#101 Equuleus Deep Sky

Over a period of 4 nights last lunar session I observed 33 double stars and 11 deep sky objects in this tiny constellation.  None of the galaxies viewed were first rate (there are no clusters, nebula, etc.), but were still fun to hunt down.  Several of the double stars were quite lovely, especially STF 2791, 9, Delta (7), and especially Epsilon (1) and Lambda (2).

eg 7015:  1'.9 x 1'.6:  Vis. 12.8; SB 13.6:  At 100x and 136x the galaxy is pretty large, round, and quite bright.  Good views were had at 187x, especially using averted vision.  The center is especially bright.  A bright star (mag. 9.7) is preceding, and a double star is just south.  The object is slightly oval now.  Not a bad object with a 12".

 http://mclarkmadison.weebly.com/uploads/5/8/6/5/58650947/2612254_orig.jpg

 

eg 7040:  1' x 0'.8:  Vis. 14; SB 13.6:  Spotted at 136x it was best with averted vision as it is pretty faint.  187x shows it a bit better, now pretty large and slightly oval.  This is one of only 3 NGC objects in Equuleus, along with 5 IC objects, all of them galaxies.

NGC 7040

https://avertedvisionblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/ngc_7040_dss0.jpg

eg 7046:  1'.9 x 1'.3:  Vis. 13.1; SB 13.9:  Not the showpiece I was hoping for.  It was just barely visible at 100x using averted vision.  It sits between two fairly close stars, but north of an even brighter one.  At 136x the galaxy appears oval.  It was viewed fairly well at 187x, 200x, 250x and 272x, and does appear to be pretty large.  It is also oval and quite faint, seen best with averted vision. It sits close to 3 or 4 stars forming a close but very faint asterism.

eg 7046

http://www.derekscope.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/NGC7046.jpg

 

eg IC 1364:  1' x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.1:  Spotted at 136x, preceding a mag. 9.4 star.  It was small, pretty bright, and elongated.  Views were good at 187x, 250x and 272x.  The center is brighter, and the whole is quite elongated at higher power.

eg IC 1365:  1'.1 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.7; SB 13.5:  Spotted at 136x, it was round and very faint.  It was also observed at 187x and 200x.  It remains round and faint.  South is a keystone of 4 bright stars.  the narrower pair of stars are nearest the galaxy, which makes a triangle with them.

eg IC 1375:  1' x 0'.7:  Vis. 14.2; SB 13.7:  This one is very, very faint and small.  It was suspected at 136x and confirmed at 187x.  It appears round.  It was also viewed at 250x and 272x.  This is a difficult object.  2 stars north of it form a line with the galaxy.

eg IC 1377:  0'.8 x 0'.7:  Vis. 14.3; SB 13.5:  A lot easier to see than IC 1375!  It is faint, but not too small.  I had good views at 136x and 187x.

UGC 11671:  1'.1 x 0'.8:  This one is very tricky to spot, being small and just south of a bright star (mag. 10.1).  It looks like a close but fuzzy companion to that star.

 

UGC 11675:  0'9 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.1; SB 12.5:  Spotted at 136x and also 187x.  It is very elongated and very faint.  It was seen only with averted vision.

UGC 11680:  2'.1 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.8; SB 14.1:  Forget the published size.  Only the small central area can be seen.  It is very faint and indistinct at 136x and 187x.  Disappointing.

UGC 11720:  1' x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.8; SB 13.3:  Even using a pinpoint map this one was very tricky to see.  It was small, faint and oval at 187x.

After three tries I was unable to view eg IC 1361.  After searching out a photo of it on the web, I now realize that it will likely appear stellar.  So I may have seen it.  I will give it one more try later this month.

Equuleus' deep sky objects will likely only appeal to a completist like myself.  None of the objects are very thrilling, except for a few fine double stars.  My work in Lacerta should be wrapping up this month, and I will report back on the wonderful times I have been spending there.

Clear skies!

Mapman Mike

#100 Backyard Light Pollution and Home-Based Observing

Welcome to Post #100!!  It's hard to believe.  So is the fact that I have just finished up observing six clear nights in a row!  Incredible!!  My nearest dark sky site is a 45 minute drive from home.  After doing this for four nights straight, I decided I needed a break.  I set up the 12" Dob. on my back deck.  I live in a busy suburban area, just north of the center of my small town (pop. 10,000).  To my north is Windsor/Detroit (pop. approx. 5 million).  To say that I live in a light polluted area is a grand understatement.

However, this year my yard is so overgrown due to a hot summer and sheer laziness on my part, that I seem to be sheltered from the worst of the lights.  I thought I would try a night on the back deck instead of driving yet again to the observatory.  Guess what?  I had a fantastic night!  My expectations were set low to begin with, but I received surprise after surprise during the three-hour session.  I can see 3rd mag. stars from home with the naked eye, and most 4th mag. ones that are high enough above the horizon.  Thanks to my intense double star program (see Post #96 on how to create your own double star lists) I now have hours and hours of work I can do from home.  When I do get to a dark sky site, I can then track down fainter deep sky objects.

