The first 'Annual(?)' California Star Party was held at Lake San Antonio 30 miles northwest of Paso Robles California on September 29th and September 30th 2000. Myself and my observing partner Alberto arrived on the 28th a day early to 'check out' the site and leave time to explore a bit during the daylight hours on Friday. The alternative would have been making the 5 hour drive north from my home in Fullerton California on Friday leaving only Saturday to explore. I wanted some of Saturday to get to personally know some of my e-pals I'd known for some two years via email. I was only 'partially' successful in that pursuit.
I brought with me my 45cm f/4.5 LITEBOX dobsonian, my 13cm f/8 Astro-Physics refractor on an AP 400GTO equatorial mount, and my 16x70 Fujinon binoculars undermounted on a Gary Russel parallelogram mount.
To be honest I am very disappointed with my performance observing. I simply seemed to have gone partially brain dead for the weekend and had a very difficult time starhopping. I just was not matching what my star e-atlas, SkyMap Pro 6, was showing me with what I was seeing in the finder and low power eyepieces. This would haunt me all three nights. It would not be the only disappointment for the weekend, but it would be the most troubling.
I have no idea if it was the excitement of meeting 50 or 60 people that prior to CalStar I had only known through email, or simple brain damage. I know it was not the Fosters as I only had a few during the day. Besides I've found dozens if not 100's of faint fuzzies with various adult beverages by my side. No, it was just a very unproductive three nights as far as logging objects go because I could not stay focused on my observing program and when I did, I had a heck of a time matching up star fields. Yes I had my Sky Commander with me, and no I did not use it. I enjoy the challenge, frustrating as it is sometimes, of find things on my own. I keep the SC around solely for public viewings when the great unwashed huddled masses might grow weary of watching me starhop.
Thursday was probably the best night of the three as far as the sky conditions though it was the only one with dew. Very light dew compared to some nights I had spent back in Rochester, New York out by soggy Sodus Bay. Nothing to get excited about. On a 1-10 scale transparency was about 7 and seeing was about a 5. Seeing improved as the night went on to perhaps 6 or 7. Nothing however like the seeing conditions of 8 or 9 we are used to near Palomar, but it was darker than Palomar in most directions! That ought tell you something about Palomar's light pollution problems.
All the object data is from Sky Map Pro 6 using the older SAC database.
Okay I admit, it's small and dim, but under the conditions we were under, I should have been able to track down Abell 77. Or AT LEAST find the field. THATS what really irks me. I don't mind not seeing an object. But getting lost and not finding the field really tee's me off. I am nothing if not tenacious though. I tried for two hours! What would I have seen? Maybe nothing. But MANY NGC objects are listed with photographic magnitudes which are typically 1 magnitude dimmer than the visual. It always cracks me up to hear someone say, "I tracked down a NGC XXXX at mag 15.8!". Maybe yes, maybe no. But more and more I am finding out, it's a visual mag of 14.8 or brighter. Still quite a feat, but more in line with what a typical 45cm dob will do under 'typical' dark skies. The raw NGC catalog is apparently notorious for that. And hence you should be skeptical of any source that used the base raw RNGC. My rule of thumb is, if it's and obscure object, assume the magnitude is one brighter than that listed unless someone of some stature and authority says otherwise. Anyone care to debate? :)
Fresh from dropping a big zilch-o on Abell 77, I tried to find the Cave
Nebula in Cepheus. Having tried and failed before at Nightfall in the
ANza-Borrego desert a year ago, I found the correct field pretty quickly.
But even under what I thought was reasonable dark skies, I had little luck.
With the 31mm Nagler in place at 64x I saw nothing. Adding a UHC filter made
me suspect something, but increasing the magnification to 166x (12mm Nagler)
and the UHC filter made whatever I thought I saw complete disappear. :) I
found absolutely no hint of anything with the OIII filter. I noticed many
people use the OIII only on planetary nebulae. I believe they are missing
opportunities to coax more out of diffuse nebulae. Many diffuse nebulae
respond in some fashion to the OIII. Some are better using a UHC. But not
this one! It skunked me for a second year. Any other that Steve Gottlieb
At 64x (31mm Nagler) I found this cluster to be triangular in overall shape.
I thought there was 14 or 15 brighter members with the brightest being at
the northwest apex of the triangle.
64x (31mm Nagler) This is a very small tight knot of 10 or so bright stars
in a fan or comet shape. The brightest star is on the western edge.
