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NGC 6025
Mel 139, Cr 296, Rb 108
RA 16:03:16
Dec -60°25.9'
Open
cluster |
This cluster was discovered by Lacaille and
included in his 1755 catalogue as Class III No. 10. In his half-an-inch 8x
telescope he saw it as "three faint stars in line in nebulosity."
Dunlop 304: he recorded it on 5 occasions,
describing it as "(Lambda Circini) Lacaille describes this as three small
stars in a line with nebula. No particular nebula exists in this place. A group
of about twenty stars of mixt magnitudes, forming an irregular figure, about 5'
or 6' long, answer to the place of the Lambda. This is in the milky way; and
there is no nebula in the group of stars except what is common in the
neighbourhood."
h: "large, brilliant cluster VII class;
fills field, not rich, stars 8, 9, 10, 11th mag, with smaller. Chief star 8th
mag taken, in the southern part of cluster." On a second occassion he
called it "VII.; loose; scattered;brilliant; stars large; much more than
fills field; 46 stars counted above 12th mag; chief star 7th mag taken."
His third observation was recorded as "Chief star 8th mag of a coarse, pL,
cluster of stars, 8..11th mag, which fills the field." The final record
reads: "Chief star 7th mag of a large, oblong, bright scattered cluster,
stars 7..10th mag."
11x80: Very bright, much
elongated cluster (1:5 ratio), showing as a narrow spray or wedge of stars. An
almost equal double star lies in the south-eastern tip, the cluster being
oriented South-east to North-west [earlier comments in error?]. Crossing this
elongated section, running north-south, is a row of fine stars. Besides the 8th
mag double, about 12 stars seen, the rest form a mottled glow. This bright, well
populated cluster, responds well to averted vision. [AS]
6-inch f/8.6 Newtonian: The
6-inch shows about fifteen 9th mag and a few fainter stars, lying in an
irregular Z-shaped chain extended north-south. The cluster is bright, vL, with
an estimated Trumpler class of III 2 m. It is nicely shown at 108x. The southern
end of the Z shape ends in a pair of bright stars and is somewhat isolated from
the rest of the group, so that the cluster could be described as being V-shaped
pointing to the north-east with a few stars (of which two are bright) in the
south. The brightest star in the cluster is one of the southern two. In all,
about 33 stars are counted in this quite brilliant grouping. (suburban skies) [AS] |
