Stephen Saber has been an avid observational astronomer for many years.
A musician and songwriter by trade, his passion for the night sky has led him to star parties and celestial events in 30 states, Canada, Mexico, and the Carribean.
His astronomy articles have appeared in numerous regional and national publications. Saber is also the author of the Starhoppers Guide to the Herschel 400 and namesake of the Lunar phase phenomenon known as Saber's Beads.
His extensive Outreach efforts inspired the first permanent camp observatory built for the Boy Scouts of America.
Saber has received the Master Observer's award from the Astronomical League and is currently a member of the Quad Cities Popular Astronomy Club. His astro-column Left Ascension is a regular feature in the PAC newsletter.
*****
[all articles within are free use and may be reprinted with author/website acknowledgement]
M1: The Crab Nebula [courtesy of SEDS]
Running the M-Cubed is an advanced approach to the Messier Marathon requiring the observer to already be very familiar with each target's position.
Sharpshooting the Messiers for a few seasons before even hearing of the M-Cubed, my approach included committing the entire sequence to memory.
For easier memorization the 110 Messier objects are broken down into 10 groups, each corresponding to a specific area of the sky. Numeric patterns are added whenever possible while still following the basic search sequence.
I have used this technique to manually hunt and observe all 110 Messiers from Arizona, and 109 on three occasions from 41N latitude without the aid of starcharts or notes.
Begin by memorizing the first string of numbers while visualizing their positions. As you become comfortable with these, repeat the process for the subsequent groups.
Evening Rush
74, 77, 33, 31, 32, 110, 52, 103, 76, 34, 45
Southern Comfort
79, 42, 43, 78, 41, 50, 93, 46, 47, 48
Early Ecliptic
1, 35, 37, 36, 38, 44, 67, 95, 96, 105, 65, 66
The Big Bear
81, 82, 97, 108, 109, 40, 106, 94, 63, 51, 101, 102
Downtown Virgo
98, 99, 100, 85, 84, 86, 87, 88, 91, 90, 89
Virgo and the 'Burbs
58, 59, 60, 49, 61, 64, 53, 3, 104, 68, 83
Easy East
5, 13, 92, 57, 56, 39, 29, 27, 71
Got Globulars?
12, 10, 14, 107, 9, 4, 80, 62, 19
Cruising the Milky Way
11, 26, 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, 23, 21, 20, 8, 28, 22
Homestretch
6, 7, 69, 70, 54, 55, 75, 15, 2, 72, 73, 30
With repetition the individual strings will eventually link together as the
entire search sequence is committed to memory. (note: the strings' titles are by no means written in stone, and can be substituted for any phrase the observer finds mneumonically helpful.)
I encourage those interested in attempting this method to practice with mini-M-Cubes throughout the year, going over each leg in sections.
Many end up suprised by how many are already familiar outside of their chart and starhopping routine.
[Left Ascension, Feb '04]
*****
by Stephen Saber
You've probably seen a very thin sliver of our moon after sunset or before sunrise. Imagine it thinner. And even thinner. Eventually all that's left is sunlight shining off the mountain peaks while leaving the valleys in darkness. This arched 'string-of-pearls' is known as Saber's Beads after a comment I made about the visual similarity to what is seen during a solar eclipse.
Just before (and after) the moon passes in front of the sun, light shines at us through the valleys but is blocked by the mountains- the mirrored effect of Saber's Beads. After reporting this resemblence, my esteemed stargazing colleagues honored me with its namesake.
While promoted as an outreach term, further scientific study may also provide new insights regarding local albedo values within the lunar libration zones.
*****
TARGETS NOT TO MISS
The search for thin crescents on either side of Luna's conjunction with Sol can be both a fun and rewarding challenge for amateur astronomers. Along with observing skill and planning, the serendipitous timing and sky conditions necessary are equal contributors to successful sighting of the first and last visible hints of our moon.
Adding to the hunt's intrigue, very young and old crescents- predominantly within 24 hours of New Moon- exhibit the phenomenon known as Saber's Beads.
This necklace of staggered brightness peaks along very thin crescents is reminiscent of the beautiful 'string-of-pearls' effect seen near 2nd and 3rd contacts during a total Solar eclipse.
While spotting stray beads at the tips of waxing and waning crescents is quite common, the entire limb desegmentation reveals itself much closer to New Moon.
As the eclipse counterpart is initiated by direct sunlight seen through our moon's valleys, Saber's Beads are detected by the early and last angular illumination of the mountainous regions.
Luna's rugged topography, distance, and constant libration will also vary the beads' appearance, which is further enhanced by associated low-altitude scintillation.
[adapted from Astronomy, September '06]
*****
Sliver Spotting Tips
Set up at a site with as much altitude as possible overlooking an unobstructed horizon.
Optimal sky transparency allows the crescent to
be detected and tracked down to, or up from, the horizon.
Using a telescope or binoculars (mounted binos are recommended), fine tune the focus on Venus, Jupiter, or one of the brighter stars beforehand.
For dusk attempts, have Sol's setting azimuth on hand- making note after sunset of a random landmark at that position for reference- as well as Luna's altaz position at sunset thru moonset. Accordingly, for dawn attempts, have Luna's altaz info for moonrise thru sunrise.
Once the crescent is acquired in binoculars, walk the bino down to the horizon/random landmark in consecutive FOVs for the approximate naked-eye altaz.
A favorable elongation (aka 'moonlag') is important. In the 24 hours before or after New Moon, Luna's angular separation from Sol can vary by several degrees. With a favorable ecliptic, net elongations (as altitude) of 7° or more at sunset or moonrise offer the best window for detection. 10-12° is necessary to catch Saber's Beads in optimal/deep twilight.
Also, don't always count-out a shallow ecliptic. Occasionally our moon's extreme northern or southern declination will compensate for a less
than favorable ecliptic angle.
Bracketing The Slivers
Another rare and challenging notch for ones Lunar bedpost is to catch the consecutive waning and waxing crescents within 24 hours on each side of New Moon.
Most recently, June 2007's Strawberry Moon offered such an opportunity as I was able to spot both the -17.5 hour illumination before sunrise on the 14th and the +22.5 hour sliver just after sunset on the 15th.
*****
Lunation 1056
New Moon 05 May 2008 1218ut
Angular Size/Distance
@-24hours 33.4'/357798km
@ 00hours 33.5'/356254km
@+24hours 33.5'/356735km
Declination
@-24hours +15°16'
@ 00hours +20°35'
@+24hours +24°30'
Locations providing 6° or more of net elongation as altitude are bolded.
50n120w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 27m
moonrise/azimuth: 1000ut/56*
altaz at sunrise: 2.5*/60*
sunrise/azimuth: 1027ut/62*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.0*/-02h18m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 01h12m
sunset/azimuth: 0327ut/297*
altaz at sunset: 8.2*/296*
moonset/azimuth: 0439ut/309*
elong/age at sunset: 10.3*/15h09m
30n120w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 13m
moonrise/azimuth: 1100ut/65*
altaz at sunrise: 1.5*/66*
sunrise/azimuth: 1113ut/70*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.0*/-01h18m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 46m
sunset/azimuth: 0241ut/290*
altaz at sunset: 7.4*/292*
moonset/azimuth: 0327ut/298*
elong/age at sunset: 9.9*/14h23m
50n90w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 29m
moonrise/azimuth: 0958ut/56*
altaz at sunrise: 3.1*/62*
sunrise/azimuth: 1027ut/62*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.1*/-02h20m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 01h05m
sunset/azimuth: 0127ut/297*
altaz at sunset: 7.2*/297*
moonset/azimuth: 0232ut/308*
elong/age at sunset: 9.3*/13h09m
30n90w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 17m
moonrise/azimuth: 1056ut/65*
altaz at sunrise: 2.3*/67*
sunrise/azimuth: 1113ut/70*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.0*/-01h22m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 40m
sunset/azimuth: 0041ut/290*
altaz at sunset: 6.3*/292*
moonset/azimuth: 0121ut/297*
elong/age at sunset: 8.9*/12h23m
10n90w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 08m
moonrise/azimuth: 1133ut/68*
altaz at sunrise: 1.1*/69*
sunrise/azimuth: 1141ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.0*/-00h45m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 25m
sunset/azimuth: 0013ut/287*
altaz at sunset: 4.4*/292*
moonset/azimuth: 0038ut/293*
elong/age at sunset: 8.7*/11h55m
50n60w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 33m
moonrise/azimuth: 0755ut/57*
altaz at sunrise: 3.4*/63*
sunrise/azimuth: 0828ut/62*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.6*/-04h23m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 57m
sunset/azimuth: 2327ut/297*
altaz at sunset: 6.2*/297*
moonset/azimuth: 0024ut/308*
elong/age at sunset: 8.3*/11h09m
10n60w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 13m
moonrise/azimuth: 0928ut/69*
altaz at sunrise: 2.1*/69*
sunrise/azimuth: 0941ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.2*/-02h50m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 20m
sunset/azimuth: 2213ut/287*
altaz at sunset: 3.3*/292*
moonset/azimuth: 2233ut/293*
elong/age at sunset: 7.7*/09h55m
10s60w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 04m
moonrise/azimuth: 1000ut/69*
altaz at sunrise: 0.3*/68*
sunrise/azimuth: 1004ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.1*/-02h18m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 08m
sunset/azimuth: 2149ut/286*
altaz at sunset: 1.1*/293*
moonset/azimuth: 2157ut/293*
elong/age at sunset: 7.5*/09h31m
30s60w
-24h waning
sunrise window: -06m
moonrise/azimuth: 1037ut/65*
altaz at sunrise: -0.5*/66*
sunrise/azimuth: 1031ut/71*
elong/age at moonrise: 5.1*/-01h41m
-24h waxing
moonset window: -06m
sunset/azimuth: 2122ut/288*
altaz at sunset: -0.5*/296*
moonset/azimuth: 2116ut/296*
elong/age at sunset: 7.3*/09h04m
50n00e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 37m
moonrise/azimuth: 0351ut/59*
altaz at sunrise: 4.2*/65*
sunrise/azimuth: 0428ut/62*
elong/age at moonrise: 6.7*/-08h27m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 43m
sunset/azimuth: 1926ut/297*
altaz at sunset: 4.4*/299*
moonset/azimuth: 2009ut/306*
elong/age at sunset: 6.5*/07h08m
30n00e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 28m
moonrise/azimuth: 0445ut/67*
altaz at sunrise: 4.4*/70*
sunrise/azimuth: 0513ut/70*
elong/age at moonrise: 6.4*/-07h33m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 21m
sunset/azimuth: 1841ut/289*
altaz at sunset: 3.1*/293*
moonset/azimuth: 1902ut/296*
elong/age at sunset: 6.3*/06h23m
10n00e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 21m
moonrise/azimuth: 0519ut/70*
altaz at sunrise: 4.0*/70*
sunrise/azimuth: 0541ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 6.3*/-06h59m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 09m
sunset/azimuth: 1813ut/287*
altaz at sunset: 1.2*/292*
moonset/azimuth: 1822ut/292*
elong/age at sunset: 6.1*/05h55m
50n30e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 39m
moonrise/azimuth: 0149ut/59*
altaz at sunrise: 4.4*/66*
sunrise/azimuth: 0228ut/62*
elong/age at moonrise: 7.6*/-10h29m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 35m
sunset/azimuth: 1726ut/297*
altaz at sunset: 3.4*/299*
moonset/azimuth: 1801ut/306*
elong/age at sunset: 5.8*/05h08m
30n30e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 32m
moonrise/azimuth: 0221ut/67*
altaz at sunrise: 5.2*/71*
sunrise/azimuth: 0313ut/70*
elong/age at moonrise: 7.3*/-09h59m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 15m
sunset/azimuth: 1641ut/289*
altaz at sunset: 2.0*/294*
moonset/azimuth: 1656ut/295*
elong/age at sunset: 5.6*/04h23m
10n30e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 26m
moonrise/azimuth: 0315ut/70*
altaz at sunrise: 5.0*/71*
sunrise/azimuth: 0341ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 7.1*/-09h03m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 03m
sunset/azimuth: 1613ut/287*
altaz at sunset: 0.2*/292*
moonset/azimuth: 1616ut/292*
elong/age at sunset: 5.5*/03h55m
10s30e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 20m
moonrise/azimuth: 0344ut/70*
altaz at sunrise: 3.3*/69*
sunrise/azimuth: 0404ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 6.9*/-08h34m
-24h waxing
moonset window: -07m
sunset/azimuth: 1549ut/286*
altaz at sunset: -1.0*/292*
moonset/azimuth: 1542ut/292*
elong/age at sunset: 5.4*/03h31m
30s30e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 12m
moonrise/azimuth: 0419ut/67*
altaz at sunrise: 1.4*/65*
sunrise/azimuth: 0431ut/71*
elong/age at moonrise: 6.7*/-07h59m
-24h waxing
moonset window: -18m
sunset/azimuth: 1522ut/288*
altaz at sunset: -3.5*/293*
moonset/azimuth: 1504ut/295*
