This page updated 16 Nov 2002

Amateur Astronomer's Notebook

This page contains astronomical observations by Joe Roberts. Since I have books of observations dating back to 1975, it will take me some time to transcribe all of my "old" observations and post them on the Web. I'll add as many of the old observation notes as time allows. And, I'll try to post all new observations. Note that observations on Hale-Bopp appear in a page dedicated to that topic (follow the link).

My Equipment

My astronomical observations were made with various telescopes that I have owned over the years. In case you want to compare observations, it is helpful to know what equipment was used to make an observation. A list of the telescopes used for my observations follows:

• Celestron CG-11 An 11" Schmidt-Cassegrain reflector on a German equatorial mount, my "main" scope. Purchased in August of 1992. Used for "serious" observations.
• Meade 4500 A 4.5" F8 Newtonian reflector. Purchased in January 1995, sold in 2000. A good "all around" portable scope, much easier to set up for "quick" observing sessions compared to the 11".
• Edmund Astroscan 2001 A 4.25" F4 "rich field" reflector. Purchased in July 1984. A super portable scope, excellent for low power scanning. Not good for planets or any power above about 40x in my opinion.
• Criterion 6" Dynascope A "classic" 6" F8 reflector, purchased in late 1981.
• Vixen 102 ED Refractor Optical tube only, I use it on the G-11 mount. A superb refractor, excellent for both visual and photographic use. I tell people it is "90% the performance of an Astro Physics/Takahashi/TeleVue for 1/2 the price".
• Tasco 2.4" Refractor My first scope, acquired in 1973. Started using it heavily in late 1974. My "main" scope from 1973 - 1981.

Other instruments used for some observations inlcude 8x50 binoculars, 7x35 binoculars, and also a Unitron 3" F16 refractor (belongs to my friend Pete Chapin).

I have many eyepieces. Some are "high end" and some are more "common" (but still of high quality). I tend to use certain eyepieces with certain telescopes. Below is a table which contains details of the eyepieces I own:

The table below lists the magnification and true fields of view (FOV) that the eyepieces produce for the two telescopes I use most often today. The "bold blue" entries represent my favorite and/or most often used combinations for the two scopes.

NOTE: As of March 1998, I realize this page is starting to become quite large, so I plan to soon break it into subpages to make download times reasonable!

Observations

Observation sessions are listed by date, however the vast majority of my "old" observations have not yet been posted. Some of my earliest observations make use of rather unscientific terms (such as "bezerk", "fits", "stupid", etc.). Also, some of the earliest observations are overly enthusiastic ("resolving" M81 in binoculars?). As I look back at some of the "early" sessions, the descriptions of what I saw remind me of the enthusiasm I then had for astronomy despite the "department store" telescope I had. In any event, the "early" observing sessions are some of my most memorable, and they are part of the reason why I am still active in astronomy some 25 years later.

To view observations for a particular date, just click on the date. Choose from the table below:

18-20 Sep 1998 (Fri - Sun), Connecticut Star Party 8

This entry covers my experience at Connecticut Star Party 8 (CSP8). The CSP is an event I look forward to attending each year. CSP is a great family oriented star party... not too big and not too small (roughly 200 people). The skies are nice and dark compared to what most people in southern New England are used to, and the people are freindly. Scopes range in size from 60mm refractors to the 25" reflector. The most common size is probably in the 8" range.

I arrived on Friday at about 6:20 pm, located a spot and set up my scope. The weather was predicted to be clear, and the skies did indeed look good (nice and blue). As darkness set in attendees prepared their telescopes for a night of excellent viewing (or so we thought at the time!). I polar aligned my scope fairly accurately because I planned to do astrophotography with a 500mm lens. I looked at a few token objects prior to starting photos. I loaded up a Canon camera with Kodak Royal Gold 1000 film, mounted the 500mm lens, and attached the unit to the CG-11 which provided tracking. For guiding, I used a crosshair eyepiece and a barlow (yielding a guiding magnification of 747x). I took the following exposures:

• 0. NGC 281, 5 min exposure
• 1. NGC 281, 5 min
• 2. Viel Nebula, 4 min
• 3. Viel Nebula, 4 min
• 4. M11, 4 min

To the great dismay of everyone, a fog bank enveloped the site of CSP8 and within 3 or 4 minutes the entire sky went from excellent viewing to completely cloudy. Long story short: it did not clear up until around 11am the next morning! To the disbelief of attendees, we learned the it was clear everywhere around southern New England except for the northwestern corner of CT (where CSP is held). How typical!!! The forecast was for clear skies, and for most of southern New England it was indeed clear. But at the site of CSP8? No, of course not. I took 4 shots of the CSP site at night (under the clouds) just to see what I would get.

During the day on Saturday it did clear off, but the sky conditions were marginal. The visibility was not the greatest and there was some high haze in the air. It looked like it would be an "acceptable" night at best, but not good enough for serious astrophotography. To my disbelief, all of the "junk" in the sky cleared off as darkness fell, and it turned out to be a great night! I continued photographs:

• 9. M13, 3 min
• 10. Star field near Deneb, 4 min
• 11. Star field near Deneb, 4 min
• 12. M31, 4 min?
• 13. M31, 4 min
• 14. NGC 281, ? min
• 15. NGC 7769, 5 min
• 16. Viel Nebula, 4 min 40s
• 17. ?
• 18. Cepheus Nebula, 5 min
• 19. Cepheus Nebula, 5 min
• 20. M31, 5 min?
• 21. Double Cluster, 4 min 15 sec
• 22. ?
• 23. Viel Nebula, 5 min?
• 24. North American Nebula, 5 min 10 sec
• 25. North American Nebula, 5 min 30 sec

Note: Items marked with a "?" are unknown (tape recorder failure). In general, the shots came out pretty well. Guiding was right on, stars are nice points (except those that trailed suddenly due to a bad power supply connection to the telescope). The emmision nebula really do need considerably more exposure. The shots of the Double Cluster and M11 came out great. The shots of M31 are acceptable but still could use more exposure. Selected shots can be viewed in the Photo Gallery.

I also shot an entire roll of Kodak Royal Gold 400 film, but all of the shots came out rather unexposed. Lesson learned: 5 and 10 minute exposures on "famous" deep sky objects is not sufficient with an F6.3 lens (500mm) using this film (unhypered).

One item of note: the seeing on Saturday night was very good. Everyone around me was commenting on how good Saturn looked tonight. People were able to use magnifications in the vicinity of 500x with good results. I looked at Saturn (after finishing with photos at about 3:30 am) and it was indeed very nice. I tried magnifications as high as 583x, but I prefered the view at around 280x. The Crepe ring was clearly visible, as were two cloud bands (very close together) on the ball of the planet.

Overall, CSP 8 was very enjoyable (despite the frustrations of Friday night). I met up with peopel I had met in previous CSPs, and met a number of new people. It was also good to see quite a number of younger people making the rounds during the night. This year the temperature was quite a bit warmer than last year, so people stayed active until later in the evening. There was much activity on the observing field until well after midnight. CSP is a great event, I highly recommend attending if you enjoy star parties!

1 August 1998 (Saturday), 9:00pm - 12:30am EDT

Tonight I observed from Wilbraham with the Meade 4500 reflector. I had some film to finish up in a camera, so I decided to finish off the roll (about 12 shots) doing afocal photography of the first quarter Moon. Using a zoom lens at 70mm F3.5, I let the camera light meter determine the exposure (since the Moon filled most of the frame this should work reasonably well). I tried taking a few shots through various color filters I had (yellow and blue).

I had collimated the scope in the days before this observing session. Unlike my last session, the scope's collimation was now quite good (and it showed in the images!).

I remembered reading an article in Sky and Telescope recently about using a video camera to take images of the Moon; I just happened to have my video camera with me tonight (it's a 1989 model full size VHS camcorder). I decided to try some video photography of the Moon using the afocal method. I found that I got the best results by setting the camera's lens to maximum zoom (in this case 8x). The biggest pain was keeping the camera aimed squarely into the telescope's eyepiece; the camera was mounted on a tripod independent of the telescope. Even using a tripod with a number of degrees of freedom this was still somewhat of an akward task at best. Upon playing the tape back, I found that the results were indeed quite good! With a modern camera and a larger scope (for more brightness) I suspect the images could be quite a bit better still. I'll have to try this method of lunar photography using the 11" Celestron sometime. I also tried looking at a bright star (Altair) using the video camera method; I could see the star, but that's about it. As I racked the focuser out (only slightly) the star promtly disappeared from view. I guess this video camera photography method is limited to the Moon!

After tinkering with the video camera, I finally got into some "real" observing (mostly double stars). Observations follow:

• Sigma Corona Borealis: Using a Meade 15.5mm wide angle eyepiece in the Meade 4500 scope (59x) this double is nicely resolved. The two stars are pretty close at this magnification, and there is another star about 5 primary distances away from the pair (this star is much fainter however). Not too many other significant stars in the remainder of the 1 degree field. A very nice double star.
• Zeta Corona Borealis: Another very nice pair in the 4.5" scope at 59x. Stars are approximately the same brightness. A few other scattered stars in the 1 degree field of view. A nice double.
• Mu Bootes: A very wide pair, resolvable in a 6x30 finderscope upon close inspection. Very wide pair in the telescope at 59x. The Norton's Star Atlas notes that the fainter of the Mu Bootes pair is again double (but rather close at about 2 arc second separation). I stepped up the magnification to about 113x using an 8mm Televue Plossl eyepiece. Sure enough, the "second" pair resolved! It was pretty close however. I had looked at Mu Bootes on many occasions in the past with a 2.4" refractor and had not noticed that the fainter component of Mu Bootes was again double. A very satisfying observation.
• Rho Hercules: I tried this double at 59x and it was very close and difficult. I stepped up the magnification to 113x and it is unquestionably resolved but still fairly tight. Magnitudes of the components is slightly unequal. A few other stars in the field at 113x.
• Mu Hercules: I looked at this double using the 8mm Plossl eyepiece (113x). The double was resolved; distance is not the problem; faintness of the companion in the midst of the primary is the issue. I could see the fainter companion much more easily using averted vision. This is a double where contrast perfomance would seperate an average quality scope from one of exquisit quality! Not a particularly difficult double in the 4.5", but not an object to show off at public star parties.
• 90 Hercules: I took a look at this double, but I cannot say that I was able to positively resolve it. This double is only 1.7 arc seconds separation with a substantial magnitude difference (like 3 magnitudes) so I knew it would be tough. Have to try this one out using the 11"!
• Mu Draco: Using the 8mm Plossl (133x), this double is easily resolved (but rather close nonetheless).
• Gamma Delphinus: This is a great double; I had forgotten how nice it was. At 59x in the 4.5", it is very nice! The stars are bright and of very roughly equal magnitudes; the field of view is fairly rich (1 degree field). A nice object for public star parties.
• Pi Aquila: I looked at this double using 113x and it was not resolving tonight. The seeing was less than great. At times I could "imagine" resolution, but the view was in no way convincing. I have seen this double resolve nicer in smaller scopes on nights of good seeing. Tonight was not one of those nights!
• Jupiter: At about the time I was getting ready to call it a night Jupiter was coming over the trees. I took a look at it (not expecting too much due to the low altitude of the planet). I used the 8mm eyepiece and a blue filter for the best view. The seeing was very marginal at best. Every once in a while I could catch a glimpse of fairly nice detail. All in all, the seeing was really making a mess of the view however. All 4 moons of Jupiter were visible.

The weather was quite clear; due to the Moon the visibility of the Milky Way was diminished considerably. I could see the Milky Way in the heart of Cygnus pretty well, but the southern Milky Way was visible with difficulty at best. I noted that the limiting naked eye magnitude in the vicinity of Hercules was about 4.7 (the star Xi Corona Borealis was visible only upon very close inspection). Almost overhead, the star Mu Draco was visible to the eye without much trouble (about magnitude 5.1). The temperature was down somewhat so bugs (although still present) were not bearly as bad as on some nights. A satisfying observing session.

24 July 1998 (Friday), 10:35pm - 11:30 EDT

Tonight I observed in Wilbraham, MA with the Meade 4500. It was a pretty good night for Wilbraham; the Milky Way was visible from Cygnus to Scutum. I was rather tired due to a long day, so observations were limited. Observations follow:

• Tau Ophiuchus: Double Star: Using the 8mm Plossl (113x) in the Meade 4500, this double is very close. Seeing was not too good; every so often I could catch a glimpse of resolution. Resolved, but barely. I noticed that the Meade 4500 is rather out of collimation, a condition that certainly does not help!
• 70 Ophiuchus: Double star: Resolved in the Meade 4500 at 113x, but a close pair. Unequal magnitudes.
• Theta Serpens: Double star: Using a Meade 15.5mm eyepiece in the Meade 4500 (59x), a very nice, wide, easy pair. Magnitudes look equal. At this low power, it almost looks as if there is a very loose open cluster involved with theta Serpens. At higher power, the "cluster" would be invisible. The cluster is certainly not spectacular, but is noticeable at low power.
• Delta Cygnus: Looked at this double (which is supposed to be a test for a 4" scope), but the seeing was not good enough, and my scope was out of collimation, so I detected not obvious resolution. Have to try again another time.
• M71: At 59x in the Meade 4500, the cluster is bright and obvious, a very nice view. The star field is very rich and pleasing. M71 starts to resolve in the 4.5" scope, especaially when using averted vision. In a darker sky the resolution would be even more apparent. A very nice object!
• M27: In the 4.5" at 59x, a very nice view. Stars everywhere in the field. The dumbell shape is clearly visible. An object that should be on any summer observing itinerary.

I became very tired due to a long day at work (the day started at 4:30am). After looking at the sky (naked eye) for about 30 minutes (in a reclining lawn chair), I decided to call it a night.

