NGC 2836/ ESO 61-3 (09137-6920) lays 18'min.arc further north of NGC 2822 (28'min.arc. from Car), and can be seen in the same field, if Miaplacidus is placed towards the field's southern edge. The photographic magnitude of the galaxy is a fairly bright 12.6, and I estimated that the visual magnitude was about the same. Again it is not listed in the RNGC, but for what reason - I don't know!

In size, it is about 1.4'x0.18', and consequently appears like a tiny, fuzzy needle. (Photographically, it is some 50% larger.) Although fainter than NGC 2822, this galaxy was easy in the C-8. I suspect that a 15cm. maybe able to see it with care. My second view of this object was with a 30cm., and I could see using averted vision several field stars over the surface of the galaxy. Their magnitudes were around 14 to 14.5, and a larger Dobsonian at Ilford should see these easily.

Images suggest this is a SA-type spiral galaxy with some inner ring structure, which I could not confirm optically, through lack of aperture. Like NGC 2822, no redshifts have been found for this object.

LW Car (09157-6921) is a faint galactic RR Lyrae variable, sSome 7'min.arc. due eastof the planetary. I only mention it, as the photographers or CCDer's could easily see it. The magnitude varies between 14.5 and 15.5, in a poorly estimated period.

RMK 10 (09179-6948) is a white and yellowish pair of magnitude 7.8 and 8.1 magnitude, first discovered by Rumker at Parramatta. The pair lies 24'min.arc. east of Beta Carinae. Of the nine measures, last in 1958, the positions remain 10.5"sec.arc. position angle 18^O. No significant change has been observed with this pair. It is possible that it is a true binary, though its period is probably very long. In the same field as RMK 10, is the pair R110 (09182-6941), that H.C.Russell first found using the 29cm.(11.5") at Sydney Observatory on 21st May 1881. Russell's measures revealed a PA=26.6^O and a separation of 11.1"sec.arc. The magnitude of the two stars is 10 and 11. Little has changed with the pair, and is likely to be just an optical system.

E Carinae/ V345 Carinae / SAO 256583 (09057-7032) is a Gamma Cassiopeia (GCAS) type variable. This magnitude 4.67 blue-white star lays 24.6'min.arc. (0.97^O) southwest of Miaplacidus, and is one of the brightest of its class. Most of these types of stars often vary by up to 1.5 magnitudes - normally without any known periodicity. They are peculiar to the spectral class of sub-giants B-type (B0 III-B3 V), and are exhibited in about 0.4% of all known variable stars. Known as shell stars, they are subject to temporary fades of one to three magnitudes. The variation of this one is only 0.11 magnitudes between 4.67 and 4.78. V348 Carinae has a spectral class of B2 Vne.

HJ 4171 (09000-6444) in Volans, and lies due west of Miaplacidus by 1.1^O degrees is another faint pair. The quoted magnitudes are 10.1 and 11.1 as first measured by Innes in 1918. Contained in a starry field, the pair is separation is 14.6"sec.arc. at PA of 237^O. and is visible in a 7.5cm. Although separation of the pair is easy for small apertures, the magnitude of the stars may require a 10.5cm. to see it clearly in less than perfect skies.

Asterism - 'The Starry Curtain' it a group of 6th, 7th and 8th magnitude stars that winds between Miaplacidus and Alpha Volantis. Sitting in a car in 1993, I found this fascinating area while scanning the southern Milky Way with binoculars. The curtain divides into two parts. Moving NNE from Beta Carinae, the stars appear to weave in a snakelike pattern for about 4^O. Although it maybe just visible to the naked eye in country skies, binoculars are really required for the southern part. The northern 4^O portion of the curtain surrounds the white 4th magnitude Alpha Volantis. Observations with a C-8 reveal a strong north-south discontinuity of each side of the 'curtain'. Using a 7.5cm. or 15cm., the observer will see the eastern field from Alpha ( ) Volantis containing several 10th to 12th magnitude in a series of intersecting lines. Moving west of Alpha Volantis the number of field stars suddenly reduces. Moving north and south by about 3^O of this centre, the starry 'curtain' appears to me as another wavy line joining the brighter southern section.

