Some PNs and a few globulars....

Most of these are from last new moon as I got clouded out after a single target night before last, but at least that sketch made me finally get the scanner out.

NGC6572 Blue Racquetball 9/3/2011 21:45 UT; Pickering 8, NELM 6, SQM 20.8
406mm Mak-Cass @ 625X

Blue/gray ball at 150X; reasonably sharp edges, but weak colour. Edges fuzzier at 335X, with a very slight elongation on the N-S axis. Elongation turns egg-shaped at 450X (smaller end to S), with a haze around the planetary.

600X gives better definition to the haze, which now appears to be an outer shell increasing the size of the PN by about 50%. Bright enough for UHC at 600X, but all it does is blur the inner and outer shells together.

NGC6535 9/3/2011 22:06 UT; Pickering 8, NELM 6, SQM 20.8
406mm Mak-Cass @ 350X

5 stars resolved at 150X, with a hazy background (much dimmer than the milky background of a Messier or bright NGC globular). 3 more stars at 335X, where the haze has turned very lumpy, with an arc to the core side of the eastern-most stars and another brighter clump near the pair of western-most stars. Overall, not very uniform or circular. Same stars resolved at 450X, but background haze starting to wash out.

NGC6765 9/3/2011 22:45 UT; Pickering 8, NELM 6, SQM 20.8
406mm Mak-Cass @ 250X, UHC

Fairly subtle at 150X unfiltered (although still direct-vision). Looks like a moderately spaced double star way out of focus. Strong response to UHC and OIII, although at the expense of some of the bi-polarity.

Bi-polar nature back at 235X, even with OIII. NNE end considerably brighter than SSW. UHC delivers slightly better view than OIII which is a hair too dark at this exit pupil.

335X overpowers even UHC; view nice unfiltered but not quite as well-defined as 235X with UHC.

M56 NGC6779 9/3/2011 23:16 UT; Pickering 8, NELM 6, SQM 20.8
406mm Mak-Cass @ 250X, UHC

Small globular in a very rich field. Perhaps 25 members resolved over a circular, milky glow. Nice arc of stars to the NW which almost looks like a hanger for the globular.

And, from two nights ago:

NGC6894 9/28/2011 21:01 UT; Pickering 7, NELM 5.5, SQM 20.5
406mm Mak-Cass @ 350X

Much easier to catch in averted, but visible in direct once you know where to look. Vague minima to center at 150X unfiltered, which occasionally pops into a ring shape. UHC offers a slight improvement with ring apparent perhaps 50% of the time in averted, and minima to center occasionally in direct.

235X unfiltered similar to UHC at 150X. 335X (unfiltered) somewhat more difficult, but shows fleeting glimpses of involved stars or tight clumping to NW and SW. Very slight elongation along NNE-SSW axis.

Cheers,
Jeff.

nice work jeff, i particularly like the M56 one.
stephen.

Very good as always Jeff.
BTW, saw your sketch in Astronomy Now.
Looked very well.
Sketches can often come out quite dim in magazines, but your one looked very good.

Michael.

Thanks, guys!

I've always had pretty good luck with Astronomy Now; even a sketch of Stephan's Quintet they published several years ago (which could easily have suffered from being too dim) came out quite well.

Cheers,
Jeff.