15 March 2005

Observing Location	McGraw Ave & Virginia Ave, The Bronx, NY
Observational Period	1625-1640
Atmospheric Conditions	It looked very clear but when the sky turned deep blue and I swept the binoculars over it I could see areas of mottled gray so there is haze there that was imperceptible while the sun was out. The temperature was in the low 40s with a moderate and gusty wind out of the west.
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binoculars - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Mercury
Constellation	Psc
Category	Planets
Time	15Mar05 1835 EST
Comments	I took the binoculars with me to dinner with the idea of stopping to observe Mercury on the way home. It was lower tonight than I remembered it and a little hard to find. I found it first with the binoculars sweeping the sky. I thought I detected more phase tonight and in the area where my brain tells me I should see it but it was clear enough that the planet was flaring and I couldn't hold the binoculars steady enough for a good view between the wind and dead IS batteries.

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Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2100-2230 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	It was windy and gusting on top of that. The temperature was freezing when we left but the wind chill index was down around 25º. There weren't a lot of clouds around but transparency wasn't great. And I was looking into the SW where all the moisture was being lit up by the GE building and Times Square.
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binoculars - Charlie 10" Teleport - Peter
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway Peter Tagatac

Target	NGC2353
Constellation	Mon
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	15Mar05; 2121 EST
Comments	It took me about 15 minutes to find this cluster. It was easiest for me to see when I rocked the focus. My star hop to this object is from θ CMa, the nose of the Big Dog to an equilateral triangle of bright stars toward Orion. From there I follow a question mark of dimmer stars curving back toward the ear of the dog. Near the bottom of the question mark is a bright star. I use this star and the two above it and a smaller, mirror image arc opposite it. There is a dim star between the two arcs and the cluster is just to the upper right of it. It is about 2/3 the distance from the arc on the right to the dim star. Confirmed by Peter.

Target	M50, NGC2323
Constellation	Mon
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	15Mar05; 2125 EST
Comments	Audubon says this open cluster can bee seen with binoculars but it was difficult to pull it out of the geggenschein from Times Square. All I got of it was two faint, diffuse points of light in a vertical orientation. Peter saw one more star there. Using the same question mark as described above, M50 is off the top of the question mark where it jogs down. It is almost as far beyond the two horizontal stars as the top of the as they are distant from eachother and forms a near equilateral triangle with the two stars of the jog. Confirmed by Peter.

Target	M47, NGC2422
Constellation	Pup
Category	Deep Space Objects
Time	15Mar05; 2137 EST
Comments	This looks like a tetrahedron (3-sided pyramid) viewed from an oblique angle so you can see all of the corners and the top. Peter calls it the Scottish Terrier. Confirmed by Peter.

Target	NGC2362
Constellation	CMa
Category	Deep space Objects
Time	15Mar05; 2156 EST
Comments	A small open cluster off the rump of the Big Dog, Wezen, θ CMa. It forms a nearly right triangle with Wezen and Aludra, η Cma, the tail star.

Target	Hydra, the Sea Serpent
Constellation	Hya
Category	Constellations
Time	15Mar05; 2210 EST
Comments	Peter pointed out Corvus which I saw within the past couple of weeks but didn't recognize even though it was in the same area of the sky and I remembered having been there. Then he reminded me of having seen three other stars to the south and I remembered what it was and that Corvus and Crater are right on top of Corvus. We found the head of the snake and I identified all the major stars there. Star Magnitude Meaning Common Name Bayer Designation   ζ Hya 3.13     ε Hya 3.40     δ Hya 4.18     σ Hya 4.46     η Hya 4.32     ρ Hya 4.38