This was our last afternoon at Nova East. Clouds were occasionally covering the sun and we knew it was to cloud over completely soon so decided to observe the sunspots using the solar filter built specifically for my telescope.
Location: Nova East at Blomidon Provincial Park
Date: 2024-08-11
Time: 4:31 PM ADT
Equipment: Evostar 80 ED
Eyepiece: 10 mm
Magnification: x60
The sunspots were numerous in the Sun's lower hemisphere. The line of them extended from about 7 o'clock on the Sun's surface to 2:30 o'clock on the eastern limb. The sketch was a bit hurried as the cloud cover was encroaching the viewing field.
Part of the North Polar Region, this crater and its surrounding area are more easily observed during favourable librations.
Location: 12.0 S 2.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 120 km Rukl: 4 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Goldschmidt, Anaxagoras, Archytas, W. Bond
Others Identified: Barrow, Birmingham, Challis & Math, Epigenes, Meton, Protagoras, Scoresby, Timaeus
Location: Home
Date: 2024-06-14
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, TeleVue Nagler 9mm Japan
Magnification: x278
Seeing: Fair (2)
Transparency: Good (3)
Temperature: 20° C
SQM: did not measure
R1: Goldschmidt: Goldschmidt's SE rim bordering with Barrow is quite high with an irregular surface, creating an interesting shadow on Goldschmidt's flat floor. A "valley" appeared on the wall Anaxagoras impacted, almost as if it were a double wall - the taller side created by the creation of Anaxagoras and the other of Goldschmidt's pushed in wall due to the impact. The floor was also just a shade darker near this wall. The crater had an irregular shape to its rim and was quite worn down in areas (especially in the south) where it appeared almost non-existent. Goldschmidt's floor appeared lower than that of Barrow and Anaxagoras.
R2: Anaxagoras: I'm sure that because of foreshortening, it appeared oval in shape. I also assumed the Moon was hit obliquely as the west wall appeared terraced and at a lesser slope (also very well illuminated) compared to the higher eastern side that impacted Goldschmidt. I could not determine if there was a central peak because of the deep shadow.
C1: Valley Radial: Between Archytas and W. Bond was the valley radial to the Mare Imbrium impact. At first, I thought it was a shallow crater with a disintegrated southern wall but then in a couple moments of stable seeing saw the ridges parallel to the crater walls and the continuity of flow to Mare Frigoris.
C2: Craters: There appeared to be a few small craters (saw shadows for 2) on the crater's southern floor. There was a sizeable crater in the west near Anaxagoras due to an impact on its floor or wall or a combination thereof. There were a couple of dark shadows on its southern rim that could be due to craters; not sure.
C3: Infilling: Smooth floor of this crater suggested infilling. Others also appeared to have this - Meton, W. Bond, the crater-like area between Barrow and W. Bond, and a couple of unnamed craters between W. Bond and C. Myers.
Note: Barrow's floor seemed to be darker through the middle than on the north and south sides.
Objects: Anaxagoras, Archytas, Birmingham, Challis & Math, Goldschmidt, Meton, Protagoras, Scoresby, W. Bond
IWLOP Objects: IWLOP #76: Goldschmidt
Location: Home
Date: 2024-06-14
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:15 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, Tele VueNagler 9mm Japan eyepiece
Magnification: x278
Temperature: 20° C
Seeing: Fair (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
My goal for this session was to finally see all of the objects contained in IWLOP #76 - Goldschmidt and especially Anaxagoras. I had tried a month ago but was unsuccessful. Tonight there as success. For details of this observation, refer to IWLOP #076 - Goldschmidt.
Having found what I was looking for and completed the required and challenges for #76, I decided that given it was such a beautiful night I would stay out and get reacquainted with lunar craters that I haven't seen in a while. It was also just past 1st Quarter. The moon was illuminated 57.7% at this point so there may even be hope for Rupes Recta (Straight Wall) if all goes well.
![]() |
First up? Deslandres (Centre of photo) caught my eye. Its western rim was just on the terminator but you could see the features of its floor:
|
Below Delsandres is what I refer to as a mess of craters that over time had numerous hits:
If you follow the three craters lining up SW-NE above Miller, you come to Walther with its slightly off-centre peak and 4 aligned craters near the peak. This crater did impact Deslandres on its eastern rime. There is also an unnamed crater just inside its western rim.
Above Walther is Regiomontanus with its now off-centre peak. Its southern rim is separated from Walther by rough terrain. Much of its northern rim was destroyed by Purbach's impact. There is a crater on its almost non-existent northern wall. Two ghost craters go southward through the middle.
![]() |
Above Deslandres..... that's Rupes Recta aka the Straight Wall! As the absolute best example of a lunar fault, Rupes Recta casts a wide shadow that gives it the appearance of a steep cliff. The fault has a length of 110 km, a typical width of 2–3 km, and a height of 240–300 m. Although it appears to be a vertical cliff in the lunar surface, in actuality the grade of the slope is relatively shallow. Thebit (circular crater with most of its floor in darknesss in middle left), Thebit A with its highly illuminated rim, the small Thebit L beside A, the even smaller Thebit J nested beside Thebit, and Rupes Recta! Thebit A appears to have impacted both Thebit and Thebit L. |
The crater Birt is the illuminated crater in the shadows. Promontorium Taenarium was very large and well illuminated at the south end of the Wall; an intermittent ridge line ran from Thebit J to the south end of Rupes Recta, creating what looked like a break in the Wall just before the Promontorium. A few ghost craters appear on the Mare Nubium floor, suggesting inflow from volcanic action at some point.
At 10 o'clock to Thebit is Arzachel, one of a set of four on the Mare Nubium shores. The other three above it are Alpetragius, Alphonsus and Ptolemaeus.
![]() |
Arzachel has terraced walls; you can certainly see that on the lit side. It has a long central peak and the small Crater A is on its floor close to the peak and you can just make out an even smaller Crater K nearby. There is a rough outer rampart that joins a ridge running from the north rim to southern rim of Alphonsus. Note: Its floor is 1.5 km below that of Aphonsus's. Alpetragius is the small crater lying to the side between Arzachel and Alphonsus. The bowl of the crater is in darkness but its rim is well illuminated. Had the floor been lit, you would have seen the central peak that takes up about 1/3 of the floor; this has lead tot his crater being referred to as "egg in the nest". |
Alphonsus has a central peak. The outer walls are slightly distorted and possess a somewhat hexagonal form. The grooves seen on its floor are similar in appearance to those of Regiomontanus, and are thought to be due to Imbrium's ejecta gouging out the highest points of the terrain. Its southern rim has the rampart that joins it to Arzachel. Note: Its floor is 1 km below that of Ptolemaeus.
Ptolemaeus is the largest of the craters in this chain. No central peak but it does have the named crater Ammonius on its floor. It has a low, irregular outer rim that is heavily worn and impacted with multiple smaller craters. The crater has a lava-flooded floor that under certain light shows ghost craters where lava covered pre-existing craters there.
The small crater above Ptolemaeus is Herschel; you can see the top of the central peak in this deep crater and hints of a terraced wall. You can also see the small Herschel G attached to the SW rim attached to Ptolemaeus.
I then just started looking at the eastern limb of the Moon especially in the area of Mare Crisium. Lots to see!
![]() |
Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises) fills the central portion of this image. The craters in Crisium - Pierce and Picard - look like two eyes and, combined with Proclus and its ejecta rays, I see a bear's eyes, snout and nose. Proclus is thought to have hit the moon obliquely thus creating the ejecta rays towards Crisium and not Palus Somni, the rather grey fan-shaped area. On the limb at 9 o'clock is an oblique view of Mare Marginis (Sea of the Edge). Appropriately named given its location. At 5 o'clock to this is Mare Undarum (Sea of Waves). It's a shallow mare formed by the impact that created Crisium. The western part of Mare Undarum forms - with a little imagination - a footprint. |
Between this Mare and Crisium are three dark areas. From North to South these are the craters Condorcet, Firmicus and Apollonius. Signs of their "true" crater-ridden floors are long gone; their dark floors suggest lava filling.
At 5 o'clock to Undarum is Mare Spumans (Foaming Sea). If you look closely at this image you will see a bright white spot on the mare shore.
Interesting factoid: This bright area was known as landmark A-1/11(1.7981° N, 65.0741° E). Astronaut Michael Collins tracked this landmark on revolution 4 of Apollo 11. Collins referred to this crater as KAMP, after his three children and wife (Kate, Ann, Michael, and Patricia)
Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fertility) fills the lower right of the image.
Montes Secchi separate it from the Mare Tranquilitatis (Sea of Tranquility) above it.
That was it for my reacquaintance session. Had fun doing this and re-identifying some really cool features.
Asterism: Big Dipper
Stars: Alkaid, Alioth, Arcturus, Mizar, Porrima, Spica, Vindemiatrix
Moon: Albetagnius, Barocius, Hipparchus, Harrocks, Klein, Mare Crisium, Mare Tranquilitatis, Maurolycus, Proclus, Palus Somni, Stoffler
Identified, not Observed: Boötes, Virgo
Could not find: M47 / NGC 4472
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2024-06-13
Time: 8:45 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
I was a bit tired when I arrived for this session so energy to seek out objects was low, and recording of observations were minimal and those of light levels, temperature, seeing and transparency went by the wayside. Jerry and I were with David Hoskin, Stephen Payne, Tony McGrath, Meredith and Dennis. Fairly clear and no wind to speak of. Around 10:15 PM, fireflies were twinkling at the shoreline near the Storeroom.
Waxing Moon (48.1%)
Time: 9:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars
Several craters were located west and southeast of Mare Nubium near the terminator:
Time: 9:58 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars
There were several features observed this evening. One of my favourite craters, Proclus, shone brightly to the west of Mare Crisium as did its ejecta rim. Adjacent to it was Palus Somni - a fan-shaped, rough-surfaced, greyish formation on the shores of Mare Tranquilitatis.
Bright Stars
At this point I was just looking for stars that could be seen visually and when they appeared.
Time: 9:50 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual
At this point, all 3 stars of the Big Dipper handle (Alioth, Mizar and Alkaid), Arcturus in Boötes, and Spica in Virgo were shining brightly and easily identified.
Time: 10:00 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual
The handle plus the 4 stars of the bucket in the Big Dipper (Megrez, Phecda, Merck and Dubhe) were visible.
M49 / NGC 4472
Time: 10:51 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars
I attempted to find M49 in Virgo by identifying Vindemiatrix and Porrima. M49 formed a triangle with these two stars but with the almost 50% Moon it could not be found.
Location: Site 15, Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2024-06-06
Time: 12:10 AM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58
Instrument: SkyWatcher Evostar 80ED with star diagonal
Eyepieces: Tele Vue 9mm Nagler
Magnification: x67 - x15
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
SQM: 21.68
Temperature: 19º C
I was in the general vicinity after looking at M4. I slewed to find M80 above Antares with the 9mm eyepiece. I did not use the 10-30mm eyepiece colocate this as I had done other clusters this evening - and I found it!
It had a dense core and was much better seen with averted vision to obtain details of its structure. There were no especially bright stars in the core that I could see but the nebulous halo suggested stars of this cluster went a distance from the core.
Location: Site 15, Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2024-06-05
Time: 11:59 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58
Instrument: SkyWatcher Evostar 80ED with star diagonal
Eyepieces: Tele Vue 9mm Nagler
Magnification: x67
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
SQM: 21.68
Temperature: 20º C
M62 was not far from M19 so was very easy / relatively easy to slew to it. This cluster was much denser than M19 and appeared smaller in size. The background star field wasn't perfectly round and no stars could be seen in it at this magnification.
Location: Site 15, Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2024-06-05
Time: 11:33 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58
Instrument: SkyWatcher Evostar 80ED with star diagonal
Eyepieces: 40mm, 10-30mm zoom, 9mm
Magnification: x67 - x15
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
SQM: 21.68
Temperature: 20º C
I used the 40mm initially to find Antares and the general area for M19. I then switched to the 10-30mm zoom eyepiece. I found it with the 30mm but it was quite small and had no distinguishing features. At 10mm, there was a much better view of the dense core; noted that was less dense than that of M62. The stars outside the core/nebulosity created by the cluster's star field was discernible for a short distance from the core.
Note: I had challenges labelling the sketched stars around the cluster; therefore, left them all unlabelled. First time I've ever had that challenge.
Constellations: Leo, Ursa Major
Asterism: Big Dipper, Teapot
Stars: Adhafera (ζ Leonis), Alcor, Algieba (γ Leonis), Alioth, Alkaid, Alterf (λ Leonis), Alula Australis, Alula Borealis, Antares,Arcturus, Castor, Chertan (θ Leonis), Denebola (β Leonis), Dubhe, y Gem, Kaus Australis, Kaus Borealis, Megrez, Merak, Mizar, Muscida, Navi, Phecda, Pollux, Rasalas (μ Leonis), Regulus (α Leonis), ε Sco, Spica, Tania Australis, Tania Borealis, Talitha, Talitha Borealis, θ UMa, c UMA, ψ UMA, Zosma (δ Leonis)
Messier Objects: M7/Ptolemy Cluster, M19/NGC 6273, M22/NGC 6656, M62/NGC 6266, M80/NGC 6093
Identified, not Observed:
Boötes, Corona Borealis, Scorpius
Location: Site 15 on Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2024-06-5/6
Time: 9:30 PM - 1:15 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars, SkyWatcher Evostar 80ED
Eyepieces: 40mm, 103mm zoom, 9mm
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
![]() |
|
Jerry and I were alone on the island this evening; our friends were expected around noon tomorrow. When I was on the beach earlier, I determined what to look for in this observing session. There was high cloud. No wind to speak of but at least the mosquitoes were gone! Spring Peepers were calling out at the south end of our island and frogs were responding on the shores of Minard Island opposite our site. The lake surface was like glass with only an occasional fish near shore breaking the surface.
Star Light, Star Bright, First Star I See Tonight....
9:45 PM ADT (Visual)
- Arcturus was the first star
9:55 PM ADT (Visual)
2nd star was Spica (Virgo) then 3rd star Algieba (Leo)
10:07 PM ADT (Visual)
- 3 stars in the Dipper handle - Alkaid, Mizar (did not visually see the double), Alioth
10:15 PM ADT(Visual)
- Castor & Pollux showed just above the flat top of the pine tree on shore. Navi (Cassiopeia) was seen and quickly disappeared in the trees on the NW end of our island.
It was here that I decided to fire up the telescope. Alignment is still a skill I'm learning with this scope. In the first attempt, I used Castor and Arcturus. Thought I had it operational but then lost the connectivity between the scope and my phone. Bah. Humbug. It was also about this time that the sky got brighter in spurts; we attributed it to the fireflies or to lightning way off in the distance that may/may not be approaching us. Turns out it was the thunderstorm in St. John, NB that was lighting up our skies intermittently. (Note: we only had a slight drizzle overnight as a result of that storm passing through.)
10:39 PM ADT (Visual)
Slight occasional breezes. Fireflies are now frequently making their presence known in the trees.
- all 7 stars of the Big Dipper were very easily located
- Leo's Regulus plus 5 stars of the 'sickle' were seen above the trees on the island across from us.
Ursa Major
Time: 10:52 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 32, 33
The Dipper was so clear on the NW horizon. After identifying Muscida, I decided to identify the remaining stars of the constellation especially since the bear was literally pointing down towards the horizon. The stars were so clear, I was able to do this visually; no binoculars were required. I used the star chart to identify the names of the stars I sketched. I remembered the Talitha and Talitha Borealis from the observations of the 2020 comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) while at Dr. Roy Bishop's cottage.
It was here that I decided to make another attempt, this time with Antares in Scorpius and UMa's Dubhe. Success! And no lost connectivity. Consequently, I decided now was the Messier time. I knew there were three near Antares so had the scope go to Antares.
Time | SQM | Temp |
11:33 PM | 21.64 | 20° C |
M19 / NGC 6273
Time: 11:33 PM ADT
Equipment: Telescope
Eyepiece: SvBONY 10-30mm zoom
S&T Chart: 56, 58
I began with the 30mm aspect of the eyepiece then gradually increased the magnification 5mm at a time. At 10mm, I saw the cluster east of Antares. The cluster had a dense core but not as dense as that of M62. A nebulous star field was discernible for a little distance from the core. For more details, refer to Messier Catalogue - M019 / NGC 6273 - June 5, 2024.
M62 / NGC 6266 / Flickering Globular Cluster
Time: 11:54 PM ADT
Equipment: Telescope
Eyepiece: Tele Vue 9mm Nagler Japan
S&T Chart: 56, 58
Not changing the eyepiece from the previous Messier object, I slewed the scope from M19 towards ε Sco to find this cluster. It had a denser core than M19 but t was not as bright. For more details, refer to Messier Catalogue - M062 / NGC 6266 / Flickering Globular Cluster - June 5, 2024.
It was while I was sketching M62 that three owls hooted - 2 Barred Owls sounded their recognizable "who-cook-for-you" whereas the third owl spoke a language other than English. I did not recognize its hoot - maybe a different genus of owl or maybe a youngster. The peepers started up again after a period of quiet. Then a coyote howled; we joked that it was complaining about the owl and peeper noise that made sleep impossible. The fireflies never disappeared and gave us smiles many times throughout this session.
Time | SQM | Temp |
12:10 AM | 21.68 | 19° C |
M80 / NGC 6093
Time: 12:10 AM ADT
Equipment: Telescope
Eyepiece: Tele Vue 9mm Nagler Japan
S&T Chart: 56
This cluster is located above and on the opposite side of Antares in Scorpius from M4. It had a very dense core and was better seen with averted vision. For more details, refer to Messier Catalogue - M080 / NGC 6093.
12:30 PM ADT
Two loons were calling out across the Lake as I was sketching M80. Love their call; it's such a soothing sound in the dark. The constellation Leo was just above the island across from our beach at a 45° angle to the horizon, making it look like Leo was doing a face plant. Boötes was still quite high in the sky with Arcturus very much evident.
![]() |
![]() |
M22 / NGC 6656 / Great Sagittarius Cluster
Time: 12:42 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 67, 69
I noticed the Teapot for the first time this evening. It was almost flat on the south horizon. Using the lid star (Kaus Borealis), I used my binoculars to locate the Y-shaped star formation and M22 adjacent and to its east. It appeared as a small grey fuzzy.
![]() |
M7 / NGC 6475 / Ptolemy Cluster |
I noticed the horizons were beginning to get murky and clouds were filling in our overhead view. I had pencil and clipboard in hand to begin sketching this wondrous object when the clouds completely covered M7 and the Teapot. Skies at the zenith were now more cloud covered with no hope of a large sucker hole to get any views of any other entity. Disappointment - but glad to have achieved what I did.
Location: SCO
Date: 2024-05-30
Time: 12:04 AM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58
Instrument: EXOSTAR 80ED, 10mm-30mm eyepiece with star diagonal
Magnification: x60
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
It was very easy to slew from Antares to find this cluster. Not as dense as M3, i.e., no dense core. Had to use averted vision to sketch. Although no identifiable core, there were a few bright stars near the centre and southern portion of the cluster. However, I could sketch their exact location. There were three stars forming a triangle that I could not identify.
Constellations: Coma Berenices, Corona Borealis, Corvus, Scorpius
Asterism: Keystone of Hercules
Messier: M3, M4, M13
Stars: Alpheca, Antares, Arcturus, b Coma Berenices, Dschubba, Graffias, e Sco, n Sco, p Sco, r Sco, γ Sco, δ Sco, σ Sco (Al Nayat), Shaula
HD Stars: 119496, 119686, 119748, 120049, 120364, 120618, 147703, 147743, 147955
HR Stars: 5145
SAO Stars: 82955
Attempted to find without Success:
M68, M10 & M12 (Ophiuchus was still in the trees)
Identified, not Observed:
Big Dipper, Boötes (noted the shape could be found but did not identify specific stars), Cassiopeia (only partly visible in the northern trees), Crater, Hydra
Location: SCO
Date: 2024-05-29/30
Time: 10:00 PM - 1:30 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, EvoStar 80 ED telescope, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 16° C - 15° C
SQM: 21.10 - 19.58
Transparency: Very Good (4) but deteriorated to Poor
Seeing: Very Good (4) but deteriorated to Poor
I had two astro-imagers with me - Jerry and Bob. No wind and absolutely cloudless skies until 1:30 AM when clouds and/or fog rolled in around the periphery of the viewing field. We had actual cloud cover when we were about to leave SCO - something that had not been forecasted. Throughout the observing session, we stated our frustration of the satellites criss-crossing the skies and spoiling our views (visual, binocular, telescope, camera).
I spent the first part of the evening setting up and getting reacquainted with my telescope and getting re-oriented to the SCO skies.
![]() |
M3 M3 has a very dense/bright core in which individual stars could not be resolved, but the core did take most of the area of the cluster. As the density became less towards the cluster's edge, the star field looked nebulous. |
Following the frustration with finding M3, I decided to use my eyes to identify constellations and to orient myself to the SCO skies again. I knew what constellations in which the Messier objects I wanted to view tonight were located but just had to see whether or not they were "up" and not blocked by our tree lines.
Corvus
Time: 11:30 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 47
All five of the main stars were easily identified above as string of stars that I later discovered belonged to the constellation Hydra.
M4 / NGC 6121 / Spider Globular Cluster With the telescope, I slewed west towards Scorpius from the treeline to find the very bright and red Antares. Using averted vision, I was able to locate M4. It was quite diffuse; it did not have an identifiable dense core that M3 had. There were a few bright stars in the centre that could be seen but I could not sketch there exact location. |
![]() |
Corona Borealis, Keystone of Hercules, M13
Time: 12:22 AM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart:52, 53, 54, 55
I truly enjoy finding Corona Borealis with its unmistakable bowl shape. All 7 stars were readily found somewhat high in the sky. Alpheca (α Sco) was the brightest by far. Surprisingly this was followed by γ Sco then δ Sco. The other stars were rather dull in comparison. I then visually located the Keystone of Hercules. Using the stars of the Corona to point the way to M13, I used my binoculars to find the small grey fuzzy - liked finding an old friend in the crowd.
While in the process of packing up, Bob and I did a quick "what's up". I pointed out Shaula in Scorpius that was now visible. We noted how high the Keystone of Hercules was in the sky and also noted the skies were deteriorating along all the edges of SCO's FOV.
