1997 Observing sessions

I have a stack of notes from the 1990’s *somewhere* (probably vanished during one of my umpteen house moves over the years) but the only ones I actually have to hand are from my trip to Australia in July and August of 1997 because these were written up separately and kept in a folder.

I didn’t observe every night I was there. Some nights were cloudy, others I was travelling. I also spent some time just being a tourist, such as when I went up to Hervey Bay and the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

For more ‘background’ on my 1997 trip, click here and for some photos, here.

21st July 1997:
This was my first real observing Down Under. The site used is actually a way outside the town of Alice Springs, about 10km from the centre, and with a NELM of 6.5 to 7.0. The site is used by a tour company to show tourists the Australian night sky. The scopes there are a 8 inch and 11 inch Celestron SCTs but, because it was a tourist event, I couldn’t do much. I took the opportunity to scan the Milky Way with my 10×50 binoculars for the rest of the time, before it was time for beer, a barbie and then back to the hostel.

NGC 5139, Omega Centauri – With the unaided eye this appears as a fat fuzzy ‘star’ shining at magnitude 4. 10×50 binoculars: Obviously a globular cluster! 11 inch SCT (unfortunately the magnification is unknown – around 50 to 60x): Absolutely awesome!! A ball of literally millions of stars. The stars are more or less evenly distributed, and there is no concentration towards the centre. There is a curious footprint pattern near the centre where there is obscuring dust or fewer stars. Alice Springs, Northern Territory. 1997 July 21.

NGC 4755, the Jewel Box, in Crux. This is one of the most beautiful open clusters in the sky. It forms an ‘A’ shape of blue-white stars with a prominent red star in the centre. Unfortunately, by this time the moon had risen, washing out a lot of the fainter stars. However, the effect did not seem as bad here as it does in the UK, due probably to a drier atmosphere. Alice Springs, Northern Territory.

I spent a few days in Lobethal, SA. As it was the southern winter, the weather in South Australia was not ideal for observing, as it was cloudy for about four of the seven nights I was there. However, when it was clear, the skies were lovely, and the naked eye limiting magnitude was greater than 6.0, seeing ‘A1’. However, I didn’t get off to an auspicious start when I started to observe open clusters in Ara with an 8″ Dynamax on the first night and had to give up after an hour or so because of extreme cold. It took me three hours to warm up again.

28th July 1997:

IC 4651 in Ara – This o.c. wasn’t visible through the 8×50 finder. At 84x its a faint rich group which is fairly condensed. There are many faint stars, some of which are unresolved giving the cluster a nebulous appearance. There are many star patterns within the cluster, including triangles and parallelograms. 8″ SCT, 84x, 168x. Lobethal, SA. Seeing I, NELM 6.1

29th July 1997

NGC 5128 in Centaurus – This is Centaurus A. It is roundish with a prominent dark lane bisecting it. The southern half is brighter than the northern half. There is a star superimposed on the foreground the southern part, as well as one in the western part of the dark lane. 10 inch x150. Lobethal, South Australia. 1997 July 29. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.1.

NGC 5139 in Centaurus – This is a most spectacular object. At low power, it fills approximately half the field of view. It is very bright, being visible to the naked eye, and very large. 50x: very concentrated. Resolvable almost to the centre. A footprint shape is visible in the north west area. The cluster is of even brightness. 105x: The cluster fills the field of view, and there are chains of stars radiating out from the cluster. 151x: A three dimensional effect. Am able to see almost right through the centre of the cluster. An absolutely fabulous object. I am afraid it makes M13, our northern showpiece globular, look a bit sparse in comparison! 12.5 inch Dobsonian. Lobethal, South Australia. 1997 July 29. Seeing II; Mv 6.1

NGC 6723 in Corona Australia – This globular is located on the border of Sagittarius, Scorpius and Corona Australis. At a declination of –36 38S, it is theoretically visible from the southern part of England, but is so low down that the view would be very poor. It is visible in the finder and lies in a star field just outside the Milky Way. 43x: Large and bright and appears condensed towards the centre. The whole thing has a granular appearance. 150x: The increased magnification does not help – in fact, the object does not take it very well. The core retains its granular appearance. Stars barely resolved. 10 inch Dobsonian. Lobethal, South Australia. 1997 July 29. Seeing I-II; Mv 6.1

