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| Messier/type: | M48 / open cluster |
| mag/dia/dist: | 5.8 / 30' / 2,000 ly |
| constellation: | Hydra |
| date/time/place: | Jan 22, 01 / 01:30 / bangkok |
| trans'y/seeing/l-poll: | low / fair / medium |
| telescope: | newtonian 4.5" f8.8 |
| eyepieces/power: | 25mm / 40x |
| sky atlas page: | 12 |
Start hopping from Procyon in Canis minor, hop to star 13 and stars 28, 29, & 27
in Monoceros. Use stars 29 & 27 as a base line of an imaginary right triangle,
M48 locates at the top quite far from base stars (and angle is slightly more than 90 degree).
It quite difficult to locate M48 at center of finder scope according to far indicator stars
and couldn't see in finder scope, I scanned telescope to find M48 by using stars 27 & 29
as base line. After lost in space for many times, I got it. M48 appeared as
small cluster, 18 bright stars could be observed, non-resolvable stars look like
nebulosity in background.
Refer to text: 80 stars detached, strong concentration, max mag8.2,
extend 22 ly, age 300 million years.
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