| Observer: | Tom Campbell |
| Location: | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95°24'W Lat: 37°55'N) |
| Equipment: | Simmons 10x50WA Binoculars |
| Time: | 11:15pm - 12:00am CDT (04:15-05:00 UT) |
| Transparency: | Mostly Clear (7/10) |
| Seeing: | Mostly Stable (7/10) |
| Weather: | Temperatures in the 60s. There was little or no breeze. |
The weather patterns were unstable tonight. It had been clear most of the day, but a front rolled through a few hours before dusk and didn't clear out until twilight. I decided to catch up on some of my binocular observing lists.
| M 19 | Ophiuchus | Globular Cluster | 11:15pm CDT |
| NGC 6273 | RA: 17h 02m 38s | Dec: -26° 16' | Mag: 6.8 |
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This globular was fairly easy to detect as a faint smudge with a nearly stellar core. What stood out the most was that there were three pairs of optical doubles surrounding the eastern side of the cluster, seeming to point right at the globular. |
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| M 62 | Ophiuchus | Globular Cluster | 11:20pm CDT |
| NGC 6266 | RA: 17h 01m 13s | Dec: -30° 07' | Mag: 6.4 |
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This globular was rather large, but difficult to detect without using averted vision. It had a stellar core. |
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| M 9 | Ophiuchus | Globular Cluster | 11:25pm CDT |
| NGC 6333 | RA: 17h 19m 12s | Dec: -18° 31' | Mag: 7.8 |
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This globular was really faint - only visible with averted vision. It only appeared as a faint smudge of light. |
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| NGC 6342 | Ophiuchus | Globular Cluster | 11:30pm CDT |
| RA: 17h 21m 10s | Dec: -19° 35' | Mag: 9.5 | |
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This cluster was in the same field of view as M9. A stellar core was sometimes visible. |
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| M 23 | Sagittarius | Open Cluster | 11:35pm CDT |
| NGC 6494 | RA: 17h 56m 54s | Dec: -19° 01' | Mag: 5.5 |
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This cluster appeared as a dim wispy cloud. With averted vision, one or two stars popped into view. |
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| M 26 | Scutum | Globular Cluster | 11:40pm CDT |
| NGC 6694 | RA: 18h 45m 12s | Dec: -09° 23' | Mag: 8.0 |
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This cluster was really faint, only visible with averted vision. |
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| M 22 | Sagittarius | Globular Cluster | 11:45pm CDT |
| NGC 6656 | RA: 18h 36m 24s | Dec: -23° 54' | Mag: 5.2 |
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This roundish globular was really large. No stars could be resolved, although there was a noticeable brightening in the center. |
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| M 7 (Ptolemy's Cluster) | Scorpius | Open Cluster | 11:50pm CDT |
| NGC 6475 | RA: 17h 53m 54s | Dec: -34° 47' | Mag: 3.3 |
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This open cluster appeared rich and wide, a great target for binoculars. About two dozen stars were visible, with the richest concentration near the center. |
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| M 6 (Butterfly) | Scorpius | Open Cluster | 11:55pm CDT |
| NGC 6405 | RA: 17h 40m 25s | Dec: -32° 14' | Mag: 4.2 |
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This cluster appeared as an oval-shaped patch of nebulosity with about 7-8 stars visible within. |
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