3 July 1998 (Saturday), 7:00pm - 1:00AM EDT

Tonight was a CCD observing session. Details are located here.

23 May 1998 (Saturday), 10:15pm - 1:20AM EDT

Tonight I observed from Wilbraham, MA USA. For once we (a) had a clear night, (b) I did not have to work, and (c) I had my telescope with me! I had not been able to do any serious observing in a while, among other things due to crappy weather. As it turned out, tonight was very clear for Wilbraham. The air must have been extraordinarily clean and dry. The Milky Way was visible from Cepheus to Sagittarius! It was not as brilliant as back in the mid 1970's, but for the 1990's this was a good night. I'd say one of the "ten best" nights of the year. In the direction of Springfield things were not so good; limiting magnitude (naked eye) was around 4 to 4.5 in the bad areas. I could see M13 with the naked eye in the "good" direction. There was no dew to deal with, but insects (mosquitoes) were quite bad. I wore multiple layers of clothing and a face mask to prevent being attacked by them. I observed the following objects:

• M104: Found it by star hopping from Corvus using 70x; was rather easy to find. I stepped up the power to 181x to darken the sky. The visibility in the area of M104 was not nearly as good as overhead. The galaxy is easily visible in the 11"; the darklane is visible (though not as dramatic as in photographs). A number of stars appear in the same field of view (0.36 degrees wide with this eyepiece).
• NGC 5077: A galaxy in Virgo, somewhat south of Spica. This galaxy is bright and easy in the 11" at 93x (using a Celestron 30mm Ultima eyepiece). The galaxy lies due south of a star that appears to be around 7th magnitude.
• NGC 5088: NGC 5088 is very close to NGC 5077, they appear in the same field of view at 93x. However, NGC 5088 is faint in the 11" at 93x, requiring averted vision to see it with confidence. Strong's "Sky Atlas 2000 Companion" lists this galaxy and 5077 as "pretty bright"; to me, 5077 is quite a bit brighter and definitely the easier of the two. Neither galaxy showed any features in the 11" scope.
• NGC 4608: Another Virgo galaxy. Easy to see in the 11", the galaxy lies right next to a faint star of about 12th magnitude. At 181x, the galaxy appears round and featureless. Easy to find, as this galaxy lies right next to the naked eye star Omicron Virgo.
• NGC 4596: NGC 4596 lies just to the west of NGC 4608, and in my opinion is the more interesting of the two galaxies. There are a number of 9th to 10th magnitude stars close to 4596 that form an interesting pattern. The galaxy appears bright at 181x in the 11". I stepped the power up to 311x (using a 9mm Nagler eyepiece); the galaxy holds power well. At 311x, the galaxy appears to have a bright center surrounded by fainter nebulosity.
• NGC 5600: A galaxy in Bootes; star hopped to it using 181x. The galaxy is in a relatively barren field; the brightest field stars appear to be about magnitude 10 or so. The galaxy is round and easily visible in the 11", and would likely be visible in a 6" scope.
• M3: A magnificent cluster. Looked at it using both 181x and 311x. Using the 9mm Nagler (311x), the cluster fills the field of view, and the cluster is resolved to the core. Very nice view!
• M53: Another globular cluster, not in the league of M3, but still very nice. At 311x, the cluster is resolved pretty much to the core. There appears to be one star that is notably brighter than the others, possibly a foreground star? This cluster does not fill the 311x (0.26 degree) field quite as much as M3. Stars in the cluster appear to be magnitude 13 and fainter. Suing averted vision at 311x gave a very nice view... loads of stars visible.
• NGC 4565: The "classic" edge on galaxy on Coma Berenices. Conditions in this area were not as good as they could be (it was getting over towards the light pollution from Springfield). The coma cluster was visible with the naked eye, but is did not jump out. At 311x, the galaxy spans the entire field of view (0.26 degrees). The darklane is visible, use of averted vision greatly enhances the effect. Under better conditions, the view would be improved considerably.
• Epsilon Lyra: Took a look at this double because I was in the area. Easily resolved at 311x, however the seeing conditions tonight are not great. Stars are dancing around considerably and often do not come to good focus.
• M57: The Ring Nebula... at 311x, what a view! At this power the nebula looks about the same size as a football placed at 10 feet. N central star visible, but the star just outside the ring is easily visible. A remarkable object; could spend an hour looking at it.
• M13: At 311x, the cluster is resolved to the core; in fact 311x is too high (in this scope) in my opinion. The cluster is resolved and spread out such that it looks like a very rich open cluster! The view at 181x is better in my opinion. At 311x the cluster spills out of the 0.26 degree field.
• NGC 6239: A galaxy in Hercules in the region generally north of M13. Star hopped to it using 311x. In the 11", the galaxy is visible but it is not bright; I would call it "somewhat faint". Strong's "Sky Atlas 2000 Companion" calls it "very faint" and states also that is has a double nucleus (I did not note this feature). Stars in the field of view are in the 12th magnitude range. By no means a spectacular galaxy, but certainly visible in the 11".
• M92: What a cluster! At 311x it is framed up very nicely. The core is bright and thick; the 11" scope resolves it more or less to the core, however the core looks very dense. Stars thin out more quickly as compared to M13. Walter Scott Houston once wrote that M92 was a "neglected" object because it is sort of off the beaten path. The cluster is however a showpiece.
• NGC 6229: A globular cluster in Hercules, one I come back to often as it is one of the "fainter" objects I first located back in the 70's using a 2.4" scope. Tonight in the 11" the cluster is very bright. Using 311x, a few stars appear around the edge of the cluster; it is just on the threshold of resolution. Using averted vision, a handful of faint stars can be resolved. A 14" or 16" scope would likely resolve the cluster.
• NGC 6058: A planetary nebula in Hercules. Star hopped to the area, and then increased the power to 311x. I located what appeared to be a star involved with nebulosity. This object is small! Even at 311x it was quite small, and not particularly bright. Strong's "Sky Atlas 2000 Companion" describes this object as "pretty faint, very small, and round at magnitude 12.3; the central star is magnitude 13.8". I'd say this description is quite accurate based on what I saw in the 11". Would be a very difficult object for scopes less than 8" in my estimation.
• NGC 6181: A galaxy not far from beta Hercules. At 311x, it is easily visible in the 11", though not particularly bright. At 311x the field is otherwise rather barren, only one star of about magnitude 11 is nearby.
• NGC 6210: A "classic" planetary nebula in Hercules. At 311x in the 11", this object is BRIGHT! This object has very high surface brightness, but it is much smaller than the Ring Nebula. There appears to be some very faint nebulosity coming off to one side of the disk. I did not see a central star. Strong's "Sky Atlas 2000 Companion" states that the central star is magnitude 12.9, which should have otherwise been easily visible in an 11" scope... why did I not see it? Perhaps because of the brightness of the nebula itself. Strong's description of the object also mentions "... involved in a larger, fainter disk..." possibly the stray nebulosity I saw coming off to one side? I'll have to go back to this object with higher power. Would also be an excellent CCD target! A very interesting object.
• NGC 6426: A globular cluster in Ophiuchus. This object was much more difficult than I expected it to be! I was looking for it at 311x, expecting to see an at least partially resolved blob to appear. I could not see it! I lowered the power to 93x and measure out fields of view to put myself at precisely the correct position. At 93x I found it! This object is faint and has low surface brightness... 311x was too much power for it. The cluster is large and spread out, and the center is not at all condensed. Strong's "Sky Atlas 2000 Companion gives the following description: "Low central concentration of stars, very faint, quite large..." I'd say this description is right on the mark. I went back to 311x once I knew where the cluster was. I could see it, but I cannot say that I resolved it. It appears more or less as a large, dim patch of nebulosity. It reminds me of another cluster that gave me fits not too long ago (can't recall the # right now). In any event, NGC 6426 is a tricky object, and not an object for small scopes!
• M10: One of the many globular clusters in Ophiuchus. At 311x it fills the field and appears to be totally resolved, almost to the point of looking like a very rich open cluster. Not in the class of M3, M13 and M5, but certainly a nice cluster.
• M12: Not far from M10, it appears similar to M10. M12 has one star which is brighter than the other cluster members, so it is most likely a foreground star. Like M10, at 311x M12 resolves to the core. In my opinion M12 is slightly less rich than M10. 311x is almost too much power for M10 and M12; something around 250x would probably be better.
• M5: A true showpiece cluster. At 311x in the 11" the view is truly magnificent. Countless stars fill the field. I like this cluster better than M13 because the core is more condensed. The cluster is resolved right into the core, but the core is very thick and could even stand more power. A cluster like this could be looked at for an hour!
• NGC 5885: A galaxy in Libra. I star hopped to the correct area, but a thorough search using 93x, 181x and 311x yielded only "suspicious" objects. The visibility in the area was not too good, naked eye limiting magnitude was around 4 or so. I checked Strong's "Sky Atlas 2000 Companion" and this galaxy is described as "faint" and "quite large". With the less than ideal visibility, this explains why I could not identify it with any degree of confidence!
• M56: At 311x, the cluster is resolving nicely. Not in the league of M5 or even M10, but it is nonetheless a nice object in my opinion. The field of view is quite rich, especially at lower power (due to the proximity of the Milky Way).

4 March 1998 (Wednesday), 7:30pm - 7:45pm EST

Tonight I observed the occultation of Aldebaran by the Moon. I was at work in Newport, RI, and armed only with 7x35 binoculars. Conditions were not the greatest... there were high clouds in and about the area, which at times made Aldebaran seem to disappear to the naked eye. The glare from lights in the parking lot was also a pain. Nonetheless, I did witness the disappearance of Aldebaran... it was instanteneous! Quite a cool sight. I was the only one left in my building, and more or less alone at work. But I knew that astronomers all over the area were watching this event. It was worth standing out in the cold wind with no jacket or gloves!

26 February 1998 (Thursday), 12:30pm - 2:00pm (Solar Eclipse)

I observed the partial (about 20%) solar eclipse from work in Newport, RI this afternoon. The weather was perfectly clear. I did not have any optical aid, just a solar filter (I brought my solar filter that I normally use with the 11"). Even though this was a "minor" eclipse event, it was still interesting. As the eclipse began, I suddenly wished I had booked one of those "eclipse cruises"! Several co-workers came outside to check out the eclipse (looking through my filter of course). Some people also used the "pinhole" method successfully. Solar filters are also excellent mirrors... I used my filter to "project" an image of the partially eclipsed Sun onto the side of a white building a few hundred feet away! Overall, not a major event for us, but skies were clear, so to not observe it would be a "sin" for an amateur astronomer!

27 February 1998 (Friday), 8:30pm - midnight EST

The weather was predicted to be "increasing clouds" tonight, but the sky was totally clear in the early evening. Tonight's observations were made from the backyard in Wilbraham. I used the Meade 4500 4.5" reflector (I didn't bring the big scope up with me because the weather outlook was not good). Tonight the temperature was "mild" compared to typical winter nights... it was about 40 degrees. Nonetheless, I dressed for "cold" weather and used the hand warmer and chemical boot warmers. I also used the propane heater (more as an experiment, it wasn't really needed). I took a break from observing from about 9:45 until 10:30pm. I observed quite a few objects. Observations appear below:

