The Andromeda Galaxy Re-Visited

Viewing Session: December 9th, 2009
Location: Kekaha, HI
Time: 7:36PM HWT
Weather: Clear - Calm
76 temp
12" Dob
25mm eyepiece

This was a night to remember: A dark moonless night on a rural beach in Kauai. My focus was the Andromeda Galaxy in all her glory. I have already cataloged M31 in October, 2008. For an amateur observer, M31 is an easy object to target and enjoy. More evasive is its neighbors M32 and M110. Using a 12” Dob with a 25mm eyepiece, M32 was small but noticeable within the haze of M31. Almost a pinpoint of light, M32 a dwarf elliptical galaxy and seen at 9.2 magnitude. Normally difficult to find in light polluted skies, M32 was easily targeted in Kauai. Also found was M110 another dwarf elliptical galaxy and also a satellite of Andromeda. M110 has a similar magnitude like M32 but sits off on the periphery of M31 and has been elusive up until this dark night.  M110 is visually much larger than M32 but not as brilliant – thus why the two objects have similar magnitudes. Aloha Kauai and Mahalo until next time.

Kauai

The Island of Kauai boasts some of the darkest nights in America. Couple that with warm weather, few bugs and many clear views and this is the place for observational astronomy. My viewing area was in Kekaha on the west side of the Garden Island. There at Kekaha Beach Park most of the horizon is all ocean and unobstructed for thousands of miles, thus; some of the most amazing stellar vistas. With the moon waning the night sky was spectacular! It was almost as if the constellations of Orion, Taurus and Cassiopeia were in 3-D; jumping off the fabric of the sable heavens above.

I was fortunate enough to get in contact Roz Reiner, a Kauai resident and astronomy educator. Also known as "Rocket Roz", she is the webmaster for Astro Events -Stargazing Kauai http://rozhome.com/astroevents/?view. Roz hosts guided sky tours and offers an impressive variety of observational astronomy and Hawaiian celestial knowledge. If you are in Kauai and want to do some star gazing, contact Roz for a great viewing session. Thanks Roz!

Jupiter was impressive and we stole a look at Mercury as the sun set over the ocean. The Milky Way was like a swath of glowing light that looked like a painted stripe across the sky. Unlike my suburb viewing location here in Port Barrington the sky in Kauai is so dark that that open clusters in Cassiopeia could be seen with the naked eye. This included the Andromeda Galaxy and M42 in Orion which were even more impressive with binoculars. Orbiting satellites could be seen whizzing across the heavens and errant meteors were commonplace.

Barrington Moon

My wife Annamarie took this picture with our new Canon PowerShot SX10IS. The image was photographed at dusk in South Barrington on November 30th, 2009. It is always a bonus when the better half takes an interest in Astronomy.

A year later....

For no ones' interest but my own... November, 2009 marks the one year anniversary for the Celestial Chronicle. It was a year ago that I purchased my Orion 10” Dobsonian. Now, 12 months later, I have added the new 8” Celestron Advanced Series C8-SGT Schmidt-Cassegrain. Recent additions also include the new Orion StarShoot Pro V2.0 Deep Space Color CCD camera for advanced astro-imaging.

My first major amateur observational astronomy project was to index the entire Messier catalog (at a relaxed and enjoyable pace). Much like Charles Messier himself, I am sketching and manually indexing every DSO object found which includes a scaled pencil drawing and notation of basic location, weather and tools used during observation. I have found the process to be a very enjoyable and rewarding hobby. 68 Messier objects later, I am planning on completing this project by next Fall, 2010. Most remaining objects are too dim for Port Barrington, IL ( 10.0 magnitude or dimmer) and/or are near the horizon and difficult to locate from my observation deck. Several off site trips will be required to complete the 110 object catalog.

As I navigate the learning curve of astro-imaging, I will begin my next project which will include photographing the entire Messier catalog – a project that will take five years and plenty of toil and effort. All future images will be indexed at my new web domain: DSOcatalog.com (Deep Space Object Catalog). I look forward to also imaging the solar system including all planets and any wayward asteroids and comets that become visible.

Next year will bring observation opportunities in Kauai and Costa Rica which will allow me to view the Southern Hemisphere sky in more detail. West Kauai will provide "extreme" darkness and Costa Rica will provide never before seen constellations. In response to the perils of airline travel, I have also recently purchased new Orion 9x63 “Mini Giant” Binoculars.