Location: SCO
Date: 2024-05-29
Time: 10:26 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 44
Instrument: EXOSTAR 80ED, 10mm-30mm eyepiece with star diagonal
Magnification: x60
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
SQM: 21.1
Temperature: 16º C
I had found this in the past with binoculars. Tonight I had the scope go to Arcturus then I slewed towards Coma Berenices. I used SkySafariPro to help identify the star fields on the way there. I began with 30mm eyepiece so that the FOV would in essence be large. Once found, I centred M3 and increased the magnification to x60 with the 10mm feature of the eyepiece.
M3 has a very dense core and its brightness finished very quickly outside fo the core. Had to use averaged vision at times.
Objects: Daly, Garner, Democritus, Montes Alpes, Vallis Alpes, Mare Frigoris, Mare Imbrium, Altai Scarp, Piccolomini, Tacitus, Ptolomaeus, Alphonsus, Arzachel, Purbach, Werner, Regiomnontanus, Walter, Alciensus
IWLOP Objects: L5: Garner & Democritus
Location: Home
Date: 2024-05-15
Time: 9:30 PM - 11:45 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, Fountain binoculars with 20mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Temperature: 11° C
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
Jerry and I were in the back yard planning an evening of experimentation with the newly-acquired Fountain Binocular eyepiece. I had plans for another IWLOP season as well. Impressed with the binocular eyepiece but also have to be mindful of the different settings required for Jerry's and my eyes.
I used the binoculars to complete the IWLOP L5: Gartner & Democrius. With that eyepiece in place, I wanted to show Jerry a few cool features that were very readily and clearly seen.
1- With Democritus and Garner in view, we could plainly see Vallis Alpes cutting through Montes Alpes. The mountains showed their ruggedness with highlighted peaks and long shadows on Mare Imbrium.
2- Altai Scarp was bright white, even against the sun-drenched surroundings. The SE end was at the edge of Piccolomini and arced irregularly northward with no real end spot. Tacitus was to its west/north end.
3- Near Altain Scarp were "sets" of craters that are fun to see:
a- Ptolomaeus, Alphonsus, Arzachel - The latter's central peak was very evident.
b- Area of the Lunar X - Purbach, Werner, Regiomnontanus, Walter, Alciensus. Much of their crater rims were lit but no sign of the "X".
Also refer to: IWLOP L5 (Libration Object): Gartner & Democritus
Named for Oswald Avery (1877-1995), born in Halifax, NS. US Physician and DNA researcher.
A bowl-shaped impact crater on the edge of Mare Smythii [L3], west of Haldane. Former name Gilbert U. Libration Object.
Diameter: 9 km Rukl: 49 & IV
Objects: Avery, Haldane, Mare Smythii
Location: Home
Date: 2024-05-15
Time: 10:25 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 20mm Founder binocular eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Temperature: 11° C
Seeing: Fair (2)
Transparency: Fair (2)
Because of the liberation, Avery did not appear to be round. It was a small crater west of the longer Haldane, and it was so exciting to realize that little crater was the object of this search. Don't think it was very deep but that perception may have been due to the libration and the amount of illumination.
Remnants of two once-prominent craters. This area of the Moon is an interesting challenge to navigate.
Origin: Impact Size: 39 km, 102 km Rukl: 6, 5 Type: CC
Objects: Gartner, Democritus, Cusanus, Petermann
Others Identified: Kane, Galle, Aristoteles, Vallis Alpes, Montes Alpes, W. Bond, Archytas, Protagoras, Eudoxus, Burg
Date: 2024-05-15
Location: Home
Time: 10:25 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 20mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Seeing: Fair (2)
Transparency: Fair (2)
SQM: not recorded
Temp: 11º C
Moon now in Leo. This was the first time I was using by Founder binocular eyepiece. I was impressed, but do have to be mindful to getting the binoculars set up for my eyes versus Jerry's eyes.
C1: Democritus was on the shore of Mare Frigoris above Gartner. Democritus had a very high central peak, was circular in appearance, had a light-coloured floor compared to Gartner, and its rim was visible around the entire crater. Gartner had no rim to the SE and only a little to the SW. The remaining crater walls appeared tall. Its floor was dark, similar to that of Mare Frigoris.
Note: Libration was not favourable to view Cusanus and Petermann.
Named for Reginald Daly (1871-1957), born in Napanee, Ont. Highly honoured Harvard professor of geology.
Impact crater NW of Appolnius. Former name is Apollonius P.
Diameter: 17 km Rukl: 38
Objects: Apollonius, Daly
Other Objects: Apollonius F, Fermicus
Location: Home
Date: 2024-05-14
Time: 9:30 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12mm eyepiece
Magnification: x209
Temperature: 13° C
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
The atmosphere had slight turbulence so this crater came in and out of clarity. It appeared as a white-rimmed double crater then realized it was Daly with Apollonius F.
I looked at my lunar maps to find/locate it between Apollonius and Fermicus, and moved NW to the former. I found two craters in my slewing SE of Mare Crisium, then recognized that one was Daly.
Objects: Rheita, Vallis Rheita, Steinheil, Watt, Reimarus , Vega, Furnerius, Fraunhaufer, Lyot, Lyot H, Pierescius, Brisbane, Brisane Z, Rima Hase, Hanno, Oken, Mare Australe, Metius, Fabricus, Janssen, Rimae Jannsen, Young, Jean
Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent (35.6% illumination)
Date: 2024-05-13
Location: Home
Time: 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Temp: not recorded
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7mm eyepiece to 40mm eyepiece, x2 Barlow
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
No breeze and clear skies. Orange-brown smoke from Alberta fires could seen as two bands in the WSW horizon. Jerry had left for SCO to work on the 8" scope but not before setting up the 10" Meade SCT and refreshing my memory units use. It had been a while sine I had last worked on the RASC IWLOPand I had hoped to get:
I very quickly realized had picked the wrong Q-day! Although it was easy enough to find the area the objects were located, they were too illuminated to really observe their features.
What does one then do? You play with the various eyepieces from 4.7mm to 40mm and x2 Barlow. Focusing with the Barlow was a challenge! I then realized that the SE limb was librated so looked at what was showing (i.e., what I could identify). It helped to use the mirror-image S&T Lunar map, not the standard one.
What was identified:
Sun
Moon
This entry in my observing log not only covers what we saw at the eclipse but also family fun leading up to the event.
Location: Texas Wine Collective, Blumenthal, TX (near Fredericksburg)
Date: 2024-04-08
Time: 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM CDT
Equipment:
a- Visual (with solar glasses)
b- 10x42 IS Binoculars (with solar filter)
c- EVOSTAR 80ED with a star diagonal plus 10mm-30mm zoom eyepiece (set at 20mm)
d- ZWO SeeStar S50 (Brady)
Temperature: 26° C - 23° C
We arrived in Austin TX on April 5 (30° C) to visit our nephew Brady and to take in the solar eclipse. It was a wonderful excuse for our families to get together. Barbara and Barry arrived just 20 minutes (not 4 hours as planned) before us. Barry apparently made a wrong turn and it wasn't until they started seeing advertisements for New Orleans that they realized they were headed east not west. After unpacking our cars, we spent the remainder of the day relaxing on Brady's deck, and usually with a wine glass or cold cider in hand. Great start to our time together!
On April 6, we headed to Driftwood TX to one of our favourite restaurants - the Salt Lick Texas BBQ. We weren't disappointed! It was as good as we remembered it from our previous visit six years ago. Their smoke pit could be viewed as you walked into the main seating area, their smoked sausages, turkey, brisket and ribs on display. Your choices of meat came with coleslaw, potato salad and baked beans, all made on site (as was their BBQ sauce). So yummy! |
![]() |
On the way home, Brady took us past a field of Bluebonnets (either Lupinous texensis or Lupinous subcarnosus that are native to Texas) that very much looked like our northern Lupine. | ![]() |
On April 7, following a tour of his home gardens, Brady treated us to homemade pizza baked in his outdoor pizza oven. Each of us decided what meat and veggies we wanted on our personal pizza then got to enjoy it fresh and hot out of the oven. What a treat!
Later that evening, in honour of the eclipse taking place the next day, my favourite pianist/composer, Rachel Lafond, and a collaborator and fellow pianist, Scott D. Davis, held a private concert in her home. It was a wonderful evening of humour and such beautiful music. If you closed your eyes as they played, you could 'see' what the music was saying. Rachel introduced 3 pieces about the decision to start and to continue a personal relationship; it was emotional. Scott introduced a piece he wrote following a backcountry hike (alone) up to a bare mountaintop then realized a lightning/thunderstorm was approaching. You could hear/feel the storm approach and overtake him. An evening of memories to treasure forever.
April 8. Eclipse Day! With telescopes, binoculars, cameras and picnic basket packed, we headed to the Texas Wine Collective where we would be potentially joined by 495 others at the site. Traffic was much lighter than anticipated so we made good time. The Collective was very well organized and in no time we were parked and had selected a place to set up. Brady had his SeeStar set up; I had my EvoStar 80ED up and tracking the sun and had binoculars at the ready. Barry and Barbara had solar glasses and binoculars. While waiting for the Sun to be Mooned, we met two small groups adjacent to us. One was a couple from California who had flown in and the other was a family from New Jersey who drove down; the former had binoculars and the latter had a telescope set up. It was the first total eclipse for all of them so provided a little info as to what to expect and when.
|
My telescope was set to track the Sun but the cloud cover obscured the view at times. Leading up to the event, we certainly were able to use our solar glasses to safely determine where the sunspots were located. Then I used my telescope and binoculars to sketch their location - interesting difference in orientation. As seen in the perspectives sketched, the large sunspots were just off centre and a pair of sunspots were near the edge of the limb - binocular view on left, telescope view on right. | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
The large central sunspots were covered by the Moon at 1:01 PM CDT. AS it was getting darker and closer to totality, a group of "cheerleaders" began to chant in their attempt to chase the clouds away - too bad it didn't work. Totality was at 1:35 PM. It was then that the place burst out in cheers. The astronomer in attendance from the University in Austin must have informed the group as to when that was occurring. The Collective had made sure their lights would not come on during totality but the adjacent property's entrance gate lights came on and beautifully accentuated the darkness.
Because of the increased cloud cover, I decided to view post-totality with my binoculars as it was becoming increasingly difficult to see the sun through the clouds in the EvoStar.
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Thankfully, Brady caught totality in a short time-lapse captured with his telescope that included an excellent view of the prominences. It became very dark at totality and the temperature dropped at least 3 degrees or more. What we didn't see at totality was the corona, the diamond rings, nor Bailey's Beads. However, the eclipse effects were felt physically and emotionally. Although the last contact was to be at 2:58 PM CDT, the total cloud cover convinced us it was time to pack up 45 minutes early. Had to take a small detour because of traffic heading back into Austin but otherwise an uneventful trip. Once back at the house, we broke open Nova Scotian Benjamin Bridge Nova 7 wine and regaled our experiences with the eclipse. Not what we had hoped to see but none-the-less an experience we enjoyed.
So, where to next? Spain in 2026? Australia-New Zealand in 2028? The planning begins.
![]() |
![]()
|
Comet: 12P/Pons Brook
Constellation: Aries
Stars: AF Arie, k Ari, l Ari, q Ari, 10 Ari, 11 Ari, 14 Ari, 15 Ari, 17 Ari, 20 Ari, 21 Ari, Hamal
HD Stars: 13649, 13825
HR Stars: 655, 676
Location: home
Date: 2024-04-01
Time: 8:57 PM ADT
Equipment: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
We received the following email from Dr. Roy Bishop via the RASC Halifax Centre Discussion List:
If you have not yet seen Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, early this evening is an excellent opportunity.
Last evening the comet was less than a degree to the left of mag 2 Hamal (alpha Arietis), making a pretty pair, side-by-side low in the WNW sky as darkness settled in. This evening the comet will be further from Hamal, but still less than two degrees to the left of the star. With Hamal flagging it, the comet will be easy to locate in binoculars.
Pons-Brooks displays a visible tail about half a degree long, extending straight up from the horizon, detectable in binoculars, and obvious in my 444-mm telescope last evening. The concentration of its coma was about 6 on the Levy scale (see p. 265 of your Handbook). I estimated the magnitude of the comet to be 4.5.
Comet Pons-Brooks has a 70-year period, and given the clouds of the next few days, and evening twilight extending ever later day-by-day, this evening around 9 p.m. may be your last chance to see it. You will need a low WNW horizon, for at 9 p.m.Hamal’s altitude is not much more than 12 or 13 degrees. Start looking for Hamal by 8:30 or 8:45.
Because Roy gave us the heads up, Jerry and I hurried to our bedroom window with binoculars in hand (much warmer than going outside) and looked WNW - et voila!
The round fuzzy was adjacent to Hamal in Aries, as promised. While viewing it, I sketched the star field. So exciting to see it so well; being slightly elevated above the ground level of our backyard certainly helped us to observe the comet.
Planet: Jupiter
Stars: Enif, δ Equuleus
Messier Objects: M15
Asterism: Square of Pegasus
Identified, not Observed : Equuleus, Pegasus
Location: SCO
Date: 2023-12-16
Time: 6:30 PM -10:00 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars, SkyWatcher Evostar 80ED
Eyepieces: 15mm Plössl
Temperature
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Time | SQM | Temp |
8:25 PM | 20.71 | unknown |
10:00 PM | 21.09 | -3° |
Jerry and I were at SCO with Bob Russell, and Blair McDonald.
Jupiter
Time: 6:51 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
I located the planet visually then used binoculars to identify and locate the 4 Galilean moons. Found!
M15
Time: 8:00 PM
Equipment: Visual, telescope
Eyepiece: Plössl 15mm
S&T Chart: 74, 75
I located the Square of Pegasus visually then slewed the telescope towards it. I knew the object formed a triangle with Enif (in Pegasus) and δ Equuleus. It was a circular cluster with a compact centre. Its nebulosity extended out the diameter of the dense core.
Constellations: Centaurus, Corona Borealis, Leo, Libra, Scorpius
Asterism: Big Dipper, Scorpius False Comet, Spring Triangle
Stars: Alkaid, Alcor-Mizar, Alioth, Alpheca, Antares, Arcturus, Brachium, α Centauri, y Centauri, z Centauri, 2 Centauri, θ Centauri,ψ Centauri, θ Coronae Borealis, γ Coronae Borealis, δ Coronae Borealis, ε Coronae Borealis, ι Coronae Borealis, Denebola,Dschubba, Graffias, Marfik, Menkent, Nusakan, μ1 Scorpii, μ2 Scorpii, π Scorpii, σ Scorpii, ζ1 Scorpii, ζ2 Scorpii, V973 Scorpii,Shaula, Spica, Vindamiatrix, Zubeneschemali
NGC: 6231
HR Stars: 5357, 6272, 6441
Clusters: Collinder 316
Messier Objects: M10, M12
Planets: Mars, Venus
Could not Find: M4, Asellus Tartius (κ Bootis), λ Bootis, Asellus Primus (θ Bootis)
Identified, not Observed: Canis Venatici, Leo, Ophiuchus, Virgo
Location: Site 15 on Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2023-06-22/23
Time: 8:00 PM - 1:15 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Time | SQM | Temp |
12:30 AM | 21.63 | 17° C |
This was the second night of our Annual Big Muise Island Star Party at Site 15. Jerry was setting up his cameras for time lapse while Dave and I set up our chairs and waited with binoculars in hand. A light wind disappeared by midnight. No clouds throughout this session.
Moon, Venus (in Leo) Time: 8:00 PM Equipment: Visual Venus as now 8 o'clock to the Moon and about 10° away. It was a beautiful sunset with a lone loon calling in the distance. |
![]() |
9:48 PM
Arcturus appeared in the southwest.
10:00 PM
Antares was twinkling in the southeast above the far end of our island. We also noticed Spica shining below Arcturus in the SW.
10:05
Three stars in the Dipper Handle made their appearance - Alkaid, Alcor-Mizar and Alioth.
Mars! Venus! Time: 10:08 PM Equipment: Visual Very tiny and very red! It was half way and just below the line between the Moon and Venus. |
![]() |
![]() |
Scorpius |
Leo, Spring Triangle
Time: 10:17 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T chart (Leo): 34, 35
Denebola was just noticed in the W-SW. All three starts of the Spring Triangle were now visible - Arcturus (α Boötis), Spica (α Virginis) and Denebola (β Leonis). Interestingly, Vindemiatrix (ε Virginis) is the centre star in that triangle of constellations.
Libra Time: 10:30 PM Equipment: Visual S&T Chart: 46, 57 Brachium (σ Librae) and Zubenschemali (β Librae) were one above the other in a vertical line. Both were very faint. |
![]() |
Big Dipper
Time: 10:38 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 31, 32, 33, 43
All 7 stars of the Big Dipper were now visible in the NW.
Centaurus
Time: 10:51 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 48, 59
This is a constellation that one never expects to see this far north - but there it was. Dave was excited to see it in the S-SW. Menkent (θ Centauri) was viewed with binoculars to determine the star field nearby. There were 3 stars in a line to the south - α Centauri, ψ Centauri and HR 5357. There were three stars in a triangle northwest to this star - 2 Centauri, y Centauri and z Centauri. Very exciting to see this constellation that I first saw when in the Atacama Desert all those years ago.
Corona Borealis
Time: 11:00 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 53, 55
All 7 stars of this constellation were located - Alpheca (α Coronae Borealis), Nusakan (β Coronae Borealis), θ Coronae Borealis, γ Coronae Borealis, δ Coronae Borealis, ε Coronae Borealis, ι Coronae Borealis. Normally I would use this constellation to locate Hercules and M13 - but not tonight.
|
Scorpius There were fireflies in the trees above me; initially I thought it was stars shining through the branches. |
False Comet
|
![]() |
M10 & M12
Time: 12:35 AM
Equipment: Binoculars
S&T Chart: 54, 56
Ophiuchus was up high enough that I thought to try locating these two Messier objects. M12 was located by starting at Marfik and heading southward. M10 was found about another FOV away. Both were small, grey fuzzies. Happy I could find them both.
Libra
Time: 12:45 AM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 46, 57
All 6 stars of Libra are now visible. I had not realized until now how close the 'scales' were to Scorpius.
Constellations: Boötes, Centaurus, Scorpius
Asterism: Great Diamond/Diamond of Virgo, Spring Triangle, Teapot
Stars: Alnasi, Antares, Arcturus, Cor Caroli, Denebola, Deschuba (δ Scorpii), Graffias (β Scorpii), Kaus Borealis, Kaus Media, Menkant (θ Centaurus), Nunki, η Scorpii, Spica, Vindemiatrix
Messier Objects: M7 (Ptolemy Cluster), M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M20 (Trifid Nebula), M21, M22
Planets: Mars, Venus
Moon: Cleomedes, Gang of 4 (Langrenus, Vendelinus, Petavius, Furnerius), Geminus, Mare Crisium
Identified, not Observed :
Canis Venatici, Leo, Virgo
Location: Site 15 on Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2023-06-21
Time: 9:00 PM - 11:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Time | SQM | Temp |
10:45 PM | 21.46 | 17° C |
Dave and I were in our camp chairs with binoculars at one end of the beach while Jerry was at the other end setting up his camera gear. There was a light breeze - enough to keep the mosquitoes away!
Moon, Venus, Mars
Time: 9:19 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
The Moon and Venus were up fairly high in the skies. Visible were Mare Crisium, Gang of 4 (Langrenus, Vendelinus, Petavius, Furnerius), Cleomedes, and Geminus. Earthshine was evident on the lunar surface.
Venus was 8 o'clock to the lowest part of the crescent Moon. Marrs was at 10 o'clock to Venus and higher than the top of the crescent Moon.
Boötes
Time: 9:30 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 42, 44, 53, 55
Arcturus shone brightly and was easily spotted. I looked for and found the kite-shape of this constellation but did not identify the individual stars.
Scorpius, Centaurus
Time: 10:19 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 56, 58
The reddish Antares was twinkling in the southern horizon. Could readily find Graffias (β Scorpii), Dschubba (δ Scorpii), and η Scorpii. At this point, I did not search for other stars within the constellation. It was at this point of the evening that Dave excitedly pointed out Menkant (θ Centauri) just above the horizon. Menkant is part of the shoulder of the Centaur. What surprised us is that Centaurus is considered a "southern" constellation so to see it here was a wonderful surprise.
Spring Triangle, Great Diamond/Diamond of Virgo
Time: 10:25 PM
Equipment: Visual
Dave pointed out two asterisms. Arcturus (α Boötis), Spica (α Virginis) and Denebola (β Leonis) comprise the Spring Triangle. Interestingly, Vindemiatrix (ε Virginis) is the central star in that triangle of constellations. Denebola (β Leonis), Arcturus (α Boötis), Spica (α Virginis) and Cor Caroli (α Canum Venaticorum) comprise the Great Diamond. Two asterisms in one part of our observable skies! Who knew?
10:45 PM - 11:30 PM
It was during this time that for some reason I stopped recording times of observations, so here's the list.
Teapot
M22 / NGC 6566
M8 / NGC 6523 / Lagoon Nebula
M20 / NGC 6514 / Trifid Nebula
M21 / NGC 6531 / Webb's Cross
M7 / NGC 6475 / Ptolemy Cluster
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 67, 69
The Teapot asterism was above the horizon about 10° and its base was almost perfectly parallel to the horizon. All 8 stars were easily seen.
I used binoculars to find M22 by starting at Kaus Borealis (the Teapot lid star) and moving at bout a 45° angle to find a small group of stars that were Y-shaped, then moved a little further out to find the small grey fuzz of M22.
I then used the stars forming the spout - Kaus Media (δ Sagittarii) and Alnasl (γ2 Sagittarii) - to find M8, M20 and M21. Just viewed them long enough to recognize the binocular-view shape and star composition. Did not sketch.
I then went to the base of the Teapot and used the line from Nunki (star in the Teapot handle) to Alnasl (star in the spout) to continue outward to find M7. I was not disappointed! The Ptolemy Cluster is a glorious open cluster - bright and many stars.
