2 November 2005

Observing Location	Unionport Road and Starling Road, Bronx, NY Lat: 40.83569710096194, Long: -73.85551571846008
Observational Period	1730 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	I was on my way home from dinner in the early civil twilight. Transparency Good Seeing Good
Instruments	Naked-eye
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target	Venus
Constellation	Sgr
Category	Planet
Time	2Nov05; 1730 EST
Comments	I was walking along Starling Ave and saw a bright light above the buildings which I figured was probably a plane as it had turned out to be a few days ago, but this one never grew nav lights. I estimated it at about 10° above the horizon in the SW. It was Venus and was the only celestial object visible at that time.

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Observing Location	TotL
Observational Period	2000-2345 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	It was a chilly night again but although the sky looked a little pale I was seeing a lot of stars, at least to the north. The spotlights are still going on top of the GE building and were annoying even to the north. I hope they are not going to be a permanent "feature" of the observation deck. Transparency Good Seeing Good
Instruments	Canon 15x50 Image Stabilized binocular with Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie Yukon 6-100X100 Angled Eyepiece Spotting Scope - Kin
Observing Party	I thought I was going to be there all by myself tonight but Kin arrived around 2130. It was a much quieter and relaxed night tonight than my last experience here. Charlie Ridgway Kin Lee

I decided tonight to try to get all of the double stars in my double star catalog in the area of the sky above the police precinct, in the neighborhood of Can and Cas.

Target	Kemble's Cascade and NGC1502
Constellation	Cam
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	2Nov05, 2020 EST
Comments	I usually see a small star in the area where I think Kemble's is so I tried pointing at it tonight to see if I could locate Kemble's that way but the star was too dim for me to see well over the top of the binocular so I just panned around until I came across the familiar arc of bright stars. I was able to split the double in NGC1502 the left claw of the bird's foot.

Target	NGC1501
Constellation	Cam
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	2Nov05; 2020 EST
Comments	My catalog says it is supposed to be ring shaped but is 13th magnitude so too dim for me. No size is given. I saw a bright spot much brighter than my limiting magnitude (~9,5 I think) which resolved but is not in my catalog which goes down to 7th magnitude. sketch

Target	ι Cas
Constellation	Cas
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2045 EST
Comments	A very tight double -- 2.9" -- nearly equal -- 4.6/4.9. Does not split but does not look round. Gets funny when out of focus.

Target	48 Cas
Constellation	Cas
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2050 EST
Comments	Much too tight for me -- 0.8", 4.7/6.7. Just looks like a moderately bright star.

Target	Caldwell 5, IC342
Constellation	Cam
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	2Nov05; 2055 EST
Comments	I saw one point of light where it should be 18x17', 9.2m, a galaxy More information in IC342

Target	Taurid Fireball
Constellation	Cam
Category	Meteor
Time	2Nov05, 2100 EST
Comments	A meteor with a wide fluffy tail streaked down thorough Cam. There were bright points of light in and close to the tail where pieces of the meteor had apparently broken off and were burning up as independent meteors. After a bit the tail condensed into a narrow very bright streak and then the meteor winked out. I made a note that it may have brightened just before extinguishing.

Target	1 Cam
Constellation	Cam
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2110 EST
Comments	I did not split it but it looks strange 10.3", 5.8/6.9

Target	2 Cam
Constellation	Cam
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05, 2115 EST
Comments	This one is so tight it doesn't even look funny. 0.7", 5.6/7.4

Target	11 & 12 Cam
Constellation	Cam
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2117 EST
Comments	This is on the other end of the continuum. It is such I wide double that I wasn't sure I was looking at the right stars. The left star is dimmer and appears more red. 178", 5.2/6.1

Target	10 Cam
Constellation	Cam
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2120 EST
Comments	An easy double. Very unequal. Secondary is barely there. 83" 4.0/7.4 My catalog has a double star called 10 Cas listed in Cam right below 10 Cam. It has the same specs but a slightly different RA and Dec. It is obviously an error duplicating 10 Cam.

Target	5 Lyn
Constellation	Lyn
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2130 EST
Comments	An easy to split double once you see the dim secondary. Forms a right triangle with two dimmer stars above it. 95", 5.2/7.8

Target	12 Lyn
Constellation	Lyn
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2135 EST
Comments	So wide it doesn't look like a double. Unequal. May be a quad system. 4.9(5.4)/7.2(6.2), 1.8" (1.9 [I have found indication that this is at least a triple system with separations of 2" and 9" and magnitudes 5.4, 6.0 and 7.3.]

Target	19 Lyn
Constellation	Lyn
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2140 EST
Comments	Another wide double but not as wide as nearby 12 Lyn. Also appears to be a quad system. 5.4(5.8)/7.6(6.8), 213"(14.8 [Alcyone lists it as having four components with 15.1" separation and 1m difference between the two brightest stars A 5.45m, B 6.5m, C 10.9m, D 8.9m separation: A/B 14.8', A/D 214.9", B/C 74.2"]

Target	Caldwell 14, NGC869 & NGC884, the Double Cluster
Constellation	Per
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	2Nov05; 2145 EST
Comments	I recognized it for what it was tonight. The large open ring of stars to the left looks squished in height tonight. Lots of stardust in the richer cluster on the right.

Target	Taurid Meteor
Constellation
Category	Meteor
Time	2Nov05; 2153 EST
Comments	A meteor with a very long tail came from high overhead and disappeared still illuminated behind the police precinct.

Target	Caldwell 8, NGC559
Constellation	Cas
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	2Nov05; 2217 EST
Comments	An open cluster in Cas. No description sketch

Target	Caldwell 10, NGC663
Constellation	Cas
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	2Nov05; 2217 EST
Comments	I saw a group of faint stars to the right of a triangle of dim stars and below a downward pointing slender isosoles triangle.

Target	M103, NGC581
Constellation	Cas
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	2Nov05; 2223 EST
Comments	About half way between the triangle mentioned for C10 and δ Cas. I didn't really see anything but sensed something there. How much of that sensing was visual and how much was my brain knowing there is something there I can't say.

Target	34 Cas
Constellation	Cas
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2227 EST
Comments	A wide, unequal double 134", 5.0/7.8

Target	Achird, η Cas
Constellation	Cas
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2235 EST
Comments	Not seen as a double, star looks elongated. 12.8", 3.5/12.8

Target	ο Cas
Constellation	Cas
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2245 EST
Comments	Not split but nearly so 3.2", 5.0/7.2

Target	AR Cas, HIP115990
Constellation	Cas
Category	Double Star
Time	2Nov05; 2300 EST
Comments	Wide, unequal, easy double 75.6', 4.9/7.0

Target	4 Cas
Constellation	Cas
Category	Double star
Time	2Nov05; 2305 EST
Comments	Bright gold star not seen as a double. 95.9", 5.0/7.6

Target	M52, NGC7654
Constellation	Cas
Category	Deep Sky Object
Time	2Nov05; 2315 EST
Comments	Saw some stardust around the right place in the constellation.