I look forward to the future – future blogs and future discoveries. In the coming years, I will strive to build my own permanent observatory to help assist in this fledgling hobby that has in many ways turned into an obsession.

Still to come, more equipment reviews and observations as winter arrives here in the Midwest.

JCB

M30

Due to inclement weather, this is the first night out to observe in over a month. Having scoured the skies last Fall, I did find M30 last night: A faint but pronounced globular cluster. Used my 10" Dob and a 10mm eyepiece to easily make out the core. Found in Capricornus, I used 41 Cap as a reference star to help find this 8.5 mag. object.

11/8/09
5:45pm CST
Clear - Calm
68 degrees
10"
10mm
Port Barrington

Neptune

9/16/09
8:15pm CST
Clear - 5-10 mph winds
62 degree temp
C8
10mm

I had some difficulty finding Neptune with my 10" Dob. Star jumping only worked so well as Neptune itself looks just like a star in low magnification. On a trial run with my new C8 advanced series GOTO Telescope (review to come later), I was able to target the mysterious blue planet with ease. Located to the southeast of Jupiter - less than a couple degrees infact - in the south eastern sky right after dusk one will find Neptune, the 8th planet from the Sun.  In a 25mm eyepiece, one could make out the blue color which already sets it off from typical star spectrum colors. When using a 10mm eyepiece, the disc is attainable and thus Neptune was confirmed. A bluish green disc - probably more blue than green when you really focus on it. Confirmation can also be made by slewing out and comparing it to nearby stars within the field of view. It is then you can make out the disc like feature that seperates it from the stars in the background.

Neptune, named for the Roman God of the sea, is the forth largest planet by diameter and third largest by overall mass. Neptune has 17 times more mass than Earth and sits about 30.1 AU from the sun or about 30 times the Earth-Sun distance.

As I get beyond the learning curve of my new C8 and the new CCD camera recently purchased, I will begin posting more astro images of both the planets and DSO objects. Please visit DSOcatalog.com for more information.

Plenty of views in Sagittarius

My first visit was with M21, an open cluster in Sagittarius. I also viewed M22, a Globular Cluster at magnitude 6.5. M22 is supposedly the 3rd brightest Globular in the northern hemisphere; Hard to agree due to the interstellar dust that resides in this region. I also viewed M24, an open cluster in the same region. M24 appeared as a dense bundle of stars within the Milkyway. Finally, I viewed M28, a dim, dusty Globular also residing in Sagittarius. I was unable to see M20 (Trifid Nebula) or M8 (Lagoon Nebula) - mostly due to interstellar dust in this region and poor seeing conditions due to light pollution.

I also attempted to view Neptune tonight but failed to locate its small bluish disc. Jupiter was spectacular as usual in the Southern sky.

The Wild Duck Open Cluster

8/22/09
9:05pm to 10:24pm cst
partly cloudy to clear
mid 50s
Whitewater, WI

I viewed M26, an open cluster in Delphinus. At magnitude 9.5, it was not very exciting from my dark vantage point. M11 was the center piece of the night: at 250 million years old, M11 (also known as the Wild Duck Cluster) has about 3000 stars and is considered a open cluster. With a 25mm eyepiece, this deep sky object was impressive. M25 was another nice looking open cluster. Tough to miss at 4.90 magnitude, M25 has approx. 600 stars. M14 is a dim Globular in Ophiuchus, resolved in a 10mm eyepiece. M9 was another dim Globular resolved best in a 25mm eyepiece, located in Ophiuchus. M107 was difficult to view at 10 magnitude. Another Globular in Ophiuchus, it was dim though discernable using a 10mm eyepiece. M10 was a nice, though modest Globular in Ophiuchus. At magnitude 7.50, it was easy to view the dense core using a 10mm eyepiece. M16 is known as the Eagle Nebula. At 6.0 magnitude, it was easy to find, but difficult to draw: dusty, dim and hard to discern the actual shape. Best seen using a 10mm eyepiece. M17 was another dim, dusty looking Nebula that was easily found at 7.0 magnitude but difficult to draw. Finally, I viewed M18, a open cluster in Sagittarius. Worth noting you could see the dim "Milkyway" tonight.