Comet C2022 E3 (ZTF) - in Auriga
Asterisms: Leaping Minnow, Little Dipper
Stars: Al Kab, Capella, 1 Aur, 2 Aur, ω Aur
HD Stars: 31550
HR Stars: 1573
Moon: 94.8% Waning Gibbous in the SE near Leo
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Auriga
Location: Home
Date: 2023-02-07
Time: 11:20 PM - 11:40 PM AST
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: -6° C
SQM: not recorded
Clear skies. I went out this evening with the intent of only viewing the comet. Dave Chapman had posted it was near ω Aur so started the search with my my binoculars, going downwards beginning halfway along the line from Capella to Al Kab. I found a round pale smudge - the comet - above the star that was 1 of 3 forming a curve (HR1573, 2 Aur, 1 Aur). |
![]() |
Comet: C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
Constellations: Auriga, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Leo, Orion, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Stars: Algieba, Adhafera, Anwar al Farkadain, Alifa al Frakadain, 19 Aur beside 18 Aur, 17 Aur beside IQ Aur, 16 Aur beside HD 34201, and 14 Aur, Capella, Chertan, Denebola, Kochab, η Leo, Pherkad, Polaris, Ras Elased Borealis, Ras Elased Australis, Regulus, 3 Umi, 11 Umi, TT UMi, Urodelus, Yildum, Zosma
HD Stars: 133086
Messier Objects: M36 & M38 (in Auriga)
Asterisms: Leaping Minnow (in Auriga), Winter Circle
Location: Home
Date: 2023-01-27
Time: 11:30 PM - 11:55 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x42 IS
Transparency: Average (3)
Seeing: Average (3)
Temperature: 7˚ C
SQM: 19.56 - 19.58
Windless and no clouds.
The promise of a clear night was realized and Jerry was already taking time-lapse of the Comet. So, with clipboard, paper and pencils, red light to clip to the clipboard for seeing what I sketched (thanks, Melody), and my binoculars, I headed out to join him in our back yard.
First thing that came into view the moment I opened our back door was Orion, high in the sky above our tree line and its bright stars very evident in the dark skies. With Orion so high, I looked for the full Winter Circle - found! Turned about 45˚ to locate Cassiopeia, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The latter constellation was the one of primary interest given the comet wasn't too far away from Kochab. The only stars I could see in the Little Dipper were Pherkad, Kochab and Polaris (mag 2.0); with averted vision, I could see (imagined I saw?) Urodelus and Yildum in the handle and the other two stars of the dipper (Anwar al Farkadain, Alifa al Frakadain) - but they were very faint.
Using my 10x42 IS binoculars, I located Pherkad (mag 3.0) and Kochab (mag 2.0), noting 11 UMi (mag 5.0) next to Pherkad and HD133086 (mag 6.8) and TT UMi (mag 6.9) next to Kochab. With Kochab in my FOV, I had to go up just bit and to my right (east) to find it. A fuzzy cottontail, no tail with this equipment could be discerned. I then used my garden planting table as my easel to sketch it.
Using my 10x42 IS binoculars, I located Pherkad (mag 3.0) and Kochab (mag 2.0), noting 11 UMi (mag 5.0) next to Pherkad and HD133086 (mag 6.8) and TT UMi (mag 6.9) next to Kochab. With Kochab in my FOV, I had to go up just bit and to my right (east) to find it. A fuzzy cottontail, no tail with this equipment could be discerned. I then used my garden planting table as my easel to sketch it. It was then that I turned my attention to other sights. First was the 5 stars of Cassiopeia above our greenhouse. I thought, "Perfect! I can easily find Andromeda." Wrong (and disappointing)! Andromeda was lower than thought and lost in the light pollution of our neighbour's backyard light that can be obscured by our shed and greenhouse if you stand in the right spot. |
![]() |
![]() |
Oh, well, Auriga is high and I can see it's bright 5 stars, especially Capella. Up with the binoculars to find the asterism Leaping Minnow. Several stars within Auriga comprise the asterism - 19 Aur beside 18 Aur, 17 Aur beside IQ Aur, 16 Aur beside HD 34201, and 14 Aur. All in close proximity. Also close by and located with only a slight adjustment in declination of the binoculars were M38 (Starfish Cluster) and M36 (Pinwheel Cluster). Did not search for M37, nor did I sketch any of the objects just seen. I looked up again at Orion with binoculars to M42. I could see the nebulosity around its four stars but could not discern the two stars within θ1 Orionis and θ2 Orionis as I had January 11 using my 10" Meade SCT. |
I then turned 90˚ to the East to see Leo advancing high above the neighbour's roof. Denebola and Regulus as always stood out but I could also readily identify Zosma and Chertan in his hind end and the other "sickle" stars above Regulus (η Leo, Algieba, Adhafera, Ras Elased Borealis, Ras Elased Australis). I tried to find the galaxies below his belly but to no avail.
Getting late and fingers freezing, I called it a night. Hot chocolate, here I come!
Constellations: Cygnus, Orion,
Asterism: Winter Circle
Messier Objects: M31, M42, M45 (Pleaides), M110
Planets: Jupiter, Mars
Location: Home
Date: 2023-01-12
Time: 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Instruments: 10" Meade SCT + Binocular 10x42 IS
Eyepieces: 10mm, 25mm, 40mm, Svbony 3mm-8mm zoom eyepiece
Transparency: Average (3)
Seeing: Average (3)
Good Grief!
Observing in Less than Stellar Conditions
While enjoying my morning coffee on January 12, I read two articles in the February 2023 edition of Astronomy magazine – one by Bob Berman on page 12 made me chuckle and the second by Stephen James O’Meara on page 52 elicited an “ah-ha, so that’s what I saw!”
The curse of continuous cloudy skies disappeared on the previous evening, perhaps fleetingly, but nonetheless it was a clear, cloudless night. With my list of Messier objects to observe and to sketch, I stood beside our 10” Meade SCT that Jerry generously set up for me to view Cygnus’ brightest stars shining over western rooftops, Jupiter shining brightly in the south, and the Winter Circle with Mars and the Pleaides clearly visible in the east. At my disposal were 40 mm, 25 mm, 15 mm, and 10mm eyepieces and I was also going to try my Christmas gift - a Svbony 3mm - 8mm zoom eyepiece. My 10x42 image-stabilized binoculars were at the ready.
Bob Berman’s article explained how even backyard astronomers go through the five stages of grief when seeing is not the greatest. Seeing and transparency last evening were rated as average (and perceived as less than average); I experienced the stages just as he described. The session in question began at 6:45 PM AST and it wasn’t until I read his article that I could put it all into perspective.
Stage 1: Denial
Because I knew where to look, I found M31 using my 10x42 IS binoculars before beginning to look for M31, M32 and M110 with the Meade SCT. I used the go-to function and found the non-descript M31 smudge. There was no denying that M31’s characteristic features (bright centre, elliptical appearance) were being denied by the urban light dome, the sky conditions, the equipment used, or perhaps my watering eyes that required frequent drying. I could not make the stars in the FOV appear as pinpoints; they were fuzzy dots at best and mini donuts at worst throughout this session. I thought, “Okay, I know bad seeing is common so let’s look for another object. Maybe this was an exception.” Denial.
Stage 2: Anger
By changing an eyepiece or viewing the object again later in the session when sky conditions change, the possibility of observing the object in question usually improves – not this time. Again, the go-to function was used to “find” M110 (a small fuzzy). I was greatly disappointed in the lack of detail and the lack of definition of the stars, despite several attempts at focusing. Forget about finding M32 in that fuzzy non-entity. Andromeda, et.al., was a bust! The failure to observe these objects in the detail I wanted caused a bit of upset, anger to say the least. Adding to this, my headlamp’s battery died (special size of battery I didn’t have in stock), and I discovered my SQM’s battery was also dead. Bah, humbug.
Stage 3: Bargaining
In his article, Bob Berman stated, “You turn to the next stage: bargaining! Okay, but with whom?” A really good question given the sky gods seemingly weren’t cooperating so no sense appealing to them. I didn’t want to feel like I hadn’t tried, and Jerry was trying to help diagnose why I couldn’t “see” things. The decision was to bargain with myself. Bargain with myself? Who else was there? Try different targets, try different eyepieces, and keep my dry-eye syndrome at bay. My bargain was that if I succeeded in observing and sketching one target, I would go indoors to enjoy a hot chocolate.
Stage 4: Depression
How does one win a bargain with oneself? First, get gloves to keep fingers warmer (it was windless but -10 ̊ Celsius). Second, look for something the conditions would allow observing. Jupiter and its moons maybe? I started with the 40 mm eyepiece, then used the 25mm; Jerry could see the planet’s striping with both eyepieces albeit variable in moments of good seeing whereas it totally escaped me. This is the point where I considered giving up. What was the point in staying outside? Couldn’t see anything. Nothing worked. Bah, humbug.
I chuckled the next morning when reading Berman’s words: “...you suddenly realize what astronomers have known for 413 years: Wiggly, depression-inducing seeing is so widespread, you have no choice in the matter. A smile creeps across your face, the expression common to observers through the centuries. Finally you know its name and cause.”
|
Stage 5: Acceptance Having experienced this “success”, I slewed to view the Pleaides, saw Mars as a small red featureless spot centred in my FOV, and then turned my scope to Orion’s M42. I sketched what I saw, assuming it was M42 and other stars and nebula in close proximity. |
|
Now, let’s come back to my morning coffee and reading the February 2023 edition of Astronomy. Stephen James O’Meara, in his article entitled “The Theta Orionis challenge”, challenged us to split Theta1 Orionis and Theta2 Orionis without optical aids. It’s an interesting read but what especially caught my attention was the photo in his article. It was the mirror image of what I saw in my scope and what I had sketched! Ah-ha, so that’s what I saw! Four stars with one looking elongated (that I initially attributed to the frustrations experienced earlier), 3 bright-ish stars in a line with a fourth less bright forming an equilateral triangle with the two further out, and two stars (one above and one below the quadrilateral). The nebula surrounding it was heart shaped with the quadrilateral side more nebulous than the part covering the first star. |
Success!
What I learned from this session is that we as astronomers eventually do succeed when we keep going out into the dark and cold, despite all the grief it gives us while out there. We go back night after night (skies allowing) to observe that special object, to perchance sketch its details or to capture it digitally. It’s a process, one we go through alone or with like-minded others – and there’s always acceptance (at some level) of what we see and how well we see it. Don’t we all go through these stages at some point in our observing careers and doesn’t the memory of it stay with us – success or not?
Planets: Jupiter + 4 Galilean Moons, Saturn
Stars: Albireo (β2 Cygni, β1 Cygni)
Location: Home
Date: 2022-10-28
Time: 7:15 PM - 8:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars, Evostar 80ED
Eyepiece: 4mm, 15mm, 40mm
Magnification: x150, x40, x15
Temperature: 5° C
SQM: 19.17
Our youngest grandson was here for a sleepover so we set up the telescope to view a few things - Saturn, Jupiter and its moons, and whatever else we could interest him in. Given the temperature was a bit cool, interest was soon lost.
Jupiter
Time: 7:27 PM
Equipment: Telescope
Eyepiece: 40mm
We did see Jupiter and its 4 Galilean Moons; however, we could not make out the Great Red Spot (GRS). Io and Europa were on one side with Ganymede and Callisto on the other.
Saturn (in Capricornus)
Time: 7:45 PM
Equipment: Telescope
Eyepiece: 4mm
We observed Saturn and its rings which were seen as separate from the planet; there appeared to be a 'line shadow' on the planet caused by the rings. One moon was visible; guessing it was Dione.
Abireo (β Cygni)
Time: 8:22 PM
Equipment: Telescope
Eyepiece: all 3
We used the 40 first. The 15mm showed us the separation of Albireo into β1 Cygni (yellow-white in appearance and larger) and β2 Cygni (smaller and blue). They were oriented in an up-down perpendicular line with β2 Cygni above β1 Cygni.
Stars: Mirach
HD Stars: 965 (double), 983, 1050 (double)
Messier Objects: M13, M31
Planets: Jupiter (+ 4 Galilean Moons), Saturn (Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan)
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database: Pisces
Location: Home
Date: 2022-09-29
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:58 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Evostar 80ED, x2 Barlow, x3 Barlow
Eyepiece: 40mm, Antares 15mm, 2" 12mm with 92° FOV, 9.7mm
Temperature: 11° C - 10° C
SQM: 19.51 - 19.54
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Jupiter (in Pisces) (4 observations)
I decided to try different eyepieces and my two Barlows to see what the difference was in the view and in focusing.
Observation 1:
Time: 10:16 PM
Equipment: Evostar 80ED
Eyepiece: Antares 15mm
Magnification: x40
Jupiter and all 4 of its moons were visible. Callisto appeared closest in alignment to the planet and was located at approximately 11 o'clock.
Observation 2: |
![]() |
Observation 3:
Time: 10:35 PM
Equipment: Evostar 80ED + x3 Barlow
Eyepiece: Antares 15mm
Magnification: x120
This was difficult to focus. With the narrower FOV, only 3 of its closest moons were visible. The bands seemed slightly titled towards the horizon.
![]() |
Observation 4:
|
![]() |
Saturn |
M31 / Andromeda Galaxy
Time: 11:17 PM
Equipment: Evostar 80ED
Eyepiece: 40mm, 25mm, 15mm with x2 Barlow
Magnification: x15, x24, x80
I attempted to use the go-to to get to Andromeda but that didn't work so well. Consequently, I went to Mirach instead then slewed upwards - found! The 25mm eyepiece gave the galaxy a bit more form, i.e., you could discern the bright/dense core and its elliptical shape. When I used the 15mm with x2 Barlow, the galaxy became a larger grey fuzzy and the elliptical shape could not be seen.
![]() |
Jupiter & Double Stars in Pisces |
M13
Time: 11:40 PM
Equipment: Evostar 80ED
Eyepiece: 2" 12mm with 92° FOV + 9.7
Magnification: x50
I decided to have a quick view of M13 with two of the eyepieces. NOTE: unfortunately, my observing notes did not provide explanations as to how it looked.
Constellations: Cassiopeia, Ophiuchus, Serpens Caput, Serpens Cauda
Asterism: Big Dipper, Coathanger, Leaping Minnow, Summer Triangle, Teapot
Stars: Alkaid, Alcor-Mizar, Alioth, Aldebaran, Altair, Arcturus, 14 Aur, 16 Aur, 17 Aur, 18 Aur, and 19 Aur, Aur, Capella, Deneb, Dubhe, β Elnath, Merak, ζ Ophi, Rasalgethi, Vega
HD Stars: 2993, 3678, 4127, 4902, 5163
SAO Stars: 54053, 54091
Messier Objects: M10, M12, M31/Andromeda, M45/Pleaides, M36/NGC 1960/ Pinwheel Cluster
Clusters: Hyades/Melotte 25
Planets: Jupiter + 4 Galilean Moons, Mars, Saturn + Rhea and Dione
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Aquila, Auriga, Capricornus, Cetus, Cygnus, Taurus
Location: Battery Provincial Park, NS
Date: 2022-09-19
Time: 7:30 PM - 11:58 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Time | SQM | Temp |
8:09 PM | 19.32 | 11° C |
10:23 PM | 21.01 | 6° C |
11:45 PM | 21.02 | 5° C |
We had a campsite on the waterfront that looked south over St. Peter's Bay. We were not far from the historic St. Peter's Canal. We enjoyed a small campfire after dinner before turning our attention solely observing.
Vega
Time: 7:36 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 63
The first star seen this evening - straight overhead.
Arcturus
Time: 7:45 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 44
The second star seen this evening.
Cassiopeia
Time: 7:55 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 1, 2, 3
Could identify its signature "W" shape with all 5 stars.
Summer Triangle, Big Dipper
Time: 7:58 PM
Equipment: Visual, binoculars
S&T Chart (Dipper): 43
The three stars comprising the Summer Triangle were now all visible - Vega, Deneb and Altair. The Big Dipper's 3 handle stars and its 2 pointer stars (Dubhe, Merak) were visible naked eye. I also noted the double stars Alcor-Mizar in the handle and noted their orientation; they were fairly well separated in the binoculars.
Coathanger / Brocchi's Cluster, Collinder 399
Time: 8:00 PM
Equipment: Binoculars
S&T Chart (Dipper): 64, 66
I used Altair in Aquila and Vega in Lyra to locate the Coathanger. It was very faint but I did find thew 10-star asterism starting at Altair and heading towards Vega.
M31 / Andromeda Galaxy Time: 8:00 PM Equipment: Binoculars S&T Chart: 3 I used the large "V" in Cassiopeia that points to a bright star at FOV 6 o'clock. I then had one more move southward to find the Galaxy. I then proceeded with SkySafariPro to identify some of the star field near it. |
![]() |
Ophiuchus, M10, M12, Serpens Caput, Serpens Cauda
Time: 8:39 PMM36
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 56
Ophiuchus was well above the horizon. The arc of stars at its base was unmistakable and made it easy to identify the snake's upper body and head (Serpens Caput) and its lower boy and tail (Serpens Cauda). Both very easily seen and well defined. With the central star of the arc (ζ Ophi) at 6 o'clock in my FOV, I went up 1.5 FOVs to find the faint fuzzy M10. The faint fuzzy M12 was 1 FOV to the right.
Around 9:15 PM, the skies was becoming a little murky. Consequently, the Dipper and Teapot disappeared from the sky.
![]() |
Jupiter (in Cetus) Saw its location visually before viewing it with binoculars. The 4 moons were visible and they were in a curve formation, all on one side.
|
![]() |
Saturn (in Capricornus) Saw its location visually before viewing it with binoculars. There were two bright objects also visible; I think they were two of its moons - Dione and Rhea. |
![]() |
Rasalgethi (Alpha Herculis A / α Her A in Hercules) Rasalgethi is a visual binary, and on this night I could make them out! Both components seen appeared to be white and of equal brightness; one was larger than the other. There were other bright stars in the vicinity but I could not identify what they were. |
Aldebaran, Hyades/Melotte 25, M45/The Pleaides
Time: 11:45 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 15
Once Aldebaran was identified, it was easy to identify the Hyades - the V-shaped open cluster in the Taurus. The Pleaides were then located a distance away; although it could visually be located, it was better seen with averted vision. I also used the binoculars to view these beautiful open clusters. The nebulosity of the Pleaides always impresses!
Mars
Time: 11:56 PM
Equipment: Binoculars
S&T Chart: 15
When viewing the area above the Hyades in Taurus's horns, I had noticed a reddish orb. I went back for a closer look. Using SkySafariPro, I discovered it was Mars!
Capella, Leaping Minnow, M36
Time: 11:58 PM
Equipment: Binoculars
S&T Chart: 12
After observing objects in and around Taurus, I then noticed Capella in Auriga. One of my favourite asterisms, the Leaping Minnow, is found in the area above and between β Elnath and ι Aur. Seven stars comprise the Minnow, including 14 Aur, 16 Aur, 17 Aur, 18 Aur, and 19 Aur. With just a slight adjustment of the binoculars, I was easily able to view the small grey fuzzy M36.
The skies really deteriorated at midnight. This ended the observing session for me (and the time-lapse for Jerry).
Stars: Deneb, β Sct, Scutum Star Cloud
Messier Objects: M11, M13, M29/NGC 6913, M39/NGC 7092, M71/NGC 6838, M103/NGC 581
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Cygnus, Hercules
Location: Home
Date: 2022-09-03/04
Time: 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10" Meade SCT, 10x42 IS Binoculars, x2 Barlow
Eyepieces: 15mm Plössl, 2" 12mm with 90° FOV, 25mm wide angle long eye relief
Temperature: 14° C - 12° C
SQM: 19.54 - 19.61
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
M13 (Hercules Cluster)
Time: 10:00 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 52
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 25mm Plössl with star diagonal
Beautiful cluster in Hercules filled the eyepiece. Too many stars to accurately sketch. For more details, refer to Messier Catalogue - M013 (Hercules Cluster) - 3 observations
M11 (Wild Duck Cluster)
Time: 10:22 PM
Equipment: telescope with Antares 15mm Plössl
S&T Chart: 67
I can always easily find this in Scutum with binoculars - just look for the two stars at the top of the Scutum Star Cloud then look for the "backwards" golf club. With the telescope, I slewed SE from β Sct where the cluster appears. It had one bright focal point but with averted vision there was a hint of many stars in the nebulosity. For more details, refer to Messier Catalogue - M011 (NGC 6705 / Wild Duck Cluster) - July 23, 2022.
M103 / NGC 581
Time: 10:45 PM
Equipment: telescope with Antares 15mm Plössl + 2" 12mm with 90° FOV
S&T Chart: 67
A very open cluster, its bright stars in an arrangement easily sketched. With the 2" eyepiece the background stars popped out. For more details refer to Messier Catalogue - Messier 103 / NGC 581 - September 3, 2022 .
M71 / NGC 6838
Time: 11:17 PM
Equipment: telescope with 2" 12mm with 90° FOV
S&T Chart: 64
The cluster seemed to have a rectangular shape in its centre but M71 was circular in appearance. For more details refer to Messier Catalogue - M071 / NGC6838 - September 3, 2022.
M29 / NGC 6913
Time: 11:30 PM
Equipment: telescope with Antares 15mm Plössl + 2" 12mm with 90° FOV
S&T Chart: 62
A very open cluster with only a few stars; very dim background stars. For more details refer to Messier Catalogue - M029 / NGC 6913 - September 3, 2022.
M39 / NGC 7092
Time: 11:47 PM
Equipment: telescope with Antares 15mm Plössl + 25mm eyepiece
S&T Chart: 62
Temperature: 12° C
SQM: 19.61
E-NE of Deneb. There was a central circle of bright stars with a hint of a very pale background of stars. For more details refer to Messier Catalogue - M039 / NGC 7092 - September 3, 2022.
![]() |
Saturn |
![]() |
Jupiter Time: 12:37 AM Equipment: telescope with 2" 12mm with 90° FOV + x2 Barlow I could make out the angle of the planet's stripes and readily identify its 4 Galilean moons - Europa on one side with Io, Ganymede and Callisto on the other. |
Location: SCO
Date: 2022-09-03
Time: 11:30 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 62, 73
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 2" 12mm eyepiece with 90º FOV, star diagonal
Magnification: x208
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Good (3)
SQM: not recorded
Temperature: 12º C
Cygnus was quite high in the sky at this time. Visually, I could see the Nebulosity of the Milky Way. Used the go-to to find Sadr (γ Cygni) then slewed S-SW to find the cluster. Took a while through a 25mm then the 15mm eyepiece to locate. Once located, I switched to the 2" eyepiece.
