Sketching Star Clusters

Abstract

The next time you plan a quiet evening under a salted sky, with hopes of bathing your eyes in the ancient light of a majestic star cluster, be sure that your sketching kit comes with you! A casual glance at these celestial marvels will not give you a decent appreciation for an object whose history and character are as unique as the fingerprints you should be pressing into the side of your trusty pencil. I can think of no better way to connect with these stellar ballets, to understand their intricacies, and to recall your view later than to spend time sketching the soft glow or blazing pinpricks you see through the eyepiece.