M27, Planetary Nebula in July

M12 is a distant, faint globular cluster in Ophiuchus. At magnitude 8.00 this was viewed with a 10mm eyepiece. Also viewed was M23, in Sagittarius, a nicely detailed open cluster at magnitude 6.0 - best viewed with a 10mm eyepiece (object filled the entire field of view). M23 is approx. 4,500 light years from Earth. M27 is a planetary nebula found in Vulpecula. Using a 10mm eyepiece, I was able to just make out the dumbbell shape at magnitude 7.50. This nebula is about 1,250 light years away. M56 is a distant looking globular cluster in Lyra which is 40,000 light years away. I also found M71 in Sagitta, about 8,500 light years away. Difficult to view, this globular is about magnitude 8.5. Finally, I viewed M92, a globular in Hercules. Not as impressive as M13, this magnitude 7.50 object is still a worthwhile sight at 28,000 light years away.

South Barrington, IL
7/24/09
9:45-10:30pm CST
Clear - Calm
70 degrees
10"
10mm

The Great Hercules Globular Cluster

On June 25th, I viewed the impressive Hercules Globular Cluster, also known as M13. It was a balmy night in low 80s. Unfortunately, the mosquito's were terrible so it was a short night. M13 is a monster globular and at magnitude 7.0, a real eye stopper. With a 10mm eyepiece, I was able to discern actual individual stars. Found in the constellation Hercules, this cluster is comprised of about 400,000 stars and is 25 million light years away.

I also viewed M29 in Cygnus, a small open cluster. At magnitude 9.0 it was just an ordinary open cluster with about 6-7 primary alpha stars.

6/25/09
10:00pm-10:30pm CST
Partly Cloudy - Calm
79 degrees F
10"
10mm

The Blackeye Galaxy

5/11/09
9:00-10:30pm CST
Clear Skies
Calm Wind
53 degrees
10" Dob
10mm eyepiece

My first observation tonight was M5, a globular cluster in Serpens Capot. I used 5 Serpentis as a reference star. This was a giant dusty sphere easily seen in the night sky (magnitude 7.0). Visited M60, an elliptical galaxy at 11.5 magnitude and its barely visible companion galaxy NGC 4647. M49 was another elliptical galaxy in Virgo – just outside of the Virgo cluster of deep space objects. At magnitude 10, this was a large dusty sphere. Also viewed M85, a round Lenticular Galaxy (a cross between a spiral and elliptical galaxy)10.50 magnitude in Coma Berenices. Finally, viewed M64, the Blackeye Galaxy, which was a nice finish for the evening. M64 was a bright Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices. I look forward to seeing this galaxy again in darker nights as there is a dark lane visible near its center – yet not visible tonight in the suburbs.

Note: so far all astronomical notes and observations have been taken from Port Barrington, IL. In two weeks, I will be making the trip to the Indiana countryside where darkness is ample. It is there I will dive into the deep space grouping of Messier objects between Virgo and Coma Berenices – over 13 Messier objects alone within this small region!

M51 and seven other Spring Galaxies

It was a beautiful night: April 16th, 2009. As the sun set, I searched and found the planet Mercury (see earlier blog). As darkness fell, it was one of the clearest nights in recent memory. It was also one of the warmest since acquiring my new 10" Dobsonian - mid to lower 50s with calm wind. I found the following deep space objects between the 9:00 and 10:00pm CST hours.

I found M95 and M96, a pair of Galaxies in Leo. With a 10mm eye piece, both objects can be found in the same view. Both are considered Spiral Galaxies though they both were too dim and distant to effectively make out spiral structure. M96 is brighter and easier to find. Both objects range around 10-11 magnitude.

Next found was M104, the Sombrero Galaxy. I could definitely make out the central bulge on this edge on galaxy using a 5mm eye piece. I look forward to seeing this object in darker skies as more detail could be revealed. At 9.5 magnitude, this Spiral Galaxy in Leo was easily found.

Another worthy pair in Leo is the Leo Triplet which includes M65 and M66. I could not find the third object: NGC3628. Both M65 and M66 are spiral galaxies with a 10 magnitude. Both Messier objects could also be found together within a 10mm eye piece.

I found the Spindle Galaxy, M102 in Draco - a fat dusty oval. A 10 magnitude object considered a spindle galaxy. M102 appeared to be edge on using a 10mm eye piece.

Also cataloged was M51 (whirlpool galaxy), an impressive spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici. At magnitude 8, this object is easily spotted as well as its neighbor NGC 5195 - technically both objects are connected with a bridge of nebulosity - though I could not make out any such bridge at my location. This is another object worth seeing again in darker skies.

