Observation by David Davies: M79

Uploaded by

David Davies

Observer

David Davies

Observed

2022 Dec 14 - 23:00

Uploaded

2023 Jan 12 - 19:56

Objects

M79

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Constellation

Lepus

Field centre

RA: 05^h24^m
Dec: -24°31'
Position angle: -4°02'

Field size

0°25' × 0°19'

Equipment

10" Ritchey-Chretien telescope
QSI 683 camera
EQ8 mount

Exposure

10 x 2-minutes RGB binned 2 x 2

Location

Cambridge, UK

Target name

M79

Title

M79

About this image

M79 is the last of the Messier globular clusters on my list of Messier objects visible from my location. I was working on another project when I realised that M79 might be visible. Sure enough, it had just risen above the my local treeline and was visible for just an hour before it reached the meridian when my telescope could not see it following a meridian flip. At maximum elevation, M79 reaches just 13 deg from my location, so it is a challenging object to image with poor seeing, atmospheric dispersion and the odd cloud.

I used the QSI camera with separate RGB images to minimise the effect of atmospheric dispersion. Using the latest software: APP, BlurXterminator and the Gaia spectroscopic colour calibration has made the best of a poor dataset.

Files associated with this observation

M79_B_2x2.jpg (694.8 kB)

Like this image

Alan Thomas, Callum Potter, Dr Paul Leyland, Graham Winstanley

Comments

Dr Paul Leyland, 2023 Jan 16 - 01:12 UTC

Congratulations on completing the Messier list.

Have you thought about finding non-Messier globular clusters? Although most are towards the galactic centre and so low down in the summer sky for the UK, a good number are readily observable. Come to that, a fair few of M31's globulars are achievable with your equipment.

David Davies

David Davies, 2023 Jan 19 - 15:50 UTC

Yes, indeed, Paul. Thanks for the suggestion.

I have the Webb Deep-Sky Society book on globular clusters but have not yet begun to address it as a serious project. It is something I should give more thought to.

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