I bring sad new that long time attendee of East Coast Star Party Cliff Hedgepeth passed away. His smile and passion for astronomy will be remembered by us all. Our thoughts go out to Cliff's family and friends.?
?
Kent Blackwell
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Just received a call from Kent that an old member and fellow astronomer, Cliff Hedgepeth, passed away in the past day or so. He was an longtime fellow amateur astronomer who loved to involve the younger members of his family. Those who have been around for the past twenty years will certainly remember him from many ECSP parties. I am sure Kent will keep us up to date as news comes in.
Thanks and with regrets. Mark
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Re: Skywatch Cancelled - 2/22
Oh yeah................................Uncle Kent knows.........................Uncle Kent gots skilz.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Kent's good sense won out over my optimism - field conditions are terrible, the parking lot is more of an idea than a solid surface, and the clouds are rolling in.? We'll try again next month.
?
Clear skies,
?
Jeremy
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Skywatch Cancelled - 2/22
Kent's good sense won out over my optimism - field conditions are terrible, the parking lot is more of an idea than a solid surface, and the clouds are rolling in.? We'll try again next month.
?
Clear skies,
?
Jeremy
|
Fw: Night Sky Notes March 2025 Edition
March resources from the Astronomical League.
George
George Reynolds
"Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia
Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)?
?
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: dknabb01@... <dknabb01@...> To: Don 01 account <dknabb01@...> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:39:40 AM EST Subject: FW: Night Sky Notes March 2025 Edition
Greetings MERAL Presidents, ALCors, editors, officers, and others, ? Here is the March article from the Night Sky Network that you can freely use in your newsletter, website, and social media. ? Clear skies, ? Don Knabb MERAL Chair ? ? ? From: Night Sky Network <nightskyinfo@...>
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2025 6:53 PM
To: dknabb01@...
Subject: Night Sky Notes March 2025 Edition ? 
? ? March 2025 Edition ? Messier Madness ? ? March is the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere; with that, the hunt for Messier objects can begin! Learn how to spot a handful of these deep-sky objects in March's Night Sky Notes! ? ? Click on the links below to download any or all parts of this article in your preferred format. ? Download Article: ?
? Download Images: ?
BONUS IMAGE - ? Web-Based/HTML Article ?
? Find all past articles on the new ? ? Editors: You are free to remove or customize sections of the article as you see fit, especially if some sections may duplicate stargazing information found elsewhere in your newsletter. ? Please let us know?how you use these articles?. The answers allow us to continue providing this kind of content and us improve our offerings. Thank you again! |
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? ? Wishing you all clear skies! ? Vivian White and Kat Troche NASA Night Sky Network Administrators ?
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? Join the NSN community on social media |
? ? ? |
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| Night Sky Network | Managed by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 390 Ashton Ave | San Francisco, CA 94112 US |
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YRSP Saturday Night, 1 March: Questionable
Before the snow, we had 4.31¡± of rain over the proceeding 8-days. Now with the snow pack and Mon, Tue, Wed & Thu forecast to be near or above 60¡ã, I think it¡¯ll be too muddy to use the field. Given the return of D.S.T. and a First Quarter Moon on 6 March, I will not ask if we can re-schedule for Saturday 8 March.
I¡¯ll reach out to Ranger Charlie early next week and I¡¯ll update everyone by mid-week next week whether observing is even feasible.?
Due to the Staunton River Star Party & NEAF, I scheduled our April date to be 19 April (Last Quarter Moon).
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Fw: Astronomical League Youth Awards
A.L. awards for young astronomers.
Here are the specifications.
George
George Reynolds
"Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia
Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)?
?
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: dknabb01@... <dknabb01@...> To: Don 01 account <dknabb01@...> Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 02:47:20 PM EST Subject: Astronomical League Youth Awards
Greetings MERAL Presidents, ALCors, editors, officers, and others, ? Attached is a graphic put together by John Goss on the Astronomical League Youth Awards. ? The Astronomical League offers four Jack Horkheimer Awards that are open to young astronomers. ? The Horkheimer/Smith and Horkheimer/D¡¯Auria Service Awards are open to League members under the age of 19 who engage in educational outreach and/or service to League Member Societies of the Astronomical League itself.? Applicants for Horkheimer Service Awards are considered for both the Smith and the D¡¯Auria awards.? The Horkheimer/Smith winner receives a plaque, a $1,700. cash prize, and an expense-paid trip to the League¡¯s annual convention.? The Horkheimer/D¡¯auria winner receives a plaque and a $1,000. cash prize. ? The Horkheimer/Parker Imaging Award is open to League members under the age of 19 who achieve excellence in astronomical imaging.? The winner receives a plaque and a $1,000. cash prize. ? The Horheimer/O¡¯Meara Journalism Award is open to League members between 8 and 14 years of age who are engaged in science-related writing.? The winner receives a plaque and a $1,000. cash prize.? Second and third place finishers receive $500. and $250. cash prizes, respectively. ? Here is a link to the Astronomical League website awards page: ? The deadline for the awards is March 31, so there is still time to submit for the awards. ? Please share this information with your club members and use it in your newsletter, website, and social media sites. ? Clear skies, ? Don Knabb MERAL Chair
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Re: Ending of Mars for 2024/25
Jupiter was way too high for me to fool with though I like transits. It was cold last night. Not as cold as what's coming up. Did get in? couple of Collinder clusters down in Canis. They are pretty good but you need a wide view. CR 140 and CR 121. 140 is about as far south as I can get. We did visit the winter alberio way down south. It is one of the most colorful doubles but no one has it in their catalog. It's an H3945 number or 145 Canis Majoris. It must be so far south many northern latitude observers could not reach it. Pretty low on the horizon here. Worth the trip if you can get there.
On Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 12:35:58 PM EST, Ian Stewart <ian@...> wrote:
Yep Mars was OK last night but there was a really nice transit of
Io and the red spot on Jupiter last night. Packed it in after that
- pretty nippy here.