30th July 1997:

NGC 4103, Crux – Small, fairly faint open cluster picked up at 43x while sweeping the area with a 10″ dob. At 100x it’s small, compressed and rich. The stars are all white and have similar brightnesses. The main part forms an arrow shape pointing east to west. Below the head of the arrow is a line of three bright stars and there is also a line of stars to the west of the cluster, running north-south. The cluster also contains many faint stars in and around the arrow shape. 10″ Dob, 100x. Lobethal, South Australia. 1997, July 30th. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.1

Collinder 238 and the Keyhole region in the Eta Carina Nebula – Collinder 238 is a small, compact cluster dominated by a yellow-white star, Eta Carina itself. All the stars are of similar brightnesses and colour. The cluster is elongated north-south and is fairly rich and compressed. It’s in an area of very dense nebulosity, at the heart of the Eta Carina Nebula. There are no stars in the dark Keyhole. 10″ dob 150x. Lobethal, South Australia. 1997, July 30th. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.1

NGC 104 in Tucana – Also known as 47 Tucanae this is the second best globular cluster after Omega, but is very different. It has a very dense core and is more symmetrical than Omega. Its outer stars are easily resolved at 43x; at 150x the core has a granular appearance, and there is a dark area in the north west part of the globular – either an area poor in stars, or obscuring dust. There are chains of stars radiating out from the centre in all directions. At 300x, the cluster completely fills the field of view. Lobethal, South Australia. 1997, July 30th. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.1

NGC 2070, the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud – Yet another fantastic southern object. This is relatively large and bright, despite being located in an external galaxy, and has large faint filaments stretching south west and north east. Many wisps and tendrils seen. There are also faint patches to the west and east of 2070, one of which is NGC2044. 10″ dob, 43x, 100x. Lobethal, South Australia. 1997, July 30th. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.1

NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula in Aquarius – This planetary is enormous with a low surface brightness, and is ill defined against the background sky. Looks like a ring with diffuse outer edges. No central star seen. No filter used. 10″ dob, 43x. Lobethal, South Australia. 1997, July 30th. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.1

I also had the most fantastic views of Jupiter I have ever had – many bands and festoons were seen. This was due to the superb, steady seeing.

2nd August 1997:

Stock 15, in Crux – Very large, pretty poor open cluster. the stars are all equally bright and the same colour. The cluster lies immediately to the east of NGC 4103. 12.5″ Dall-Kirkham Cassegrain 120x. Ellesmere, Qld. Seeing I, NELM 7.0

NGC 6231, in Scorpius – A rich, bright open cluster which is detached from the Milky Way. It’s fairly large and is dominated by seven bright yellowish mag 4.7 stars. These are surrounded by many fainter stars and the cluster itself is surrounded by nebulosity which needs averted vision to see properly and which surrounds the brightest members. The nebulosity is brought out slightly more with an OIII filter. 12.5″ Dall-Kirkham Cassegrain 120x, OIII filter. Ellesmere, Qld. Seeing I, NELM 7.0

Collinder 240 in Carina – Very tiny o.c. which was picked up using the setting circles. Five members were seen using direct visio while many more were seen with averted vision. Four of the brightest cluster members form a distorted parallelogram shape. The brightest members are all bluish-white and all of similar brightnesses. Pretty poor, pretty compressed and small but distinguishable from the Milky Way background. 12.5″ DK Cassegrain 120x. Ellesmere, Qld. Seeing I, NELM 7.0

3rd August 1997:

From SA I travelled to Ellesmere in Queensland, about an hour or so’s drive from Toowoomba, and about 200km from Brisbane. It is in a pretty remote location, and at dusk, kangaroos come out and feed around the observatories. Here, Jim Barclay has a large dome, housing a 12.5 inch Dall-Kirkham Cassegrain and CCD equipment, as well as a smaller run off shed which contains a Vixen LX200 and various lenses. During the seven nights I was there it was only cloudy about once, and the NELM was 7.0.
While at Ellesmere I mostly observed globular clusters, some of the smaller open clusters and some galaxies. The fairly limited field of view of the Dall-Kirkham makes it more suited to viewing smaller, more concentrated objects.

