#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 

 

#94-Leo Deep Sky: Part 2, Uranometria Chart 93, Left

Tackling the opposite side of Chart 93 is a much larger task.  There are 34 NGC galaxies on the page, and I also stopped in for a look at 2 IC ones.  The famous variable star R Leo is here, along with Regulus, the alpha star.  Though I tried for Leo 1 galaxy just north of Regulus, I had no luck with the 12".  I will try again, though.  Some of the following observations come from Spring 2014; others come from 2015.

I begin with a close cluster of galaxies at the top of the chart, right...
eg 2923:  0'.5 x 0'.4:  Vis. 14.2; SB 12.3:  A threshold object seen with averted vision at 100x, 120x and 150x. It was round and not as tiny as I was expecting.  It is in a helpful star field for location, and near the main galaxy group north following.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

 eg 2928:  1'.1 x 0'.6:  Vis. 14.7; SB 14.1:  An extremely faint threshold smudge was seen at 120x, 150x and 200x.  I couldn't say that I saw a particular shape, though I would lean towards oval.  It was constantly flaring in and out of resolution.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2933:  1' x 0'.4: Vis. 14.6; SB 12.2:  An elongated slash was seen with averted vision at 120x and 200x.  These faint galaxies are extremely challenging, and there isn't a huge payout for finding them.

2934 is not listed on Uranometria, which goes as far as mag. 15.  2934 is mag. 16.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2941:  0'.8 x 0'.5: Vis. 15; SB 13.9:  43 was seen easily and quite well between two faint stars.  It
eg 2943:  2'.2 x 1'.2:  Vis. 12.4; SB 13.5:  is large and bright, noticed at 60x and observed nicely up to 200x.  It is oval in shape.  41 was like a tiny ghost image version of the larger galaxy, appearing just preceding with averted vision at higher powers.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2946:  1'.2 x 0'.4:  Vis 14; SB 13.1:  A very faint galaxy lies on either side of much brighter 2943.  By locating the brighter one first the other two can be found on either side.  46 is more difficult than 41 due to its slender profile.  By centering 43 and allowing it to creep past, 46 can be spotted at 200x with averted vision (even with a bright moon!).  It was very faint, elongated, and closely following 43.  There is a uneven line of faint stars just south. 

Compare the double star above, and in the photo for 2943 to get a good idea of where 2946 is in relation to it.  http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2949:  0.6 x 0'.3:  Vis. 14.5; SB 13.4:  This tiny object was glimpsed immediately preceding a 14 mag. star.  It was very, very faint.  The star may even be a tiny companion galaxy.  Averted vision only.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

The above 7 galaxies took me hours of observing and re-observing to find and glimpse.  It's a tribute to my stubborn nature that I eventually found them all, using hand drawn detail maps I make for myself with the help of the Deep Sky Objects Browser website.


eg 2954:  1'.2 x 0'.9:  Vis. 12.4; SB 12.5:  The galaxy was spotted at 60x, then observed at 100x and 125x.  It is still bright at 200x.  It was oval, and had a bright middle.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2958:  1' x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.2; SB 12.8:  Seen (barely) at 125x, this threshold object was preceded by a mag 13 (?) star.  The Frosty Leo Nebula lies very near to here, but I could distinguish nothing of it with the 12" except a faint star. 

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2984:  0'.7 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.5; SB 12.4:  Though a threshold object, 2984 was seen at 125x, 150x, 

eg I 557:  0'.8 x 0'.4: Vis. 13.9; SB 12.5:  and 200x.  The IC galaxy was also viewed at 200x, closely following the NGC object.  The NGC was round and the IC was oval.

http://www.ngcicproject.org

dble star 14 Leo:  3.6-10.8/97": Primary is white.

dble star Stt 204:  6.7-10.7/8": White and ash.  Viewed at 60x and 100x.

var. star R:  5.2--10.5/312 days: Deep orange, at the apex of a stellar triangle.  The brightest of the other two is mag. 9, making R about 8.5 tonight (April 5th, 2014).  R is a red giant of the Mira type.

