Some time in Auriga

[RobertI]

It’s not often that I get a clear moonless night on weekend, so I felt I should make the most of it. I really didn’t feel like it in all honesty, so I took out my little 66mm frac which sits ready in the house on a photo tripod and mini giro-wr, with zoom eyepiece installed. Sitting at my usual usual spot on the patio facing west, I felt the skies around Leo just didn’t hold enough interest for a small scope, so I relocated to the other end of the garden to catch some more interest in the eastern skies. Auriga was well placed so I spent the entire session enjoying Messiers 35,36,37 and 38. 
 

M38 first - a large cluster of numerous evenly spaced and similar magnitude stars. Nearby in the same field of view was another little cluster which I later found out was NGC1907. 
 

Slewing over to M36, a smaller cluster, with a scattering of stars some of which were brighter than M38. 

Then over to M37. Probably my favourite, a beautiful compact cluster with. numerous stars which looked like a loose globular cluster without the core.
 

Wonderfully peaceful under the stars - I spared a thought for my friends in Ukraine who are going through some tough times. 
 

Finally over to M35, very different again - large, loose, bright with several bright members. Last time out with the 102 I viewed its close neighbouring cluster NGC2158. Sadly not so easy in the 66mm and I could not say I saw it for definite - those extra 36mm make a big difference! 
 

An hour later I packed up, but very pleased with what I saw and grateful to have a grab and go scope, otherwise it probably never would have happened. 

[Mr Spock]

A favourite area for clusters. I'm planning another session next time out. Last time was just a casual look as I had a different target list. M37 was spectacular in the 12" though.

[Saganite]

Very enjoyable  Robert. The Auriga clusters are targets I tend to catch, in passing, but they are worthy of more than that, particularly M37, which is, as you say, more like a loose globular Cluster.

[Paz]

Nice report, that's busy part of the sky. I was having a look last night with binoculars but the thin cloud (which was interspersed with thick cloud!) meant I could barely see M35 and M37as super faint fuzzies and I couldn't see M36/38 at all.