A night out with the 15x70's

[Ciaran Meier]

Out with the Stellar II  15x70's. Absolutely love these bins, great optics and nicely balanced in the hand(s) if need be. Used them tonight with my DIY monopod, which I would humbly say does the job perfectly.  Anyway, enough boasting and down to porridge. 

Mainly on the doubles as suits best in Bortle 8'ish sky. 

Gemini 

WDS 07510+3137.  6.8/7.7m Sep 77" Very distinct in a barren patch of stars. There's a lovely chain of five stars above this double running across the FOV. Left most HR3040 to 70 Gem.  Second from left, 80 Gem is a nice 5.1mag red supergiant. 

There"s also a really nice starfield lying between 69 Gem and 60 Gem, like they're herding them up. 69 Gem is a lovely red. 

WDS 07096+2544 (STTA83) A C,  7.2m/7.8m Sep 122"  There's an 8.1mag star at 5.5' (minutes) which forms a pleasing triangle asterism. 

43 gem. A C, 4.1m/7.7m Sep 101"

WDS 06341+2207.  7.2m / 7.4m Sep 53.3"  nice evenly matched colours. 

Puting Alhena, 24 Gem to the right of the FOV forms a lovely circle of stars around the circumference of the FOV, nice effect. 

Cancer

Over to the Beehive,  say no more !!  then a brief appraisal of M67 OC. Just a faint smudge with no stars resolved. 

Up a wee bit  above the Beehive to doubles 48 Cnc and 53 Cnc. Both in the same FOV. 

Ursa Major 

Dubhe. Double, a real cracker in the bins.  A lovely warm primary with the faint blue companion. 

Last double, STF1831. A C,  7.2m/6.7m Sep 109"  M101 would be in the same FOV but no luck tonight. 

Quick look at Mizar, Alcor and friend. 

Some of these doubles maybe weren't the prettiest but half the fun is tracking them down. 

All done !!

Ciaran.