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Jupiter (Planet)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: excellent
Time: Sat Jul 12 08:20:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 212
Jupiter was amazing tonight. I've never seen it this well. The seeing was very good; the planet was rock steady at 244x, and I'm sure I could have gone higher if I'd had a suitable eyepiece. Ganymede was a short distance off the eastern limb, with its shadow a prominent black dot just south of the NEB, right on the CM. The NEB was distinctly darker and more colorful, and had more structural detail, than the SEB. Numerous other belts and zones, and lots of other detail, was visible.
M12 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: excellent
Time: Sat Jul 12 08:10:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 211
Very similar in appearance to M10. I swung the telescope back and forth, examining them at 49x, and eventually decided that M12 was a hint sparser, with more bright members resolved in front of the background glow.
M10 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: excellent
Time: Sat Jul 12 08:00:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 210
Easily swept up at 49x. A big, bright globular, the brigher stars resolved at 49x, with a fairly bright central glow behind them.
M12 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: excellent
Time: Sat Jul 12 07:40:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 209
An easy, lumpy glow at 49x. At 122x, a sprinkling of brighter members were resolved, with a medium-bright glow behind it.
M107 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: excellent
Time: Sat Jul 12 07:20:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 208
A medium-sized faint patch at 49x, detectable with direct vision, but needing averted vision to see at all well. Finding it with the Tirion Sky Atlas required a tough hop through a fairly star-poor region.
Jupiter (Planet)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 08:20:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 203
Jupiter was well up in the east by this time (0120 PDT), so I gave it a look before coming inside. At 49x I immediately noticed a small dark speck near the equator, about halfway from the CM to the western limb. Only three moons were visible, so I assumed I was seeing the shadow of a transiting moon. Checking the chart on p. 95 of the July Sky & Telescope, I can see that I was looking at (from west to east), Callisto, Io, and Europa, with Ganymede transiting. I took the magnification up to 244x, and with the air fairly steady and the telescope at equilibrium the view was fantastic! I could have spent an hour or more drawing the vast amounts of detail visible, but I was getting tired, and wanted to check the Web for the latest Mars Pathfinder images, so I called it a night.
M27 (Dumbell Nebula) (Planetary Nebula, in Vulpecula)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 08:05:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 202
I'd neglected to look at the Dumbbell when I was looking at planetaries in nearby Cygnus the other night, so I thought it would make a good climax for my evening of globular hunting in Scorpius and Ophiuchus. M27 was a big, bright, rectangular fuzzy patch at 49x. Possible greenish tint? The twin lobes of the "dumbbell" shape were detectable with averted vision. Tried 122x and 244x; best view was at 122x. The southern lobe was somewhat smaller and brighter than the northern lobe.
NGC6355 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 08:05:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 201
Unable to spot it at 49x.
NGC6284 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 08:00:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 200
Unable to spot it at 49x.
M19 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:45:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 199
Larger and brighter than NGC 6293, fairly uniform (i.e., not condensed). A somewhat oblong glow, appearing longer north/south than east/west. Begins to show hints of resolution at 122x. Checking Burnham's afterwards, was gratified to read that "M19 is one of the most oblate globulars." PSS print also shows the obvious elongation north/south.
NGC6293 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:40:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 198
Somewhat larger than NGC 6316, fairly condensed, easy with averted vision at 49x.
M80 (Globular Cluster, in Scorpius)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:40:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 193
Easy to spot at 49x. Much more like a "classic" globular in appearance than M4; a circular glow with a condensed center. Could not resolve it at 122x or 244x.
Other (Other, est. to be in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:35:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 197
The Flamsteed designation project still undone, I have to give this object as "Other," but it's really 36 Ophiuchi. A close pair of white stars, of equal brightness, just barely split cleanly at 49x. Burnham's gives magnitudes of 5.5/5.5, separation 4.4".
NGC6316 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:30:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 196
A small, dim glow, requiring averted vision to see well, with a field star at PA 120, about one "glow diameter" away. PSS print confirms the identification.
