Southwest Central

SW Central Chart

LH OB Associations: LH 7, 28, 29

NGC Objects: 1754, 1766, 1775, 1789, 1793, 1795, 1801, 1809, 1848, 1861, 1878, 1890, 1914, 1944, 2000, 2025

Southwest Central

The Bar:

The Bar

Supergiant Shells:

LMC 7

LMC 8

LMC 9

Steve Gottlieb's observations

SL 66 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 51 56.1 Dec -70 23 25 Mag 13.5 Size 1.2′ x 1.0′

16″ at 228x: SL 66 appears fairly bright, round, ~30″ in diameter, and brightening to the centre. No stars are resolved. Mag 10.4 HD 268767 lies 3.3′ ESE.

SL 66

NGC 1754 (Ancient Globular Cluster)

RA 04 54 18.1 Dec -70 26 32 Mag 11.6 Size 1.6′ Age 10 billion years

16″ at 228x: This ancient globular cluster appears fairly bright, round, 40″ in diameter, an even glow surrounded by a thin halo. A couple of mag 15.5-16 stars are resolved at the edge of its halo. Mag 11.2 HD 268813 lies just off its SE edge, 33″ from centre.

NGC 1754

HS 59 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 54 38.6 Dec -70 12 45 Mag – Size 1.1′ x 0.9′

16″ at 228x: Locating this extremely small and dim little cluster is aided by a handy couple of mag 10 stars, oriented N-S, with the northernmost star, HD 268824, lying 4.7′ SE of the little cluster. HS 59 is nested up on the northeast side of a ~mag 14 star, and averted vision gave the best observation, showing an extremely faint and small round smudge. It forms a dim pair with HS 64 which lies 3.2′ NE.

HS 59

SL 95 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 54 41.6 Dec -71 15 22 Mag – Size 1.2′

16″ at 228x: SL 95 appears as a very faint, round glow, ~20″ in diameter, brightening somewhat to the centre.

SL 95

SL 100 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 54 45.8 Dec -70 22 54 Mag – Size 1.1′ x 1.0′

16″ at 228x: SL 100 appears faint, round, 20″ in diameter. Mag 10.1 HD 268805 lies 3′ WNW and a very close mag 13.2/13.7 pair of stars lie 1.4′ NNW, with a third, mag 12.7 star, lying a mere 15″ E of the pair.

SL 100

SL 103 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 54 54.4 Dec -71 23 28 Mag – Size: 1.0′

16″ at 228x: Lying 3.7′ NW of LH 7, this cluster appears very faint, round, 15″ in diameter.

SL 103

HS 64 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 55 13.4 Dec -70 11 34 Mag – Size 0.7′ x 0.6′

16″ at 228x: HS 64 appears extremely faint, round, ~15″ in diameter. It forms a small, dim pair with HS 59 which lies 3.2′ SW.

HS 64

LH 7 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 55 42 Dec: -71 25 00 Mag – Size: 4′

16″ at 228x: This charming little association appears as a rich oval glow of unresolved stars, 2′ in size, elongated E-W, speckled with a few small, resolved stars, and set in a pretty field of stars. SL 111 and BRHT 25b are a binary cluster, and they form a triangle with mag 12 HD 268881 that lies 1.4′ S. SL 111 is faint, irregular, ~20″ in diameter. BRHT 25b is small and fainter – a round droplet of pale light. No stars are resolved in either.

LH 7

NGC 1766 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 55 57.7 Dec -70 13 31 Mag 12.2 Size 0.7′

16″ at 228x: NGC 1766 appears as a pretty bright, irregular glow, 30″ in diameter. It is very grainy and two mag 14 star are resolved in the glow. Mag 10 HD 268824 lies 2.7′ SW, and mag 9.5 HD 32229 lies 4.7 SSW.