• Conditions: The sky conditions were "good" for Wilbraham in 1998. I could see 5.3 magnitude SAO 60204 (just south of Castor) in Gemini with the naked eye using averted vision, but it was difficult. This was the best area of the sky; towards Orion the limiting magnitude was considerably worse due to skyglow from Springfield. The Milky Way from Auriga through Monoceros is just barely visible.
• Crab Nebula: I could see the Crab Nebula very easily in the Meade 4500 using a Meade 15.5mm wide angle eyepiece (58x). The star Zeta Taurus and the Crab were just on opposite edges of the field (therefore the FOV is about 1.0 degrees). The Crab was oblong in shape, and the field is nice; many stars in and around the area.
• NGC 2215: An open cluster in Monoceros, one I looked at last week with the 11". At that time I noted that the cluster would probably not be too interesting in smaller scopes. In the Meade 4500, I used a 10mm Celestron Plossl eyepiece for the observation (90x). In general, this cluster is "unimpressive" in the 4.5" scope... using averted vision, 6 or 8 loosely scattered stars are visible, with the hint of a few more just under the limit of the scope. I also tried the cluster at 58x, and the view is nicer due to the number of stars in the background. It's easy to find, but not worth going out of the way for in this scope (the 11" scope made this cluster look much better).
• Rosette Nebula: To my surprise, I was able to see hints of the Rosette Nebula in the 4.5" reflector! At 58x, there were definite "hazy" regions around the central cluster, but not bright by any means. I could not follow the nebula all the way around; only patches of nebulosity were visible. The most visible part of the nebula was north and slightly east of the central cluster. The nebula is still far too large for the field of view (1 degree at 58x). The central cluster (NGC 2244) is very nice in the Meade 4500 at 58x. The cluster contains many bright stars, probably magnitude 7 or 8; the cluster is visible in the 6x30 finderscope. Definitely a nice object for a smaller scope!
• M79: The "lone" winter globular cluster in Lepus. It was easily visible in the 4.5" at 58x, despite the poor conditions in the area. It's in the same field of view as 5.5 magnitude SAO 170351 (which makes a great "signpost" for this object). There are also two 8th magnitude stars near the cluster, one on each side with equidistant spacing. At 58x there appears to be no hint of resolution; at 90x it looks "grainy" at best, and also has a bright core, almost is if there was a star in front of the cluster. I suspect the 11" scope would resolve M79. Definitely worth looking at with the 4.5" scope however.
• M50: Open cluster in Monoceros. A very nice cluster at 58x in the 4.5"; contains a mix of bright and faint stars, along with just enough "unresolved" stars to make it very interesting. Looks great with a 1 degree field of view. A fine cluster.
• NGC 2232: An open cluster in Monoceros, right next to the star 10 Monoceros. 10 Monoceros is very bright in the telescope. The cluster looks like a group of stars in the shape of a comet tail heading off to the south. A distinctive pattern. Not really a rich cluster, maybe a dozen stars, all fairly bright, magnitude 8 or 9. Low power is necessary for this cluster. A decent cluster for a smaller scope.
• Castor: in the 4.5" at 90x it is readily resolved.
• NGC 2392 (Eskimo Nebula): I located it using 58x, and it was clearly visible as a non stellar "star". It is very bright, and also right next to a bright (8th magnitude?) star which serves as an excellent "focus check" star. At 90x the nebula is still rather small. No sign of the "face" in the 4.5" scope, but the nebula appears to have a faint outer ring. A very bright and easy object for the 4.5" scope. I need to check this out with about 250x in the 11"!
• NGC 2419: The "intergalactic" globular. I decided to try for this globular cluster because of its unique characteristics. Located in Lynx, it was nearly overhead. I did find it using the 4.5" scope, but it is faint. I found a "suspicious" object at 58x; upon switching to 90x I confirmed the find. Requires averted vision in this scope; no hint of resolution. Forms a line with two other 7th or 8th magnitude stars (in the same field); makes an excellent "finder". A challenging object for the 4.5" under these conditions; not a beginner object!
• M67: At 58x in the 4.5", this is a very nice cluster. There are many stars visible, mostly faint (mag 9-10+?), and there are many unresolved, resulting in a "hazy" backdrop which adds to the view. The cluster stands out well from the surroundings.
• iota Cancer: A fine double star in the 4.5" at 58x; resolves most easily. One of the finest pairs in this part of the sky.
• NGC 2683: A galaxy about 5 degrees north of iota Cancri (just over the line into Lynx). At 90x it was easily visible, and is a good sized galaxy. There are several faint stars near (but not involved with) the galaxy, and the galaxy appears oblong. An easy pick for a 4.5" scope.
• NGC 2775: A galaxy just east of the Head of Hydra in Cancer. At 90x it was fairly bright and reasonably big, but shows no detail; it was fainter than NGC 2638. An easy to find galaxy (good finder stars around it). Relatively barren field.
• M41: A fantastic open cluster. Absolutely gorgeous view in the 4.5" at 58x; even with a 1 degree true field the cluster is "spilling over the field". Stars are bright, starting at mag 7 or so. A "must see" object!
• NGC 2343: An open cluster in southern Monoceros, nearly on the Canis Major line. In the 4.5" scope, the cluster is not a showpiece, but 8 or 10 stars are visible in a scattered group. It does stand out from the background pretty well. Appears triangular in shape. Not a bad cluster, worth a look.
• NGC 2353: Another open cluster very close to NGC 2343. This cluster too is not a showpiece by any means as seen on the 4.5", but is obviously visible. Contains a nice double star (equal magnitude pair). Basically a loose gathering of about 10 stars.
• NGC 2318: This cluster is plotted in Norton's Star Atlas as H14-7 (in the 1973 edition), but curiously, is not shown on my Star Traveler software nor is it in the Peterson Field Guide "Stars and Planets", which have charts considerably more detailed than Norton's. In the 4.5" scope, I saw no obvious cluster, but I think I may have glimpsed a very faint cloud in the proper location. Need to solve this "mystery" with the 11"! This cluster is not worth looking at in a 4.5" scope (outstanding sky conditions might allow a better view).
• NGC 2360: A surprisingly nice open cluster as seen in the 4.5" scope. There is a 5th magnitude star just to the west of the cluster (by about 20 minutes), serving as an excellent finder star. At 58x, this star fits easily in the same field of view as the cluster. The cluster itself is quite rich and resolves nicely in the 4.5"; stars starting at around 8th magnitude. A great object for a scope of this size, highly recommended.
• M48: Another great open cluster for a small scope... fills the 1 degree field of the 4.5" at 58x. Stars are not as bright as those in M41, but it is larger than M41. I tried using a Meade 25mm MA eyepiece (36x), and preferred the lower power view. This is a great cluster, but requires a large field of view and low power.
• NGC 2394: This cluster is shown in the Norton's, but is not shown in Star Traveler software, nor is it in the Peterson "Stars and Planets" Field Guide. Norton's lists it as H44-8. It is right next to eta Canis Minor. By no means a great cluster, basically a scattering of stars near the star eta CMi. Stars about 9th magnitude. The best view was at 58x; I stepped up to 90x to inspect a "faint suspicious object" which turned out to be what looks like a double star. This cluster is worth a look if you're in the area, but don't expect much.
• M65 & M66: Two classic galaxies; both bright and easy in the 4.5". Could also see NGC 3268, but it is not as prominent as the Messier galaxies.
• M3: In the 4.5" at 58x, it was very bright. Somewhat of a pain to find because it's out in the middle of relative nowhere. At 90x, the cluster is just barely starting to resolve... a handful of stars are visible with averted vision. Higher power would have helped (I did not have any other eyepieces with me at the time).
• NGC 3675: A galaxy in Ursa Major, right net to the star 56 UMa. I found it with no problem at 58x in the 4.5"; it was fairly good sized and diffuse; center is not bright. An easy pick in the 4.5" scope.
• M97 (Owl Nebula): In the 4.5" scope, the Owl Nebula is bright and easy (although the "eyes" are not seen). A fairly good sized bright round fuzzy patch of light. Nice view at 58x.
• M108: M108 appears in the same field of view as M97 using 58x in the Meade 4500. The two are about 50 minutes of arc apart. M108 is not as bright as M97, but is still quite obvious. They two objects make a nice pair.
• Alpha CVn: One of the most beautiful double stars in the sky anywhere. Easy to resolve, nice contrast... a "must see" double star.
• M63: This galaxy is very bright in the 4.5" scope at 58x! A fairly bright star is nearly involved with this galaxy, and it is easy to find.
• M94: Another very bright galaxy, very, very easy to see in the 4.5" scope at 58x. The galaxy appears fairly small and round, and appears to have what looks like a stellar center. I tried using 90x and the view was also good.
• NGC 4485: A galaxy right next to beta CVn. Very bright and easy in the 4.5" at 58x, in the league of a Messier galaxy. Couldn't be easier to find!
• NGC 4369: Another (of many) galaxy in CVn; I did manage to find it, but it is faint in the 4.5" at 90x. Basically at the limit of this scope under these conditions. Not a beginner object.
• NGC 4449: This Canes Venatici galaxy was bright, round, and obvious in the 4.5" scope at 58x. The galaxy has an even brightness distribution as seen in the scope. In the league of a Messier galaxy, an easy pick for a 4.5" scope.
• NGC 4151 and 4145: I believe I found NGC 4151, it appeared to be involved in a star. The galaxy was small and round. I found a "suspicious" object in the location of NGC 4151, but it was fleeting and on the absolute limit of visibility. Cannot say for certain that I saw it. Need to check this out with the 11". Neither galaxy was much to see in the 4.5" scope.
• NGC 4214: I found this galaxy in the 4.5" scope and it was fairly obvious. There appears to be a faint star, perhaps magnitude 12, about one "galaxy diameter" away. This galaxy is a "notch or two" below the Messier class objects, but still a reasonably easy target for the 4.5" scope. Nice view at 58x.
• NGC 5005: A very easy galaxy in the 4.5" at 58x, found it with no problem. In the same filed as a 6th magnitude star. Nice view at 58x.
• NGC 5033: Found this galaxy also with relative ease using the 4.5" scope at 58x. This galaxy is about the same size and shape as its neighbor NGC 5005, but 5033 is definitely fainter. Both fit nicely in a 1 degree field of view. A nice pair of galaxies.
• NGC 5273: I am only about 75% certain that I found this galaxy. I glimpsed a very faint object at the correct location, however I could not hold the image. This galaxy is too faint for a 4.5" scope under my conditions. Need to look at this with the 11".
• M51: An extremely easy target for a 4.5" scope... both "pieces" of the galaxy are easily visible; the brighter (main) galaxy is surrounded by a fainter glow (but I cannot say that I saw spiral arms). Nice view at both 58x and 90x.
• NGC's 4278, 4274, 4314, and 4245: All of these galaxies are tightly clustered just to the northwest of gamma Coma Berenices. All of these galaxies were visible in the 4.5" scope at 58x, and all appeared similar. NGC 4278 was the brightest of the group; NGC 4245 seemed to be the faintest. None of the galaxies were "bright"; all required averted vision for a good view.

Tonight I used the propane heater to assist in keeping myself warm at the scope. Even though it was a "balmy" 35 degrees later in the evening, standing outside for hours can still lead to feeling very chilly if proper dress is not worn. I found that the propane heater worked well as a supplement. A few things I did learn: don't stand too close to the unit! With thermal underwear and pants on, the radiated heat from the unit is not immediately felt when you stand close to the unit. I smelled something like a burning smell... it was my pants! The fabric had heated to a very high temperature (they were roasting hot when I touched them). Much longer at that distance and they would have probably caught fire. Second: the propane heater can cause hideous seeing conditions if you have it near the front of the scope. As an experiment, I place the unit right near the front of the scope while looking at M41... the image blurred so much that I could hardly see the stars at all! Seeing wasn't an issue when the heater was placed away from the scope. Third: the propane heater element glows a fairly bright red-orange when on; if you look right at it your night vision will be slightly impaired. The unit also throws enough light to be annoying when it is bouncing off the white tube of the telescope. I found that it was best to place the unit on the other side of the scope from where I was standing. Overall, the propane heater worked well as a supplement. It was outstanding for "defogging" eyepieces!!! Took only a second or two to remove fog from eyepieces. The propane heater is probably best used when you are observing solo... at a star party the unit would probably draw complaints (from people it was pointed at).

Overall, tonight's observing session was very rewarding. I looked at quite a few objects I had not seen in many years. The sky conditions were about as good as they can be for Wilbraham in 1998. The Meade 4500 scope performed well.

21 February 1998 (Saturday), 8:30 - 10:30pm EST

The weather today was forecast to be "clearing by afternoon with clear skies by nightfall"; by 8:00pm the sky was almost completely free of clouds, so I set up the 11" scope. However, and very typical, just as I was completing the setup, clouds started increasing. Soon after, there were only occasional breaks in the clouds. The rest of the night basically got worse, until the sky was completely clouded over. I was not happy about this; I figured that based on the forecast, the "clear skies" at around 8pm meant that the weather forecasters were right! Not so. Over the course of 2 hours, I managed to look at about 4 objects in, around and through the clouds:

• Rosette Nebula: In the 11" at 70x, the nebula was visible, but far too large to come close to fitting into my 1 degree field of view. I had to "sweep around" to see the nebula. It was faint to fairly bright in some spots. The sky conditions were "acceptable but not great" in the area; under dark skies the nebula would likely have been obvious all the way around its circumference. Overall, not a bad view, but the large size of this object necessitates a "rich field" scope.
• NGC 2215: An open cluster in Monoceros, was easily visible in the 11" at 70x. Overall, not a bad cluster in the 11" scope; it nicely fits into a 1 degree field. I saw about 20 or so stars, starting at roughly magnitude 11. This cluster would probably not be much to see in smaller scopes. In the 11" it was worth the minimal effort it took to "star hop" to the area.
• M35: M35 is a spectacular showpiece cluster. At 70x in the 11", it absolutely fills my 1 degree field; hundreds of stars are visible, with many very faint ones mixed in with the brighter ones. A very nice view.
• NGC 2158: The cluster nearly involved with M35, is easily visible in the 11". At 70x, the cluster is resolving, but most of the cluster is still a "haze ball". I increased the magnification to 181x, and the number of individual stars that were visible increased quite a bit (but they are faint, starting at about 13th magnitude). Not a bad view considering the conditions.

31 January 1998 (Saturday), 6:30pm EST - 7:15pm and 9:30pm - 11:00pm

Tonight we finally had a clear night when I didn't have to work or be somewhere else. I was in Wilbraham and had the Meade 4500 (4.5" reflector) for observing, so I took it outside. Unfortunately, I discovered that I did not have an atlas with me, so I had to look for objects via memory and by just poking around. I took a look at the this waxing crescent Moon, and it was very nice albeit crappy seeing conditions. Saturn was nearby so I also took a look at it. The rings were certainly visible, but bad seeing made the view "poor to fair" at best. After about 20 minutes or so, the scope had reached reasonable stability (thermally), and the images improved markedly. I looked at M42 at about 57x; the 4.5" showed considerable detail; several "pockmarks" and wisps of nebulosity were visible. I also looked at M35, M36 and M37. In the 4.5" at 57x, M37 looks very similar to a typical globular cluster in the 11" scope at about 150x. M37 is my favorite of the 3 Auriga Messier open clusters. I also took a token look at M1, the Crab Nebula. It was visible quite easily and was oblong in shape. The Pleiades were quite nice (as usual) in the 4.5" at 57x. I went inside for a while to watch some TV. I came back out at about 9:30pm; the sky had shifted considerably so that Canis Major was up out of the trees and readily observable. I looked at M41 with the 4.5"; it was very nice at 57x. The stellar images through the scope were now quite good, the scope having been outside for several hours (the temperature was about 25 degrees). I took another look at M42, and the view was better than the one I had earlier in the evening. While in the area, I looked at the Flame Nebula, it was visible, but just barely. I hopped over to M78 also in Orion, it was visible in the 4.5" quite easily at 57x. I swung the scope over to M46; it was visible easily. The stars are fairly faint. I looked for the planetary nebula that resides within the cluster, NGC 2438. I think I saw it, but it was difficult. I used a 6mm eyepiece to bring the magnification to 150x for this observation. The image was not nearly as good at this power. In any event, this planetary nebula is "difficult" at best with this scope under the conditions of my site. I also looked at M47 at 57x; its stars are much brighter than those of M46, but there are not nearly as many of them. M46 is much richer. The two clusters make a nice contrasting pair, and are located only about 1.5 degrees apart. I took a look at NGC 2244, sometimes called the "Christmas Tree Cluster", and also the cluster that is associated with the Rosette Nebula. I saw no nebulosity, but the cluster is easy (and visible in the 6x30 finder scope). I found M48 after a bit of hunting around; it is a very nice cluster at 57x in the 4.5" scope; nicer than I remember it being. I hadn't looked at this object in quite some time. I took a token look at M44 and also M67. M44 spills out of the field at 57x, while M67 easily fits within the field with generous room around the edges; its stars are on the faint side for this scope (but it is resolved). Over in Leo, I took a look at galaxy NGC 2903. It was easily visible and fairly large in the 4.5" scope at 57x. I looked at Gamma Leo (double star); at 57x is was resolved nicely. While on galaxies, I hopped over to M81 and M82; both were easily visible and bright, and fit nicely into the same field at 57x. Averted vision hinted at some structure being visible in M82. I took a quick look at M31, but the view was pretty poor due to the light pollution of Springfield. The Double Cluster was nice at 57x; both clusters fit in the same field. Tonight was a "good" night for this area... the Milky Way was just barely visible in Auriga, but that's about it. It did not "jump out", you had to look for it. In 1975 the Winter Milky Way was no problem at all to see; the light pollution plague has taken a severe toll (in less than 20 years) on the once dark skies of Wilbraham, MA.