It's a very open cluster with very few stars. There was a rectangle of stars in the SW and a Dipper bucket-like set of 4 stars NE of it. Not sure if it was the transparency or whether there was in fact a faint star field in behind the cluster (Milky Way?).
Location: Home
Date: 2022-09-03
Time: 11:47 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 62
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 25mm wide-angle long eye relief + 2" 12mm 90° FOV
Magnification: x209
Temperature: 12° C
SQM: 19.61
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Fair (4)
Cygnus was high in the skies and well above the trees and our house. Used the go-to to get to Deneb from M29 (just viewed). From there, I slewed E-NE using my 25mm eyepiece. Once M39 was found and centred, I switched to the 12mm eyepiece for more detail. The centre stars seemed to form a semi-circle of brightness; otherwise, not many stars appear in this cluster. There was a hint of a very, very pale background of stars that may have been the Milky Way or due to a transparency challenge.
Location: Home
Date: 2022-09-03
Time: 11:17 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 64
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 2" 12mm 90° FOV
Magnification: x208
Temperature: 12° C
SQM: 19.61
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Fair (4)
Cygnus was thankfully high in the sky is used Albireo as the point to star hop almost due south to Sagitta.
What stood out was the rectangular shape in the lower FOV and the 2 lines of stars running parallel in this cluster. Many stars were visible in the cluster (I sketched only the brightest) and a hazier/brighter genre of pole strs was observed.
Location: Home
Date: 2022-09-03
Time: 10:45 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 1, 2
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, Antares 15mm Plössl + 2" 12mm 92° FOV
Magnification: x167
Temperature: 12° C
SQM: 19.61
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Fair (4)
Using the 15mm eyepiece, M103 appeared as a very open cluster. The brightest stars were in an easily sketched arrangement. Unlike many clusters, there were no background faint stars, but there was a haziness surrounding the centre stars.
At Jerry's suggestion, I switched to the 2" eyepiece. The stars just popped out with the clarity this eyepiece afforded. I used this eyepiece for the sketch.
M13 / The Hercules Cluster was observed on three occasions over a period of 2 months, each with increased magnification and therefore increasing details.
![]() |
Observation #1: Jerry and I were in the backyard playing with this new scope. After alignment and finding other objects, I used the go-to feature to find M13 but of course it was way off! Using 2-eye vision through the dual-circle reticule finder scope, I slewed to where I thought M13 was located. Close. It was in the upper right quadrant of the 25mm eyepiece FOV. There was a bright star above it, a semi-circle of stars in the left FOV and a shallow triangle of stars with one star either being a double or just close enough to the cluster that it blurred. |
![]() |
Observation #2: Quite a different view as short while later and with a different eyepiece! Interesting to see the crescent of stars adjacent to the DSO that were seen earlier this evening under less magnification. The core could be seen; it was dense and at this magnification its perimeter was less dense. |
![]() |
Observation #3: Beautiful cluster filling the eyepiece. Too many stars to accurately sketch. |
Asterism: Taurus Poniatovii
Messier Object: M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster)
Stars: Alcor (80 UMa), η Herculis ζ Herculis, Mizar (ζ1 Ursa Majoris and ζ2 Ursa Majoris)
HD Star: 116798
Star Cluster: IC 4665
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-30/31
Time: 10:00 PM - 1:30 AM ADT
Equipment: EVOSTAR 80ED + 25 mm & 9.7 mm eyepieces
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 17º C - 16º C
SQM: 19.72
No cloud, light breeze. Dew had already set in but hand warmers were applied to the scope and finder scope. Mosquitos to start the evening. Jackets not required for much of the evening. This was a session to hopefully overcome the alignment challenges experienced at Kejimkujik the weekend before (don't ask). Success with North level alignment, although it did require some minor slewing to centre the stars before saying 'yes, that's it'. I also had a new dual-circle reticule finder scope with which I practised 2-eye vision (just as Blair suggested years ago that I try).
The goals I set for this evening were to hopefully view some Messier and/or some of the DSOs in the now defunct constellation Taurus Poniatovii ("Poniatowski's Bull") - thanks, Dave, for showing me the Brian Ventrudo article in Sky & Telescope (A Visit to Taurus Poniatovii). Success on both counts - not overwhelming success, but success nonetheless. I stayed out until 1:30 AM before taking down and after attempting to find a few other items in Taurus Poniatovii without success. I would have been out a lot longer had we not been heading to the Valley tomorrow for a day at the beach.
Mizar (ζ Ursa Majoris) - Alcor (80 UMa) and HD116798 I then switched out the eyepiece for 15 mm and used that view to sketch what was seen. I could actually see Mizar's ζ1 Ursa Majoris and ζ2 Ursa Majoris separated, one slightly larger and consequently seemingly brighter than the other. Interesting that the jury is still out as to whether these are a visual double or whether they are in fact gravitationally bound. |
![]() |
IC 4665 (in the asterism Taurus Poniatovii) History of Taurus Poniatovii: |
|
![]() |
![]() |
M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster) Using the 2-eyed vision through the finder scope, I had to slew to where I thought M13 was located a little below the line between η Herculis and ζ Herculis. Close. It was in the upper right quadrant of my 25 mm eyepiece FOV. There was a bright star above it, a semi-circle of stars in the left FOV, and a triangle of stars to its upper right where one star was either a double or just had an optical double. After sketching the 25 mm view, I inserted my 9.7 eyepiece for a completely different view. I could see the core was quite dense and there was a lighter area around its perimeter. There was a crescent of stars adjacent to it that I could not identify and a bright star in the upper right quadrant (maybe HD 150998). |
|
![]() |
![]() |
Constellation: Taurus Poniatovii (Poniatowski’s Bull)
Stars: Alcor-Mizar
HD Stars: 116798
IC Stars: 4665
Messier Objects: M4
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Serpens Cauda, Taurus
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-27
Time: 9:00 PM - 11:50 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, EvoStar 80 ED telescope, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 19° C
SQM: 21.69
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Spent this evening trying my new EVOSTAR 80ED telescope only to be frustrated with the alignment process over the course of the whole evening. However, I was able to view Mizar-Alcor with HD 136798, and M4 in the telescope.
Using binoculars viewed IC4665 in the now defunct constellation Taurus Poniatovii (Poniatowski’s Bull) in Serpens Cauda/Ophiuchus.
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-23
Time: 12:35 AM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 67
Instrument: EXOSTAR 80ED, 9.7 mm eyepiece with star diagonal
Magnification: x62
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
SQM: 19.62
Temperature: 19º C
Scutum was high in the SE sky so easily located tonight. M11 is one of my favourite clusters. It is easy to locate visually and with binoculars and can be easily identified in a time-lapse photograph. I consider it the golf ball that is next to the golf club.
I was learning to slew this new-to-me telescope. I slewed SE from β Sct where the cluster appears. It had one bright focal point but with averted vision there was a hint of many stars in the nebulosity. There were 2 stars (SAO 142703 & V369 Sct) that were close to the cluster and appeared to have some nebulosity as well.
![]() |
Constellation: Scutum Type: Open Cluster Magnitude: 5.8 Distance: 6.0 kly Size: 13.0' |
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-23
Time: 12:02 AM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 67
Instrument: EXOSTAR 80ED, 15 mm eyepiece & star diagonal
Magnification: x40
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
SQM: 19.62
Temperature: 19º C
M14 appeared as a faint fuzzy half way and east of the line between Celabrai and Sabik. I could not make out any individual stars but it was equally 'dense' within the cluster.
There was an arc (like the one in Scorpius that includes Graffias). It was to the NW along with a much brighter star in the west. Two there stars appeared in the FOV as well.
![]() |
Constellation: Ophiuchus Type: Globular Cluster Magnitude: 7.6 Distance: 29.0 kly Size: 11.7' |
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-22
Time: 11:45 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 67
Instrument: EXOSTAR 80ED, with star diagonal, 5 mm & 25 mm Sky-Watcher Let/5 Planetary
Magnification: x120 & x24
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
M12 was found by slewing from M10, eastwards and up slightly. What I found interesting when using the 5 mm eyepiece was the bright two stars in the lower right quadrant of the cluster's nebulosity. I couldn't make out any other stars in the cluster.
There was an arc of stars to the east of M12 and 2 others at a diagonal (NE-SW) west of M12. Several other very faint stars were visible with averted vision but there were too many to sketch.
![]() |
Constellation: Ophiuchus Type: Globular Cluster Magnitude: 6.8 Distance: 16.0 kly Size: 14.5' |
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-22
Time: 11:37 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 56
Instrument: EXOSTAR 80ED, 15 mm Antares Plössl with star diagonal
Magnification: x40
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
SQM: 19.57
Temperature: 19º C
Learning to slew this new-to-me telescope to the object, and thankfully Ophiuchus remained high in the sky for this session. I have viewed M10 numerous times with 10x42 IS binoculars so knew generally where to look along the line (1/3 of the way up) from Sabik to κ Oph.
It was a very faint roundish object. I could not see any individual or bright grouping of stars within the cluster.
![]() |
Constellation: Ophiuchus Type: Globular Cluster Magnitude: 6.6 Distance: 14.4 kly Size: 15.1' |
Stars: Albireo β1, Albireo β2, Alcor-Mizar, Arcturus, CN Boo, Mizar A, Mizar B, V369 Sct, GLP14
Bayer Designation (BD): 013247, 034029,
GAIA: 15635927440110133120
HD Stars: 116798, 124772, 125409, 125450, 125771, 151123, 151258, 151526, 151630, 152906, 152997, 153240, 159860, 159307, 159628, 159676, 159891, 159928, 160120, 174281, 174282, 183560, 183987, 338433
HR: 5346
SAO: 87310, 142703
TYC: 2138-0057-1, 5054-0658-1
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-22/23
Time: 9:30 PM - 1:15 AM ADT
Equipment: EVOSTAR 80ED Telescope
Eyepieces: Explore Scientific 82º APOV 4.7 mm, Antares Plössl 15 mm, Sky-Watcher UWA-58º 5 mm
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 22º C - 19º C
SQM: 19.15 - 19.62
This was the first time using my new-to-me go-to EVOSTAR 80 ED on a brand new AZ-GTI mount on its tripod. It was quite steady. Jerry and I were 'playing' with the star alignment options before delving into observing.
Mizar + Alcor + HD 116798 Once again, I looked for the double stars Mizar and Alcor to also find their 3rd smaller and dimmer companion HD 116798. The eyepiece also allowed for a splitting of Mizar into Mizar A and Mizar B. Very happy about that. There was another star almost due west of Mizar - GAIA 1563592744010133120 ("GAIA" in the sketch). |
![]() |
Albireo Albireo β1 was a very bright yellow and was quite close to the blue Albireo β2. I also noticed 3 stars south of Albireo and one slightly above at 2 o'clock that formed an arc. There was also a very bright one at 10 o'clock. |
![]() |
M10 / NGC 6405 Learning to slew the telescope to the object. I have viewed this object numerous times with binoculars so knew generally where to look - 1/3 of the way up along the line from Sabik to κ Phiuchus. Ophiuchus remained high in the sky all session. M10 is a very faint roundish object; could not see any individual or bright grouping of stars within the cluster. Also refer to. Messier Catalogue - M010 (NGC 6405) - July 22, 2022.
|
![]() |
M12 / NGC 6118 M12 was found by slewing from M10, eastwards and up slightly. There were two bright stars in the lower right quadrant but could not make out any there stars in the cluster. For more details, go to Messier Catalogue - M012 (NGC 6218) - July 22, 2022
|
![]() |
M14 / NGC 6402 M14 appeared as a faint fuzzy half way and east of the line between Celabrai and Sabik in Ophiuchus. I could not make out any individual stars but it was equally dense within the cluster. For more details, refer to Messier Catalogue - M014 (NGC 6402) - July 23, 2022.
|
![]() |
M11 / NGC 6705 / Wild Duck Cluster Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M011 (NGC 6705 / Wild Duck Cluster) - July 23, 2022 |
![]() |
Arcturus
Time: 1:35 AM - 1:45 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
As is my habit, I look out my window every evening after lights out. In the west was a bright seemingly twinkling reddish object. Was it a plane or a star? I stared at for a good 30 seconds to determine if it appeared to be getting closer or if it was it blinking, then gave up - got out the binoculars in the bag at my feet.
Yup. A star. A bright one with a group of stars in the same FOV completing the formation of an upside-down "U". But what star was in this star field? Now to SkySafariPro for some assistance. Arcturus! Positively identified with the U-shaped star field. Arcturus was very bright and large compared to the dimmer, smaller stars of the star field.
Asterism: Coathanger
Stars: Alcor-Mizar, Gienah (ε Cygni)
HD Stars: 116798
Satellite
Moon: Aristarchus, Herodotus, Mare Crisium, Mare Imbrium, Oceanus Procellarum, Palus Somni, Plato, Proclus
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Corona Borealis, Corvus, Scorpius
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-13/14
Time: 11:00 PM - 1:00 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, EvoStar 80 ED telescope, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 25° C - 16° C
SQM: 18.68 - 18.47
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Satellite
Time: 11:14 PM
Equipment: Visual
Travelled from area of M10 in Ophiuchus, above the Coathanger to Cygnus, then disappeared below Geniah (ε Cygni).
Coathanger / Brocchi's Cluster / Collinder 399
Time: 11:17 PM
Equipment: Binoculars
S&T Chart: 64, 65
After watching the satellite streak across the skies, I went back to view one of my favourite asterisms. All 10 stars of the Coathanger were easily seen - 6 of the hanger and 4 of the hook.
![]() |
Mizar, Alcor, HD 116798 |
Dew!!
Moon
Waning Gibbous, 99.6%
Time: 12:40 - 12:54 AM
Equipment: Telescope with 5 mm eyepiece
Identified the quite bright Aristarchus with its central peak in Oceanus Procellarum. Also noted the adjacent and much darker Herodotus. They appeared to be on a dark plateau and there was an even darker mountain range. I then slewed to the crater Plato which was easy to identify because of its roundness, white well-lit rim and the large dark-floor on the north shore of Mare Imbrium. I then slewed to Mare Crisium and discovered this small, bright white circular crater - Proclus. You could also see the well-lit rime on the NE edge of Palus Somni.
Location: Home
Date: 2022-07-10
Time: 7:00 PM - 10:45 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Telescope (Skywatcher EVOSTAR 80ED) + 9.7 mm, 15 mm, & 25 mm
Magnification: x62, x40, x24
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
![]() |
We had our youngest granddaughter tonight for the second night of a 2-night sleepover. She and I slept in our tent in the back yard. I showed her the Moon through the newly acquired scope and she was wowed. She looked through the finder scope most times while I was viewing it through the eyepiece. Because I didn't have any tracking, it meant having to determine if the Moon could still be seen in the FOV. |
|
One exciting rediscovery for me was the Aristarchus Plateau that was just above the line of the terminator. Around 7:30-8:00 PM, the rims of the two craters (bright-walled, central peaked Aristarchus and flat, dark-floored Herodotus) were very bright and that was what captured my attention at first. I initially thought they were Kepler and Encke until I used Sinus Iridum and Mare Imbrium to get the correct orientation of the Moon and therefore correctly determine what it was I was looking at. The curved Vallis Schröteri with its little kink halfway along the bend joined to Herodotus was seen with a pin-thin shadow on its floor. I could not discern the cobra head at the valley terminus near Herodotus.
I had seen the Plateau, associated craters, and the adjacent Montes Agricola before when it was well away from the terminus. Refer to IWLOP #122 - Aristarchus Plateau and Plateau Schröteri for details of my first observation of this interesting area.
|
Day 1 (June 27): It's another weekend with the Chapmans. We arrived at the Park on a warm sunny day with light to moderate winds across Kejimkujik Lake - until we turned towards our site on Big Muise Island. The wind had certainly picked up and continued to increase over the afternoon and evening. Rain!! Most of the afternoon into the evening, heavy bouts throughout the night. Observing out of the question!
The Kejimkujik observing gods were with us for night 2 at this idyllic location.
|
![]() |
![]() |
Dave referred to distractions that seemingly prolonged our observing session. One was my so-called "little binoculars" - 2.1 x 42, FOV 26º. Dave, Jerry and I had fun sharing them throughout the session and we chuckled with each handover because eyepiece adjustments had to be made each time.
Mother Nature also gave us reason to pause throughout the night. We saw an owl, perhaps the Barred Owl we saw earlier, swoop silently to the reeds on our shore, hover, then silently fly to the opposite island. Fireflies in the shrubbery were a lighting surprise. Peepers and bullfrogs croaked occasionally. The anticipated soulful call of loons interrupted the quiet of the Kejimkujik night at least 3 times, beginning at sunset and continuing well into the night.
|
Time | Temp (º C) | SQM |
11:27 PM | 16 | 21.71 |
12:02 AM | 16 | 22.01 |
12:39 AM | 15 | 22.20 |
1:11 AM | 15 | 21.76 |
1:45 AM | 13 | 21.70 |
Stars of Boötes Observations: Research Notes: |
|
||
Scorpius |
![]() |
||
Teapot, M7, M22, M28 + Dyer's #2
Dyer's #2
|
|||
M17, M18, M24 + Dyer's Top 10, #3 In addition, I used the length of Kaus Australis to Kaus Media and went up x3 that length in binoculars to locate the small open cluster M18/NGC 6613 and M17 (Omega Nebula) above it with its larger size and nebulosity. |
|||
Ophiuchus, M10/NGC 6254, M12/6218 + Ophiuchus is never hard to find above Scorpius and adjacent to Hercules. Its main stars were easily located from Rasalhague down to Sabik. I knew that two Messier objects were in the interior lower 1/3 of the constellation. I visually located Marfik/λ Oph, put my binoculars up and looked east of there to find both M10 and M12 well within my FOV. Both appeared as small greyish fuzzy objects. Dyer's #1 Dyer's #5 |
![]() |
||
Scorpius + NGC 6231 + Collinder 316 - New to me! Using binoculars, I noticed 3 very bright stars I thought were below Scorpius. Turns out they were actually in the tail - ζ1 Sco, ζ2 Sco and HR 6266. In the same FOV and above them was a beautiful little cluster with quite a bright core that I identified as NGC 6231; not really sure if I could make out any individual stars. Looking above NGC 6231 was a scattering of stars with about 9 bright stars among thousands less bright distributed throughout a broad nebulosity - Collinder 316 - and it was quite a large open cluster! Come to find out when I returned home that NGC 6231 was observed in San Pedro de Atacama (2018) when shown the "false comet" that was formed by it and Trumpler 24. As long as these features remained above the horizon, I kept returning to look at them. Beautiful. An 'oh wow' moment on the beach that I wanted to etch into memory. |
|
||
Keystone of Hercules + M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster) With such a clear sky, I sought the Keystone of Hercules to locate M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster). Looked for the Big Dipper, moved easterly to Corona Borealis then further east for the Keystone quite high in the sky. With binoculars, I looked 2/3 of the way north from ζ Herculis to η Herculis. Success! There was the familiar small grey fuzzy. |
|||
Scutum Star Cloud (Dyer's #4) Scutum Star Cloud is one of my favourite sites to find as it contains M11 (Wild Duck Cluster). Always able to find this object because of its rather square-ish nebulous appearance with a bright object in each of the uppermost 2 "corners" (M11 and β Sct). In my binocs, M11 looks like a small, bright, round fuzzy golf ball beside the golf club formed by stars in the star cloud. |
![]() |
||
M55 / NGC 6809 (Summer Rose Star) M55 is located between the Teapot in Sagittarius and Capricornus. I used the Teapot as the start point to find it, placing Nunki at about 2 o'clock in the FOV. I then moved down 1 FOV where the globular cluster was just off-centre. It can also be found by going from Ascella to τ Sgr in the lower handle of the Teapot then following the arch of stars from there - ψ Sgr to ξ Sgr to 52 Sgr. The cluster can then be seen "below" 52 Sgr. |
|
||
Delphinus, Equuleus, Sagitta + Dyer's #7 Dyer's #7, the Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster, is one of my favourite asterisms to view in the night skies. Easily found 1/3-1/2 of the line from Albireo (in Cygnus) and Altair (in Aquila). In our Northern Hemisphere, the hanger is upside-down and at an angle. All 10 stars in this asterism were easily seen and identified. While in the Coathanger neighbourhood, I visually located three familiar friends:
|
|
||
M53 / NGC 5024 I used Arcturus as the start point, then travelled down to Muphrid. From there, I went 1.5 FOVs and M53 was pretty much centred in my view above Diadem (α Comae Berenices). It was small, dense, faint grey, and circular. |
![]() |
||
M3 / NGC 5272 I used Arcturus at the 8 o'clock position in my FOV then moved up 1 FOV. M3 was then seen. There appeared to be distinct formations formed by stars adjacent to M3 that I attempted to identify. Not sure if these are correct.
|
|
||
Dyer's #8, #9 & #10 Certainly, some objects on his list were new to me and did provide fun and a challenge to find and observe, such as nebulas with 10x42 binocs. It was around this time we heard the bullfrog for the first time and noticed fireflies in the shrubbery between us and the campsite. Dyer's #8 - New to me! Dyer's #9 Dyer's #10 - New to me! |
![]() |
Constellation: Auriga
Asterism: Leaping Minnow (in Auriga)
Geminid Meteor Shower
Location: SCO
Date: 2017-12-14
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM AST
Equipment: Binoculars, 10x420 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 12
Transparency: Not recorded
Seeing: Not recorded
Slight hazy skies with occasional cloud cover. A group of us were at SCO to observe the dark skies.
Leaping Minnow / Flying Minnow (Asterism) It includes Aurigae 14, 16 & HD 34257, 17 & IQ Aur, 18 & 19 and another star unidentified. It doesn't look like a minnow in the star maps but it sure does in binoculars! Can't miss it! If looking in a telescope it is between IC410 and the Flaming Star Nebula / IC405. |
![]() |
Geminid Meteor Shower
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM AST
Equipment: Visual
The slight hazy skies eventually clouded over and gave us snow that needed the observing session. However, we did get to see 17 Geminids over the 2-hour time frame.
Constellations: Gemini
Messier Object: M105
Star: Castor
Location: Home
Date: 2022-05-18
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:40 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT
Transparency: Fair (2) - Good (3)
Seeing: Fair (2) - Good (3)
Temperature: 8º C
Jerry and I were in our back yard. He had set up his camera to capture some Messier objects, whereas I had set up the 10" Meade (with his help). According to Astrospheric, the skies were average Seeing and below average transparency. Bright stars were clearly visible but I did recognize that dimmer stars would be more challenging to see.