NGC 6752 in Pavo – Large, bright and easily resolved. It shows a bright dense core and is moderately well concentrated. In the east? part of the cluster there is an elliptical pattern of stars, and there are other loops of stars. The cluster has a granular appearance. 12.5 inch Dall-Kirkham Cassegrain x120. Ellesmere, Queensland. 1997 August 3. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 6584 in Telescopium – This is small and pretty bright. It brightens towards the centre and is very concentrated. It is not resolved at all. The centre is very dense, and the cluster is round. 12.5 inch x120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 3. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 6541 in Corona Australis – This globular is pretty large and bright. Its shape is roundish, and it has a bright, dense, centre which appears granular with averted vision. The outer stars are easily resolved and there is a bright knot of stars to the east of the core. The cluster is set in a nice star field. 12.5 inch x120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 3. Seeing I-II; Mv7.0

NGC 4038/4039 in Corvus – This is the Ringtail, or Antennae. These interacting galaxies are faint and require averted vision. There is not much central condensation, and I could not see the tails. One component is brighter than the other. 12.5 inch x 120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 3. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

NGC 253 in Sculptor – This galaxy is huge and totally fills the field of view. It has a bright nucleus and shows mottling. It can be seen from the UK, but is rather low. 12.5 inch x 120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 3 and 4.

NGC 55 in Sculptor – Another large galaxy, but not quite as large or bright as NGC 253. It has a large bright core which shows mottling. At –39.2S declination, it is just too low to be seen from southern England. 12.5 inch x 120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 3 and 4. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

NGC 2024, in Orion – The Flame Nebula, near the Horsehead. It was easily seen with averted vision and looked very large and diffuse, with dark lanes bisecting it. 12.5 inch, 120x. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 3 and 4. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

HII region in LMC – Very bright with stars embedded in it. Flattened along one edge. The east and north portions are brighter than the south and west areas. 12.5 inch, 120x. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 3 and 4. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

4th August 1997:

NGC 6496 in Scorpius – This was fairly hard to find, being located in the Milky Way. It is large and pretty faint. It is of even brightness and is round, with a line of stars running across the middle, like M4. No other stars were resolved.12.5 inch x120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 4. Seeing I-II; Mv7.0

NGC 6397 in Ara – This is very bright and large and the outer and foreground stars are easily resolved. At first glance, it seems to be of even brightness, but averted vision reveals a slightly more concentrated centre. The cluster is moderately concentrated, and has a roughly triangular appearance due to a pattern of stars which are associated with it.12.5 inch x120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 4. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 6362 in Ara – Large and faint with even brightness. Some stars across the front were resolved, but apart from those, the cluster remains mostly unresolved.. It has an irregular shape – not quite round – with a slight elongation north-south. It is moderately concentrated. 12.5 inch x 120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 4. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 6352 in Ara – This is pretty bright and large. It is round and well concentrated towards the centre. It has a granular appearance and is located in a fairly rich area of stars. 12.5 inch x120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 4. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 6256 in Scorpius. Pretty large and faint and showed slight concentration towards the centre. No stars were resolved. 12.5 inch x120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 4. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

5th August 1997:

NGC 5189 in Musca – This planetary is interesting as it looks a little like a barred spiral galaxy. It is bright and easy to identify in the star field. The main feature is a bright bar running more or less east-west through the middle. One side of the p.n. is brighter than the other – north side is brighter than the south. Without the OIII filter the planetary looks bluish-white. The OIII filter brings out more detail, showing a shell of gas either side of the bar. 12.5″ Dall-Kirkham Cassegrain x120; x200 w/OIII filter. Ellesmere, Qld, Australia. Mv 7.0. 1997 August 5.

