So far as hypotheses are concerned, let no one expect anything certain from astronomy, which cannot furnish it, lest he accept as the truth ideas conceived for another purpose, and depart from this study a greater fool than when he entered it.
/ Nicolaus Copernicus /



In memoriam Halton C. Arp (1927-2013).


My astronomy sketches. Hover mouse over image for the inverted look. For fainter objects, take a look at the black-on-white original, sometimes it reveals more details.


Need advice? Want to discuss an observation? Feel free to contact me at flovro gmail*com.

ÚJ! Amennyiben elérhetġ, a ikonra kattintva magyarul is olvashatod az észlelést.


Show me the newest sketches!
By type: open clusters [67] globular clusters [14] diffuse nebulae [3] dark nebulae [0] planetary nebulae [27] variable stars [18] binary stars [23] asterisms [2] galaxies [119] quasars [1] planets [2] minor planets [1] comets [5] Sun [0] Moon [5] other objects [8]
By catalogue: Messier 1-50 [20] Messier 51-110 [18] NGC 1-1000 [17] NGC 1001-2000 [21] NGC 2001-3000 [32] NGC 3001-4000 [25] NGC 4001-5000 [18] NGC 5001-6000 [22] NGC 6001-7000 [40] NGC 7001-7840 [35] IC 1-5386 [1] other catalogues [71] uncataloged [10] [25]
By constellation:



M3 (Globular cluster)
Also known as: NGC 5272
Right ascension: 13h 43m Declination: 28° 20'
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Date/time: 2009.04.25 21:30 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 31' Magnification and filter(s): 100x
Seeing: 4/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

A very bright globular cluster with a very high number of separated star members. It's core brightens up very quickly. An interesting feature is a small bright stripe, built up by stars that cannot be separated with the eye. The background is grainy even far away from the core, and it is obvious that many of the bright field stars belong to the cluster gravitationally.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

M10 (Globular cluster)
Also known as: NGC 6254
Right ascension: 16h 57m Declination: -4° 6'
Constellation: Ophiuchus
Date/time: 2008.05.27 23:00 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 50' Magnification and filter(s): 71x
Seeing: 5/10 Transparency: 5/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

A large, bright globular cluster in the Ophiuchus, only 3 degrees away from M12, therefore on an ideal night, this two together may be an interesting object for binocular-owners. Splits fine to its stars, which look quite the same, with matching brightness and spectra, with a bit brighter membere here and there. Because of this homogeneousity, it reminds me on M13, although it's smaller and fainter. Towards East I've noticed two brighter arms leaving the core area, resembling the tongue of a snake.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

M12 (Globular cluster)
Also known as: NGC 6218
Right ascension: 16h 47m Declination: -1° 57'
Constellation: Ophiuchus
Date/time: 2008.05.27 22:00 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 52' Magnification and filter(s): 71x
Seeing: 5/10 Transparency: 5/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

M10 and M12 of the constellation Ophiuchus are a pair of globulars nearly identical by size and luminosity. The latter is the brigher and less homogeneous: a globular that splits greatly, consisting many exceedingly bright members, which make it look more interesting than M10. It looks a little bit oval, elongated in the E-W directions. Its visible size is smaller than that of the M10, but both of them are easy targets, that can be noticed even in the 8x50 finderscope.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

M13 (Globular cluster)
Also known as: NGC 6205
Right ascension: 16h 42m Declination: 36° 28'
Constellation: Hercules
Date/time: 2008.05.29 22:30 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 55' Magnification and filter(s): 71x
Seeing: 5/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

The famous globular cluster of the Hercules constellation, perhaps the most represented globular in the press by far. A very easy object for any type and size of telescope, with a large diameter and high surface brightness. Even its position is easy, and especially nowadays it's again greatly visible on the late evening sky (on the Northern hemisphere at least). Splits fine even with small scopes, but reveals its real face with larger aperture: a globular full of separated, lone, bright stars. Behaves well on high magnification, I've increased powers upto 250x, and it kept revealing more and more of its members. For the first look, I've noticed that it looks a bit like a huge turtle, swimming from West to East, with the globular as its shell, and four star-paths as its legs.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

M53 (Globular cluster)
Also known as: NGC 5024
Right ascension: 13h 13m Declination: 18° 10'
Constellation: Coma Berenices
Date/time: 2008.03.31 21:00 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 20' Magnification and filter(s): 167x
Seeing: 6/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

This globular cluster is really breathtaking. More than a dozen of stars can be separated also with direct vision. By using averted vision, this number jumps to several dozens. It is not really getting denser towards the centre, although what we see is actually the core already: the real diametre of the cluster is actually 21', yet the half of its gross weight stays inside a circle of 1.1'.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

M92 (Globular cluster)
Also known as: NGC 6341
Right ascension: 17h 17m Declination: 43° 8'
Constellation: Hercules
Date/time: 2008.05.29 21:30 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 50' Magnification and filter(s): 71x
Seeing: 5/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

A rather neglected globular in Hercules. I wonder why it is treated like this compared to M13, as it is very bright and spectacular, although its visible diameter is only about half of the more famous companion. Its core area even looks brighter than that of the M13, it looks less homogeneous. It behaves fine at higher powers, at 167x it looks perfectly split.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

