Observing Notesfrom the Tuckahoe IrregularsHere is my "Kent's Picks" report from the weekend. All on my 8" Dob. NGC 6781 - No problem finding it whatsoever out at TSP Saturday night. I could vaguely see the Pacman shape. I looked again from my yard last night and had considerably more difficulty in locating it. I did however eventually find it but needed the narrow band filter to bring it out. Almost no detail from the yard. NGC 6572 - It looked emerald green to me up to 120X. I thought it then took on a more blueish tint at 240X. I liked this one. NGC 6309 - Couldn't figure out which "star" it was. Apparently I'm going to have to make a FOV detailed chart to find it. On a personal note: I completed the Messier catalog on Saturday night (11 months) and I also, without a shadow of a doubt, saw Pluto for the first time. The conditions were great Saturday night at TSP for everyone who missed it. Mark |