Jun. 15th, 2004 02:22 am
[Astronomy] Early morning observations
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vin_petrolJust 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).
* "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).