3 Planets + 1 Double Before Mealtime

[cloudsweeper]

5.05pm, clear sky, not as cold as the other day when the 'scope got iced up, so I set up the ED80 Triplet on GoTo.

Mars (at 42deg, SE) and a few stars were out - aligned on Mars.

Uranus was 12deg east of Mars and at 5th mag, the corner of a clear L pattern of objects.  Initial mag was x24 / 3.42deg - took it up to x160 and noticed the planet was slightly magnified of course.

Neptune was at an altitude of 30deg, south, and at 7th mag.  It was sitting at a corner of faint but clear trapezium of objects, the trapezium itself at the centre of a brighter Y shape of stars.  Neptune was clearer at x120 due to improved contrast.

Finally, Sigma 3044 Peg - a nicely matched 7th mag double with a separation of 20".  x24 showed the split vey clearly, with stars roughly side by side in a sparse field.  Very pretty.

A very pleasing (and this time, more comfortable) hour spent before mealtime.

Doug.

[Epick Crom]

Nice report Doug👍 Our Solar System sure is fascinating and a pleasure to observe