elong/age at sunset: 5.3*/03h04m
50n60e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 41m
moonrise/azimuth: 2347ut/60*
altaz at sunrise: 5.0*/67*
sunrise/azimuth: 0028ut/62*
elong/age at moonrise: 8.5*/-12h31m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 27m
sunset/azimuth: 1526ut/297*
altaz at sunset: 2.4*/300*
moonset/azimuth: 1553ut/305*
elong/age at sunset: 5.3*/03h08m
30n60e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 35m
moonrise/azimuth: 0038ut/68*
altaz at sunrise: 6.1*/72*
sunrise/azimuth: 0113ut/70*
elong/age at moonrise: 8.2*/-11h39m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 09m
sunset/azimuth: 1441ut/289*
altaz at sunset: 1.0*/294*
moonset/azimuth: 1450ut/295*
elong/age at sunset: 5.2*/02h23m
50n90e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 43m
moonrise/azimuth: 2145ut/61*
altaz at sunrise: 5.2*/69*
sunrise/azimuth: 2228ut/63*
elong/age at moonrise: 9.5*/-14h33m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 20m
sunset/azimuth: 1326ut/297*
altaz at sunset: 1.5*/301*
moonset/azimuth: 1346ut/304*
elong/age at sunset: 5.0*/01h08m
30n90e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 39m
moonrise/azimuth: 2234ut/69*
altaz at sunrise: 6.5*/73*
sunrise/azimuth: 2313ut/70*
elong/age at moonrise: 9.1*/-13h44m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 02m
sunset/azimuth: 1241ut/289*
altaz at sunset: 0.1*/294*
moonset/azimuth: 1243ut/294*
elong/age at sunset: 5.0*/00h23m
50n120e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 45m
moonrise/azimuth: 1943ut/62*
altaz at sunrise: 5.4*/70*
sunrise/azimuth: 2028ut/63*
elong/age at moonrise: 10.5*/-16h35m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 01h42m
sunset/azimuth: 1127ut/298*
altaz at sunset: 12.1*/293*
moonset/azimuth: 1309ut/311*
elong/age at sunset: 14.6*/23h09m
30n120e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 42m
moonrise/azimuth: 2031ut/69*
altaz at sunrise: 7.3*/74*
sunrise/azimuth: 2113ut/70*
elong/age at moonrise: 10.1*/-15h47m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 01h11m
sunset/azimuth: 1041ut/290*
altaz at sunset: 12.2*/291*
moonset/azimuth: 1152ut/299*
elong/age at sunset: 14.2*/22h23m
10n120e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 40m
moonrise/azimuth: 2101ut/71*
altaz at sunrise: 8.0*/73*
sunrise/azimuth: 2141ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 9.9*/-15h17m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 53m
sunset/azimuth: 1013ut/287*
altaz at sunset: 10.3*/293*
moonset/azimuth: 1106ut/295*
elong/age at sunset: 13.9*/21h55m
10s120e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 35m
moonrise/azimuth: 2129ut/71*
altaz at sunrise: 7.0*/70*
sunrise/azimuth: 2204ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 9.7*/-14h49m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 38m
sunset/azimuth: 0949ut/286*
altaz at sunset: 7.1*/297*
moonset/azimuth: 1027ut/295*
elong/age at sunset: 13.7*/21h31m
30s120e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 31m
moonrise/azimuth: 2200ut/69*
altaz at sunrise: 4.6*/65*
sunrise/azimuth: 2231ut/71*
elong/age at moonrise: 9.5*/-14h18m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 20m
sunset/azimuth: 0922ut/288*
altaz at sunset: 2.5*/301*
moonset/azimuth: 0942ut/299*
elong/age at sunset: 13.5*/21h04m
10s150e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 41m
moonrise/azimuth: 1923ut/72*
altaz at sunrise: 8.1*/70*
sunrise/azimuth: 2004ut/73*
elong/age at moonrise: 10.7*/-16h55m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 33m
sunset/azimuth: 0749ut/286*
altaz at sunset: 6.1*/296*
moonset/azimuth: 0822*/295*
elong/age at sunset: 12.6*/19h31m
30s150e
-24h waning
sunrise window: 37m
moonrise/azimuth: 1954ut/69*
altaz at sunrise: 6.1*/64*
sunrise/azimuth: 2031ut/71*
elong/age at moonrise: 10.5*/-16h24m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 15m
sunset/azimuth: 0722ut/288*
altaz at sunset: 2.1*/300*
moonset/azimuth: 0737ut/298*
elong/age at sunset: 12.4*/19h04m
60n160w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 49m
moonrise/azimuth: 1337ut/56*
altaz at sunrise: 4.3*/66*
sunrise/azimuth: 1426ut/54*
elong/age at moonrise: 13.7*/-22h41m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 02h01m
sunset/azimuth: 0651ut/307*
altaz at sunset: 9.1*/302*
moonset/azimuth: 0852ut/326*
elong/age at sunset: 12.1*/18h33m
20n160w
-24h waning
sunrise window: 51m
moonrise/azimuth: 1517ut/72*
altaz at sunrise: 10.2*/76*
sunrise/azimuth: 1608ut/72*
elong/age at moonrise: 12.8*/-21h01m
-24h waxing
moonset window: 46m
sunset/azimuth: 0506ut/288*
altaz at sunset: 8.3*/292*
moonset/azimuth: 0552ut/296*
elong/age at sunset: 11.2*/16h48m
raw data generated with WinEphem
*check local listings*
*****
Ready to tackle the Herschel 400?
Veteran starhopper and Astronomical League Master Observer Stephen Saber offers tips and stress-free instructions for hunting these enticing but sometimes elusive celestial treasures.
This guide also contains search sequences, starcharts, object types, magnitudes, coordinates, and equatorial directions from selected guide stars for all 400 astronomical targets.
Log entries and observation notes can also be recorded, and are indexed for quick reference.
Great for individual or club projects.
220 pages, spiral bound.
$25.00 includes shipping.
(Discounts for orders of 10 or more.)
Orders and Inquiries:
saberscorpx@qconline.com
*****
Review by Ed Flaspoehler, American Association of Amateur Astronomers www.astromax.org
I just received in the mail a copy of Stephen Saber's manual, the Starhoppers Guide to the Herschel 400. Since I am currently working on the Herschel project myself, I was very interested to see how it could help in my search.
First, let's make it clear that this book is not just a replacement for the AL's Observe: The Herschel Objects. In that book, there are descriptions of the 400 objects in order by NGC number, which are divided into four groups for each season of the year. But that is all. Unlike even the AL's Messier manual, there are just a few pages of generic forms in the back, and not even enough to complete the project. I had to photocopy forms as needed.
Saber's book, however, is both a guide and an observing log. Here, the list is sequenced within each constellation. Then, for each object, there is the NGC number, object type and magnitude, coordinates, page number in both Uranometria and Sky Atlas 2000, and a place to make observing notes.
Saber has also added an additional feature. There is a brief and specific notation on how to starhop to the object you are looking for. Each page of the Guide is face-to-face with a map of the constellation in which you are working. On the maps are designated start-off points from which to star hop, and instructions on which direction and how far to go to find your object. Since this is how I usually go about finding an object I am sure it will work. It should be noted that the NGC objects themselves are not notated on the maps. For that information you may wish to refer to your own chart, such as Sky Atlas 2000, Uranometria, etc.
I currently have numerous loose-leaf pages of observing logs. The only way I can keep track of how many and which objects I have observed is to make a check mark in the AL's Herschel book. I also have another list in constellation order, so I end up making multiple notations for each object. A real chore.
Saber's book will make this job alot easier. And if it makes your time in the field better spent, then it is surely worth the price.
*****
I really like how the Starhoppers Guide to the Herschel 400 is laid out- in a great linear order, no nonsense, and the star charts are perfect. Simple enough to not seem cluttered, and I still have room for some pencil marks here and there. It is really quite easy to use.
Saber's Guide helps teach what the Herschel Program is supposed to instill, starhopping to find challenge objects, and has even helped me refine my skills. I have a feeling that I am going to give this book a lot of use and recommend it to those who are starting or working on the Herschel 400.
-Brian Carter (Atlanta Astronomy Club)
*****
Saber guides us through the Herschel 400 objects with ease and precision. Uncluttered charts and flowing starhops will certainly save any observer alot of time and frustration at the scope. In addition, the indexed target and log entries will always serve as a quick reference to the Herschels and my observations. Highly recommended.
-Bob Bryant (MAL/Astronomical League)
*****
'Observatory Dedicated to Boy Scouts of America'
(June 1998)
For the past three years, amateur astronomers Stephen Saber and Gene Evans have been showing the wonders of the night sky to visitors at the Loud Thunder Illowa Scout Camp and Forest Preserve in Illinois City, IL.
June and July alone see more than 2,000 Scouts from across the nation (and overseas) pass through the camp, and each are given the opportunity to view the Moon, planets, and distant galaxies through telescopes and binoculars.
The response was so well received that the HON corporation in Muscatine, Iowa funded the construction of a permanent astronomical observatory at the camp, the first specifically dedicated for use by the Boy Scouts of America.
In keeping with the forest preserve's Native American roots, the observatory was named Akotah Kanikamocik Acahkosak (The Place of Singing Stars).
Operated and maintained by Saber and Evans, the 18-foot automated dome houses a 14-inch Schmitt-Cassegrain telescope, and is available for all visiting Scout troops and their families.
[Despite my efforts and research to poetically name the observatory, it wasn't too suprising that the visiting Scouts almost immediately dubbed it the 'Thunderdome' (and I, accordingly, became 'Mad Max'). -Saber]
*****
by Stephen Saber
Starparties are more than just our chance to combine forces collecting photons, converse with friends, and show-off our new astro toys. Veterans also have the chance to flex their expertise as celestial tour guides for the visiting public.
And after offering thousands of visitors their first up-close glimpses of the heavens, I'd like to share some of my personal favorite laymans' reactions at the eyepiece.
HELIOPHOBIA: It was a beautiful day for Solar observing among the Red Rocks of Arizona. I had a long line forming behind my mounted and filtered 80mm Giant binos. But a middle-aged woman 'on deck' was becoming increasingly reluctant despite the safety reassurances from me and those of her family that had already taken a peek. Without warning, her panic attack erupted with accompanying hysterical ranting about a possible intimate view of our star 'invading her spirit' and 'stealing her soul'. She ran from the line and spent the next 10 minutes waiting for the rest of her family crouched in fear and peering from behind a nearby building.
HAVE YOU HUGGED AN ASTROLOGER TODAY?: Mighty Jove never fails to make an impression with newbies. After taking a long look with praise and awe at Jupiter, an excited woman began gushing me with thanks and multiple bearhugs. Turns out she was an avid astrologer who had never had the chance to see her favorite planet 'live' among her birthsign's stars. She was so appreciative that I didn't have the heart to explain that Jupiter was nowhere near the constellation she had hoped.
LUNAR VERTIGO: A young lady in line for her first telescopic view of our moon got a bit more than she expected. That night, for kicks, I was employing the porthole effects of a 16mm Nagler. After about ten mesmerized seconds she managed a quiet and appreciative "Whoa". At almost the same time her knees slowly buckled. She fell onto my accessories table while still clutching the now teetering scope's diagonal. Fortunately my reflexes and moral priorities were on keel that night as I grabbed both the woman's arm and my tripod almost simultaneously, narrowly avoiding certain disaster. (Those Naglers should really come with a physiological warning!)
A SATURNIAN COMA: Saturn looked great that night. I was even envious that this massive group of Cub Scouts was going to enjoy such an incredibly crisp view of our ringed planet at only their first opportunity. In fact, an eager Scout about fifth in line was so literally floored by his view that he fell backwards into the grass and laid quietly mumbling "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God..." while blankly staring at the heavens for at least the next ten minutes. Not only was it amusing, but he made a great shill for those now anxiously waiting in my line.
IT TAKES A STEADY HAND: Back in the day, I used to whip out my red laser pointer at Outreach events to secretly coincide with Mir passes and Iridium flares.
Inevitably, one of the first questions asked was how far the beam would reach, to which I'd respond, "Pretty far. In fact, there are plenty of satellites above us in orbit (casually scanning the skies with the pointer), and sometimes you can catch them (aiming more intently now) at just the right angle and..."
(-7 mag Iridium flare erupts amidst gasps and cheers of amazement).
[Note: Due to recent public GLP misuse and to promote responsible laser use, I no longer perform this 'magic' light show.
