Andrew Cooper
Nov 19, 2023    Waikoloa, HI (map)
20cm f/6 Newtonian, Cave Astrola @ 76x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

A delightful field rich in bright stars fills the view, the cluster is bright and obvious, visible in the 50mm finder, visible to the unaided eye, around two dozen 5th to 8th magnitude stars highlight a rich assemblage that includes a full range of magnitudes, the obvious 18" double HD 60997 / HD 60998 at the center, the 5th magnitude V378 Pup in the western quadrant, the rich cluster M46 visible 1° east-southeast, the smaller clsuter NGC 2423 visible 40' north, the clusters and bright stars are embedded in a rich galactic starfield making this one of the most lovely regions in the entire sky

Andrew Cooper
Mar 30, 2002    Sycamore House, Tucson, AZ (map)
20cm f/10 SCT

Big! Bright! somewhat sparse, about 20 brighter stars dominate a population of dimmer members, fills the field at low power, nice double star near the center, tight matched blue-white pair, easily visible in the finder

Andrew Cooper
Apr 16, 1999    Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ (map)
20cm f/10 SCT

About a dozen bright stars in the middle of a thick field of the Milky Way, how many of the dimmer stars are in the cluster?!? Nice double (binary?) at the center of the cluster [Sigma 1121 mags 7.9/7.4].

Rev. T.W. Webb
May 19, 1885    Hardwick, Herefordshire, England (map)
94mm f/18 Tully Achromat

Grand broad group, visible to the naked eye, too large even for 64; some brilliant 5 or 6 mg. stars, including Σ1121, which see supra. About 2½° f is a group round 4, 5mg. A fiery 5 mg. leads the region.

― Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, T. W. Webb, 1917

Captain William Henry Smyth
Mar 18, 1834    No. 6 The Crescent, Bedford, England (map)
150mm f/17.6 refractor by Tully 1827

A double star [HD 60997/Σ 1121] in a loose cluster of the Milky Way, over the Argo's stern; and one of those seized by Bode to make his Officina Typographica. A 7½, and B 8, both bright bluish white. It inhabits a very splendid field of large and small stars, disposed somewhat in a lozenge-shape, and preceded by a 7th magnitude with a companion about 20" nf it. The cluster was not registered till 1785, but the double star is 63 ♅. II., the former measures of which are:

    H. Pos. 300° 12'  Dist. 6".50  Ep. 1782.78
    S       303° 20'        7".44      1825.02
    Σ.      304° 44'        7".46      1831.44
   [WDS     305°            7".40      2019   ]

To fish this object up, run a line about 12° east-by-north from Sirius, and intersect it by another from Pollux through Procyon, and continued 20° lower down. It is in a very rich vicinity.

― A Cycle of Celestial Objects Vol II, The Bedford Catalogue, William Henry Smyth, 1844

William Herschel
Feb 4, 1785    19 New King Street, Bath (map)

A cluster of pretty compressed large and small stars. Round. Above 15' diameter.

Charles Messier
Feb 19, 1771    

Cluster of stars, little distant from the preceding [M46]; the stars are greater; the middle of the cluster was compared with the same star, 2 Navis. The cluster contains no nebulosity.

― Connaissance des Temps, 1781

Drawings, descriptions, and CCD photos are copyright Andrew Cooper unless otherwise noted, no usage without permission.

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