Palomar Globular Clusters

The Palomar Globular Clusters are a unique and challenging list of 15 very faint globular clusters. Most of these were only found after scrutinizing plates from the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS). I stumbled upon one of these clusters while looking around in Starry Night Pro and building a list of targets for my next observing session. It took several imaging sessions to capture my first Palomar Globular.

The web site http://www.deepsky-visuell.de/Projekte/PalomarGC_E.htm - offers a photographic view and sketch of each of the Palomar globulars as well as a table reference.

Palling Around With Palomar Globular Clusters, by Bob King, August 17, 2016 at Sky and Telescope Magazine (https://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/palling-around-with-the-palomar-globular-clusters/) offers a nice article on the Palomar clusters, photographs and finder charts.

Astronomy-Mall also contains helpful observation information and a table of the Palomar Clusters at (http://www.astronomy-mall.com/Adventures.In.Deep.Space/palglob.htm).

Below is a Google Sheet of data I found from several sources.

Palomar Globulars

The information above has been combined from several sources, thus the size of each object is given as a range. The items highlighted in blue have been imaged (thus far). Below shows my attempts to image these elusive globular clusters.

Palomar 2

The dim reddish object in this image is the globular cluster named Palomar 2 (PAL2).  It has an apparent magnitude of 13.04 and measures about 2.2’. It took me six nights of attempts on this - I hard a hard time spotting in test exposures to get it centered. Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX90, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, Canon 6D stock camera, Antares Focal Reducer, ISO 3200, 32 x 60 seconds using Backyard EOS with darks, bias and flat frames, guided using an Orion 60mm guide scope with an attached ZWO ASI290MC camera. Image Date: December 20, 2017. Location: The Dark Side Observatory in Weatherly, PA.

Palomar 5

Here is a view of Palomar 5 in the constellation Serpens. I also found a reference that this globular clusters was also referred to as the Serpens Dwarf. At one point in time this fuzzy object was thought to be a nearby dwarf galaxy. I’ll have to put the 12” SCT on this at some point, this is a view through my Sky-Watcher 120ED. Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120mm ED Triplet APO Refractor, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, Canon 6D stock camera, ISO 3200, 11 x 60 second exposures with dark/bias frames, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Image date: June 14, 2018. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.

Palomar 10

The reddish glowing area in this image is the globular cluster known as Palomar 10 in the constellation Sagitta, it is red in color from being obscured by dust and gas from the Milky Way.  This globular has a magnitude of 13.2 and a size of only 4'. Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120mm ED Triplet APO Refractor, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, Canon 6D stock camera, ISO 3200, 11 x 60 second exposures with dark/bias frames, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Image date: June 14, 2018. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.

Palomar 11 

Here is a view of Palomar 11 in the constellation Aquila. I found various references to the size ranging all the way up to 10', magnitude is 9.8. Another future target for my larger scope. Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120mm ED Triplet APO Refractor, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, Canon 6D stock camera, ISO 3200, 15 x 60 second exposures with dark/bias frames, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Image date: August 9, 2018. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.

Palomar 8

Here is Palomar 8 from the catalog of 15 Palomar Globular Clusters. Palomar 8 is found in the constellation Sagittarius, has a magnitude of 11.0 and a diameter of 5.2'. Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120mm ED Triplet APO Refractor, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, Canon 6D stock camera, ISO 3200, 13 x 60 second exposures with dark/bias frames, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Image date: October 1, 2018. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.

Palomar 13

The Palomar Globular Clusters are a unique and challenging list of 15 very faint globular clusters. Most of these were only found after scrutinizing plates from the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS). If you look closely at my image, you will see a collection of stars in the center, this is the globular cluster designated Palomar 13. 
Magnitude: 13.80Constellation: PegasusRA (J2000): 23h 06m 44.9sDec (J2000): +12° 46' 17"Size (mins): 1.5
Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI071mc-Pro, Antares Focal Reducer, 95 x 60 second at 0C with darks and flats, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Captured using ZWO AAP and processed using PixInsight. Image date: July 30, 2021. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).

Palomar 7 

IC 1276 (also known as Palomar 7) is a globular star cluster in the constellation Serpens. Because of its position inside the Milky Way and its distance of 17,600 light-years the dust of the Milky Way reddens the color of this globular cluster.
RA: 18:10:44.20Dec: -07:12:27.4Distance from Sun: 17.6 klyApparent Diameter: 21.0 arc minBrightness: 10.34 mag vis
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at 0F, 75x60 seconds guided exposures, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in DSS and PixInsight. Image Date: August 10, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).