Crop Of Puppis Clusters, & Some Nebulosity (Mon)

[cloudsweeper]

I was pleased to see a clear sky for a change this morning, so set up the 8SE, and after allowing for cooling, went into action at 3.30am.  

Aligned on Procyon and Betelgeuse.

Initial targets - open clusters in Puppis, for the very good reason that I hadn't yet got round to seeing them!

M46 - GoTo spot on - a dense, tight cluster of largely faint stars, with the 4.95 mag 140 Pup also in the field of view.  Going from x48 to x85 resolved more of the component stars.

M47 - this was just outside the field of view for the above cluster.  Less dense, but with many brighter stars, a more pleasing spectacle.  There is a very tight pair near the centre, showing up better at x85.

M93 - this was at only about 10deg, so I only just managed to catch it.  Fainter, smaller.  

By 4.00am the Moon (waning, past 3rd quarter) was peeping over the rooftops, but this was no problem for viewing clusters (except perhaps for the faintest of components), so I took another look at the nicest so far, M47, before my next new target.

NGC 2409 Open Cluster in Puppis - a small, faint "L" shape of about five stars, with a line of four above.  I couldn't dwell on this as it was slipping behind some trees.

NGC 2264 in Monoceros - this is both the Christmas Tree Cluster and the Cone Nebula.  The Cone Nebula is named after the conical dark region within it.  This is a difficult target, but I did manage to detect some nebulosity around 15 Mon, the brightest star in the cluster, and the main ionising source of the nebula.  Although I did not notice this star as a visual triple, the surrounding stars were nevertheless a pleasing array, with a triangular formation pointing west to a very tight pair before 15 Mon, and two very close pairs under it.

A nice, short session, with some new targets, terminated at 4.40am by very cold and frosty conditions.  But what a pleasure to do some observing again!

Doug.

[alan potts]

Very nice report Doug, Must visit this area of the sky again with the Dob, the trouble is when it seems to best placed for my more human observing times, I.E. , mid evening, there always seems to be masses of snow about. Then if I go to the obsevatory for the Meade there always seems to be a tree in the way, need to get the chainsaw out. I have never tried the Christmas tree and the cone, must do before much longer.

Alan

[alanjgreen]

Nice one Doug, can't beat a dawn raid but it must have been cold ! We must be made of tough stuff us northerners   

When I came in at 1am, it was minus 7 in my shed (Brrrr).

I bagged the Cone last night along with many other Best Evers . Once my study warms up, I'll get on and write it up...

Alan

[cloudsweeper]

5 minutes ago, alanjgreen said:

Nice one Doug, can't beat a dawn raid but it must have been cold ! We must be made of tough stuff us northerners   

When I came in at 1am, it was minus 7 in my shed (Brrrr).

I bagged the Cone last night along with many other Best Evers . Once my study warms up, I'll get on and write it up...

Alan

True enough, Alan.  I went back to bed, but even a couple of hours later my feet hadn't warmed up! 

Note to self: furry boots are great, but in future, put some socks on as well!

Doug.

[alanjgreen]

3 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

True enough, Alan.  I went back to bed, but even a couple of hours later my feet hadn't warmed up! 

Note to self: furry boots are great, but in future, put some socks on as well!

Doug.

Buy a hot water bottle to take to bed, it will have your feet toasty in 20 mins then you fall asleep!

- £5.50 from Wilcos!  = bargain! 

[alan potts]

We get temperarture here way below that in terms of numbers but often it don't feel like minus 2 back home. I recall one morning being outside for about 10 mins in minus 26, in nothing more than a T shirt. There is low humidity here in winter, the trouble is if the wind comes up your arms drop off.

 

[Stu]

Nice one Doug. You deserve some form of award for gallantry, getting out of a warm bed at 3.30am!! Worth it though by the sounds  

[Astro Imp]

Well done Doug, you deserve your success for braving the cold at that hour.

BTW nice report.