But it was quite a crowd pleaser!]
GEE! NO, G.E.!: I overheard the story of
a Boy Scout camp offering the Astronomy merit badge to any hardy souls who could stay up late enough for the entire viewing session. The instructor had trained his scope on a bright planet (presumably Venus) just cresting the ridge across a valley. After the group had a look, he moved on to other objects for a few hours. Toward the end of the session, he returned to the planet they'd viewed earlier. Oddly enough, the luminous object appeared no higher in the sky than it had hours earlier. And on closer inspection, he noticed that it was in fact slightly below the ridge line on the far side of the valley. At that point the instructor realized he'd been training the scope on a street light.
At the end of that week of camp, the staff presented him with a plaque bearing a light bulb to commemorate the discovery of his new planet dubbed 'G.E.' (for General Electric).
WE DON'T NEED NO STEENKING EYEPIECES: Some folks just can't wait to get their first view of the planets. In a recent story of enthusiasm meeting confusion, I hadn't even mounted my giant binos before an excited elderly gentleman first in line eagerly attempted a peek at Jupiter thru the tripod boom arm's stock.
He was so thoroughly chastized for this faux pas by his overbearing wife that I sympathetically passed on chiding him with "So, how was the view?"
MOON, SCHMOON: As part of a local elementary school's science fair, I was invited to bring my 8" SCT to share views of our moon and available planets.
Unfortunately, it decided to rain that evening.
Switching to Plan B, I set-up in the gymnasium and taped a blown-up 18" photo of our gibbous moon (laminated and cut round for just such an occasion) high above the bleachers at the opposite end of the gym.
Although the angle of my diagonal merely misled most folks as to location of the substitute-moon, one suspicious 3rd grader wasn't buying any part of this astronomical charade stating, "How can that be the Moon? I was just outside and couldn't see it at all through the clouds!"
He did not, however, seem to have a problem believing my scope was capable of first penetrating the building's ceiling.
FROM THE PUBLIC SOLAR COMPLAINTS DEPT.
"If it's so dangerous to look at the eclipse, then why are they having
one at all?"
"Why do we have Daylight Savings Time? That extra hour of sunlight is
killing my grass."
"Me and my class cannot make it to the Solar Eclipse on Wednesday.
Can you reschedule it?"
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: A line of elementary school students, along with some of the faculty, were taking turns at my scope viewing the available sunspots. After taking a peek, one exceptional 2nd grader began calmly explaining this Solar phenomenon to his nearby classmates. He recited perfectly facts concerning umbras and penumbras, surface temperature differences, approximate sizes of sunspots, as well as Sol's diameter and rotational period.
This was in some contrast to the next sunspot observer, the school's principal, who excitedly spun toward me from the eyepiece and simply exclaimed, "Wow! They look like ants!"
VICTORY SPIKE FOR VENUS: I was asked to host a daytime observing session at a nearby youth summer camp. Luckily, conditions were wonderful and the cloudless sky was about as blue as it gets in the Midwest. Hundreds of people had the opportunity to view Sol and Luna.
After lunch, Venus had also climbed high enough in the sky to make it an unscheduled but viable target. Among the first batch of afternoon campers, it was this group's adult counselor that was most excited that another planet might actually be observable during daylight hours. Upon seeing the admittedly pretty but featureless crescent of our sister planet for the first time, she began a touchdown-worthy dance around my scope. The 90 lb. woman's tirade included ecstatic screams and culminated with her falling to her knees and repeatedly pounding tiny fists into the ground.
(And to think I was just gonna stick to sunspots and craters!)
Of course, extreme reactions from views of our celestial treasures are always entertaining. But vicariously seeing the wonders above through a first-timers eyes should also always remind us- lest we take them for granted- of how beautiful, intriguing, and awe-inspiring the Cosmos and its aesthetics truly are.
Stephen Saber has received the Master Observer's award from the Astronomical League and is author of the 'Starhoppers Guide to the Herschel 400'.
He curses the clouds from his home in Rock Island, Illinois.
*****
[The Dumbell Nebula courtesy of SEDS]
This collection of DSOs and doublestars unifies the Astronomical League's Messier, Bino Deepsky, Caldwell (the 70 most northern), and Double Star
targets as well as the RASC's 110 Finest NGC Objects (of which 90 are H400s). Three doubles I couldn't live without are also included.
Designed with those tackling the Observe Programs in mind, the overlapping entries have been omitted- leaving a treasure chest of 409 gems for northern observers.
Grouped by constellation, the basic data and corresponding Pocket Sky Atlas chart follow each entry.
ANDROMEDA type/mag/radec/psa
M31 GX 3.5 0043+4119 03
M32 GX 8.2 0043+4055 03
M110 GX 8.0 0041+4144 03
NGC752 OC 5.7 0158+3743 02
NGC891 GX 10.0 0223+4223 02
NGC7662 PN 9.0 2326+4236 03
gammaAnd DS 2.3 0204+4222 02
AQUARIUS
M2 GC 6.5 2134-0047 77
M72 GC 9.4 2054-1230 77
M73 AS 9.0 2059-1236 77
NGC7009 PN 8.0 2105-1120 77
NGC7293 PN 7.5 2230-2046 76
zetaAqr DS 4.3 2229-0001 77
94 Aqr DS 5.3 2319-1328 76
AQUILA
NGC6709 OC 6.7 1852+1022 65
NGC6781 PN 12.0 1919+0634 65
57 Aql DS 5.8 1955-0814 66
ARIES
NGC772 GX 10.3 0200+1903 04
gammaAri DS 4.8 0154+1918 04
lambdaAri DS 4.9 0158+2336 04
AURIGA
M36 OC 6.0 0537+3408 12
M37 OC 5.6 0553+3233 12
M38 OC 6.4 0529+3550 12
NGC1893 OC 7.5 0523+3324 12
NGC1907 OC 8.2 0529+3519 12
NGC1931 CN 11.3 0532+3415 12
NGC2281 OC 5.4 0650+4103 23
IC405 EN -- 0517+3416 12
thetaAur DS 2.7 0600+3713 12
BOOTES
NGC5248 GX 10.2 1338+0851 44
NGC5466 GC 9.1 1406+2830 44
deltaBoo DS 3.5 1516+3319 42
iotaBoo DS 4.9 1416+5122 42
kappaBoo DS 4.6 1414+5147 42
epsilonBoo DS 2.5 1445+2704 44
muBoo DS 4.3 1525+3723 42
piBoo DS 4.9 1441+1625 44
xiBoo DS 4.7 1451+1906 44
CAMELOPARDALIS
NGC1501 PN 13.0 0408+6056 13
NGC2403 GX 8.4 0738+6535 21
NGC2655 GX 10.1 0857+7811 21
IC342 GX 9.1 0348+6807 11
Stock23 OC 6.5 0316+6002 11
Kemble1 OC 4.0 0358+6306 11
1 Cam DS 5.7 0432+5355 12
32 Cam DS 5.3 1249+8325 21
CANCER
M44 OC 3.1 0841+1957 24
M67 OC 6.9 0851+1147 24
NGC2775 GX 10.3 0911+0700 24
iotaCnc DS 4.2 0847+2846 24
zetaCnc DS 5.5 0812+1739 24
CANES VENATICI
M3 GC 6.3 1343+2821 44
M51 GX 8.4 1330+4710 43
M63 GX 8.6 1316+4159 43
M94 GX 8.2 1251+4104 43
M106 GX 8.3 1219+4715 43
NGC4111 GX 10.8 1208+4301 43
NGC4214 GX 9.7 1216+3617 43
NGC4244 GX 10.2 1218+3746 43
NGC4449 GX 9.4 1229+4403 43
NGC4490 GX 9.8 1231+4135 43
NGC4631 GX 9.3 1242+3229 43
NGC4656/7 GX 10.4 1244+3207 43
NGC5005 GX 9.8 1311+3700 43
NGC5033 GX 10.1 1314+3633 43
alphaCVn DS 2.9 1256+3819 43
CANIS MAJOR
M41 OC 4.5 0646-2045 27
NGC2359 EN 11.0 0719-1313 27
NGC2360 OC 7.2 0718-1538 27
NGC2362 OC 4.1 0719-2457 27
epsilonCMa DS 1.5 0659-2858 27
h3945 DS 5.0 0717-2318 27
CAPRICORNUS
M30 GC 7.5 2141-2309 77
alphaCap DS 3.6 2018-1233 66
betaCap DS 3.4 2021-1447 66
CASSIOPEIA
M52 OC 6.9 2325+6138 03
M103 OC 7.4 0134+6044 03
NGC129 OC 6.5 0030+6017 03
NGC147 GX 9.3 0034+4833 03
NGC185 GX 9.2 0039+4823 03
NGC281 EN 7.0 0053+5640 03
NGC457 OC 6.4 0120+5823 03
NGC559 OC 9.5 0130+6320 01
NGC663 OC 7.1 0147+6117 01
NGC7635 EN -- 2321+6115 71
NGC7789 OC 6.7 2357+5647 03
IC289 PN 13.1 0311+6121 02
Cr463 OC 5.7 0148+7157 01
Stock2 OC 4.4 0215+5916 01
Mark6 OC 7.1 0230+6039 01
Mel15 OC 6.5 0233+6127 01
Tr3 OC 7.0 0312+6315 01
etaCas DS 3.4 0049+5749 03
iotaCas DS 4.0 0229+6724 01
sigmaCas DS 5.0 2359+5545 03
CEPHEUS
NGC40 PN 11.0 0013+7235 71
NGC188 OC 8.1 0045+8523 71
NGC6939 OC 7.8 2032+6040 61
NGC6946 GX 8.9 2035+6011 61
NGC7023 CN 7.0 2101+6812 71
NGC7129 RN 12.0 2141+6608 71
NGC7160 OC 6.1 2154+6238 71
NGC7235 OC 7.7 2213+5719 71
Sh2-155 DN -- 2257+6237 71
betaCep DS 3.2 2129+7034 71
deltaCep DS 3.9 2229+5825 71
xiCep DS 4.4 2204+6438 71
Struve 2816 DS 5.6 2139+5729 73
CETUS
M77 GX 8.8 0243+0001 04
NGC246 PN 8.0 0047-1150 07
NGC247 GX 8.9 0047-2043 07
NGC936 GX 10.1 0228-0107 04
IC1613 GX 9.3 0105+0207 05
gammaCet DS 3.5 0243+0314 04