On 2/18/2025 12:15 PM, jimcoble2000 via
groups.io wrote:
That was a fine picture of
what you see visually. Last night was not too bad and a fair
amount of albedo features could be seen vaguely but overall
this year will not rank as one of the better apparitions. Four
and a six inch refractor views were about the same, so sky
conditions were in charge as usual.
Mars was high in the sky this
year but only of moderate diameter. That said, it is always
fun to look. Things are getting smaller now so another Mars
season is coming to a close. I haven't counted but I think I
have about 5 to 6 of them under the belt. You can do better
but it might take a decade to get one great look. I think the
next apparitions will be worse before it turns around. Ha, I
may run out of time.
On the other hand, it is time
to look at Venus as it comes in line with the Earth and Sun.
It is getting brighter now and more crescent every night. Much
larger too in the coming 4 weeks.
On Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 10:42:32 AM EST, Troy
Riedel via groups.io
<troy.riedel@...> wrote:
A very excellent representation that I can share
with a newbie buddy. Thanks!
|
Re: Ending of Mars for 2024/25
Yep Mars was OK last night but there was a really nice transit of
Io and the red spot on Jupiter last night. Packed it in after that
- pretty nippy here.
On 2/18/2025 12:15 PM, jimcoble2000 via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
That was a fine picture of
what you see visually. Last night was not too bad and a fair
amount of albedo features could be seen vaguely but overall
this year will not rank as one of the better apparitions. Four
and a six inch refractor views were about the same, so sky
conditions were in charge as usual.
Mars was high in the sky this
year but only of moderate diameter. That said, it is always
fun to look. Things are getting smaller now so another Mars
season is coming to a close. I haven't counted but I think I
have about 5 to 6 of them under the belt. You can do better
but it might take a decade to get one great look. I think the
next apparitions will be worse before it turns around. Ha, I
may run out of time.
On the other hand, it is time
to look at Venus as it comes in line with the Earth and Sun.
It is getting brighter now and more crescent every night. Much
larger too in the coming 4 weeks.
On Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 10:42:32 AM EST, Troy
Riedel via groups.io
<troy.riedel@...> wrote:
A very excellent representation that I can share
with a newbie buddy. Thanks!
|
Re: Ending of Mars for 2024/25
That was a fine picture of what you see visually. Last night was not too bad and a fair amount of albedo features could be seen vaguely but overall this year will not rank as one of the better apparitions. Four and a six inch refractor views were about the same, so sky conditions were in charge as usual.
Mars was high in the sky this year but only of moderate diameter. That said, it is always fun to look. Things are getting smaller now so another Mars season is coming to a close. I haven't counted but I think I have about 5 to 6 of them under the belt. You can do better but it might take a decade to get one great look. I think the next apparitions will be worse before it turns around. Ha, I may run out of time.
On the other hand, it is time to look at Venus as it comes in line with the Earth and Sun. It is getting brighter now and more crescent every night. Much larger too in the coming 4 weeks.
On Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 10:42:32 AM EST, Troy Riedel via groups.io <troy.riedel@...> wrote:
A very excellent representation that I can share with a newbie buddy. Thanks!
|
Re: Ending of Mars for 2024/25
A very excellent representation that I can share with a newbie buddy. Thanks!
|
Ending of Mars for 2024/25
I was researching another subject when I came across this photograph that really illustrated what you should expect to see when you visually observe Mars. Nothing like the moon of course and it really varies over apparitions. But I had a lot of questions as to what one should expect normally on a typical observation. This is a great example.
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Fw: 2025 Regional events in or near the Mid East Region of the Astronomical League
The latest from MERAL (Mid-East Region of the Astronomical League).
George
George Reynolds
"Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia
Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)?
?
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "dknabb01@..." <dknabb01@...> To: Don 01 account <dknabb01@...> Sent: Monday, February 17, 2025 at 11:12:49 AM EST Subject: 2025 Regional events in or near the Mid East Region of the Astronomical League
Greetings MERAL Presidents, ALCors, editors, officers, and others, ? Below is a listing of regional scale events in MERAL (or nearby) for 2025. There are a few events later in the year that have not set dates yet, so I will send an updated list when I get them.
I¡¯ll attach the information as a MS Word document also.
? I just updated the MERAL website with the events information: ? Clear skies, ? Don Knabb MERAL Chair ? ? ? 2025 regional events that are in or near MERAL Northeast Astronomy Forum, April 5-6 Rockland Community College, NY (Not in MERAL, but close!)
? Staunton River Star Party (Spring), March 24-30 Staunton River State Park, VA ? South Jersey Astronomy Club Star Party, April 24-27 Belleplain State Forest, NJ?? ? Mega Meet at Pulpit Rock, June 27-29, rain date August 8-10 Pulpit Rock, PA?
? Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, Astronomy Day, May 3 ? York County Star Party #1 June 25-29 Susquehannock State Park in central Pennsylvania ? Cherry Springs Star Party, June 19-22 Cherry Springs State Park, PA
? Green Bank Star Quest, June 25-28 Green Bank WV
? Astronomical League Convention, June 25-28 Bryce Canyon, UT
? Stellafane, July 24-27 Springfield, Vermont (Not in MERAL, but too important to not include) ? West Virginia Astrophotography Association Annual Conference, July 25-27 Blackwater Falls State Park, WV ? ? Almost Heaven Star Party TBD Spruce Knob Mountain Center in Circleville, WV
? York County Star Party #2 September 17-21 Susquehannock State Park in central Pennsylvania ? Black Forest Star Party TBD ? KVAS Blackwater Falls Astronomy Weekend, September 18-20 Blackwater Falls State Park, WV ? Northern Virginia Astronomy, Star Gaze, TBD C.M. Crockett Park, Midland, VA ? Staunton River Star Party (Fall), October 20-26 Staunton River State Park, VA ? James River State Park Star Party, November 14-15 James River State Park, Gladstone, VA ?
