Just something I'd like to share with you... Last night I stumbled upon something interesting in Cygnus. Surrounding the bright star in the middle of the cross between Deneb and Albireo, whichever one it is, there is a ring of about two dozen 6th-8th magnitude (That's just my inexperienced guess) stars in a nice circle with a diameter of around 2.5 degrees. It fits perfectly in the FOV of my 20x80 binoculars. What's really striking is the fact that there's very few stars inside the circle except the center star of Cygnus. Give it a look tonight and tell me what you think.

The Fairy Ring asterism is one of the objects included in the Sky Spot Telrad book entitled Overlooked Objects.  I've shown it to a lot of people at star parties over the years.

http://telescopes.net/doc/2500/mftr/SkySpot/item/OVERLOOKED

There are some images of the Fairy Ring at http://forum.slooh.com/viewtopic.php?t=2225 

Dave Mitsky

The Fairy Ring asterism is marked by a series of doublestars 4 deg. SW of gammaCyg.

I haven't heard a nick for the great wreath of stars surrounding Sadr and the void between, but it deserves one. Darker skies thicken the ring and enhance the contrast. Agreed that it's best in 15-20x noks. The Dreamcatcher suits it well.

Saber Does The Stars at
www.astronomyblogs.com/member/saberscorpx/

Here's more on the Fairy Ring.  This asterism is a bit less than 0.5 degree in size and its coordinates are 20h04m06s, +38d10.0'.

Dave Mitsky

 So just north of the crescent(6888). I'll give it a look if I can.

I've never noticed a ring of stars around Sadir before but then again I can't remember looking at it closely with that wide of a field. I'll definately have a look the next time I'm out with my little refractor.

 The true "Fairy Ring" or Lawler 1, I was showing to some people last new Moon at a star party. On that occasion I was using my 12.5". The ring of double stars shows itself so well in a 17mm T4 Nagler.

Thanks for giving me something new to look at. I'm always interested in new views.

Bill

Oliver Tunnah:

 So just north of the crescent(6888). I'll give it a look if I can.

Oliver,

Actually, the Fairy Ring lies more to the west of NGC 6888 than north of it.  There's a fairly good description of it here.

Dave Mitsky

Bill Weir:

The true "Fairy Ring" or Lawler 1, I was showing to some people last new Moon at a star party. On that occasion I was using my 12.5". The ring of double stars shows itself so well in a 17mm T4 Nagler.

Bill,

I'm curious where you found the attribution of the Fairy Ring to Paul Lawler.

Yes, it's a good object for a fast 12.5".  In fact, the first time I saw the Fairy Ring was through my 12.5" f/4.8 Starsplitter.

Dave Mitsky

 Thanks for the correction Dave.

To be honest Dave I'm not sure. I think it might have been amastro. When I saw this post, I remembered having sketched it a few years back. When I looked at the scanned image in the computer I notice Lawler 1 scribbled beside it. I wouldn't have just made this up because I'm not sure who Paul Lawler is.

Now I need to figure this out. Hmmmm.

Bill

A search of thr yahoo group Deep Sky Hunters gave me this observation by Matthias Kronberger,

"> Lawler 1 (J2004.0+3809) 23' = Fair, irregular ring of wide double
stars, empty
> center, N and SW-parts with double stars better defined

The coordinates given match the Fairy Ring as does the description.

There's a 2002 reference in an online group obs report from Jane Houston Jones: "Between B145 and Basel 6 at RA 20h 4m and Dec 38 degrees 20 seconds is a lovely one-half degree circle of double stars that Paul Lawler dubbed the Fairy Ring. Give it a try!".

http://www.observers.org/tac.mailing.list/2002/Sep/0291.html

Saber Does The Stars at
www.astronomyblogs.com/member/saberscorpx/

 Had a look last night, but only with my wide field. (It would have fit in my 10mm as well.) Nice, very pretty.

saberscorpx:

There's a 2002 reference in an online group obs report from Jane Houston Jones: "Between B145 and Basel 6 at RA 20h 4m and Dec 38 degrees 20 seconds is a lovely one-half degree circle of double stars that Paul Lawler dubbed the Fairy Ring. Give it a try!".

Yes, Stephen, I was aware of that article.  However, the Sky Spot Telrad book Overlooked Objects by Brent Watson was published in 1994, eight years before that post, and does not attribute the "discovery" of the Fairy Ring to anyone, so the identity of the person who first noted and/or named the Fairy Ring remains uncertain.  A simple report on the Internet can bring instant celebrity to anyone nowadays. 

Here's the description in the book.

"This object is a beautiful happenstance grouping of six moderately wide double stars arranged more or less in a ring, then a wide pair in the center. The brightest pair are magnitude 7.3 and 9.7, and are separated by 29 seconds of arc. Color variations are evident in some pairs, while others are more equal in both color and brightness. The wide pair in the center is separated by one minute 49 seconds with magnitudes of 9.8 and 9.7. This asterims is an interesting change from the usual deep sky observing in which many amateurs engage."

He lists the distance as 70 light years (I wonder how unrelated stars can all be at the same distance) and the size as 20'.

In a related vein, the Internet has also resulted in some rather strange monikers for DSOs that few amateurs question, the so-called Deerlick Group for instance.  Why NGC 7331 and its companions, objects that have undoubtedly been observed by hundreds, if not thousands, of amateurs and professionals over the years, should now be known for an observing site is beyond me.  

"This group apparently was given this odd name "in commemoration of one of the finest nights of viewing EVER, at Deer Lick Gap, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, in the NC mountains," by persons unnamed."

http://www.de-regt.com/Astronomy/DeerLick.htm

At least some of the traditional DSO nicknames, such as the Blue Snowball (NGC 7662) and the Pinwheel Galaxy (M33, M99, or M101, take your pick) are descriptive in nature.

http://www.seds.org/messier/Xtra/supp/d-names.html 

Dave Mitsky

re: Yes, Stephen, I was aware of that article.

Yes Dave, I knew you were aware and posted it despite knowing your agenda for asking. Obviously Jones' report of Lawler's description was only intended to popularize the target. Good for them. FWIW, I've also heard the ring of doubles described as 'Stonehenge'.

Also, if there are any Mitskyisms up there let me know. I would certainly promote them as the opportunities arose. We did, after all, serve in Aruba together <g>.

Saber Does The Stars at
www.astronomyblogs.com/member/saberscorpx/

My agenda, Stephen?  You really are too much at times.

Dave Mitsky