2024-09-06

• Condition: VG5
• Location: Home, Spearfish: 44.49, -103.87

09:31PM

• Target: NGC 6604[1]
• Const: Serpens
• RaDec: 18h18m -12.13
• Type: Open Cluster[2]
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 55x
• Class: III 2 m
• Image: ../images/2024-09-06_NGC6604.jpg[3]

Nice little cluster. Found just north of M 16.

I took some time to find Tr 32 since it was just south of here. I feel confident that I detected it, but it was so small and only seemed to contain fainter stars. I'll wait to sketch this one when I have darker skies available.

=> [1] NGC 6604 (ID) | [2] Open Cluster (ID) | [3] ../images/2024-09-06_NGC6604.jpg

09:51PM

• Target: θ Serpentis[1]
• Const: Serpens
• RaDec: 18h56m +4.12
• Type: Star (Double)[2]
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 110x
• Image: ../images/2024-09-06_ThetaSerpens.jpg[3]

Wanted to revisit this favorite double star. I brought colored pencils out with me since I could not remember the colors, however both stars turned out to be a very hot white.

I remember both stars having a similar appearance and magnitude, where it gave the impression that they were two eyes staring right back at me. Sure enough, while observing it tonight I was struck with the feeling like it was being watched!

=> [1] θ Serpentis (ID) | [2] Star (Double) (ID) | [3] ../images/2024-09-06_ThetaSerpens.jpg

10:15pm

I spent some extra time outside after my chosen targets were complete to pick a target and simply enjoy it. Not to worry about sketching it but to simply observe it in a care free manner; I chose M 57, The Ring Nebula.

I had not viewed it since 08-2022, and my entries from back then are quite funny:

"Very small. Just a subtle fat dot on a dark background. Looking directly at it will make it disappear! AV pops it back into view with a little definition. Getting some 'irregularity' in the glow around the center."

At the time I only viewed it at 40x and my impression of needing AV tonight was different. M 57 is quite bright on its own. The outer edge of the ring appeared more opaque than the center.

Testing the Ultrablock filter helped a little. It seemed to make the nebula pop quite a bit, but did not do much to add definition.

I remember reading that you can get away with much higher magnifications on some planetary nebula, and it seems to be true. I pushed magnification gradually up to 306x with great success.