After observing with the scope, I took a walk up to the back part of the property to get a good "open sky" look at things. The view from this location is very nice, being that nearly the entire sky is visible with minimal obstructions. From here, Hydra was visible very nicely and snaked above the horizon. I could also see the western part of Virgo coming up over the eastern horizon. Pyxis was visible skimming the trees in the south. Aries was heading towards the western horizon, however, the light pollution from Springfield is very bad in this direction. I could see the four main stars that make up the constellation Aries, but that's about it. I'd estimate the limiting magnitude is about 4 in this area, maybe a bit more if you do a careful study. It's not a pretty site. With the snow on the ground, I could easily find my way around in the "dark" with no light whatsoever. The ambient light from Springfield is quite severe. The sky darkness is not uniform; the area away from Springfield (to the southeast) is about the darkest, the best point being about 70 degrees up. The greatest illumination from Springfield occurs at about northwest on the compass (however the entire western horizon is lit up pretty bad). In the direction of Springfield, it really does look like "perpetual twilight".

My observations tonight were more or less on the casual side, but it was good to get out and take a look at some old favorites. I was somewhat annoyed at not having any sort of atlas with me; I would have liked to have searched out a few more of winter's open clusters. Even so, it was a decent observing session.

26-28 September 1997, Connecticut Star Party VII (CSP 7), Friday - Sunday

In a word, CSP7 was fantastic this year! The skies were near perfect on both nights! I arrived at about 4pm on Friday afternoon, and set up my equipment. A number of other people were already setup. Many more filed in as the evening went on. I use my van as my "campsite"; it provides quarters for sleeping, eating, and equipment storage. I did not use a tent.

On the first night, I did both casual observing and some astrophotography. I met many interesting people, and showed numerous objects to visitors during the time up to about midnight. I took a number of astrophotos starting after midnight, info on which is listed below. All photos were guided piggyback on a Celestron CG-11 scope. As soon as I can get them scanned in, selected photos below will be in the form of links (clicking on will bring up the picture).

1. Cassiopeia: 5 min exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 50mm F2 lens
2. Cygnus: 6 min 30 sec exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 50mm F2 lens
3. North American Nebula: 7 min 30 sec exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 135mm F2.5 lens
4. North American Nebula: Unknown exposure (lens fogged over), Kodak Royal Gold 400, 135mm F2.5 lens
5. North American Nebula: 5 min 20 sec exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 135mm F2.5 lens
6. Andromeda Galaxy: 4 min exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 135mm F2.5 lens
7. Veil Nebula: 4 min 30 sec exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 135mm F2.5 lens
8. Double Cluster: 4 min 45 sec exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 135mm F2.5 lens
9. Pleiades: 4 min exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 135mm F2.5 lens
10. Cassiopeia w/ NGC 7789: unknown exposure, Kodak Royal Gold 400, 135mm F2.5 lens

After completing photos, I started regular observations.

• NGC 2300 and 2276: Both are easily visible in the 11" at 133 x (21mm Televue Plossl). One of the galaxies is quite bright, pretty small, and has a bright center. The other is slightly dimmer, closer to a bright star, and is more spread out (center not nearly as bright as that of the other galaxy).
• NGC 2336: A galaxy, bright in the 11" at 133x, small, relatively even brightness distribution, forms a parallelogram with three other fairly bright stars.
• NGC 2314: In the 11" at 70x (40mm Orion Megavista eyepiece) it is small, pretty bright, located it with the Orion Sky Wizard digital setting circles.

I went to bed at about 4:30 am EDT on Saturday morning. Ground fog had rolled in shortly before that, rendering observations useless. It was rather chilly; near freezing. I was dressed for moderate cold, and was holding up pretty well. The only "complaint" about the night's events was the fairly heavy dew situation. Any scope without a heater on the optical elements was out of commission by about midnight. Hair dryers could be heard running all over the observing field. I was one of the "die hard" observers... most observers had turned in between midnight and 1am. By 3am there were probably only a dozen people (out of one hundred or so) still at their scope.

I woke up on Saturday morning at about 9am. Sleeping was not too good, there was a fair amount of activity around the area from all of the campers waking up (those who turned in at a more reasonable hour).

The weather Saturday morning started out cloudy (actually it was low level ground fog), but it quickly burned off. About mid morning, I had decided to look for stars in daylight. I had put a brand new battery in the Orion Sky Wizard the night before, and I left the Wizard turned on when I went to bed. I had also done a decent polar alignment the night before. I put in a low power wide field eyepiece (40mm Orion Megavista, yields 70x with a 1 degree true field) and got a focus on the waning crescent Moon which was high in the sky. The first star to try was Capella. With the help of friends I had met the night before, we looked up the coordinates of Capella. The biggest problem: the red LED readout on the Wizard was extremely difficult to read during the day, even with hands cupped around it! Finally we moved the scope to the proper location. Capella was easily visible in the 11" during broad daylight! By using the same method, we found Castor, Procyon, Betelgeuse, and Denebola. Denebola was only 17 degrees from the Sun, and is 2nd magnitude! It was not easy to see, but it was certainly visible. One other item of note: Castor resolved very cleanly at 70x! During moments of good seeing it was better than at night (probably due to the decrease contrast). Later in the day I also spotted Vega when it came up.

At about 3 in the afternoon, the battery in the Sky Wizard quit (the Sky Wizard reads out "encoder error"). I did some solar observing and saw several sunspots. I took 4 photographs of the Sun; two at 1765mm, and two with eyepiece projection (in an attempt to get the sunspots). I wanted to find Venus during the day, but with the Wizard batteries dead (and no easy way to realign it until dark), I would have to use another method. I got on the Sun, then calculated the position of Venus relative to the Sun. By using the manual setting circles, I was able to locate Venus rather easily. Many observers (even some veterans) that stopped by during the day were absolutely amazed at being able to see stars and planets in broad daylight!

As darkness approached, it was clear that it was going to be another spectacular night for observing. There were more people on Saturday night for observing, including many more "walk ins". As on Friday night, I spent a good amount of time showing visitors showpiece objects. I then helped some new friends from Argentina photograph some of the northern sights. Tonight the dew was more severe than the night before; many observers were caught "off guard" without the ability to remove dew. Some resorted to bringing their optical tubes to their cars and drying them off using the car heater.

After midnight, I photographed a number of objects as the night before. In the excitement of the night, I did not record data on the exposures. Most were 5 minutes or less. I did not have a heater on the camera lens, and it was fogging over after about 5 minutes. Between each photo I had to give the lens a 30 second "blast" of warm air from the 12v "hair dryer". After photographs were complete, I began serious observations (again, well after midnight when the "crowds" had dissipated). Observations follow:

• NGC 1883: An open cluster near Capella, in the 11" at 70x it is easily visible, but on the faint side. The stars are faint, probably starting around 13th or 14th magnitude. The cluster is small, and looks like it would be fairly rich (a significantly larger scope would be needed to see it at its best). This is a decent cluster for larger scopes, but would be out of the question for a 2.4 inch scope.
• NGC 1625: It is very faint at 70x in the 11". It is located near 48 Eridanus, which makes it easy to locate (but not terribly easy to see). There is some light pollution in this area, but not too bad.
• NGC 1637: This galaxy is easily visible (bright) at 70x in the 11". The galaxy has fairly even brightness distribution, and is fairly diffuse. Many stars in the field.
• NGC 1638: Easily visible in the 11" at 70x, but slightly dimmer and smaller than NGC 1637. Diffuse, no bright center.
• NGC 1600: Very easy to see in the 11" at 70x. Bright, small, round, and has a bright center.
• NGC 1417: Another Eridanus galaxy, visible in the 11", but not bright. It is small, round and has no other notable features in this scope at 70x. Near a rather bright star.
• Saturn: was very nice tonight. In the 11" at 131x, a cloud band was clearly visible on the planet's disc. A flurry of moons were in attendance. Seeing was very good for a few seconds at a time. As usual, newcomers were fascinated by their first view of this planet...
• California Nebula: Finally, I had a chance to test out my Lumicon H-beta filter under some decent skies. I used an Astroscan 2001 rich field scope for the observation (it gives a 3 degree true field at 16x, necessary for the huge dimensions of the California Nebula). In short: the nebula was clearly visible in the Astroscan with the H-beta filter! It was also visible without the filter, but much less so. The H-beta filter made the view much better. We also were able to see the California Nebula in a Televue Pronto (70mm objective) telescope that my "neighbor" was using.
• Pleiades: I have never seen the nebulosity around the Pleiades more clearly than I did tonight. It was obvious with direct vision in the 11" at 70x (no filters). As with the California Nebula, the nebulosity around the Pleiades was visible in the Pronto also!
• Horse Head Nebula: Armed with the H-beta filter (Lumicon nicknames it the "Horse Head Nebula Filter"), I decided to go for the Horse Head with the 11". The altitude of Orion was about 30 degrees, and there was slight light pollution in the region. At 70x in the 11", I could see the "cloud" in which the Horse Head resides, but I could not see the Horse's Head even with careful observations. Not far from me there was a 25" reflector set up, so I walked over to see if the operators of the scope (the biggest scope at CSP7) would like to give it a try. They said "no problem", so after putting the filter in place, I proceeded to locate the area. Upon a minor position adjustment, I could clearly and unmistakably see the Horse's Head! It was not bright, however, even in this mammoth scope! Some of the less experienced observers were having some difficulty seeing the Horse's Head. I tried it without the filter in the 25" after everyone had a look... it was now difficult at best to see the Horse's Head. So, Lumicon is right... the H-beta filter really does work, but they don't mention that you will still need a gigantic scope to see it! I went back to my 11" scope (now knowing where to look) to see if I could see the Horse's Head. I could not. Perhaps under ideal conditions (Orion on meridian away from the mild light pollution) I could see it, but it will be still very difficult. To think that 20 years ago I looked for this object in a 2.4" scope! At least tonight I got my first "live" look at the Horse Head Nebula. As a side note: another person at CSP7 had an 8" SCT with a Cookbook CCD camera... he had a clear and bright image of the Horse Head Nebula on his computer screen!
• Orion Nebula: Words cannot describe the view of M42 this morning. At 70x in the 11" the view was incredible! Even without a filter, there was tremendous structure visible... countless little pockmarks, wisps and tendrils of gas, dust lanes... just incredible. I looked at it for at least 20 minutes. The views were so incredible that I took about 7 photos of it through the scope. The "live" view through the scope cannot be captured on film however... the range of brightness is far too much. The Trapezium was incredible against the backdrop of nebulosity. The Orion Nebula is my favorite deep sky object because it shows such an incredible amount of structure in relatively modest telescopes.

At about 4:30am Sunday morning, the sky abruptly covered over with low level fog. This was not a problem, as twilight would soon end observing anyway. At this point, everything was saturated with dew. I went to move some sheets of my atlas and found that they ware frozen to the table! It was colder tonight than the night before.

To sum up: CSP7 was the best ever for me. I met some very interesting people. I helped two new friends from Argentina photograph the northern sky treasures, and showed them all around the northern sky. There were also some female students and their professor from Baypath college that were fascinated with the objects I showed them... they were so interested to see "for real" the objects they had up till now only read about. The people around me were very friendly and willing to share equipment. I got my first view through the new Televue 5.5 inch refractor (nice!). The only thing I warn against: if you look through the 25" scope, you'll never want to go back to your own scope!

5-6 September 97 (Friday - Saturday), 10:30pm - 12:30am EDT

Tonight I drove to Blanford, MA in search of reasonably dark skies. I arrived at about 9:15pm, and it was very clear; the Milky Way was very bright. I proceeded to set up the equipment. Wouldn't you know it? After driving 74 miles, clouds started coming in. They were the thin wispy type... I had to work in and around them. Unfortunately, the sky quality was reduced considerably, but it was still better than what I am used to at most observing sites. I observed a variety of objects, including Jupiter and Saturn. The seeing was poor; detail on the planets was minimal.

