anyone a globular cluster fan?

[Mike73]

The forecast is looking good here for tomorrow and I've just planned my observations for the night, M79 is (hopefully!) going to be my 100th Messier observed but at only 15˚ above the horizon its not going to be a show stopper!

[Moonshane]

I agree Mike

it's not a stunner but worth a look.

[Robstargazer15]

Anyone know about the star to the lower left of M79s halo?

Every time i see the cluster, the star is embeded in it.

[Moonshane]

not sure what you mean? is it the above it in this image?

[Josh Wilson]

I'm quite a fan of globs as well. With my 90mm Mak, I couldn't resolve any stars in just about all of them except that really big one that can be seen from the Northern Hemisphere (who's name escapes me right now...not m13 or m22 ). The only that never bores me is M13. In dark skies they all come to life and show their stars. (Pun intended).

Josh

[Bart]

The intergalactic wanderer is up there now. So are several others which are well worth a look

Michael, that's interesting. I found this recently , fascinating with the distance and brilliant name, but maybe not visually stunning .

Barry

[Josh Wilson]

Anyone know about the star to the lower left of M79s halo?

Every time i see the cluster, the star is embeded in it.

According to One-Minute Astronomer that star is known as the Vampire Star because of it's deep red color. Is the star you're referring to a red color or is it a 'regular' white star?

Josh

[Scott]

I spent a couple nights in September just observing the globulars around Sagittarius, I think M22 is my favourite.

As much as I enjoy globs I'm itching to get started on the spring galaxies, I've had enough of the winter open clusters!

sag/sco is possibly my favorite part of the sky but its a bit like shooting fish in a barrel .

Scott

[rory]

the intergalactic wanderer eh , sounds very doctor who .

m22 suprised me ,as it was fairly low down when i found it, but i had the advantage of it being seen on my first edge of town trip. very impressed i have to say.

[Luke]

Looking forward to seeing M13 getting higher in the sky earlier.

I will always remember my first view of M13 through a large aperture scope, an enormous 14 inch SCT I think it was, at the SGL star party

[knobby]

I was firmly a planet freak... Until I found M13 from a dark site!

gob was well and truly smacked

I can probably quite safely say that after Saturn, Hercules is my favourite target!

[Mike73]

I've still got another 6 Messier globulars to sketch but out of the ones I've done so far these are my favourites., they arent in any particular order and M13 isnt in there yet.

Some of them arent that bright but sometimes there shapes or patterns make up for it.

[m.tweedy]

you may like this if you are a glob fan

http://www.faintfuzzies.com/Files/GlobularClusters.pdf

[John]

Great sketches Mike

Globular clusters are an object type where increased aperture really delivers a immediately noticeable improvement in the views. I found 10" starts to make the brighter ones resemble their photographs.

I did have a look at M13 with a 20" dobsonian at an SGL starparty - that view won't be forgotten any time soon

Has anyone noticed that when you get 12" aperture or above, good seeing conditions, and apply some magnification, the central core area of the cluster M13 seems to swarm with stars ? - almost as if they are moving !. It's just an optical illusion but I've noticed it once or twice when the seeing has been excellent.

[Phil Fargaze]

Love em! Bagging NGC 2419 was a star party highlight for me. M15 is a nice one to keep an eye on.

[dtr42]

Sure, M13 is a beauty, M3 , very very nice, but don't forget poor old M92, he gets a bad deal sitting right beside the gloryhogger.

Three cheers for M92 !!!

Barry

hip hip horray yup i love m92 but not in the biblical sense i just find it nicer than m13 , its the same as m36-m38 i prefer m35 in gemini just cant help myself as i know theyre all clusters but some are just plain old nicer to view than others

[Moonshane]

Great sketches Mike

Globular clusters are an object type where increased aperture really delivers a immediately noticeable improvement in the views. I found 10" starts to make the brighter ones resemble their photographs.

I did have a look at M13 with a 20" dobsonian at an SGL starparty - that view won't be forgotten any time soon

Has anyone noticed that when you get 12" aperture or above, good seeing conditions, and apply some magnification, the central core area of the cluster M13 seems to swarm with stars ? - almost as if they are moving !. It's just an optical illusion but I've noticed it once or twice when the seeing has been excellent.

I completely agree John. especially so if you rotate your eye slowly effectively using constant averted vision. it's a beautiful and bizarre effect. with my 16" I can resolve most if not all Messier clusters to the cores.

[Mike73]

Has anyone noticed that when you get 12" aperture or above, good seeing conditions, and apply some magnification, the central core area of the cluster M13 seems to swarm with stars ? - almost as if they are moving !. It's just an optical illusion but I've noticed it once or twice when the seeing has been excellent.

I've been using O'Mearas Messier objects book to 'talk me' through the Messiers and he describes most of the globular as having strange creature like shapes or patterns, I dont think I have the imagination he has because I've really struggled seeing anything like that!

Its been interesting using his book though, his descriptions and sketches are very similar to what I have seen in good UK skies (VLM 6.2) with my 12" SW except he uses a little 4" TV on top of some Hawaiian mountain!

[kirkster501]

Very much so. GC and galaxies are my thing.

steve

[Dunkster]

I'm sure I'm not the only one, but my introduction to globs was what gave me my first bout of aperture fever

Kind of partial to a nice open cluster too though... as small frac or pair of bins work wonders in contrast to the brute force of C11

It's probably best I NEVER set eyes on any globs in a larger scope than I can carry

[m.tweedy]

It was seeing some Globular s through Gary Fildes 10 inch lx200 that set my fever away, It was not sated until I got the C11 and some Ethos to do them justice. Dark skies, Aperture and Ethos is my version of bliss.