Lesser Known Spring Globular's

[scarp15]

Many of the great globular clusters are here, gracing our Spring time night skies. Accompanying some of these spectacles are a host of lesser known globular's. There are those that are bright but small in formation and others that are challenging visually, being dim or hazy of low surface brightness. At the weekend I was fortunate to have an opportunity for indulging in observing some of the spectacular and some quite challenging globular clusters. Therefore I would like to open a discussion upon observing the more overlooked clusters during the Spring time glob fest.

I would like to start by giving an account on encounters at the weekend and of others on my list.

NGC 6229 is perhaps the most well known and visited globular of considered lesser known status. Located high up in Hercules it is most certainly one to visit after you have encountered both M13 and M92, small and bright it is nicely formed and gains a little in resolution with increasing magnification.

NGC 5634 is another small and quite bright globular, this time located in Virgo and also worth a visit. Almost on the border with Libra, it is fairly straight forward to locate, although observed in a past season, somehow I didn't locate correctly at the weekend, on my list for another time.  

NGC 5466 located in Bootes and in the relative vicinity of M3, requiring a dark transparent sky. This cluster is of low surface brightness and may be observed as a very dim patch. I was able to observe this, eventually after the moon had set, when it just slide into view. I was using an 8" dobsonian, gleaned as little more than a grey contrast against a dark background, having described in my notes as appearing like a thumb print / smudge. It was fairly large and as I understand will take at least medium power to perhaps gain a hazy slightly more granular presence. Worth a visit after your time with M3 if you are at a dark sky location on a night of superb transparency and with adequate aperture.  

NGC 5053 is considered to be a dwarf globular, particularly old at 13 billion years and located quite close to M53. This cluster is especially challenging, after observing M53 which of course is bright and structured, NGC 5053 could be no where to be seen. Considered as one of the faintest globular's to observe, ironically it is determined as being a little closer to earth than its near by associate M53. After several attempts, I got a glimpse in part by jiggling the scope and employing averted vision. Nothing more than a faint haze really and I need to verify this by pursuing again. 

NGC 5897 is large yet faint and located in Libra. Not one I gained in observing at the weekend and is for another time.

There are many more NGC globular clusters of course, not least abounded within Ophiuchus. Share your own thoughts or observation accounts on these and contribute any others that you may wish to include.

[Littleguy80]

Good topic, Iain. Globular clusters, beyond the brighter Messier targets, didn’t really catch my attention using my old 130mm scope. However, I did have a lot of fun chasing down NGC 2419, the intergalactic wanderer. In a small scope it was very faint and I only saw it from a dark site. I believe it’s about 300,000 light years away. Wikipedia has more details on it’s nickname.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_2419

[scarp15]

I do recall you mentioning this in one of your reports Neil. That is good going as it is quite a tough observation, definitely an interesting target to seek out, the next time Lynx becomes prominent and not least considering its considered distance from the solar system. 

[Littleguy80]

Going off on a slight tangent, I’m also keen to see NGC 6522 which is more of a summer glob. It was mentioned to me by someone at the Norwich Astronomical Society as it’s close to the open cluster NGC 6520. Within that cluster is Barnard 86, the ink spot nebula. It’s one of my challenge targets for this year  

http://www.deepskywatch.com/Astrosketches/inkspot-nebula-sketch.html

 

[Piero]

Great list, Iain.   I'd be very happy to just see the sky time to time among the clouds!  

NGC 6229. I spotted this one with my TV-60 almost three years ago. From my notes: 

NGC6229, Her, Glob CL. 21/09/2015, 20:30-22:30, Cambridge, UK; Seeing: 3 - Moderate seeing, Transparency: 4 - Partly clear; Tele Vue 60 F6, 28x, 51x. Star hopping from Phi and Tau Her. This globular cluster is relatively easy to find. It is quite dim, but still detectable particularly with averted vision. A soft faint grey patch. At 51x, it was more distinguishable from the background sky. 

Curious to spot it again with this 100mm frac. 

 

[scarp15]

25 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

Going off on a slight tangent, I’m also keen to see NGC 6522 which is more of a summer glob. It was mentioned to me by someone at the Norwich Astronomical Society as it’s close to the open cluster NGC 6520. Within that cluster is Barnard 86, the ink spot nebula. It’s one of my challenge targets for this year  

http://www.deepskywatch.com/Astrosketches/inkspot-nebula-sketch.html

 

That would potentially make an interesting target Neil, from your location could be feasible, too low for here in the North East. As Summer approaches, there are two interesting Globular's in Delphinus. NGC 6934 is small and fairly bright roundish glow, some stars are resolvable around the edges, NGC 7006 appears stellar like so requires magnification, small and diffuse.

4 minutes ago, Piero said:

Great list, Iain.   I'd be very happy to just see the sky time to time among the clouds!  

NGC 6229. I spotted this one with my TV-60 almost three years ago. From my notes: 

NGC6229, Her, Glob CL. 21/09/2015, 20:30-22:30, Cambridge, UK; Seeing: 3 - Moderate seeing, Transparency: 4 - Partly clear; Tele Vue 60 F6, 28x, 51x. Star hopping from Phi and Tau Her. This globular cluster is relatively easy to find. It is quite dim, but still detectable particularly with averted vision. A soft faint grey patch. At 51x, it was more distinguishable from the background sky. 

Curious to spot it again with this 100mm frac. 

 

Quite understand Piero much the same here, just a window of opportunity on Saturday into Sunday to make the most. Yes that would make a good target for a small scope and I must consider that, as I am still keeping hold of my TV76 with plans to take it on a wild camping trip.

[celestron8g8]

Interesting reads here , good subject . Don’t know where all is located altitude wise but I’m at 32 alt and 102.3 lat. summer time is a great time in the evening til past midnight when Scorpio and Sagittarius is above the horizon . There are many very small GCs’ located in Sag. That need med to high power for viewing and seeing star separations and to the east of Scorpio there are a few tiny GCs’ that also need at least a barlow but have seen them with a 32mm and 2x barlow . Sorry I don’t have my chart book so can’t give you specific messier #s . But they are a challenge even in my C8 . Globulars have always been my favorites but most any star cluster deserves attention like M11 , M22 and M4 just a few to mention . 

[Demonperformer]

Great read, Iain. Always good to read of people going off the beaten-track and targeting things other than "the same old chestnuts".

It might be an interesting exercise to go back over these with the 14" and produce a comparison for those of us not lucky enough to own such aperture, particularly in respect of the low surface brightness ones.

Thanks

[Eastman]

Thanks lian, great topic!