I did double star work that night in Cassiopeia, which is in my most light polluted area.  This proved to be an advantage, as I did not have the massive amounts of background stars to distract me.  It was the same when observing open clusters; the stars in the cluster really stood out well without the interference from very faint background stars.  Of course nothing looks as good as it does from the observatory site in Comber, ON, but with 90 minutes less driving, I can put up with it once in a while.

Here are the deep sky objects I observed, and some impressions of what I saw:
M 57--as good as ever, especially using a Skyglow filter.  I would never see the central star, but I had great views of the nebula.
M 8--in my low south sky, heavily light polluted.  With the Skyglow filter I was amazed at how much detail I was seeing.  Still a major showpiece object, despite the very milky sky.
M 52--in the worst part of my sky.  Certainly not the shimmering beauty I usually see, but the cluster was still pretty decent, with all stars resolving well.  This one is small enough to take magnification, which helped darken the otherwise orangey-white sky.
Cz 43--the companion cluster to M 52, it lost nothing tonight.  It is mostly brighter stars anyway, and still looked great.
gn 7635--the Bubble Nebula lies very close to M 52.  Even in a dark sky there is little to see visually.  However, with my trusty Skyglow filter a small but notable patch of haze was seen at 136x, just preceding the accompanying bright star.  Yay!
oc 7510--an odd-shaped cluster in Cygnus, not far from M 52, it showed up nicely, with good viewing to 187x.
oc 7209--this very fine open cluster in Lacerta did not impress me as much as it does from a dark sky site.  However, there it is, still looking fine.  The bright horseshoe shape is easily noted, and with less background stars the cluster stands out well.
oc 7243--another big cluster in Lacerta, this one looked pretty decent.  Most of the member stars are quite bright, so it looks pretty much the same as from a dark sky, minus some background stars.
egs 7448, 7454, 7463, and 7465--what better test than to try for some galaxies!  I had recently observed these four from Comber, and found all four of them easily tonight from my backyard.  What a pleasant surprise!  While certainly not as bright as from the observatory site, here I was at home viewing galaxies.  It made me happy!
oc 6910--the lovely little "Y" cluster north of Gamma Cygni was as bold and beautiful as ever!
M 39--a big, bright open cluster in Cygnus.  As lovely as ever.  Bright and exciting object, not unlike the Pleiades, but a bit farther from us.

And now a brief word regarding all of those doubles I observed that night--colours and separation were virtually the same as from a dark site.  Anytime I have a large amount of double stars to observe, I will do them from home.  That is, until the leaves fall.  Then I am out of luck.

Clear skies!
Mapman Mike

#99-Vulpecula: Deep Sky Adventures

2016 continues to be a banner year for my observing program.  Even if it were cloudy from now till December, I would still have completed one of the most successful years of observing I have ever had!  The July/August session that just ended saw me out at the club observatory 8 times, for a total of over 29 hours at the eyepiece.  This summer I managed to begin and complete my Vulpecula project.  That consisted of 14 NGC objects, 2 IC objects, and 5 objects from other catalogues, along with about 150 double stars.

The NGC breakdown is as follows: 7 open clusters, 2 planetary nebula, 2 galactic bright nebula, and three galaxies.  Both IC objects are bright nebula, and the 5 other objects were all open clusters.  In addition, I searched out and observed over 150 double stars (including triples and multiples).  In this report I will only discuss the deep sky objects, but be assured that there are many fine double stars to see also.  The vast number of doubles to seek out certainly helped me become more expert at star hopping, and I'm pretty certain I got to at least glimpse every part of this wonderful constellation.

Most people know Vulpecula through its famous Messier object, #27, the Dumbbell Nebula.  Beyond that they may know it as the location of the Coat Hanger cluster (Cr 399).  I hope readers will be encouraged to seek out all of the other wonders this rich area of sky provides.

oc 6723:  7'; 15*s:  It seems fitting that I began my observations in Vulpecula with this small, obscure cluster.  Observed first at 83x, it is a striking little group.  A triangle of bright stars precedes it; an 8.5 mag. star at the apex (furthest away from the cluster), and 9 and a 9.5 mag. star closer to the cluster.  On the preceding end of the cluster are two tiny stellar triangles, with their apexes (or apices, if you prefer) pointing to the clusters following end.  The northern-most small triangle's northern-most star is a tiny double star.  These two triangles give the cluster a unique appearance to this minor gem.  At low power about 10 brighter, easy to see stars are noted.  Everything resolves at 136x, with most members near the two triangles.  There are now about 15 easy to see stars, and perhaps 5 more that are very faint.  The cluster sits amidst a glorious star field.  This is worth a stop with an 8" scope or greater.  In Deb's 6" it could be viewed and studied, but it was not very impressive.

 http://www.astrophoton.com/images/N6793-1.jpg

oc Cr 399, "Coathanger:"  90'; Vis. mag. 3.6; 40*s; Br. * mag. 5.2:  Because of a direct connection to oc 6802, this cluster is discussed here, rather than below in "Other Objects".  This giant cluster (it's not a true cluster, but rather an asterism, or chance arrangement of stars) is perfect for our 4 1/4" Astroscan scope, but tonight it got the 12" treatment.  It almost fits into my 42x field of view, but not quite. At 60x it's fun to trace the dozen or so bright stars.  Most of them are white.  However, star 4, the most southerly one, is yellow.  The bright double star north preceding star 4 is a beautiful gold colour.  It's a rewarding area to sweep at low power.  Four double stars were observed within the boundaries of the cluster.  These are HJ 2871 (actually a triple), Stf 2523, Stf 2527, and Stf 2530.  Visiting this group is one of the highlights of the constellation.  It even looks pretty grand in Space Eye, my 2" refractor.