NGC 6388 in Scorpius – Very bright and large. Highly concentrated with an extremely bright, dense, core, and looks somewhat like a smaller version of 47 Tucanae. The outer stars were resolved, but the cluster mostly remains granular. A nice object, located in a Milky Way starfield. 12.5 inch x120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 5. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 4833 in Musca – Pretty large, bright and round. The stars are easily resolved, but the background is nebulous. The cluster is fairly well condensed. 12.5 inch x120. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 5. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

7th August 1997:

NGC 3201 in Vela – Large, fairly faint globular with a size of 18’. It’s outer and foreground stars are easily resolved. It is evenly condensed and appears to be moderately concentrated, but not as concentrated as some of the other g.c.’s I’ve seen. The shape of the cluster is somewhat triangular. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 5286 in Centaurus – This is fairly small (9’) and bright. It is situated close to a bright field star which is yellowish in colour and lies to the south. The cluster is fairly well resolved at 120x and 200x. The outer stars are easily resolved. The cluster has a bright centre and is well concentrated. There is a knot of stars near the centre. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 5946 in Norma – Very small and pretty faint. It is roundish and brightens towards the centre. Not resolved. Located in a rich starfield. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 4372 in Musca – Very large and faint, and I first mistook it for an open cluster with associated nebulosity. It is located next to a bright white star. The outer stars are resolved, but the background remains unresolved. The cluster appears fairly loose and is rather poorly concentrated. Averted vision brings out more stars. There is a chain of outlying stars to the west. Best seen at 120x, as 200x kills it. 12.5 inch. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7, Seeing I-II; Mv7.0

NGC 6101 in Apus – Pretty large and faint. At 120x some stars are resolved, but there is mostly just a granular appearance. The cluster has more or less even brightness at first glance, but averted vision reveals that it brightens slightly towards the centre. Fairly well concentrated. 12.5 inch. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II; Mv 7.0

NGC 6139 in Scorpius – Very small and bright. The overall shape is round and the cluster brightens considerably towards the centre, forming a bright dense core. It is highly concentrated. There are no stars resolved at 200x, but with averted vision there is a slight granular appearance. The cluster is located in a rich Milky Way starfield. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0

NGC 6441 in Scorpius – A very small bright globular located in a rich starfield. It is close to a bright star, and is round with a bright core. It is highly concentrated. No stars are resolved. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

NGC 6652 in Scorpius – This globular is very small (3.5’) and bright. It is located in a rich starfield, and is highly concentrated with a bright centre. Some stars are resolved at 200x, especially with averted vision. The cluster looks slightly flattened east-west. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

NGC 6637 (M69) in Sagittarius – Pretty small and bright. Well concentrated and brighter towards the centre, but not as intense as 6441. The stars are easily resolved. The overall shape is round, and the cluster is set in a nice starfield. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

NGC 6681 (M70) in Sagittarius – A small bright globular which is highly concentrated with a bright, very dense core. This looks somewhat offset to one side. The outer stars are fairly well resolved at 200x. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv7.0

NGC 6624 in Sagittarius – This is small and pretty bright. It has a very bright dense core which appears almost stellar at 120x, and is highly concentrated. At 120x it has a granular appearance, and most of the outer stars were resolved at 200x. The shape of the g.c. is round. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

NGC 6715 (M54) in Sagittarius – Pretty small and bright. Brightens considerably towards the centre and has a bright dense core. It is highly concentrated. At 120x granularity was seen in the outer halo, using averted vision. At 200x stars are easily resolved. With averted vision a couple of foreground stars appear superimposed on the cluster, either side of it. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

NGC 6144 in Scorpius – This little globular is located halfway between Antares and M4, and tends to be overlooked. It is pretty faint and of even brightness, showing no brightening towards the centre. At 120x, some granularity is seen. At 200x, a few stars are resolved, but the cluster mostly remains nebulous looking. It is moderately concentrated. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

NGC 6809 (M55) in Sagittarius – Very large and bright globular. It is moderately well concentrated, and is easily resolved at 120x, showing many bright stars on a hazy background. At 200x, I can almost see through the centre, although parts remain nebulous. It is irregular in shape and looks a bit like a starfish with short arms. 12.5 inch x120, x200. Ellesmere, Qld. 1997 August 7. Seeing I-II, Mv 7.0.