COMA BERENICES
M53 GC 7.7 1313+1807 45
M64 GX 8.5 1257+2138 45
M85 GX 9.2 1226+1808 C
M88 GX 9.5 1232+1422 C
M91 GX 10.2 1236+1427 C
M98 GX 10.1 1214+1451 C
M99 GX 9.8 1219+1422 C
M100 GX 9.4 1223+1546 C
NGC4274 GX 10.4 1220+2934 45
NGC4414 GX 10.3 1227+3110 45
NGC4494 GX 9.9 1232+2544 45
NGC4559 GX 9.9 1236+2755 45
NGC4565 GX 9.6 1237+2556 45
NGC4725 GX 9.2 1251+2527 45
NGC4889 GX 11.4 1300+2755 45
Mel 111 OC 1.8 1225+2600 45
24 Com DS 5.2 1235+1823 45
CORONA AUSTRALIS
NGC6729 EN 9.7 1902-3657 69
CORONA BOREALIS
zetaCrB DS 5.1 1539+3638 53
sigmaCrB DS 5.6 1615+3352 53
CORVUS
NGC4038 GX 10.7 1202-1855 47
NGC4039 GX 13.0 1202-1856 47
NGC4361 PN 10.0 1225-1851 47
deltaCrv DS 3.0 1230-1631 47
CYGNUS
M29 OC 6.6 2024+3834 62
M39 OC 4.6 2132+4828 62
NGC6819 OC 7.3 1942+4012 62
NGC6826 PN 10.0 1945+5032 62
NGC6888 EN 7.5 2012+3822 62
NGC6910 OC 7.4 2023+4049 62
NGC6960 SN -- 2046+3045 62
NGC6992/5 SN -- 2057+3145 62
NGC7000 EN 6.0 2059+4422 62
NGC7027 PN 10.0 2107+4216 62
NGC7063 OC 7.0 2125+3632 62
IC5146 CN 10.0 2154+4718 73
betaCyg DS 3.1 1931+2758 62
31 Cyg DS 3.8 2014+4644 62
61 Cyg DS 5.2 2107+3845 62
DELPHINUS
NGC6934 GC 8.7 2034+0724 64
NGC7006 GC 10.6 2102+1611 64
gammaDel DS 4.5 2047+1607 64
DRACO
M102 GX 10.0 1507+5544 42
NGC4236 GX 9.7 1217+6928 41
NGC5907 GX 10.4 1516+5619 42
NGC6503 GX 10.2 1749+7009 61
NGC6543 PN 8.8 1759+6638 51
muDra DS 5.7 1705+5428 52
nuDra DS 4.9 1732+5511 52
psiDra DS 4.9 1742+7209 51
16/17 Dra DS 5.4 1636+5255 52
40/41 Dra DS 5.7 1800+8000 51
ERIDANIS
NGC1232 GX 9.9 0310-2035 17
NGC1535 PN 10.4 0414-1244 17
32 Eri DS 4.8 0354-0257 17
55 Eri DS 6.7 0444-0848 16
FORNAX
NGC1097 GX 9.2 0246-3017 06
GEMINI
M35 OC 5.1 0609+2420 25
NGC2158 OC 8.6 0608+2406 25
NGC2371/2 PN 11.0 0726+2929 25
NGC2392 PN 9.9 0729+2055 25
alphaGem DS 1.9 0735+3153 25
deltaGem DS 3.5 0720+2159 25
HERCULES
M13 GC 5.9 1642+3627 52
M92 GC 6.5 1717+4307 52
NGC6210 PN 9.0 1645+2348 54
alphaHer DS 3.5 1715+1423 52
deltaHer DS 3.1 1715+2450 54
kappaHer DS 5.3 1608+1703 55
rhoHer DS 4.6 1724+3709 52
95 Her DS 5.0 1802+2136 54
HYDRA
M48 OC 5.8 0814-0549 26
M68 GC 8.2 1240-2648 47
M83 GX 7.6 1337-2954 47
NGC3242 PN 8.6 1025-1838 37
NGC5694 GC 10.2 1440-2632 46
N Hya DS 5.8 1132-2916 36
LACERTA
NGC7209 OC 7.7 2205+4630 73
NGC7243 OC 6.4 2215+4953 73
8 Lac DS 5.7 2236+3938 72
LEO
M65 GX 9.3 1119+1302 34
M66 GX 9.0 1121+1256 34
M95 GX 9.7 1044+1139 34
M96 GX 9.2 1047+1146 34
M105 GX 9.3 1048+1232 34
NGC2903 GX 8.9 0933+2128 35
NGC3384 GX 10.0 1049+1235 34
NGC3521 GX 8.9 1106-0005 34
NGC3607 GX 10.0 1117+1800 34
NGC3626 GX 10.9 1121+1818 34
NGC3628 GX 9.5 1121+1333 34
alphaLeo DS 1.4 1008+1158 35
gammaLeo DS 2.2 1020+1951 35
54 Leo DS 4.5 1056+2445 34
LEO MINOR
NGC3003 GX 11.7 0949+3323 33
NGC3344 GX 10.0 1044+2452 35
NGC3432 GX 11.3 1023+3634 33
LEPUS
M79 GC 8.0 0525-2433 16
HR1944 DS 6.4 0539-1751 16
gammaLep DS 3.8 0545-2227 16
LIBRA
NGC5897 GC 8.6 1518-2103 57
alphaLib DS 2.8 1451-1602 57
LYNX
NGC2419 GC 10.4 0739+3852 23
NGC2683 GX 9.7 0853+3323 22
12 Lyn DS 5.4 0646+5927 23
19 Lyn DS 5.6 0723+5517 23
38 Lyn DS 3.9 0919+3648 22
LYRA
M56 GC 8.3 1917+3012 63
M57 PN 9.0 1854+3303 63
betaLyr DS 3.4 1850+3322 63
zetaLyr DS 4.3 1845+3736 63
epsilonLyr DS 5.0 1844+3940 63
Struve 2404 DS 6.9 1851+1059 63
O.Struve 525 DS 6.0 1855+3358 63
MONOCEROS
M50 OC 5.9 0704-0821 27
NGC2232 OC 3.9 0627-0445 27
NGC2244 OC 4.8 0633+0452 25
NGC2251 OC 7.3 0635+0822 25
NGC2261 EN 10.0 0639+0844 25
NGC2264 CN 3.9 0642+0952 25
NGC2237+ EN -- 0631+0503 25
NGC2301 OC 6.0 0652+0027 25
NGC2343 OC 6.7 0709-1040 27
NGC2506 OC 7.6 0801-1048 26
betaMon DS 4.7 0629-0702 27
epsilonMon DS 4.5 0624+0436 25
OPHIUCHUS
M9 GC 7.9 1720-1831 56
M10 GC 6.6 1658-0126 56
M12 GC 6.6 1648-0158 56
M14 GC 7.6 1738-0315 56
M19 GC 7.2 1703-2617 56
M62 GC 6.6 1702-3008 56
M107 GC 8.1 1633-1304 56
NGC6369 PN 13.0 1730-2346 56
NGC6572 PN 9.0 1812+0651 65
NGC6633 OC 4.6 1828+0634 65
IC4665 OC 4.2 1746+0543 54
omicronOph DS 5.4 1718-2417 56
36 Oph DS 5.1 1715-2636 56
70 Oph DS 4.2 1806+0230 65
ORION
M42 EN 3.9 0536-0527 16
M43 EN 9.0 0536-0516 16
M78 RN 8.0 0547+0003 16
NGC1662 OC 6.4 0449+1057 14
NGC1788 RN -- 0507-0320 16
NGC1973+ EN -- 0535-0444 B
NGC1981 OC 4.6 0536-0426 16
NGC2022 PN 12.0 0543+0905 14
NGC2024 EN -- 0542-0151 14
NGC2169 OC 5.9 0609+1357 14
NGC2194 OC 8.5 0614+1248 14
betaOri DS 0.1 0515-0812 16
deltaOri DS 2.2 0532-0018 16
theta1 Ori DS 5.4 0536-0523 B
theta2 Ori DS 5.2 0536-0525 B
iotaOri DS 2.8 0535-0555 B
lambdaOri DS 3.6 0535+0956 14
sigmaOri DS 4.0 0539-0236 16
zetaOri DS 1.9 0541-0157 16
Struve 747 DS 4.8 0535-0600 B
PEGASUS
M15 GC 6.4 2130+1212 75
NGC7331 GX 9.5 2237+3427 72
NGC7479 GX 11.0 2305+1222 74
NGC7814 GX 10.5 0004+1612 74
epsilonPeg DS 2.4 2144+0952 75
PERSEUS
M34 OC 5.2 0243+4249 13
M76 PN 12.0 0143+5136 13
NGC869 OC 4.0 0220+5711 13
NGC884 OC 4.0 0223+5709 13
NGC1023 GX 9.5 0241+3906 13
NGC1275 GX 11.6 0320+4133 13
NGC1342 OC 6.7 0332+3722 13
NGC1491 EN -- 0404+5120 13
NGC1528 OC 6.4 0416+5115 13
NGC1582 OC 7.0 0433+4352 12
Tr2 OC 5.9 0237+5559 13
Mel20 OC 1.2 0322+4900 13
etaPer DS 3.8 0251+5554 13
Struve 331 DS 5.3 0301+5221 13
PISCES
M74 GX 9.2 0137+1549 04
alphaPsc DS 4.2 0202+0246 04
zetaPsc DS 5.6 0113+0735 05
psi1 Psc DS 5.6 0106+2128 05
65 Psc DS 6.3 0050+2743 05
PUPPIS
M46 OC 6.1 0742-1450 27
M47 OC 4.4 0737-1431 27
M93 OC 6.2 0745-2353 26
NGC2440 PN 11.0 0742-1814 26
NGC2477 OC 5.8 0753-3834 28
NGC2527 OC 6.5 0806-2811 28
NGC2539 OC 6.5 0811-1251 26
NGC2571 OC 7.0 0819-2946 28
kappaPup DS 4.5 0739-2648 27
SAGITTA
M71 GC 8.3 1954+1848 64
SAGITTARIUS
M8 CN 5.8 1804-2423 67
M17 EN 6.0 1821-1611 67
M18 OC 6.9 1820-1708 67
M20 EN 6.3 1803-2302 67
M21 OC 5.9 1805-2635 67
M22 GC 5.1 1837-2354 67
M23 OC 5.5 1757-1901 67
M24 SC 4.6 1817-1850 67
M25 OC 4.6 1832-1915 67
M28 GC 6.9 1825-2452 67
M54 GC 7.7 1856-3028 67
M55 GC 7.0 1940-3057 66
M69 GC 7.7 1832-3221 67
M70 GC 8.1 1844-3217 67
M75 GC 8.6 2007-2154 66
NGC6445 PN 13.0 1750-2001 67
NGC6520 OC 8.0 1804-2754 67
NGC6716 OC 6.9 1855-1952 67
NGC6818 PN 10.0 1944-1408 66
NGC6822 GX 9.0 1945-1447 66
SCORPIUS
M4 GC 5.9 1624-2633 56
M6 OC 4.2 1741-3213 58
M7 OC 3.3 1754-3449 58
M80 GC 7.2 1617-2300 56
NGC6124 OC 5.8 1626-4041 58
NGC6302 PN 13.0 1714-3707 58
betaSco DS 2.6 1605-1948 56
nuSco DS 4.3 1612-1928 56
xiSco DS 4.8 1604-1122 56
Struve 1999 DS 7.4 1604-1127 56
SCULPTOR
NGC55 GX 8.0 0015-3908 78
NGC253 GX 7.1 0048-2514 07
NGC300 GX 9.0 0055-3738 09
SCUTUM
M11 OC 5.8 1852-0615 67
M26 OC 8.0 1846-0923 67
NGC6712 GC 8.2 1854-0841 67
SERPENS CAPUT
M5 GC 5.8 1519+0203 55
deltaSer DS 4.2 1535+1032 55
SERPENS CAUDA
M16 CN 6.0 1819-1347 67
IC4756 OC 4.6 1839+0527 65
thetaSer DS 4.5 1856+0412 65
SEXTANS
NGC3115 GX 9.2 1006-0745 37
TAURUS
M1 SN 8.4 0535+2201 14
M45 OC 1.2 0047+2407 15
NGC1514 PN 10.0 0410+3048 15
NGC1647 OC 6.4 OC 0446+1905 15
NGC1746 OC 6.0 0504+2350 14
NGC1807 OC 7.0 0511+1633 14
NGC1817 OC 7.7 0513+1643 14
Mel25 OC 1.0 0427+1600 15
chiTau DS 5.5 0423+2538 15
118 Tau DS 5.8 0529+2509 14
TRIANGULUM
M33 GX 5.7 0134+3041 02
iotaTri DS 5.3 0212+3018 02
URSA MAJOR
M40 DS 9.0 1222+5805 32
M81 GX 6.9 0956+6902 31
M82 GX 8.4 0956+6939 31
M97 PN 11.2 1115+548 32
M101 GX 7.7 1403+5419 42
M108 GX 10.1 1112+5537 32
M109 GX 9.8 1158+5320 32
NGC2841 GX 9.3 0923+5056 33
NGC3079 GX 10.6 1003+5539 33
NGC3184 GX 9.8 1019+4123 33
NGC3877 GX 12.0 1147+4727 32
NGC3941 GX 11.0 1153+3656 32
NGC4026 GX 12.0 1200+5055 32
NGC4088 GX 10.5 1206+5030 32
NGC4157 GX 12.0 1212+5026 32
NGC4605 GX 11.0 1240+6134 32
zetaUMa DS 2.3 1324+5456 32
URSA MINOR
alphaUMi DS 2.0 0232+8916 01
VIRGO
M49 GX 8.4 1230+0757 C
M58 GX 9.8 1238+1146 C
M59 GX 9.8 1242+1136 C
M60 GX 8.8 1244+1130 C
M61 GX 9.7 1222+0425 45
M84 GX 9.3 1226+1250 C
M86 GX 9.2 1227+1254 C
M87 GX 8.6 1231+1221 C
M89 GX 9.8 1236+1230 C
M90 GX 9.5 1237+1307 C
M104 GX 8.3 1240-1140 47
NGC4216 GX 10.0 1216+1306 C
NGC4388 GX 11.1 1226+1237 C
NGC4438 GX 10.1 1228+1258 C
NGC4517 GX 10.5 1233+0004 45
NGC4526 GX 9.6 1234+0739 C
NGC4535 GX 9.8 1235+0809 C
NGC4567/8 GX 11.3 1237+1112 C
NGC4697 GX 9.3 1249-0551 47
NGC4699 GX 9.6 1249-0843 47
NGC4762 GX 10.2 1253+1111 C
NGC5746 GX 10.6 1445+0155 44
gammaVir DS 3.5 1242-0127 45
VULPECULA
M27 PN 8.1 2000+2244 64
NGC6802 OC 8.8 1931+2017 64
NGC6823 CN 7.1 1943+2319 64
NGC6882/5 OC 6.0 2012+2630 64
NGC6940 OC 6.3 2035+2820 64
Cr 399 OC 3.6 1925+2011 64
*****
by Stephen Saber
Did you know that depriving large-aperture scopes of their full
deepsky potential is the #2 cause of cloudy nights?