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/coathanger-star-cluster-celestial-image-co.jpg

oc 6800:  5'; 20 *s; Br. * mag. 10:  Dreyer says "cluster, very large, pretty rich, very little compressed, stars from 10th magnitude".  Why, then, do modern sources like Uranometria give the size as 5'??  20' would be more appropriate.  The cluster appears as a roughly circular group of about 20 bright stars (mag. 10 and down), showing well at 60x.  At 100x and 136x, two small, dense knots of fainter stars appear, one each at the north end and the south.  Each knot is about 4'.  It is an interesting group, and fun to observe up to 187x.  The surrounding area is rich in field stars.

 http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc68.htm#6802

oc 6802:  5'; Vis. mag. 8.8; Br. * mag. 14; 201 *s.  First of all, let me say that I love the fact that the guide to Uranometria says that there are 201 stars in the cluster, and not just 200!  Anyway, back in early July, 1992 I observed this cluster with my trusty Edmund 8" scope.  My notes from then say "It appeared like a large, faint galaxy.  169x showed some resolution..."  Though not that impressive in an 8", it is beautiful in a 12"!  Noticed at 60x, it is elongated N/S, barely resolving at this power.  It already looks amazing!  At 100x the north end is easier to resolve.  The center is more difficult, and the south end is still mostly haze.  136x gives good resolution all across the cluster.  It is a gorgeous object!  It sits midway between two pairs of wide double stars, but south of them.  Follow the east end of Cr 399 and you will come to it.  It can be glimpsed in the photo, above, in the upper left.  At 187x there is still some haze in the south.  250x gives a remarkable view, with full resolution.  A minor classic!  I also had an opportunity to view this cluster a few nights later in a good friend's 22" scope.  Absolutely beautiful!  Like looking at M 11!!

 http://astro-kooperation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ngc6802_A.jpg

gn 6813:  3' x 3'; Emission:  This tiny bit of haze surrounding a faint star is more in size like 1'.2 x 0'.9.  Lying in a rich and bright stellar field, the nebula is just south preceding a 9.5 mag. star.  Noted as suspicious at 60x, it appeared as a very small blob of haze surrounding a faint star.  136x gives a good view of a somewhat rectangular hazy patch.  Using averted vision and a Skyglow filter, the nebula brightens considerably.  Up to 375x was used (no filter), still giving satisfactory views.  A very faint star is just north.

http://www.astrophotos.net/images/nebula/ngc%206813-lrgb-f07.jpg

gn 6820:  40' x 30'; Emission Nebula:  This area reminds me a bit of the Rosette Nebula in Monoceros.  An open cluster lies at the center (see below), surrounded by wispy and faint nebula.  Though prominent in photos, visually there is little to see.  Using 60x and an O111 filter, some thinly spread haze is noted preceding the cluster.  The cluster itself appears devoid of an nebula.  My Skyglow filter actually showed the nebula somewhat better.
oc 6823:  7'; 79 *s;Br. * mag. 8:  Located at 60x, a few bright stars are prominent, and a hazy white background of unresolved ones.  100x and 136x show a bright group of 4 stars in the center, in a close diamond shape.  A bright pair of stars sits south of center.  The brightest star is on the north preceding edge, being a bit brighter than the central stars.  187x resolves almost 50 countable stars, though fainter ones are winking in and out.  A notable dark area is north of the cluster.  200x and 250x give detailed inside views.  The central quad star now has 6 members!  A really nice group in a 12" scope.

 http://www.lafterhall.com/atk16_sv102ed_ngc6820_ha_003.jpg

oc 6823 surrounded by gn 6820.  I tried really hard to see the dark cone, with no luck.

oc 6827:  4'; 30 *s; Br. * mag. 13:  Spotted at 136x between two bright stars, preceding it.  It is very small and very faint.  It is just a hazy patch with one star showing on the preceding end.  Viewed at 187x, 200x, and 250x, and 272x it is still mostly unresolved haze.  A few stars resolve at 250x and 272x.  This is a challenge to locate in the busy star field, and probably needs a 16" or greater to resolve fully.

 http://martingermano.com/Images/N6827lredsg.jpg

oc 6830:  6'; 82 *s; Br. * mag. 10:  This is quite a beautiful cluster at 60x and 100x, and especially at 136x.  There is a 4-star diamond shape at its heart.  The cluster is somewhat "+" shape at low power, reminding me of what a smaller town looks like from an airplane at night at 30,000'.  A curving line of stars connects the south and the preceding stars.

