NGC 6583 -- Open Cluster in Sagittarius
NGC 6583 -- Smaller Than Advertised
I did not notice Open Cluster, NGC 6583, at first, at low power with my 110mm refractor.
It is reported that in small telescopes this little cluster only appears as a mottled glow.
But I was surprised by how little it really was. The literature states that it is between 3.5
to 5.0 arcminutes in size, but I found it appearing much smaller – my guess is that it
was 2.5 arcminutes (or smaller). It is true that I might not be seeing the outer stars that
make up the cluster, but usually, with Open Clusters, the stated size pretty much
corresponds to what I see in the telescope – not so for this cluster.
Once found, the 35+ stars that make up the cluster were manifested as a faint mottled
glow with its brighter members fading in-and-out of view. In astronomy, as in many
other things, smaller is not always bad.
It is reported that in small telescopes this little cluster only appears as a mottled glow.
But I was surprised by how little it really was. The literature states that it is between 3.5
to 5.0 arcminutes in size, but I found it appearing much smaller – my guess is that it
was 2.5 arcminutes (or smaller). It is true that I might not be seeing the outer stars that
make up the cluster, but usually, with Open Clusters, the stated size pretty much
corresponds to what I see in the telescope – not so for this cluster.
Once found, the 35+ stars that make up the cluster were manifested as a faint mottled
glow with its brighter members fading in-and-out of view. In astronomy, as in many
other things, smaller is not always bad.