Astro Nut

This is M20 the Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius

This is 11 subs @ 15 sec
Scope Starblast 4.5 imaging
Camera Meade DSI-C
Mount CG5GT unguided
Stacked with MaxIm DL Essentials Edition
processed with PhotoShop 6

This what one of the subs look like.

M13 The Great Globular
Cluster in Hercules

This is 1 15 second sub.

We had a bad storm come through yesterday.
I did not think I would get any scope time….
But I looked out around 10:30 and we had clear sky’s.
So out the the BackYard Observatory I went.

M13 is one of my favorite objects to observe.
From a dark site and a clear night you can naked eye see it
and its a wonderful binocular target!

Last night I also managed to to get a couple of subs of M5

click on thumb for a big picture
This double cluster is found in Perseus.
This drawing doesn’t even come close to capturing the sheer beauty of these two open clusters.
This is also a very good bino object!

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This is M22 found in Sagittarius This is one of the “EASY TO FIND GLOBULAR CLUSTERS“.
You can see it with a set of binos very easy.
From a dark site I rate this better then M13.
It is truly a spectacular globular cluster well worth the time to hunt down and study!

This drawning was done using my 10 inch DOB with a 15mm 84x

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I got some more scope time in last night.
It was not the best viewing but its better then nothing.
I have been looking for M10 and M12 in Ophiuchus for a couple of weeks now and last night I FOUND M10 I could not find M12 thru all of the ground haze!

M10 was discovered 1764 by Charles Messier.
and is a 7th mag globular cluster.
It is 14,300 light years away from us!

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Star Log 7 July 06
Once again the weather cleared up, it was a spectacular morning.
M31 the Andromeda galaxy is one of my favorite targets.
Easily found with binoculars from light polluted backyards
and is naked eye visible from a dark site
Object: NGC 224 - M31 - Andromeda Galaxy
Deepsky Catalog: NGC 2000
Date Observed: 7/7/2006 3:41:31 AM
Time Observed: 03:00UT
Object Type: Gx
Constellation: And
Magnitude: 3.5
Size: 178
Locate Method: Star Hopping
Object Rating: A
Primary Equipment Used: 10″ Dob
Power/Magnification Used: 15mm 84 pwr

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Last night we had a bit of good weather so I got some scope time in.
Object: NGC 6779 - M56
Date Observed: 7/6/2006 8:28:39 AM
Time Observed: 01:30UT
Object Type: Gb
Constellation: Lyr
Magnitude: 8.3
Size: 7.1
Object Rating: B
Primary Equipment Used: 10″ Dob
Power/Magnification Used: PWR 84 / 15MM

From the backyard this a a VERY FF.
It is halfway between Lyra and Albireo.
I could not find it using my 32MM

Object: NGC 6838 - M71
Deepsky Catalog: NGC 2000
Date Observed: 6/3/2006 5:36:04 PM
Time Observed: 03:00Local
Object Type: Gb
Constellation: Sge
Magnitude: 8.3
Size: 7.2

Locate Method: Star Hopping
Object Rating: B
Primary Equipment Used: 10″ Dob
Power/Magnification Used: 15mm 86 pwr
Very faint from the back yard!

This is M-15
Globular Cluster in Pegasus.
It is worth the time to find it.
It pretty small and it a tight cluster.