 http://www.univie.ac.at/webda/dss/ngc6830.png

pn 6842:  57"; Vis. mag. 13.1; Cent. * mag. 15.9:  I had to make several attempts with the 8" in years past (1991), before glimpsing this large but elusive object.  Even with a 12" it is not easy to locate, using Uranometria's pinpoint guide.  It is pretty large and pretty faint at 100x, though using the Skyglow filter and 120x gives a pretty good view.  It is round and ghostly gray.  Using 136x with the filter also gives good views, though a fellow astronomer, relatively new at the game,  had considerable difficulty seeing it.  272x showed it a bit oval in shape, with one edge indented.  A curious object, but seen well in a 12" scope.  I did not see the central star.

http://www.astrosurf.com/mcianci/images/NGC6842AO7.jpg

pn 6853, Messier 27, "Dumbbell Nebula:"  402";  Vis. mag. 7.4; Cent. * mag. 13.9:  With certain deep sky objects I have processing problems--call it sensory overload.  M 27 is the result of a star shedding its outer layers of gas.  Knowing this does not help with the incredible view provided by any modest telescope.  In a 12" at 136x and using an O111 filter, there are few words that come to mind.  Perhaps Benjamin Britten's 1st String Quartet, Op. 25, 3rd Movement entitled "Andante Calmo" says it best.  In a more mundane verbal description, it seems to float past like a giant interstellar grayish-green football.    The north end appears rounder than the south.  The N/S ends are very bright.  The E/W sides are much fainter, with the following end (east) seemingly cut off suddenly.  Without any filter, several stars seem to be embedded in the nebula, though not really.  The central star is, though, and should be easy in an 8" mirror or higher.  M 27 seems more like poetry to me, rather than an interstellar object of great force and violence.  Visible at higher powers in a 12" are many swirls, shadings, and other fascinating and unexpected details.  This nebula repays frequent revisits.  Even in Space Eye, my 2" refractor, this is a memorable object.  It is certainly the deep sky highlight of Vulpecula.

Messier 27, by RASC Windsor club member Ted Gervais.

oc 6885:  20':  Vis. Mag. 5.6; 34 *s; Br. * mag. 5.9:  Vulpecula Star 20, mag. 5.6, is at the heart of this large, loose NGC cluster.  At 60x the group features many bright stars, and the cluster is eye-catching.  A denser and fainter part of the cluster is on the north preceding end, and is called Collinder 416 (see below).  100x and 136x fills the eyepiece with bright stars, though my preferred view of this modestly rich cluster is at 83x.

 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/NGC_6885_large.png

eg 6971:  0'.9 x 0'.2; Vis. mag. 13.4; Sur. Br. mag. 11.4:  There are only five galaxies plotted on  Uranometria Chart 66, and this is the lone NGC one.  It was surprisingly easy to spot at 136x, lying within a triangle of fairly bright stars.  187x shows a nice slash, not too small.  250x and 272x both show a bright center.  This actually turned into a fun find!

 http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/6/n6921.jpg 

oc 6940:  25'; Vis. mag. 6.3; 170 *s; Br. * mag. 11:  Every once in a while, using a 12" scope to observe the deep skies pays off in big dividends.  Even with an 8" back in 1991 this cluster was a jaw dropper.  Tonight it was a breathtaking showpiece, by far the finest cluster in Vulpecula.  Along with Messier 27 and Cr 399 it is that constellation's best deep sky object.  60s gave an amazing view,though 83x was even better!  There are seemingly countless brighter stars filling the field of view,  This is a huge cluster, too!  It contains 5 very bright stars, including the superb double star Stf 2698, located in the south end.  FG is a deep golden variable star that sits smack in the middle of the cluster.  An interesting tail of stars breaks away from the main group, following it.  At 136x, the cluster must be swept to be viewed in its entirety.  Despite being so tired at this point that I could barely stand (it was my 3rd long night of observing in a row!), this object revived me and gave me a lot to think about on my drive home afterwards.

 http://jthommes.com/Astro/images/NGC6940_ZSFRWO30_PS3.jpg

eg 7052:  2'.1 x 1'.1; Vis. mag. 12.2; Sfc. Br. 13.4:  This is a pretty amazing galaxy in a 12"!  Easily spotted at 60x, it is close to a bright star.  It is already oval and pretty large.  Views were good to very good at all powers up to 272x.  It is bright, very elongated, and always easy to view.  At 250x a 15 (?) mag. star sits between the galaxy and the brighter nearby star (10.5?).  The galaxy is unusually bright, and worth seeking.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/7/n7052.jpg

oc 7080:  1'.8 x 1'.7; Vis. mag. 12.3; Sfc. Br. 13.4:  This was the final NGC object in Vulpecula, and the last thing I observed in my Vulpecula studies.  It was spotted at 100x.  At 136x and 187x it was very bright and easy to observe.  It was round, with a very bright middle.  Views are still good at 250x and 272x, where the shape became oval.

http://www.ngcicproject.org/dss/n/7/n7080.jpg

gn I. 4954:  3' x 3'; Reflection Nebula:  There are two small patches of nebulosity in and around

gn I. 4955)  the small open cluster Ro 4 (see below).  One patch is on the north preceding edge of the cluster, and appears to be involved with a faint star just north of it.  Views are good up to 250x.  The 2nd patch is even smaller and fainter, and is located in the southern area of the open cluster.  Both objects are pretty small, but easily noticed.