This evening's session had 2 purposes:
1- To use my new acquired 20 mm illuminated reticule eyepiece, and
2- To practise conducting what I refer to as the 6-star alignment but was actually a 2-star alignment plus 4-star calibration. The stars used for the alignment were Spica (in Virgo) and Dubhe (in Ursa Major). The calibration stars used (not in order they were used) were Mizar (in Ursa Major), Denebola (in Leo), Arcturus (in Boötes), and Alphecca (in Corona Borealis). It wanted to use Vega and we did let it slew to its location but we would have to move our house for it see it. Too funny.
After finding each of the 6 stars using the go-to feature of the telescope, I centred the object in the finder scope then went to the eyepiece to centre it using the lit reticule. What a difference it made with the object truly centred. Changing to an eyepiece with a higher smaller resolution would mean the object would remain in the FOV which would allow for sketching of the objects and the star field (perhaps at different magnifications). With each star being centred and confirmed, the ability of the scope to find have the wanted object in the FOV improved.
Castor ![]() |
This was an "Oh, Wow!" moment. I had Castor centred in the illuminated reticule, turned off the light and noted the star appeared elongated, perhaps due to not being in focus. When focused, there it was - a double star! Oh, wow! Two stars, one above the other, one brighter than the other, one larger than the other and extremely close to one another. I could also see two other stars in the FOV that otherwise was devoid of any other stars. Using SkySafariPro, I was able to identify the two stars as YY Geminorum (also known as Castor C) and TYC2453-0454-1. |
When I went back in the house later, I did some research on Castor. SkySafariPro had named both stars as Castor α Gem with no distinction other than different magnitudes. This piqued my curiosity. Come to find out that Castor is a 6-star system, all of which are spectroscopic binaries. Castor A and Castor B have magnitudes of 1.9 and 3.0 respectively and only 6 arc seconds apart. Castor C is an eclipsing binary with an apparent magnitude of 9.8; it is 73 arcseconds distant from the bright components.
All six stars are bound to each other by gravity and share a common motion through space. The components of each of the three binary systems orbit each other and the three binary pairs also circle around each other in a total of five orbits. Castor A and Castor B have a period of 445 years and Castor AB and Castor C complete an orbit every 14,000 years. Individual components have much shorter orbital periods: 9.2128 days for Castor Aa and Castor Ab, 2.9283 days for Castor Ba and Castor Bb, and only 0.814 days for Castor Ca and Castor Cb.
M105
Time: 11:257 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT with 20 mm, 15 mm, 12 mm with 90º FOV
Magnification: x125, x167, x208
SQM: 19.52
Using SkySafariPro, I located M105 halfway below the imaginary line joining Regulus to Chertan. I then used the go-to to slew to that area and saw after much staring in to grey space what was a very, very faint smudge that I centred in the finder scope. I then moved to the SCT and had to make minor adjustments to get the smudge centred in my newly acquired 20 mm lit reticule. No definitive shape other than potentially an oblong out of focus. It remained as an undefined grey smudge on a grey starless star field despite several attempts to see it using the 20 mm, 15 mm and 12 mm. I gave up for the evening, especially in light of the poor quality of the transparency. So disappointing.
Perhaps next time I should try one of the many filters I have to determine if one of them makes a difference in what is seen.
Location: Home
Date: 2022-04-06
Time: 9:30 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x63
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 2º C
SQM: 19.24
No wind or clouds.
![]() |
Constellation: Ursa Major The Big Dipper was standing on its handle above the roofline of our house in the NE. This was my first observation of the double star in Ursa Major! I used the telescope to find Dubhe from where I was observing M35 in Gemini. I then slewed to Megrez before going a little lower on the right. The pair become very evident in the FOV. The stars comprising the pleasingly close pair were: These 2 stars were amazingly bright against the "black background." |
Location: Home
Date: 2022-04-05
Time: 9:15 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x63
Transparency: Excellent (1)
Seeing: Excellent (1)
Temperature: 5º C
SQM: 19.52
No wind or clouds.
![]() |
Constellation: Auriga It's a very open but faint and diffuse cluster. I could see how it got its name while looking through the eyepiece (with a bit of imagination) but it did look more like a cross. I don't think my sketch captured the starfish appearance. To my eyes, it looked like a cross on its side. I had slewed northerly of M36 to find M38. |
NOTE:
I had observed M38 almost 4 years ago at SCO - a night of discovery!
![]() |
Date: 2018-05-18 Having found M36 a few moments ago, I moved my binocs just a little towards the north (~ 1 FOV). M38 was very faint in the binoculars so tried the SCT - success! Still a bit faint and diffuse in the eyepiece but I could see 4 definitive bright stars. There rest of the star field was diffuse; perhaps because of the haziness closer to the horizon, the "cross" structure I had read about wasn't visible. |
Location: Home
Date: 2022-04-05
Time: 8:50 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x63
Transparency: Excellent (1)
Seeing: Excellent (1)
Temperature: 5º C
SQM: 19.52
No wind or clouds.
![]() |
Constellation: Auriga I was visually observing Messier objects and Jerry was imaging DSOs. I slewed the scope "up" from Elnath in Auriga, just west of the line formed between Elnath and θ Auriga. I had used the same technique in a 2018 observation. M37 was seen as a very open cluster. Couldn't determine a pattern or shape other than the curve of stairs in the SE. |
NOTE: I had observed M37 for the first time four years ago, and have looked at it with binoculars many times since.
|
Date: 2018-05-18 Now that I knew M37 is an open cluster (not a globular one as I had assumed 4 nights before), I hoped to have a better chance of finding it just west of the line formed between Elnath and θ Auriga. It was very loose with a bright central star and 5 other bright stars. The haziness near the horizon made for difficulty in seeing more stars of the cluster. I used my binoculars and after a few tries I found it! I drew it as I saw it. Jerry then used our SCT* to confirm it was what I saw.
* At this time, the SCT was not on motorized mount. We jokingly referred to it as the "push-to SCT." |
Location: Home
Date: 2022-04-05
Time: 9:25 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x63
Transparency: Excellent (1)
Seeing: Excellent (1)
Temperature: 4º C
No wind or clouds.
![]() |
Constellation: Auriga I knew M36 was between M38 and M37. After locating M37, I slewed the telescope northerly and a little lower towards the horizon. The centre seemed to be filled with multitudes of dim stars. No one star really stood out as being the brightest in the cluster. Could see where some of the lines of stars were curved like a pinwheel's blade, although one may not guess that from my sketch. |
NOTE:
I first viewed this Messier object almost 3 years ago.
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-18
Time: 10:20 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 30 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x83
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 9º C
No clouds. Hazy near the horizon.
![]() |
I used the grey fuzzy M37 as the start point with binoculars to find M36. Then used the push-to* SCT to obtain better definition of the cluster. I could detect 10 bright stars in a diffuse star field.
* At this time, the SCT was not on motorized mount. We jokingly referred to it as the "push-to SCT." |
Location: Home
Date: 2022-04-05
Time: 9:40 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x63
Transparency: Excellent (1)
Seeing: Excellent (1)
Temperature: 4º C
No wind or clouds.
![]() |
Constellation: Gemini Jerry and I were looking for Messier objects - me to visually observe (outside), him to image (mostly inside). Gemini held its high position above our trees to the W-SW. Located Tejat then slewed northerly and lower towards the horizon just a little. It's a beautiful cluster with lots of stars. I began my sketch with the two bright central stars. There was a curved line of 5 stars to the east of them. Seven stars that went SW then 2 stars to the west looked like a hockey stick with a super huge blade. Didn’t notice nor look for the adjacent NGC 2158. |
NOTE #1: I first viewed this cluster on May 5, 2018 at 10:10 PM at SCO with binoculars. It looked like a fuzzy circle when viewed with averted vision. I could detect 4 bright stars.
NOTE #2: Had another look on April 2, 2022 where I may have also seen NGC 2158 nearby.
![]() |
Date: 2022-04-02 Jerry and I were again looking for Messier objects - me to visually observe, him to image. |
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2022-04-05
Time: 10:00 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 25 mm Plössl
Magnification: x100
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 2º C
SQM: 19.37
No wind or clouds.
![]() |
Constellation: Cassiopeia Tried 40 mm Plössl but the cluster was too small and faint so switched to the 25 mm Plössl. I used the distance from Shedar to Caph, followed the line they formed up the same distance to find M52. Had fun trying to slew at an angle versus a vertical or horizontal line. M52 is much smaller and fainter than the 3 Messier objects in Auriga. Looked almost rectangular in shape with the brighter stars on the north side. |
Planets: Venus
Moon: Waxing Crescent 3.1%
Asterism: Big Dipper, Little Dipper
Constellations: Ophiuchus, Serpens Cauda, Serpens Caput
Stars: Arcturus, Polaris, Mizar/Alcor, ζ Ophiuchus
Messier Objects: M10, M12
Milky Way
Location: Site 14 on Ell Island, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2021-10-07
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 16° C
SQM: 21.64 - 21.40
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Earlier this evening, the 3.1% Waxing Moon shone through the layers of sunset colours and Venus appeared at sunset as well. 8:04 PM We watched the night skies as Arcturus, the Big Dipper's stars (including Alcor-Mizar), Ophiuchus, Serpens Cauda and Serpens Caput appeared. We followed the Big Dipper's pointer stars to Polaris in the Little Dipper; we definitely saw the 4 stars in its bucket but sure if the remaining 3 starts in the constellation were really seen or were just imagined. 8:13 PM
|
![]() |
8:17 PM
Venus is very red when it was approximately 1° above the horizon, as it sank between the trees of an adjacent island. Beautiful!
In binoculars, M10 and M12 appeared as faint fuzzies in Ophiuchus. I used ζ Ophiuchus as the starting point to star hop up the constellation to find these two Messier Objects.
9:22 PM
Jerry asked how to find M10 and M12, and if there were stars in the globular clusters that you could see. I hadn't noticed before but I did take a closer look with the binoculars. I wasn't sure whether or not I could see a few pinpoints of light or not in each cluster.
Constellations: Ophiuchus, Scorpius
Asterism: Big Dipper, Keystone of Hercules, Teapot
Stars: All 7 stars in Big dipper (focusing on Alcor-Mizar), Antares, Dschubba, Graffias, Scutum Star Cloud, ß Scuti, α Scuti (Ionnina), γ Scuti, δ Scuti, ε Scuti
Messier Objects: M6, M7, M8, M10, M11, M12, M13, M20, M22
Planet: Venus
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Hercules, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius
Location: Site 14 on Ell Island, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2021-10-06
Time: 7:30 PM - 9:15 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 15° C - 14° C
SQM: 21.80 - 21.75
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
![]() |
Jerry and I had paddled To Site 14 from Site 15 earlier today and said our good-byes to the Chapmans as they headed for home. From the little beach of our site, we could hear the sounds of youngsters at the group campsite not too far away.
|
8:19 PM
I was scanning the skies for objects I knew where to find. I was locating items but was not truly observing them.
8:55 PM
I located Scutum in the Scutum Star Cloud and identified the 4 corner stars - ß Scuti, α Scuti (Ionnina), γ Scuti and δ Scuti, ε Scuti was part way between ß and δ. Also found M11 - the small fuzzy "golf ball".
For some reason, we headed to bed early. However, while we slept, the time-lapse camera captured a meteor between the Big Dipper and Boötes - the brightest and longest we had ever seen. Jerry, along with 10 others, reported it to the American Meteor Society (AMS). From these, the AMS was able to calculate the trajectory - https://fireball.amsmeteors.org/imo_view/event/2021/6384.
Constellations: Aquarius, Auriga, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Capricornus, Cetus (tail, not head), Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Gemini, Grus, Ophiuchus, Orion, Pisces Austrinus, Serpens Caput, Serpens Cauda, Taurus
Asterism: Keystone of Hercules, Teapot, Winter Circle
Stars: Aldebaran, η Aquila, δ Aqr, 88 Aqr, 98, Aqr, 99 Aqr, ω Aqr, φ Aqr, θ Aqr, Capella, Castor, ι Cet, Xi Cygni, Nu Cygni, Deneb, Deneb Algiedi, Diphda, Fomalhaut, Kaus Australis, Kaus Borealis, Marfik (δ Ophi), Pollux, Procyon, Rasalhague, Sabik, β Scutum, Scutum Star Cloud, Sirius, Yed Posterior, Yed Prior
Messier Objects: M6, M7, M8, M10, M11, M12, M13, M20, M22, M45
Planets: Jupiter (+ Europa, Ganymede, Callisto), Neptune
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database: Aquila
Could not find: North America Nebula
Location: Site 15, Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2021-10-05
Time: 9:00 PM - 4:45 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 15° C - 13° C
SQM: 21.74 - 18.56
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
This was another weekend with the Chapmans at our annual Big Muise Island Star Party.
Grus (The Crane)
Time: 9:21 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 78, 79
This was the first time this constellation as seen. The line of stars coming out of the southern point of our island caught my attention, especially the triangle at the top and the smaller triangle near the trees. Could not find δ Gru but did find σ Gru.
Pisces Austrinus
Time: 9:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 76, 77, 79
Pisces Austrinus always catches my attention at the south end of our island, with α Fomalhaut always catching my attention first. I took a few minutes to locate the other 7 main stars in this fish.
The Teapot, M6 (Butterfly Cluster), M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster), M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M20 (Trifid Nebula), M22
Time: 9:42 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 67, 69
The Teapot was shining above the far end of the Lake so took this opportunity to find several of the Messier objects in its vicinity. Because it was high enough, I was able to find M7 (Ptolemy's cluster) - that beautiful open cluster of bright stars found near Kaus Australis. M6 (Butterfly Cluster) was found not too far from M7. Using an imaginary line going through the Teapot spout, I found M8 then M20 not too far away. Their familiar "binocular view" shape and star patterns made it easy to identify them. I used the star of the Teapot lid (Kaus Borealis) to go up at a 45° angle to find a Y-shaped group of stars then a little further out was the small fuzzy ball M22. Another successful session with the Teapot!
Corona Borealis, Keystone of Hercules, M13
Time: 9:53 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 52, 53
Corona Borealis was quite high in the sky and all 7 of its stars readily identified. I used it to locate the Keystone of Hercules which was now very close to the Zenith. Once found visually, used my binoculars to find the little grey fuzzy M13.
Ophiuchus, M10, M12, Serpens Caput, Serpens Cauda
Time: 10:02
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 54, 56
It was on this site that I first identified this constellation in 2017 and was amazed it took up a great deal of sky real estate. I know its components quite well and identified all the stars visually from its tip (Rasalhague) to its toes (Sabik, to Yed Posterior and Yed Prior). I also knew the constellation Serpens which I typically break into its two components - Serpens Cauda (the snake tail) and Serpens Caput (the snake head).
Ophiuchus has two Messier objects that I easily find with binoculars - M10 and M12. I use δ Ophiuchus (Marfik) and head into constellation, finding the small grey fuzzy M12 first. Another FOV inwards and M10 comes into view. Comforting to know how to find them.
Scutum Star Cloud, M11
Time: 10:15 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 54, 56
Another of my favourite areas! The top of the Scutum Star Cloud has two stars (β Scutum and η Aquila) from which I can then find M11 ( the fuzzy grey 'golf ball') and its adjacent 7-star 'golf club'. The 4 stars of the constellation Scutum were easily found as well.
Cygnus, North America Nebula
Time: 10:15 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 54, 56
Going up along the Milky Way, I came across Aquila then continued upward to Cygnus, following it from Albireo up to Deneb. Dave described how to find the North America Nebula using Deneb, ξ Cygni and ν Cygni. However, still no luck finding it.
Aquarius, Neptune
Time: 10:28 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 75,76
I was able to locate all the stars in the 'bucket' of Aquarius - δ Aqr, 88 Aqr, 98, Aqr, 99 Aqr, ω Aqr, ψ Aqr and θ Aqr. Little blue Neptune was found about 3° away from ψ Aqr.
Capricornus, Jupiter
Time: 11:05 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 75, 76
Capricornus always makes me smile. To me, it looks like the big grin a clown would paint on their face. Most of its main stars were located. Jupiter was visually located as one side of a triangle with Deneb Algiedi and Nashira. Using my binoculars I discovered Europa very close to the planet with Ganymede and Callisto close together and a little further out on the same side. Io was on the other side.
Cetus
Time: 11:23 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 4, 6
I recognized a star formation that I suspected was part of Cetus. I was correct but only the 'tail' portion was visible. ι Cet was furthest up in the sky; ß Ceti (Diphda) was also visible and quite bright.
Winter Circle, Pleaides
Time: 4:40 AM
Equipment: Visual
I woke up because "nature called" so decided to go out to the beach to see what I could see. And there it was - the Winter Circle! Starting with Orion and his contribution Rigel, then Canes Major and Sirius, Canes Minor and Procyon, Gemini's Pollux and Castor, Auriga's Capella and leaving Taurus to finish the circle with Aldebaran. I had to looked away from Taurus towards Perseus to discover the Pleaides, a.k.a. M45. Within the open cluster is a group of stars forming the shape of a mini-shopping cart. Another beautiful star formation with such beautiful nebulosity.
IWLOP #102 - Mare Cognitum & Kuiper
Mare Cognitum, the “Known Sea,” was named in 1964 to mark the successful flight of the Ranger 7 spacecraft, which sent back the first detailed television pictures of the lunar surface. Kuiper, located in central Cognitum, is an excellent example of a small, simple crater.
Location: 9.8 S 22.7 W Origin: Impact Size: 6.8 km (Kuiper) Rukl: 42 Type: Simple Crater (CS)
Objects: Mare Cognitum, Ranger 7 landing site, Kuiper, Darney, Mons Moro
Others Identified: Darney C, Eppinger
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-28
Time: 8:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 90° FOV
Magnification: x210
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Mare Cognitum is between Oceanus Procellarum in the northwest, Mare Nubium in the southeast, and Mare Humorum in the southwest. The Ranger 7 landed southeast of Kuiper.
R2: Kuiper is in the centre of the mare in what appears to be a flat plains. Darney is located in a rugged mountainous area south of Kuiper and appears to be about twice the size of Kuiper.
C1: There are several wrinkle ridges throughout the Mare.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-22
Time: 9:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
C2: Mons Moro appeared as a small raised area or mountain (?) SW of Kuiper and NW of Darney on Mare Cognitum. Couldn't make out any distinctive features.
NOTE: (July 15, 2021) Investigated to confirm my findings last year regarding size and found that Darney's width is 15 km which is a little more than twice the size of Kuiper. Good guess on my part.
IWLOP #101 - Kies, Mercator & Campanus
Kies is a flooded crater with a nearby volcanic dome designated π (Pi). Mercator and Campanus are two nearly equal-sized craters located at the edge of Mare Nubium.
Location: 26.3 S 22.5 W Origin: Impact Size: 44 km (Kies), 47 km (Mercator), 48 km (Campanus)
Length: 180 km (Rupes Mercator) Rukl: 53 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Kies, Bullialdus, Mercator, Rupes Mercator, Volcanic Dome Kies π, Campanus
Others Identified: Capuanus, Capuanus A, Bullialdus A & B, Campanus A, Dunthorne, König & König A, Marth, Ramsden
Location: Home
Date: 2021-06-21
Time: 12:15 AM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 17° C
SQM: 18.86
R1: Directly south of Bullialdus is Kies. It's walls are barely seen; the SW has a small area that is quite high. It's shaped like a small magnifying glass, short handle that may be higher in elevation than the crater walls. |
![]() |
C1: The volcanic dome just west of Kies designed π was observed; it appeared as a slightly raised area.
C2: Mercator does not have a peak whereas Campanus does. Campanus has a peak, its floor is darker and its sides steeper than those of Mercator. The unnamed rille appears as a thin dark line between the two craters; the south section curves into an area between the craters then heads north towards the small mountains on the mare floor.
IWLOP #114 - Mons Delisle & Mons Vinogradov
Picturesque, small, isolated mountains in Mare Imbrium.
Location: 26.9 N 36.0 W Origin: Impact Diameter: 30 km (Mons Delisle), 25 km (Mons Vinogradov) Rukl: 19 Type: Mounts
Objects: Delisle, Diophantus, Mons Delisle, Mons Vinogradov
Others Identified: Brayley, Euler, Natasha
Location: Home
Date: 2021-06-20
Time: 11:55 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 17° C
SQM: 18.86
There was cloud cover from 11:40 PM to 11:55 PM. Knew where to look once clouds opened for viewing.
R1: Delisle is a little deeper than Diophantus; both are round but couldn't see either floor. Mons Delisle appears as a partial semi-circle, almost tooth-shaped with the point well lit and the base darker. Mons Delisle is steep-sided on the inner curve. | ![]() |
![]() |
R2: Diophantus shallower than Delisle, has a central peak with a ridged west wall. Mons Vinogradov shows 2 bright areas in the SE. The whole area looks triangular in shape with the 2 bright spots on one of its sides. Also, several domes (approximately 12) were seen east of the Mons. |
IWLOP #117 - Mons Gruithuisen Gamma (ϒ) & Delta (δ)
Impressive twin-shield volcanoes on boundary between Mare Imbrium and Oceanus Procellarum.
Location: 36.3 N 40.0 W Origin: Volcanic Size: 20 km each Rukl: 9 Type: Domes
Objects: Mons Gruithuisen Gamma (ϒ) & Delta (δ), Mairan T, Sinus Roris, Mairan
Location: Home
Date: 2021-06-20
Time: 10:45 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
![]() |
R1: The two domes stood out as bright, white entities like sentries standing guard at the entry to some highlands/craters. Delta wasn't as bright as Gamma but Gamma was tall enough to cast a shadow on Delta. Delta appeared elongated compared to the rounded Gamma. Tall shadows created by both. The crater Gruithuisen appears round with a bright rim. Upon closer examination, I realized a small crater had impacted the rim, giving me the false initial impression of a deteriorated wall.
|
C1: Could not see the summit crater on Mons Gruithuisen Gamma.
C2: Most of Mairan was in shadow. Mairan T was beyond the terminator.
IWLOP #105 - Montes Carpatus
Picturesque mountain range located just north of crater Copernicus at the edge of Mare Imbrium.
