How Low Can You Go?

Hi all

There was a brief observing window available last night, cloud was predicted to come in from the west around 1am.  I got out the 10x50 binoculars for a general scan around the sky.  To the south I have a very narrow window between the trees and the houses and some stars were visible and I wondered how far south I could see from my light polluted back garden.
I began with alpha and beta Librae and scanned south, I could not match what I was seeing with my atlas, a head scratcher, until I saw Antares appear, I was looking at 7 and 8 Scorpii, but it still did not match up with the atlas.  What I was really looking at was 6 and 7 Scorpii, the perils of observing in a region that I was not familiar with.  Now that I finally had my bearings it was time to see how low I could go.
There is a house shaped asterism to the south-west of Antares that I could see, the bottom right hand corner of the "house" was barely visible, it was a real eye strainer, but it was there and I could see nothing further south.  This star is SAO 207558 and it is located at a declination of -30° 48' 07" with a magnitude of 5.5.
It is an indication of how far south we can see from this country, I believe from a more southerly location, the south coast for example, constellations such as Lupus and Centaurus are visible, the northern sections only.
This is a new low for me.

Paul

It is an interesting topic Paul. I'm at +53° and my record is mag 5.8 HIP 31072 at -35.3°. But there was an image on here a while ago taken I believe at Dunmore on the Waterford coast, and it showed Shaula in Scorpio at -37.1°. I hadn't known before that this star was visible from Ireland.

Finbarr. 

And here is that image ! I took this in 2006 back at home on the Waterford coast on a very clear summer night, it still remember it as it was the very first time i saw both 'Shaula' and 'Lesath', the 'Cat's eyes' at -37d 06' and -37d 18' , magnitudes 1.6 and 2.7 respectively. I viewed them with my 15x70mm binoculars, and have caught them just twice more since. It was quite a surprise ! Lucky to see them.

You brought back a great memory there Paul, to see these two you really need to be no further north from Wexford across to north Kerry I would imagine, even then you need a complete flat southern horizon and really clear skies. And then there's our weather. Keep at it, see how low you can go

This image is of Starcluster's M6 and M7, the cat's eyes are bottom right, just over sea on the horizon. 
Keith.

Great image, Keith.  It was always said that M6 and M7 were not visible from Ireland, I guess they were wrong.
I must take a trip to the Wexford coast some time.  I have looked south from Ballinskelligs at the star party, being mid to late August, Scorpius is always sinking to the west when it gets dark.
It's a whole new world in the southern skies.

Paul

Now is the time of year Paul, May and June are best, pity we still can't travel too much around as yet. 

I found another shot to prove it once more, taken in June 2013 under much hazier skies, 30 second exposure, a crop of a wider view, but still visible
Keith..

That is indeed a superb image Keith.

I can remember seeing M7 from Co. Cork many years ago in my binos. It was probably around mid-July, and was just a small fuzzy blob. We were at one of those holiday camp places, can't remember exactly where or what it was called, but there was a green alligator running around amusing the kids. Well, my daughter enjoyed herself anyway.

It's the only time I have seen M7 from Ireland. As Paul says, by the time we get to Kerry in August, it has already set.