NGC 1766

NGC 1775 + BRHT 2b (BinaryCluster)

NGC 1775: RA 04 56 53.4 Dec -70 25 47 Mag 12.6 Size 0.7′ Sep 0.25′ PA 42°

BRHT 2b: RA 04 56 55.5 Dec -70 25 35 Size 0.22′

16″ at 228x: NGC 1775 appears as a fairly bright, slightly grainy glow, elongated ~E-W, 30″ in diameter. No stars are resolved. A mag 14 star lies 0.9′ NW. BRHT 2b is attached to NGC 1775’s NE end, but it is impossible to separate it.

NGC 1775 + BRHT 2b

SL 136 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 57 30.2 Dec -69 03 05 Mag – Size 1.2′

16″ at 228x: SL 136 appears as a very faint and diffuse, round haze, 30″ in diameter. Mag 9.5 HD 32439 lies 3.2′ NNE.

SL 136

ESO 33-3 (Background Galaxy)

RA 04 57 47.3 Dec -73 13 50 Mag 12.9 Size – SB – PA –

16″ at 228x: This background galaxy appears as a fairly faint, very slightly off-round glow, ~20″ in diameter. It lies in a barren region; its brightest neighbour being mag 6.3 HD 33875 which lies 38.3′ NE.

ESO 33-3

NGC 1789 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 57 51.5 Dec -71 54 08 Mag 13.1 Size 1.5′

16″ at 228x: NGC 1789 appears as a relatively bright, round, hazy glow ~40″ in diameter, with no stars resolved.

NGC 1789

SL 146 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 58 19.9 Dec -70 04 48 Mag – Size 1.2′ x 0.9′

16″ at 228x: SL 146 appears as an extremely faint, small, diffuse glow. Mag 8.7 HD 32571 lies 4.3′ SSW.

SL 146

SL 151 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 58 50.7 Dec -69 57 29 Mag 13.3 Size 1.3′ x 1.2′

16″ at 228x: SL 151 appears as a faint, round, hazy glow, ~25″ in diameter, no stars resolved.

SL 151

SL 164 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 59 24.9 Dec -71 33 23 Mag 13.5 Size 1.2′

16″ at 228x: SL 164 appears as a fairly faint glow, ~22′ in diameter, with a tiny, brightish core.

SL 164

NGC 1793 (Open Cluster)

RA 04 59 38 Dec -69 33 30 Mag 12.4 Size 1.3′

16″ at 228x: Lying just 9′ or so off the eastern shores of the remarkable star cloud, LH 8, this cluster appears fairly faint, round, 35″ in diameter, with a smooth and even glow; no stars resolved. It forms a pair with the larger and brighter NGC 1801 lying 6′ SE.

NGC 1793

NGC 1795 (Young Globular Cluster)

RA 04 59 46.9 Dec -69 48 08 Mag 12.4 Size 1.6′ Age –

16″ at 228x: This young globular cluster appears fairly bright, 50″ in diameter, a smooth glow throughout. No stars are resolved. Mag 10.5 HD 268900 lies 2.9′ WSW.

NGC 1795

NGC 1801 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 00 34.6 Dec -69 36 50 Mag 12.2 Size 2.2′

16″ at 228x: NGC 1801 appears moderately bright, round, 1′ in diameter, with a smooth and even glow throughout. No stars are resolved. It forms a pair with NGC 1793 which lies 6′ NW. And most extraordinary of all is NGC 1809, which lies 8.4′ NE – it is a very noticeable background galaxy that is shining through this rich part of the Cloud!

NGC 1801

NGC 1809 (Background Galaxy)

RA 05 02 05.3 Dec -69 34 06 Mag 12.1 Size 3.2′ x 0.8′ SB 12.7′ PA 143°

16″ at 228x: I think it is one of the most unusual line of sight effects to see a galaxy shining through another galaxy, never mind through a rich region of the foreground galaxy! NGC 1809 appears large, pretty faint, ~2′ x 50″, elongated NW-SE. No visible core, simply a soft, diffuse glow whose edges fade away gently into the surrounding sky.