Two bright stars oriented west southwest to east northeast mark the location
of this dim but obvious fuzzy area east of NGC 7510. At 64x (31mm Nagler)
it's a somewhat round fuzzy glow. An OIII enhances this object nicely making
the shape become more like a square. There is a brighter bar of material
that runs east to west and on the western edge of the overall nebula there
is an enhancement as well. A UHC filter does not provide as much enhancement
as the OIII but it does let more of the embedded stars shine through which
get more attenuated with the OIII. So this view might be more aesthetically
pleasing. At 221x (9mm Nagler) the east-west bar resolves to the two stars.
This shows how cranking up the magnification can give you a whole different
view. This magnification also confirms the west side of the nebula is
brighter.
This is the Bubble Nebula. At 221x (9mm Nagler) with the UHC filter
installed this becomes a very nice and detailed object. The nebula encircles
the star TYC-4279-1583-1. The star is embedded in some nebulosity itself but
it is the bright ring arc to the north that catches one's attention. I could
trace this obviously bright arc at least 160 degrees or perhaps a bit more.
It appears the star 'rests' against the northern inner edge of the 'bubble'
half way around the brighter arc. The two brighter and fainter arcs that
make up the 'bubble' can be viewed in their entirety however the dimmer half
of the bubble requires alot of concentration to see. The star seems involved
in the nebulosity where it's 'attached' to the inner wall of the brighter
half of the 'bubble'. Given that, I think they should name it the egg nebula
for obvious reproductive reasons. :)
At 64x (31mm Nagler) this cluster appears as a small thin cluster of some
10-20 members. It's somewhat spread out approximately east to west. There
are two obviously brighter members that are near to the eastern edge of the
cluster and are of approximately equal brightness. They are oriented north
to south.
At 64x (31mm Nagler) this is a small group of 4 bright stars arranged in
sort of a wishbone pattern. There then is a small patch of light that
appears to shine from behind them. I slipped in the 9mm nagler for 221x.
The nebula appeared to be elongated and oriented southwest to northeast. A
brighter knot of material appears on the northeast end. OIII and UHC filters
only seem to attenuate this object providing no help in viewing it.
Name: NGC 7142 Type of object: Open cluster Magnitude: 9.3 Size: 4.3'
At 64x (31mm Nalger) this cluster appeared to be large, irregular in shape,
and loose. There are 10's if not a 100 or more stars in the field. To me
there appears to be an arc of brighter stars that cradle the rest of the
cluster. They start northwest of the main cluster and run alongside the
cluster to the north and then curve to the east.
And with that, my night was over. I went to sleep at about 3am. Imagine 7pm
to 3am. Eight hours of observing and only eight objects logged. I did
socialize a bit with Paul Lefevre and a bit with Albert Highe, but
basically, I spent several hours looking for Abell 77 which for various
reasons I could not find. I just kept getting lost. I suppose with that
confession, some out in e-land might feel better. It happens to me, I'll
guess it happens to many. Even those with some experience. On other nights,
I am unstoppable and land tough targets in minutes. Go figure... As I said,
I bedded down for the night at about 3am and after chompin' on a sandwich,
was sawing logs by 4am. Unfortunately I would be awaken by 9:30am by people
setting up camp. I KNEW I should have set up camp further away. :) Albert
Highe knew that from the start as he set up well away from anyone. Now I
know why... :) More to come.
Name: NGC 7380 Type of object: Open cluster Magnitude: 7.2 Size: 12.0'
Right ascension: 22h 47m 3s Declination: +58° 6' 21" Constellation:
Cepheus
Name: NGC 7510 Type of object: Open cluster Magnitude: 7.9 Size: 4.0'
Right ascension: 23h 11m 34s Declination: +60° 34' 20" Constellation:
Cepheus
Name: NGC 7538 Type of object: Bright nebula Size: 10.0'x5.0'
Right ascension: 23h 14m 16s Declination: +61° 29' 20" Constellation:
Cepheus
Name: NGC 7635 Type of object: Bright nebula Size: 15.0'x8.0'
RA: 23h 20m 46s Declination: +61° 11' 19" Constellation: Cassiopeia
Name: NGC 7160 Type of object: Open cluster Magnitude: 6.1 Size: 7.0'
Right ascension: 21h 53m 45s Declination: +62° 36' 24" Constellation:
Cepheus
Name: NGC 7129 Type of object: Bright nebula Magnitude: 11.5 Size:
2.7'
Right ascension: 21h 41m 21s Declination: +66° 6' 25" Constellation:
Cepheus
Right ascension: 21h 45m 57s Declination: +65° 48' 24" Constellation:
Cepheus