Easy Star Hops In Cepheus

[Mr Q]

From here on I'll be posting some easy star hops in this forum and more difficult ones in the Observing forum. "Easy" meaning less than 3 degree hops and fairly bright objects.

As is with any star hop activity, knowing your actual LP field of view in degrees is essential. To find yours for the LP EP you'll be using, do the following:

Locate a fairly bright star near the celestial equator and place it just outside the left side of the FOV. Time (in seconds) it takes the star to cross through the FOV's center and out the right side. Then divide this number by 240 for your FOV in degrees. Presently, just after dark(December), the Pisces "circlet" of stars under the great square of Pegasus is situated near 0 degrees and for later in the night, the belt stars of Orion will do also.

Now, using your star atlas (the "A" version HERE will do if you don't have one), locate the pilot stars used for each hop.

HOP#1

Pilot Star: Mu Cep (4th mag.) (one of the reddest stars for the unaided eye, called "The Garnet Star")

1. Move 1 1/2 degrees to the SSW to the OC Tr 37, a 3.5 mag. large cluster inside a v. large faint nebulosity (IC 1396).

HOP#2

Pilot Star: Nu, at 5th mag., (about half way between Delta(3rd) and Alpha (3rd).

1. Move 2 degrees NE to OC 2160, a very small 6th mag. cluster.

HOP#3

Pilot Star: Beta Cep (4th mag.)

1. Move 2 1/2 degrees to the SW to OC 2035, a very small 7th mag. cluster.

HOP#4

Pilot Star: Delta Cep (4th mag.)

1. Move 2 1/2 degrees to the ESE to OC 2380, a fairly small 7th mag. cluster.

HOP#5

Pilot Star: Delta Cep (4th mag.)

1. Move 1 degree SW to OC 7261, a small 8th mag. cluster.

HOP#6

Pilot Star: Delta Cep (4th mag.)

1. Move 2 1/2 degrees to the SW to OC 7235, a very small 8th mag. cluster. Two 5th mag. stars lie SE of the cluster.

HOP#7

Pilot Star: Eta Cep (4th mag.)

1. Move 2 degrees to the SW to OC 6939, an 8th mag. small cluster.

HOP#8

Pilot Star Eta Cep (4th mag.)

1. Move 2 degrees SW to EG 6946, a small 9th mag. galaxy.

Good hunting when those pesky finally move away from the U.K.