Although this elegant area is of little astronomical significance, at least finding it is easy!

Alpha ( ) Volantis / SAO 250422/ HD 78045/ HIP 44382 (09025-6624) is a white star some 3.6^O degrees from Miaplacidis. Although at magnitude 4.00, it has no given name. (I declare its name the cute; Avolan.) Spectrally, it is class A2.5 IV, that corresponds to a Main Sequence temperature of 9 400^OK. The first reliable parallax was measured in 1952, ( =0.044"sec.arc. ± 0.011) giving a mean distance of 23 pc. (74 ltys.), and a negligible proper motion. Observations from the Hipparchos satellite have refined this result, ( =0.02624"±0.00051) (Accuracy c.1.9%!) to increase the distant to 38.11 pc. or 124.3 ltys. Vol is also suspected to be a spectroscopic binary.

In passing, two other objects are near Avolan. One is a lonely galaxy known as ESO 90-12 (08584-6644) that I was determined to find in a 30cm. and failed dismally! It lays 30'min.arc. SW of Avolan. At magnitude 14.5, it is obviously tough, and has a size c.2'x0.5'. As an edge-on spiral, the core should be easily visible in a 20cm. Photographers may like to take a snapshot. (A nearby 8th magnitude star is a perfect guide star. If you do get an image, some 14'min.arc. NNW is the faint eclipsing binary SZ Volantis that varies between 13.5 and 15.

NGC 2808 / 256/ GSC0911-646) (09120-6452) (Carina) is the tenth brightest Globular Star Cluster (GSC) in the sky first discovered by Dunlop and was extensively observed by John Herschel in 1836. Between magnitude 6.1 and 6.3, it should be just visible to the naked eye, though some optical aid is required to reveal it as non-stellar. Some debate still exists on the naked-eye visibility Greg Bryant in (Universe 43,12 & 44,1 (1996-97)) in his article entitled 'Naked-Eye Globular Clusters' states in Table 2 that NGC2808 is a possible naked-eye cluster. In the number of observations of this object, I have to admit my eyes cannot claim to have seen NGC 2808 visually, with the last time being April 1997 from Mt. Banks. In size it covers some 7'min.arc. with the outliers being up to 13.8'min.arc. from the core's centre. The NGC classification by Dreyer in 1888 is given as 'L,vB, eRi, eCM' - large, very bright, excessively rich, extremely compressed in middle. In the same field, some 9.5'min.arc. ESE is the John Herschel pair HJ4164 (09135-6455) first measured by Russell in 1879. The stars are magnitude 10.0 and 10.6, separated by 16.4"sec.arc. along position angle 64^O.

The 'southern' superlatives given to this magnificent cluster are numerous. For example, the general 1920's text of Webb's 'Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes', has on pg.299 a quote by R.T.A.Innes;

"Superb cluster (with) 13th to 15th magnitude stars....like the finest dust, centre blaze."

David Frew 'March Deep Sky Objects' (Universe 30,3 1986);

"This beautiful mag. 6.3 globular star cluster is a much underrated object and is even visible to the naked eye from dark inland skies. A 15cm. telescope will begin the resolution, as the brightest giants are of Mag.13. The overall diameter is about 4' to 5', though the condensed centre is less than half of this. The distance is about 30 000 [light years]."

Andrew Murell (Universe 42, 3 1995) in his article entitled 'Carina';

"NGC 2808 is one of the best globular star clusters in the sky, appearing like a cross between Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae. The cluster is about 14' in diameter and can be fully resolved in a 12" (30cm.), with the outer regions resolved in an 8". It is quite bright, having an integrated magnitude of 6.8."

J Graham Little in 'Ten O'Clock High' (Southern Sky 1,4 pg.53 March/April 1994) states; "The only Globular Cluster of Carina... [and] is visible as a small, fuzzy spot in binoculars. A 15cm. 'scope is required, however, for stellar resolution, as the brightest stars are around magnitude 13. This cluster looks good through a telescope. A sprinkling of tiny stars surrounds a very dense, bright centre. I have noticed on nights of good viewing what appears to be dark lanes towards the extremities of the cluster."