The final object was M63, the Sunflower Galaxy. A barred spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici. At magnitude 8.5 this object was very distinct through a 10mm eye piece.

Mercury

Mercury is a tough planet to spot. Not because of size or distance, but its orbit in relation to the Sun and Earth. Mercury is a challenge due to its small angular separation from the Sun. Being that Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, it is never far from the Sun's blinding glare. This means that only a few windows throughout the year allow for decent viewing - normally less than a hour after sunset or just before sunrise - and that window only happens for a few weeks.

Mercury moves around the sun faster than any other planet. Mercury travels about 48 km (30 miles) per second and it takes 88 Earth days to orbit the sun. The Planet Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. It is named after a roman god. Mercury is dry, extremely hot and almost airless. The planet Mercury is too small for its gravity to retain any significant atmosphere over long periods of time. The weak atmosphere contains hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium and potassium. The surface of Mercury consists of cratered terrain and smooth plains and many deep craters similar to those on the moon - non of this was evident in my observations though.

On a clear evening on April 16th at dusk, I found Mercury while probing the western horizon just after the sunset. Due to the bumpy atmospheric conditions near the horizon, Mercury was jumping in and out of focus and was impossible to photograph with any reasonable results. The view was still impressive. A 3/4 crescent (much like Venus) with discernible orange and yellow coloring. Mercury was viewed using a 10mm and 5mm lense. Due to after glow from the sun and its relation to the horizon, even with a magnitude of .90, Mercury is tough to spot with the naked eye. I had to create search patterns with my view finder scope until the planet was discovered. Again, a worthy and rare find.

Some info from http://www.aerospaceguide.net/

Spiral Galaxies and Globulars

3/19/09
8:45pm-9:24pm CST
Clear
5-10 mph winds
27 degree temp

I viewed M53 in Coma Berenices, an 8.5 magnitude Globular Cluster using a 10mm eyepiece. M3 through a 10mm eyepiece was probably the most impressive object found tonight: At magnitude 6.5 this Globular Cluster found in Canes Venatici . M3 was a very pronounced dusty sphere of about 500,000 stars. I also viewed M94 considered a spiral galaxy but also cataloged as an elongated galaxy. At magnitude 9.5 this object was more or less a dusty sphere – no spiral construction was determined. I Cataloged HIP62700 as a reference star near by in Canes Venatici. M94 was best seen using a 5mm eyepiece. I also viewed M106 in Ursa Major, another dusty and dim Spiral Galaxy. Best seen using a 10mm eyepiece this object has a 9.5 magnitude. Saturn was very impressive tonight in the East, North East sky – The rings are still edge on and several moons where visible. Using a 5mm eyepiece, I was able to make out cloud bands and some interesting ring detail.

Venus Re-Visited

March 2nd, 2009
6:45pm CST
Partly Cloudy - 13 degree temp
Calm Wind
10" dob
5mm Starshoot SS Camera II 1.3 mp
Moon Filter 13% T

Venus exhibiting a phase in relation to the Sun and our vantage on Earth

Waxing Crescent

March 2nd, 2009
6:45pm CST
Partly Cloudy - 13 degree temp
Calm Wind
10" dob
10mm Starshoot SS Camera II 1.3 mp

Moon Filter 13% T

The Moon - Waxing Crescent: 39% of full

Galileo's Saturn

In the spirit of the International Year of Astronomy, I present this miserable image of Saturn taken last night around 7:30pm CST under clear skies and cold 13 degree temperatures. This was my first attempt at astro imaging our 6th planet from the sun and from previous experience, I can only get improved images in the future. Saturn was sitting on the Eastern horizon and was being effected by atmospheric conditions making it difficult to focus and expose.

Never-the-less, it got me thinking about Galileo's first peeks at Saturn between 1610 and 1616 when Saturn appeared not as a planet with rings, but more like a planet with ears or handles as he wrote in his journals: "The two companions are no longer two small perfectly round globes ... but are present much larger and no longer round ... that is, two half ellipses with two little dark triangles in the middle of the figure and contiguous to the middle globe of Saturn, which is seen, as always, perfectly round".

It got me thinking: Though I was able to see a perfect image of Saturn "on edge" in my 10mm eyepiece, my photographed image was far from perfect - maybe a similar glimpse of what Galileo saw through his 20 power scope over 400 years ago - the difference being, I knew what I was looking at and he really did not until years later when better telescope technology showed clearly that Saturn has a ring system.

