Simple Pleasures

[cloudsweeper]

12.50 – 2.45am Tuesday – clear, still, mild – 10” Bresser Dob in action – just good to be out again, albeit in the middle of the night!

Cebalrai in Ophiuchus (south) > nice, close optical pairing of 6^th/7^th mag stars HIP 86391 / 86379, using x42 / 1.94 deg. (ES 30/82).

Next, 61 Oph, triple, visual double, both 6^th mag, 21” sepn., easy split, nicely matched, sec. at about 3 o’clock.

On to Muliphen > another close optical pair, again 6^th/7^th mag, HIP 87448 / 87432.

Hercules lay north of these, so M13 (GC) was easily located and presented a fine sight at x127, many stars resolved across the view.  More so at x212, but at x254, although the cluster filled the FOV, sharpness dropped off due to seeing.

In the east, Sadr (Cyg) lay in a rich starfield.  On to another all-time favourite, the Perseus Double Cluster (C14) in the NE.  Always good to dwell on, and the stars are sharp since none are too bright.

Up to Ruchbah in Cassiopeia, then M103 (OC), with four prominent stars and many fainter.  Again, going to x127, 212 many more became clearer due to increased contrast.  This target was helped by a nearby star grouping in the shape of a distinct “tick”.

Short hop, then Caldwell 10 (OC, “Lawnmower Cluster”) – denser, with more prominent stars, many in pairs.  Using x127, many fainter stars again showed up.

I finished at 2.45 with the sky lightening, to the hooting and screeching of a couple of owls.  No new targets, nothing challenging, but a delight to see a variety of beautiful objects in a clear sky on a peaceful morning.

Doug.

[John]

Nice report Doug