Probably not. I just made it up.
Anyway, this should help take most of the gruntwork out of
preparing for the Astronomical League's ultimate fuzzy hunt.
Your Lightbucket is still hungry.
Feed it Herschel IIs.
TARGET DISTRIBUTION AND MIDNIGHT CULMINATION
DATES FOR THE H II CONSTELLATIONS
CMA (4 targets) JAN 2
GEM (3) JAN 5
MON (13) JAN 5
PUP (5) JAN 8
LYN (4) JAN 19
SEX (1) FEB 22
LMI (4) FEB 23
LEO (20) MAR 1
UMA (39) MAR 11
CRT (9) MAR 12
HYA (13) MAR 15
CRV (2) MAR 28
COM (19) APR 2
CVN (16) APR 7
VIR (62) APR 11
BOO (12) MAY 2
LIB (9) MAY 9
DRA (11) MAY 24
SER (3) JUN 6
HER (7) JUN 13
SGR (4) JUL 7
AQL (3) JUL 16
VUL (2) JUL 25
CYG (11) JUL 30
CAP (1) AUG 8
AQR (6) AUG 25
LAC (1) AUG 28
PEG (13) SEP 1
SCL (2) SEP 26
PSC (15) SEP 27
CEP (7) SEP 29
AND (4) OCT 9
CAS (2) OCT 9
CET (15) OCT 15
TRI (5) OCT 23
ARI (3) OCT 30
PER (13) NOV 7
ERI (17) NOV 10
TAU (3) NOV 30
ORI (8) DEC 11
LEP (3) DEC 14
AUR (3) DEC 21
CAM (3) DEC 23
NGC SEARCH SEQUENCES BY CONSTELLATION
CANIS MAJOR
2283
2367
2359
2374
GEMINI
2274
2331
2339
MONOCEROS
2170
2182
2252
2236
2254
2261
2245
2259
2269
2302
2309
2316
2346
PUPPIS
2396
2414
2432
2467
2525
LYNX
2415
2493
2500
2541
SEXTANS
3156
LEO MINOR
3254
3430
3424
3158
LEO
3107
3177
3162
3301
3274
3338
3596
3605
3599
3507
3681
3659
3067
3646
3689
3524
3547
3666
3705
3611
URSA MAJOR
2639
2756
2880
2805
3065
3516
3073
3225
3359
3668
3622
3642
3669
3683
3756
3319
3583
4271
4290
4605
4096
4144
4047
4100
4157
4013
3652
4062
5447
5462
5485
5443
5585
5204
5308
5430
5481
5480
5448
CRATER
3513
3511
3693
3732
3672
3636
3637
3892
3887
HYDRA
2610
2781
2855
2889
2784
2765
2986
3078
3145
3585
4105
5061
5078
CORVUS
4024
4039
COMA BERENICES
4237
4152
4212
4189
4298
4302
4312
4379
4340
4336
4571
4185
4169
4136
4310
4359
5056
5012
5053
CANES VENATICI
4248
4220
4217
4369
4244
4138
4395
4914
4956
5023
5103
5440
5444
5445
5371
5383
VIRGO
4045
4073
4168
4267
4299
4294
4313
4124
4233
4224
4235
4241
4260
4264
4270
4339
4343
4608
4647
4639
4519
4612
4586
4880
5020
5129
4691
4904
4999
4487
4941
4915
4981
4928
4939
4742
5077
4984
4902
5044
5037
5018
5084
5068
5087
5134
5493
5426
5506
5507
5560
5638
5668
5750
5775
5806
5813
5831
5838
5850
5854
5864
BOOTES
5520
5660
5687
5582
5533
5529
5590
5899
5523
5548
5490
5600
LIBRA
5812
5861
5878
5756
5728
5791
5605
5595
5597
DRACO
3682
4133
4236
4250
4256
4291
4319
5879
5985
6015
6340
SERPENS
5970
6070
6604
HERCULES
6106
6181
6166
6058
6155
6239
6548
SAGITTARIUS
6507
6526
6596
6717
AQUILA
6814
6772
6804
VULPECULA
6793
6800
CYGNUS
6894
6857
6888
6960
6992
6824
6991
6997
7031
7067
7082
CAPRICORNUS
6907
AQUARIUS
7184
7218
7171
7377
7392
7600
LACERTA
7245
PEGASUS
7156
7042
7177
7465
7463
7332
7457
7619
7626
7623
7742
7814
23
SCULPTOR
7507
24
PISCES
7541
7562
7785
7832
125
198
315
410
499
514
660
665
706
741
718
CEPHEUS
7023
7129
7139
7354
7419
7762
1184
ANDROMEDA
7640
206
214
513
CASSIOPEIA
7635
896
CETUS
175
217
151
337
357
636
428
991
1045
1035
1032
1073
1087
1090
1070
TRIANGULUM
672
604
890
925
1060
ARIES
821
1156
1012
PERSEUS
1058
1003
1207
1175
1193
1161
1169
1348
1491
1579
1582
1605
1624
ERIDANIS
1187
1114
1172
1199
1209
1162
1325
1332
1353
1400
1421
1507
1600
1618
1637
1700
1779
TAURUS
1514
1750
1587
ORION
1762
1662
1663
1977
1990
2023
2071
2112
LEPUS
1832
2139
2196
AURIGA
1883
1778
2192
CAMELOPARDALIS
2253
2347
2366
*****
by Stephen Saber
No, it's not an Astronomical League Observe Program. But the southern sky certainly has its share of beautiful and interesting doubles, and I wanted to be ready for them on my next trip below the equator.
Here's a list of 110 gems for residents and northern visitors, including the SkyAtlas2000 charts where each can be found.
Special thanks to the folks at IIS for their valuable contributions.
beta1Tuc SA 24
00 32 -62 57 mag 4.5, 5.0 @ 27.1"
COO3 SA 24
00 45 -62 30 mag 6.5, 8.5 @ 2.4"
lambdaTuc SA 24
00 52 -69 30 mag 6.6, 8.0 @ 21.0"
betaPhe SA 18
01 06 -46 42 mag 4.0, 4.0 @ 1.4"
zetaPhe SA 24
01 08 -55 15 mag 4.0, 7.0, 8.0 @
0.8", 6.4"
kappaTuc SA 24
01 16 -68 52 mag 5.1, 7.3 @ 5.2"
DUN5 SA 24
01 40 -56 11 mag 5,8, 5.9 @ 10.5"
epsilonScl SA 18
01 46 -25 02 mag 5.5, 8.3 @ 4.7"
HJ3497 SA 24
02 20 -55 56 mag 5.5, 9.5 @ 34.2"
omegaFor SA 18
02 34 -28 13 mag 5.0, 7.7 @ 10.9"
DUN7 SA 24
02 40 -59 33 mag 7.0, 7.0 @ 36.7"
thetaEri SA 18
02 58 -40 18 mag 3.4, 4.5 @ 8.3"
HJ3568 SA 24
03 07 -78 59 mag 5.5, 8.0 @ 15.4"
alphaFor SA 18
03 12 -29 00 mag 4.0, 7.0 @ 1.9"
zetaRet SA 24
03 18 -62 30 mag 5.2, 5.5 @ 130"
DUN16 SA 18
03 49 -37 37 mag 4.9, 5.4 @ 8.0"
thetaRet SA 24
04 18 -63 15 mag 6.2, 8.2 @ 4.0"
RMK4 SA 24
04 24 -57 04 mag 7.1, 7.5 @ 5.7"
iotaPic SA 24
04 51 -53 27 mag 5.6, 6.4 @ 12.5"
gammaCae SA 19
05 04 -35 28 mag 4.5, 8.0 @ 2.9"
thetaPic SA 24
05 25 -52 19 mag 7.0, 7.0 @ 38.0"
betaLep SA 19
05 28 -20 45 mag 3.0, 7.5 @ 2.3"
DUN26 SA 24
06 12 -65 31 mag 7.0, 8.5 @ 20.9"
HJ3869 SA 19
06 33 -32 01 mag 5.7, 7.7 @ 24.9"
HJ3891 SA 19
06 46 -30 57 mag 6.1, 8.4 @ 4.9"
epsilonCMa SA 19
06 59 -28 58 mag 1.5, 8.0 @ 7.5"
gammaVol SA 25
07 09 -70 29 mag 3.9, 5.8 @ 13.6"
HJ3945 SA 19
07 17 -23 18 mag 4.8, 6.8 @ 26.8"
sigmaPup SA 19
07 29 -43 18 mag 3.3, 9.4 @ 22.3"
HJ3997 SA 24
07 35 -74 16 mag 7.0, 7.0 @ 2.0"
zetaVol SA 25
07 42 -72 36 mag 3.9, 9.7 @ 16.7"
epsilonVol SA 25
08 08 -68 36 mag 4.5, 8.0 @ 6.1"
gammaVel SA 20
08 09 -47 20 mag 2.3, 4.4, 8.5, 9.4
@ 41.2", 62.3", 94.0"
RMK8 SA 25
08 15 -62 54 mag 5.3, 7.6 @ 3.6"
DUN70 SA 20
08 30 -44 43 mag 5.0, 6.5 @ 5.0"
deltaVel SA 25
08 45 -54 41 mag 2.1, 5.1, 10.5 @
2.6", 69.5"
DUN74 SA 25
08 57 -59 13 mag 4.9, 6.6 @ 40"
kappaPyx SA 20
09 08 -25 52 mag 4.6, 10.0 @ 2.1"
zetaAnt SA 20
09 31 -31 53 mag 6.3, 7.2 @ 8.0"
DUN82 SA 25
09 33 -86 00 mag 7.4, 8.0 @ 15.6"
upsilonCar SA 25
09 47 -65 03 mag 3.1, 6.1 @ 5.0"
DUN81 SA 20
09 54 -45 17 mag 5.7, 7.9 @ 5.4"
deltaAnt SA 20
10 30 -30 36 mag 5.7, 9.5 @ 11.0"
DUN95 SA 25
10 39 -55 36 mag 4.5, 6.5 @ 51.8"
HR4179 SA 25
10 39 -58 49 mag 6.2, 8.0 @ 26.3"
DUN94 SA 25
10 39 -59 11 mag 4.8, 8.2 @ 14.5"
muVel SA 20
10 47 -49 25 mag 2.9, 6.6 @ 2.6"
HJ4383 SA 25
10 54 -70 42 mag 6.5, 7.0 @ 1.5"
HJ4432 SA 25
11 23 -64 27 mag 5.5, 7.5 @ 2.5"
BSO6 SA 20
11 29 -42 40 mag 5.1, 7.4 @ 13.1"
HJ4455 SA 20
11 37 -33 34 mag 6.0, 8.1 @ 3.3"
DUN114 SA 20
11 40 -38 06 mag 6.5, 8.0 @ 17.0"
HR4628 SA 21
12 10 -34 42 mag 6.3, 8.3 @ 3.2"
DCen SA 21
12 14 -45 43 mag 5.5, 6.6 @ 2.9"
alphaCru SA 25
12 27 -63 05 mag 1.5, 1.8, 4.8 @
4.4", 90.0"
gammaCru SA 25
12 32 -57 06 mag 1.8, 6.5 @ 125"
betaMus SA 25
12 46 -68 06 mag 3.7, 4.0 @ 1.4"
betaCru SA 25
12 48 -59 43 mag 1.3, 7.2 @ 373"
muCru SA 25
12 55 -57 11 mag 3.9, 5.0 @ 34.8"
xiCen SA 21
13 07 -49 54 mag 4.4, 9.5 @ 25.1"
thetaMus SA 25
13 08 -65 18 mag 5.5, 8.0 @ 5.3"
JCen Sa 25
13 23 -60 59 mag 4.5, 6.2 @ 61.7"
OCen SA 25
13 42 -54 53 mag 5.5, 7.0 @ 5.3"
3Cen SA 21
13 52 -32 59 mag 4.5, 6.0 @ 7.9"
NCen SA 25
13 52 -52 48 mag 5.5, 7.5 @ 18.0"
4Cen SA 21
13 53 -31 55 mag 4.8, 8.5 @ 14.8"
COO167 SA 25
14 15 -61 42 mag 6.5, 8.5 @ 2.8"
alphaCen SA 25
14 40 -60 50 mag 0.0, 1.5 @ 8.3"
alphaCir SA 25
14 43 -64 57 mag 3.4, 8.8 @ 15.7"
HR5520 SA 25
14 53 -73 11 mag 5.9, 7.6 @ 2.2"
piLup SA 21
15 05 -47 03 mag 4.6, 4.7 @ 1.7"
kappaLup SA 21
15 12 -48 44 mag 4.1, 6.0 @ 26.1"
muLup SA 25
15 19 -47 52 mag 5.0, 5.5, 7.0 @
1.0", 22.7"
gammaCir SA 25
15 23 -59 19 mag 5.0, 5.0 @ 0.9"
zetaCrB SA 21
15 39 -36 38 mag 5.1, 6.0 @ 6.3"
RMK20 SA 25
15 48 -65 26 mag 6.5, 6.5 @ 1.9"
2Sco SA 21
15 54 -25 19 mag 4.7, 7.4 @ 2.3"
xiLup SA 21
15 57 -33 57 mag 5.5, 5.5 @ 10.4"
etaLup SA 22
16 00 -38 24 mag 3.5, 7.5 @ 15.2"
deltaAps SA 26
16 20 -78 41 mag 5.0, 5.0 @ 103"
sigmaSco SA 22
16 21 -25 35 mag 2.9, 8.7 @ 20.0"
epsilonNor SA 22
16 27 -47 33 mag 4.5, 7.5 @ 22.0"
alphaSco SA 22
16 29 -26 26 mag 1.0, 5.4 @ 2.9"
RAra SA 26
16 40 -56 59 mag 6.0, 8.5 @ 3.6"
36Oph SA 22
17 15 -26 33 mag 5.5, 5.5 @ 4.4"
44Ara SA 22
17 19 -46 39 mag 5.5, 8.5 @ 9.2"
gammaAra SA 26
17 25 -56 22 mag 3.5, 10.5 @ 17.9"
HJ4978 SA 26
17 50 -53 37 mag 6.0, 9.0 @ 12.3"
HJ5014 SA 22
18 07 -43 25 mag 5.7, 5.7 @ 0.9"
etaSgr SA 22
18 18 -36 44 mag 3.2, 7.8 @ 3.6"
xiPav SA 26
18 23 -61 29 mag 4.3, 8.6 @ 3.3"
kappaCrA SA 22
18 33 -38 43 mag 6.0, 6.5 @ 21.4"
gammaCrA SA 22
19 06 -37 04 mag 4.8, 5.1 @ 1.3"
betaSgr SA 22
19 23 -44 27 mag 4.3, 7.4 @ 28.3"
52Sgr SA 22
19 37 -24 52 mag 4.7, 9.2 @ 2.6"
DUN227 SA 26
19 53 -54 58 mag 6.0, 6.5 @ 22.9"
kappaSgr SA 23
20 24 -42 25 mag 6.0, 6.9 @ 0.8"
muOct SA 26
20 42 -75 21 mag 7.1, 7.6 @ 17.4"
alphaMic SA 23
20 50 -33 46 mag 5.0, 10.0 @ 20.5"
RMK26 SA 26
20 52 -62 25 mag 6.6, 6.6 @ 2.5"
thetaInd SA 26
21 20 -53 26 mag 4.7, 7.2 @ 6.3"
HR8202 SA 23
21 27 -42 33 mag 5.6, 8.2 @ 2.9"
lambdaOct SA 26
21 51 -82 43 mag 5.5, 7.8 @ 2.8"
etaPsA SA 23
22 01 -28 27 mag 5.5, 6.5 @ 1.6"
deltaTuc SA 26
22 27 -64 58 mag 4.8, 9.3 @ 6.9"
betaPsA SA 23
22 32 -32 21 mag 4.5, 7.5 @ 30.4"
gammaPsA SA 23
22 53 -32 52 mag 4.6, 8.1 @ 4.2"
deltaPsA SA 23
22 56 -32 32 mag 4.3, 9.3 @ 4.9"
DUN246 SA 26
23 07 -50 41 mag 6.1, 6.8 @ 8.7"
thetaPhe SA 23
23 40 -46 38 mag 6.6, 7.2 @ 3.9"
*****
by Stephen Saber
Jack and Jill went up to our moon to fetch a pail of water.
(After breaking his crown and her tumbling after they both got really weird.)
Jill set off to search the far side, while Jack was to take the pail and scout the near side.
Quite suddenly, Jack ran into Luna's only other inhabitant, the Mutant Beaver.
Formerly representing the constellation Beavius (now occupied by the Pleiades), the Mutant Beaver had been forever banished to our moon by Cepheus for gnawing on Perseus' ankle during his fight with Cetus to save the lovely Andromeda.
Finally having someone to talk to, the Mutant Beaver refuses to let Jack pass until he's heard every silly astronomy joke he's been making up during his exile.
Jack, to this day, endures the Mutant Beaver's ramblings.