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Fw: March sky materials from the AL
Forwarding A.L. materials for the month.
George
George Reynolds
"Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia
Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)?
?
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "dknabb01@..." <dknabb01@...> To: Don 01 account <dknabb01@...> Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 02:50:13 PM EST Subject: FW: March sky materials from the AL
Hi MERAL Presidents, ALCors, editors, officers, and others, ? I am forwarding you the March sky materials from John Goss of the Astronomical League. ? Please share these with your club members, use them in your newsletters and post them to your website and social media sites. ? Clear skies, ? Don Knabb MERAL Chair ? From: John Goss <goss.john@...>
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2025 11:10 AM
To: John Goss <goss.john@...>
Subject: March sky materials from the AL ? Attached are the AL March sky materials.
|
Re: Observing Report Monday, February 10
It is in the wording of the problem. I meant that green stellar color is intrinsically impossible but the perceptive illusion is possible. The trick is how you perceive color. No star has any color as they emit across the spectrum. Color is not an intrinsic property of stars but how the brain interprets what it "sees". The peak emission is what the brain filters the information as.? Some multiple stars can be "perceived" as green due to close proximity but any single star itself cannot be green due to physics and how the eye works.
Antares is a good example as the companion can be seen as green appearing, I have seen it that way myself. But it can't be green, or any other color physically. All an illusion or product of our perception systems. If a star could be green it could not be seen as such green peak emission lies at 4000K in the black body diagram. Outside of visible range. It would just look white. Red orange yellow and light blue perceptions are possible though.
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 03:29:32 PM EST, Roy Diffrient <mail@...> wrote:
Even appearing green I¡¯m told ¨C the combination of blue and yellow starlight.
On 02/11/2025 2:06 PM EST jimcoble2000 via groups.io <jimcoble2000@...> wrote:
?
?
?
Good point Roy. Not only does the eye perceive color (when it can) in a highly individualistic way, add in the physical variation in many cooler variable stars. Then mix in different glass characteristics and designs and you get almost infinite stellar possibilities, except maybe green which is impossible no matter what Kent sees in planetary nebula ![Emoji]() .
?
Having done a bit of public astronomy at the late planetarium, one thing I have noted is how well children, untrained and refreshingly free of indoctrination, nail colors with no prompting effortlessly. Adults a lot less so. Many have to be prompted to see it. The tick of defocussing the star image can help sometimes. Like all tricks results may vary by user.
?
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 12:03:25 PM EST, Roy Diffrient <mail@...> wrote:
?
?
Very nice list, Kent ¨C thanks. ?I¡¯d just like to add that the wonderful colors seen visually in double stars can vary with conditions and the observer¡¯s eye, at least. ?The variation adds to the attraction ¨C what colors will you see? ?For example, the last time I was out I also observed Iota Cancri, also with a 5¡± refractor. ?For me that night, the primary star was yellowish and the secondary a beautiful deep blue, rather than your observed deep gold and powder blue. ?Either way a marvelously colored double. ?I look forward to seeing it again.
On 02/11/2025 9:12 AM EST Kent Blackwell via groups.io <kent@...> wrote:
?
?
Clouds prevailed all day Monday but by nightfall the skies cleared. I haven't used my 5" refractor in a while, so I thought I'd chase down some double stars. Without a doubt the most challenging was Sirius. The only way I could see the companion was using my occulting bar-modified Edmund RKE 12.5mm and a Tele Vue 5X Barlow lens.?
?
List: 25/02/10 Takahashi TSA-120?
Venus
(Planet in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:34:11?PM
Comment: Now at 30% illuminated, Venus exhibited quite a bit thinner crescent than a week ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 9
Transparency: 9
?
35 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:38:09?PM
Comment: Struve 12
11.5"?
Pretty pair of stars. The primary is blue-white, and the secondary is deep blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
34 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:39:27?PM
Comment: Struve 5
7"?
Close pair with magnitude contrast. The primary is 5.4 magnitude and the secondary 9.5.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 79%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
42 Piscium
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:40:42?PM
Comment: Struve 27
30"
Although widely separated I was not able to see the 11.5 magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 2714
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:43:22?PM
Comment: Struve 32
29"
Although a wide pair, the primary is 6.8 magnitude, and the secondary is a faint 10.6 magnitude.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Iota Cancri
(Variable Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:56:14?PM
Comment: Struve 1268
30"
An absolutely gorgeous pair of stars, with colors much like Alberiro in the summer sky. The magnitude 4th primary is deep gold, and the 6th magnitude secondary is powder blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 74348
(Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:59:16?PM
Comment: Struve 1166
23"
A 9th magnitude primary and an even fainter 10th magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
NGC 2301
(Open Cluster in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:07:02?PM
Comment: Wonderfully rich, 6th magnitude open cluster of about 30 stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
SAO 114308
(Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:09:45?PM
Comment: Nice triple star, but the third component is challenging at 11.5 magnitude especially on a nearly full moon night?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Trapezium - Theta1 Ori
(Variable Double Star in Orion)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:12:07?PM
Comment: I was able to see the fifth Trapezium easily. The sixth was more challenging, but I was able to see it.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Sirius - Alpha CMa
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:23:44?PM
Comment: After multiple tries, I finally saw The Pup. The only way I was able to see it was using the 12.5mm Edmund RKE occulting bar eyepiece and a Tele Vue 5x Powermate Barlow at 350x. Since I don¡¯t have a motor drive, I let Sirius drift towards the coating bar. When I failed to see it, I¡¯d let it drift again, and then again, and then again. Finally I split it. The pair have been closing for the past few years, so it¡¯s even more difficult now than just a few years ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Phact - Alpha Col
(Variable Double Star in Columba)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:31:44?PM
Comment: There is nothing special about this star, except it might be one of the furthest south I¡¯ve seen from my backyard.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 40864
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:33:38?PM
Comment: Struve 832
23"
An easy pair to split but the secondary is faint at magnitude 10.6
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 41532
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:36:07?PM
Comment: Struve 843
23"
Easy pair to split but the primary is 8.3 magnitude and the secondary is 11.2. I was able to see the secondary with averted vision?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 49546
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:38:29?PM
Comment: Nice pair of equally bright blue stars. The primary has another 1.2" component which I was able to see. Fortunately, they were equal in brightness as well?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 47
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:47:53?PM
Comment: M 47 never fails to impress, especially in a refractor with sharp, crisp star images?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
2 Puppis
(Double Star in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:50:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1138
16.7"
Blue-white primary and a pale blue secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 46
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:51:40?PM
Comment: It's amazing how faint M 46 looks in a 5" refractor compared to the 25". I could barely see the open cluster, much less the embedded planetary nebula. Of course, on this night the moon was nearly full.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HR 2883
(Variable Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:55:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1112
24"
An easily split pair but the secondary is 9.5 magnitude, so a bit challenging on a full moon night. SkySafari shows the secondary as 8.7 magnitude, but it looks more like 10.5 to me.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8Transparency: 9
?
