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(IAAC) Obj: NGC 1981 - Inst: 16x70 binoculars on tripod
Observer: Lew Gramer
Your skills: Intermediate (some years)
Date/time of observation: 9/10 Feb 1999 04:00 UT
Location of site: MIT Haystack Obs., Westford, MA, USA (Lat 43N, Elev 30m)
Site classification: Exurban
Sky darkness: 6.6 <Limiting magnitude>
Seeing: 4 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Moon presence: None - moon not in sky
Instrument: 16x70 binoculars on Virgo mount and tripod
Magnification: 16x
Filter(s): None.
Object(s): NGC 1981
Object category: Open Cluster.
Object class: III 2 p n/III 3 p
Constellation: Ori
Object data: mag 4.6 6.26m* size 25'
Position: 0535.2-0425
Description:
Thanks to Steve Clougherty for the use of his fine binoculars as
we were setting up the ATMs of Boston's 17.5" Club scope tonight!
This "fourth star" in the Sword of mighty Orion was visible as a
pretty trio of three brighter mag 6-7 stars, with a lonely fourth
star about mag 7.5 to the E, and further fainter stars mag 8 or so
clustered particular to the W. Suffusing this very loose grouping
at mag 8 were perhaps 10 other stars, all mag 10 or fainter. This
"Hilt" cluster stands out nicely in high power binoculars, albeit
it is thoroughly dominated in the field by M42 and M43 to the S.
--
Object data thanks to dObjects: http://www.eaglequest.com/~bondono/dObjects
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