Skydome Observers' Group

Skydome Observers' Group Meeting Report - 9 July 2008 Planets Moon - Day 6 We identified the 'dumbell' set of two craters on the western side of Mare Nectaris. Jupiter - great red spot (GRS) While lowish in the sky in the early evening, we clearly saw banding, the Great Red Spot which was on the back at the last session, and the four moons. NGC 6231 (C76) Open Cluster- named by Deborah as the 'Salamander'. We looked at this cluster in the telescope, then found through binoculars that even more (a salamander) was revealed. In the image the salamander appears with two eyes on the left, the 'heart' which is the open cluster listed above, and limbs and tails extending out. This is opposite orientation to what was seen through binoculars. NGC 6231 has been one of the discoveries of Giovanni Batista Hodierna, published in his 1654 catalog in Palermo, but forgotten until its rediscovery in the early 1980s. It was independently rediscovered by Edmond Halley in 1678, by Philippe Loys De Cheseaux 1745-46, and by Abbe Lacaille in 1751-52. Read more here. More info and photo here from the Panther Observatory. We also looked at a number of nebulae and open clusters such as the Trifid Nebulae, Lagoon Nebula, and Butterfly cluster. Observing update next 2 months: There will be no viewing in August...however, we will have an extra session next week from 24th of July. Call at 6.30pm for a decision with observing starting no earlier than 7.30pm. Please don't hesitate to call, I have an answering machine to take the calls so there is no disturbance (unless it is after 10pm at night!). Thursday 24th of July FCN Wednesday 24th of September