NGC 104
47 Tucanae


Combination of 5, 3 minute exposures, Meade 416XTE CCD.
8" f/6 newtonian at prime focus.

NGC 104, also known as 47 Tucanae is a sight that must be seen to be believed. Easily visible to the naked eye even in moderate light pollution NGC 104 is one of the showpieces of the sky. However situated at a declination of -72, it is invisible to virtually all northern hemisphere observers.

In binoculars the cluster appears as a large ball of light, brightening towards the centre. Resolution of the outer regions is easily achieved in a small telescope, while in an 8" telescope it is an excellent sight.


Combination of 10, 1 minute exposures, SBIG ST9XE CCD camera.
300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.


This is the same combination of images as the above image, however it has been processed differently to show the dense core of the cluster.

Unlike its near neighbour NGC 5139 (omega centauri), NGC 104 has a very rich core that is very difficult to resolve. This makes it a superb object for large telescopes where the cluster is too large for the field of view. Masses of stars then cover the view, yet the richness of the cluster is not lost due to the rich core.


Combination of 10, 1 minute exposures, SBIG STL-1001E CCD camera.
300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.