eg 2948:  1'.4 x 0'.9:  Vis. 12.9; SB 13:  Located all on its own just north following Leo star 10, at the bottom of the chart.  It was picked up nicely at 100x and observed as high as 200x.  It has a noticeably bright middle, it was elongated, and when using averted vision it became much larger than with direct vision.  This marks my most southerly Leo galaxy to date (+07 degrees R.A.)

http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2939:  2'.4 x 0'.6:  Vis. 12.4; SB 12.7:  2939 is the star of this pair of galaxies.  It was a large

eg 2940:  0'.9 x 0'.7:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13:  object, very faint, very elongated, and it had a bright middle.  Using averted vision showed it to be even larger than at first.  It was observed well at 125x and 200x, still under a bright moon.  2940 was a lot smaller, round, and a threshold object.  Both galaxies precede three stars in a triangle, and 40 itself is close to a tiny double star.  They both easily fit into a medium power field of view.

http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc29.htm#2939

IC 548 was not sought.

 

eg 3016:  1'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis/SB both 12.9: Round and faint at 125x.
eg 3019:  1' x 0'.7:  Vis. 15.2; SB 13.8: Very faint, south following a faint star.  Seen at 183x and
eg 3020:  3'.2 x 1'.8: Vis. 11.9; SB 13.5: 200x.  20 is very large, even at 100x.  Not difficult to view,
eg 3024:  2'.2 x 0'.6: Vis. 13.1; SB 13: along with 16.  24, once located, is a lovely slash galaxy at 150x, 183x and 200x.  All 4 galaxies fit into the 183x field, where 20 shows its tremendous size.  24 is very long, too.  I spent a lot of observing time here in 2014 and 2015.  A recommended project for a 12" or greater.

http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc30.htm#3020

When Spring 2015 came around (with a much improved left eye!) I reviewed the above quartet, having much more success at seeing them.  From here on all observations are at a dark sky site with the left eye cataract removed.

eg 3049:  2'.2 x 1'.5:  Vis. 12.1; SB 13.2:  Located at 100x.  It was large and oval and had a pretty bright middle.  A faint 4-star asterism lies just north.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3069:  0'.8 x 0'.4 :  Vis. 14.2; SB 12.3:  69 was seen at 183x and 200x.  It has a slightly

eg 3070:  1'.4 x 1'.4:  Vis. 12.3; SB 13:  brighter center, and resembles a faint slash.  70 was observed from 100x thru 200x.  It was round with a bright middle and a brighter stellar core.

 http://cseligman.com/text/atlas

eg 3094:  1'.6 x 1'.2:  Vis. 12.3; SB 12.9:  Located at 60x, it appears as a faint, fuzzy companion to an 11 mag. star.  At low power they could easily be mistaken for a double star.  The haze brightens considerably, and expands, as magnification is increased.  However, the adjoining star does interfere due to its similar brightness.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

dble. star Stf 1413:  9.3-10.1/0.7"  Other sources give 2" of separation.  Anyway, it was split at 150x, with one star noticeably brighter.  It's the only binary star in that square on Chart 93.  Search at R.A. 10 hrs (just before) and between 16 and 17 degrees north.  Good luck!

eg 3053:  1'.8 x 0'.9:  Vis. 12.7; SB 13:  Located at 100x in a busy field of stars.  The galaxy is pretty big and very oval at 150x, and has a bright middle.  Views were very good at 200x.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3041:  2'.7 x 1'.6:  Vis. 11.5; SB 13.8:  Located at 100x, and later it was easy at 60x, where it appears along with 3053!  This one is very large, bright,  fat and oval.  It has a brighter middle.  Two or three faint stars appear to be involved.  An easy object, and an impressive one in the 12".  Recommended.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3048:  0'.6 x 0'.3:  Vis. 15.4; SB 13.6:  This took a few nights and several passes to locate.  It was eventually glimpsed at 200x.  It is oval and extremely faint, but noted with certainty using averted vision.  Despite a darker sky and a better eye, some of these objects are still notoriously difficult. 

