Despite the fact that our part of Canada is experiencing a milder than normal winter, observing hasn't exactly been a full time hobby here at Deep Sky NGC. For one thing, it's been incredibly cloudy at all the wrong times. Yes, we got to see two full moons in exquisite sky conditions, but that is not what most of us are hoping for. The past two winters were far too cold to even contemplate going outside at night with a telescope, but there were a lot of clear nights. Yes, it can be a frustrating hobby, and one that reminds me of how happy I am not to have chosen farming for a living. Anything that depends on weather, at least in this part of the world, is going to be disappointing.
So what have the observers at Deep Sky NGC been up to? Well, first of all, there have been some decent observing nights. Here is a list of dates that I have been out since Winter officially began: Jan. 5 (1 1/2 hours); January 29th (2 hours); and February 1st (3 1/2 hours). They have all been evening sessions, and all three have involved deep sky work in Taurus with the 12" reflector. Unless you are in to planet watching, there has been no reason to get up early and observe (unless you are unlucky enough to not be able to observe in the evening). Those constellations will be along when the weather is much more amenable to observing. Even the planets will eventually make their way into the evening sky. Besides, I find that pre-dawn observing is often the most humid time of night at my location, which tends to be humid most of the time anyway. There is a slim chance of clear skies tomorrow night (Feb. 6th), so I will keep my fingers crossed (it was cloudy, and it still is (10th).
I've been contemplating my upcoming 2016 observing projects a lot, and also organizing my past notes. With Deb's help I have compiled a complete list of all the NGC objects that should be visible from my latitude. There are about 6,000 of them. On the list I mark which ones have been observed, listing page numbers from my journal, a star rating, and whether or not I have done a sketch. Thus I can quickly find a specific NGC object on my list and find my note for it. Though I am into volume 9 of my notebooks (volume 10 will begin very shortly), I have numbered the pages consecutively since volume one page 1 in 1968! I have currently filled 942 pages of observing notes, with all telescopes, in 694 different sessions.
I also have a system for locating my notes on observed double stars. Anyway, I am pretty much caught up on my organizing, which is another way of saying I have been unable to observe much lately. Coming soon, I will begin my fourth year of trying to see all of the NGC objects in Leo. I doubt I will live long enough, but it's fun trying. There are so many fantastic mostly overlooked objects here, as everyone heads to the five Messier objects, then heads off to Virgo and Coma land. After Leo I will work late into Spring in Bootes. Filled with galaxies, it is not as glamorous as Leo. Bootes is hard work. In the summer I will continue with Hercules, and likely begin Vulpecula. Autumn means Perseus, Pegasus, and Cetus studies will continue. Then Taurus will come around for another year.
Has anyone out there ever observed gn 1555 in Taurus? Located just preceding T Tauri, an unpredictable variable star, it sure isn't much to look at in a 12". I used a medium high power (187x) to see a very small, faint streak of uneven brightness and dimensions. I'd be interested to hear from others who have observed this. I guess I was expecting something a bit more dramatic. On the other hand I was really taken by surprise by pn 1514, also in Taurus. This is a huge planetary, but quite dimmed by its very bright central star. There is some clumpiness to the nebula, and I found it to be a fun object, especially after hunting so many of Taurus' faint galaxies.
I have not had time to set up Space Eye, but it is due for an update and session very soon. I hope to observe M 41, M 50, oc 2244, oc 2264, and a few objects in Puppis with it, so stay tuned for that. I wrote a recent article for our astronomy club's newsletter (I write one five times a year) on my Space Eye project. I'll include a link to our newsletter if you are interested in seeing what our club is up to. It is a pretty cool club, with many members keenly interested in observing, and in astro-photography. The newsletters usually include member astro photos, many of which are quite spectacular. http://www.rascwindsor.com/pages/newsletter-archive.php
Clear skies (please)
Mapman Mike