Jill was last reported near the crater H.G. Wells.
Stephen Saber is an Astronomical League Master Observer and author of the 'Starhoppers Guide to the Herschel 400'.
He curses the clouds from his home in Rock Island, Illinois.
Watch for the children's book Saber's Fractured Astro Mythology coming soon.
*****
by Stephen Saber
How many are already cringing at the mere mention of the word astrologer?
It's almost a gag reflex for some of us. But then, amateur astronomers are practically bred to criticize all things astrologic, and to discourage others from following that blasphemous starpath.
I've certainly done more than my fair share of astrology-bashing (Saber's Fractured Horoscopes is probably still floating around the internet somewhere).
So while it is certainly not my intention to leave readers with a grudging admiration of astrology and its practitioners, I would like to share some accumulated- albeit hard to swallow- perspectives regarding them.
Astrologers used to have one of the best gigs in town. Before telescopes came along, they were considered experts in philosophy, theology, and psychology, as well as masters of the stars. But the problem with being held in such high regard was that they eventually became the scapegoats for the kings' and emperors' bad decisions. This usually meant death or exile, causing many to shy away from professional astrology as a career goal. Still, there seemed to be marked personality characteristics common to different individuals whether it had to do with the stars or not. People continued to explore this, although they would never again bet their lives on it.
Meanwhile, in attempts to explain or disprove the correlation between heavenly bodies and Earthly existence, critical stargazers were noticing discrepancies in the movement of Sol and Luna among the other points of light in the sky. Made aware of these compounding eccentricities, even kings realized that the sky's motion was no longer a viable way to plan their day- much less start a war or run an empire.
Galileo may have turned the world on its ear with his Jovian observations, but he also made it chic to discover new facts about the stars and their motions. And although astrologers had already named most of the constellations and bright stars, the newly motivated astronomers continued using the already familiar terms. Ironically, this shared terminology is pretty much the reason many grit their teeth at astrology. And except for the shared terminology modern astrology and astronomy are totally different animals. They just happened to have been born in the same celestial jungle.
Astrology's relation to the physical universe is purely symbolic. Horoscopes and starsigns, for example, don't allow for precession. I used to joke that the Head Astrologers were simply lazy, and content to wait 13,000 years for the silly ecliptic to realign itself. In actuality, they simply don't care. It's not even fundamental to their pursuit. Horoscopes themselves, like fortune cookies, almost always give vague but sensible, positive advice. Accuracy is only rated by how well it helps one get through their life.
Also, there is no bad publicity. Without astrology and daily horoscopes in thousands of newspapers, how much media attention would the constellations and star-stuff get? Not much except for the occasional Pluto Status Update and some new planet pics every couple of years. Maybe we should instead be thanking astrologers for their misguided but prolific advertising.
While I admire the passionate and thorough spanking Phil Platt (of Bad Astronomy) gives astrology, I've nevertheless conceded two practical- if peripheral- benefits of horoscopes; It's often a daily reminder of- and many people's first exposure to- astronomical terms. And the 12 classic zodiac constellations are usually at least listed in proper order. Good reinforcement for learning ones way around the ecliptic.
Realizing or wanting to realize these astronomy-based benefits is another matter.
As a veteran starparty host, I've also found that astrology fans are some of the most appreciative guests at ones scope, assuming they're not scoffed at once they reveal their own stellar connection.
Lastly, any animosity toward astrology, or anything so harmless in life, only takes up that many more brain cells that could be used to enjoy ones own pursuits and passions. Especially the stars.
And if I've offended anyone over the course of this article I apologize. Unfortunately it's in my nature. I am, after all, a Scorpio.
Stephen Saber does not practice astrology, but defends its existence. He curses the clouds from his home in Rock Island, Illinois.
*****
This beautiful parade of 7th and 8th magnitude stars wind south and east from etaTau in the Pleiades.
I imagine this stellar chain as the flowing locks of Lady Alcyone.
Best enjoyed thru binoculars and widefield scopes, the asterism is centered at RA 03 47.5 DEC 23 45 (PSA Chart A).
[image courtesy of DSS]
*****
For some reason I can visualize a 45 light-minute trip to Jupiter better than the equivalent 5.4 Astronomical Units (810,000,000 km/502,200,000 miles) involved.
It's also an interesting temporal perspective to pass along to the public. When asked "How far is it to Saturn?" at Outreach events, the segue "It's about an hour away" always piques more than sufficient curiosity.
Following are some of the lightspeed distances from Earth to our neighbors during 2008. (Pluto starts the year about 10 light-minutes farther than Neptune and puts another 1.4 minutes between them by December.)
*****
Astro-Forum Candy
beyond starhopping: sharpshooting...
Our scopes are shaped like grenade launchers and cannons. Finders give us crosshairs and bull's-eyes.
Those of us who still enjoy the theme and thrill of the hunt take pride in possessing a quick and accurate target acquisition. So I view starhopping as an initial reconnoiter, not a continuous requirement.
Sharpshooters practice what has also been referred to as 'spatial acuity'. Basically, this is memorizing simple asterisms formed by nearby visible stars and a finder's red dot (or other) reticle pattern.
Many of us reflexively form invisible asterisms on a regular basis. In light-polluted skies we fill in the dimmer stars of the Little Dipper or Corona Borealis. Sharpshooting is the DSO equivalent.
An excellent exercise is to see the red dot as the target itself. After completing an observation take another look thru the finder with both eyes open and imagine the red dot completing a simple local star pattern (a triangle, an 'L', etc.). Return the scope or binoculars to a neutral start position and aim again to recenter the target solely as the completion of a stellar pattern.
Using ones lowest power/widest field EP is recommended, as this allows a larger margin for error.
It won't happen overnight, and some are tougher than others, but with repetition this logistic reinforcement will allow the observer to eventually memorize hundreds of otherwise invisible DSO positions and skip the celestial pinball routine altogether.
Building this personal go-to database of 'lock and load' targets is both a goal and reward of proficient starhopping.
The 110 Messier objects are popular sharpshooting targets. Becoming intimate with their positions is also essential for those wishing to test their prowess while running the M-Cubed (Messier Marathon from Memory).
on outreach...
When to show certain targets can be just as important as what to view during public sessions.
Timing is everything.
If the skies are dark enough, deciding to show any galaxies or nebulae should be saved until everyone's had the time to become sufficiently dark adapted. Along that theme, fuzzies are not the best choice immediately after perusing, say, a First Quarter moon.
Also, space your biggest crowd-pleasers wisely.
For example, the Pleiades or Double Cluster can be good warm-ups for, say, Venus, but try to save another jaw-dropper (M13, Saturn, Jupiter, etc.) for the end.
Keep the anticipation high by letting your group know about the treasures you will be getting to later. Passing around binoculars to those waiting is also a good idea to keep the crowd interested.
Finally, check ahead of time for any bright satellite passes or Iridium flares that might be available.
A little showmanship and planning can go a long way.
on S&T's Pocket Star Atlas...
How good is the PSA?
I have the Corona Borf Collector's edition.
Every time I open it, Izar and a few of Virgo's galaxies wink-out
of the sky in compliance.
Truly a powerful atlas.
on deep sky objects...
'DSO' can also stand for Dark Sky Objects.
Hunting for galaxies and nebulae without 5th magnitude stars showing can get pretty masochistic.
Seeing the entire Little Dipper asterism (or more) is a popular indicator of galaxy-class skies.
Traveling even 20 minutes farther from city lights, catching your targets as high as possible above the horizon, and a good dose of dark adaptation can also make a big difference in detection/detail.
Aperture rules, but only if dark skies and transparency allow it to.
90mms from the boonies can easily outperform much larger scopes from suburbia on many DSOs.
the keystone express...
To catch M13 on the rise; Follow a line from Arcturus thru Alphecca to the SW corner of the Keystone (zetaHer).
The Hercules Cluster lies 5° north.
darksky arenas...
I'm going to have some Superdome-sized Bortle 1-class planetariums built with a projection accuracy to match. Really, really accurate.
Open 24/7.
Peaceful outdoors sounds. Always a clear sky waiting. No more frozen fingers. No skeeters.
Lunatic Happy Hours. Southern Sky Sundays and Messier Marathon Mondays.
Such an idea might offend alot of hardcore Purists.
Many might come just for the experience.