Location: 15.0 N 25 W Origin: Impact Length: 500 km Rukl: 20, 31 Type: Mount
Objects: Montes Carpatus, Copernicus, Rima Guy-Lussac
Others Identified: Draper, T. Mayer, T. Mayer A & B
Location: Home
Date: 2021-06-20
Time: 10:57 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
![]() |
R1: Montes Carpatus extends east from Gay-Lussac to T. Mayer in the west. It appears to have been impacted numerous times or was created when Mare Imbrium was first impacted. Irregular peaks and valleys along its length. C1: The herringbone pattern of secondary craters begin above Copernicus and continue to the east half way along the range on what appears to be both sides. |
IWLOP #111 - Hortensius & Hortensius Domes
A fine sharp-rimmed crater (2860m deep) with a fascinating group of domes nearby. The domes are quite obvious under the right lighting conditions, but are elusive at other times.
Location: 7.0 N 28.0 W Origin: Impact and Volcanism Size: 14.6 km (Hortensius) and various domes Rukl: 30 Type: Simple Crater (CS) and Domes
Objects: Hortensius, Hortensius Domes, Mare Insularum ("Sea of Isles")
Others Identified: Copernicus, Milichius, T. Mayer, T. Mayer A
Location: Home
Date: 2021-06-20, 2 days after 1st Quarter
Time: 11:07 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 18° C
![]() |
R1: Hortensius is circular; its floor was in shadow. The west wall was very bright. Could barely see the 5 domes; they were noticed because of the slight darkening on the shadow side. C1: Could not see the summit craters on the Hortensius Domes in this session. |
IWLOP #112 - Mare Insularum Volcanic Complex
Volcanic dome complex, smaller than crater Hortensius, in the northern reach of Mare Insularum.
Location: 10.0 N 31.0 W Origin: Volcanic Size: Various domes Rukl: 30, 19 Type: Domes
Objects: Milichius, Milichius A, Mare Insularum, T. Mayer, T. Mayer α (Alpha), T. Mayer β (Beta), T. Mayer ζ (Zeta)
Others Identified: Hortensius, Montes Carpatus
Location: Home
Date: 2021-06-20
Time: 11:09 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
![]() |
R1: Milichius and Milichius A are found north of Hortensius and east of Kepler. They are both smaller than Hortensius. Crater A is much smaller and shallower. Crater π was seen as circular. C1: T. Mayer, T. Mayer α (Alpha) and T. Mayer ζ (Zeta) were located. Not Observed: |
Sun
Moon
Location: Site 1, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2021-06-10
Time: 5:15 AM - 7:30 AM AST
Instrument: Binocular 10x42 IS
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 11˚ C - 13˚ C
We were camping on Site 1 of Big Dam Lake the night before and did some evening observing. For us to observe the eclipse we had to get up early and canoe across the Lake as the eclipse was happening above and behind our campsite. So up at 4:00 AM, had a partial breakfast then paddled the short distance across the Lake onto the marshy shore opposite our site and sat there to view this phenomena.
If you zoom in to the blue dot below Judy's elbow, you will see
the camera's internal reflection of the eclipse.
Very windy. High cloud in the west eventually drifted into our horizon but did not interfere with the initial phases. There was a bit of Earthshine on the Moon, especially on its eastern limb; thought I could make out Mare Crisium and 2 other Mare. The clouds rolled in, preventing us from watching the Moon leave the solar orb.
![]() |
![]() |
Constellations: Corona Borealis, Corvus, Crater, Libra, Scorpius, Sextans
Stars: Antares, Brachium, α Crt, β Crt, α Alchiba, δ Algorab, γ Gienah, β Kraz, Alpheca, ε Minkarα, Sextans, β Sextans, γ Sextans, Zubenelgenubi, Zubeneschamali
Location: Home
Date: 2021-06-09
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:25 PM ADT
Equipment: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 17° C - 15° C
Transparency: Excellent (5) but deteriorated to 2
Seeing: Excellent (5) but deteriorated to 3
No wind. High cloud in the west eventually drifted to our horizon. Could not view Ophiuchus as it was hidden by the trees over our beach area. I had brought along my newly acquired 2.1 x 42 Binoculars to try out.
Corvus Equipment: Visual, 10x42 binoculars S&T Chart: 47 Corvus was easily located. The 5 main stars (α Alchiba, β Kraz, δ Algorab, γ Gienah, ε Minkar) and two smaller one (η near Algorab, ζ that formed a triangle with Minkar and Kraz). η appeared to be very close to Algorab, making it appear as a double star. |
![]() |
Crater
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 binoculars
S&T Chart: 36
Being adjacent to Corvus made this constellation easy to find. α Crt and β Crt were below the treeline on the other side of the pond so could not be seen. The stars in this constellation were not as bright as those in Corvus.
![]() |
Sextans Equipment: Visual, 10x42 binoculars S&T Chart: 36, 37 I saw a triangle shape of stars low on the horizon, adjacent to Crater above the trees. Α Sex, β Sex and γ Sex were identified as the three stars observed. I always confuse this constellation with Triangulum which is further north near Aries and Andromeda. |
Corona Borealis / Northern Crown
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 binoculars
S&T Chart: 53, 55
This semi-circle of stars is one of my favourites to locate. It's next to Boötes (and Arcturus), and I use it to locate the Keystone of Hercules and M13. Did not look for M13 this particular evening. The 7 stars stood out, especially Alpheca. On this particular night, the crown looked more like a cup, with its opening pointing straight up.
Libra
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 46, 57
This large triangle-shaped constellation never disappoints, especially when one has such fun pronouncing its α and β star names. I was able to locate Zubenelgenubi, Zubeneschamali and Brachiium. Did not search for the other 3 main stars.
Scorpius, M4
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 binoculars
S&T Chart: 56, 58
The claws and most of the body of Scorpius were identified; however, the tail stars were not visible above the horizon. Antares was very red this evening. σ Scorpii was easily seen and with the binoculars could easily find the faint fuzzy M4. I did not look for M80 which was at the same declination as δ Scorpii.
Unique and currently uncharacterized local "swirl" of lighter material on the floor of Oceanus Procellarum and an area with a stronger than usual magnetic field. The crater, named for famous astronomer Galileo Galilei, is located to the southwest of Reiner Gamma.
Origin: Unknown Diameter: n/a Rukl: 28 Type: Albedo and Crater
Objects: Reiner Gamma, Galilaei, Planitia Descensus, Luna 8 landing site, Luna 9 landing site, Cavalerius, Hevelius
Others: Reiner
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-24
Time: 9:58 PM - 11:28 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7mm eyepiece with 2x Barlow
Magnification: x1000
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
RI: Reiner Gamma is very white on dark mare floor.
R2: Galilaei is oval looking and small. Bright west wall due to terracing/slumping (?).
R3: Planitia Descensus has a north ridge that's beside a dark lava area, the latter of which appears to be flat.
R4: The Luna 8 landing site is approximately half way between Galilaei and Planitia Descensus in what appears to be a relatively flat, crater-free area.
C1: Sketch of Reiner Gamma is below.
Note: The craters Cavalerius and Hevelius are west of the Luna 8 landing site.
IWLOP #030 – Hommel
Extremely complex crater with several overlapping structures.
Location: 54.6 S 33.0 E Origin: Impact Size: Crater 125 km Rukl: 75 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Hommel, Pitiscus, Vlacq, Rosenberger, Search, Biela, Hagecius
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-20
Time: 10:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Located Hommel SSW of Janssen. Identified its craters A, B, C, D, H and P. Also located J, Q, R, S, and V. NOTE: It was difficult to discern exactly where this crater's walls were located given the numerous impacts it had on or near its original walls. Took a photo at the telescope of what I was viewing then used Rukl to help determine what I was seeing. |
![]() |
R2: Pitiscus had an off-centre crater next to a raised formation; there was a terraced SW wall with a crater. Vlacq appears to have sharp edges and perhaps 2 peaks or a split central peak. Rosenberger is shallower and its SW rim appears worn. |
|
C1: Biela is an oval with crater C impacting its NE rim; crater A is just above crater C. Nearch and its crater A were also identified. Hagecius has large craters B and C on its SE walls. |
![]() |
IWLOP #025 – Mare Nectaris ("Sea of Nectar")
The smallest of the major circular maria at 350 km across, it formed about 3.92 billion years ago. Even though Mare Nectaris is relatively small compared to other large basins, it still covers over 10 degrees of the lunar surface and may require various terminator angles for optimum views of all the features listed below. The absence of rilles may relate tot he relative thinness of lava in this mare.
Location: 15.0 S 40-30 E Origin: Impact and Volcanism Size: 350 km Rukl: 58, 47 Type: Basin
Objects: Mare Nectaris, Bohnenberger, Rosse, Beaumont, Daguerre
Others Identified: Capella, Fracastorius, Isadoris, Mädler, Theophilis
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-17
Time: 9:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Wrinkle ridges on eastern areas of Mare Nectaris and west of Bohnenberger are almost parallel to Montes Pyrenaeus. Arcurate rilles not evidenced.
C1: Bohnenberger is west of the lower half of the Montes Pyrenaeus. Rosse is slightly off-centre of the Mare and it appears that its ejecta runs north-south with some going eastward. Beaumont (west of Fracastorius) looks to have its northern rim eroded; couldn't see features on its floor.
C2: Daguerre at this point in the lunation appeared almost as a ghost crater. However, the ejecta ray from Mädler goes through one of the craters just inside Daguerre's eastern rim, and that helped identify Daguerre's location.
IWLOP #032 – Wohler
Slightly elongated intermediate crater with a smooth floor.
Location: 38.2 S 31.4 E Origin: Impact Size: Crater 27 km Rukl: 67 Type: Intermediate Crater (CI)
Objects: Wohler, Stiborius, Stiborius C, Nicolai, Spallanzani
Others Identified: Lindenau, Rabi Levi, Riccius, Zagut
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-17
Time: 9:37 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
SQM: 19.01
Temperature: 18° C
R1: Wohler has no central peak; its SW wall is wider and steeper than the NE wall. Not as deep as Stiborius. Stiborius has a central peak and appears to be in a relatively flat area (of another crater?). The SW wall is particularly steep, and wide walls in the SW. Stiborius C much shallower and smaller.
C1: Nicolai looked circular with 2 craters on its north wall and had a flat floor. Nicolai A also noted. Spallanzani looked to have a small crater on its west wall and was much smaller than Nicolai. Because Spallanzani was close to the terminator, I couldn't see its floor or interior rim details.
C2: Numerous craters were seen in this area - craters upon craters.
![]() |
![]() |
IWLOP #046 - Zagut, Rabbi Levi & Lindenau
Interesting group of craters located in a crowded and somewhat difficult area to navigate.
Location: 32.0 S 22.1 E Origin: Impact Size: 79 km (Zagut), 82 (Rabbi Levy), 53 (Lindenau) Rukl: 67 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Rabbi Levi, Zagut, Zagut A & E, Lindenau, Rothman, Celsius
Others Identified: Altai Scarp, Piccolomini, Riccius, Wilkins
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-17
Time: 9:25 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Temperature: 17.1° C - 9° C
SQM: 17.77
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Zagut had the large central Zagut A on its floor and Zagut E on its east wall. Rabbi Levi had 5 craters in its western floor plus numerous others on its eastern wall. Lindenau had 2 peaks split by a rille; its western wall appeared terraced/slumped almost to the peaks. | ![]() |
![]() |
R2: The circular Rothman was located northeast of the trio craters and had a central peak plus steep walls. Celsius was west of the three, forming a triangle with Zagut and Rabbi Levi. Besides the north crater on its floor, there appeared to be other structures such as rilles on its north floor. Every wall of Celsius appears to have small craters. |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (16.2%)
Q-Day: -5
Moonset: 12:29 AM Moonrise: 9:02 AM
Sunrise: 5:45 AM Sunset: 8:38 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-16
Time: 8:20 PM – 10:30 PM
Temperature: 12° C - 8° C
SQM: 18.56
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Mostly cloudy with large sucker holes that eventually cleared off completely. Got to see Newcomb once more and its related craters, A, B, C, G, and J. Craters J and G were in line with A. Crater G looked to be the shallowest and to be the most elongated. B and C were identified to the NE of this line of craters. Could very easily see the clump on one end of the crater and where Crater A had impacted its NW rim. Montes Taurus was seen as well to its SW.
|
|
IWLOP #022 – Janssen
Large crater with a 140 km system of rilles on its floor.
Location: 44.9 S 41.0 E Origin: Impact Size: 250 km Rukl: 68, 67 Type: Simple Crater (CS)
Objects: Janssen, Lockyer
Others Identified: Fabricus, Janssen A, Metius, Rimae Janssen, Steinheil, Watt, Janssen craters T, D, F, S, E, R, M, J, C, X
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-16
Time: 9:25 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: There were several secondary craters on the Janssen floor. Fabricus interrupts its N-NE landscape and Lockyer interrupts it in the SW. The rim appears pockmarked with small craters.
C1: There was a rille from Fabricus that cut through the central peak, headed south and split east of Lockyer. There was a hint of a northern part that entered Fabricus and then passed between Fabricus and Janssen A, but not sure.
IWLOP #023 – Montes Pyrenaeus
Near the crater Bohnenberger (33 km), Montes Pyranaeus appears as a ridge forming part of an inner ring of the Mare Nectaris.
Location: 14.0 S 41.0 E Origin: Impact Size: 250 km Rukl: 48, 47, 58 Type: Mount
Objects: Montes Pyrenaeus, Bohnenberger, Gutenburg
Others Identified: Bellot, Colombo, Cook, Gaudibert, Magehaens, Mange, Santbech
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-16
Time: 9:50 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
R1: Bohnenberger was on the west side of Montes Pyranaeus; small craters to the north and south. A north crater and Bohnenberger appear to form the exterior walls of a valley. Half way up , there is an east-west break the mountain range. There's a jagged ridge on the the N side of the valley - both sides of the valley, actually. The valley looks to be crossed with 2 ridges.
The Montes Pyrenaeus appears short with interruptions, but its western edge appears to be continuous from Bognenberger to Gutenberg.
IWLOP #016 – Franklin & Cepheus
Fine duo of craters located to the northeast of Lacus Somniorum.
Location: 38.8 N 47.7 E Origin: Impact Size: 56 km, 40 km Rukl: 15 Type: Simple Crater (SC)
Objects: Franklin, Cepheus, Cepheus A
Others Identified: Atlas, Berzelius, Hercules, Oersted, Posidonius
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-15
Time: 8:50 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
R1: Franklin: Central peak, well terraced crater walls. Appeared to have one area of its wall that wasn't as clearly defined as the rest; perhaps due to lighting or my perception of reality.
R2: Cepheus: Smaller than Franklin and to its NW. Crater A impacted the eastern wall and is quite deep.
NOTE: These craters are in a SW line from Atlas. Franklin had a ghost crater to its SE.
IWLOP #020 – Metius & Fabricus
These two prominent craters are nearly equal in size and structure with deep walls.
Location: 40.3 S 43.3 E Origin: Impact Size: 88 km, 78 km Rukl: 68 Type: Simple crater (CS)
Objects: Metius, Metius B, Fabricus, Brenner, Brenner A
Others Identified: Brenner E, Janssen, Lockyer, Steinheil, Vallis Rheita, Watt
Observation 1: R1: Metius B was located on the NE floor of Metius. Fabricus had me questioning why there was a darkness on the floor, like a large rille or rima encircling 3 of the 4 sides of the floor. C1: Brennar looks like a small flame or leaf. Brennar A impacted on its SE rim and could also see E on its NE rim. |
|
Observation 2: Had a much clearer view of Fabricus. NOTE: Discovered in Rukl 68 there are 2 central ridges that create shadows on 2 sides of the crater. The 3rd side is steep near the crater floor and casts another portion of dark shadow. With this magnification, there was clearer definition of the rises on the crater floor as shown in Rukl. |
![]() |
IWLOP #017 – Steinheil & Watt
Two nearly equal-sized craters sharing one wall.
Location: 48.6 S 46.5 E Origin: Impact Size: 67 km, 66 km Rukl: 76, 68 Type: Simple Crater (SC)
Objects: Steinheil, Watt, Mallett J
Others Identified: Mallett, Janssen, Rheita, Vallis Rheita
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-15
Time: 9:13 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Steinheil had a smooth floor and is superimposed on Watt and has slight ridging to the walls. I could see where there was a thickened, terraced wall where Watt was impacted by Steinheil. Watt also had creases on its floor.
C1: Mallet J can be seen on the opposite side of the Vallis Rheita from Mallett.
Note: Both craters appeared oblong but this may be due to closeness to the SE rim.
IWLOP #019 – Newcomb
Named for noted Canadian astronomer Simon Newcomb, whose name is also honoured the RASC's Simon Newcomb Award.
Location: 29.9 N 43.8 E Origin: Impact Size: 39 km Rukl: 25 Type: Intermediate Crater (CI)
Objects: Montes Taurus, Newcomb + A, G, J
Others Identified: Lacus Bonitatis, Newcomb B & C
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-15
Time: 8:20 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Found Newcomb! This also happened to be the last object to observe for the RASC Observe the Moon (telescope version) certificate for which I had completed all 100 objects plus the optional items for that program.
R1: There was a plateau or bay similar in shape to Fracastorius. I looked for this bay SW of Geminus.
NOTE: Could also identify craters B & C adjacent to J & G.
IWLOP #034 – Dorsa Aldrovandi & Mons Argaeus
Note darkened area of Mare Serenitatis in this vicinity, especially when the sun is high.
Location: 24.0 N 29.0 E Origin: Tectonic and Impact Size: 120 km Dorsa Rukl: 24 Type: Wrinkle Ridge(s) (WR)
Objects: Dorsa Aldrovandi, Mare Serenitatis, Mons Argaeus, Le Monnier, Luna 21 landing site, Catena Littrow, Mons Vitruvius, Apollo 17 Landing site, broken areas in Dorsa Aldrovandi
Others Identified: Charcornac, Fabbroni, Littrow, Posidonius
![]() |
Location: Home R1: Dorsa Aldrovandi off the eastern shore of Mare Serenitatis, running between Mons Argaeus and Le Monnier. C1: Mons Vitruvius and the Apollo 17 landing site were located. Catena Littrow and Rimae Littrow were not identified. |
Named for Simon Newcomb (1835-1909), born in Wallace, NS. Professor of Mathematics at US Naval Observatory and internationally renowned astronomer of his time. Namesake asteroid Newcomb 855. His popular astronomy writing inspired the RASC Simon Newcomb Award.
Fresh impact crater already included as objective [19], between Cleomedes and Posidinius, NW of Mare Crisium.
Diameter: 39 km Rukl: 25
Objects: Newcomb; craters, A, J, G; Montes Taurus
Other Objects: Lacus Bonitatis; craters B, C
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-15
Time: 8:20 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Temperature: not recorded
Seeing: Poor (1)
Transparency: Fair (2)
Crater A had impacted the SW wall of Newcomb. Craters J and G were in line with A; B and C were adjacent to them.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (9.7%)
Q-Day: -4
Moonrise: 8:10 AM
Sunrise: 5:46 AM Sunset: 8:37 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-15
Observation 1:
Time: 9:00 PM – 9:50 PM
Temperature: 8° C
SQM: 18.56
Equipment: 6” Dobsonian, 9.7 mm + 15 mm eyepieces
Magnification: x124 + x80
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Quite excited when my Moon app showed that Newcomb - the last object to be viewed - could potentially be seen. Quickly set up the Dob and inserted the 9.7 mm eyepiece. The image as not only backwards but also upside-down. How confusing!
Once I had it figured out, I recognized Cleomedes, Burckhardt and Geminus as the 3 large craters “below” (in reality it was above) Crisium. Macrobius was located on the west side of Crisium. I then identified Lacus Bonitatis; there appeared to be a bay or plateau “below” it and Newcomb was beside this not too far from the terminator. Consequently, did not get a good view of the crater. Perhaps I need to wait a while and try again?
Observation 2:
Time: 11:05 PM – 12:00 AM
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 9.7 mm + 15 mm + 4.7 eyepieces
Magnification: x258 + x167 + x532
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
![]() |
Moon was getting quite low and there was light cloud cover occasionally. I tried all three eyepieces; the 4.7 mm was too zoomed in and difficult to focus at x532 magnification. However, even though it was almost 2 hours later, I was unable to get the detail of the crater itself. Therefore, no sketch. Looking at Rukl 25 and comparing it to the view I had in the telescope and later in the very fuzzy photo I took with my iPhone, I could identify A, B, C, J and G beside it but could not describe any details. Montes Taurus was seen briefly as they were on the terminus. Lesson learned – take out the big scope first!
|
Maria, etc.: Lacus Bonitatis
Craters: Cleomedes, Newcomb, Macrobius
Craters not on ETM List: Burckhardt, Geminus
Isolated mountain groups that may be the remnants of the southwestern border of Mare Imbrium.
Origin: Impact Diameter: 90 sq. km Rukl: 19 Type: Mount
Objects: Montes Harbinger, Prinz
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-24
Time: 11:09 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
SQM: 18.7
Temperature: 7° C
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
RI: Montes Harbinger has 3 main peaks very easily identified. 4 minor peaks (2 north of the pair and 2 south of it). Appears to be located in the ejecta from Aristarchus.
C1: S-SW wall is not existent in Prinz. The horseshoe-shaped centre perhaps filled by lava flow and/or ejecta.
IWLOP #122 – Aristarchus Plateau & Vallis Schröteri
Aristarchus is a bright, complex crater that is a little older than Tycho, and is located near the edge of a unique plateau that rises 2 km over Oceanus Procellarum. Vallis Schröteri was a lava tunnel that carried lava from the highland plateau to the adjacent basin.
Location: 23.7 N 47.7 W Origin: Impact and Tectonic Size: 40 km (Aristarchus), 230 km diameter Rukl: 18 Type: Complex Crater (CC) and Valley
Objects: Aristarchus, Mare Procellarum, Oceanus Procellarum, Vallis Schröteri, Montes Agricola, Rupes Toscanelli, Toscanelli, Rimae Aristarchus, Herodotus, Mons Herodotus
Others Identified: Angstrom, Bessarion, Bessaarion A, Brayley, Dorsa Burnet, Krieger, Montes Harbinger, Prinz, Schiaparelli, Väisälä, Wollaston
Reference: Rukl 18
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-24
Time: 9:53 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
R1: Aristarchus was quite bright. Bright rays of ejecta to the south and west. The diamond-shaped plateau was darker than the surrounding Oceanus Procellarum. Ejecta may have gone as far as Montes Carpatus and meets those of Kepler in the south.