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3060:  2'.2 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13; SB 13.2:  Located at 100x and viewed up to 200x, it is pretty big and has a bright middle.  The elongation is easy to see, and especially notable using averted vision.  UGC 5343 is just following.  It is much fainter.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3075:  1'.2 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.6; SB 13.4:  This one is oval but very faint.  I saw it best at 125x.  It lies between a 10 mag. and an 11 mag. star.  A faint star also appears to be involved with the galaxy.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3080:  0'.9 x 0'.8:  Vis. 13.4; SB 12.9:  Ghostly and round, it was best glimpsed at 200x.  It has a stellar core.  At this point of the evening (March 22nd, 2015) my secondary mirror was fogging up.  A 2nd look on a different night showed it much easier.  In the same 200x field as I. 585.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

I. 585:  0'.7 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14; SB 13.6:  This one is faint, appearing round as seen with averted vision.  It sits in the same high power field with 3080.  Though not difficult to see tonight, it was invisible on the previous night (fogging up of secondary mirror).

eg 3130:  1' x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.4; SB 12.8:  Not that difficult to see, despite star 31 being right there, at magnitude 4.4.  The galaxy was viewed at 125x, 150x, 200x and 250x.  It is oval, has a bright middle, but is small.  It is only 5' away from star 31.  Good luck!

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3153:  2'.3 x 1'.1:  Vis. 12.7; SB 12.2:  Spotted at 100x as a wide slash, views were good up to 183x, where the galaxy began to fade.  Not that bright, but impressively large.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3107:  0'.7 x 0'.6:  Vis. 13.4; SB 12.3:  Located north preceding a 7.8 mag. star, which is now quite a blinding sight with my new, improved left eye.  The galaxy is oval, and was spotted at 100x.  In views up to 250x it is pretty bright and not difficult to see.  The higher magnifications help block out the bright star nearby.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3119:  0'.5 x 0'.5:  Vis. 14.4; SB 12.7:  Both galaxies are seen in the same field of view, along

eg 3121:  1'.7 x 1'.4:  Vis. 12.6; SB 13.5:  with a relatively bright star.  Both galaxies appear round, with 19 appearing like a very faint smaller after image of the much brighter 21.  Look south.  Also viewed at 150x and 183x, 21 has a stellar core.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

3119, according to Uranometria (whom I would trust with my first born), is south of 21, and preceding just a tiny bit.

eg 3154:  0'.9 x  0'.4:  Vis. 13.4; SB 12.2:  North following a mag. 8.8 star, it was not hard to locate.  Spotted at 125x and observed up to 250x.  Though faint, elongation is evident.  One of several galaxies tonight seen very near a bright star.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

eg 3134:  0'.8 x 0'.2:  Vis. 13.7; SB 11.7:  It took a few nights and a hand-drawn detailed map, but tonight it was located easily (April 13th/15) under average skies.  It was spotted at 100x, and also viewed at 125x and 150x, where it was seen best.  The galaxy is small, faint and oval.  No slash was seen.

 http://www.ngcicproject.org

These first two blog entries in my Leo series encapsulates several seasons of observing.  I am now halfway through the 2016 Leo season, and enjoying great success, having had several scattered nights of exceptional transparency.  I am hoping for more of the same after this week's full moon is well past.  Clear skies!

Mapman Mike 

#93-Leo Deep Sky: Part 1, Uranometria Chart 93, Right

I am into my 4th season of observing all of the NGC in Leo, along with a few IC and UGC galaxies.  ALL of the agreed upon NGC objects in Leo are galaxies.  Several stars were given designation by error back in the day.  Anyone who observes all 360+ will certainly become expert at observing galaxies.  With one more lunar dark sky session remaining for this year's studies, I should be about 40% of the way through Leo by this time next month.  This has already been a very successful season, with 61 new NGC galaxies logged.  The first year was not nearly so successful.  I was observing from a less than ideal dark sky site, so I really had my work cut out for me.  In addition, my left observing eye was developing a cataract.  Compare that with the last two seasons, where my left eye is now as good as new, and the much darker site near Comber, Ontario helps immensely.  I am slowly going back over some of the earliest sightings, as reported here.