NGC6304 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:20:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 195
A faint, small fuzzy patch. Roughly circular and slightly condensed, fairly easy at 49x.
M4 (Globular Cluster, in Scorpius)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:20:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 192
Easy at 49x, a diffuse glow with a sprinkling of foreground stars, especially a north/south line of stars that seemed to bound the east side of the cluster, giving it a semi-circular look. The north/south line of stars was even more prominent at 122x and 244x, since the background glow disappeared at those magnifications.
NGC6144 (Globular Cluster, in Scorpius)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:10:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 191
I believe I caught a few glimpses of this 10th magnitude globular at 49x using averted vision. It was a bit more noticeable at 122x. Just the vaguest of smudges, really. Checking the Palomar Sky Survey print via the Web, I think I had the right location; a field star I noted next to the fuzzy patch in my drawing appears in the outer reaches of the globular on the print.
M62 (Globular Cluster, in Ophiuchus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:00:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 194
Very similar in appearance to M80, but a bit less condensation towards the middle. An easy round glow at 49x. No resolution into stars at 122x or 244x. Cannot say I noticed Burnham's "unusual irregular outline."
Sigma Sco (Alniyat) (Star, in Scorpius)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 07:00:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 190
An easy, wide, unequal pair at 49x. PA estimated at 275.
Xi Sco (Grafias) (Multiple Star, in Scorpius)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 06:50:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 189
Split at 49x. Orange primary, blue-green secondary. PA estimated at 085. I noted another pretty double, fainter, about 7' south in the same field, two stars of almost equal brightness with PA 100. Checking Burnham's, I learned that this is Struve 1999, which is recognized as being physically associated with the Xi Scorpii system. There seemed to be a color contrast between the two stars of Struve 1999 at 49x, though I first thought it paralleled that of Xi Scorpii (orangeish primary, bluish secondary), then thought it had switched to the other way around as I was looking at it. At 122x I couldn't say for sure that I saw *any* color contrast.
Nu Sco (Jabbah) (Multiple Star, in Scorpius)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 06:40:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 188
AC pair wide and easy at 49x. A - golden, C - dim bluish gray. PA estimated at 350 (Burnham's gives PA 336, separation 41.4", in 1955). CD pair just barely split at 122x, with an estimated PA of 80 (Burnham's gives PA of 051 in 1967, separation of 2.3"). D star was distinctly orangeish. Split was obvious at 244x.
Beta Sco (Graffais) (Multiple Star, in Scorpius)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 06:30:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 187
Easily split at 49x. I estimated the AC PA as 020; Burnham's gives it as a relatively unchanging 023, separation 13.7". The primary was bright white, the secondary grayish.
Alpha Sco (Antares) (Multiple Star, in Scorpius)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: fair Seeing: good
Time: Sat Jul 5 06:15:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 186
Antares was a beautiful orange blaze. At first I thought I could detect the surrounding nebulosity, in that I was seeing an orangeish glow that extended for about 5' from the star, especially to the south and west, but then I checked Arcturus, and saw the same thing, so I suspect it was just glare from the bright star on the telescope's optics.
NGC6992 (Bright Nebula, in Cygnus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: fair
Time: Wed Jul 2 09:20:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 185
As with NGC 6960, I needed to use peripheral vision at 49x to even detect it. It was thicker and shorter than NGC 6960, the Veil Nebula's other major component.
NGC6960 (Bright Nebula, in Cygnus)
Observer: John Callender (e-mail: jbc@west.net, web: http://www.west.net/~jbc/)
Instrument: 8-inch Dobsonian reflector Location: Carpinteria, CA, USA
Light pollution: light Transparency: good Seeing: fair
Time: Wed Jul 2 09:00:00 1997 UT Obs. no.: 184
One of the components of the Veil Nebula. Burnham's described it as looking like a miniature Milky Way in the field of a small telescope, and that describes its appearance at 49x in my 8-inch pretty accurately. It required peripheral vision, and was visually kind of unimpressive. (I think I was spoiled by the bright planetaries I'd looked at earlier.)
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