HR 2859
(Variable Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:00:29?PM
Comment: A pretty gold star with a blue secondary. The primary has a 0.7" companion, but I could not see it. The pair lies next to the open cluster NGC 2396.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 61275
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:13:55?PM
Comment: Otto Struve 176
1.6"
This is one of Agnes Clarke's picks. It's hardly a show object but I was able to split the pair?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 59538
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:16:04?PM
Comment: Struve 1103
3.9"
A pretty pair of close stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
?
|
Re: Observing Report Monday, February 10
Even appearing green I¡¯m told ¨C the combination of blue and yellow starlight.
On 02/11/2025 2:06 PM EST jimcoble2000 via groups.io <jimcoble2000@...> wrote:
?
?
?
Good point Roy. Not only does the eye perceive color (when it can) in a highly individualistic way, add in the physical variation in many cooler variable stars. Then mix in different glass characteristics and designs and you get almost infinite stellar possibilities, except maybe green which is impossible no matter what Kent sees in planetary nebula ![Emoji]() .
?
Having done a bit of public astronomy at the late planetarium, one thing I have noted is how well children, untrained and refreshingly free of indoctrination, nail colors with no prompting effortlessly. Adults a lot less so. Many have to be prompted to see it. The tick of defocussing the star image can help sometimes. Like all tricks results may vary by user.
?
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 12:03:25 PM EST, Roy Diffrient <mail@...> wrote:
?
?
Very nice list, Kent ¨C thanks. ?I¡¯d just like to add that the wonderful colors seen visually in double stars can vary with conditions and the observer¡¯s eye, at least. ?The variation adds to the attraction ¨C what colors will you see? ?For example, the last time I was out I also observed Iota Cancri, also with a 5¡± refractor. ?For me that night, the primary star was yellowish and the secondary a beautiful deep blue, rather than your observed deep gold and powder blue. ?Either way a marvelously colored double. ?I look forward to seeing it again.
On 02/11/2025 9:12 AM EST Kent Blackwell via groups.io <kent@...> wrote:
?
?
Clouds prevailed all day Monday but by nightfall the skies cleared. I haven't used my 5" refractor in a while, so I thought I'd chase down some double stars. Without a doubt the most challenging was Sirius. The only way I could see the companion was using my occulting bar-modified Edmund RKE 12.5mm and a Tele Vue 5X Barlow lens.?
?
List: 25/02/10 Takahashi TSA-120?
Venus
(Planet in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:34:11?PM
Comment: Now at 30% illuminated, Venus exhibited quite a bit thinner crescent than a week ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 9
Transparency: 9
?
35 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:38:09?PM
Comment: Struve 12
11.5"?
Pretty pair of stars. The primary is blue-white, and the secondary is deep blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
34 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:39:27?PM
Comment: Struve 5
7"?
Close pair with magnitude contrast. The primary is 5.4 magnitude and the secondary 9.5.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 79%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
42 Piscium
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:40:42?PM
Comment: Struve 27
30"
Although widely separated I was not able to see the 11.5 magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 2714
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:43:22?PM
Comment: Struve 32
29"
Although a wide pair, the primary is 6.8 magnitude, and the secondary is a faint 10.6 magnitude.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Iota Cancri
(Variable Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:56:14?PM
Comment: Struve 1268
30"
An absolutely gorgeous pair of stars, with colors much like Alberiro in the summer sky. The magnitude 4th primary is deep gold, and the 6th magnitude secondary is powder blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 74348
(Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:59:16?PM
Comment: Struve 1166
23"
A 9th magnitude primary and an even fainter 10th magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
NGC 2301
(Open Cluster in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:07:02?PM
Comment: Wonderfully rich, 6th magnitude open cluster of about 30 stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
SAO 114308
(Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:09:45?PM
Comment: Nice triple star, but the third component is challenging at 11.5 magnitude especially on a nearly full moon night?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Trapezium - Theta1 Ori
(Variable Double Star in Orion)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:12:07?PM
Comment: I was able to see the fifth Trapezium easily. The sixth was more challenging, but I was able to see it.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Sirius - Alpha CMa
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:23:44?PM
Comment: After multiple tries, I finally saw The Pup. The only way I was able to see it was using the 12.5mm Edmund RKE occulting bar eyepiece and a Tele Vue 5x Powermate Barlow at 350x. Since I don¡¯t have a motor drive, I let Sirius drift towards the coating bar. When I failed to see it, I¡¯d let it drift again, and then again, and then again. Finally I split it. The pair have been closing for the past few years, so it¡¯s even more difficult now than just a few years ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Phact - Alpha Col
(Variable Double Star in Columba)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:31:44?PM
Comment: There is nothing special about this star, except it might be one of the furthest south I¡¯ve seen from my backyard.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 40864
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:33:38?PM
Comment: Struve 832
23"
An easy pair to split but the secondary is faint at magnitude 10.6
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 41532
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:36:07?PM
Comment: Struve 843
23"
Easy pair to split but the primary is 8.3 magnitude and the secondary is 11.2. I was able to see the secondary with averted vision?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 49546
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:38:29?PM
Comment: Nice pair of equally bright blue stars. The primary has another 1.2" component which I was able to see. Fortunately, they were equal in brightness as well?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 47
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:47:53?PM
Comment: M 47 never fails to impress, especially in a refractor with sharp, crisp star images?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
2 Puppis
(Double Star in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:50:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1138
16.7"
Blue-white primary and a pale blue secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 46
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:51:40?PM
Comment: It's amazing how faint M 46 looks in a 5" refractor compared to the 25". I could barely see the open cluster, much less the embedded planetary nebula. Of course, on this night the moon was nearly full.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HR 2883
(Variable Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:55:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1112
24"
An easily split pair but the secondary is 9.5 magnitude, so a bit challenging on a full moon night. SkySafari shows the secondary as 8.7 magnitude, but it looks more like 10.5 to me.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8Transparency: 9
?
