Starting the Cassiopeia challenge

[RobertI]

I decided on a whim last week to try and observe the twenty brightest clusters in Cassiopeia, so I spent one evening doing some desk research using my various atlases and compiled a little list - it was fun and I learned a lot, something to remember for a rainy night . Last night was clear so I started on my little challenge. I concentrated on a small group of clusters in the bottom of the 'W', namely NGCs 654, 659, 663 and nearby M103. Observing was primary through the 102ED with a Hyperion Zoom.

NGC663 was the most spectacular, even more so than M103. It was prominent in the 10x60 finder and easy to find. Why it's not not Messiers list is a mystery! It was  large with around 20 bright members and a similar number of fainter ones.

Moving on to nearby NGC654, much smaller with two bright members and number of smaller ones. 

Then finally NGC659, fainter than the others, looking like a small haze with hints of stars visible with averted vision. Through the C8 it was possible to resolve many of the stars and I suspect if I zoomed in even more would have been visible.

Nearby M103 was a disappointment considering it's a Messier object, fairly sparse with some bright members. 

 Four down, sixteen to go. I shall continue my quest next time out 

 

 

 

[josefk]

Nice one Rob. i've had maybe 4hrs 30 mins in Cassiopeia over the last week in three sessions and finding it very instructive to concentrate and keep returning to a small defined area. In one month i will have forgotten everything so for my self i would say "i have temporarily learned a lot" 🙂.

M103 vs NGC 663 is a strange one isn't it? It's even in the same FOV at binocular and low mag viewing and like you say considerably more prominent.

Enjoy the other sixteen.

Edited October 3, 2022 by josefk

[RobertI]

12 minutes ago, josefk said:

Nice one Rob. i've had maybe 4hrs 30 mins in Cassiopeia over the last week in three sessions and finding it very instructive to concentrate and keep returning to a small defined area. In one month i will have forgotten everything so for my self i would say "i have temporarily learned a lot" 🙂.

M103 vs NGC 663 is a strange one isn't it? It's even in the same FOV at binocular and low mag viewing and like you say considerably more prominent.

Enjoy the other sixteen stars.

Thanks, yes I agree, it’s very instructive to concentrate on a small area - Cassiopeia is a great constellation for doing this. When I zoomed right out out to 24mm I could JUST see all three clusters in the FOV. Very nice. 

[PeterW]

 Pyle you post a list of the 20, maybe in nominal brightness order, be good to add to sky safari and go after sometime, seeing that Cassiopeia is so well placed at the moment.

Peter 

[RobertI]

48 minutes ago, PeterW said:

 Pyle you post a list of the 20, maybe in nominal brightness order, be good to add to sky safari and go after sometime, seeing that Cassiopeia is so well placed at the moment.

Peter 

To be honest Peter I can’t definitively say it’s the brightest twenty, but I think it comprises 90% of them. Here’s a little pic I drew to help keep me ‘focussed’ on the project. Also attached is a table from Norton’s sky atlas which may not include everything on my list. May not be exactly what you’re after……

Edited October 3, 2022 by RobertI

[RobertI]

…but you’re making me think I should put together an accurate list of the top twenty in Cassiopeia for others to use ….. I’ll see what I can do. 🙂

[RobertI]

Ok, so you’ve really made me think here (I should never have claimed it’s the “twenty brightest”, just “twenty of the brightest”). I’ve created a list from Sky Safari of the actual twenty brightest which can be imported into Sky Safari. Naturally it bears little resemblance to my list. 😆

Twenty Brightest OCs In Cassiopeia .skylist

[Nik271]

Nice! Actually I find your diagram more uselful than a list, great challenge for big binoculars too! (In my view many open clusters look best in binoculars)

[Stu]

45 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

Nice! Actually I find your diagram more uselful than a list, great challenge for big binoculars too! (In my view many open clusters look best in binoculars)

Quite handy to show them highlighted on SkySafari though. Would be better on an iPad not a phone.

[MalcolmM]

3 hours ago, RobertI said:

To be honest Peter I can’t definitively say it’s the brightest twenty, but I think it comprises 90% of them. Here’s a little pic I drew to help keep me ‘focussed’ on the project. Also attached is a table from Norton’s sky atlas which may not include everything on my list. May not be exactly what you’re after……

Great sketch. I've spent a good bit of time on the southerly (drawing view!) four; C10, M103, NGCs 654 and 659 but I don't think I've seen any of the others. Thanks @RobertI for a nice target list!

