17 December 2004

Observing Location	TotL
Atmospheric Conditions	The seeing was variable down low but better above, where it is hard to see with the binoculars. It also get better later in the night/earlier in the morning. The temperature was down around 25 when we left the park at 0245 but the wind was below 6 MPH so wind chill wasn't bad.
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binoculars - Charlie 10" Teleport - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac

Naked-eye Limiting Magnitude Observations	Star Magnitude NAME #.##

Target	Moon
Constellation	Aqr
Category	Lunar
Time	17Dec04; 2210 EST
Comments	Low on the western horizon, there was a lot of boiling at the western limb from heat rising from the buildings. It was a beautiful shade of yellow with light gray marea. Earthshine was visible over the dark face, but not sufficiently bright to show features. It was laying over on its side with the terminator pretty much parallel to the horizon.

Target	Saturn
Constellation	Gem
Category	Planets
Time	17Dec04; 2215 EST
Comments	Saturn was its usual cigar shape with one moon visible, probably Titan.

Target	C/2004 Q2 (Machholz)
Constellation	Eri
Category	Comets
Time	17Dec04; 2233 EST
Comments	When slewing into the area a big ball of diffuse brightness was immediately visible. I did not detect any indication of a tail.

Target	M35
Constellation	Gem
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	17Dec04; 2250 EST
Comments	I don't have any notes on this but know I was there before heading down to NGC2174.

Target	NGC2174
Constellation	Ori
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	17Dec04; 2253 EST
Comments	An emission nebula on the Gemini/Orion border just off of Orion's upstretched club and Castor's left foot surrounded by an open cluster. It should be just in the same field of view with M35. Appeared as an area of diffuse softness of focus. More information about NGC2174

Target	Eskimo Nebula, NGC2392
Constellation	Gem
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	17Dec04; 2254 EST
Comments	Emission nebula with a bright central star. Also called the Clownface Nebula with the central star being the clown's big nose. In Peter's scope it took direct vision and high magnification.

Target	Canis Minor (The Lesser Dog)
Constellation	CMi
Category	Constellation
Time	17Dec04; 2335 EST
Comments	I saw all the major stars of CMi: Procyon, α CMi Gomeisa, β CMi

Target	Columba (The Dove)
Constellation	Col
Category	Constellation
Time	17Dec04; 2343 EST
Comments	This is my first time in this constellation. It was low on the horizon in the south where the sky was a little milky so all I could see naked-eye was the head and shoulders.

Target	NGC3262
Constellation	CMa
Category	Deep Space Object
Time	18Dec04; 0032 EST
Comments	A dense open cluster around τ CMa. In my binoculars it looked like a halo around the star with a few small points of light resolving.

Target	NGC2354
Constellation	CMa
Category	Deep Space Object
Time	18Dec04; 0054 EST
Comments	An open cluster. It was not visible in my binoculars and only appeared to me faintly in Peter's scope.

Target	Azmidiske, ξ Pup
Constellation	Pup
Category	Double Stars
Time	18Dec04; 0109 EST
Comments	This is a beautiful, tight, golden double of unequal brightness. We used it as a jumping off star for several deep space objects around it. All would have been within the field of view when centered on ?&si; Pup if they had been bright enough to be easily visible.

Target	M93, NGC2447
Constellation	Pup
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	18Dec04; 0110 EST
Comments	An open cluster 22' in diameter at Mag 6. In my binoculars I saw some stars resolving. In Peter's scope I saw an X of bright stars with many dimmer stars around it. More Information about M93.

Target	NGC2482
Constellation	Pup
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	18Dec04; 0124 EST
Comments	An open cluster 12' diameter at Mag 7.3. A dim cluster of stars almost at the limits of my seeing with the binoculars. In the scope it appeared as a triangle of bright stars with a dim cluster of stars beside it. Back in the binoculars the triangle was easily visible and a star or two in the cluster would come and go.

Target	NGC2467
Constellation	Pup
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	18Dec04; 0202 EST
Comments	An open cluster with diffuse nebula. I could not see it at all in my binoculars. It only appears at Mag 7. In Peter's scope it looked like a backwards Z of medium brightness stars surrounded by dimmer stars. More information about NGC2467.

Target	Trumpler 9
Constellation	Pup
Category	Deep Space Object
Time	18Dec04; 0212 EST
Comments	In Peter's scope. A triangle of stars next to a bright gold star.

Target	M82, Cigar Galaxy NGC3034
Constellation	UMa
Category	Deep Space Object
Time	18Dec04; 0245 EST
Comments	I couldn't find this in my binoculars. It shines at Mag 8.4 above the head of the Great Bear forming an isolese triangle with &beat; UMa and 23 UMa being more toward the snout than the body. In Peter's telescope I saw it as a long thin wisp of cloud that I initially dismissed. One end of it appeared flared out. More information about M82.

Target	M81, Bode's Galaxy, NGC
Constellation	CMa
Category	Deep Space Object
Time	18Dec04; 0246 EST
Comments	This one is right next to M82 but I didn't find it in my binoculars either so saw it in Peter's scope. It is a Mag 6.9 spiral galaxu and looked like an elongated football with a denser center. More information about M81.

I build a field reducer for the binoculars to see if it would increase magnification that way they can for telescopes. I don't understand the theory, I need to read some more web pages on that, but as I suspected, it didn't affect my magnification at all but did darken the view. Using a mask that reduces my aperture to 55% (27.5 mm) dimmed the view by about 1 magnitude. It will come in handy for observing the full moon and I might build one that reduces the field to 12.5 mm to see how that affects viewing comfort for bright objects.