Cluster marathon in Orion

[Tweedledee]

I have an observing project on the go at the moment. I want to see as many of Orions star clusters and asterisms as possible, and it contains a lot of them.

 

I have completed a list of intriguing objects, drawn from various catalogs, which includes about 65 star clusters and 60 compact asterisms/suspected clusters in Orion or within a degree or so outside of its boundary lines.

 

So far I have tracked down 16 of the clusters and 14 asterisms with the ST120 over several nights. More should be visible in the refractor on a good night but most will require a larger aperture. I think that at least half of my list will be difficult or impossible to identify, either because they are faint and/or just don't stand out from the (light polluted) background. A lot of these objects will also be fairly dismal with little wow factor, and may appear as nothing more than a multiple star system, but still, it is fun to work through a list. I intend to try my hand at sketching some of these objects starting with some of the sparser and therefore easier ones.

 

I'm thoroughly enjoying the challenge, and a good night at Belper with the dob should tick a few more off the list that I won't see from the backyard.

 

Clusters seen...
Collinder 38, 60, 69, 71, 72, 73, 85.
NGC 1662, 2180, 2215, 2219, 2232.
Ferrero 11.
Briceno 1.
ASCC 21.
Dolidze 22.

 

Asterisms seen...
Collinder 59, 65, 70, 91.
O'Neal 4, 5, 8.
Streicher 32, 56, 58.
Elosser 1.
Persson 1.
Lorenzin 1.
Alessi 48.
 

Edited January 24, 2016 by Tweedledee

[Doc]

I done something similar when I had my 16" dob. I observed most of the clusters as I found them pretty easy with 16" of aperture. At the time asterisms didn't appeal to me so I didn't bother with them.

 

Good luck with the challenge Pete.

[Tweedledee]

Cheers Mick.

 

Most of the asterisms on my list are tight groups and look just like star clusters. In fact some of them were originally catalogued as star clusters, but were subsequently demoted to asterisms as studies proved they were not associated and were just accidental groups if stars in the same line of sight. 

[Daz Type-R]

Interesting stuff Pete, never heard of half of the above catalogs.   

[Smithysteve]

Hi Pete, sounds interesting, though I am more into fuzzies than asterisms, I am working to a list of M42 objects too! ?

Put the two together and you have the best of both ?, 

here is mine;

NGC 2023 - Bright nebula in Orion

NGC 2024 - The Flame Nebula (Sharpless 2-277) is a emission nebula in the constellation Orion.

NGC 1973 - NGC 1975 - NGC 1977 - These beautiful grouping of reflection nebulae in Orion are often overlooked in favour of the better known Orion Nebula (M 42). But this bright nebulous complex is interesting in its own right, being one of the brightest reflection nebulae in the sky.

NGC 1980 - is located just south of the Great Orion Nebula in a rich field of the Milky Way. It is a bright cluster of 30 stars embedded in a large, elongated nebula near Iota Orionis. The cluster features the colourful triple 44 Orionis, which has a bluish-white primary and secondary, and a red third star.

NGC 1981 - is one degree north of the Great Orion Nebula at the northern edge of the NGC 1973-75-77 complex. This bright, scattered cluster contains 40 stars covering a half degree area. The cluster has a few stars of 6th magnitude, with most of 7th to 9th magnitude. Outer cluster stars are grouped in ragged rows to the north and east.

NGC 2237 - NGC 2237, NGC 2238, NGC 2239, NGC 2244, NGC 2246 - Rosette Nebula and Cluster. The Rosette Nebula is a large, circular emission nebula in the constellation Monoceros. It surrounds a cluster of hot, young stars known as the Rosette Cluster (NGC 2244). The brightest parts of the nebula have their own NGC catalog numbers.

IC 431 - Faint bluish glows around bright stars. IC 431 consists of two areas surrounding 8th and 9th magnitude stars.

IC 432 - Is the brighter and larger of the two nebulae with a 7th magnitude illuminating star.

IC 434 - The Horse-head Nebula, also known as Barnard 33, silhouetted against the glow of the emission nebula IC 434

M 78 - Messier 78, or NGC 2068, is the brightest reflection nebula in the sky, located in Orion near the celestial equator.

M 42 - Orion Nebula of course

M 43 - Nebula, next to M42,

 

i have also done done a similar fuzzie list for Ursa Major, I will save that one for another day and plan to make one for other areas coming up like Leo and Virgo so I am ready to go when they come around... ☺️

cheers!

[Tweedledee]

Some wonderful objects there Steve. That area us just jam packed full of exciting stuff. The Monoceros objects can be a bit more difficult to pin down than the Orion ones as the constellation guide stars are much fainter. Don't forget the complex of NGC nebulae around M78. You should be able to get M78 and NGC2067 in the same view on a good night and there are a couple of other fainter knots of nebulosity in there that you probably won't see. Those ICs you mention are difficult and can easily be confused with faint stars in bad seeing or with a bit of dew forming 

 

The clusters I mention are usually easier to locate than the fuzzies 

[Tweedledee]

3 hours ago, Daz Type-R said:

Interesting stuff Pete, never heard of half of the above catalogs.   

I think you're missing out  There is such a wealth of exciting stuff to find up there that is not always marked on atlases. Granted, it is not all quite as spectacular as the double cluster, but there is far more than you think, and much of it us not difficult to find 

[Smithysteve]

( I meant Orion objects, not M42 ?)

Cheers Pete, I will have a closer look at your list and give em a go. Speaking of go... 

GOTO is a big help to me when finding the obscure objects... I don't have your inbuilt starry sat nav brain ?

 

The reason for my list is I want to make the most of viewing sessions, I want to be ready to go...

 I know a few of the usual suspects but whilst in the area, I want to check out other stuff too!

The interstellarum atlas come in really useful for building these lists. It indicates what can be seen with different sizes of scopes ( and what cannot be seen too ?), Then research the items so you know a bit more about them... And away we go!

you've got to do something whilst waiting for the clouds to part, and the moon to disappear !!!

cheers!

[Doc]

I think lists are a must to a good night observing.

 

I've lost count of the number of times I have been out with no list and all you do is point at the same objects are randomly whizz round the sky like a lunatic.

 

With a list you see so much more stuff.

[Tweedledee]

Likewise Mick, and sometimes I get caught out by an unexpected clear spell with no list or plans, then go outside and just see all the usual stuff again! 

[Tweedledee]

37 minutes ago, Smithysteve said:

( I meant Orion objects, not M42 ?)

Cheers Pete, I will have a closer look at your list and give em a go. Speaking of go... 

GOTO is a big help to me when finding the obscure objects... I don't have your inbuilt starry sat nav brain ?

 

The reason for my list is I want to make the most of viewing sessions, I want to be ready to go...

 I know a few of the usual suspects but whilst in the area, I want to check out other stuff too!

The interstellarum atlas come in really useful for building these lists. It indicates what can be seen with different sizes of scopes ( and what cannot be seen too ?), Then research the items so you know a bit more about them... And away we go!

you've got to do something whilst waiting for the clouds to part, and the moon to disappear !!!

cheers!

I forgot that you have the luxury of goto Steve  

 

I have to try and memorise star maps 

 

It is so much more productive when you plan ahead, even if you don't manage to see everything on the list. Like you say, researching the objects you can learn fascinating new stuff every time. Knowing more about the object makes finding and viewing it even more satisfying.