Open clusters in Cas/Per

[SwiMatt]

I'm continuing my exploration of the observing list in "Stargazing Under Suburban Skies" and tonight I felt like sketching too. Here are sketches for the Owl Cluster (NGC 457), one of my favorites M103, and M34. The Owl and M34 were also my first observations of these objects. I'm still always surprised at how M103 looks like nothing at 60x and really pops at 100x and more. Sketches are with white pastel pencil on black paper. I then mark the brightest stars with white ink once inside.

I tend to sketch fast as I don't have tracking, but once I set down the first couple of stars I just get in the flow.

Edited March 8 by SwiMatt

[RobertI]

Lovely sketches. 👍

[josefk]

Nice one. Tricky target type and tricky anyway without tracking! 🙂

[SwiMatt]

I see now that from the computer the pictures I took of the sketches look horrible, also my paper seems to be quite reflective! And I really really need to sharpen my pencil... 😅

[SwiMatt]

9 minutes ago, josefk said:

Nice one. Tricky target type and tricky anyway without tracking! 🙂

My trick is to fix a center star and / or one or two stars at the limits of the field of view. Once those are fixed it's like following any globular cluster or galaxy

[josefk]

 

32 minutes ago, SwiMatt said:

My trick is to fix a center star and / or one or two stars at the limits of the field of view. Once those are fixed it's like following any globular cluster or galaxy

...i will never post my untracked attempt on the double cluster here 😂😂 - it looks like a snow globe...

[SwiMatt]

20 minutes ago, josefk said:

 

...i will never post my untracked attempt on the double cluster here 😂😂 - it looks like a snow globe...

Well, why do you think I haven't attempted the double cluster yet? It's not only because I don't have a low magnification eyepiece...

It's a scary target!

[jjohnson3803]

I really need to try to do some more sketching, although I'm severely artistically impaired.    Open clusters and doubles / multiples are my favorite targets in my home LP.

[SwiMatt]

55 minutes ago, jjohnson3803 said:

I'm severely artistically impaired. 

I'm so sure this isn't true

[MZack]

Super sketches. Hope to see more from the observing list!

[SwiMatt]

Thanks @MZack! I'll make sure to post more once the weather gets better