NGC 1809

R71 (Luminous Blue Variable)

RA 05 02 07.3 Dec -71 20 13 Mag 10.55

16″ at 228x: A bright little spark nestled up to gorgeous mag 5.3 Beta Mensae, which lies just 3.2′ NE.

R71

SL 236 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 06 23.0 Dec -72 30 18 Mag – Size 1.2′

16″ at 228x: SL 236 appears as an exceedingly faint, round, dim glow, ~ 15″ in diameter.

SL 236

LH 29 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 07 53.0 Dec: -70 01 42 Mag – Size: 5′ x 2′

16″ at 228x: LH 29 is lovely. A rich 5ʹ x 2ʹ NW-SE oval of stars, immersed in the lovely glow of unresolved stars and all set in a rich field of stars. A nice little arc of three stars lies at the SE side of the association. SL 555 and BRHT 30 are a binary cluster pair, separated by 1ʹ. SL 555, lying towards the south side, appears brightish, irregular, ~20″ in diameter; no stars resolved. BRHT 30, lying to SL 555’s northwest, is smaller, fainter and round, also with no stars resolved. KMHK 572, lying to the centre of the association, appears as a pair of ~mag 14-15 stars lying NNE-SSW.

LH 29

SL 251 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 07 59.8 Dec -69 52 32 Mag 12.9 Size 1.1′

16″ at 228x: SL 251 appears as a fairly faint, round glow, ~30″ in diameter, with no stars resolved.

SL 251

LH 28 = NGC 1848 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 08 10.8 Dec: -71 10 24 Mag – Size: 5′ x 4′

16″ at LH 28 = NGC 1848 is a lovely association whose bright winding stars, fainter scattered stars, and faint haze of unresolved stars form a beautiful loop, that looks like a wobbly U, open on the NE side. On the west end is a close, unequal double star and the primary, mag 10.5 HD 269104, is actually the association’s lucida; its companion a ~mag 13.5-14 star. All told, around two dozen stars are resolved. The small cluster, SL 256, lies at the east end of the loop, and it appears as a faint, glow, 20″ in diameter.

LH 28

SL 282 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 10 09.8 Dec -70 22 36 Mag – Size 0.8′ x 0.7′

16″ at 228x: SL 282 is extremely faint and extremely small, only picked up with averted vision, and even then it was barely there.

SL 282

NGC 1861 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 10 22.1 Dec -70 46 43 Mag 13.2 Size 1.5′

16″ at 228x: NGC 1861 appears fairly faint, round, 30″ in diameter. It brightens very slightly to the centre. No stars are resolved.

NGC 1861

SL 291 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 10 30.3 Dec -70 54 38 Mag 13.3 Size 1.4′

16″ at 228x: SL 291 is a very faint, round glow, ~15″ in diameter.

SL 291

SL 290 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 10 37.2 Dec -70 29 17 Mag – Size 1.1′ x 1.0′

16″ at 228x: SL 290 appears as a very faint, round haze, 20″ in diameter.

SL 290

SL 302 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 11 42.9 Dec -70 03 59 Mag 13.2 Size 1.3′ x 1.2′

16″ at 228x: SL 302 appears very faint, round, ~20″ in diameter.

SL 302

SL 314 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 12 21.0 Dec -73 23 36 Mag – Size 2.5′ x 2.3′

16″ at 228x: SL 314 appears exceedingly faint, and very diffuse, ~25′ in diameter. Mag 9.7 HD 34822, lies 2.3′ NE of the cluster.

SL 314

N193A (Low Excitation Blob)

RA 05 12 30.1 Dec -70 24 22 Mag 13.6 Size 0.3′ x 0.2′

16″ at 228x + UHC filter: N193A is a handsome little blob! It is a fairly bright, round glow, 15″ in diameter, smooth and rich with beautifully crisp edges.

N193A

NGC 1878 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 12 51.3 Dec -70 28 20 Mag 12.9 Size 1.1′ x 1.0′

16″ at 228x: NGC 1878 appears fairly faint, round, 20″ in diameter; a smooth glow with no stars resolved. A mag 13.5 star lies 1′ NE and what appears to be a very slightly fuzzy mag 12.5 star lying 1.8′ NE is actually BSDL 917, a tiny cluster of stars.