http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ic49a.htm#ic4954, 55

Objects From Other Catalogues

oc Be 83:  2'; 20 *s; Br. * mag. 17:  A very faint, small hazy patch was detected preceding a group of r fairly bright stars, three in a line and one about the central star.  Nothing much else to see here.  Nothing could be seen of oc Be 52, an even fainter group.

oc Cr 416:  8'; Vis. mag. 8.1; 40 *s;  Within the boundaries of much larger NGC 6885, it is just north preceding the bright central star of that cluster (see image, above, with NGC oc 6885).  This group is condensed and more open to views at higher magnifications.  Part of a double cluster!

oc Cz 40:  4'; 30*s: Located between two stars, mag. 9 (south following) and mag. 9.5 (north preceding).  The cluster is mostly haze at moderate power, but a few stars resolve at 250x.  It's a bit tricky to located, but Uranometria is correct in its placement.  Good luck!

oc Cz 41:  8'; 30 *s:  Centered around a mag. 9.5 star, it lies 2 degrees south of oc 6830.  It is first seen as a cloud of faint stars.  Best viewed at 187x and 250x, there are 6 stars north of the brighter central star, which hampers our view of most of the fainter members in this area.  The cluster is fairly large and scattered, though not of primary interest to lovers of open clusters.  However, it is in a lovely star field.

oc Ro 2:  45'; 20 *s; Br. * mag. 7.1:  The center of this giant cluster, somewhere in size between M 6 and M 7, is a 7.1 mag. golden star.  Uranometria shows 9 scattered stars within the boundary.  42x shows the entire group quite well.  A main group of stars runs N/S, becoming more dense near the center, especially just preceding the gold star.  Another dense pocket is immediately north of this star.  60x also shows the cluster well.  It is pretty rich but scattered.  Worth a stop at low power, and located immediately north following the gn 6820/oc 6823 complex.

oc Ro 4:  6'; 30 *s: The most interesting aspect of this little cluster in the presence of two puffs of bright nebula, I. 4954 and 4955 (see above). The cluster itself consists of about 15 brighter stars and several that are much fainter.  Views are good from about 136x to 150x.  See image under the IC discussion, above. 

Clear skies!
Mapman Mike

#98-Public Observing Nights: My Problem With Them

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

Virtually every astronomy club in the world offers a monthly public viewing night, sometimes called an "open house."  Members are on hand to show the wonders of the heavens and answer questions that may arise.  A telescope is often the focal point of these nights, and viewers can usually see the moon, any bright planets that happen to be visible, and perhaps a smattering of showpiece deep sky objects, such as a Messier object and perhaps an obvious double star or two.  These events can be anything from wildly popular to scarcely patronized.  At our own club, the turnout is usually high even if it is completely overcast.  This in itself is worrying.  At least we have a beautiful lit scale model of the solar system on the grounds of our observatory, thanks to a very creative and enterprising member.  It comes in very handy on cloudy open house nights.

What is the primary objective of these open nights?  The main goal is to try and popularize astronomy.  However, by its very nature, astronomy cannot be popularized.  For one thing, most of the events take place at night.  Many people prefer to sleep at this time.  For another thing, astronomy is not something people encounter regularly.  Even diehard observers like myself sometimes have to wait weeks for a good observing night.  In that amount of time, many people will simply forget about astronomy, if they once had a budding interest.  It is not something that can be neatly scheduled into one's day or night (oh, how I wish it were!).

Another reason that astronomy will never become popular with the general public is that they can very comfortably go through their entire lives without ever "needing" astronomy.  It is a branch of science that has no application to daily life.  It is one of few areas of knowledge that Sherlock Holmes contemptuously avoided wasting his time learning (I would disagree with him--knowing when new moon and full moon occurred, in times before universal street lamps, would certainly have helped him in his investigations.  But then, he could have simply looked up the time of moonrise and moonset in an almanac, as well as the lunar phase).

A third reason that astronomy will never be popular with the general public is because we are going about gaining their interest in the wrong way.  Benjamin Franklin certainly knew it (see quote, above).  I have been involved with public education since 1980, specifically music education.  To my everlasting amazement, even in this day of over-used smart phones and such, kids and adults still like to play musical instruments, even old fashioned ones like piano, trumpet, flute, clarinet, etc.  Why is this? 

When I began training to become a teacher, I was specializing in music education.  But I also had to undertake a minor teaching area, and I chose science.  Now, music education is certainly an obvious poster activity for "hands on" education.  Those early days in September when I used to stand in front of a class of 5th or 6th graders and demonstrate the different instruments they could choose from, they were squirming in their seats and salivating, dying to get their little hands on something and make a sound.  Those first few weeks were key encounters.  Would they want to learn music all year, or would they soon get bored and lose interest?  Usually it is the former, but sometimes it is the latter.  You cannot make a great musician out of everyone who learns the basics about playing a musical instrument.  However, you have a better chance of fostering a life-long interest in music.