NGC 5466 (Globular cluster)
Right ascension: 14h 6m Declination: 28° 29'
Constellation: Boötes
Date/time: 2009.04.25 21:00 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 34' Magnification and filter(s): 100x
Seeing: 4/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

This globular cluster is located in the constellation Boötes. It's quite bright with large apparent size (I estimate a diametre of about 8'), however unfortunately it has a more spectacular neighbour, the M3 that draws attention away, although the two have similar size. About a dozen of its stars can be separated easily with direct vision, and the whole surface is very grainy with a lightly brightening core.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

NGC 6229 (Globular cluster)
Right ascension: 16h 47m Declination: 47° 32'
Constellation: Hercules
Date/time: 2008.05.29 23:00 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 19' Magnification and filter(s): 167x
Seeing: 5/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

A less known globular in the constellation Hercules, a quite faint object. It doesn't split even at higher magnifications, I cannot discover a single separated star in it. If I didn't know what I'm looking at, I'd think that this may be a face-on galaxy. No wonder even Herscher catalogued this object as a planetary nebula. This would be a great challenge for amateur astronomers with smaller scopes.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

NGC 6517 (Globular cluster)
Right ascension: 18h 02m Declination: -8° 58'
Constellation: Ophiuchus
Date/time: 2009.06.18 22:00 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 16' Magnification and filter(s): 250x
Seeing: 7/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

A very dim, faint globular cluster that seems to be elongated in the N-S direction. Its core brightens softly, but it refuses to split up into stars even with averted vision and it also fails to respond to increasing magnifications. The object sits in the middle of some brighter stars that form a giant V-letter, pointing to the West.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

NGC 6535 (Globular cluster)
Right ascension: 18h 04m Declination: -0° 18'
Constellation: Serpens
Date/time: 2009.06.18 21:30 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 16' Magnification and filter(s): 250x
Seeing: 7/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

Tiny, faint globular cluster with four clearly separated stars on its Western side. However, I'm not sure whether they really do belong to the cluster, or they are just plain foreground stars. With averted vision several other stars can be resolved at its slightly brighter core: two of them can be seen clearly with this technique, while some others pop up here and then when the atmosphere calms down for some moments. The core, just like the globular itself is not really sphere-like, but rather looks a little bit like an onion, with the thinner part looking to the East.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

NGC 6539 (Globular cluster)
Right ascension: 18h 05m Declination: -7° 35'
Constellation: Ophiuchus
Date/time: 2009.06.18 22:30 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 22' Magnification and filter(s): 167x
Seeing: 7/10 Transparency: 4/5
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

Perfectly symmetrical, sphere-like globular cluster. Cannot resolve it at all. It's a bit fainter than the nearby NGC 6517, yet it's fairly larger than that. It's located in a field that's very sparsely populated by stars, this makes finding and following it a real adventure.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

NGC 6760 (Globular cluster)
Right ascension: 19h 12m Declination: 1° 3'
Constellation: Aquila
Date/time: 2009.07.25 23:45 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 19' Magnification and filter(s): 167x
Seeing: 7/10 Transparency: 3/5
Location: Jászszentlászló, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

Faint, diffuse globular cluster with a perfect circular shape and a core that's getting brighter only very gently. For me it was not resolveable, although it shows a faint star on its southern side, that may be a part of the cluster. Unfortunately the Jászszentlászló sky that was excellent this far was now ruined by the quickly increasing humidity in the air. Fortunately meanwhile this happened, the seeing got much better, so it made me a little happier on this almost Winter-like night. SQM reading: 21.20 m/arcsec^2, 9°C.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

NGC 6934 (Globular cluster)
Right ascension: 20h 35m Declination: 7° 26'
Constellation: Delphinus
Date/time: 2009.07.25 21:00 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 18' Magnification and filter(s): 250x
Seeing: 5/10 Transparency: 5/5
Location: Jászszentlászló, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

Tiny yet bright globular, resolves unexpectedly easily. Especially on its edge, many stars can be separated clearly. It has a shiny core, that is - just like the entire cluster itself - looks a bit elongated on the N-S axis. SQM reading: 21.14 m/arcsec^2, 17°C.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]

NGC 2419 (Globular cluster)
Also known as: Intergalactic Tramp, Intergalactic Wanderer
Right ascension: 7h 39m Declination: 38° 51'
Constellation: Lynx
Date/time: 2013.02.07 19:15 UT
Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
FoV: 25' Magnification and filter(s): 167x
Seeing: 5/10 Transparency: 4/5
SQM: 20.88 m/as2 Temperature: -3°C
Humidity: dry Wind: gusts
Sight: 2 - minor details, somewhat interesting
Difficulty: 3 - moderately visible, dark adaptation needed, averted vision might add to details
Position: 4 - hard, complex starhopping needed
Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
Observer: Ferenc Lovró
Description:

Perfectly circular shaped globular cluster with gradually brighter core. Can't resolve to separate stars, although there are many faint stars just around it - one of them on the East is actually located on the surface of the GC. I'm not sure whether these faint stars are actual members of the cluster, or simply foreground stars. The Intergalactic Tramp (or more recently called Wanderer, because the word Tramp was a bit politically incorrect) is one of the farthest globular clusters, once believed to be in the intergalactic space, but recent studies prove that it's actually physically linked to the Milky Way.


Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]
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