M7 Southernmost Messier

[timwetherell]

Very pleased to have been able to capture M7 last night - only really visible for a couple of weeks in midsummer and even then only about 3° above the horizon. Stellarium suggests it should be possible for anyone south of Newcastle with a really good south horizon. 

[Craney]

Well done.      I was thinking about suggesting a competition  for  'Horizon-limited-DSO's'   ..... 3 degrees... crikey !!!!!

[timwetherell]

6 hours ago, Craney said:

Well done.      I was thinking about suggesting a competition  for  'Horizon-limited-DSO's'   ..... 3 degrees... crikey !!!!!

That's 3 degrees in Somerset, probably be lucky to have 1.5 up in Harrogate  However being discrete stars rather than a fuzzy, I rekon it would be possible. Visually I found M7 reasonably easy to see but the globulars nearby M69 and M70 were a real challenge. Totally impossible under all but the very clearest haze free skies and even then right on the limit of my vision.

[NGC 1502]

 

Well done for bagging M7.   I’ve seen it from my club’s dark site on the Essex coast, excellent horizons there.

It was mainly a rotten night with large areas of the sky cloudy, but there was a strip of sky in the south that stayed clear so with my trusty TV Pronto I took the opportunity to observe M7 & M6 nearby. Other M objects eluded me however.

Much more recently on 28th June 2019 I was at a different site in Essex also with good horizons but there was so much thin cloud in that bit of sky that thwarted my hoped for observations of lots of southerly Messiers I’ve never seen.

Astronomy, great hobby but frustrating at times 😬

Ed.

Edited July 13, 2019 by NGC 1502

[Stu]

Well done Tim. I've only seen M6 and M7 once when down on the South Coast in Dorset. I had one very clear night and observed with my Genesis from near St Aldhelm's Head, with a sea horizon. The best way really.

[Paz]

I don't think I've ever seen M7 from home or even tried to see it. I've seen it when in Jersey and Italy but only with grab and go setups.

[darkskyastronomy]

Observing M6 and M7 is a real achievement in the UK, due to atmospheric distinction.

[StarryEyed]

With trees in my garden I can't even see the planets this year.  So I had a great view of M7 on holiday from Croatia this summer. With all of Scorpio on view and great clear sea views to the horizon it was a lot of fun.  No points for effort on my part other than bringing the telescope.

Edited August 25, 2019 by StarryEyed

[Stu]

11 minutes ago, StarryEyed said:

No points for effort on my part other than bringing the telescope.

That can be an effort in itself, glad it was worthwhile.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Tim well done picking up M7 in the UK. I have only seen M6 and M7 from Spain and California. It took me ages to see M69 and M70 in the UK and that was only once.

I am going away next weekend to the South Coast with a Southern Horizon looking out towards the sea. Here is hoping for clear skies and a horizon.

[alan potts]

Done well to get that it is only reasonable from here with a scopes and I am 10 degrees better off than you are, not tried imaging though maybe a bit low for any worthy result.

Alan

[Stu]

8 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

I am going away next weekend to the South Coast with a Southern Horizon looking out towards the sea. Here is hoping for clear skies and a horizon.

I saw both from the Purbeck Peninsula in Dorset Mark, some years ago so you should have a good chance if it's clear.

[timwetherell]

6 hours ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Tim well done picking up M7 in the UK. I have only seen M6 and M7 from Spain and California. It took me ages to see M69 and M70 in the UK and that was only once.

 

Thanks Mark  Yes, I had the same experience with M69 and M70. Really difficult unless the sky conditions are absolutely perfect. The slightest haze of any kind on the horizon will totally obscure them. I guess it's because they are extended fuzzy objects so super sensitive to contrast whereas M7 is a collection of brighter pinpoint stars which is a bit more forgiving of residual sky brightness.