A list of objects observed follows:

• NGC 6939: A Open Cluster in Cepheus. Was fairly easy to find, and showed nicely in the 11" at 70x. It was fairly rich, somewhat small, and there is a bright star (about mag 8) near it. It just barely fits in the same field (1 degree field that is) with NGC 6946. A nice cluster and worth looking at.
• NGC 6946: A galaxy right on the Ceph-Cass border. It was very bright and easy in the 11" at 70x, it is in a very rich and beautiful field. The galaxy appears to be on the verge of showing spiral structure; a very dark sky (or a slightly larger scope) would likely confirm this. The galaxy is fairly large. A nice object in a nice field, definitley worth hunting down. Would probably be visible in a 6" scope.
• NGC 7139: A planetary nebula in Cepheus. I located it at 70x in the 11", but it is faint and a generally challenging object for this scope under this sky. At 181x, the view was better (due to the darker sky background), but averted vision was required for a decent view. This is a faint object and would probably be at the extreme limit for an 8" scope. It is about the size of the ring nebula. It is sort of off the beaten path, and requires a bit of effort to locate. Robert Strong's Sky Atlas 2000 Companion calls this object very faint, quite large and round, at mag 13.3. I agree with this desciption.
• IC 59 and IC 63: A pair of reflection nebulae in Cass. Both are very close to gamma Cass. At 70x in the 11", IC 59 is unquestionably visible, but it is on the faint side. IC 63 is also visible, but is fainter and requires more attention than IC 59. IC 63 is larger and more spread out. Niether one of these nebulae is spectacular in this scope, but they are certainly visible.
• NGC 281: A nebula a bit south of eta Cass. This nebula is clearly visible in the 11" at 70x, but is on the faint side. It is easy to find and there are many stars in and around the field. Fills about 1/2 the field of view (1 degree field) at 70x. Definitley worth looking at. This object would probably show in an 8" scope, but would be challenging.
• NGC 7762: An open cluster in Cep. A large, fairly loose open cluster at 70x in the 11". It has a distinctive line of stars near the center of the cluster. Probably not a great object for small scopes. Not a showpiece object by any means, but worth taking a look at.
• NGC 7822: An emmision nebula complex in Cep. There are two large patches of nebulosity shown in Sky Atlas 2000. This object is far too large to fit in my 1 degree field at 70x. Strong's Sky Atlas 2000 Companion calls this object extremely faint, extremely large and possibly a supernova remnant. I was able to see a lot of nebulosity in and around this area. Overall, the nebulosity is faint to very faint, but unmistakeable. I did not try any filters, although this object would probably be a good choice for the Orion Ultrablock. Parts of this nebula are bright enough "catch your eye" if just casually sweeping the area. Need to try the filter on this object in a very dark sky.
• NGC 146 and 133: Open clusters in Cass. Both ere easy in the 11" at 70x and very easy to find being that they are just north of the bright star chi Cass. Niether cluster is a showpiece by any means, but the fact that they both fit in a low power field of view makes them an interesting pair to look at. The field is rich, and photographically the clusters would [robably be "lost" in the background. In my opinion, NGC 146 is the better of the two clusters, but not by much.
• IC 1470: Visible in the 11", but not a spectacular view. Appears basically as a star surounded by a faint small patch of nebulosity, with more nebulosity off to one side of the star. Not sure if the star is the central star or just a star that happens to lie in the nebula. At 181x, it is small and certainly visible; at 70x it appeared as a "fuzzy" star. This object would require a substantially larger scope for a nice view. Strong's Sky Atlas 2000 Companion calls this object "very faint" (I generally agree).

In addition to the above objects, I also took token looks at M31, M11, M16, M8, NGC 7789, NGC 404, and the Double Cluster.

The clouds that came in made it a pain to observe dince I had to "jump all over the sky" to find a dark patch. Despite the clouds, I did get to see some new and challenging objects.

31 August 97 (Sunday), 2:30am - 5:00am EDT

This morning I did something I haven't done in a LONG time... get up in the middle of the night and observe until morning twilight. It was an observing session plagued by a number of problems, but nonetheless I did manage to get some nice viewing in. I had set the 11" scope up in the backyard before I went to bed (about 9:30pm) so that the unit would be totally "thermaled down". Unfortunately, the scope was totally saturated with dew when I got outside at 2:15am. Almost as soon as I took the cover off the front of the scope, the corrector plate fogged up. I proceeded to get out the corrector plate heater (had to fumble with it in the dark). I managed to get it on, but to remove the existing dew I had to get out my 12v hair dryer. The eyepiece and finder optics had also similarly fogged up. To speed up the process of removing dew, I finally went in the house and got a 1500w hair dryer (which did remove the dew in short order). Finally, with everything up and running, I was able to do some actual observing.

I started out by looking at Saturn since it was conveniently placed high in the south. My initial impression was that the seeing was pretty good (I later learned it was not too good). I could clearly see two moons close in to the ring system, and Cassini's Division was no problem. I could see a distinct cloud belt on the planet as well. The seeing was good for a few seconds every so often, but then the planet would become so fuzzy that it was as if it was totally unfocused! The best view was at about 93x (with a Celestron 30mm Ultima eyepiece). I had an Orion Skyglow light pollution filter in the path (it does nicely on helping to increase contrast and dimming some of the excess light).

While I was observing Saturn, a cloud bank rolled in. The clouds were a pain at best. There was also a lot of low level ground fog moving in and about the area. For the rest of the night (morning) I had to work around these clouds.

I looked for galaxy NGC 697 which is right next to 1 Aries. I found the galaxy without trouble... it was pretty bright and small, with more or less even light distribution. However, I also spotted two other galaxies (and a possible third suspicious object) south of 1 Aries. Tirion's Sky Atlas 2000 lists no other galaxies in this vicinity. I checked my Star Traveler program later in the morning, and found that I had located NGC 678 and NGC 680. NGC 678 was the brighter of the two, and appeared brighter to me than 697! NGC 680 was smaller and fainter, but nonetheless visible at 93x (in a dark sky these galaxies would have been obvious in this scope). The "suspicious" object I located I still cannot verify... no software I have lists anything in the position I saw the galaxy in. Have to check this out again under better skies.

I changed my target area to Taurus and Gemini. I took a look for NCG 5147 ( a large supernova-like remnant) but saw nothing (conditions were not too great however). I looked at NCG 1647... it is about as big as M35, but not nearly as rich... maybe 1/10th of the stars of M35. Definitely worth the look however. I also looked at NGC 1817 and NGC 1807. Both of these clusters were no problem in the 11" at 70x. I found NGC 1817 to be the more interesting of the pair. Neither cluster is a "showpiece", but both are worth looking at. While in the area I took a token look at the Crab Nebula... it was very bright at 93x. I have seen better views however. M35 was also nice at 70x... it fills the field of view. NGC 2158 was also very nice. Both of them fit (barely however) in the same 70x field of view in the CG-11. NGC 2158's unresolved haze makes a nice contrast with the star studded glitter of M35. I also looked at IC 2157... this cluster was interesting, but not in the same class as M35 and NGC 2158. I looked at NGC 2266. It was an interesting cluster... fairly small, with one noticeably brighter star (perhaps a foreground star?) surrounded by a number of other fainter stars. This cluster would not be a good choice for scope less than 6 inches (in my estimation)... the stars are pretty faint, probably in the 11th magnitude area and fainter. I looked at NGC 2175; it was visible without issue, but not spectacular.

I also took "token" looks at the following objects: M34, M31 and companions, the Pleiades, M37, M36, and M38. The Auriga clusters were very nice, especially M37.

I decided to set the telescope on a star, have it track until the Sun was up, and then look to see if the star was visible. I had done a pretty decent polar alignment on the scope, so tracking the star at 70x should have been no problem. The star I selected was the northern most star in Orion's belt, 2.5 magnitude SAO 132220. I set the scope on the star and went to bed at about 5:00am. When I came back out at 9am, a quick glance at the scope indicated that the tube had moved considerably. However, when I looked in the eyepiece, nothing was visible (the sky had covered over with a this haze). I then noticed the meter on the battery... down to 5 volts; the damn thing had died! Recommendation: don't ever by a Sears Die Hard battery. This is the second one I've had trouble with. Needless to say I was a bit unhappy, not so much that I wasn't able to see the star in daylight, but at the thought of having to think about shelling out another $70 for a new battery. Despite this problem, it was a decent observing session overall (it did have its share of problems however!).

11 July 97 (Friday), 10:45pm - 1:20am EST

Note: This write-up is "informal" in style...

I took the 11" scope out tonight. Even for this area (Wilbraham) it was a great night, I would say one of the "ten best" of the year. After the Moon went down, I could see the Milky Way from all the way to the "spout" of the Teapot, all the way back to Cass. It was not as good as 20 years ago, but nonetheless good considering the current state of light pollution. Anyway...

The observing was great. I spent quite a bit of time "visiting" old favorites like M11, M57, M22 etc. I looked at M17 (swan nebula) for a long time... the swan shape was blatantly obvious. A fair amount of detail could be seen at 133x with the Orion Skyglow light pollution filter in place. The Lagoon was fabulous with the Orion Ultrablock nebula filter. The Trifid nebula could be seen as 3 distinct parts. Actually, that whole area has nebulosity that can be seen by randomly sweeping around. M22 was resolved very nicely. Also looked at M56 and resolved it fairly well. I found two globulars on southern Oph that would have probably been invisible in the scopes we used in 1975 (even with the much better skies of then). One place I spent a lot of time looking was that big "cloud" of Milky Way patch in Sag (typically called M24 I think). In the 11", the cloud is magnificent... it's loaded with stars, and there are several clusters within the cloud. One looks very cool... it's basically a mostly unresolved haze against the background of glittering stars from the main cloud. There are also several other smaller open clusters within the patch. I spent about 15 minutes just poking around this cloud! I imagined that this must be approximately what one of the Magellenic clouds must look like in a scope. A very cool place to sweep around.

I also tried a new accessory. I bought a "straight through" adapter for my 2" eyepieces. Basically, the diagonal is removed from the light path for better images (but overhead viewing is very uncomfortable). The scope is high enough so that sitting in a lawn chair allows a good deal of sky to be easily swept in this manner. I did just that, randomly sweeping up and down the Milky Way. I was amazed at how many objects I ran into. Globulars in Aquila, open clusters, double stars, asterisms, and patches of nebulosity and dark nebulas. I wasn't paying any attention to identifying what I had spotted, was just "fishing". Was a very rewarding chunk of observing... must have spotted a dozen or so cool objects. I by chance came across one of the cool planetaries in Aquila that looks like a soap bubble. Very cool. I looked at M27 for a while with high power (181x). It was extremely cool. The central star (at least I think it was the central star, was very close to the center of the nebula) was visible. Upon careful inspection I counted about a dozen other stars shining through the nebula. At 70x that nebula is B-R-I-G-H-T! A TOTAL beacon! I looked at M57 also, was very cool (but still no central star).

I found that the straight through method yielded very good star images. I had used this procedure to observe Saturn a few years back (the old accessory I have was only for 1 1/4 inch eyepieces), and I had my best views ever of Saturn at that time. One other cool thing I like to do now (even though it is not considered a "normal" thing to observe) is to look at 1st magnitude stars. They are VERY, VERY bright in the scope! Vega is made to look like a streetlight literally. It will project an image onto your hand even 6 inches back from the eyepiece. Tonight the seeing was very good, and the star images were very nice round discs (small discs, but discs, not points). Vega is extremely bright at 70 x in the 11", and it is cool to see how many stars you can see right close to it. To me, Vega seems to have what I would guess is about a 12 or 13th magnitude companion (but I could be off quite a bit since I'm not used to judging stars with a spotlight sitting next to it) at roughly a minute of arc away. I think it would be a cool thing for Sky and Telescope readers to try... draw the star field around Vega with various scopes to see what can be seen. It might be a good way to come up with a "test of contrast" for scopes of equal size.

The big surprise of the night was near the end of my session: Jupiter. The seeing was at times extremely good (for a second or so at a time every few seconds). I have to say that the views of Jupiter at 131x were the best I ever remember seeing through any scope. I had the Orion Skyglow light pollution filter in the path (it has a cool side effect of helping with planetary contrast). The belt structure on Jupiter (during the moments of steady seeing) was extremely cool. There were knotty patches and tendrils of nebulosity visible in the two main belts. There were several other smaller belts visible. They had a "ragged" appearance at their edges. The Moons were small discs! The views were so good that I stayed out another 20 minutes or so just looking at Jupiter. It was a view that I will remember.