Comet Lulin

February 23, 2009
7:45-9:15pm CST
Partly Cloudy/Hazy skies
wind calm - 15 degrees temp
Snow cover present
Port Barrington, IL
10" Dob.
Hot Glug

Lulin was jointly discovered by Asian astronomers in July of 2007. Quanzhi Ye from China first saw the comet on images obtained by Chi-Sheng Lin from Taiwan, at the Lu-lin Observatory.

The most interesting characteristic of this comet is its orbit. Lulin is actually moving in the opposite direction as the planets, so its apparent velocity will be quite fast. Estimates are it will be moving about 5 degrees a day across the sky, so when viewed with a telescope or binoculars, you may be able to see the comet's apparent motion against the background stars.

Using a 10" Dobsonian with a 10mm eyepiece, Comet Lulin was easily found just a couple degrees south of Saturn in the eastern sky. Looking like a fuzzy greenish/blue dot, I could just make out a tail - through very short and stout. I was unable to see the antitail.

Lulin is composed of frozen ice, dust and gases. Cyanogen gas and diatomic carbon present in it, when melted by sunlight, make it appear green. Lulin has a parabolic orbit and it takes about 50 million years to revolve around the Sun; therefore it will not repeat in the foreseeable future so this is considered a very rare celestial event. Using a 45mm eyepiece, you can see Comet Lulin and Saturn in the same view.

Saturn is becoming a treat to view in the eastern evening sky. Saturn was visible with rings edge on. Four moons were visible including Rhea, Mimas, Titan and Dione. I could just barely make out some darker creme cloud bands. There is very little contrast in cloud bands vs Jupiter which reveals much more.

I also viewed Messier 40. M40 is one of the three "curiosities," or unusual objects, in Messier's catalog. It is a double star, which was also cataloged later as Winnecke 4 (WNC 4). TYC6539-2293-1 is the larger of the two stars. I am not sure why this formation was cataloged as a Messier object - other than the fact that Charles Messier did not want it to be mistaken as a comet. M40 is found in Ursa Major and is best seen using a 10mm eyepiece.

On February 24th, Comet Lulin will be at its closest and brightest. I will attempt to photograph it as well as Jupiter and Venus - with weather permitting.

Venus

This image of Venus was taken using my 10mm StarShoot SS Camera II 1.3 MP. This image was taken at dusk on February 16th, 2009. The temperature was about 25 degrees with clear skies and calm wind.

Venus is always brighter than the brightest stars, with its apparent magnitude ranging from −3.8 to −4.6. On this evening, Venus was visible even before the sun fully set. The diameter of Venus is only 650 km less than the Earth's, and its mass is 81.5% of the Earth's. Venus orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 108 million km, and completes an orbit every 224.65 days. As it moves around its orbit, Venus displays phases in a telescopic view like those of the Moon: In the phases of Venus the planet presents a small "full" image when it is on the opposite side of the Sun. It shows a larger "quarter phase" when it is at its maximum elongations from the Sun.

-Wikipedia

"The Cosmic Connection"

"We are like the inhabitants of an isolated valley in New Guinea who communicate with societies in neighboring valleys (quite different societies, I might add) by runner and by drum. When asked how a very advanced society will communicate, they might guess by an extremely rapid runner or by an improbably large drum. They might not guess a technology beyond their ken. And yet, all the while, a vast international cable and radio traffic passes over them, around them, and through them... We will listen for the interstellar drums, but we will miss the interstellar cables. We are likely to receive our first messages from the drummers of the neighboring galactic valleys - from civilizations only somewhat in our future. The civilizations vastly more advanced than we, will be, for a long time, remote both in distance and in accessibility. At a future time of vigorous interstellar radio traffic, the very advanced civilizations may be, for us, still insubstantial legends. "

-Carl Sagan

Pleiades Star Cluster

The Pleiades Star Cluster, also known as M45 was one of the first objects that I indexed for my Messier catalog project. Yet, it is worth another mention in this blog for several reasons: First, it is a great deep sky object for any amateur to locate - easily found in the Constellation Taurus, M45 is probably one of the most famous and visible open clusters in the winter sky. A bright grouping of stars in the early night sky, it is a great deep sky object to share with children and or friends that may not normally be into observational astronomy. It is comprised of approx. 7 primary stars which is where it gets the ancient nickname of the "Seven Sisters", according to Greek Mythology. It is best seen using a 45mm eye piece or even binoculars. The cluster is actually comprised of up to 500 stars which are better seen by zooming in with a 10mm eye piece. With a magnitude of 1.20 it is easily spotted with the naked eye as a dense grouping of stars in the night sky.

