NexStar 50 Club Observation Log

Name: Greg Jimenez
NexStar Telescope Models: NexStar 8SE
Eyepieces Used:
40mm Celestron Plossl =51 power
32mm Zhumell Plossl = 64power
25mm University Optics Orthoscopic =81 power
18mm University Optics Orthoscopic =113
12.5mm University Optics Orthoscopic =163
13mm Orion Stratus =156 power
10mm Zhumell = 203 power

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Object: 1 - Orion Nebula… M42 / NGC1976
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: beautiful -bright nebula that can be seen naked eye and telescopically. The nebula is very large and has a shape similar to a bird extending its wings. At it’s core the mighty trapezium and its 6 stars. 4 bright stars ranging in magnitude 9 to 10 and two others at mag 10.5. 32mm for nebula and 18mm to resolve trap

Object: 2 - Hercules Cluster… M13 / NGC6205
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: bright core with 500 resolved stars, large and bright. 25mm

Object: 3 – Ring Nebula… M57 / NGC6720
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: top 5 of all nebulas, bright, circular and looks like donut. Seen with OIII filter and really brings out nebula. 18mm

Object: 4 - Saturn
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: bight yellow planter with rings nearly edge on. Can make out faint bands north and south of ring. When atmosphere steady can make out the ring in front of plant. Also visible 4 moons. 20mm and 12.5mm used

Object: 5 - Moon
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: waning moon about 20% visible.

Object: 6 – Andromeda… M31 / NGC224
Date Observed: 04-09-10
Comments: about 15degrees above horizon so it’s a bit washed out. Can still resolve companion galaxies. 32mm and 25mm.

Object: 7 – Dumbbell Nebula… M27 / NGC6853
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: OIII really helps bring out the detail in this nebula. Looks like a dumbbell on its side. Although it appears that one side is slightly larger that the other.25mm, 13mm

Object: 8 – Pleiades / Seven Sisters… M45
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: can be seen naked eye, binoculars and telescopically. This cluster is large and bright and its blue stars just take your breath away. 40mm and binoculars

Object: 9 – Jupiter
Date Observed: 04-09-10 early in morning apx 530am 20 degrees above horizon.
Comments: majestic! Very little surface detail seen. 4 bands identified. 25mm, and 10mm

Object: 10 – Wild Duck Cluster… M11 / NGC6705
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: large bright cluster with app 100 stars. Truly beautiful open cluster. 40mm and 32mm

Object: 11 – Bodes Galaxy… M81 / NGC3031 & Cigar Galaxy… M82 / NGC 3034
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: m81 large and bright with just a hint of wings. M82 edge on galaxy is large and has a bright core, slight knot in middle of galaxy. Both galaxies easily seen in 40mm and 32mm EP.

Object: 12 – Swan Nebula… M17 / NGC6618
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: easily seen with and without OIII filter. OII definitely helps and M17 very close to or associated with open cluster nearby. 32mm and 25mm

Object: 13 – Albireo-Double… Double List
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: nice colored double star. Color seen is green and orange. 25 and 10mm

Object: 14 – Perseus Double Cluster… NGC869 & NGC884
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: OC rich in stars and just a great object to view. It’s two clusters separated by 1 arc minute. Binoculars and 32mm used

Object: 15 – Whirlpool Galaxy… M51 / NGC5194
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: bright knot of what appears to be two interacting galaxies. Both have somewhat bright knots at core of galaxy. 32mm 25mm and 18mm use

Object: 16 – Lagoon Nebula… M8 / NGC6523
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: another one of Sagittarius beautiful nebulas. OIII filter again helps define nebula in what appears to a dark lane almost separating the nebula into two nebulas. Could be tired eye will have to follow up. 32mm and 25mm used

Object: 17 – Beehive Cluster… M44 / NGC2632
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: very large sparse open cluster with 10 bright stars. Better seen in binoculars to truly enjoy the clusters beauty. 40mm and binoculars used.

Object: 18 – Western Veil Nebula… NGC6960 & Eastern Veil Nebula… NGC6992
Date Observed: 05-08-2010
Comments: very long and thin filament like almost like a verylong thin spider web that takes up all of the 40mm eyepiece. A magnificent site. OIII filter needed.

Object: 19 – Omega Centauri… NGC5139
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: WOW almost fills the 32mm eyepiece. This is one of the finest OC I have ever seen. Over 100 stars visible in EP, Bright and dense core with stars forming the outer shell easily seen. Just WOW 40mm and 32mm. used

Object: 20 – Globular in Sagittarius… M22 / NGC6656
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: bright GC with just visible core stars seen.

Object: 21 – Butterfly Cluster… M6 / NGC6405
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: looks like a butterfly on its side. 30 or so stars make up this very open cluster. 32mm and 40mm

Object: 22 – Double Double – Epsilon Lyra 1 & 2… Double List
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: with 32mm just two stars seen. With 13mm can just make out the 4 stars. With 6.5mm telescope can resolve the 2 stars into 4 stars. The second or companion stars are very close perhaps 3 arc seconds away. Very challenging to split but worth the effort.

Object: 23 – Jewel Box… NGC4755
Date Observed:
Comments: can not observe as it sits well below horizon.  See substitute objects below.

Object: 24 – Blue Snowball Planetary Nebula… NGC7662
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: very small and definitely need OIII filter to see this dim nebula. 13mm

Object: 25 – Spiral Galaxy… M66 / NGC3627
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: very dim and close to m65. faint glow, smudge of another galaxy just out of view with 40mm. M66 very nice, central core a bit brighter than faint arms of the galaxy. No other detail seen even with 10mm galaxy looks the same. Need bigger scope!!