26 May 97 (Monday), 10:00pm - 12:00am EST

Tonight I observed from Wilbraham with the 11" scope. It was very clear all day; the air was dry, the dew point low. A decent night even for light pollution affected Wilbraham. Naked Eye limiting magnitude was about 5.5 in the "good" areas. Tonight I concentrated on galaxies. Observation notes follow:

• NCG 3626: A few nights ago I failed to find this galaxy. Tonight I found it on the first try without any problem. At 133x (21mm Televue Plossl) it was small, bright, with a bright center.
• NGC 3659: This Leo galaxy was faint, small, oval in shape, and fairly even in brightness distribution. Strong's Sky Atlas 2000 Companion calls this galaxy "Quite faint, small, slightly elongated..." This is about what I saw.
• NGC 3655:Another Leo galaxy, it was pretty bright, small and round at 133x.
• NGC 3691: This Leo galaxy was faint, small and round in the 11" at 133x.
• NGC 3686, 3684, 3681: All three of these galaxies were pretty bright and similar in appearance and all were visible in a 70x 1 degree field. The view was better at 133x due to the darker sky background. These galaxies were evenly spaced and in a straight line. 3684 was slightly fainter than the others. I could see the star 81 Leo with the naked eye, but barely. 3681 had a brighter center than the other galaxies.
• NGC 3872:This galaxy was bright, small and had a bright center concentration in the 11" at 133x.
• NGC 3666: This galaxy was pretty bright, pretty small, and had an even light distribution; there was a bright star in the same field.
• NGC 4490: This Canes Venatici galaxy was very bright, very large, and highly elongated at 181x in the 11" (15.5mm Meade EWF). It has a bright central concentration... a semi edge-on galaxy?
• NGC 4485: This galaxy is in the same field as 4490 and very close to it. In the 11" it was bright and pretty large. Makes a nice "double galaxy".
• NGC 4618: This galaxy was quite bright, large, round and easy to see at 181x. I spotted another galaxy at slightly more RA and slightly North of 4618. It was bright, pretty large and round. Sky Atlas 2000 does not show any other galaxies in the vicinity of 4618; however Strong's companion mentions 4625 in the description for 4618. Have to investigate further. Cool!
• NGC 4631: This galaxy was bright, very large and very elongated. A star of 11th magnitude or so is just north of the center of the galaxy. The galaxy nearly crosses the entire 181x field of view (.35 degrees). A very nice object; highly recommended!
• NGC 4656: This galaxy was pretty bright, large and very elongated. It was fairly close to 4631, but not nearly as cool. Both galaxies fit nicely in a 70x 1 degree field of view.
• NGC 5641: This galaxy was pretty bright, small and round at 181x.
• NGC 5486: This globular cluster was large, pretty faint, and partially resolved in the 11" at 181x. About 2 dozen stars were resolved, and a faint background haze was evident in the center of the cluster. Overall appears to be a pretty loose cluster for a globular. Would be nice in a truly dark sky. A nice object for larger scopes!
• Region around NGC 5350: I saw 4 galaxies in the field of view at 181x. Overall a very cool looking field. There are a number of galaxies in this field, not absolutely positive which one was which. One was very bright with a bright center, suspect this is NGC 5353. Very close to it was a small bright galaxy, probably NCG 5354. Not far away was a pretty bright, large round galaxy (NGC 5350?); the three of these galaxies were in a line running north- south. Finally, there was a pretty faint, small, round galaxy not far from the others; suspect this is NGC 5355 (which is not shown in Tirion). A very cool field of view, has some very bright stars in it. Worth checking out; the brightest galaxy is probably visible in a small scope.

Overall a very good observing session. The weather was chilly, about 40 degrees. Had no major problems with the chill; had on two sweatshirts. The seeing was not great. Izar was easily resolved but not great looking. I took a quick look at Mars but the seeing made the view poor.

24 May 97 (Saturday), 9:30pm - 10:15pm EST

Tonight I observed from Wilbraham, MA. My target was a group of galaxies in Leo that I wanted to check out (previous observations with smaller telescopes left some confusion). The limiting magnitude was about 4.5 in the Leo area... not a great night. My session was cut short by clouds. The fat Moon would have ended the session anyway at about 10:30pm. Observations follow:

NOTE: I made a sketch of the area I concentrated on tonight that can serve as a finder chart for the galaxies I observed tonight.

• NGC 3607: This Leo galaxy was very bright and obvious in the 11" at both 70x and 133x. The higher power view was better as it darkened the sky somewhat. This galaxy was visible in the 11" even with a Moon filter in the light path. No discernible structure was noted, other than that the galaxy had a bright center.
• NGC 3608: This Leo galaxy was also very bright and obvious in the 11", and visible with the Moon filter in the light path. It was somewhat dimmer than 3607, but not by much.
• NGC 3605: This Leo galaxy was visible in the 11" without great difficulty, but was much fainter than 3607 (which is very close by). I could not see this galaxy with the Moon filter in place. It was small and round, no discernible features visible. Under good dark sky conditions this galaxy would be "easy" in the 11".
• NGC 3599: This Leo galaxy is not shown in Tirion's Sky Atlas 2000, but is shown in Norton's Star Atlas (16th edition). I had tried finding it on previous occasions using an Edmund Astroscan (with no confirmed sightings). My friend Peter Chapin (co-manager of AAN) brought my attention to this galaxy. He had also tried to find it without confirmed success. Pete also noticed that it was listed in Norton's but not in Tirion. This seems a bit unusual... I found that this galaxy is generally more difficult than ones typically listed in Norton's. I found the galaxy without difficulty using the 11". It was not visible in the 11" when the Moon filter was used. The galaxy is small, round and somewhat faint (but under good dark sky conditions this galaxy would have been "easy" in the 11"). It was about the same brightness as 3605. It was in a field with very few stars (field at 133x, 21mm Televue Plossl in CG-11 @2800mm). The brightest nearby stars were probably in the 12 - 13 magnitude range. I would say that this galaxy would be "extremely challenging" for scopes under 4 inches, unless the sky conditions were extremely dark.
• NGC 3626: This Leo galaxy gave me fits. I looked for it for about 15 minutes using different powers and could not find it! Based on published characteristics, it should be an easy target for an 11" scope. But I could not see it! Perhaps I was looking in the wrong area. I tried "field hopping" using the field of view of my eyepiece as a guide (I used 3608 as my starting point). No luck. Clouds covered the area and ended my search of the area. Have to check on this another time...
• NGC 6205 (M13): I took a token look at M13 since the Leo are was clouded over. As usual, the view at 133x was very nice... the cluster is beautiful. I placed the Moon filter in the light path just to see the effect of dimming. The Moon filter passes 13 percent of light, so it would in theory make an 11" scope perform about like a 4 inch (in terms of light gathering anyway). With the filter in place, M13 was still resolved, but not nearly as well as without the filter. The view was approximately like that I get using my Meade 4.5 inch Newtonian.

The weather tonight was very mild, about 55 degrees. A gentle breeze was present at the beginning of my session, but kicked up enough to blow atlas pages all over the place by 10:00pm. Clouds blanketed from the west at about 10:15, ending the session. No bugs were present! The visibility was not too good... in the Leo area the limiting NE magnitude was about 4.5, pretty bad. In the "good" direction it was more like 5+. Wilbraham used to be a decent place for observing (with fairly dark skies) 20 years ago, but now is good only for "general" looking around. Serious deep sky work can no longer be performed from Wilbraham (unfortunately). When the clouds covered the area, I did not require any extra light to break down my scope and pack all accessories away. The reflected light off the cloud bottoms (from Springfield MA) was more than adequate for me to see without major trouble...

23 March 97 (Sunday), 7:00pm - 11:30pm EST

Tonight I photographed Comet Hale-Bopp and observed and photographed the partial Lunar eclipse from my house in Oakdale, CT USA. I took the following photos of Hale-Bopp (on film # 6, Kodak Royal Gold 1000, loaded in Canon SLR):

• 135mm F2.8, 8 seconds, 7:00pm
• 135mm F2.8, 12 seconds 7:00pm
• 50mm F2.0, 7 seconds 7:05pm
• 50mm F2.0, 14 seconds 7:05pm
• 50mm F2.0, 10 seconds 7:05pm
• 500mm F6.3, 4 seconds 7:20pm
• 500mm F6.3, 7 seconds 7:20pm
• 50mm F2.0, 20 seconds 7:30pm, (backyard shot)
• 50mm F2.0, 10 seconds 7:30pm, (backyard shot)
• 50mm F2.0, 30 seconds 7:30pm, (backyard shot)
• 50mm F2.0, 30 seconds 7:50pm, (street shot)
• 50mm F2.0, 30 seconds 7:50pm, (tree shot)
• 50mm F2.0, 25 seconds 7:50pm, (Side of house shot)
• 135mm F2.8, 8 seconds 8:00pm, (front step shot)
• 135mm F2.8, 15 seconds 8:00pm, (full Moon tree)
• 135mm F2.8, 8 seconds 8:00pm, (street shot)
• 135mm F2.8, 11 seconds 8:00pm, (neighbor's house shot)

Hale-Bopp was easily visible despite bright Moonlight.

I also observed the partial Lunar eclipse tonight. I used my Tasco 2.4" refractor (700mm F11.7) for photographing the eclipse. The 700mm focal length of the Tasco scope frames up the Moon nicely. I used a Pentax K1000 camera loaded with Kodak Royal Gold 400 film. Exposures were as follows:

1. 1/1000 sec, 10:00pm
2. 1/500 sec, 10:00pm
3. 1/1000 sec, 10:20pm
4. 1/500 sec, 10:20pm
5. 1/1000 sec, 10:35pm
6. 1/500 sec, 10:35pm
7. 1/250 sec, 10:35pm
8. 1/500 sec, 10:50pm (shooting through light clouds)
9. 1/500 sec, 11:05pm
10. 1/250 sec, 11:05pm
11. 1/125 sec, 11:05pm
12. 1/250 sec, 11:21pm
13. 1/125 sec, 11:21pm
14. 1/60 sec, 11:21pm

Despite predictions for clear weather, a "mysterious" cloud bank rolled in as the eclipse was progressing (figures...). I had to shoot through clouds for some of the exposures.

I also had other problems tonight. I left the counterweight for my 2.4" equatorial mount in another state. I tried a counterweight from my Celestron scope, but it was far too heavy. I had to improvise using 3 cans of Chef Boyardee Beefaroni. I strapped three cans together with a dozen rubber bands and slid the assembly (friction fit) onto the declination shaft... this worked out quite well! (Good thing no one saw me using this contraption however!).

The eclipse was very interesting to watch. I wasn't too mad about the clouds (even though they cleared off after the eclipse was over) since I have seen a number of lunar eclipses. The clouds "peaked" about the time of maximum eclipse (figures again). They dark sky with a full Moon in it looks quite cool.

15/16 March 1997 (Sat/Sun), 9:00pm - 5:30am

Tonight I drove out to Blanford, MA USA (a dark sky site) for observing and photographing Hale-Bopp and other objects. Hale- Bopp related observations are covered in my Hale-Bopp observations page.

While I was waiting for the 1stQ Moon to set, I gave a tour of the sky to relatives and friends. Despite the moonlight the views were quite good (especially of the Moon itself).

After the Moon went down (about 12:45pm), I began serious observations and photography. The objects I looked at are as follows:

• M65 and M66: Both of these galaxies were VERY bright in the Celestron CG-11 scope. Both showed some structure. Excellent view.
• M95 and M96: Both of these galaxies were VERY bright in the 11".
• M64: The "black eye" of the Blackeye Galaxy was visible in the 11" at 134x. The galaxy is VERY bright.
• NGC 4565: The classic edge on galaxy in Coma Berenices; a nice view. The dark lane dividing the galaxy was visible in the 11" at 134x (21mm Televue Plossl eyepiece). A very long "cigar" shaped galaxy with a central bulge. Nice!
• M97: The "Owl" nebula: VERY bright in the 11" at 134x. I also tried it with an Orion Ultrablock filter; the result was considerably better contrast. The "eyes" of the owl were visible.
• M13, M3, and M5: These 3 globular clusters were stunning tonight in the 11" at 134x! The dark sky views of Blanford make a very noticeable improvement in what I am used to seeing for these clusters.
• NGC 6229: A smaller, fainter (mag 10) globular cluster in Hercules. I tried powers as high as 181x on this cluster with only a "hint" of resolution. This cluster in the 11" looks about like M13 does in a 2.4" scope; very bright but just on the threshold of resolution. A hint of one or two stars at best. Just out of range of resolution... a 14 or 16 inch scope would probably do it.
• M10 and M12: Two bright globular clusters in Ophiuchus. Both nicely resolved in the 11", however these clusters are a "step down" from the M13/M5/M3 class of objects.
• Epsilon Bootes: Double star, easily resolved in the 11" at 134x. The scope had long since reached thermal equilibrium when I made the observation. Star images were very nice dots tonight.
• M51: From Wilbraham, the spiral arms are hinted at with the 11" (due to light pollution). From Blanford, the spiral structure is obvious in the 11" at 134x. A nice view!
• M63: VERY bright galaxy in the 11".
• M101: A very large galaxy with a bright center in the 11". The spiral arms were visible upon careful study, but they are pretty faint. Any light pollution or moonlight would wipe them away. With averted vision a definite "pinwheel" could be seen.
• mu Draco: Double star, very easy resolution in the 11" at 134x. Nice dark lane between components. Very steady star images. A very nice view of a great double.

I also took a number of deep sky photographs while waiting for Hale-Bopp to come up (all photos on Kodak Royal Gold 1000 film):

• M64: 3 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M65 + 66: 3 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M44: 1 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3, out of focus to force large colorful star disks
• M67: 1 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M51: 2:30 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M81: 2:09 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M82: 2:34 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M3: 2:45 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M97: 3 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M13: 3 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M13: 12:19 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• NGC 6229: 2:50 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M5: 2 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M5: 3 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3
• M64: 3 minutes @ 1765mm F6.3

The wind was causing some problems with photography this morning. It was fairly calm most of the time, but every so often a strong burst would come through and wipe out a photo.

Tonight's observing session was very successful and enjoyable. Outstanding views of numerous galaxies was had under the dark skies of Blanford. Hale-Bopp was absolutely beautiful despite its lower and lower altitude in the morning.

Temperature: 10 deg F; Wind: periodic strong bursts; seeing: good.

07 March 1997 (Friday), 9:30pm - 2:00am EST

This evening I observed and photographed objects from Wilbraham, MA USA. The sky was quite clear, limiting magnitude about 5.5 in the "good" parts of the sky. Clouds were predicted for late in the evening; I stayed out until they rolled in (about 2:10am).

Tonight I did mostly photography, however in between shots I looked at a bunch of objects. All photos were taken either through or piggyback guided on a Celestron CG-11. Below is a listing of photography:

• M44, 135mm F2.5 Pentax lens, 2 min exp., Kodak Royal Gold 1000.
• M3, 1765mm F6.3, 2 min exp., Kodak Royal Gold 1000.
• M65 + 66, 1765mm F6.3, 3.5 min exp., Kodak Royal Gold 1000.
• Mizar + Alcor system, 1765mm F6.3, 10 sec exp., Kodak Royal Gold 1000.
• Mizar + Alcor system, 1765mm F6.3, 5 sec exp., Kodak Royal Gold 1000.
• North Polar region, 1765mm F6.3, 15 min exp., Kodak Royal Gold 1000 (telescope drive OFF).
• Mel 111, 135mm F2.5 Pentax lens, 2 min exp., Kodak Royal Gold 1000.
• M3, 500mm F6.3 Vivitar lens, 5 min exp., Kodak TMAX 400.
• M65 + 66 , 500mm F6.3 Vivitar lens, 6:15 min exp., Kodak TMAX 400.
• "Galaxy Region" at about RA 12h30m Dec +13deg, 500mm F6.3 Vivitar lens, 5 min exp., Kodak TMAX 400.