M45 is approximately 400 light years from Earth and it is certainly more mentionable now as the astronomy community celebrates the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. It was 4o0 years ago that Galileo took the first look up at Pleiades through what is considered the first ever telescope. The light from that view 400 years ago is just now reaching earth which makes this star cluster worth mentioning again.

Interestingly, there is blue reflection nebulosity associated with this object that can be seen only with a longer exposed image. This is a great object to sketch and then later go back and research and label the primary 7 stars. Even as I search for objects in the magnitude range of 10-13 mag., I am always drawn back to M45 as it is always a worthwhile object to gaze upon.

M81

Date: 1/22/09
Time: 8:30pm - 9:18pm CST
Weather: Partly Cloudy - Wind 5-10mph - 20 degrees temp
Location: Port Barrington, IL
Ground Conditions: solid 10" of snow as ground cover

Both M81 and M82 are very prominent Galaxies in the Winter sky and both are found within several degrees from one another in Ursa Major. At Magnitude 8.5, M81 is also known as Bode's Galaxy and is considered a Spiral in classification. Despite a bright evening with snow on the ground, one can make out its fuzzy shape. Very near by is M82 (cataloged in a earlier entry), the cigar galaxy which is seen edge on. The combination of both objects quickly gives the viewer a look at a Galaxy edge on and face on within a 40mm eyepiece. Both are best seen individually using a 10mm eyepiece.

As mentioned before, Both galaxies are separated by 150,000 light years and tens of millions of years ago they passed close enough to each other that the more massive M81 warped the smaller neighbor causing star burst formation and a more irregular shape. M81 is considered one of the brightest galaxies in the Messier Catalog

On this evening I also viewed NGC 1342 before cloud cover postponed further observation. NGC 1342 is a open cluster - nothing terribly impressive, found in the constellation Perseus. At magnitude 6.70 it was easily found.

On this night, I introduced the "polar platform", a specially sourced plastic skid which I used as a platform of sorts in the snow covered confines of my back yard. With about 10" of snow on the ground, the skid served as a level telescope platform that kept my telescope and base out of the snow. Due to house and street light pollution as well as full snow cover, the seeing conditions were poor. Never the less, it was nice to get out and enjoy some fresh air after being couped up in the house for over two weeks with snow storms and sub zero conditions.

Galileo Galilei

“The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else in the Universe to do.”

Galileo Galilei - 1564-1642

M82

On January 5th, 2009, I observed M82. It was a clear night with calm wind and the temp was 20 degrees. M82 is also called the Cigar Galaxy - found in Ursa Major. M82 is considered a spiral galaxy and is seen edge on - tens of millions of years ago, M81 (a much larger spiral galaxy) passed by M82 and disrupted the appearance, so much so that some consider it an irregular galaxy. At magnitude 9.50 the galaxy was easily spotted despite a 68% full waxing gibbous. HIP48486 was a bright reference star near this deep space object.

It's famous neighbor, M81 (Bode's Galaxy) sits nearby. Unfortunately, I had a spring failure in my dobsonian mount and had to call it a night before I could index both objects. I will attempt another gaze at both objects very soon.

NGC 1664

It was my last 2008 observation: December 28th, from 8:15pm to approx. 8:45pm CST. The weather was clear and the wind was calm. A recent rain washed away most of the snow and the temp was a warmer 25 degrees. I have found most fall and early winter Messier objects (from my backyard perspective) except M1, M78 and M76 - all too dim due to light pollution. I can just make out the dumb bell shape of M76 but I am waiting for a darker night to officially catalog it. The others will also have to wait for a darker night as well.

I focused instead on NGC objects in and between the constellations Gemini and Auriga as well as Perseus. There is no shortage of open clusters in this region. The most notable open cluster had to be NGC 1664, a very large and robust cluster with a 6.0 magnitude. I also visited NGC 2126 in Auriga which was a poor organization of stars at a magnitude of 10. There may be stars I did not see due to light conditions so this cluster may be more robust. I also viewed NGC 2281 (mag. 5.4) an organized and easily found cluster as well as NGC 1528 and NGC 1513; Both objects were very close to each other and exhibited some moderate organization in Perseus.

Carl Sagan

"In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. "
- Carl Sagan