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(IAAC) OBJ: M71 (globular) INST: 18" Newt. fl=1925 LM=4.7




Observer: Todd Gross
Your skill: Intermediate - Many years
Date and UT of observation: 5/13/99 08:05 GMT
Location & latitude: 22 mi. West of Boston, Ma. 42.3N
Site classification: Suburban
Limiting magnitude (visual): approx. 5.0 zenith, 5.0 vicinity object
Seeing (1 to 10 - worst-best): 6
Moon up (phase?): No 
Weather: Crystal Clear, twilight underway
Instrument: 18" f/4.2 fl=1925mm Newt 
Magnifications: Various, mainly 202x
Filters used: none
Object: M71
Constellation: Sge
Object data: Globular cluster
Size(s): 7.2
Position: 
Magnitude: 8.1
Personal "rating" (at this aperture, and sky condition): B+

Even with twilight just beginning, M71 shows it's stuff at this 
aperture. Looking very much like the bigger, brighter M11 Wild Duck
Cluster, this "V" shape of stars can easily be argued to be a dense
open cluster. Unlike M56 which is about the same size and brightness..
even though this appears even richer in appearance in it's packed 
core (which doesn't look that impressive at my site in smaller aperture 
by the way), M71 is without the tell-tale arms of a typical globular.
It's stars are fairly uniform in brightness, much resolved, but still 
not completely, and again, they just suddenly stop, rather than 
"trail-off". Looks kinda like a globular, kinda like an open 
cluster, not sure what to say about that!

thanks! 
-Todd

Boston Meteorologist Todd Gross
toddg@weatherman.com
http://www.weatherman.com
(617)725-0777


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