I also observed the following objects in between photographs

• Mars: I observed Mars for the first time in a while with the Celestron CG-11. I had the opportunity to try out some new eyepieces which I did not have when I looked at Mars last. The seeing was "in and out", but I was able to use powers as high as 467x with success. I used a Meade EWF 6.7mm with a red filter. I could easily see a polar cap on Mars (but it was pretty small). In addition, I could (during brief instances of steady air) see quite a bit of detail on the surface. The views of Mars I saw reminded me (in terms of level of detail) of the views that Hubble produces for the Jovian Moons. I did not have a map of Mars with me, and I was not set up to make a sketch (this observing session being primarily for photography). I did notice a dark "slice" of terrain below the polar cap, as well as two other good sized dark patches at the opposite end of the disk. Overall, the view was among the best I have had of Mars. Mars is a small planet; it's about as close as it ever gets to Earth right now, and even at 467x it's only about as big as a tennis ball viewed from 10 feet or so! I also tried a green filter with good results. Overall, I saw enough detail to make a decent sketch (had I been set up to do so). Mars is VERY BRIGHT; I find that the filters are very useful (if not mandatory) in cutting glare and bringing out detail. I wonder how a Moon filter would work on Mars (I don't have one). The red filter with the Meade eyepiece (467x) produces a nice, glare free disk of reasonable size. I also used a Televue 21mm Plossl with very good results. A Televue 8mm Plossl also produced some good views, but I preferred the view through the Meade. This is interesting because the Meade is a 7 or 8 element EWF type design, one not normally thought of as an excellent planetary eyepiece. With a 55mm Televue Plossl, Mars showed a small but extremely bright disc.
• NGC 4608 and 4596: I took a quick look at these two Virgo galaxies. Robert Strong's "Sky Atlas 2000 Companion" describes 4608 as "pretty bright, pretty large and round, Mag 11.1"; and 4596 as "bright, pretty small and round, Mag 10.5". Both were immediately visible in the 11" using a 55mm Televue Plossl (about 51x). I also used a 21mm Televue Plossl (133x) which in my opinion produced a much better view (due to the darkened sky background). I'd rate these two galaxies as "typical" Virgo cluster galaxies.
• M3: I looked at M3 using a 55mm Televue Plossl (51x). Resolution of the cluster was evident, and the cluster was very bright. I switched to the 21mm Televue Plossl (133x), and the view was much more pleasing to the eye. The cluster is well resolved, with numerous stars peppered around the core. A beautiful cluster!
• M13: While I was in the area, I took a look at M13 also. It was not too high up (maybe 25 degrees) so the view was not as good as it could have been. Nonetheless, M13 is a true classic. It's larger and more spread out than M3, and resolves more deeply into the core with the 11". Tonight I liked M3 as the favorite, no doubt due to its higher altitude (and thus better view).
• M67: Took a quick look at M67 with a 55mm Televue Plossl (51x). M67 is a fine cluster, totally resolved in the 11". This is the first object I tried out the Televue eyepiece on... the stars were crisp to the edge of the field. A fine unit.
• Epsilon Bootes (Izar): I had often looked at this star with the 2.4" refractor in the 70's with some success. In the 11" Celestron, it's an easy target for resolving. Using a 21mm Televue Plossl (133x), the pair was very nice with a clear space between components. The two components have nice contrast. A nice view!
• M53 (NGC 5024): I took a look at this globular cluster in Coma Berenices with the 11". It resolves nicely, but not to the core. I used a 21mm Televue (133x) eyepiece for the observation. The stars of M53 appear to be about a magnitude fainter on average than those in M3 and M13. Still, this is a fine cluster in an 11" scope. This is the first time I have seen this cluster in the 11" (I've seen it dozens of times in various other smaller scopes). A nice view.
• NGC 5053: I looked for this cluster and had trouble finding it. I placed the scope in the right area, and looked into the eyepiece expecting to see a cluster in the Messier class of objects. However, nothing was there! I was very puzzled since I could have sworn that I'd seen this object many times before in the 2.4 inch. How could I not find it in the 11"!!! In frustration, I looked up the position of the object on another chart (just to rule out a plotting error in the Atlas). While I was at it, I looked up the description in Robert Strong's "Sky Atlas 2000 Companion". It said "Low central concentration of stars, pretty large, very faint, irregular/round cluster...". Very faint? What had I seen in years gone by? Was I confusing this with another object? I still don't know (have to go back and check observations from years ago). In any event, I then took a very careful look at the area again, but using low power (a 55mm Televue Plossl [51x]). Upon careful study of the field, I ,did see a very faint large patch, but no resolution of any stars. The object I saw was very faint (as the description said); there is no way I could have seen this object in a 2.4" or even a 6" scope. I am puzzled as to what I saw (or think I saw) in this position years ago!
• M51: I took a quick look at M51 in the 11". It's very bright and easy at both 55x and 133x. At the higher power, some traces of the spiral arms are visible (but not like in the photos). Several bright stars were also involved with the galaxy.

I was hoping the sky would hold off clouding over until sunrise so I could see Hale Bopp. However, clouds rolled in abruptly at 2:10am. By 2:45 when I was getting into bed, I took one last look out a north facing window. I spotted something (through thin cloud cover) quite bright on the horizon: Hale Bopp.

Temperature: 20 degrees F. Wind: none. Visibility: good for the area; M44 visible to the naked eye, typical 5.5 limiting magnitude away from the light pollution areas (Springfield and Palmer MA, west and northeast).

26 October 1995, 7:00pm - 8:20pm

Tonight I observed from my backyard in Oakdale CT using the Meade 4500. Looked at a variety of objects, the seeing was excellent. Observations follow:

• Saturn: At 150x in the Meade 4500 Saturn was excellent! Saw several cloud bands... a very good view for a 4.5" scope.
• 1 Aries: Resolved easily at 150x using a Meade MA6mm eyepiece.
• Epsilon Lyra: Nice at 150x.
• Mu Draco: Best view ever... two dots with a clear lane between at 150x! Excellent seeing; fantastic view.
• Zeta Aquarius: Outstanding... clear dark lane between two dots at 150x.
• Helix Nebula: Took a quick look for it, but there was too much skyglow in the area.

17 October 1995

Observed tonight for the first time using the Orion Ultrablock filter (using the CG-11 scope). Works excellent on Veil Nebula, the Ring Nebula, and Dumbell Nebula. Also nice on North American Nebula. The filter darkens the sky background a lot - not good for stars. Makes an 11" scope about equal to a 6" scope (without a filter) as far as stellar limiting magnitude is concerned. Also found the M31 Globular Cluster (see p68 in November Sky and Telescope)... saw it in the 11" scope with ease. The same object was difficult when the Ultrablock filter was used. Not too hard to find. Cool!

28 September 1995

Tonight I observed from my backyard in Oakdale, CT using the 11" scope. The seeing was fair, and the sky clarity was good. Observations follow:

• NGC 4133: A galaxy, visible, not a beacon at 93x, but certainly visible. Forms a compact triangle with 2 other faint stars.
• NGC 4291, 4319, 4386: 4291 is the brightest of the three galaxies by far. The remaining two galaxies are fainter but still no problem in the 11" scope. All three fit in the same 93x field of view.
• NGC 188: The very old and very far north open cluster. At 70x (using an Orion 40mm MegaVista eyepiece, 1 degree true field), it doesn't "jump out", but sweeping back and forth shows it well. A large cluster, lots of very faint stars, almost like a "mist". Fills most of the 70x (1 degree) field).
• Veil Nebula: Quite cool! A lot of it is visible in the 11". Used the Orion Skyglow filter for the observation.
• IC 5146 (Cocoon Nebula): Pretty faint, a hint of nebulosity, at the limit of the CG-11 scope with th Orion Skyglow filter in place. A considerably faint object, no chance of seeing it in my smaller (4.5" and 2.4") scopes.
• NGC 7209: An open cluster in Lacerta, easily visible in the 11", would also be visible in smaller scopes. Large, fills the 70x (1 degree) fiel of view. Stars about 10th magnitue. Good view.
• Saturn: Tried powers of 70x to 280x. Best overall view was at 93x with a yellow filter in the path.

27 September 1995, 8:30pm

Tonight I observed from Oakdale, CT (front yard) using the Celestron CG-11 scope. While looking at NGC 6703 ( a galaxy in Lyra), I spotted an "uncharted" fuzzy spot nearby... Comet? Just in case I made a sketch of the area. Comet?... no such luck. Later that night I checked the NGC catalog. The object I saw was almost certainly NGC 6702, a 14.0 magnitude "pretty faint" galaxy. The bad news? No comet. The good news? Spotted another object too faint for the charts!

30 August 1995 (Wednesday)

Tonight I observed using the Meade 4500 4.5" reflector from my front yard (at the end of the driveway for a good deep south view). Observations follow:

• NGC 6638: A globular cluster in Sgr, easily visible in the 4.5" at 58x (usied a Meade 15.5mm wide angle eyepiece). No resolution of the cluster however. In the same field (1 degree +) as 22 Sgr.
• M28: Easily visible in the 4.5"; no obvious resolution at 58x.
• M22: At 141x with the Meade 6.7mm EWA eyepiece it is rsolving quite nicely. Stars are faint, but a few dozen are visible. Quite a nice view!
• NGC 6642: Visible at 141x, not brilliant, but certainly visible. Spotted a "suspicious" object not far from it, will need to verify this with the 11" scope.
• M54: Very bright at 58x, small and condensed. Easily visible.
• M70: Easy to see in the Meade 4500. Appears to have a stellar center. Dimmer than M54 but bigger.
• M69: Easy to see in the 4.5", a 7th or 8th magnitude star nearby. Looks like it might resolve inthe 11" based on what I see here.
• NGC 6652: No problem to see in the 4.5", easy to find, dimmer than M69. Also somewhat smaller, but no problem to see at 58x.
• NGC 6528 + 6522: 6522 is the brighter of the two. 6528 is certainly visible, but on the faint side. No hint of resolution at 58x.
• NGC 6716: cluster - at 58x, by no means spectacular, but certainly visible.
• M25: Fills the field of view at 58x, a nice view!
• NGC 6603 (M24): Fairly faint cluster at 141x in the 4.5", no resolution. A double star near it. A decent view.
• NGC 6578: Planetary nebula, appears to be something at the threshold of visibility, have to check out with the 11".
• NGC 6568: A cluster in Sgr, at 141x is visible in the 4.5", shape resembles the letter "C". Stars are fairly faint. Not a spectacular group, but definitely distinct.
• M27: Bright and distinct at all powers tested: 36x, 58x and 141x. Excellent!

Overall, this observation session was a decent follow up to the observations with the CG-11 on Monday night. Looked at a lot of the same objects as a comparison with the 11". The Meade 4500 is a nice scope to sweep around with at 58x! isibility was good to excellent; seeing was "OK", and bugs were not a problem.

14 May 86 (Wednesday)

Observed from Wilbraham, MA USA. Saw Haley's Comet in Crater-Hydra with the Astroscan at about 9:00 pm tonight. Was fairly easy to find by random scanning in the general vicinity. I'd say it was mag 7, and, to my surprise, a small tail was visible. The view was much better than through binoculars from Norwich CT a few nights back. There were several 7 - 8 magnitude stars in the field, overall a nice view. No chance of naked eye visibility however. Probably will be the last good view of it I will see, since the Moon is soon to interfere.

I have viewed Haley many times, which are not all documented. One such good sighting was the morning of 22 March 86; Haley hung low in Sagittarius. I took several photos of it, which have yet to be developed. I drove out to South Glendale Rd to see it. Was readily visible in binoculars, and to my recollection, faintly visible to the naked eye. The fat waning crescent Moon was on the western horizon, causing enough skyglow to still affect observing. However, it was worth the trip to see the comet. Must have been quite a view from the southern hemisphere.

11 May 86 (Sunday)

Observed from Norwich, CT USA tonight. Saw Haley's Comet in Northwest Crater with 7x50 binoculars; I'd say about magnitude 7. It is dimming fast, a ghost of what it was in California.

14 April 86 (Monday), from Mt. Palomar

Monday evening. Drove up to Mt. Palomar (from San Diego where I was staying on business) to observe Haley. It was immediately visible to my unadjusted eyes as a blurry patch. 7x35 binoculars instantly verified it as Haley, and also instantly verified omega Centauri, globular cluster (my first sighting of it!). As eyes became adjusted, the comet was very obvious, and showed a faint tail about 3 degrees long, pointing up at about 10:30 when the comet was on meridian. Many people showed up over the course of the evening. None were able to find Haley without assistance (from me). Several had 60x700 scopes. Was able to sight it in them, but the view was unspectacular due to the high power narrow field. The Astroscan 2001 (mine) by far had the best view. I also looked at omega Centauri at 44x in the Astroscan 2001. Shot 2 rolls of film, primarily on Haley, Ektachrome 400 and Tri-X. Mostly 30, 60, 90 and 120 second exposures with 50mm F2.0 and 135mm F2.5 lenses. Most people were quite satisfied with the view in the 2001 and with binoculars. Also showed objects such as M13, M5, Alpha Libra, M44, Omega Centauri, M4 and Mel 111. My view of Haley was by far the best yet (that I have seen); as the night progressed and vision adjusted the tail became fairly obvious. The comet was a decent sight hanging low in the southern sky. Omega Centauri was easily visible to the naked eye also. The weather was predicted to be cloudy, but for the most part it was quite clear. The overall visibility in the northeast was much better than I remember seeing in western Mass. There were a tremendous number of stars visible there (Mt. Palomar). As the Milky Way was rising, it was plainly obvious that it was much better than I've ever seen from home. We left the area at about 1:30am PST, when most people had dissipated. While I was observing Haley, the radio was broadcasting news about the US bombing of Libya earlier that day.