But without those shiny instruments in those little hands, what chance would you have?  Suppose I showed up once a month at a school that had no music program or instruments, and I brought a different instrument with me to show them each time, perhaps playing a few tunes.  Then I left.  How many of those children would get an opportunity to learn an instrument without help from the school?  Only those ones whose parents were enlightened enough to sign them up for lessons somewhere.  The others would simply move on to an interest that they could literally get their hands on.

My science teacher at the Faculty of Education was a hands-on education man, and when he found out about my interest in telescopes, he helped me devise a series of lessons with one of my high school classes (I was a student teacher) where we combined lenses and made our own crude telescopes in class.  The homeroom teacher did not want any hands on learning, saying that the students would be unmanageable and would likely break the lenses.  I think it was a Gr. 10 class.  Anyway, the lessons went so well (many of the students wanted to take their lenses home to look at the moon at night) that I was pretty hooked on hands on learning afterwards.

What am I getting at here?  Do we provide telescopes for the average person to use?  YES!!!  Exactly!  It is the only way people will gain further interest, especially children.  And guess what?  There is at least one astronomy club that does just that.  The St. Louis, MO Astronomy Society does, and it appears to be wildly successful.  Check out their webpage, and click on the link that says Library Telescopes.  I don't know what genius thought of this, but the club (a very active one) has combined with a number of library branches to have 4.5" reflectors available for sign out for seven days with a library card (they currently have 43 scopes!).  You have to be 18 to sign one out.

Think about this for a moment.  I was 15 or 16 when I began to really get interested.  We had no public observing nights back then.  I would have had my parents downtown at the library regularly to take out that scope for another week.  A family who sees their child with a growing interest in astronomy (possibly from a public observing night, or perhaps from a hands-on science class) can foster this interest, free.   Later, if the interest continues and develops, they can possibly buy the child their own scope.

Now imagine a young boy or girl looking through the club telescope on an open house night.  It is their first time.  They see the moon, and it explodes their brain!  They see Saturn.  They are speechless.  They hear a talk from a knowledgeable member, and learn some of the constellations.  They leave excited and pumped.  Now what?  Well, next month mom and dad are busy, and can't take them to the open house.  The following month it is cloudy.  And so on.  But imagine if those parents could have gone next day and borrowed a small scope from a library branch near their home.  Here is a capture from the St. Louis webpage...

About the Program

The St. Louis Astronomical Society ("SLAS") Library Telescope Program seeks to foster scientific literacy, stimulate an interest in astronomy, and provide people who have never looked through a telescope the chance to experience the excitement that comes from discovery. The program takes advantage of the public library system infrastructure to place telescopes in local public libraries for circulation just like a book. Library patrons age eighteen-years or older with a valid Library card are able to check out a telescope for seven days.  Libraries can setup book displays using the telescope as a centerpiece.  SLAS uses the Orion StarBlast 4.5" telescope for its program.  Each telescope is modified by SLAS to be more durable and patron friendly and is equipped with accessories to help library patrons explore the night sky, including a user’s manual, constellation guide, Moon map, and night light.
SLAS also provides the libraries with ongoing educational support and telescope maintenance.  Throughout the year, libraries host star parties – telescope viewing sessions where the public can gather to view the night skies through a number of telescopes operated by SLAS members.

Seriously, how cool is that?   Imagine that type of lending program spreading across North America and the rest of the world.  The mind boggles.  Instead, we seem to be stuck in a loop where we are always teaching "Astronomy Lesson #1" over and over.  With more people using telescopes, more could be done to fight light pollution.  More people would join astronomy clubs.  More people would read astronomy magazines and on-line news items.  Astronomy would become popular with the general public.  Instead, we have people leaving the open house events with enthusiasm (assuming it was clear), but a month later what has happened to that enthusiasm?  The members of the St. Louis Astronomy Society know the answer to that question.  And they are doing something about it.  They have 18 new scopes on order for the autumn.  That is very impressive work.  I might even leave them a donation in my will for that lending program.

As usual, I would love to hear your comments (anyone from St. Louis reading this?).
Clear skies.
Mapman Mike
 

 

#97-Summer 2016 Observing

I hope your summer observing program is going as well as my own.  I apologize for the delay in writing up a new post, but I have an excuse.  I have had such success this spring and early summer that I have been kept busy cataloguing my observations.  I keep copious notes, along with many sketches, of each NGC object that I observe.  I have now observed enough of them (1500?) that I think I can consider myself an "expert" at finding the faint ones, and at describing the brighter ones.  From early spring till now (the newest observing session officially begins tonight, but it is cloudy) I have had so many clear nights that only yesterday did I get all my official notes and cataloguing caught up.

Currently I am deep into observations of Hercules and Vulpecula.  Each constellation has a very different focus.  For Hercules, I am mainly concentrating on NGC objects, along with a few IC and UGC galaxies.  For Vulpecula, I have added dozens and dozens of double stars (see my previous blog entry) along with the usual star clusters and nebula.  For the first part of the night I lose myself in observing galaxies, and then later move on to the much easier task of viewing clusters and doubles.  My double star list for Vulpecula is so inclusive that it takes me to every corner of the constellation.  Since I visit the double stars by star hopping from an NGC object, I am really getting to know my way around this small but inviting constellation.  I am discovering doubles not listed, as well as any number of asterisms, coloured stars, and beautiful star fields.