HR 2859
(Variable Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:00:29?PM
Comment: A pretty gold star with a blue secondary. The primary has a 0.7" companion, but I could not see it. The pair lies next to the open cluster NGC 2396.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 61275
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:13:55?PM
Comment: Otto Struve 176
1.6"
This is one of Agnes Clarke's picks. It's hardly a show object but I was able to split the pair?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 59538
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:16:04?PM
Comment: Struve 1103
3.9"
A pretty pair of close stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
?
|
Re: Observing Report Monday, February 10
Good point Roy. Not only does the eye perceive color (when it can) in a highly individualistic way, add in the physical variation in many cooler variable stars. Then mix in different glass characteristics and designs and you get almost infinite stellar possibilities, except maybe green which is impossible no matter what Kent sees in planetary nebula  .
Having done a bit of public astronomy at the late planetarium, one thing I have noted is how well children, untrained and refreshingly free of indoctrination, nail colors with no prompting effortlessly. Adults a lot less so. Many have to be prompted to see it. The tick of defocussing the star image can help sometimes. Like all tricks results may vary by user.
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 12:03:25 PM EST, Roy Diffrient <mail@...> wrote:
Very nice list, Kent ¨C thanks. ?I¡¯d just like to add that the wonderful colors seen visually in double stars can vary with conditions and the observer¡¯s eye, at least. ?The variation adds to the attraction ¨C what colors will you see? ?For example, the last time I was out I also observed Iota Cancri, also with a 5¡± refractor. ?For me that night, the primary star was yellowish and the secondary a beautiful deep blue, rather than your observed deep gold and powder blue. ?Either way a marvelously colored double. ?I look forward to seeing it again.
On 02/11/2025 9:12 AM EST Kent Blackwell via groups.io <kent@...> wrote:
?
?
Clouds prevailed all day Monday but by nightfall the skies cleared. I haven't used my 5" refractor in a while, so I thought I'd chase down some double stars. Without a doubt the most challenging was Sirius. The only way I could see the companion was using my occulting bar-modified Edmund RKE 12.5mm and a Tele Vue 5X Barlow lens.?
?
List: 25/02/10 Takahashi TSA-120?
Venus
(Planet in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:34:11?PM
Comment: Now at 30% illuminated, Venus exhibited quite a bit thinner crescent than a week ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 9
Transparency: 9
?
35 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:38:09?PM
Comment: Struve 12
11.5"?
Pretty pair of stars. The primary is blue-white, and the secondary is deep blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
34 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:39:27?PM
Comment: Struve 5
7"?
Close pair with magnitude contrast. The primary is 5.4 magnitude and the secondary 9.5.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 79%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
42 Piscium
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:40:42?PM
Comment: Struve 27
30"
Although widely separated I was not able to see the 11.5 magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 2714
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:43:22?PM
Comment: Struve 32
29"
Although a wide pair, the primary is 6.8 magnitude, and the secondary is a faint 10.6 magnitude.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Iota Cancri
(Variable Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:56:14?PM
Comment: Struve 1268
30"
An absolutely gorgeous pair of stars, with colors much like Alberiro in the summer sky. The magnitude 4th primary is deep gold, and the 6th magnitude secondary is powder blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 74348
(Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:59:16?PM
Comment: Struve 1166
23"
A 9th magnitude primary and an even fainter 10th magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
NGC 2301
(Open Cluster in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:07:02?PM
Comment: Wonderfully rich, 6th magnitude open cluster of about 30 stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
SAO 114308
(Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:09:45?PM
Comment: Nice triple star, but the third component is challenging at 11.5 magnitude especially on a nearly full moon night?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Trapezium - Theta1 Ori
(Variable Double Star in Orion)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:12:07?PM
Comment: I was able to see the fifth Trapezium easily. The sixth was more challenging, but I was able to see it.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Sirius - Alpha CMa
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:23:44?PM
Comment: After multiple tries, I finally saw The Pup. The only way I was able to see it was using the 12.5mm Edmund RKE occulting bar eyepiece and a Tele Vue 5x Powermate Barlow at 350x. Since I don¡¯t have a motor drive, I let Sirius drift towards the coating bar. When I failed to see it, I¡¯d let it drift again, and then again, and then again. Finally I split it. The pair have been closing for the past few years, so it¡¯s even more difficult now than just a few years ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Phact - Alpha Col
(Variable Double Star in Columba)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:31:44?PM
Comment: There is nothing special about this star, except it might be one of the furthest south I¡¯ve seen from my backyard.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 40864
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:33:38?PM
Comment: Struve 832
23"
An easy pair to split but the secondary is faint at magnitude 10.6
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 41532
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:36:07?PM
Comment: Struve 843
23"
Easy pair to split but the primary is 8.3 magnitude and the secondary is 11.2. I was able to see the secondary with averted vision?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 49546
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:38:29?PM
Comment: Nice pair of equally bright blue stars. The primary has another 1.2" component which I was able to see. Fortunately, they were equal in brightness as well?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 47
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:47:53?PM
Comment: M 47 never fails to impress, especially in a refractor with sharp, crisp star images?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
2 Puppis
(Double Star in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:50:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1138
16.7"
Blue-white primary and a pale blue secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 46
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:51:40?PM
Comment: It's amazing how faint M 46 looks in a 5" refractor compared to the 25". I could barely see the open cluster, much less the embedded planetary nebula. Of course, on this night the moon was nearly full.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HR 2883
(Variable Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:55:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1112
24"
An easily split pair but the secondary is 9.5 magnitude, so a bit challenging on a full moon night. SkySafari shows the secondary as 8.7 magnitude, but it looks more like 10.5 to me.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8Transparency: 9
?
