NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 6712 24" (8/12/15): at 450x (10mm ZAO + 2x Powermate); nearly fills 5' field, excellent resolution over the entire surface with well over 50 stars resolved. A dense group of easily resolved stars is on the west side of the halo. A large number of fainter resolved stars is alsoon the south side. The outer halo is ragged and straggling, with no distinct border but shot with numerous stars. A well resolved, detached elongated section (separated by a lane) is on the south and southeast side of the halo. Set in a beautiful low power field with planetary nebula IC 1295 24' ESE. Observation at 8600 ft in excellent transparency in the White Mountains. 18" (7/23/06): situated in a gorgeous low power Milky Way star field at 115x with a dense background mat of faint stars filling the 45' field and planetary IC 1295 24' ESE. At 435x roughly three dozen stars are resolved in a 6' region, mostly on the western half of the cluster. The core is moderately bright but not sharply concentrated. The irregular halo is peppered with faint stars though at the periphery it was impossible to really distinguish from these from the numerous faint field stars that surround the cluster. A dark lane is quite obvious on the south side, appearing to detach the outer section of the halo on the southeast side. The outer halo is poorly resolved on the eastern end. 18" (8/23/03): at 435x, approximately three dozen stars can be counted, although the eastern edge of the halo resists resolution. A dark lane cuts through the cluster on the south side running SW-NE and detaching a small piece of the halo on the SE side and flattening the central blaze which begins just north of the lane. IC 1295 lies 24' ESE and both are nicely framed within the field of the 20mm Nagler. 17.5" (6/29/00): at 220x this is a bright, moderately large cluster, ~6' diameter in a very rich Milky Way field. Contains a relatively large, intense 3' core with a number of very faint stars peppered over the background glow. A small, partially resolved piece is detached at the southeast end by a dark lane. The surrounding halo includes a number of brighter stars, though it is difficult to untangle the maze of stars in the halo from the rich Milky Way background. Roughly 30 stars are resolved at 280x, although it is difficult to accurately count. The core has irregular appearance with a flattened side caused by a sharp light cut off on the south side. PN IC 1295 lies 24' ESE. 17.5" (7/1/89): about two dozen stars resolved over haze. A very rich clump is visible at the west side and a detached clump is at the southeast end. The outline is irregular. 13" (7/27/84): about 15 stars resolved including several extremely faint stars, very mottled, ragged edges, non-symmetric (flattened on the southeast side). 8" (7/24/82): grainy, very lively but only a few stars resolved over haze at high power. Strong impression that in excellent seeing or a bit more aperture would resolve more fully.