But I really can't see also faking the observation making any difference to GoTo users. *sorry. old habits.*
Or maybe night sky colloseums. Huge fields with
perimeter walls rising to block local light pollution and outlying city lightdomes.
Would you come?
How far would you drive?
How much rain and cloudcover would it take?
Will preserving an area's dark skies eventually come to this?
soccer field solar system...
One could roughly relate the Solar system's size by comparing Jupiter to a soccer ball placed just shy of a mile away.
Pluto would be a 1/8" pebble at a distance of 6.5 miles.
Earth would be marble about 7/8" inch in diameter at 300 yds.
Sol would be a rather warm sphere 9 feet in diameter held above your head.
bent on the coathanger...
Our ancient friend Al-Sufi notes this stellar collection in 964 B.C. But aside from receiving a moniker from D. F. Brocchi in the 1920s, this 3.5 magnitude gathering somehow manages to avoid being 'officially' catalogued for the better part of three millennia, ending-up as Per Collinder's 399th entry.
We often wonder about the many obvious targets that Chuck Messier skipped. But the cold shoulder shown toward Collinder (Cr) 399 takes the cake.
It practically begs for attention, sitting three and a half degrees northwest of alphaSagitta and covering over a degree of celestial realty within the great Summer Triangle.
Adding to its interest, the jury is still out regarding 399's status as partial open cluster or chance asterism.
But Messier didn't want it. The Herschels didn't want it. Doesn't even rate an entry in the NGC or IC. It doesn't make the RASC's Finest list, or even the 'Caldwells'.
Almost as an afterthought, this blatant naked-eye staple finally lands a discreet place in the A.L.'s Deep Sky Binocular list. (By unfortunate coincidence- mostly alphabetical- it also ends up the last entry of the Concordiem.)
Even the diminuitive 9th mag open cluster ngc6802 at the Coathanger's eastern edge often gets more publicity.
My point? None really.
Just that any binocular or low-power telescopic view of this Vulpeculan treasure is sure to drive the above irony home.
As a side note, the man who invented the wire coathanger never saw a dime. The company he worked for grabbed the idea and patented it in 1903.
fair warning...
Without knocking GoTo (just this once), but as a reality check to beginners interested in this feature with their first telescope, I've included the instruction manual link for the ETX90's optional AutoStar GoTo controller (about as easy as it gets).
There's a little more to it than pushing a 'Jupiter' button and looking in the eyepiece:
http://www.meade.com/manuals/autostar/index.html
astro-anagrams (v2.0)...
First, rearrange the word or phrase to spell our
brighter stars' names.
Example: IN LLAMA- ALNILAM
APE CALL- _ _ _ _ (_) _ _
SOUP CAN- _ _ _ _ _ (_) _
ALSO RIP- _ (_) _ _ _ _ _
ACTORS- _ _ _ (_) _ _
COY PORN- _ _ _ _ _ _ (_)
A RANCHER- _ _ _ _ (_) _ _ _
TAN EARS- (_) _ _ _ _ _ _
BEE GEE LUST- (_) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
A BRAND ALE- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (_)
OX PULL- _ (_) _ _ _ _
LUG USER- _ _ (_) _ _ _ _
A TRIAL- (_) _ _ _ _ _
HAT OIL- _ _ (_) _ _ _
TRIBAL LEX- _ (_) _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ZETA RALPH- _ _ _ _ _ (_) _ _ _
Solar system object:
DEAR OTIS, I ROASTED, DO EAT SIR, ROAD SITE, DORIS
ATE, RADIO SET, IRATE DOS, DO I STARE- _ _ _ (_) _ _ _ _
Now rearrange the circled letters to reveal the
mystery Messier object (Hint: 3 words).
Good luck...
scopes or binos...
Both have their advantages and should be thought of as complementary instruments for enjoying the stars, i.e. binos and their wide field for the forest perspective, and scopes for their power to peruse the trees.
Every new magnification and FOV has its own resolution and aesthetic reward.
on astro-forums...
*with apologies to Cheers*
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody feels your pain
And the rants are all the same
You wanna hunt some DSOs
But the weather's gone down the drain
You wanna go where everybody feels your pain.
Sorry. Bedtime.
telling castor from pollux...
Pollux is the brighter one (lux).
Also sounds like Pollen, and is closer to the Beehive (m44).
outreach or outpreach...
During public starparties or other non-academic events, which approach do you use with guests?
Tour Guide? Expert? Both? Neither?
My goal is to relay accessibility.
Modus operandi: If I can do this, anyone can. I'm an enthusiastic novice who just received a binocular/scope and a map of the stars last Xmas. Keep the unfamiliar astro-terminology to a minimum. Just a stargazer that enjoys sharing views of the night sky treasures.
the great square of leo...
I'm really enjoying Saturn's trip thru the stars of Leo.
In early 2007 our Lion appeared to be fondly batting at the ringed planet like a hanging playtoy.
Along with epsilonLeo, Algeiba, and Regulus, Saturn completed a very colorful Great Square.
Venus joined the party in July '07, making passes at Saturn and dancing within a degree of Regulus. Our young crescent moon highlighted a dazzling quartet conjunction on the 16th.
Saturn and Mars will also be taking a close swing at m95 (and each other) in Jul/Aug 08.
As a finale, Earth makes the northern transition through Saturn's ring plane during 2009 before the gas giant departs for the stars of Virgo.
A leisurely trek, but once it's over Saturn won't be visiting Leo again until late in 2035.
a groovy moon...
I've found images of a Full Moon in Venus' Belt, but not one with Luna directly 'on the border'.
That's what I caught tonight.
A multicolored, oversized beachball 3° above the NE horizon.
Our low-contrast orange, cream, and light-blue moon blended with the sky to the point of appearing to be a mirage.
It only took a few minutes for Sol's increasing glare to extinguish the tie-dyed effect, but it was the most psychedelic 99.9% phase I've seen.
Perfect bead hunting horizon, too.
back to luna...
I don't like the idea of digging and drilling into our moon.
Or eventually having explosives there.
Earth is a very resilient planet.
Luna is a low-density, dusty rock.
Ever accidentally tap something solid at just the
right point that it splits instead?
our temporal-mental moon...
That ashen light takes an extra bounce to reach us.
So we're also viewing two separate temporal light reflections from Luna.
Sadly, we can only enjoy Earthshine as it appeared 2.6 seconds ago. *sigh*
During Earthshine, shouldn't there be an area of illumination where a transiting object of specific size, velocity, and distance (and/or its shadow) would appear to skip (or lag) across our moon?
Now that would be a wild observation.
The time-delayed terminator also translates
to a constant observed surface phase delay.
I got about 15 feet/5 meters at the equator.
Maybe 70% of that at mid-lats.
Anyone else feel ripped-off?
luna's convex/concave con...
The shadowplay along our moon's surface often coaxes our depth perception to transform sloping craters into bulging domes.
Some people think they're hallucinating.
Others never see it.
I practice inverting them at will.
A related Solar illusion known as the Wilson effect gives a depth perspective to sunspots as they approach the limb.
memoirs of a giant bino junkie...
Just kidding. But I should write a book about it someday.
My first serious glass was a 16x80 binocular.
I keep several Armoralled and on display.
I'm still compelled to audition any Giants with my preferred specs.
saber's reform of met-error-ology...
1. Scrolling tickers reading 'For Entertainment Purposes Only' required during forecasts.
2. Local LVMs, Transparency, and Seeing conditions will be diligently measured and reported.
3. The phrase 'Fair Skies' will be replaced with 'Roll the Dice'.
4. Meteorologists will be paid on commission alone.
5. Forecasts beyond 2 days will now be limited to two words: 'Mostly Seasonal'.
response to a bino query...
Leery as well. Bullwinkle only has 6 rounded tines. For a hundred bucks, I'd be content if it arrived collimated and without any mechanical defects. Btw, Tycho Brahe had a pet moose that once got drunk and fell down the stairs in his castle. Seriously.
outreach: adopt-a-star...
I used to buy novelty stars like candy as 'dozen-roses-alternative' gifts. (This was before any contribution-worthy Adopt-A-Star programs
existed).
The International Star Registry even offered me their Cluster Club Visa.
One night, I decided to go out and hunt one of those stars down.
I haven't went a day without Looking Up since.
Adopting these stellar gifts could even be considered a form of Outreach.
All it took was one obscure sun in Perseus (besides running into the Alpha Persei and Double Clusters along the way) to trigger my obsession.
Btw, I'm still stuck with a star in Ursa Minor's bowl from a breakup before the certificate arrived.
A shame, being as it's in such prime celestial real estate.
Years later, I'm still looking for another qualifying recipient hottie with the initials 'TLS'.
Until then, the 11th magnitude sun just goes by 'Tough Luck, Saber'.
For a small fee, adopting a star thru a local astronomy club not only benefits a good cause, but just might help spark a lifetime of fascination with the night sky.
a mane attraction...
There's a beautiful parade of 7th and 8th magnitude stars winding south and east from etaTau in the Pleiades.
I imagine this stellar chain as Ally's Braid (the flowing locks of Lady Alcyone).
the planetarium tour story...
Okay, picture an insolent and gung-ho (not mellow like now) neo-amateur Saber on a 30-person tour of a certain large and famous planetarium. The condescending tour guide is a 3rd grade science teacher on summer break.
During the Solar system slide show an unmistakable photo of our moon is shown. The guide non-rhetorically asks, "Who knows what this is?".
A man sitting a few chairs away from me happily states, "It's the Moon!"- and gets chastized by the overtly-pedantic guide; "No. It's just A moon. There are x-number of moons in the Solar system! Ours is called Luna!".
It was very rude, and the admonished man looked like he was going to cry.
A few more slides and scoldings go by.
The crowd is not having a good time.
Then an unmistakable slide of a very close star appears.
The guide begins his rote commentary; "Here's the Sun showing quite a few sunspo...".
I'd had about enough of this joker.
"What?!", I scoffed loudly. "The Sun?! There are billions of suns up there! Ours is called Sol!".
He was speechless as the entire audience- and onlooking staff- began laughing and applauding.
The deflated guide finally managed to utter the word, "Touche' ".
His commentaries remained carefully generic and pleasant for the rest of the tour.
you must become one with the ecliptic, grasshopper...
Ecliptic Grasshopper.
Sounds like a mixed drink.
Ever want to memorize the Great Lakes?
Just imagine beautiful homes
along the shoreline:
Huron
Ontario
Michigan
Erie
Superior
How about one for the number of chapters in the Old and New Testaments?
Old: 39
New: 3x9 (27)
Here's an easy mnemonic for the classic zodiac constellation order.
It might save your life someday (or at least come in handy in the field).
Cats Are Pets, And The Good Cats Live Very Long Some Say
[Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Sagittarius.]
The word order can also be transposed to start at (the first point of) Aries.
most impressive observations...
#5 First Luna/Saturn Occultation
#4 First Experience with real (Arizona's 7+ mag) skies. Quite an
eye-opener for those from the mediocre, light-polluted Midwest.
#3 First Experience with the Southern Skies (LMC, SMC, Eta Carinae, et al).
#2 Feb. '98 Total Eclipse (Aruba). Jupiter and Mercury poised as
vanguards on either side of Totality.
#1 The Millenium-class Finger of God: Hyakutake
Honorable Mention:
Venus transits Sol (June 2004)
Revisiting everything thru my first set of Naglers
galileo's saturn...
As if Galileo's life in astronomy wasn't tough enough, Saturn decided to show him a near edge-on ring plane during his scope viewings of the planet. Never being able to resolve those odd protrusions must've haunted his dreams.
on first trips to dark skies...
Darksky fever can be just as addicting as aperture fever.
First it's a 20 minute drive, then an hour. Next thing you know, you're in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming.
Unfortunately, it just makes coming back home that much harder.
After my first trip to Arizona, I was kicking and screaming as they dragged me back into the 727.
doublevision...
The appeal of doublestars? If you have to ask you'll never understand.
It's about uncovering a star's secrets; companions, colors, and personality.
Personally, I prefer the opticals as they are unique to our perspective from Earth. Binaries, OTOH, can't help but be doubles.
Illusion or not, one of the liberties of Double Star observing is that there are no 'wrong' apparent color interpretations.
I'm also not a fan of knowing the PAs ahead of time.
Kind of a plot spoiler.
Estimating mag/sep between oncoming headlights
and noting the color variation in rows of traffic lights are common signs of DS addiction.
on pluto's demotion...
Pluto was already a dwarf planet.
Why rub it in?
sharpshooting m81...
4.6 mag 24UMa is my m81/82 guidestar, just 2° west of the pair. Chances of nokking these fuzzies literally do not bode well unless this sun is visible naked eye.
The two galaxies also make a large but nearly equilateral triangle with alpha and upsilonUMa.