How to talk about so many galaxies?--that was my problem, and one of the reasons I kept putting off the reports.  I have decided to use Uranometria 2000, All Sky Edition, as the basis for my reporting.  Over the remaining months of spring, and likely well into summer, I will try and update readers with all objects seen to date.  I will also include several double stars, to help break up the monotony of so many faint galaxies.  It is time to begin with observations from Spring 2013.

If you want to be serious and find these galaxies for yourself, the first step should be learning how to star hop between Leo 3, 2, 6 and 5.  These four stars are your guide to the ten galaxies on this side of Chart 93.  Happy hunting!

LEO NGC--Uranometria Chart 93, Right Side

eg 2894:  1.'9 x 1"; Vis. 12.4; SB 12.9:  The first galaxy of my long journey, it was seen from my backyard suburban skies.  It was not visible at 60x, but averted vision showed it at 120x, elongated.  Very faint stars were resolving, as if a faint cluster lay over top.  However, the galaxy itself was seen well and steadily at 150x.  Lying south of a mag. 8.5 star, 2894 lies very close to a much fainter star.  Worth repeating from a darker sky.

www.ngcicproject.org

dble * Leo 3:  6-10/25":  Split at 60x.  Gold and bluish at 120x. 

dble * Leo 6:  6-9/37":  Yellow and violet.  A fine double at 60x.

Var.  * DF:  6.8--7/70 days:  A pale orange star, in a curved line with 3 others.  Nice field. 

eg 2911:  4'.3 x 3'.2: Vis. 11.5; SB 14.1:  Seen from my 2nd best site (Malden, Ontario), I saw a large but faint nebula at 60x.  It was oval with averted vision, and evenly bright,  Up to 150x was used, but 100x and 120x gave the most satisfactory views.  It sits midway between two fainter stars, one of them a double with a fainter companion.

www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2914:  0'.9 x 0'.6: Vis. 13.3; SB 12.5:  Seen at 60x, this one makes a triangle with two fainter stars.  It is very slightly oval, and quite small.  It can be seen with 2911 in the same field up to 150x.  See above.  2912 is a star.

eg 2872:  2'.1 x 1'.9: Vis. 11.9; SB 13.4:  72 and 74 are pretty nice in the 12".  Seen as one larger

eg 2873:  0'.7 x 0'.3: Vis. 15.4; SB 13.6:  nebula at 60x and 100x, two cores are noted at 136x and

eg 2874:  2'.5 x 0'.9:  Vis 12.6; SB 12.9:  higher.  At 150x a tiny, narrow strip of black sky separates them.  74 is considerably fainter and very elongated, so much so that once or twice I though I was seeing a 3rd galaxy to the south.  It took a few tries to located 73, just north of the pair.  On a recent return to this little triplet I spotted it quickly and easily from Comber, my darkest site, at 187x.  It is a challenge, but not too bad.  It appears as a tiny, elongated haze.  Overall I highly recommend these three galaxies, all of which fit into a high power field.

www.ngcicproject.org

2871 and 2875 are stars.

eg 2882:  1'.5 x 0'.5: Vis. & SB mag. 12.6:  This one took many nights to locate, but on April 5th, 2013 I finally found it.  The ultra faint slash was seen at 100x, 120x, and 150x, but it was too faint for 200x.  The extensions are fainter than the middle.  I use hand drawn detail maps from Deep Sky Objects Browser for difficult galaxies.  I would like to try this one again from my darker sky site.

www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2906:  1'.4 x 0'.5: Vis. 12.5; SB 12.6:  Spotted at 120x, it was oval.  It was a bit better to see at 150x, larger now.  I could see it without averted vision at 200x.  The edges are fainter than the middle.

www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2919:  1'.6 x 0'.5: Vis. 12.9; SB 12.5:  Like several others nearby, this one was more difficult than its statistics suggest.  It took several times before I found it.  Glimpsed on previous occasions, I could not confirm the sighting till tonight (May 2nd, 2013).  Tonight it was seen a few times at 120x and 150x.  Averted vision had to be used, and a threshold star could be seen just following the galaxy.