From Ellesmere, Jim and I went on to Manly, which is a suburb of Brisbane, where Jim also has an observatory. This consists of a run off shed, which houses an 8 inch Vixen LX200 Classical Cassegrain, driven by Sky Sensor digital setting circles. I made a few observations with this telescope, and it is a very impressive instrument. Because of the light pollution, from Brisbane and a nearby container port, I observed mostly open clusters here.

9th August 1997:

NGC 6281 in Scorpius – This is a rough triangular shape and contains bluish white stars of varying brightnesses. It is pretty compressed and looks rather poor, although that could be due to the light pollution coming from Brisbane. The cluster is detached from the background stars and fits easily into the field of view at 120x. 8 inch Cassegrain, 72x, 120x. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

NGC 6322, in Scorpius – This o.c. is sparse, consisting of a triangle of three bright yellowish stars plus some fainter ones in the middle of the triangle. The cluster is easily distinguishable from the Milky Way stars. 8 inch Cassegrain, 72x, 120x. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

10th August 1997:

NGC 5927 in Lupus – Large and fairly faint, with a little brightening towards the centre. Well concentrated. Some outer stars resolved, but mostly just granular. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

NGC 6753 in Pavo – This galaxy is barely visible at 72x as a faint smudge of light against the background sky. Using averted vision, some brightening is seen towards the centre. First quarter moonlight, light pollution and drifting clouds interfered with the observation. 8 inch Cassegrain x72, x180. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I, Mv 4.5.

NGC 6153 in Scorpius – This p.n. forms a kite shape with 3 stars. At 72x it appears as a circular smudge against the background sky and has a bluish tinge. An OIII filter brings it out well. At 180x there is a good view with the OIII filter. With averted vision the centre appears brighter and the edges are sharp. P.n. is a well defined disc. At 240x there is a better view than 180x, the OIII makes p.n. stand out far more. At 375x, the view is not as good as that obtained with the 240x eyepiece. No more detail is seen. 8″ Cassegrain x72; x180, x240; x375 w/OIII filter. Manly, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 10.

NGC 5882 in Lupus – At 72x this p.n. appears stellar. 180x revealed it to be non stellar with a fuzzy appearance. It is small and very bright and it a light blue colours. 240x shows it to be a disc with a brighter centre (using averted vision). An OIII filter makes it stand out well. It is located in a field of faint stars. 8 inch Cassegrain x72; x180; x240 w/OIII filter. Manly, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 10.

NGC 6124 in Scorpius – Pretty large irregular circle of stars around a grouping of stars in the middle. Most of the stars are of the same brightness although some are fainter. The stars are more concentrated towards the centre of the cluster and it is easily distinguishable from the Milky Way background but not that bright. It’s visible as a faint haze in the 6×30 finder. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

NGC 6250 in Ara – A ‘w’ pattern of bright yellowish stars with fainter stars in the middle. Not very rich but more stars would probably show up at a country location and with no moonlight. Detached from Milky Way background. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

IC 4651 in Ara – A nice, but faint open cluster. Small, very rich and pretty compressed. Contains three dark areas where stars are absent. None of the stars are very bright and most are best seen with averted vision. Easily distinguishable from the background stars. There are two bright blue-white stars nearby. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

NGC 6475 = M7 in Scorpius – Very large and rich. A showpiece object which is impressive even from the Brisbane suburbs. The cluster is dominated by 10 or 11 bright bluish white stars with some fainter, also bluish white, stars in among the bright ones. This is the most southerly of the Messier objects and is just visible from the UK. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

NGC 6087 in Norma – Pretty large open cluster with one bright yellowish star right in the centre. It’s vaguely triangular and is not very rich. Most of the stars are white and fairly faint. 8 inch Cassegrain, 72x. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 10. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

 

11th August 1997:

NGC 7099 (M30) in Capricornus – This is small and very bright. It has a bright dense core and is highly concentrated. It is roughly circular in shape and the outer stars are resolved with averted vision. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 11. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