This got me thinking about doing a similar "reboot" of Hercules.  So, I recently made up a new list, in addition to the 227 objects I was already searching for (mostly NGC).  I have since added another 455 objects to my Hercules project!  That includes 89 galaxies mostly from the UGC list, along with 366 double, triple, and multiple stars!  In addition, I will make notes of unknown and otherwise unrecorded interesting things seen along the way.  I have also done this for other constellations where I have completed my initial NGC glance, including Delphinus, Sagitta, and Cassiopeia.  Let me tell you, there are a lot of double stars in Cassiopeia!

Why am I doing this??  Why not just look at the best and brightest?  Part of that answer lies in my extensive classical music background.  I am mostly a pianist, and I have played, and continue to play, my share of major masterpieces.  However, for every major masterpiece written for piano, there are hundreds of very beautiful minor ones.  These can be just as fun, seductive, and necessary to my life as the larger works.  Give a listen sometime to the Brahms Op 117 pieces, for example.  

For me, astronomy is very similar.  Let's take a "typical" double star, say mag. 7.9-9.6/14".  This could turn out to be a run-of-the-mill double, in a barren part of the sky.  OR, it could turn into a lovely orange and blue pair, with another deep orange star nearby, and an asterism that looks like a mini Cassiopeia not far off!  One never knows until one goes there.  I want to go there.  Usually, so far anyway, about every third double star turns out to be a real gem, often leading me to another wonder that perhaps no one has really stopped to admire or document.

Anyway, I am having a great time so far this year.  2016, at least the first half, has turned into a banner year for my observing program.  If this luck continues, I will not be blogging very much.  Should clouds dominate the moonless nights, you will likely hear more from me here.  So stay tuned.

Mapman Mike

#96-Generating Double Star Lists

It has been a very productive and fun Spring for this observer.  I accomplished two years worth of NGC work in Leo, and am still going strong in Bootes.  Of course it has also been a planetary feast, beginning earlier in May with the transit of Mercury, and continuing on to the opposition of Mars, the rising of Saturn, and fully utilizing the high position of Jupiter.  These have been heady times for ardent observers!

Because this blog is mostly dedicated to deep sky NGC objects, much of my other observing interests do not get reported here.  However, I really love to observe double stars.  Readers of my small telescope posts know that Space Eye does fine double work.  However, so does my 12" Dob!  In this entry I would like to tell you about a fantastic tool to help you generate your very own personalized double star viewing list.  So far I have done this for work in Lacerta and Vulpecula, and am now working on Sagitta.  My Vulpecula list, tailored to suit my needs, runs to 160 different objects, including doubles, triples and multiples.

Have you ever gazed at the the WDS double star catalogue and gone bleary eyed?  Believe it or not, this is the most incredible resource for double star observers in the entire galaxy!  What if I showed you how to extract information from this list, easily obtaining only the stars you wanted?  Here's how.

Open this website in a different window.  Prepare to be amazed.  On the Stelle Doppie (Double Star) website, click on "Database" at the top, or from within the paragraph.  You will get a 238 page list of "popular" double stars.  Ignore it for now.  You can come back later and drool over it.  On the left side of the page, click on "Advanced Search."  Since this is a website for advanced amateurs, I will show you how I tailor a search that I would use with the 12".  It contains some pretty faint stars, but nothing that isn't shown on Uranometria 2000, All-Sky Edition.

You will now see an overwhelmingly complicated list of parameters to fill in.  DON'T PANIC!!  You only need to fill in a few things.  Start by finding the "Constellation" space, about halfway down.  Let's use Lyra as an example.  Find Lyra from the drop down list and click on it.  Now scroll down the page until you see the "Search the Database" button.  Click on it.  You will get a 34 page list of ALL the doubles in Lyra.  This would be great if you had a 40" refractor, so let's narrow that down a bit.

Find "Mag. Pri" from the list nearer the top.  Leave Lyra right there.  Type in 9.6 in the empty space beside it.  Leave the "less than" default setting alone.  Scroll down and search the database again.  You now have an 11 page list, which includes all primary stars brighter than 9.6.  However, there are still companion stars on that list too faint to see (with my 12"), so go back and set Mag Sec. to 13.6.  Generate your list again, which is now down to 10 pages.  We're getting there.  No companion fainter than mag. 13.6 will show up on the list.

The final step (for me) is to put in a minimum separation.  I don't need stars separated by 0.1" and so on.  Find the "separation" button and set it to 1" (these are my settings for the 12"; you may set your own parameters later).  Change its default setting to MORE THAN.  My final list now has 8 pages.  It can be printed right from there (button at top right of webpage), or exported to various viewing software programs.

Just for fun, leave the same parameters but change the constellation.  Cygnus, using the same settings, generates 28 pages of double stars!!  Cassiopeia gives 15 pages, Hercules 13, and Bootes 5.  I also generate lists for Deb and her 6" Dob.  I set her separation to 1.5", and her mag. to 8 and 12.

