[Astronomy] Early morning observations

[vin_petrol]

Just finished a little back garden observing through my 4.5" reflector. I didn't get in touch with anyone 'cos I figured midnight was a bit of an antisocial hour to start calling people :-) Summer observing is somewhat different from the winter. The sky is a lot lighter and hazier, but it's warmer, so a good deal more comfortable. Things seen:
* "Albireo, Beta Cygni, is at the swan's beak. It is one of the most beautiful double stars of the sky, a golden star easily distinguishable in a small telescope from its blue companion" says Wikipedia. It is indeed...
* The Dumbbell Nebula (M27). I can't say I could make out the dumbbell shape, but I could see the hazy patch of nebulosity.
* M39 open cluster in Cygnus.
* M13 - brightest globular cluster in the Northern Hemisphere - in Hercules. A hazy blob of stars.
* Mizar - double star in Ursa Major.
* Scorpius was poking his tail above the horizon to the south. He's hardly visible from these Northern latitudes so that's the most I've ever seen of him.
* A shooting star, near Bootes.
-- Tried but failed to make out some galaxies in Ursa Major (M81, M82 and M101). Not sure why. Couldn't make out the Ring Nebula (M57).

Comments

[ant-girl.livejournal.com]

What were you observing with?

[vin_petrol]

Ooh, good point - best make an edit. My 4.5" reflector.

[ex-wendles389.livejournal.com]

This is all reminding me of someone I used to work with and occasionally went round to their house to do similar - a quick google search brings up this (http://www.geoffkirby.co.uk/Astrobiography/Chapter9a/), this (http://www.geoffkirby.co.uk/Astrobiography/Chapter7a/) and this (http://www.star.le.ac.uk/~dbl/cfds/docs/cn21.htm).

[vin_petrol]

Nice articles. It does reinforce my own findings that there are two types of people out in the wilds when it's dark: astronomers and people having sex in cars! :-) Late one night last year I went to the nearby disused airfield to check it out as a possible observing site. I just had my binoculars with me for some casual observing. I didn't see anything untoward at ground level, but a sniggering friend emailed me a URL the next day telling me it was a local 'dogging' hot-spot. Interestingly, since then the access road I used has been clearly fenced off. It offered a good combination of accessibility and privacy. Oh, and low light pollution levels for somewhere near York.

[resyk.livejournal.com]

If I really stare hard from my window I can see the A64 will my naked eyes. No really. And to the west I can see Ardash rising, he's a big greek guy three doors down and seems to have trouble sleeping.

I can't see any galaxies though, I think the kids ate the last one.