Quick spin through M46/47

[m_j_lyons]

I spent 20 minutes out after putting the kiddos to bed and used the hints in Turn Left at Orion to log M46 and M47. M47 stood out very nicely - a great sight in my scope. The book doesn't lie - well inside the mass of the Milky Way is an area of relative darkness...there lies M47. M46 was a short distance away and was nearly invisible in my scope with the 15mm eyepiece. With the 6mm eyepiece in I could tell I was looking at the open cluster - several faint stars formed the bulk of the cluster with many, many more just past the edge of definition. In a darker location (which my backyard is not) this would most likely be a very nice sight.

Quick in, quick out, and off to bed.

Oh yah - and I was able to finally ID at least 2 of the 3 galaxies in the Leo Triplet from my backyard...very faint...only with averted vision...but M65 and M66 were just visible. Easier to see this AM from about a mile from my house.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

M46 and M47 are strikingly different, aren't they? I spotted them from Hout Bay in South Africa on two different nights. M47 was a lot easier to spot, even with some moonlight, M46 required darker skies, which I got two days later.

Your Messier count is coming along nicely. Have a go at Virgo from a dark site and it will skyrocket!

Cheers

Michael

[gliderpilot]

They're a great pair of OC's aren't they? There is also a tiny planetary nebula along our line of sight to M46 making it look like it's part of the cluster.

Keep 'em coming.

Mark

[m_j_lyons]

They're a great pair of OC's aren't they? There is also a tiny planetary nebula along our line of sight to M46 making it look like it's part of the cluster.

Keep 'em coming.

Mark

I noted that PN in Stellarium but was unable to view it from my backyard (too much LP and/or not enough scope). Perhaps Friday night I'll head to my dark spot for a few hours, get lost in the milky way, and give it another shot.

[AndyC]

I really do like that pair of clusters, so close, so different, so difficult to get a good view of M46,

took me 4 sessions with the 6" frac last year to see it no problem with the Dob as long as they're high enough for it to see over the fence

A