www.ngcicproject.org

eg 2913:  1'.1 x 0'.7: Vis. 13.4; SB 13:  Another difficult target for my somewhat suburban sky at the time.  It was spotted despite beginning to fade into the west, even more light polluted thanks to the southern suburbs of Detroit across the river from me.  It was very faint, seen only as a ghostly oval with averted vision at 120x and 150x.

www.ngcicproject.org

dble star Stf 1353:  9.9-10/3.2":  Minute at 60x.  Both white and nearly even at 150x.  It is the only double star in the box.  Look between 15 and 16 degrees north, and 9 hrs 27' R.A.  It's kind of in the middle of nowhere, but an easy star hop from Leo 7.

dble star Leo 7: 7.9-9.1/45":  White and pale blue at 60x and 120x.  Also split with the 4" Astroscan.  

dble star 6 Leo: 5.2-9.3/37":  A fine double at 60x.  Yellow and violet.

dble star Stf 1360: 9-8.9/14": Midway between Leo 5 and Leo 6, preceding them.  Both white at 100x.  There is a distant mag. 13 as well.

Clear skies.
Mapman Mike

 

#92-Aperture Fever

It's Spring, and many of you will be dusting off the old telescope and getting it ready for the warmer nights that will soon be upon us.  A few of you might even have brand new scopes ready to receive first light.  And some of you may be thinking it's time to upgrade to a bigger scope.  The quest for more aperture is as old as astronomy itself, and when I think of the 100" and 200" telescopes that dominated my fixation with large telescope as a teen, and now realize that those instruments just aren't really so big after all, I wonder what my next step will be in telescope aperture.  Mapman began with a toy 3" reflector, quickly upgrading to the Cadillac of its day (in more ways than one), the Tasco Lunagrosso 4 1/2" reflector.  Who would ever need more aperture than that?  That was 1971, and that scope lasted me till 1978.  Along came the Edmund 8" reflector.  I was in aperture heaven!  I could see farther and fainter than ever before.  Who would ever need more aperture than that?  Not me!  That scope lasted me until 2012, when along came my Orion 12" Dobsonian reflector.  I am beyond pleased with it, and have been successfully tackling the northern NGC list.  Who could possibly need more aperture than that for amateur viewing?

Readers of this blog will remember that my most recent telescope, purchased last autumn, was the smallest one I have ever owned.  2" Space Eye cannot be considered as part of my desire for more aperture.  Why, then, did I purchase it?  I am still quite delighted with this instrument, and have been enjoying good views of Jupiter and its moons this Spring, along with outstanding lunar work.  It has brought me back to my earlier days of astronomy, when finding anything resembling a Messier object was a night time adventure of the first rank.  Last night (April 12th) I located M 44 (The Beehive Cluster) with Space Eye, despite a 5.5 day moon nearby in the sky.  What a kick!

Someday, when I have a place where I don't have to transport a scope 45 minutes from my home and back each time I want a dark sky, I would certainly consider upgrading to an 18".  I know I would never want a bigger scope than that (ha ha)!

Okay, enough about me.  Let's talk about two famous astronomers and their aperture fevers.  William Herschel, a German musician who became an astronomy fanatic, first built himself a 6" reflector.  His metal alloy mirror, which he designed and improved over previous ones in existence, had the ability to reflect about 60% of the light it received.  That's about equal to a good 4" mirror today.  Next he built a 9" mirror, which got him up to about a 6" scope today.  However, that scope was ten feet long (three meters), since curving the mirror was not possible in those days to the extent it is today (he did not use a secondary mirror, either, but had to look down into the tube to observe).  So his scope was something like an f 13 reflector!  Next came his most famous scope, his 18" mirror.  However, it was twenty feet long.  It is similar to a good quality 12" mirror of today.

Herschel's famous 40 foot reflector, with 36" mirror
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Herschel_40_foot.jpg

Was he satisfied with that size?  Of course not!  Finally came his 36" mirror (photo, above), with forty feet of tubing!  Though valuable for observing dim objects, preparing it for a night of observing was so cumbersome that it was used only seldom.  Herschel mostly used his 18" scope for his deep sky work.  He built his scopes between 1781 and 1789.