As a final check I go through my list and eliminate stars that I know won't work.  For instance, a 4 mag. primary with a 13 mag. secondary at 1" will appear on the list, but is impossible for me to split.  I number the usable stars 1-160 (or whatever) and plot those numbers in pencil on Uranometria beside the correct star.  I am then ready for dark sky double star work!  On nights when transparency doesn't allow for faint work with galaxies, my double star list keeps me going late into the night.

You can do other amazing things here, too.  For example, if you only wish to observe the Struve doubles, look down the left side and Voila!  Have fun!  Message me if you have any questions.

 

Enjoy, and clear skies!

Mapman Mike

#95-Small Telescope Adventures Part 10, Conclusion

With this blog entry I have now completed my original goal of finding 60 objects from Olcott's "Field Book of the Skies"with my $60 2" refractor!  Though the project will continue until at least 100 objects are viewed, this will be my final report here.  I get so little feedback I don't know if anyone is actually reading any of this.  I may move all the 2" material to its own blog.

The Olcott Project:  Adventures with a 2" Telescope--Nights 19, 20, 21

Object #55--Mare Humorum:  On April 18th I observed an 11.5 day-old moon.  Plate VII of Olcott features the location.  Olcott says "Note the circular Mare Humorum, or Sea of Humors, the darkest of the seas."  It is a perfect area to explore with a small telescope.  It is 380 km across, and the circumference is crowded with craters, mountains, and volcanic areas.  Best viewing was towards Mersenius Crater (35 km) near the terminator, though Gassendi (110 km) looked pretty amazing, too.

 https://stargazerslounge.com/uploads/monthly_07_2012/

Mare Humorum

Object #56--Double Star Alpha Canes Venatici, "Cor Caroli", Stf 1692:  2.85-5.5/19":  The next four objects were viewed on the night of May 5th.  Olcott says both stars are yellow, but I saw white and yellow.  He also says it's "easy for a small glass", and "can be seen in a 2" telescope."  Quite true.  A lovely object for Space Eye.

http://www.olympistas.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Estrella-doble-Cor-Caroli.jpg

Object #57--Messier 4:  This globular cluster near Antares is listed on Olcott's map of Scorpius, but is not discussed in the text.  This is a pretty amazing sight in a 2" scope.  The haze is not round, but rather extended across the middle.  On a good night it extends pretty far beyond the much brighter center.  Definitely worth a look, especially to see nearby Antares!  Did I really resolve a few stars?

A beautiful image of Antares and M 4.

http://www.huntsvilleastronomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/RoryGlasgow-Antares-M4-NGC-6144-IC-4605.png

Object #58--Saturn:  Space Eye's 2nd planetary discovery!  Saturn is a pretty amazing sight in a well-focused refractor on a night of good seeing.  However, the planet and rings are tiny at 60x.  A light breeze kept me from going higher.  I will get to view it all summer, as it is in Scorpius.

 http://i.dailymail.co.uk

Object #59--Mars:  Space Eye's 3rd planet!  Two new ones in one night!  Mars was three weeks from opposition when viewed.  The same breeze kept me no higher than 60x, but I will be observing it again and again over the next few weeks.  I was able to observe dark markings on either side, though I could not confirm a polar cap (seen easily later with the 12").  I will update this entry closer to opposition.

What I saw in Space Eye resembles the Aug image, but at the Jan size.

http://en.es-static.us/upl/2016/01/Mars-2016-Mikhail-Chubarets-Ukraine1-e1454016334245.png 

Object #60--Mare Nectaris:  It's fitting that the 60th and final object of my original goal was a lunar one.  Space Eye excels at lunar observation.  I allowed myself up to ten of these in the 60 list, but this was only my 8th.  I will increase the lunar number to 15 for the 100 objects list.  I'm hoping I can snag Venus, too.  This observation was done on May 11th, under clear but hazy and humid skies.  Nectaris is on Plate III of Olcott's Field Book of the Stars.  I quote his passage:  "...and the Sea of Nectar, pentagonal in form, {is} now visible.  At the south of the sea, note Frascatorius (sic) with its north wall broken down."  Fracastorius (124 km) was quite splendid.  Theophilus, a ring mountain rising 1200 m above the plain, was in complete darkness except for the high rim!  A shiny long, narrow feature connects Beaumont Crater (53 km) to Theophilus.  Also note Isidorus (42 km) and Capella (49 km), and much smaller Madler (28 km).  This is a fun area to explore!

 Object #60 for Space Eye, which completes the original viewing endeavour.

http://www.sgo-online.de/astro/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/12-07-08-mond-mare-nectaris.jpg 

 

Thus ends a really fun project, using a Vixen 2" refractor (Space Eye).  I plan to continue observing off and on with this little scope, hopefully getting a lot more Messier objects over the summer.  I am especially interested in open clusters, fine doubles, and trying it out on some more nebula.  None of this will be reported here unless I hear from some interested readers.  My observation reports with the 12" Dob will continue, as well as occasional essays on Astronomy topics that interest me.  Clear skies!

Mapman Mike