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(IAAC) Object: M56 Instrument: 16" Dob LM: approx. 4.7
Observer: Todd Gross
Your skill: Intermediate
Date and UT of observation: 6/11/97 0740 GMT
Location & latitude: 22 miles west of Boston, Ma. 42.3N
Site classification: Suburban
Limiting magnitude (visual): 4.7 (estimated), 4.7 (est) in vicinity of object
Seeing (1 to 5 - best to worst): 3
Moon up (phase?): No
Instrument: f/4.59 16" Dob, f.l. 1839mm, excellent optics,
96% QSP coating, 3.1" dialectric 99 % secondary
Magnifications: 123x, 263x, 167x (binoviewer)
Filters used: none
Object: M56
Constellation: Lyra
Object data: Globular Cluster
RA/DE:
Description: M56 was a globular which I had little luck with earlier in the
season while lower
in the sky, and while the sky was partially moonlit. At this time, however,
I was able to achieve
significant resolution, despite slight twilight, and a somewhat hazy sky.
M56 appears to be much smaller than some of the other "summer" globulars
such as M13, M96,
M22, M10, M12, M4, etc. However, with at least somewhat steady skies,
boosting the magnification
on this larger scope, brought out a similar "look" to what some of the
larger, brighter, globulars look like
in smaller scopes.
Individual stars were seen overlaying a fairly tightly packed, and not
terribly bright central area, including the core. Since the nebula was not
fully resolved, I could not really say that the core was much tighter than
the rest of the central portion of the globular.
Much of this nebula was on the "verge" of resolving, and did so best with
averted vision...really bringing
out the brightness of the center, and causing stars to flicker in and out of
recognition.
This is similar to what M13 would look like in a 6" scope. Of special
note... I did recently view M14, and
M56 was noticeably more resolved.