M3 and M53

[YogSothoth]

Last night I had an almost clear sky, although there was some hazy cloud about. M3 looked great, and although I couldn’t make out individual stars, it did have a distinctly grainy structure. M53 was much fainter, but I could easily see the brighter central core.

[SwiMatt]

Nice sketches! I take it this is pencils on white and reversed? 

Can I ask you what Bortle you operate from? I never saw M3 quite so clearly in my very light polluted skies! (I cannot say it ever looked "great" in my skies  )

 

[josefk]

M53 was 'my first Messier' (i.e. knowingly looked at "as a Messier object" and discounting M45 because i don't know when i first saw that) so M53 has a special resonance for me and i know those two stars you have near it very well - could you see the nearby NGC 5053 - i have managed to not see that twice in the past two years of looking - it didn't ought to be that hard so i'm not sure what the issue is...

[YogSothoth]

Thanks, yes it white paper and pencil reversed. I use Derwent blending stumps to soften the edges. I’m in a small village in West Sussex and the skies a reasonably dark, although Gatwick is to the North, about 12 miles away. I would guess at around B4 maybe. Also, none of my neighbours have external lights and all the street lights go off at 12pm, which is nice.

[YogSothoth]

12 minutes ago, SwiMatt said:

Nice sketches! I take it this is pencils on white and reversed? 

Can I ask you what Bortle you operate from? I never saw M3 quite so clearly in my very light polluted skies! (I cannot say it ever looked "great" in my skies  )

 

I have replied to your post but forgot to quote 🤣

[YogSothoth]

11 minutes ago, josefk said:

M53 was 'my first Messier' (i.e. knowingly looked at "as a Messier object" and discounting M45 because i don't know when i first saw that) so M53 has a special resonance for me and i know those two stars you have near it very well - could you see the nearby NGC 5053 - i have managed to not see that twice in the past two years of looking - it didn't ought to be that hard so i'm not sure what the issue is...

It’s the first time I’ve seen M53, but I’ll be revisiting it I think. There was a very thin veil of hazy cloud about by the time I’d got to it, so I’m sure I could get a better view. I didn’t see NGC 5053, but something else to look out for in the future. 

[SwiMatt]

36 minutes ago, YogSothoth said:

I’m in a small village in West Sussex and the skies a reasonably dark, although Gatwick is to the North, about 12 miles away. I would guess at around B4 maybe. Also, none of my neighbours have external lights and all the street lights go off at 12pm, which is nice.

Very lucky about your neighbors! Still, I will try to track down M53 (haven't observed it yet) and see how it compares.  

[mikeDnight]

Great sketches! 

[YogSothoth]

3 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Great sketches! 

Thanks 🙂