Object: 26 – Coathanger – CR399… Asterism List
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: very interesting OC of about 11 stars that form the shape of a hanger. 32mm used

Object: 27 – Galaxy in Leo… M65 / NGC3623
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: faint central core glow with smudge of light probably its arms. Like M66 10mm Ep does not show any other detail. 32mm and 13mm EP used

Object: 28 – Ptolemy’s Cluster… M7 / NGC6475
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: nice bright cluster. 40mm used

Object: 29 – Bernice’s Hair Clip… NGC4565
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: long galaxy seen edge on. Core is some what brighter than wings but very little detail seen. Very faint too. 32mm and 25mm

Object: 30 – Globular in Pegasus… M15 / NGC7078
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: magnificent!!! Bright central core with many stars seen at edge and resolved. Perhaps 100 stars seen. Low power 40mm and 13mm EP used

Object: 31 – Owl Cluster… NGC457
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: looks like ET on his side with arms extending out to side. 40mm and 32mm

Object: 32 – Milky Way
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: beautiful sight to be seen! Cloudy haze forming large swatch from Sagittarius to Cygnus. No telescope used, naked eye observation.

Object: 33 – Trapezium in Orion… Center of M42
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: 4 stars very easy to see. The elusive 5 and 6 star always a challenge but this night the atmosphere was steady and the 2 were seen. Nebula also very nice has a blur tint to it?! 32mm 25mm 13mm

Object: 34 – Open Cluster in Puppis… M46 / NGC2437
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: very nice OC. In what appeared to a nebula or smudge of light I placed an OIII filter on and low and behold it was a nebula embedded. Very cool, low power 40mm

Object: 35 – Double Triangle (Star Gate)… Asterism List
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: set of 3 stars in triangle formation within another set of 3 stars forming a triangle inside. 25mm and 13mm

Object: 36 – 24 Com Double… Double List
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: very close double with one reddish/ orangish star and smaller white star.18 and 13mm

Object: 37 – Open Cluster in Sagittarius… M25 / IC4725
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: large and bright cluster with 6 really bright stars. Use low power 40mm or lower

Object: 38 – Open Cluster in Gemini… M35 / NGC2168
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: big open cluster that’s best viewed at low power, 40mm almost resembles a donut

Object: 39 – Open Cluster in Cepheus… NGC7510
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: dense open cluster that reminds me of a wedge. About 15 maybe 20 stars make up this OC. 25mm

Object: 40 – Globular Cluster in Hercules… M92 / NGC6341
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: very dense bright GC can just resolve a few stars in center and a dozen or so using averted vision. 25mm and 13mm

Object: 41 – Tucanae… NGC104
Date Observed:
Comments: Don’t know if I can find this cluster as it sits well below the horizon most of the year.=(  See substitute objects below.

Object: 42 – Galaxy in Andromeda… NGC891
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: very low on horizon 10degrees or so. I did manage to glimpse this companion galaxy using averted vision. 32mm and 25mm

Object: 43 – Open Cluster in Ophiuchus… NGC6633
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: OC not that impressive. Large cluster but very few stars. maybe 15

Object: 44 – Galaxy in Coma Berenices… M100 / NGC4321
Date Observed: 04-09-10
Comments: large galaxy but has low surface brightness. Core is a bit brighter that what would appear to be it’s arms. 32mm 25mm

Object: 45 – Table of Scorpius… NGC6231
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: bright OC about 12 stars brighter than mag 6. 32mm and 40mm

Object: 46 – Trifid Nebula… M20 / NGC6514
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: OIII filter used. Interesting nebula about 1 degree south of m21 almost looks like two clusters forming one giant super cluster. Nebula seen and embedded is a bright star. 32mm 18mm

Object: 47 – Betelgeuse… Named Star
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: orange star that is very bright. 32mm

Object: 48 - Globular in Sagittarius... M55 / NGC6809
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: nice globular cluster bright core and 15 stars resolved at outer edge 25mm 13mm

Object: 49 – Open Cluster in Auriga… M36 / NGC1960
Date Observed: 04-08-2010
Comments: very open cluster about 25 stars. Not that impressive. 32mm

Object: 50 – Eagle Nebula & Cluster… M16 / NGC6611
Date Observed: 04-09-2010
Comments: OC cluster attached to nebula. The nebula seen with and without filter. OIII filter defiantly helps bring out more structure. To me the nebula reminds me of a bird in flight. About a half dozen or so stars just south of nebula. 32mm 25mm

Substitution Objects for Northern Hemisphere

The following were observed 04-07-2010 into 04-08-2010.

Globular Cluster in Aquarius - M2 / NGC7089
Big and bright could resolve 20+ stars outer shell area and then pumped up the power to 400, 4mm and the core exploded with stars. used 40mm EP and worked down to 4mm.

Globular Cluster in Canes Venatici - M3 / NGC5272
Another great GC outer stars were well defined and again pumped up the power using 4mm and again the stars exploded in the eyepiece. Used 40mm and worked down to 4mm.

Globular Cluster in Serpens - M5 / NGC5904
Great GC that can take magnification well and stars showed up well using higher power. Started with 12.5mm and went to 6mm. core well resolved and atmosphere was perfect. Dense core but still many stars could be seen.

Open Cluster in Auriga - M37 / NGC2099
Nice cluster about 2 dozen stars seen with core having a reddish star in middle. Very nice, 40mm and 32mm EP used. Best seen at low power.

Open Cluster in Auriga - M38 / NGC1912
Very nice cluster again low power needed to see OC. I may be tired or crazy but the cluster has an appearance of a what I can only call a gingerbread man. Arm and legs extended and bright stars forming his buttons. Very cool OC.