by Tom Campbell
| Observer | Tom Campbell |
|---|---|
| Location | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95 30' W Lat: 37 55' N) |
| Equipment | 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepieces | 1.25" Plössls (25mm, 15mm, 10mm, 6.5mm, 4mm) |
| Time | 10:40pm - 11:45pm CDT |
| Transparency | Clear |
| Seeing | Stable |
| Weather | Temperature in the lower 80s. There was a slight breeze. |
I didn't arrive home tonight until after sunset, but the sky was so gorgeous, I just had to get a little stargazing in. I quickly grabbed up my observing plan and telescope, and headed back outside for the evening.
Tonight's observing plan consisted mainly of tracking down some double stars in Draco, as part of the Astronomical League's Double Star Club certificate I'm working toward. While waiting for my telescope to reach equilibrium with the night air and for my eyes to dark adapt, I first pointed at a few star clusters.
| M 15 | Pegasus | Globular Cluster | 10:40pm CDT |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 7078 | RA: 21 30.0 | Dec: +12 10 | Mag: 6.4 |
| This is a nice globular, fairly easy to resolve. At 188X, stars can be seen almost all the way into the core. The core itself is bright, nearly stellar, and the edges fade away quickly. The outer edges of the cluster are a little non-uniform, giving it a not-quite-globular shape. Many more stars are resolved at 305X | |||
| M 71 | Sagitta | Globular Cluster | 10:50pm CDT |
| NGC 6838 | RA: 19 53.8 | Dec: +18 47 | Mag: 8.3 |
| This cluster is much fainter than M15 and more difficult to resolve. At 188X, it appears as an irregularly-shaped compact open cluster, with nebulosity in the background. It really doesn't look much like the typical globular cluster. | |||
| M 52 | Cassiopeia | Open Cluster | 11:00pm CDT |
| NGC 7654 | RA: 23 24.2 | Dec: +61 35 | Mag: 6.9 |
| 188X is about the most power I can use and still keep it entirely within the
field of view. The open cluster has a bright star near one end. The other
stars are all at least one magnitude fainter. On the opposite end of the
cluster, there's a straight little string of 10-12 stars running parallel to
the bright star.
The cluster is generally round in shape, with 40-50 stars visible. 81X offers a nice overview of the cluster, nicely framed in the eyepiece. | |||
| Nu | Draco | Double Star | 11:10pm CDT |
| 24 | RA: 17 32.2 | Dec: +55 11 | Mag: 4.9, 4.9 |
| This double is in the head of the Dragon constellation. Both stars are the same magnitude and appear white in color. They have a wide separation, easily split using only 49X. This "headlight" double (as I like to call them) appears as two eyes staring back at you. | |||
| Mu | Draco | Double Star | 11:15pm CDT |
| 21 | RA: 17 05.3 | Dec: +54 28 | Mag: 5.7, 5.7 |
| This is a tight double. Both stars are of equal magnitude and white in color. At 188X, the pair can be split, but 305X looks much better. Dropping the magnification back down to 49X, the pair appears as a single star, although it looks yellowish instead of white. | |||
| 16/17 | Draco | Triple Star | 11:20pm CDT |
| RA: 16 36.2 | Dec: +52 55 | Mag: 5.4, 6.4 | |
| At 49X, this appears as a fairly wide double. Both components are blue-white, with one a bit more bluish than the other. The magnitudes are also similar, but not quite exact. At 188X, the third component becomes obvious as a fainter, tight companion to one of the stars, and perpendicular to the other star in orientation. The third component is white in color. | |||
| 40/41 | Draco | Double Star | 11:30pm CDT |
| RA: 18 00.2 | Dec: +80 00 | Mag: 5.7, 6.1 | |
| This double is fairly tight. It can be split at 49X, but looks much better at 81X. The components are of similar magnitude. The brighter one is yellow-white, and the dimmer one is white with perhaps a tinge of blue. They are the brightest stars in the field, making for a nice view. | |||
| Psi | Draco | Double Star | 11:35pm CDT |
| 31 | RA: 17 41.9 | Dec: +72 09 | Mag: 4.9, 6.1 |
| While I was in the area, I thought I'd take another peek at what I call the Rat Double. Both components are similar in magnitude (one is slightly brighter) and are white in color. These form the eyes of the rat. In the same field of view is a faint medium blue star, which forms an oddly-angled triangle with the "eyes". When I mentally connect the dots, the oblong triangle is similar to the face of a cartoon rat. Okay, I admit my imagination may be getting the best of me, but I think he's kinda cute. | |||
I wish I could have stayed out longer, as the skies were still crystal clear, but I had to work the next day. The Milky Way was glowing softly overhead, and I took one last lingering look at the sky before packing it in for the night. After tonight's viewing, I am now at exactly 50% completion for the Double Star Club, so I guess I accomplished a little bit.