NGC 1878

NGC 1890 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 13 46.3 Dec -72 04 47 Mag 12.8 Size 1.1′ x 1.0′

6″ at 228x: NGC 1890 appears fairly bright, 35″ in diameter, elongated NNW-SSE, and irregular to the point of jagged. A mag 13.5 star lies just off its west-northwest edge, and another mag 13.5 star lies 1′ SSE. Yellowy mag 9.5 HD 271126 lies 2.8′ NNE. NGC 1890 lies between two double stars: HJ 3746, mag 8.0/8.2 at 3.9, lies 16.5′ W, and B2098, mag 9.2/11.3 at 3.0″ lies 9.6′ E.

NGC 1890

SL 352 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 16 41.4 Dec -70 32 3 Mag 13.1 Size 1.2′ x 1.1′

16″ at 228x: SL 352 appears faint, round, ~ 25″ in diameter.

SL 352

LH 40 + N195 = NGC 1914 (OB Association + Emission Nebula)

RA 05 17 37.0 Dec -71 15 00 Mag 12.0 Size 2.0′

16″ at 228x + UHC filter: LH 40 = NGC 1914 lies embedded in a small HII region, N195, which (without the filter) appears as a moderately bright, irregular oval-shape, ~1.2′ in diameter, elongated NNW-SSE. It has a great response to the UHC filter; a dark lane, also oval-shaped and elongated in the same direction, divides the nebula into two. The edges on the west side fade away very rapidly, but on the east side the edges fade gradually into the dark sky. Without the filter, two mag 13.5-14 stars are resolved on the east side, and two other very faint stars lie towards the NE side.

NGC 1914

SL 399 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 20 21.4 Dec -70 46 09 Mag – Size 1.1′ x 1.0′

16″ at 228x: SL 399 is easy to locate as it forms the eastern vertex of a triangle with mag 9.3 HD 35679 lying 2.1′ NNW, and mag 11.7 HD 269402 lying 2.2′ SW. The cluster appears faint, round, 18″ in diameter.

SL 399

N197 (Low Excitation Blob)

RA 05 20 54.5 Dec -71 43 17 Mag – Size 0.4′ x 0.3′

16″ at 228x + UHC Filter: This little object is a treat! But then again, when would seeing a LEB not be a treat? It appears as a faint oval, ~15″ in diameter, elongated N-S, with crisp edges.

N197

NGC 1944 (Young Globular Cluster)

RA 05 21 57.5 Dec -72 29 38 Mag 11.8 Size 3.2′ Age –

16″ at 228x: This young globular cluster appears fairly bright, round, 1′ in diameter, with a thin and very much fainter halo. No stars are resolved except for a ~mag 14 star lying off the southwest edge. Some lovely stars lie around the cluster, among which are four mag 12.5 stars lying 1.4′ SE, 2′ SSE, 3.4′ SE, and 2′ N.

NGC 1944

HS 301A (Open Cluster)

RA 05 26 38.9 Dec -71 58 47 Mag 12.5 Size 1.0′ x 0.9′

16″ at 228x: HS 301A appears as a fairly faint, round glow, 15″ in diameter.

HS 59

SL 490 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 27 18.0 Dec -73 40 48 Mag 13.9 Size 1.2′ x 1.1′

16″ at 228x: Lying just 3′ from mag 7.4 HD 36791, SL 490 appears ~20″ in diameter, and very dim, as if faded by the light of the lovely star.

SL 490

NGC 2000 (Open Cluster)

RA 05 27 30 Dec -71 5248 Mag 12.1 Size 1.5′

16″ at 228x: Lying off the southern shores of supergiant shell LMC 9, NGC 2000 appears relatively bright, 45″ in diameter, with a lovely rich core and a very granular halo, in which a few mag 14.5+ stars are resolved on both the south and southwest sides.