R2: Vallis Schröteri starts on Oceanus Procellarum, meanders N, then NW, then South. The rille ends in a cobra head north of Herodotus.
R3: Montes Agricola well lit on the eastern slopes. It formed a border of the diamond plateau.
C1: The 3 rilles not observed at this time.
C2: Saw the cobra head NE of Herodotus.
C3: Mons Herodotus was a singular bright spot between the Vallis and Montes Agricola. Two other bright "spots" to the North but too far to be related (?).
This was my first observing of this feature. It seen again on July 10, 2022 (General Session - July 10, 2022 (Sleepover)) with our youngest granddaughter.
My sketch as seen through my Meade SCT telescope that provides a mirror-reversed image. |
Photo from Astronomy magazine, June 2021 edition.
|
IWLOP #115 - Kepler & Encke
Recent impact crater Kepler (32 km), with its uneven floor and bright ray system, contrasts with older crater Enke of nearly the same size.
Location: 8.1 N 38.0 W Origin: Impact Diameter: 32 km (Kepler), 29 km (Encke) Rukl: 30 Type: Complex Crater
Objects: Kepler, Encke
Observation 1: R1: Kepler deeper than Encke. Kepler, because of its size, gave me the initial impression it was shallower until I looked at it in more detail using a different eyepiece (9.7 mm vs. 4.7 mm). Kepler's floor and inner walls quite bright compared to Encke. C2: The tiny crater N was barely discernible on the west wall of Encke. It took patience; had to wait for the seeing to improve. |
![]() |
Observation 2: R2: Kepler's rays extend north to Aristarchus, west to Reiner and Gamma Reiner, and overlaps some of the ejecta from Copernicus in the east. Very little ejecta visible to the south. C1: The extent of Kepler's ray system was sketched. |
![]() |
Observation 3:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-06-20
Time: 10:37 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
I decided to have another look at these two craters.
IWLOP #013a – Eastern Mare Fecunditatis
A mare consisting of two contiguous, nearly round areas of dark Basaltic lavas. The northern part is three times larger than the southern and exhibits a number of dorsa. These lavas probably overlie an impact basin of pre-Nectarian age. Mare Fecunditatis covers 20 degrees of the lunar surface and may require various terminator angles for optimum views of all the features listed below.
Location: 4.0 S 42-62 E Origin: Impact and Volcanism Size: 990 km. Rukl: 48 Type: Basin
Objects: Dorsa Mawson, Dorsa Geike, Dorsum Cayeux
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Time: 8:55 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Good (3)
R1: Dorsa Mawson and Dorsa Geike were readily visible. Dorsum Cayeux could not be identified in this observing session.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-20
Time: 9:04 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
R1: Dorsa Cato, Dorsa Cushman and Dorsa Cayeux were identified. Cayeux appeared to have 2 small crater in or very near it. All three appeared as if they could be part of an ejecta field from Taruntius, with all three heading south.
IWLOP #027 – Sinus Amoris (The "Bay of Love")
Long, slightly troughed, gentle drop in elevation to Mare Tranquilitatis. The flow of lava seems to have been from west to east, from the area around Maraldi, and then southward.
Location: 19.0 N 38.0 E Origin: Volcanic Size: 250 km Rukl: 25 Type: Bay
Objects: Sinus Amoris, Montes Taurus, Römer, Maraldi, Mons Maraldi, Hill, Carmichael
Others Identified: Theophrastus
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-20
Time: 9:34 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Montes Taurus appeared as a raised cratered area. Römer was a slightly elongated circular crater with wide slumped walls. Its central peak was wide and slightly elongated. The tiny crater in its north wall was quite bright compared to the coloration in the walls and floor.
R2: Maraldi is dark-floored with irregular SE and NW walls. Mons Maraldi, north of the crater, is a small oblong structure that is not very high.
R3: Hill and Carmichael are to the east. Their west interior walls were quite bright making them easy to identify.
IWLOP #054 - Abulfeda & Catena Abulfeda
This long crater chain begins at Abulfeda and continues to Rupes Altai. The origin of this chain, which is radial to no known basin or crater, is unclear.
Location: 17.0 S 13-21 E Origin: Impact Size: 62 km (Abulfeda), 210 km in length (Catena Abulfeda) Rukl: 45, 56, 57 Type: Crater, Catena
Objects: Abulfeda, Catena Abulfeda, Rupes Altai
Others Identified : Almanon, Descartes, Tacitus
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-20
Time: 9:19 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
![]() |
R1: Albulfeda has a flat floor with a small central crater. Whereas most of the walls look thick and terraced, the W wall looks steep/ridged. C1: Some craters on the north wall of Albufeda are smaller and shallower than others. |
IWLOP #089 - Timocharis
Prominent crater located near the middle of Mare Imbrium.
Location: 29.0 N 13.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 34 km Rukl: 21 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Timorcharis, Feuillée, Beer, Heinrich, Dorsum Higazy, Dorsum Grabeau, Landsteiner
Others Identified: Archimedes, Bancroft, MacMillan, Montes Archimedes, Wallace
Observation 1: R1: Floor of Timocharis was completely in shadow during this session; couldn't see any of the floor. C1: Dorsum Higazy seemed to begin near Heinrich and curve around Timocharis until it approached Dorsum Grabeau. |
![]() |
![]() |
Observation 2: R1: Ejecta field around the crater but most of spray appeared to head towards Archimedes, almost reaching Feuillée and Beer. Only the east rim created a shadow on the east wall. While the actual floor was small, walls were thick and the west wall was ridged. The crater floor was completely visible, perhaps the dark point/shadow was evidence of a central peak. |
IWLOP #091 - Stadius
Ghost crater, subtle circular depression edged with incomplete low walls and crater pits. Stadius is slightly larger but much less prominent feature than nearby Eratosthenes. It is located roughly one crater diameter to the SW of Eratosthenes.
Location: 10.5 N 13.7 W Origin: Impact Size: 69 km Rukl: 32 Type: Compact Crater (CC)
Objects: Stadius, Eratosthenes, Mare insular
Others Identified: Montes Apenninus, Sinus Aestuum
Location: Home R1: Stadius appears as a ghost crater. The tallest part of Stadius' crater walls is in the NE and SW. The NW and SE crater walls don't appear - flooding? disintegration? or both? There were hints of numerous very small craters on its floor, but I wasn't sure. |
![]() |
Lunar Phase: First Quarter (51.8%)
Q-Day: 0
First Quarter: 4:00 AM
Moonrise: 12:12 PM
Sunrise: 6:21 AM Sunset: 8:06 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-20
Time: 7:45 PM – 10:00 PM
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece with x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Just started to identify where I was on the lunar surface when our grandson William and his parents arrived. As he arrived, I had located Stadius. After showing him the crater and explaining its features, he used the hand controller to look for craters that interested him. They left around 8:30 PM.
My greatest success this evening? Apollo 16 landing site!! It was in a relatively “flat” area surrounded by a ring of craters. Beginning at the north and going clockwise: |
|
Alfraganus was also located while looking for Albulfeda.
NOTE: Discovered afterwards that Apollo 16 landed on the Cayley Plains.
This session was devoted to lunar observing. A couple of IWLOP objects were viewed.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (47.2%)
Q-Day: -1
Moonset: 2:32 AM Moonrise: 11:10 AM
Sunrise: 6:23 AM Sunset: 8:05 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-19
Time: 7:30 PM - 10:05 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x531 + x1060
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 12º C - 9º C
Light breeze with little to no clouds.
Couldn't find anything "new" for the Explore the Moon (ETM) version but did view several previously viewed features for the ETM plus new ones for the Isabel Williamson Lunar Observing Program (IWLOP).
It was fun seeing features under a different light from previous observations. The "re-discovered" features viewed in a bit more detail were:
- Cassini and Vallis Alpes. Refer to IWLOP #68 - Montes Alpes & Vallis Alpes and Explore the Moon (Telescope) - April 19, 2021.
- Purbach with its line of crater that broke its north wall and continued onto its floor. Refer to IWLOP #73 - Regiomontanus & Purbach for more details.
- Walther to the south of Purbach also had an interesting line of craters across its floor. Refer to IWLOP #71 - Walther for details.
IWLOP #043 – Plinius
Complex crater with multiple central mountains. Appearance changes considerably under different lighting conditions. The darker area around the arcuate rilles highlight lava flows that predate the brighter lava of the sunken inner parts of the Mare Serenitatis Basin.
Location: 15.4 N 23.7 E Origin: Impact Size: 43 km Rukl: 24 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Plinius, Rimae Plinius, Promontorium Archerusia, Dawes
Others Identified: Al-Bakri, Carrel, Maclear, Ross
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-19
Time: 8:43 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Plinius has a rounded central peak like a mini-crater, i.e., raised circular rim with an opening in the SW. West floor and wall of rim appears lighter than those of the east side and there may be 'hills' in the north.
C1: Ejecta blanket is on all side of Plinius. Refer to R1 regarding the hills.
C2: The arcuate rilles (including Rimae Plinius) north of Plinius appear to follow the "rim" of Mare Serenitatis.
C3: The Promontorium Archerusia has a high ridge that follows the rim of Mare Serenitatis; perhaps craters have also impacted the ridge. Dawes appears to have a large area surrounding it that is lighter than the surrounding mare floors; it also has a central peak.
![]() |
![]() |
IWLOP #044 – Lamont, Arago & Ross
Lamont is a large, ruined ghost crater near the centre of Mare Tranquilitatis. It is best viewed under low lighting. Apollo 11 landing site is to the south. Arago features two nearby domes designated Alpha (α) and Beta (β) that are impressive to view when visible.
Location: 5.0 N 23.2 E Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 75 km (Lamont), 25. 5 (Arago), 24.5 km (Ross), Rukl: 35
Type: Intermediate Crater (CC)
Objects: Arago, Ross, Lamont, Ritter, Sabine, Sinus Honoris, Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins
Others Identified: Ariadaeus, Dionysius, Julius Caesar, Manners; Ritter + C, B, D; Schmidt
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-19
Time: 7:48 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Arago and Ross are SE and NE respectively of Julius Caesar.
R2: Lamont was barely visible on the mare floor. Flooded or worn down(?).
R3: Ritter and Sabine both located. Ritter B, C and D were visible. Schmidt was to their SW. They looked to be similar depths but Ritter's walls looked sharper. Sabine's south wall appears to have a break. There is a ridge from Rimae Hypatia that seems to affect it.
C1: The two nearby domes designated Alpha (α) and Beta (β) appear circular, lighter in colour than the Mare floor.
C2: Could not see the summit pits on the Arago domes at this time.
C3: The Ross peak is offset towards the E on its floor. The central peak of Arago appears to join to the north crater wall.
C4: Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins were all seen during brief periods of better seeing. Armstrong appears to be larger than the other two (refer to IWLOP #045 – Moltke & Rimae Hypatia for sketch of location of the 3 craters).
IWLOP #057 - Linné
The actual crater is a small difficult object but the bright halo around it is easy to spot. Linné has been described as a crater, cloud, crater-cone, or pit in a depression. The true nature of this bright and simple crater was settled using Apollo photos.
Location: 27.7 S 11.8 E Origin: Impact Size: 2.4 (actual crater); bright halo larger Rukl: 23 Type: Simple Crater (CS)
Objects: Linné
Others Identified : Dorsa von Cotta, "Valentine Dome"
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-19
Time: 7:59 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Linné has a bright halo around a pinpoint. Stands out against the dark Mare Serenitatis floor.
R2: Viewed Linné eight hours before First Quarter.
C1: In brief moments of very good seeing, I was able to see a black dot just slightly off-centre.
Note: Don't know how much detail is required when asked to resolve its small crater. Could see Dorsum von Cotta to its south and the "Valentine Dome" to its NW. Numerous Dorsa on the Mare Serenitatis floor easily seen. The Mare Serenitatis floor, especially in the N-NW, is particularly darker that that of the dorsum and other parts of the E-SE.
![]() |
![]() |
IWLOP #059 - Manilius
Deep (3.2 km) terraced crater with high (2.6 km) central peak. Eratosthenian-age crater.
Location: 14.5 N 9.1 E Origin: Impact Size: 39 km Rukl: 23, 34 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Manilius
Others Identified : Boscovich, Bowen, Daubrée, Lacus Lenitatis, Lacus Hiemalis, Lacus Gaudii, Lacus Doloris, Lacus Odii, Lacus Felicitatis, Mare Vaporum, Sinus Fidei, Sulipicious Gallus, Yangel
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-19
Time: 8:09 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Manilius was found on the eastern shore of Mare Vaporum. Circular and deep with west inner rim looking ridged (or slumped?). Several lakes to its west and north - Lenitatis, Hiemalis, Gauldi, Doloris, Odii, Felicitatis - and Sinus Fidei.
C1: Banding on the floor was observed. Its centre peak looks like two.
C2: Did. not view this crater under high Sun conditions to note the ray material over Mare Serenitatis at this session.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (38.6%)
Q-Day: -1
Moonset: 2:32 AM Moonrise: 11:10 AM
Sunrise: 6:23 AM Sunset: 8:05 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-19
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:05 PM
Temperature: 12° C - 9° C
SQM: 19.2 at 9:45 PM
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece with x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
The Moon was adjacent to Pollux and Castor in Gemini.
Nothing “new” found for this program but did review some features and found others for the IWLOP. It was fun seeing features under a different light from previous observations. The first “re-discovered” features were Vallis Alpes in the Montes Alpes and Cassini to its south. Cassini was viewed quite well, this time with the higher magnification being able to see craters A and B on its floor. |
![]() |
Next was Purbach with its line of craters that broke its north wall and continued onto its floor. Walther to its south also had an interesting line of craters across its floor.
I then revisited Julius Caesar at 9:18 PM. I had viewed it 2 years ago, but the floor could not be seen well at x250 magnification. This time I used a 4.7 mm eyepiece with a x2 Barlow to obtain x1000 magnification. It was then I noticed that the E and SE walls were in essence non-existent. There was a line of small craters across the east wall from SE-NW. There was a small crater on the NW wall.
This session was devoted to lunar observing. A couple of IWLOP objects were viewed.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (13.1%)
Q-Day: -5
Moonrise: 8:17 AM Moonset: 11:43 PM
Sunrise: 6:30 AM Sunset: 8:00 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 25 mm + 9.7 mm + 4.7
Magnification: x100 + x258 + x531
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 3º C - 0º C
No wind or clouds at the start of the observing session.
Vallis Rheita was the target. This was 1 of 2 unobserved objects in the RASC Explore the Moon (Binocular) and one of many yet to observe for the Isabel Williamson Lunar Observing Program (IWLOP). I also found features not required for this session - Lacus Temporis, and the craters De La Rue, Strabo, Thales and Langrenus.
Found Vallis Rheita! It looked like a series of small craters running north to south, almost like a rib cage with no spinal column attached. The crater Rheita was at the north end with Mallet in the South. Refer to IWLOP #14 - Vallis Rheita for more details of this observation.
I was able to observe and sketch the following items for inclusion in IWLOP. Had lots of fun exploring the surface of the Moon for exciting new-to-me features.
- IWLOP #9: Endymion & Mare Humboldtianum: I was able to sketch the crater but the mare was only partially completed in this session.
- IWLOP #10: Snellius & Vallis Snellius
- IWLOP #12: Stevinus
- IWLOP #35: Jansen
NOTE: Jansen (found in the north part of the Mare Tranquillitatis) is not to be confused with Janssen (found near the SE lunar limb).
IWLOP #004 – Vendelinus
Large, eroded pre-Nectarian crater located near the eastern limb of the Moon. This area can be seen during the waxing crescent phase or the waning gibbous phase, after Full Moon.
Location: 16.3 S 61.8 E Origin: Impact Size: 147 km. Rukl: 60, 49 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Vendelinus, Lamé, Holden, Lohnes
Others Identified: Vendelinus E, F, H, l, Y
Moon Phase: 1st Observation (5.7% illumination)
Moon Phase: 2nd Observation (68.8% illumination)
Observation 1: R1: The northern wall of Vendelinus is worn down. Lava flow perhaps (?). |
![]() |
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Other details not noted
R2: The crater chain in Lamé is visible as shadows in a row along the eastern crater wall that appears to extend beyond Lamé's wall to continue southward and east of Vendelinus.
IWLOP #009 – Endymion & Mare Humboldtianum
Prominent Nectarian age mare-filled crater with wall reaching 4.5 km. To the south, Endymion points to Mare Humboldtianum, also known as "Humboldt's Sea," a limb feature best seen during favourable libration.
Location: 53.6 N 56.5 E Origin: Impact and Volcanism Size: 125 km. Rukl: 7 Type: Complex Crater (CC) and Mare-Basin
Objects: Endymion, Mare Humboldtianum
Others Identified: de la Rue, Lacus Temporis, Strabo, Thales
This session was conducted as part of the lunar observing session - Lunar Session - April 15, 2021.
Location: Home Date: 2021-04-15 Time: 8:44 PM ADT Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece Magnification: x530 Transparency: Good (3) Seeing: Very Good (4) |
![]() |
R1: Endymion appeared elongated with a dark flat floor. NW wall looked ridged. A large flat area to its NW that looked shallower and about as large as Endymion. Lacus Temporis is to its SE.
C1: Mare Humboldtianum just visible on the Moon limb at the horizon. Could not view it all.
C2: not addressed at this time
IWLOP #010 – Snellius & Vallis Snellius
Impact feature associated with Mare Nectaris, likely caused by ejecta plowing out a valley.
Location: 29.3 S 55.7 E Origin: Impact Size: Snellius=83 Vallis Snellius=500 km. Rukl: 59 (69) Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Snellius, Vallis Snellius, Borda, Santbech
Others Identified: Stevinus
This session was conducted as part of the lunar observing session - Lunar Session - April 15, 2021.
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Time: 8:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
R1: The walls of Snellius are not visibly terraced. South rim looks degraded.
R2: Vallis Snellius appears as a small flat area near Borda and then appears as a line of irregular shapes, some being craters as it passes between Snellius and Stevinus. Vallis Snellius does not appear as deep as the craters on either side, and is similar in appearance to Vallis Rheita.
C1: Vallis Snellius has a rib cage appearance, perhaps indicating several overlapping craters (refer to sketch).
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-16
Time: 9:52 PM ADT
C2: Santbech is south of Montes Pyranaeus (refer to sketch). It is circular with a central peak, and an indent or crater on its south wall. Crater D is on its eastern rim and H is just outside its western rim.
Sketched April 15/21![]() |
Sketched May 16/21![]() |
IWLOP #012 – Stevinus
Prominent circular crater with deep-terraced walls.
Location: 32.5 S 54.2 E Origin: Impact Size: 75 km. Rukl: 69 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Stevinus, Reichenbach
Others Identified: Snellius, Vallis Snellius
This session was conducted as part of the lunar observing session - Lunar Session - April 15, 2021.
Location: Home Date: 2021-04-15 Time: 8:38 PM ADT Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece Magnification: x530 Transparency: Good (3) Seeing: Very Good (4) |
![]() |
R1: Stevinus definitely looked deeper than its neighbour Snellius. It's central peak looked elongated.
C1: Reichenbach was in the SW. The partial semi-circle of craters starting at Reichenbach F were F, G, A, R, B, B. Did not see crater A attached to the second B as shown in Rukl.
IWLOP #014 – Vallis Rheita
A spectacular lunar valley that is the longest and widest visible from Earth.
Location: 42.0 S 51.0 E Origin: May have formed with Nectaris Basin Size: 500 km in length Rukl: 68 Type: Valley
Objects: Rheita, Vallis Rheita, Young & Young D, Mallet & Mallet A, Neander
Others Identified: Reimarus
This session was conducted as part of the lunar observing session - Lunar Session - April 15, 2021.
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Time: 8:10 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
R1: Vallis Rheita appeared to run north-south, beginning as a thin strip near Reimarus, widening at Mallet and appeared almost like a ribcage as it went northward towards Rheita. Rheita's peak appeared elongated, i.e., linear not circular in appearance.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-15
Time: 9:00 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
C1: Elongated crater NE of Rheita appeared to have a flat floor; the area in its NW appeared rugged/terraced.
C2: Craters Young, Young D, Mallet and Mallet A were found. Did not find Neander on April 15 nor in this evening's observations.
Observation 3:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-17
Time: 9:49 PM
Other details not recorded
C2: Neander found during this evening of observing other lunar objects. The 'northern' end of the crater floor seemed to be higher in elevation than the south. Part of the SE wall looked deteriorated. The crater itself looked to be located in a raised area - mountains or plateau perhaps?
![]() |
![]()
|
![]() |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (8.1%)
Q-Day: -5
Moonrise: 8:17 AM Moonset: 11:43 PM
Sunrise: 6:30 AM Sunset: 8:00 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Time: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Temperature: 2° C
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece with Moon filter
Magnification: x530
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
No breeze to mention and no clouds to begin this session.
8:10 PM:
The first target was Vallis Rheita, the second last target on the ETM list for me to find. FOUND! It looked like a series of craters running almost straight north south. The crater Rheita was at its north end; Mallet was at the south end. Identified in this area of the lunar surface were:
|
8:38 PM: Identified in this area were: |
8:50 PM: Lacus Temporis to its south, de la Rue, Strabo and Thales to its north. Identified in this area were: |
|
9:00 PM:
Went more southerly to find Langrenus and Vendelinus plus part of the Mare Fecunditatis. I was able to identify several craters adjacent to these two craters: Atwood, Barkla (I think), Bilharz, Holden, Kapteyn, Lamé, Lohse, Noanubu.
Also had a great view of Mare Crisium and its craters and several other features:
Just as John Read suggested in the Moon at Noon, a smiley face appears when you consider Picard and Pierce as eyes and Dorsum Oppel plus the wall of Yerkes as the mouth.
Lacus Perseverantiae came as a surprise! Thought it was just a “space” between Firmicus and the SE of Mare Crisium. Wasn’t until I looked more closely at my lunar map that the area was identified.