We now jump to the middle of the 1800s, when Lord Rosse of Ireland was struck with his own version of aperture fever.  Herschel did not leave any notes behind about his mirror making process, so Lord Rosse had to start from scratch.  He made a 15" reflector, a 24" reflector, and then a 36" version!  These scopes took him seventeen years to build.  However, barely was the 36" mirror set into a Newtonian mount then Lord Rosse decided he wanted to build the world's largest telescope.  Imagine trying to do that today?  It wasn't much easier back then, either.  He began work on a 72" mirror, which took him five tries before he finally got one that would work.  Then it took three years to build the mount.  To see through the scope he had to sit on a chair fifty feet in the air.  Despite all his hard work, the scope was rarely used.  For one thing, it could barely move side to side, though up and down was not a problem.  Thus he could not see very far in right ascension, but had to wait for objects to pass in front of him.  The other problem was the damp, cloudy weather in Ireland, and terrible distortion caused by the atmospheric changes.  The mirror never had time to acclimatize properly before the next weather front moved in.  One good thing came out of this disaster; from then on sites for large telescopes were carefully chosen with the local climate in mind.  This telescope has been restored recently and can be visited at its original location in Ireland!

Lord Rosse's 72" reflector, nicknamed the "Leviathon."

http://amazingspace.org/resources/explorations/groundup/lesson/scopes/rosse/scope.php

Hopefully your aperture fever, when it strikes, will not be as extreme as either of these two gentlemen.  However, if it is, kindly keep us informed about your progress.

Clear skies.  
Mapman Mike.

#92-Small Telescope Adventures, Part 10

The Olcott Project:  Adventures with a 2" Telescope--Nights 16, 17, 18

I have now passed fifty objects with Space Eye, as our waxing moon clear spell continues.  It looks like it could go for 8 nights in a row, which would be a record for me, and doubtless this area of Canada.  Lunar work and double stars continue to hold my interest, and I always have a long look at Jupiter.  Looking at Jupiter is a good way to judge seeing, which is usually better a few hours after sunset.

Object #46--double star Struve 1579 (Star 65, Ursa Majoris):  6.7-7/63":  South preceding Chi (x), this double is easy to identify because of its brightness and wide separation.  The primary star is noticeably brighter than the secondary.  There is also a faint, close C member, but I could not see it.  Olcott gives 6.5 and 6.8 for the main pair.  An easy double for a 2".

Object #47--Lunar Crater Eratosthenes:  From Olcott's Plate VI, he also devotes a short factual paragraph to it on the facing page.  The crater is 60 km across, and is attached to the southern extremity of the Apennine Mtns.  The tip of a central peak was observed, lit up from within the shadowed half of the crater, near its terminator. The crater has mountains and rough areas on three sides.  This area is beautifully suited to Space Eye.  Seen when the moon was 8.5 days old.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Eratosthenes_lunar_crater_map.jpg

Object #48--double star Delta Geminorum:  3.5-8.1/5".6:  Olcott gives the distance as 7", so the pair has closed somewhat (confirmed with the Washington Double Star Catalogue).  This makes it beyond mere "difficult" with a 2" glass.  Deb spotted it first at 75x, and finally I did, too.  100x didn't help much, but it could be glimpsed later at 60x, once we knew where it was.  Olcott says Yellow-Red or Purple.  The main star seemed white to me; the tiny one is barely glimpsed with averted vision. 

http://www.carbonar.es/s33/Geminis/DeltaGem-ila.jpg

 

Object #49--double star Epsilon Bootes:  2.6-4.8/2".9:  This is a startling object, even at 30x.  Blue and red appear side by side on the same star, making it seem like the optics are out of whack.  The colours blend together in the center.  Even at 75x I am not certain of a clean split, but the remarkable colour contrast is truly astounding!  Olcott devotes a full paragraph to this pair, which is Struve's "pulcherrima," because of its extreme beauty.  In the line notes to the star Olcott says "Orange-Green.  A superb object.  Test for 2-inch glass."  I saw deep, deep orange and blue, so orange I would actually say red.  I will be back here often, trying for a perfect split.
Update:  I recently got a clean split at 75x and 100x, deep yellow and rich blue!!

