Three men and a scope !

[cotterless45]

A phone call and LeeB and Pete from our club (RAG) arrived as the sky darkened for a testing tour. The sky got better with M44 by eye in the south and a mass of stars to UMa .
I kept Tegmine in the scope as a starter. This triple in Cancer having separations of 5.9" and a close 1.1" primary at x216. 

We looked at Jupiter , but no transits were due, just some band details. We had a wide view of M44 and the many doubles there. M67 was lovely , few clusters are older and we compared this to the lovelier M37.

Leo binaries followed with,
6 Leonis a wide red-white (SAO 117751)
54 Leonis yellow-blue (SAO 81583)
Σ1521 pleasing 3.6" split (SAO 81740)
90 Leonis , a faint third making this triple (SAO 99673).
We tried the triplet, but light pollution has brightened the sky over there. NGC 2903 , being higher , was bright.

Gemini showed a lovely M35, a hooded Eskimo nebula (NGC 2392) at x216. The lovely double Wasat followed along with the challenging kappa Geminorum.
A bright "Bode's", followed by a surprisingly bright M96. We resolved M3 at x100, followed by M53.
Down to Canes Venatici and a really bright M94, M106 and M63 ("sunflower"). Then over to Coma Berenices and the "black eye) of M64.
We caught NGC 457 before it hit the neighbour's chimney and a low but sparkling "Hagrid's Dragon" in Monoceros.

A lovely tour of a darkening sky showing what a simple achromat and basic eps can do,
Clear skies ! Nick.

[Knighty2112]

Great report as usual Nick. My observing session last night was not as productive as that, but I did manage to bag M51 last night for the first time. With how clear it was to spot I was surprised I'd never seen it before with the two bright cores of both components easily detectable, even with LP glaring about!  

[Piero]

Another nice report Nick!

M35 was lovely from here too last night. 

[alan potts]

Yes Nick it is amazing what one can see with even the most basic scope, casting my mind back to the Dixons 3 inch I had back in the mid 70's, a very good scope for its day though not as good or dear as the Fullerscope models. Lovely report as always from you, I was all set up last night and a load of totally unwanted high cloud dropped in to see me.

Alan

[Owmuchonomy]

Nice report Nick.  I was out but the sky was quite variable with hints of high cloud wandering around.  My best view though was definitely the Cat's Eye PN in Draco via the 300P.

[estwing]

Nice one Nicko that Dragon is certainly worth finding!...clear skies!

[wookie1965]

One of these days im going drive up and you can give me a tour show me how to find things easier.

[Special K]

Sounds like a great meet up under improving skies.  Definitely no moon to hold you back that time!

Uncanny; I was visiting many of those targets last night under rolling white clouds!  I really enjoyed M44 with its endless myriad of triangles, and yes, I finally made it to Zeta Cancri, "Tegmine!"  With only the small scope I couldn't see an oblong shape to z1 or even begin to separate A and B, but intend to return with the 6".  While in Cancer I managed to pick off the wide double Σ1268, with its faint red-ish companion.   There are some superb star fields in Cancer that have no designations or apparent associations, like the σ1, 2, & 3 area.  To finish I put the bins on the Sadr area and was blown away by the advancing Cygnus!  

[mapstar]

I managed a session out too Nick going for quite similar target list.

The seeing got better towards 11pm and then deteriorated quite rapidly after midnight. Overall a nice 4 hours out under skies that weren't the darkest but were getting there, a shame the forecast clouds finally came and spoilt a good evening.

[Owmuchonomy]

5 hours ago, estwing said:

Nice one Nicko that Dragon is certainly worth finding!...clear skies!

If that target doesn't get my daughters outside to have a look nothing will. I will give it a go.