IC 4406 in Lupus – At 72x, this p.n. is obvious as a small bluish disc and is fairly bright. 144x + OIII filter: the p.n. shows fuzzy edges and there is no sign of a ring shape. 8 inch Cassegrain x72; x144 w/OIII filter. 1997 August 11

NGC 5460, in Centaurus – An attractive, small but not very bright open cluster. It’s shaped a bit like a short snake and is somewhat compressed. There are brighter stars in the tail, some fainter ones in the middle and some more brighter stars in the head. It’s easily distinguishable from the general background stars and is not rich. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 11. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

NGC 6025 in Triangulum Australe – A small, pretty bright open cluster made up of blue-white stars. It’s fairly compressed and is easily distinguished from the background stars, although it lies in a rich area. The stars are all of similar brightnesses, maybe with half a magnitude difference between them at the most. The stars form groupings within the cluster of triangles and parallelograms, but there is no concentration toward the centre. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 11. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

NGC 6067 in Norma – Large, fairly faint, rosette-shaped open cluster. There is a bright double near the centre. The brighter one of the pair is whitish yellow while its fainter companion is blue. There are many (hundreds?) of fainter stars surrounding them which are visible with averted vision. The cluster is very rich and concentrated and lies in a rich starfield but is obvious. 8 inch Cassegrain x72. Manly, Qld. 1997 August 11. Seeing I. Mv 4.5.

Just before flying back to the UK, I went to the Queensland Astrofest, which is held annually at a place called Lions Camp Duckadang, near Linville, which is a two hour drive from Brisbane, and has excellent dark skies. As public transport in that area is none too frequent, I managed to obtain a lift from a South East Queensland Astronomical Society member, Dave, who is a friend of Jim’s. I was in luck with telescopes. A Webb Society member, Graham Long, had brought with him a 20 inch Dobsonian, belonging to a friend who was overseas, as well as his own 10 inch Dobsonian, and he kindly allowed me to share it during my two nights there. With it we hunted for some obscure and semi-obscure planetary nebulae, as well as other celestial goodies.

25th August 1997:

Henize 2-141 in Norma – This p.n. is very small and bright. Brighter on the western side and is slightly elongated north-south, forming an oval shape. The eastern side is much fainter. No central star is visible. 20 inch Dobsonian x350 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 25.

Shapley 1 in Norma – This is a nice oval smoke ring with the south west edge brighter. The central star is visible, especially with averted vision when it really jumps out at the observer. The edges are fairly diffuse. 20 inch Dobsonian x200 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 25.

NGC 6337 in Scorpius – This is a lovely bright “smoke ring” which is slightly thicker on its south side. It is almost circular and there is no sign of a central star. The p.n. has well defined edges. 20 inch Dobsonian x200 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 25.

Henize 2-207 in Ara – This p.n. is interesting as it is bipolar and has an unusual shape. It looks twisted and is elongated north-south with both parts of even brightness and which are oval shaped. The edges of each component are well defined. The p.n. is located in a rich star field. 20 inch Dobsonian x200 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 25.

NGC 253 in Sculptor – Fantastic. Spiral structure easily seen. Brightens considerably towards the centre. Mottling in core. 20 inch x 60. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld. 1997 August 25. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.5 to 7.0

NGC 6514 = M20 in Sagittarius – This was an ‘observatory photograph’ view throught the 20″. the dark lanes are easily seen as is the blue reflection nebula to the south which is often only visible in photos. I also saw the reflection nebula in a 10″.20 inch, 60x w/OIII. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld. 1997 August 25. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.5 to 7.0

NGC 6618 = M17 in Sagittarius – A much better view of M17 than I usually get from home as the skies are better and this is overhead, and not down in the murk near the horizon. Many wisps and tendrils seen as well as an isolated nebulous spot just north of the ‘head’. 20 inch, 60x w/OIII. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld. 1997 August 25. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.5 to 7.0

IC 2944, in Centaurus – Faint diffuse nebulosity, looking like a pair of rabbit ears. The two lobes are bisected by a dark lane and both parts are equally bright. There are stars in and around the nebulosity. 20 inch, 60x with OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld. 1997 August 25. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.5 to 7.0