Burnham's 'Celestial Handbook', amazingly does not describe NGC 2808, though it does appear in the object summary on pg.464. It is extraordinary the number of 'standard' texts that do not add this wonderful cluster. This could be expected, as the cluster is in the shadow against the more memorable GSC's of Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae. It is also in brightness only a few tenths of a magnitude below the vastly overrated northern 'Great Cluster' in Hercules (M13). Observationally, the centre of the cluster is both very condensed and very bright, when compared with the cluster as a whole. To my eyes it appears to have features similar to 47 Tucanae, with the star

counts rising exponentially towards the centre. To quote from AOST1;

"[This] beautiful object is a splendid example of the symmetrical strongly compressed type of globular cluster, composed of innumerable faint stars....to small apertures it is a bright nebulous haze with strong central condensation."

My first observation was past members' Beryl van Heast 10.5cm. (4") Newtonian at Bowen Mt. 13.35 UT; 30th December 1978. My observation log states;

"Very bright with a very dense core of unresolved stars, especially [towards] the core. Wonderful!"

It is one of only three known Class I's, and it is the closest of all these by a factor of four! GSC Classes are based on the concentration of stars as seen in the telescope, which was first proposed by Shapley and Sawyer in 1926; where 'I' is highly concentrated, while 'XII' is loose and scattered. Class 'I' label is rather deceptive for NGC 2808. Easily separated in a 15cm, the outer portions of the cluster appear even. Separation of the 'core' stars is a bit more difficult. A 30cm. may just see some of the centre stars, and a 40cm. perhaps will start to break apart the core. Sulentic and Tufft's 1973 revision of the NGC (RNGC) and Roger Sinnott's NGC 2000.0 classification correctly and aptly gives the description; "!Globular Star Cluster, very large, extremely rich, very gradual, extremely compact in centre, 45'min.arc. diameter (core), stars 13....15."

It has proved difficult to determine distanceof this cluster because of the sheer concentration of stars, and as such, information sources vary considerably. Harlow Shapley in 1930 estimated the first distance at 16.2kpc. Lack of variables, especially RR Lyraes, also make distance estimates nearly impossible. Variables are the keys to cluster distance determinations. The first variable was discovered in the early 1930's. By 1962, Sawyer and Hogg had increased this number to four, and yet all remained without known periods until the 1970's. Due to the lack of observations and of star counts, another observational programme was again seriously undertaken by King in 1968 - yet he found no new variables. By 1973, the number of variables increased from four to nine from observations at Mt.Stromlo. Distance is currently estimated to be about 11.2 kpc. (36 000 lty.), which closely approximates the estimate 11.5 kpc. in 1975. AOST2 quotes c.7.5 kpc., which is likely a bit of an underestimate of its distance. I assume David Frew has taken this value from Hogg's (1956) distance of 7.6kpc., as I could not identify his actual source. Sky Atlas 2000.0 quotes a distance of 9.2 kpc.

In 1963, the first energy distribution was measured and published by Aller (AJ, 68, 69). The globular star cluster was determined to be G2 III, later revised to an F8 type in 1967. These observations also gave an accurate radial velocity of 104 km.sec.^-1 in recession.

Age is determined either by H-R Diagrams or by the Iron to Hydrogen ratio or [Fe/H]. The value for NGC 2808 is -1.37, poorer than the Sun, while the Metals to Hydrogen [m/H] ratio is -1.47. Like most globulars, the age is estimated to be between eight and twelve billion years.

At the end of 1990, the Australia Telescope looked in a number of selected globulars for Hydrogen emissions at the 21cm. line. NGC 2808 actually showed an indication of nebulose Hydrogen. This discovery has been questioned with some vigour, because globulars were suspected to be old objects that used their Hydrogen in the first few billon years when the galaxy was formed. Long ago most of the Hydrogen should have been used up, yet this globular seems to mock the 'standard' theory.