The sky had cleared after a freshening cold front had passed over, and although typically I missed the fireball that lit up at the night at 945pm, I saw plenty with my 10x50s.
Coma Berenices as ever looked beautiful - and I tried to find Messier 53 but couldn't quite confirm it. There's a lot of teasing faint blurs in the area, I need to carry out some greater study. Messier 3 was easily visible, as was La Superba, which looked distinctly pink last night. Messier 51 was just about visible, ditto Messier 81, again these objects tend to tease right at the bounds of my eyes capability.
Over in Cygnus, Messier 29 and Messier 39 are much easier objects, and I was able to keep going North and find NGC7243, one of the Lacerta open clusters. Messier 13, Messier 5 and Messier 92 were all visible easy-peasey as pie. Messier 56 searches are hampered by the fact that I'm always looking in the wrong place.
Indeed in Cygnus, Lyra and Hercules there are all sorts of little knots of stars, and faint open clusters than I know no designation for. It is senseless to try and catagorise everything, I just enjoy the view. It is after all why I am outside.
Messier 52 in Cassiopeia seems to be an object I'll never get my eyes on, but I had a great view of Mu Cephei, the massive Garnet Star, a firey ruby in space.
And finally I observed Ophiuchus, and enjoyed as ever the sight of IC4665, and picked up NGC6633 as well, in a sort of quadrilateral of stars on the border of Serpens Caput.
But the Ophiuchus globular clusters might as well consist of black stars, for all I will ever see them!
Hiya, nice post. I'm very intrigued by space, stars, what's out there, etc! Didn't know you had a blog or wrote. (We're friends on f/bk, both worked at Siemens?!) I've joined your blog. Writers need to help each other out! Have you seen mine?!
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All the best, i'll be back! :)