My 2nd and 3rd globular clusters

[omega3]

I have been observing with a 3 inch refractor and have seen M13 a couple of times as a fuzzy patch, from my backgarden in a fairly light polluted area, limiting magnitude of around 3. I have had no success with other globulars.

Last night, using my recently acquired 10" dob, locating the objects with a laser pointer and my even more recently acquired RACI Skywatcher 9x50 finder (from FLO), and following locating suggestions in Star Watch by Philip Harrington, I had reasonable views of M3 and M92.

For M3, I used the laser to point the dob to approx a third the way from Acturus to Cor Caroli. Also I judge the point by going from Muphrid a distance of approx twice that from Arcturus to Murphid. Looking through the finder to see a fuzzy patch. A few stars can be seen through a barlowed Hyperion zoom at 8mm.

For M92, using the laser to point the dob to the 2 stars at the right angle of the triangle form by these stars and Pi and Eta hercules. Then viewing the 2 stars in the finder and going northeast to see the fuzzy patch. Again at the highest magnification, only a few stars can be seen in the fuzzy patch.

Both M3 and M92 is slightly smaller and a little less impressive than M13, nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed finding them and viewing them.

I think the view through the eyepiece is improve by keeping both eyes open and to do that without distraction from what is seen with the other eye is to cover my head with a dark towel and wrap it round the focuser. So the other eye is only sees the dark towel and the white of the dob and other extraneous lights are shielded from view. Why do the paint the outside of the dob white? Maybe it is helpful in dark sites but certainly not in very light polluted locations.

Now that I have seen globular 2 and 3, I am going globular hunting again when the skies are dark, I think Ophiuchus is where I am going next.

Alan

[Llamanaut]

go to your local high street chemist and buy an eyepatch for about £1, put it on your non observing eye, now you can keep both eyes open yet only see through your dominant eye, i have one like others on here, you look like a freak but a freak who can see 26, 000, 000 light years into space! Keep up the good work with the DSO's, who says size is everything?

[Macavity]

Great stuff. I had the distinct advantage of (stable, pillar supported, laptop-driven) GoTo. But I still think my own pleasure at seeing some of these Globulars was undiminished. Certainly, through a MAK127, the view is hardly "spectacular"... but occasionally, some of them seemed to capture the (personal?) imagination. And not always the most celebrated ones...

Having developed some instinct for the GoTo position, I do a follow up, with manual Alt-Azimuth star-hopping. I sense this must be "Good for the Soul". And, in truth, I sense one does learn a lot.

Aside: I think I'm going to invest in a couple of books - There's rather a LOT of these beggars in both the Messier and Caldwell catalogues.