The Phecda/Dubhe route works best if the line continues over the top (just north) of Dubhe.
on opposition...
Definition #2: Approaching an unsympathetic spouse about any astro-purchase.
on stress-free stargazing...
I stopped watching/reading the weather forecasts years ago. My horoscopes have a better track record. I just look out a window. If it's clear, I'm there.
Also, reminding myself that starry nights are a privilege, not a right.
sol is not a four-letter word...
Since the discovery of other 'suns' and 'moons' those terms have become common nouns,
so I've always been more comfortable with the clarity of refering to our sun and moon by the proper names Sol and Luna.
Besides, it's the 'Solar system' and 'Lunar eclipse', not 'Sunar' and 'Moonar'.
Following this, there are no other Solar systems. It is the celestial neighborhood unique to our star. 'Solar-type systems' has a better semantic ring to me for similar suns with orbiting planets.
'Sun-like stars' always sounds redundant and silly to me as well. Kinda like 'Dog-like canines'. I prefer 'Sol-type stars'.
As always, YMMV.
On the even lighter side, the term 'The Sun' might not come across as very PC in the future...
Imagine one of neighboring gangs of ETs get lost and land on Earth to get directions. The Head Alien gestures at Sol and asks the name of the star in our system. Joe Astronomer puffs-up his chest and replies, "That is The Sun!", to which the Aliens all fall on the ground laughing, "The Sun?! Sun, Schmun! You call that a sun? Our sun could engulf this and two other star systems and then go home and chop firewood. Pathetic earthlings. Because of your arrogance we will assimilate you first!"
I'd hate to think that after all this time preparing for contact with other life forms that we would be assimilated on the grounds of mere semantics.
a foxy hat trick...
Vulpecula's Coathanger completes a nice 8 deg equilateral triangle with Albireo and the Dumbell Nebula.
Great trio of targets for public star parties.
sadal (suud) up...
M2 lies 1/4 of the way along a line from betaAqr to Enif. Or 13 deg due south of its fraternal twin M15.
got rhodopsin...?
After being under beautiful dark skies for 4 or 5 hours, one might take a break from the eyepiece and notice that the sky and especially the surroundings look brighter. The black just isn't so black anymore.
Even those 7+ mag skies that begin as *pitch-black* lose their aesthetic contrast after hours of dark adaptation.
But our eyes are only doing what they're supposed to. The rods are in overdrive and the cones are doing their best to catch up.
The ability to read and walk safely by the Milky Way's skyglow alone is a common sign of hyper-adaptation.
Personally, I miss the contrast.
Not to the point where I'd intentionally ruin my galaxy eyes with an artificial light source...
but I miss it.
ecliptic delinquency...
In addition to the 12 zodiacal constellations, Luna and the visible planets can also appear within the borders of Auriga, Ophiuchus, Cetus, Orion, Corvus, Sextans, Canis Minor, Pegasus, Crater, Scutum, Hydra, and Serpens.
(Pluto can cover the real estate of an additional 17 constellations.)
beads and smoke rings...
Along the centerline of an eclipse, the 'beads' aspect of our sun and moon's limb being so properly aligned can be so short-lived as to escape notice.
The full necklace of Saber's Beads could be thought of as this moment frozen in time (and enjoyable with much less risk to our eyesight).
I only claim to have inherited the few disconnected beads on larger crescents (if anyones, they would be Galileo's). But while viewing these older waxing and waning phases, zero in on those stray limb beads at high power and slowly defocus them. The diffraction rings from the sunlit peaks against the terminator intertwine with the smoke colored links- transforming Saber's Beads into Saber's Chain.
In heavy turbulence the chain takes on a multicolored neon appearance.
The more beads, the better- like Mardi Gras.
and at 2 days it's called diana's thong...
To the Romans she was Diana, the Goddess of the Moon and of the Hunt, but has many names in many cultures worldwide. By whatever name (Isis, Ishtar, Artemis, Bridget, Ngami), she hunted with a silver bow and shot arrows of moonlight. Luna's 3-day-old crescent is said to be shaped like her Bow.
It's also a wiccan reference. Diana's Bow is important to witches for its magical forces.
At the opposite phase (3 days before New) Luna forms a 'C' and is sometimes referred to as Hecate's Sickle (Hecate is another possibly not-so-pleasant moon goddess). The sickle is an ancient image which relates to harvesting and death.
Nothing morbid intended- just googled this stuff up.
observing clubs we'd really like to see...
THE CRYOGENIC DEEP-SKY CLUB
Participants must observe any 100 NGC objects during the months of December and January in temperatures not exceeding -5 F (wind chill optional). At least 25 of these observations must
be made with no sensation or feeling in your fingers or face.
Projects also include making snowangels with your Dob and sketching a friend's tongue frozen to your optical tube. In case of lethal frostbite, pin a
note to your chest instructing paramedics not to revive you with paddles; remembering that electronic aid is not allowed.
THE ANT-BURNERS CLUB
Amaze neighborhood children with the true destructive powers of your scope. Requirements include partially, annularly, and totally frying 50 insects with your finder scope. At least 10 of these should be from the arachnid order. Sketches should be made in gory detail and include smoke plumes. Note the elapsed time, aroma, and Solar angle of all annihilations.
THE AMAZING STORIES CLUB
The list of audacious visual claims is endless. To qualify for this certificate you must visit a minimum of ten starparties and collect the top 3 Amazing Stories from each. Note the date, time,
sky conditions, and expressions of disbelief from those listening.
Don't leave the party without interjecting your own fantasy observations, each time adding a couple tenths of magnitude to your LVMs.
THE GO-TO CLUB
No observations required. Participants need only mail the purchase receipt of their Go-To scope or accessory to the program coordinator to receive this certificate. Congratulations! You can now proudly show everyone that you have no idea how to aim a scope. Projects for those wishing to receive the additional commemorative pin include shooting fish in a barrel and walking on the Earth's surface.
THE IDA VIGILANTE CLUB
Using rocks, slingshots, or automatic weapons, amateurs are encouraged to extinguish a minimum of 25 pesky streetlights in their neighborhood. With each conquest, make sure to note the location, time, weapon of choice, and police activity in your area.
A commemorative pin is also available for those eliminating 100 or more stray light sources or an entire Wal-Mart parking lot.
If arrested, hold strong to your belief that you were only acting in self-defense against the harmful, misdirected photons.
wtf was that...
I caught my first fluke Iridium in the summer of '97 (shortly after their original launches).
I spent weeks pondering what that bizarre -5mag brightening that blazed thru the Little Dipper's bowl was before finally hearing of their existence and apparition potential.
The explosion's sketch is still penciled in on Map 2 of my old SA2000.
fess up, iridium junkies...
How many have actually traveled to a flare center?
I've gone after brighter than -7s that were en route to my darksky sites and planned local outreach events around some impressive flares just to wow the public. Good stuff.
messier's sweet sixteen...
Here's an easy galaxy-hop thru sixteen of Messier's finest non-comets in the Virgo/Coma cluster.
Choose an eyepiece that provides as close as possible to a 1° field. The trail begins at our Lion's tail.
[SA2000 14, PSA 45]
From Denebola (betaLeo), go 0.3° (fields) N and 6.8° E to star 6Com.
From 6Com go 0.5° W to M98.
From M98 go 0.5° S and 1.2° E to M99.
From M99 go 1.0° E and 1.4° N to M100.
From M100 go 0.6° E and 2.4° N to M85.
From M85 go 5.3° S to M84.
From M84 look 0.1° N and 0.3° E for M86.
From M86 go 0.6° S and 1.1° E to M87.
From M87 go 0.2° E and 2.0° N to M88.
From M88 go 0.1° N and 0.8° E to M91.
From M91 go 0.4° E and 1.3° S to M90.
From M90 go 0.3° W and 0.7° S to M89.
From M89 go 0.5° E and 0.8° S to M58.
From M58 go 0.2° S and 1.1° E to M59
From M59 look 0.1° S and 0.4° E for M60.
From M60 go 3.4° W and 3.5° S to M49.
From M49 go 2.0° W and 3.5° S to M61.
Don't forget to reward yourself with M104, 3.6° south of 4.8mag chiVir.
drive to succeed...
'DSO' can also stand for Dark Sky Objects.
Hunting for galaxies and nebulae without 5th magnitude stars showing can get pretty masochistic.
Seeing the entire Little Dipper asterism (or more) is a popular indicator of galaxy-class skies.
Traveling even 20 minutes farther from city lights, catching your targets as high as possible above the horizon, and a good dose of dark adaptation can also make the difference between detection and detail.
You know you're under truly dark and transparent skies when even the Little Dipper's background actually looks like it's part of the Milky Way.
Which it is.
be prepared...
Consumed with hunting Herschels several Januarys ago, I didn't even realize it was -16F until I heard it on the radio driving home.
But the coldest I ever felt while observing actually happened one August.
Laramie, WY was enjoying a warm 85 degree summer day.
That night however, I froze my aperture off at 14,000ft in the neighboring Medicine Bow mountains, nearly paralyzed by temps dipping
only into the mid-20s.
Flatlander lesson quickly learned;
Dress for temps 30 deg colder when going out observing.
Prepare for temps 60 deg colder when going up observing.
Plenty of fuel in in the furnace is also an essential for cold weather observing.
Load up on pizza, tacos, monster burgers with 4-digit calorie counts, etc. For sessions over an hour I also bring Snickers Marathon Bars and hot chocolate (Mountain Dew in the summer).
I've even kept my warm vehicle idling nearby- but not too close, allowing myself 10-15 minutes per hour to defrost (cover or disconnect the dome light beforehand).
As engrossed in observing as we become, make sure to get up and stretch or take a short walk at least every hour or so. Keeping the blood and oxygen pumping also increases eye/brain performance at the eyepiece.
and it transits with spica...
I've had some great views of Omega Centauri from points south, but from home it barely claws itself more than a degree above my hopeless horizon.
Still, every spring I find myself driven to scan the deck below iotaCen in hopes of sighting OC's telltale glow.
Honorific starhopping?
Good practice, anyway.
the daytime planet hunting story...
Sometimes you get the gas giant, and sometimes the gas giant gets you.
One afternoon several years ago, my mounted 16x80 and I pegged Jupiter under a very blue sky. I only had the altaz position to go by, but the ghostly gas giant popped into the field on my first swing. I knew this was a gift- and my dumb luck was about to run out.
The next afternoon I was ready to show off my daytime hunting skills at the EISP. Jupiter had other plans. I spent twenty minutes searching and begging for that pale ghost to reappear. I was convinced that Jove had taken the day off to visit another star system.
Incredulous and with eyeballs bleeding, I got some food and went for a short walk around the park.
Fifteen minutes later I walked back over to my binos to find that Jupiter had already posed itself dead-center in the field. A 3.5 degree field! It was bizarre.
It somehow even appeared to be laughing at me.
on minor planets...
Hunting and tracking asteroids does have its own appeal.
There are many available on any given night, over a hundred are detectable with moderate aperture, they holdup well against light pollution, and their rapid movement can often even be noticed over the course of an hour. Occasional stellar grazes and occultations are pretty interesting as well.
Good stuff for those 'what else could I look for' nights, too.
there's something about mira...
Cetus would arguably make a better mermaid than monster.
After all, the jewel-like Mira seems more appropiately adorned by a beautiful sea nymph than forever found lodged in a whale's gullet.
The added mythological spice of the catfights with Cassiopeia alone would've been worth it.
Mira maximas through 2012:
2008: Dec 1-10
2009: Nov 1-10
2010: Oct 21-31
2011: Sep 21-30
2012: Aug 21-31
more marathon...
Naked-eye, bino, scope, sketching, and imaging marathons have all been attempted.
Traditional marathon or a goto Messier 'Tour', there is no wrong way to enjoy the event.
Alternating methods also allows the observer to become more intimate with the various target perspectives and appearances.
Enjoy a February Marathon if weather permits.
The evening rush Messiers are cake, and totals over 100 are still easily attainable (40N).
It's hardly a requirement, though.
One can always wait and roll the meteorological dice in March.
And I've never cared for the initial handicap of
mid-April Marathons. As always, YMMV.
the m74 gambit...
While attempting early-March Marathons I've often made a mini-challenge of how many Ms can be bagged before m74 reaches threshold detection.
It's good dark adaption warm-up, plus most can
be revisited later for a closer look.
less popular marathon methods...
This year I'm torn between using astral projection to spiritually visit each Messier or dressing up like a pirate and baggin em with my 18x50 Beer Bottle Telescope *arrgh*.
stranded- which instrument?...
Actually, this is probably my 10th cliche desert island stranding. Big binoculars are fine.
Just need to change travel agencies.
(still a few dozen to go...you thought i was going to give the answers to the anagrams didn't you?)
*****
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