HR 2859
(Variable Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:00:29?PM
Comment: A pretty gold star with a blue secondary. The primary has a 0.7" companion, but I could not see it. The pair lies next to the open cluster NGC 2396.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 61275
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:13:55?PM
Comment: Otto Struve 176
1.6"
This is one of Agnes Clarke's picks. It's hardly a show object but I was able to split the pair?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 59538
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:16:04?PM
Comment: Struve 1103
3.9"
A pretty pair of close stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
|
Re: Observing Report Monday, February 10
Very nice list, Kent ¨C thanks. ?I¡¯d just like to add that the wonderful colors seen visually in double stars can vary with conditions and the observer¡¯s eye, at least. ?The variation adds to the attraction ¨C what colors will you see? ?For example, the last time I was out I also observed Iota Cancri, also with a 5¡± refractor. ?For me that night, the primary star was yellowish and the secondary a beautiful deep blue, rather than your observed deep gold and powder blue. ?Either way a marvelously colored double. ?I look forward to seeing it again.
On 02/11/2025 9:12 AM EST Kent Blackwell via groups.io <kent@...> wrote:
?
?
Clouds prevailed all day Monday but by nightfall the skies cleared. I haven't used my 5" refractor in a while, so I thought I'd chase down some double stars. Without a doubt the most challenging was Sirius. The only way I could see the companion was using my occulting bar-modified Edmund RKE 12.5mm and a Tele Vue 5X Barlow lens.?
?
List: 25/02/10 Takahashi TSA-120?
Venus
(Planet in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:34:11?PM
Comment: Now at 30% illuminated, Venus exhibited quite a bit thinner crescent than a week ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 9
Transparency: 9
?
35 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:38:09?PM
Comment: Struve 12
11.5"?
Pretty pair of stars. The primary is blue-white, and the secondary is deep blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
34 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:39:27?PM
Comment: Struve 5
7"?
Close pair with magnitude contrast. The primary is 5.4 magnitude and the secondary 9.5.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 79%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
42 Piscium
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:40:42?PM
Comment: Struve 27
30"
Although widely separated I was not able to see the 11.5 magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 2714
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:43:22?PM
Comment: Struve 32
29"
Although a wide pair, the primary is 6.8 magnitude, and the secondary is a faint 10.6 magnitude.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Iota Cancri
(Variable Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:56:14?PM
Comment: Struve 1268
30"
An absolutely gorgeous pair of stars, with colors much like Alberiro in the summer sky. The magnitude 4th primary is deep gold, and the 6th magnitude secondary is powder blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 74348
(Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:59:16?PM
Comment: Struve 1166
23"
A 9th magnitude primary and an even fainter 10th magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
NGC 2301
(Open Cluster in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:07:02?PM
Comment: Wonderfully rich, 6th magnitude open cluster of about 30 stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
SAO 114308
(Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:09:45?PM
Comment: Nice triple star, but the third component is challenging at 11.5 magnitude especially on a nearly full moon night?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Trapezium - Theta1 Ori
(Variable Double Star in Orion)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:12:07?PM
Comment: I was able to see the fifth Trapezium easily. The sixth was more challenging, but I was able to see it.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Sirius - Alpha CMa
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:23:44?PM
Comment: After multiple tries, I finally saw The Pup. The only way I was able to see it was using the 12.5mm Edmund RKE occulting bar eyepiece and a Tele Vue 5x Powermate Barlow at 350x. Since I don¡¯t have a motor drive, I let Sirius drift towards the coating bar. When I failed to see it, I¡¯d let it drift again, and then again, and then again. Finally I split it. The pair have been closing for the past few years, so it¡¯s even more difficult now than just a few years ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Phact - Alpha Col
(Variable Double Star in Columba)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:31:44?PM
Comment: There is nothing special about this star, except it might be one of the furthest south I¡¯ve seen from my backyard.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 40864
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:33:38?PM
Comment: Struve 832
23"
An easy pair to split but the secondary is faint at magnitude 10.6
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 41532
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:36:07?PM
Comment: Struve 843
23"
Easy pair to split but the primary is 8.3 magnitude and the secondary is 11.2. I was able to see the secondary with averted vision?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 49546
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:38:29?PM
Comment: Nice pair of equally bright blue stars. The primary has another 1.2" component which I was able to see. Fortunately, they were equal in brightness as well?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 47
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:47:53?PM
Comment: M 47 never fails to impress, especially in a refractor with sharp, crisp star images?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
2 Puppis
(Double Star in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:50:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1138
16.7"
Blue-white primary and a pale blue secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 46
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:51:40?PM
Comment: It's amazing how faint M 46 looks in a 5" refractor compared to the 25". I could barely see the open cluster, much less the embedded planetary nebula. Of course, on this night the moon was nearly full.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HR 2883
(Variable Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:55:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1112
24"
An easily split pair but the secondary is 9.5 magnitude, so a bit challenging on a full moon night. SkySafari shows the secondary as 8.7 magnitude, but it looks more like 10.5 to me.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8Transparency: 9
?
