Excellent evening - 29 November 2011

[asteria]

A very fine evening - clear sky, transparent with good seeing. Finally picked up M52, between Cassiopeia and Cepheus. A small red star was the final signpost that confirmed the sighting. A good clear view of mu Cephei, the Garnet Star, which is an extraordinary thing, to us a dim, dark red star, but in reality a huge, luminous star.

Other beautiful sights:

A rich Double Cluster, magnificent against a dark sky

Kemble's Cascade, brighter and more luminous than my previous sighting, a clear view of the chain of stars

Stock 23, an open cluster resolved into a number of individual stars with averted vision

M34, resolved into individual stars with a.v.

M31, a glorious view, with the galaxy at its maximum altitude for the year at mid-evening, with a bright core and a hint of spreading arms

M45, Pleiades, a classic as ever, bright and clear

Hyades and Aldebaran, best viewed through binos, and becoming clearer now it is higher in the sky

M103, a good view in binoculars, a luminous patch of starlight

Thanks for reading.

Ed

[Double Kick Drum]

Nice report.

I need to have a look at Kemble and NGC 1502, the cluster at one end of it. It's one of those I should have seen but have never got round to it.

On my list for the next session!

[Scosmico]

Even in Manchester the sky is great. Transparent atmosphere, but a bit turbulent( based on Jupiter sight).

Can someone confirm that it is possible to see some nebulosity in the M45 with a 4" scope? I swear I saw it around the bright stars of the Pleiades.

[carastro]

I had a quick look with the ETX90 last night and I think I saw some, but it was very slight.

Carole