Clusters and clouds...

[2Karl]

It's been a fairly cloudy night here, but that didn't deter me. Decided to get out and see what I could see. Spent a long time just panning round the milky way because it looked so nice Then decided to do some proper observing. The first target was M11, the Wild Duck Cluster. It appeared as a fuzzy patch, but I still spent a good while in wonder looking at it. For me it's less about how spectacular something appears and more about how humbling an experience it is.

Next up was the Hercules cluster. Same deal here, but I figure with repeat observations and darker skies these objects will appear a little more "solid" to me as time goes on.

The final cluster I observed was the so called "double cluster" NGC 869 and NGC 884, and this was incredible! Very clear views. Couldn't decide whether it was better through the 24mm or 9mm eyepiece; with the 9mm I could see more detail but the reduced field of view meant that I couldn't see both clusters together. I spent a LONG time looking at the clusters through both eyepieces before deciding to observe a few stars instead.

Polaris, oft overlooked, was the first on my list. Seeing the faint Polaris B next to the mighty Polaris A was a moment which made me smile, so I decided to look at another double star, Mizar and its partner Alcor. When I zoomed in on Mizar I thought there was some focusing issues but then I realised that Mizar itself has a companion star (I confess to not knowing this originally). Not only did I have a great time observing tonight but I discovered something I did not already know too!

[Sunshine]

14 minutes ago, 2Karl said:

For me it's less about how spectacular something appears and more about how humbling an experience it is.

Very well said, that is at the heart of every amateur astronomer, that humbling feeling is also the anaesthetic that blocks the pain when credit card bills arrive, listing those shiny Naglers.

[Demonperformer]

Excellent report.

I, too, well remember my first sighting of Polaris B. And it is always good to learn something new in a session.

One quick warning - despite having spent a LONG time on the double cluster, you are likely to spend a LOT more time on it in the future ?

[2Karl]

3 hours ago, Demonperformer said:

One quick warning - despite having spent a LONG time on the double cluster, you are likely to spend a LOT more time on it in the future ?

It's going to be my go-to start point for future observations, of that I am sure.

[Stu]

Nice report @2Karl.

The Wild Duck Cluster is a lovely one, took me a long time to get the name, but with enough power you see v shaped arrangements of stars within the cluster which ressemble migrating birds.

Mizar is another favourite of mine, it was the first object I ever viewed through a scope after reading about it in a Patrick Moore book. I was fascinated that it is a naked eye double (Mizar and Alcor), a telescopic double (Mizar A & and also that each component is a spectroscopic double (not visible even through a scope) making a total of six stars.

The Double Cluster is wonderful, and same as you I can spend ages looking at it, I particularly enjoy the tiniest stars just on the limit of visibility and the varying  colours.

Have fun!