26th August 1997:

Henize 2-111 in Centaurus – Very small and rather faint. Brighter across the middle and there appear to be very faint extensions to the east and west. The overall shape is irregular with fuzzy edges.There is no ring and no central star. There is a star on the preceding edge and the p.n. is located in a rich star field. 20 inch Dobsonian x200 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

NGC 5307 in Centaurus – This is very small and pretty bright (mag 11.3). It is oval and of even brightness showing no ring structure. There is no central star, at least that I could see. The edges are sharp, not fuzzy. 20 inch Dobsonian x200 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

NGC 5315 in Circinus – A small and very bright p.n. (6″ diameter). Somewhat stella looking and is blue. The edges look slightly fuzzy and the p.n. is of uniform brightness. No central star visible. 20 inch Dobsonian x200 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

IC 5148 in Grus – A nice ring shape. Large and fairly faint. Oval, with no central star visible and the edges are quite diffuse. The ring is of even brightness and is a greenish colour. 20 inch Dobsonian x156 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

NGC 3918 in Centaurus – Very small and very blue circular disc, which is uniformly bright throughout. The edges are fuzzy and I could not see a central star. 10 inch Dobsonian x210 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

IC 4663 in Scorpius – Pretty small and pretty bright. It is difficult to tell if the p.n. has a ring shape or not – averted vision shows that is may be darker in the middle. There is no central star. The overall shape is round with fuzzy edges. 20 inch Dobsonian x360 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

NGC 6153 in Scorpius – Another pretty small and bright p.n. Circular and there is a vague hint of a ring – the p.n. darkens towards the centre. No sign of a central star. The edges are slightly fuzzy and the p.n. is blue. 20 inch Dobsonian x156 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

Longmore 16 in Scorpius – This p.n. is very large (83″) and very faint, requiring an OIII filter to see properly. Round with diffuse edges and seems to be brighter across the centre (central brightness elongated north-south). The eastern half is brighter than the western half. No central star seen. Whole p.n. best seen with averted vision. 20 inch Dobsonian x156 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

NGC 6818 in Sagittarius – This p.n. is also known as the “Little Gem”. Small and very bright with an intense blue colour. There is a suggestion of darkening in the centre, but I could not see a central star. Averted vision was needed to see the darkening. Direct vision shows a circular disc with fairly even brightness. The edges are fuzzy, not sharp. 20 inch Dobsonian x156 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

PK 322-2.1 (Menzel 1) in Norma – This p.n. is pretty large (50″) and faint. It shows some darkening towards the centre but there is no sign of a central star. The edges are fuzzy and averted vision shows that there may be a hint of lobes to the north and south – but this is not definite. 20 inch Dobsonian x156 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

PK 322-5.1 in Triangulum Australe – Rather small and pretty bright with sharp edges. Shows some darkening in the centre, especially with averted vision. No central star visible. Circular and blue. 20 inch Dobsonian x156 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

NGC 6302 in Scorpius – The “Bug Nebula”, so called because it is supposed to resemble an insect in photographs. Very bright and has a compact stellar looking centre, with extensions to the west and east. The p.n. has diffuse edges and the western extension shows some mottling. With an overall blue colour, this is a nice object. 20 inch Dobsonian x156 w/OIII filter. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld, Australia. 1997 August 26.

NGC 6822 in Sagittarius – This is visible as a faint elliptical glow barely discernible against the background sky. It is elongated roughly 2:1 north to south and is of even brightness, with no central condensation. Even in the 20 inch, it is very faint – it may be invisible in smaller apertures. It is located in a pretty rich star field. 20 inch x 60. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld. 1997 August 26. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.5 to 7.0

NGC 6726/6727 in Corona Australis – Nebulosity around stars with a larger patch to the south around two stars. A smaller patch lies to the north also around two stars. There’s a nice double to the west. The nebulosity is best seen at low power without a filter. 20 inch, 60x. Camp Duckadang, Linville, Qld. 1997 August 26. Seeing I-II, Mv 6.5 to 7.0