Malcolm 

[markse68]

Thanks for the list Robert- loaded into SS- I'll have a go at these next time it's clear. It would be really great if Starsense explorer app could load SS observing lists. I can't see Caroline's Rose from where I am with my 150p so not sure how many I'll get. Oh and the Owl looks more like a Bat to me

Mark

[paulastro]

14 hours ago, RobertI said:

I decided on a whim last week to try and observe the twenty brightest clusters in Cassiopeia, so I spent one evening doing some desk research using my various atlases and compiled a little list - it was fun and I learned a lot, something to remember for a rainy night . Last night was clear so I started on my little challenge. I concentrated on a small group of clusters in the bottom of the 'W', namely NGCs 654, 659, 663 and nearby M103. Observing was primary through the 102ED with a Hyperion Zoom.

NGC663 was the most spectacular, even more so than M103. It was prominent in the 10x60 finder and easy to find. Why it's not not Messiers list is a mystery! It was  large with around 20 bright members and a similar number of fainter ones.

Moving on to nearby NGC654, much smaller with two bright members and number of smaller ones. 

Then finally NGC659, fainter than the others, looking like a small haze with hints of stars visible with averted vision. Through the C8 it was possible to resolve many of the stars and I suspect if I zoomed in even more would have been visible.

Nearby M103 was a disappointment considering it's a Messier object, fairly sparse with some bright members. 

 Four down, sixteen to go. I shall continue my quest next time out 

 

 

 

That's a great report Robert.  I'm particularly keen on OCs, and there's not a better place to look than Cassiopeia.  I took my Celestron StarSense Explorer 8 inch Dob to Kelling had a great time, its a real treasure chest for them.

In the evening at this time of year I always start off looking at NGC 457 (Owl or ET cluster)  and it always makes me smile - for me it's ET every time, and I'm sure he winks at me 😊.  After that I always take a look at the Double Cluster nearby.  As every year,  I always have my best views at Kelling.

You have some fine objects in store for yourself, clear skies.

Edited October 3, 2022 by paulastro
Typo

[RobertI]

2 hours ago, Nik271 said:

Nice! Actually I find your diagram more uselful than a list, great challenge for big binoculars too! (In my view many open clusters look best in binoculars)

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Quite handy to show them highlighted on SkySafari though. Would be better on an iPad not a phone.

Yes I actually really enjoyed sitting at my desk with a coffee and my copy of Interstellarum and working out what to view. The process of identifying them and drawing a diagram on paper really helped me to familiarise with the clusters in that area. Interstellarum is fun to use and always provides some additional insight. I have to say though, when I am out in the field, I always seem to end up using Sky Safari (iPad version of course 😉). 

[RobertI]

25 minutes ago, markse68 said:

Oh and the Owl looks more like a Bat to me

25 minutes ago, paulastro said:

for me it's ET every time, and I'm sure he winks at me

It’s definitely ET for me too, especially when he’s the right way round. I laughed out loud the first time I saw it. It always surprises me how big it is, especially when compared to some of the smaller clusters in Cassiopeia. I am really hoping to get to Kelling in the Spring, even if I just go for one evening. I went a long time ago and the skies were amazing. When I looked towards Andromeda through binoculars I thought a small cloud was passing - it was M33!! 

[Jeff Marsden]

Here is another tour through Cassiopeia for further inspiration.

http://alpha-lyrae.co.uk/2020/09/16/observing-all-open-clusters-in-cassiopeia-brighter-than-mag-12-part-1/

 

Jeff

[Astro_Dad]

Thanks for sharing these lists and the diagram - they’ve inspired me to take a closer look at Cassiopeia at the next clear sky opportunity. I haven’t seen ET yet this year but I’m definitely on the ET page here, it’s a fun target!

[paulastro]

On 03/10/2022 at 23:26, RobertI said:

It’s definitely ET for me too, especially when he’s the right way round. I laughed out loud the first time I saw it. It always surprises me how big it is, especially when compared to some of the smaller clusters in Cassiopeia. I am really hoping to get to Kelling in the Spring, even if I just go for one evening. I went a long time ago and the skies were amazing. When I looked towards Andromeda through binoculars I thought a small cloud was passing - it was M33!! 

If you nake it to Kelling in the Spring, pop by and say hello, I'll be on T137 for the week 🙂.

[RobertI]

2 minutes ago, paulastro said:

If you nake it to Kelling in the Spring, pop by and say hello, I'll be on T137 for the week 🙂.

Excellent, thanks Paul, will do (I take two sugars 🙂).