HR 2859
(Variable Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:00:29?PM
Comment: A pretty gold star with a blue secondary. The primary has a 0.7" companion, but I could not see it. The pair lies next to the open cluster NGC 2396.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 61275
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:13:55?PM
Comment: Otto Struve 176
1.6"
This is one of Agnes Clarke's picks. It's hardly a show object but I was able to split the pair?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 59538
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:16:04?PM
Comment: Struve 1103
3.9"
A pretty pair of close stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
|
Re: Observing Report Monday, February 10
Sirius has gotten much harder this year than the past two years. I looked it up on Sky Tools but can't tell how accurate they are as it varied only 0.01 arc seconds. Impossible to notice that visually. If you believe AI it takes 50 years to complete an orbit that varies from 3 to 11 arc seconds. All I know is that it seems harder this go around.
I hate the weather predictions. Kent and I had agreed to observe together pending decent weather. The forecasts were absolutely no help, all over the place. At 6:30 it looked bad but by 7 or 7:30 it was actually pretty good. Too late to travel and set up. When this happens I set up on the balcony withe the three inch SV. It is an easy set up and an easy take down if it goes to pot.
I did see Mars and it was fairly good but getting smaller now. This year will not be one for the books. Did do some doubles that were fun.
57 Cancri, STF 1291, close and even. 6th magnitude for both at 1.5 arc seconds. That is pretty good for a 3 inch.
Iota UMa another tough surprise. 3.13/ 9.2 ? 2.3 arc seconds. That surprised me. I thought it might be beyond the range of the 3 inch but I did do it using a 3.3TOE in good seeing.
66 CNC. I had written that off the last time I looked but last night I did split it. 5.95/8.56? 4.4 arc seconds.
38 Lynx 3.92/6.09? 2.6 arc seconds. The fourth surprise.
I did several more wide doubles for fun. It sure was cold last night. I got fed up around 9:45 and packed up. The sky here is much worse than Kent's place. Too many of the ubiquitous strip malls Virginia Beach is rightly famous for between us.
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 09:12:09 AM EST, Kent Blackwell via groups.io <kent@...> wrote:
Clouds prevailed all day Monday but by nightfall the skies cleared. I haven't used my 5" refractor in a while, so I thought I'd chase down some double stars. Without a doubt the most challenging was Sirius. The only way I could see the companion was using my occulting bar-modified Edmund RKE 12.5mm and a Tele Vue 5X Barlow lens.?
?
List: 25/02/10 Takahashi TSA-120?
Venus
(Planet in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:34:11?PM
Comment: Now at 30% illuminated, Venus exhibited quite a bit thinner crescent than a week ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 9
Transparency: 9
?
35 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:38:09?PM
Comment: Struve 12
11.5"?
Pretty pair of stars. The primary is blue-white, and the secondary is deep blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
34 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:39:27?PM
Comment: Struve 5
7"?
Close pair with magnitude contrast. The primary is 5.4 magnitude and the secondary 9.5.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 79%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
42 Piscium
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:40:42?PM
Comment: Struve 27
30"
Although widely separated I was not able to see the 11.5 magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 2714
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:43:22?PM
Comment: Struve 32
29"
Although a wide pair, the primary is 6.8 magnitude, and the secondary is a faint 10.6 magnitude.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Iota Cancri
(Variable Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:56:14?PM
Comment: Struve 1268
30"
An absolutely gorgeous pair of stars, with colors much like Alberiro in the summer sky. The magnitude 4th primary is deep gold, and the 6th magnitude secondary is powder blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 74348
(Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:59:16?PM
Comment: Struve 1166
23"
A 9th magnitude primary and an even fainter 10th magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
NGC 2301
(Open Cluster in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:07:02?PM
Comment: Wonderfully rich, 6th magnitude open cluster of about 30 stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
SAO 114308
(Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:09:45?PM
Comment: Nice triple star, but the third component is challenging at 11.5 magnitude especially on a nearly full moon night?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Trapezium - Theta1 Ori
(Variable Double Star in Orion)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:12:07?PM
Comment: I was able to see the fifth Trapezium easily. The sixth was more challenging, but I was able to see it.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Sirius - Alpha CMa
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:23:44?PM
Comment: After multiple tries, I finally saw The Pup. The only way I was able to see it was using the 12.5mm Edmund RKE occulting bar eyepiece and a Tele Vue 5x Powermate Barlow at 350x. Since I don¡¯t have a motor drive, I let Sirius drift towards the coating bar. When I failed to see it, I¡¯d let it drift again, and then again, and then again. Finally I split it. The pair have been closing for the past few years, so it¡¯s even more difficult now than just a few years ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Phact - Alpha Col
(Variable Double Star in Columba)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:31:44?PM
Comment: There is nothing special about this star, except it might be one of the furthest south I¡¯ve seen from my backyard.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 40864
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:33:38?PM
Comment: Struve 832
23"
An easy pair to split but the secondary is faint at magnitude 10.6
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 41532
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:36:07?PM
Comment: Struve 843
23"
Easy pair to split but the primary is 8.3 magnitude and the secondary is 11.2. I was able to see the secondary with averted vision?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 49546
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:38:29?PM
Comment: Nice pair of equally bright blue stars. The primary has another 1.2" component which I was able to see. Fortunately, they were equal in brightness as well?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 47
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:47:53?PM
Comment: M 47 never fails to impress, especially in a refractor with sharp, crisp star images?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
2 Puppis
(Double Star in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:50:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1138
16.7"
Blue-white primary and a pale blue secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 46
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:51:40?PM
Comment: It's amazing how faint M 46 looks in a 5" refractor compared to the 25". I could barely see the open cluster, much less the embedded planetary nebula. Of course, on this night the moon was nearly full.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HR 2883
(Variable Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:55:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1112
24"
An easily split pair but the secondary is 9.5 magnitude, so a bit challenging on a full moon night. SkySafari shows the secondary as 8.7 magnitude, but it looks more like 10.5 to me.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8Transparency: 9
?
