

[Moonshane]

light pollution makes a massive difference to how things appear. M56 is resolved to the 'core' like many globs in my 16" from home but is quite faint. I'd imagine that it would be lovey from a dark site.

by way of comparison, Caroline's Cluster in Cass (NGC 2360) is stunning and rich in my 6" from a dark site. from my garden it's visible with my 16" but only averted vision reveals more detail and it's still less impressive than at the dark site with the 6". shocking.

[andrew63]

In defence of M56 - might be not much of a sight in isolation but it's set in a lovely rich field of stars.

andrew

[scarp15]

Yep, completely agree, whilst detectable from an urban sky, under a dark sky M56 is a tightly compact and dense star field that is worth spending some time on.

[SwampStar]

OK. So if M15 is one of the best...that explains why these are quite tricky to spot.

Need to find a REALLY dark spot...

[Double Kick Drum]

OK. So if M15 is one of the best...that explains why these are quite tricky to spot.

Need to find a REALLY dark spot...

M15 (like a few of the other grand globular clusters) should be visible in binoculars and reasonably tolerant of light pollution. A dark sky does help, admittedly.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I got M56 in 15x70 bins from a dark spot in France 2 years ago. Not the most spectacular Messier, but not the worst indeed. I have spotted many much worse globular clusters, some of which are hard from a dark site in France, even with my C8. M56 is easy and bright by comparison.