by Tom Campbell
| Observer | Tom Campbell |
|---|---|
| Location | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95°24'W Lat: 37°55'N) |
| Equipment | Discovery DHQ 8" dobsonian |
| Eyepieces | 1.25" Plössls - 25mm (49x), 15mm (81x), 10mm (122x), 6.5mm (188x), 4mm (305x) |
| Time | 8:55pm - 10:15pm CST (02:55-04:15 UT) |
| Transparency | Mostly Clear (7/10) |
| Seeing | Mostly Stable (7/10) |
| Weather | Temperatures in the upper 50s. There was a slight breeze. |
| HYDRA | N |
|---|---|
| LEO | NGC-3521 |
| URSA MAJOR | NGC-2841 |
My only plan tonight was to finish off the Astronomical League's Double Star observing project. I only had one more double left to record.
My observing log is somewhat sporadic. When I set my telescope out right after dusk, the sky was clear. However, by the time the telescope had cooled down, some clouds were overhead. The clouds were periodically appearing and moving off throughout the evening. As a result, there are some unusually long times between observations.
| NGC 3521 | Leo | Spiral Galaxy | 8:55pm CST |
|---|---|---|---|
| RA: 11h 05m 49s | Dec: -00° 02' | Mag: 9.8 | |
This is a fairly bright galaxy, with a stellar central core. The spiral arms fade into the background sky, with the outer edges indistinct. The oblong shape appears slightly mottled. The best view tonight was at 81x. | |||
| N | Hydra | Double Star | 9:55pm CST |
| H 96 | RA: 11h 32m 18s | Dec: -29° 16' | Mag: 5.7, 5.8 |
This is the last double on my Astronomical League Double Star list. The pair was fairly easy to find by using the wings of Corvus as pointers to the general location. Both stars appear yellowish, and of a similar magnitude. The atmospheric disturbance from their low altitude causes them to twinkle slightly in the eyepiece at low powers. Although they can be separated at low powers, 81x provided the best view. | |||
| NGC 2841 | Ursa Major | Spiral Galaxy | 10:15pm CST |
| RA: 9h 22m 2s | Dec: +50° 59' | Mag: 10.1 | |
This spiral galaxy is easy to find, right on the front paw of the Great Bear. It forms a right triangle with two bright field stars. The core appears nearly stellar, except somewhat oblong. The core is slightly fainter than the closer of those two stars. The spiral arms of the galaxy appears as faint nebulosity and it is difficult to see the boundaries. No other detail is visible. | |||