HR 2859
(Variable Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:00:29?PM
Comment: A pretty gold star with a blue secondary. The primary has a 0.7" companion, but I could not see it. The pair lies next to the open cluster NGC 2396.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 61275
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:13:55?PM
Comment: Otto Struve 176
1.6"
This is one of Agnes Clarke's picks. It's hardly a show object but I was able to split the pair?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 59538
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:16:04?PM
Comment: Struve 1103
3.9"
A pretty pair of close stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
|
Observing Report Monday, February 10
Clouds prevailed all day Monday but by nightfall the skies cleared. I haven't used my 5" refractor in a while, so I thought I'd chase down some double stars. Without a doubt the most challenging was Sirius. The only way I could see the companion was using my occulting bar-modified Edmund RKE 12.5mm and a Tele Vue 5X Barlow lens.?
?
List: 25/02/10 Takahashi TSA-120?
Venus
(Planet in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:34:11?PM
Comment: Now at 30% illuminated, Venus exhibited quite a bit thinner crescent than a week ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 9
Transparency: 9
?
35 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:38:09?PM
Comment: Struve 12
11.5"?
Pretty pair of stars. The primary is blue-white, and the secondary is deep blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
34 Piscium
(Variable Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:39:27?PM
Comment: Struve 5
7"?
Close pair with magnitude contrast. The primary is 5.4 magnitude and the secondary 9.5.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 79%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
42 Piscium
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:40:42?PM
Comment: Struve 27
30"
Although widely separated I was not able to see the 11.5 magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 2714
(Double Star in Pisces)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:43:22?PM
Comment: Struve 32
29"
Although a wide pair, the primary is 6.8 magnitude, and the secondary is a faint 10.6 magnitude.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Iota Cancri
(Variable Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:56:14?PM
Comment: Struve 1268
30"
An absolutely gorgeous pair of stars, with colors much like Alberiro in the summer sky. The magnitude 4th primary is deep gold, and the 6th magnitude secondary is powder blue?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 74348
(Double Star in Cancer)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 7:59:16?PM
Comment: Struve 1166
23"
A 9th magnitude primary and an even fainter 10th magnitude secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
NGC 2301
(Open Cluster in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:07:02?PM
Comment: Wonderfully rich, 6th magnitude open cluster of about 30 stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
SAO 114308
(Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:09:45?PM
Comment: Nice triple star, but the third component is challenging at 11.5 magnitude especially on a nearly full moon night?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
Trapezium - Theta1 Ori
(Variable Double Star in Orion)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:12:07?PM
Comment: I was able to see the fifth Trapezium easily. The sixth was more challenging, but I was able to see it.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Sirius - Alpha CMa
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:23:44?PM
Comment: After multiple tries, I finally saw The Pup. The only way I was able to see it was using the 12.5mm Edmund RKE occulting bar eyepiece and a Tele Vue 5x Powermate Barlow at 350x. Since I don¡¯t have a motor drive, I let Sirius drift towards the coating bar. When I failed to see it, I¡¯d let it drift again, and then again, and then again. Finally I split it. The pair have been closing for the past few years, so it¡¯s even more difficult now than just a few years ago.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Phact - Alpha Col
(Variable Double Star in Columba)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:31:44?PM
Comment: There is nothing special about this star, except it might be one of the furthest south I¡¯ve seen from my backyard.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 40864
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:33:38?PM
Comment: Struve 832
23"
An easy pair to split but the secondary is faint at magnitude 10.6
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 41532
(Double Star in Lepus)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:36:07?PM
Comment: Struve 843
23"
Easy pair to split but the primary is 8.3 magnitude and the secondary is 11.2. I was able to see the secondary with averted vision?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 49546
(Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:38:29?PM
Comment: Nice pair of equally bright blue stars. The primary has another 1.2" component which I was able to see. Fortunately, they were equal in brightness as well?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 47
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:47:53?PM
Comment: M 47 never fails to impress, especially in a refractor with sharp, crisp star images?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
2 Puppis
(Double Star in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:50:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1138
16.7"
Blue-white primary and a pale blue secondary?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
Messier 46
(Open Cluster in Puppis)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:51:40?PM
Comment: It's amazing how faint M 46 looks in a 5" refractor compared to the 25". I could barely see the open cluster, much less the embedded planetary nebula. Of course, on this night the moon was nearly full.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HR 2883
(Variable Double Star in Monoceros)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 8:55:07?PM
Comment: Struve 1112
24"
An easily split pair but the secondary is 9.5 magnitude, so a bit challenging on a full moon night. SkySafari shows the secondary as 8.7 magnitude, but it looks more like 10.5 to me.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 53¡ã H 54%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8Transparency: 9
?
HR 2859
(Variable Double Star in Canis Major)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:00:29?PM
Comment: A pretty gold star with a blue secondary. The primary has a 0.7" companion, but I could not see it. The pair lies next to the open cluster NGC 2396.
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 8
Transparency: 9
?
HD 61275
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:13:55?PM
Comment: Otto Struve 176
1.6"
This is one of Agnes Clarke's picks. It's hardly a show object but I was able to split the pair?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
HD 59538
(Double Star in Canis Minor)
Observed: Feb 10, 2025 at 9:16:04?PM
Comment: Struve 1103
3.9"
A pretty pair of close stars?
Location: Virginia Beach Moon 97% SQML 17.6 35¡ã H 70%
Equipment: 120mm F/7.5 Takahashi, 5mm Pentax
Seeing: 7
Transparency: 9
?
|
Kent Blackwell
