1474e 2011/07/15-16

1474e 2011/07/15-16 22:20–00:35 EDT Foxmead POD 8 28cmsc

Bright Full Moon low in SE.
Saturn: 175x
Variables:

1473e 2011/07/08-09

1473e 2011/07/08-09 23:00–01:30 EDT Foxmead POD 8 28cmsc David Gaherty

Moon: 70x, 175x: Just past 1st quarter.
Saturn: 175x: seeing very poor.
DSO: 70x: Butterfly Cluster, M15, M31 (for David)
Variables:

DSO: Blue Snowball 175x, Blinking Planetary 175x, M103, M52, NGC457, M17, M18, M24
   With OIII filter: M16, M17, M8, M20
   without OIII filter: M20, M8, M21, M28, M23, M11, M26
Temperature: +13°C

1472e 2011/07/03-04

1472e 2011/07/03-04 22:30–01:30 EDT Foxmead POD 8 28cmsc

Saturn: Looked for Enceladus, which was at elongation, but couldn't see it. 175x

Variables:

Pluto: Did not appear to be exactly in position shown in Starry Night, so I plotted what I thought was Pluto, and will check again in a night or two. 255x

Deep sky objects: mostly 70x
Deer Lick Galaxy NGC 7331
Blue Snowball 175x
Stephans Quintet 175x: could only see hint of fuzzies
M31/32/110 M76 M33 M57
Ghost of Almach NGC 404

Double stars: Almach, Psi Psc, 61 Cyg, ε Peg

1471n 2011/07/01-02

1471n 2011/07/01-02 Foxmead 3-8 ne

The sky was too hazy with thin bands of high clouds to bother with telescopic observations. Because there had been reports of aurora last night, I checked the northern sky several times during the night, but saw no signs of aurora.

1470e 2011/06/29-30

1470e 2011/06/29-30 22:20–00:15 EDT Foxmead POD 8 28cmsc

[This is the first entry in my online observing blog. The line above is the same as I use in my paper log, and gives the basics of the particular session:
1470: number of session. Session 1 was on 1957/05/01.
e: evening (as opposed to n:night, m:morning, d:day)
2011/06/29-30: date
22:20–00:15 EDT: local time
Foxmead POD: location
8: sky conditions using Leo Enright's scale
28cmsc: instruments used: 28cm Schmidt-Cassegrain]

Saturn: 175x
Porrima: clean split at 175x
Antares: could not see Antares B at 175x
Variables:










[Observation of RS OPH was deleted because it was discrepant, probably because thin clouds moved in during observation.]
I saw at least 6 satellites less than 8th magnitude pass through 70x field of view while observing variables.
Deep sky: Messiers 51/NGC5195: observed briefly, but passed behind house while I was switching to higher magnification to observe supernova.
Doubles: Kappa Boo, Epsilon Boo, 35 Com.
Temperature: +12°C