3 Dec 1985, 7:40pm - 8:30pm EST

Drove out to Salem, CT USA tonight to see Haley in a dark sky. The sky out there is far superior to Groton, and is as good or better than Wilbraham in most areas. Haley was plainly visible in binoculars, close to a bright star (mag 6.5 or 7). I think I saw it with the naked eye, but the close star in proximity to the comet made a tricky situation. In the Astroscan, the comet was easily visible and bright, and seems to be slightly oblong - perhaps the start of a tail? Took several shots on Ektachrome 400 with the 135mm F2.5 lens, 50mm F2,and 28mm F2.8. Most were 60 seconds or so; many cars came by, complicating the issue. Overall, the sky out in Salem is very good. The Milky Way through Perseus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Cygnus was outstanding. In the 2001, the Andromeda system was stunning. Also, saw NGC 253, 288, M45, Double Cluster, M37 and M33. M33 was as bright as I can remember. It was dimly visible to the naked eye. The comet is not at all obvious to the naked eye... if you didn't know where to look, you wouldn't see it. Takes about a half hour to drive out to Salem, but the sky is so much better than what I'm used to. Temperature 25 degrees (COLD!); wind: moderate; bugs: none; dew: none; cars: 1 every minute or so.

2 Dec 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution), starting at 6:30pm EST. Haley's comet is now an easy binocular (7x35's) object in Central Pisces. It was immediately visible. It was also easily visible in a 6x30 finderscope. In the 6" Dynascope, it is very bright, like M13, almost like M31. Has a faint stellar center. A good view was had at 30x (40mm Meade EWF MA) and at 78x(15.5mm Meade Erfle). The comet was close to 58 Psc and provided good contrast. Took 2 photos (unguided) on 400 speed Ektachrome with 135mm F2.5 lens. Exposure time around 1 minute. A large amount of interference was around... two bright spotlights were scanning the sky and ruined opportunity for serious photography. Also, the wind was very heavy in bursts. The comet is approaching naked eye visibility here in Groton, and would be visible (to the naked eye) under a dark country sky I would suspect. It was dramatically brighter than my last observation.

18 Nov 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution), from 8:30pm EST to 10:00pm EST. Observed Haley and many other objects tonight. Had the 6" Dynascope, the Astoscan, and 7x35's. Jay and Bob (neighbors in the apartment complex) came over also. Haley was very bright and interesting tonight. Best view was at about 48x (25mm Ramsden) in the 6". It was near a bright star and visual movement of Haley could be detected over the course of the observing session. Good views were also to be had at 78x (15.5mm Meade Erfle) in the 6", and it was OK at 200x (6mm Meade MA). The Astroscan also gave good views. In 7x35's it was "tricky", being so close to a magnitude 6 star. Haley is still a binocular object.

17 Nov 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution), starting at 9:15pm. Observed Haley tonight with the Astroscan 2001 and 7x35 binoculars. It is easy to see in 7x35's; not as bright as M31, but a rival for M22 or M13. In the 2001, it appeared to have a stellar center; did not boost the power to investigate further. Haley is now plainly obvious in the Astroscan, and is easy in binoculars. Could not detect it with the naked eye. The visibility (of the sky) tonight is OK, but nothing too great. Took 2 135mm unguided photos; 1 minute and 30 seconds. Clouds then entered the area. Haley is now bright enough so that non- astronomers should be able to see it in 8x50 binoculars. Clouds moved in at 9:30, ending useful observations. In a few more nights there will be Moonless viewing.

15 Nov 1985

Observing from Wilbraham, MA USA (light pollution not too bad), starting at 9:00pm. Viewed Haley through a terrible film of Cirrus clouds... it was visible, but that was all you could say about it. Showed my brother Jim and my friend Alan.

14 Nov 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution), starting at 5:30am. Haley's Comet visible in the Astroscan 2001, although a poor view through heavy haze and high clouds. Could not find it in 7x35 binoculars. Not far from the Pleiades.

22 Oct 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution), starting at 4:30am. Used the 6" Dynascope this morning. Unquestionably sighted Haley at 77x in the 6" (using Meade 15.5mm Erfle eyepiece). The comet was dramatically brighter than on the morning of the 12th. In fact, I saw something highly suspicious using the 40mm Meade MA EWF (30x) eyepiece while lining up on the general area. Increase of magnification immediately confirmed the sighting. The comet now looks like a typical galaxy, perhaps similar to a smaller dimmer Virgo cluster galaxy. The comet was generally immediately visible when looking in the eyepiece. Much brighter than the previous session, where I was fairly sure I saw it. I still have to go back and check the area for the suspect object I saw (to definitely confirm it was/was not Haley).

12 Oct 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution), in the hours before sunup. Drew a diagram of the field where Haley was tonight. Pretty sure I got it, will confirm by checking next time. It is small and dim, generally requires averted vision in the 6" at 136x and 77x (9mm ASP and 15.5mm Meade Erfle). Pretty easy to find the general location of the area.

11 Oct 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution),about 4:00am EDT. Had 15 minutes of dark time with the 6" Dynascope... tried to locate Haley... NO LUCK! Twilight was setting in.

8 October 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution), from 4:10am EDT - 4:50am EDT. Looked again for Haley this morning with the 6" Dynascope. Was one day before the "window of opportunity" starts, however the Moon was fairly far out of the way. Despite fairly clear skies, I am still not sure I saw Haley! If this comet is really magnitude 9 or 10, it must be very small or the magnitude estimates are off. I could see all the faintest stars on the chart on page 326 of Oct 85 Sky and Telescope. Can't understand how this comet still eludes me!!!

14 Sep 1985

Observing from Groton CT USA (bad light pollution), from 4:00am EDT - 5:00am EDT. Unquestionably located the exact area where Haley should be. Scrutinized the area at 136x (9mm ASP in a 6" F8 Dynascope); may have glimpsed it, but by no means a confirmed sighting. Had I not known exactly where to look, I wouldn't have seen anything. I can see most of the stars shown on the chart on page 222 of the Sep 85 Sky and Telescope. Tried all powers on the field: 36mm, 25mm, 18mm, 9mm. 9mm Nagler was the best view. Also checked the area with an Astroscan 2001.

22 April 1975, 3:30am - 5:00am EST

This morning I observed from Wilbraham with the Tasco 2.4" scope and 8x50 binoculars. Observations follow:

• NGC 6341 (M92): Resolved as bright blob in binoculars.
• NGC 7209: Good view in binoculars, incredibly cool in telescope - stars everywhere.
• NGC 6205 (M13): Bright in binoculars.
• NGC 6720 (M57): Attempted to find it - no luck.
• NGC 5904 (M5): Incredibly cool in telescope. Was quite bright in binoculars.
• NGC 6254 (M10): Bright in binoculars, stars resolved easily in telescope using averted vision. (1998 update: the power of "positive thinking"... resolving M10 with a 2.4" scope?!?)
• NGC 6218 (M12): Fainter than M10 but still cool.
• Delta Serpens: (Double Star) - about a mile apart in telescope. Sep 4 sec.
• NGC 6633: Spectacular in binoculars.
• IC 4756: Really quite cool in binoculars.
• NGC 6705 (M11): Good view in binoculars.
• NGC 6611 (M16): Good view in binoculars.
• NGC 6618 (M17): Great view in binoculars.
• NGC 6121 (M4): Faint in binoculars, and faint in telescope - no stars visible - in atmospheric haze.
• IC 4605: No sign of it.
• NGC's 6273 (M19), 6093 (M80), 6124, 6231, H12: Didn't bother fooling with them with Sagittarius up!
• NGC 6656 (M22): Incredibly bright in binoculars. Stars resolved in telescope using averted vision. Really impressive.
• IC 4725 (M25): Fantastic view in binoculars.
• NGC 6494 (M23): Great view in binoculars.
• NGC 6514 (M20): In telescope, stars grouped together with nebulous area around it.
• NGC 6523 (M8): Good in binoculars, extremely impressive in telescope.
• NGC 6541: Not visible.
• NGC 6723: Not visible.
• NGC 6405 (M6): Faint in binoculars. Right in trees in extreme atmospheric haze.
• NGC 6475 (M7): Same as above only further towards horizon.
• NGC 6626 (M28): In binoculars it was faint.
• NGC 6809 (M55): Not visible.

Seeing conditions - good. Weather - really clear. Very successful star watch.

17 April 1975, 9:30pm - 10:30pm EST

Tonight I observed from Wilbraham with the Tasco 2.4" scope. Observations follow:

• NGC 5272 (M3): Good view in telescope.
• NGC 5024 (M53): Good view in telescope considering WQ Moon in sky.
• NGC 3031: Fair view - Moon raising "hang" with it.

All double stars closer than 6 arc sec unresolvable. Seeing conditions: very bad. Weather: Fair.

4 March 1975, 8:30pm - 9:30pm EST

Tonight I observed from Wilbraham with the Tasco 2.4" scope and 8x50 binoculars. Observations follow:

• NGC 598: (M33) Attempted to see it, but too close to horizon.
• NGC 752: Same as above.
• a1457: (Double Star) Easily resolved in 2.4". Sep 3 sec.
• NGC 1039: (M34) Spectacular in telescope. Binoculars; good view.
• NGC 1528: (oc) Easily resolved into component stars through telescope. Binoculars show faint patch.
• NGC 1952(Crab): - resolved 2.4" - faint blob; bright towards center; oblong shape.
• NGC 1912: (M38) Incredible in 2.4" telescope. Binoculars show faint patch while telescope shows stars.
• NGC 1960: (M36) Good in telescope. Bright in binoculars.
• IC 410: Stars visible with faint glow of nebulosity. Resolved 2.4" + binoculars.
• NGC "X": Telescope shows stars (open cluster) while binoculars show bright cloud. (1998 update: what WAS I looking at?)
• NGC 2168: (M35) Binoculars show bright cloud; naked eye - faint patch of nebulosity. (1998 update: M35 not visible to the naked eye anymore - victim of light pollution)
• NGC 2392: Attempted resolution; easily located but not visible. (1998 update: "easily located but not visible?")
• NGC 4826: (M64) Very faint patch in binoculars.
• Venus: Gibbous phase - incredible magnitude.
• NGC 3031: (M81) - resolved in binoculars - bright patch of nebulosity.
• NGC 3034: (M82) - faint patch in binoculars next to NGC 3031.
• NGC 5457: (M101) - faint barely visible patch in binoculars - unsuccessful try to locate it in telescope.
• a9494: (Double Star) - Too much atmosphere for a clear view.
• a8794: (Double Star) - attempted resolution. Sep 1.6 sec.
• Mu Bootes: Double Star - resolved 2.4" easy as pie. Sep 10.3 sec.
• NGC 5194: (M51) "Whirlpool" clearly visible as bright patch in binoculars.

Weather - clear. Seeing conditions - good.

1 March 1975, 9:15pm - 10:00pm EST

Tonight I observed from Wilbraham with the Tasco 2.4" scope and 8x50 binoculars. Observations follow:

• NGC 3031 (M81): 2.4" resolved + binoculars. Impressive in telescope.
• Saturn: Fantastic seeing conditions; Cassini's Division visible along with cloud belts and Titan. Shifted position since last view (2 days).
• Iota Cancer: (Double Star) resolved 2.4". Easy. Sep 31 sec.
• Alpha Gemini (Castor): (Double Star) attempted resolution. Appeared as oblong blob.
• 54 Leo: (Double Star) Easy resolution (2.4"). Sep 6 sec.
• Xi UMa: (Double Star) resolved 2.4". Easy. Sep 24 sec.
• NGC 1976 (Orion): Form clearly visible. Wispy structure using averted vision. Resolved w/ 2.4" and binoculars.
• NGC 2422: (oc) - resolved binoculars. Impressive.
• NGC 2423: (oc) - resolved binoculars. Faint view.
• NGC 2437: (oc) - resolved binoculars. Impressive view.
• NGC 2447: (oc) - resolved binoculars. Impressive.
• NGC 2482: (oc) - resolved binoculars. Faint.

Weather: clear. Seeing conditions: good.

27 Feb 1975 (Thursday), 9:00pm - 10:00pm EST

NOTE: Below is my earliest surviving observation record, made when I was 14 years old. Observation location was Wilbraham, MA USA. I used a Tasco 2.4" telescope (with the trash eyepieces that came with it) and decent 8x50 binoculars.

• NGC 2244: resolved in 2.4"; fairly bright. Monoceros.
• NGC 1976 (Orion): resolved in 2.4" and binoculars.
• NGC 2548 (Hydra): resolved in binoculars. Impressive.
• NGC 2632 (Cancer): Beehive cluster. 2.4", binoculars, and naked eye. Telescope most impressive.
• NGC 2287 (CMa): Resolved in 2.4" and binoculars. Impressive.
• Gamma Leo (Double star): Easily resolved in 2.4" telescope. Separation 4 seconds.
• 54 Leo (Double star): Easily resolved in 2.4" telescope. Separation 6 seconds.
• Zeta UMa (Double star): Resolved in 2.4" telescope. Separation 2 seconds.
• Alpha Gemini Castor (Double star): Attempted resolution; appeared as an oblong figure: {drawing}. Separation 2 seconds.

Weather: Clear. Seeing Conditions: Fair.

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