http://www.princeton.edu/~rvdb/images/NJP/epsBootes-Avg-Gamma05-BRGB.jpg

Object #50--double star Struve 1850 (Bootes):  7.6-7.7/26":  As the moon continues to wax brighter, I continue to avoid clusters and the like, sticking to double stars I can find in my bright, moonlit suburban sky.  Split at 30x, but much better at 60x.  Olcott gives mistaken magnitudes of 6.1 and 6.7, so I had been expecting a somewhat brighter pair.  He also says Yellow-Blue.  I see white and ivory.  The pair lies between Arcturus, a beautiful bright yellow star in Space Eye, and Gamma Bootes.

http://www.carbonar.es/s33/Bootes/Tvazquez-Stf1850.jpg

Object #51--Lunar Crater Copernicus:  From Plate VII in Olcott, he says: "Copernicus is conspicuous.  It contains 8 central peaks, 3 of which are bright ones, and one is 2400' high."  The crater was amazing (seen at 9.5 days), especially the walls opposite the shadowed side.  Many layers of wall can be studied, with some very bright spots.  The crater floor appears smooth in Space Eye, except for the two central peaks that can be seen.  The crater is 93 km across and 3760m deep.  Not far away was Erastosthenes, studied the previous night and still looking fine.  Reinhold was lovely tonight, at 48km in diameter.  Reinhold B is 24 km across; Fauth is 12 km, and tiny Guy Lussac A is 14 km.  Guy Lussac itself appeared as mountain walls.  All of these objects showed well in Space Eye.

 http://astronomer.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Copernicus-Crater-2.jpg

In the 10 o'clock position to Copernicus (center) is Erastothenes again.  In the 2 o'clock position, near Copernicus, is tiny Fauth.  Though a joined double crater, it appeared as one to me.  Right of it is Reinhold B, and right beside it is Reinhold.  At the 8 o'clock position near Copernicus is tiny Guy Lussec A, attached to Guy Lussec.  The latter appeared to me as mountains. 

Object #52--double star Epsilon Gemini:  3.1-9.6/110":  Olcott gives 4 and 10 magnitude at 112".  This is a nice easy double for Space Eye, and it's also easy to locate using Olcott's map of Gemini.  Split at 30x, it was better at 60x.  The primary star appears white.

Epsilon is near the center of the map.

http://www.sciencecenter.net/whatsup/drawings/gm-stars.jpg

Object #53--double star Delta Bootes:  3.6-7.9/110":  Olcott gives 3.5 and 7.5 at 105".  He gives the colours as yellow and blue.  Delta is easy to locate, extending a line from Arcturus through Epsilon Bootes, extending it the same length again.  The primary star is yellow; the secondary is too faint to see colour.  Both stars seen steadily at 30x; I also observed it at 60x.

http://a.gerard4.free.fr/illustrations/Boo/49_delta_boo.jpg

Object #54--Lunar Crater Gassendi:  It has been so much fun observing the waxing moon six nights in a row with Space Eye!  This crater was right at the terminator last night (10.5 day old moon) and was really spectacular.  Olcott says "There are many curious clefts in the wall of Gassendi."  I was able to use 100x with great success tonight, now having sufficient experience with Space Eye to use such a power.  Gassendi is referred to as a walled plain, and is 110 km across.  Gassendi A (33 km) breaks the wall in the south.  The smaller crater showed a teeny tiny central peak, the only light seen from within the otherwise darkened crater.  Gassendi B (26 km) is attached on the south to A.  The north section of Gassendi's wall is missing as seen with the 2", opening directly on to Mare Humorum.  The floor of the main crater appears very rough.  The walls, lit dramatically, were splendid!  Two central peaks were very prominent and bright.

 Gassendi, with A and B to the south.

http://www.chabotspace.org/assets/astrophotos/rachel/Moon-Gassendi-CR-0409.jpg

It's been an incredible run of 7 clear nights in a row, from April 11th through April 17th.  The night of the 11th I spent with the 12" in Leo at the club observatory near Comber, but the other six nights saw me on my own back deck with Space Eye.  

Mapman Mike