IWLOP #077 - Montes Spitzbergen & Mons Piton
Picturesque small mountain range and an isolated mountain in Mare Imbrium. These peaks are interpreted to be relics of inner impact Mare Imbrium rings, and their shadow lengths are used to measure their heights. Montes Spitzbergen peaks rise to 1500 m whereas Mons Piton rises to 2250 m.
Location: 35.0 N 5.0 W Origin: Impact Length: 60 km (Montes Spitzbergen), 25 km diameter (Mons Piton) Rukl: 12 Type: Mounts
Objects: A & B near Piton, Kirch, Mons Piton, Montes Spitzbergen, Piazzi Smyth
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-23
Time: 10:13 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
R1: Montes Spitzbergen is located west of Aristillus. Looks like a backwards "L"; each side is a broken line. C1: The nearby craters Piazzi Smyth and Kirch appear round, saucer-like. Craters A and B were SW of Piton and are quite small and shallow. NOTE: |
![]() |
IWLOP #080 - Moretus & South Polar Region
Moretus dominates this jumbled terrain. It's an impressive Eratosthenian Era crater located in the southern region. Gigantic South Polar Basin is just beyond this on the far side of the Moon.
Location: 70.6 S 5.5 W Origin: Impact Size: 114 km Rukl: 73 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Moretus, Cysatus, Gruemberger, Curtius, Zach, Pentland, Simpelius, Short, Newton
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-23
Time: 10:59 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 4° C
SQM: 18.58
R1: Moretus is located SE of Clavius and has an oval shape. It's floor appears smooth except in its southern areas. C1: All 6 craters were located. Short is south, much smaller and shallower. Newton's east side was largely in shadow and the crater may be deeper than is Short. Curtius, Zach and Pentland form a triangle to the NE. Simpelius in the east has a central peak. None of the craters appear as deep as Moretus. |
![]() |
IWLOP #094 - Montes Recti
Picturesque small mountain range in mare Imbrium that may be the remnant of an inner ring of the Mare Imbrium Basin.
Location: 48.0 N 20.0 W Origin: Impact Length: 90 km Rukl: 11 Type: Mount
Objects: Montes Recti
![]() |
Location: Home R1: Montes Recti appears as a long line of all mountains with several segments - all separate, rising tall from the floor of Mare Imbrium. There are several lower rises at the base of the taller mountains. Montes Recti is located near Plato, Montes Teneriffe and Sinus Iridum. The surrounding mare floor looks very smooth. |
IWLOP #097 - Wilhelm & Heinsius
Prominent large and medium-sized craters located to the west of crater Tycho.
Location 41.1 S 20.8 W Origin: Impact Size: 107 km (Wilhelm), 64 km (Heinsius) Rukl: 64 Type: Complex Craters (CC)
Objects: Wilhelm, Heinsius, hensius A, B, C, and Montanari
Others Identified: Brown, Lagalla
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-23
Time: 10:52 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
R1: Several small craters are on the NE, N and NW walls of Heinsius with some on the western floor. Craters A, B, and C easily seen. Wilhelm appears to have small craters on its north floor. | ![]() |
R2: Montonari's walls are significantly eroded; at times they appear virtually non-existent / well worn down. Montanari D and Wilhelm A adorn its south and north sides respectively. Crater Brown is on its SE and Lagalla is NW. | ![]() |
IWLOP #098 - Blancanus & Scheiner
Two notable craters located near crater Clavius.
Location: 63.6 S 21.5 W Origin: Impact Size: 105 km (Blancanus), 110 km (Scheiner) Rukl: 72 Type: Simple Craters (CS)
Objects: Blancanus, Scheiner, Wilson, Kircher
Others Identified: Naproth, Cassatus
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-23
Time: 10:47 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
R1: Located SW of Clavius, Blancanus has deep terraced walls and some details on its floor. It has 2 peaks and 4 mini-craters on the SE floor. Shadows on Blancanus' floor shows jaggedness of the rim. Scheiner has 3 or 4 craters on its floor. The steep NE wall created tall shadows on its floor. C1: Naproth and Casssatus were seen but Wilson and Kircher were on the terminator and couldn't be observed. |
![]() |
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-23
Other details not recorded
C1: Located Wilson and Kircher NE of Bailly, west of Klaproth/Cassatus. The adjoining wall appears rugged, not clearly defined. Perhaps the impact of one affected the adjoining area (?).
IWLOP #108 - Palus Epidemiarum
One of only a few lava-flooded areas located in the southern highlands of the Moon. It has an irregular shape, a dark floor, and two rille systems.
Location: 32.0 S 27.0 W Origin: Flooded lava plain Size: 300 km Rukl: 63, 62, 53, 54 Type: Palus
Objects: Palus Epidemiarum, Capuanus, Ramsden. Rima Hesiodus, Hesiodus, Pitatus, Rimae Ramsden, Cichus, Weiss, Dunthorne, Lepaute
Others Identified: Elger
Location: Home
|
![]() |
R1: Located Palus Epidemiarum. Capuanus has low NE walls with similar dark-coloured floor as does Palus. Ramsden was rounded with a steep rim and shadowed crater floor.
R2: Actually followed Rimae Hesiodus from Hesiodus to the NW ridge of Capuanus. Interesting how it cut through several lines of mountains and the floors of both Mare Nubium and Palus Epidemiarum.
C1: Rimae Ramsden began near Elger, formed a "Y" near Ramsden; one line continued past the NE wall of Ramsden then formed a backwards "N" shape between Ramsden and the mountains to its N-NW. Cichus was located on the E-SE shore, Weiss NE of Cichus, Dunthorne north of Ramsden and Rimae Ramsden, and Lepaute was west of Ramsden.
IWLOP #109 - Lacus Timoris
A small feature located in the mostly cratered southern highlands. It is long and narrow with a dark floor and inlets.
Location: 39.0 S 28.0 W Origin: Flooded lava plain Size: 130 km Rukl: 63 Type: Lacus
Objects: Lacus Timoris, Epimeides, Haidinger, Hainzel, Heinzel A and C
Others Identified: Capuanus, Mee, Haidinger A, B, D, E
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-23
Time: 10:35 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 4° C
SQM: 18.56
R1: Lacus Timoris has very flat dark floor with a few small craters. Haidinger was above the NE end of the Lacus and I could see three craters in close proximity - perhaps A, B and J (?).
R2: The Lacus is surrounded by mountains with several craters of various sizes on all its sides. The narrows of the Lacus seems to be created by higher peaks on either side. It is dark in colour compared to surrounding features.
C1: Hainzel, Hainzel A and C were in deep shadow; however, their NE rims facing the Lacus and Hainzel's SW inner rim were well lit.
IWLOP #088 - Gauricus & Wurzelbauer
Heavily eroded craters in the southern highlands region contrast with younger craters nearby.
Location: 33.8 S 12.6 W Origin: Impact Size: 79 km (Gauricus), 88 km (Wurzelbauer) Rukl: 64 Type: Eroded Craters
Objects: Gauricus, Wurzelbauer, Ball
Location: Home R1: Wurzelbauer had hilly terrain in its floor. Its NW and SE rims seem deteriorated. Several craters surround it. Gauricus has a smooth floor except for the very noticeable Gauricus F; several craters adorn its rim walls. |
![]() |
IWLOP #082 - Davy & Catena Davy
Notable crater with a nearby chain of 23 very small craters likely caused by a fragmented comet or asteroid impacting the Moon.
Location: 11.0 S 7.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 35 km (Davy), 47 km long (Catena Davy) Rukl: 43 Type: Crater and Catena
Objects: Davy, Catena Davy, Lalande, Mosting
Others Identified: Palisa
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-22
Time: 9:22 PM & 9:40 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Davy is a circular crater with a central peak; its east and west walls looked collapsed. Davy A was round, sharp-rimmed and had impacted the SE wall of Davy.
NOTE: I came across these features quite by accident when searching for the Fra Mauro Formation. Catena Davy was so clear! I was quite excited because a friend had searched for and found it a night or two before and we could now compare notes. |
![]() |
IWLOP #090 - Pitatus
Large Nectarian Age crater with fractured walls located on southwestern edge of Mare Nubium.
Location: 29.8 S 13.5 W Origin: Impact Size: 97 km Rukl: 54, 64 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Pitatus, Rimae Pitatus
Others Identified: Gauricus, Hesiodus, Hesiodus A, B, C, G, S, X, Y and Wurzelbauer
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-22
Time: 9:45 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
Temp: 5º C
SQM: 18.63
R1: Pitatus on southern border of Mare Nubium. Very irregular and poorly defined rim due to fractures and impacts. Large central peak is off-centre. Walls in the northwest are particularly eroded.
C1: Could easily see Rimae Pitatus along the NE and East side close to the rim. Also saw a bit of the Rimae in the NW. Could see some approaching the off-centre peaks but most was seen just inside the crater wall on the floor. The eastern floor was just a bit darker than the western floor.
Note: I was pretty excited to have the dark line going almost all the way from the crater wall to the off-centre peak confirmed after sketching. I was prepared to erase it if indeed I was imagining the dark line that may be a rille.
IWLOP #093 - Fra Mauro Formation
Eroded crater partially filled by ejecta blanket from the Mare Imbrium impact. The Apollo 14 landing site is just north of Fra Mauro crater.
Location: 6.0 S 17.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 95 km Rukl: 42, 43 Type: Ejecta blanket
Objects: Fra Mauro, Apollo 14 landing site, Parry, Bonpland, Rimae Parry, Dorsum Guettard
Others Identified: Guericke, Bundt, Tolansky
Location: Home R1: Fra Mauro is almost flooded and has eroded crater walls; some areas of the wall are non-existent. Only the rim in the NE seems to remain; Bonpland and Parry have impacted the southern walls. Crater floor appears rough. Apollo 14 landing site just north of the crater appears to be a higher elevation. |
![]() |
C1: Rimae Parry has more than one section:
* Section 1 crosses the SE rim of Parry in a NE direction before crossing the east rim and continuing a short distance into the Mare.
* Section 2 extends from the crater Tolansky across the west side of Parry and into the Fra Mauro crater.
* Section 3 crosses the north rim of Bonpland and into Fra Mauro.
C2: Dorsum Guettard begins at the southwest rim of Bonpland and ends somewhere around Crater D. It does have a slight curve to it.
IWLOP #099 - Longomontanus
Very large prominent Nectarian Era crater in heavily impacted region.
Location: 49.5 S 21.7 W Origin: Impact Size: 145 km Rukl: 72 Type: Simple Crater (CS)
Objects: Longomonatanus
Others Identified: Brown, Montanari
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-22
Time: 9:58 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
Temperature: 4° C
SQM: 18.59
R1: Longomontanus had several terraces in its walls with secondary impacts. Its peaks were slightly off-centre.
R2: There were secondary craters in its NW wall and floor, giving it a rough, craggy appearance.
Observation 2: I viewed this crater under better transparency and seeing. The craters in the NW wall were more easily seen. I could make out several on the floor and up the crater wall. |
![]() |
Objects: Lunar Elvis, Lunar V, Lunar X
Others Identified: Blanchinus, LaCaille, Purbach, Warner
IWLOP Completed: 18, 29, 31, 49, 61, 63, 66, 67
Moon Phase: 1st Quarter (52.9% illumination)
Date: 2021-03-21
Location: Home
Time: 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Temp: 13º C - 6º C
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece and 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250, x530
Seeing: 4
Transparency: 4
Jerry had set up his telescope and was outside with me for a while before returning to the house to continue with his astroimaging process. My focus was on a few IWLOP objects this evening. Found the Lunar X in area with Purbach, Warner, la Caille and Blanchinus. The Lunar V was formed by Ukert south of Mare Nubium. Lunar Elvis was also identified.
Also found several of the IWLOP objects this evening. Took detailed notes regarding each of the required and challenge, drew rudimentary sketches of the objects' main features, then finished the sketches indoors based on the notes taken.
Refer 6o:
IWLOP #018 – Palus Somni & Proclus
IWLOP #029 - Fracastorius
IWLOP #031 – Piccolomini
IWLOP #049 - Sacrobosco & Playfair
IWLOP #061- Rima Hyginus
IWLOP #063 - Airy, Arglander & Vogel
IWLOP #66: Albategnius
IWLOP #67: Werner & Aliacensis
IWLOP #018 – Palus Somni & Proclus
Palus Somni, the "Marsh of Sleep," is a dark continental area west and south of Proclus. It's area is defined by an oblique impact that created a differential ray system. The unique character of this area is often best seen after Full Moon.
Location: 14.0 N 45.0 E Origin: Tectonic Size: 56 km, 40 km Rukl: 37, 26 Type: Palus, Crater & Ray System
Objects: Palus Somni, Proclus
Others Identified: Macrobius, Mare Crisium, Mare Tranquilitatis, Mare Anguinus, Lacus Bonitatis
Moon Phase: 1st Quarter (52.9% illumination)
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 7:18 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
R1: Palus Somni is located on the NW side of Mare Tranquilitatis. Proclus is between Palus Somni & Mare Crisium. Proclus appears very white compared to its surroundings.
C1: Bright rays from Proclus go eastward into Crisium; none towards Palus Somni.
NOTES:
1- The extent of the differential rays east and west of Proclus were drawn in the sketch; I didn't used the IWLOP template.
2- Palus Somni had a lighter grey shade/hue in colour compared to surrounding formations. It also appeared rough in terrain with numerous ridges and/or craters.
3- Proclus was oval-shaped. It's NW rim appeared shallow and had numerous ridges that were very white. The floor appeared very pale grey.
IWLOP #029 - Fracastorius
Since this crater intersects the Nectarian Basin wall, it formed after the Nectarian Basin impact but before the area was flooded with lava.
Location: 21.2 S 33.0 E Origin: Impact Size: 58 km Rukl: 58 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Fracastorius, Craters L & M
Others Identified: Fracastorius D, N, W, X, Y; Mare Nectaris
Moon Phase: 1st Quarter (52.9% illumination)
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 8:03 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
R1: Fracastorius - Oval/Almond shape to the crater on south shore of Mare Nectaris. North wall virtually non-existent with similar colour to the Mare.
C1: Crater M located near the centre line in lower half of the crater. Crater L was located in the upper half just off centre. The rille seemed to pass just north of crater M, extending east towards a small crater and ending on the crater wall near crater D.
NOTE: The crater floor north of the rille into Mare Nectaris was darker than the floor south of the rille. There was also a bright line (ejecta?) that ran NE to SW, especially noticeable below crater D.
IWLOP #031 – Piccolomini
Piccolomini is thought to be an Upper Imbrian Era crater superimposed on Rupes Altai and on secondary craters related to the Imbrium Basin (most of the smaller, older craters nearby).
Location: 29.7 S 32.2 E Origin: Impact Size: Crater 88 km Rukl: 58, 68 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Piccolomini
Others Identified: Altai Scarp, Piccolomini craters A, B,C, D, E, F, H, L, M, N, O, T
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 8:20 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Piccolomini easily located at the southeast terminus of Altai Scarp. Large central peak for its size. Terraced walls. There was a "flowerette" of 5 or so craters to its north plus an additional 4 craters.
C1: The southern wall seemed gradually terraced or more worn than the other walls.
![]() |
Observation 2: No details recorded. ![]() |
IWLOP #049 - Sacrobosco & Playfair
Sacrobosco is a pre-Nectarian crater and Playfair is Nectarian. The eroded Playfair G directly west of Playfair is pre-Nectarian since it is covered by deposits of probably Nectarian age. Sacrobosco and Playfair are located at widely separated longitudes so you may need to wait for the terminator to observe them both at the same time.
Location: 23.7 S 16.7 E Origin: Impact Size: 98 & 48 km Rukl: 56 Type: Complex Crater (CC
Objects: Playfair, Playfair G, Sacrobosco
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 6:36 - 7:14 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Playfair appears to be deeper than Sacrobosco and Playfair G. The latter 2 have rims that appear flatter and have been hit by objects to create numerous craters on their floors and rims. Sacrobosco's west rim is very terraced and has 3 craters on its smooth floor (A, B, C). The eastern crater floor appears darker on one side of the ridge compared to that of the western floor.
C1: The 2 craters in Playfair are in the NW quadrant. The 4 craters in Playfair G form a loose square around the centre point. Very tiny craters in all 6 cases. Also, it appears that Playfair was formed after Playfair G as Playfair changes the shape of G's rim.
IWLOP #061- Rima Hyginus (aka Archer's Bow)
One of the most impressive of the many rimae on the lunar surface. It extends from Rima Ariadaeus in the east to Rimae Triesnecker in the west.
Location: 7.8 N 6.3 E Origin: Tectonic Size: 220 km Rukl: 34 Type: Rill
Objects: Rima Hyginus, Hyginus, Agrippa, Godin
Others Identified : Lade, Ukert
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 8:10 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: The crater Hyginus was found in the middle of the curved Rima Hyginus. R2: South of the Rima's eastern tip are Godin and Agrippa. Both craters appear to be deep with central peaks. The western rims appeared steeper than the eastern rims. Godin's peak looked sharper that Agrippa's peak. |
![]() |
![]() |
NOTE: The Rima is also known as the "Archer's bow." Hyginus and Rima Hyginus are east of Ukert where the "Lunar V" can be located. C1: There is a small crater on the northern rim of Hyginus, giving the crater an almond shape. The Rima appears to enter Hyginus halfway on its east side, and splits through the lower portion of the crater. The Rima isn't continuous.
|
IWLOP #063 - Airy, Arglander & Vogel
Relatively prominent features in an otherwise difficult-to-navigate Southern Highlands to the west of Ablfeda.
Location: 16.5 S 5.8 E Origin: Impact Size: 37 km (Airy), 34 km (Argelander), 27 km (Vogel) Rukl: 56 Type: Complex Craters (CC)
Objects: Airy, Arglander, Vogel
Others Identified : Albategnius
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 8:28 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
![]() |
R1: All three craters are south of Albategnius in a line. Vogel Arglander Airy
|
IWLOP #064 - Rimae Triesnecker
This impressive but unusual system of rilles does not appear to be related to subsidence.
Location: 5.0 N 5.0 E Origin: Tectonic Size: 200 km in length Rukl: 33 Type: Rill
Objects: Triesnecker, Rimae Triesnecker, Rhaeticus, Central Bay of Sinus Medii, Murchison, Palus, Bruce, Blagg, Surveyor 4 & 6 landing sites
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 8:08 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
![]() |
R1: Crater Triesnecker is just west of the rille system. It has a small central elongated peak. It is circular in shape with a slight bulge on its west side that appeared brighter than the crater floor. C1: Surveyor 4 & 6 landed near Bruce on the seemingly smooth Sinus Medii floor. Murchison, Bruce, Pallas and Blagg were located. Bruce and Blagg were located in Sinus Medii. Murchison had an open rim in the south and eroded walls in the NE. Pallas had a central peak. |
IWLOP #066 - Albategnius
This is a Nectarian age crater that still retains an off-centred peak.
Location: 11.3 S 4.1 E Origin: Impact Size: 136 km Rukl: 44, 45 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Albategnius, Klein
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 8:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 6° C
SQM: 18.86
![]() |
R1: Albategnius is adjacent to Ptolemaeus and Alphonsus. It has a central peak slightly off-centre. The eastern wall has numerous oval craters. Floor is relatively smooth. The scar on the east wall looks like a valley that ends in two craters. C1: The saucer-like depression on the floor of Albategnius was near the middle of the crater, with the central peak appearing to be on one of the edges of the saucer. There was a slightly darker colour in the saucer. |
IWLOP #067 - Werner & Aliacensis
This is a Nectarian age crater that still retains an off-centred peak.
Location: 28.0 S 3.3 E Origin: Impact Size: 70 km (Werner), 80 km (Aliacensis) Rukl: 55, 65 Type: Complex Craters (CC)
Objects: Werner, Aliacensis, Werner D, Tycho
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-21
Time: 8:48 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
These craters are adjacent to Walther and Regiomontanus.
R1: Werner and Aliacensis both have steep terraced walls and slightly off-centre central peaks. The north wall of Aliacensis appears to have been impacted by Werner's ejecta. Wall not as distinct and some ejecta appears on its floor, almost like a slight depression between the two.
R2: Both Tycho and Werner have sharp-rimmed walls. During the Full Moon phase, Tycho's ejecta is seen splattered over this area (and beyond). Both have a series of terraces on the crater walls.
C1: Werner D appears as bright crater on the north wall of Werner. Werner seems to have one large off-centre peak with two smaller ones. Aliacensis has an off-centre peak near where the change of colour in the floor appears.
Stars: Mizar-Alcor, Vega, ε1 Lyr, ε2 Lyr, δ1 Lyr, δ2 Lyr, ζ1 Lyr, ζ2 Lyr
Asterisms: Coathanger, Big Dipper
Planets: Jupiter
Constellations: Lyra
Location: Home
Date: 2020-11-10
Time: 6:25 PM - 8:00 PM AST
Equipment: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 12° C
SQM: not recorded
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
No clouds.
Mizar & Alcor (in Big Dipper) Located the double star in the handle of the Big Dipper. Here was their orientation to the horizon. |
|
Jupiter (in Sagittarius) Ganymede and Europa on one side of the planet with Io and Callisto on |
|
Coathanger / Brocchi's Cluster Located the Coathanger using Albireo in Cygnus as the start point. What puzzled me was the change in orientation. What I saw was the orientation on the left, not the usual orientation that I see on the right. Time of night or time of year perhaps have a bearing? |
![]() |
Lyra
Time: 6:52 PM AST
Equipment: binoculars
S&T Chart: 63
Easily found Vega in Lyra using binoculars. The double-double (ε1 Lyr & ε2 Lyr) as well as δ1 Lyr and δ2 Lyr were also easily located and observed. I was also lucky enough to see ζ1 and ζ2.
A lava-filled crater located near the edge of Oceanus Procellarum.
Origin: Impact Size: 43 km Rukl: 17 Type: Complex Crater
Objects: Briggs, Eddington, Krafft, Russell, Seleucus, Struve
Others Identified: Luna 13 Landing Site
Date: 2020-08-31
Location: Home
Time: 9:43 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian + 9.7 mm eyepiece with x2 Barlow
Magnification: x247
Seeing: Very good (4)
Transparency: Very good (4)
C1: Seleucus was deep with a central peak. Briggs and Krafft were easily located. Eddington had very shallow or no crater walls on the south and east. The crater walls of Struve and Russell rose on the terminator - Struve was attached to Eddington; Russell was close to but not touching Struve.
The Luna 13 landing site was SE of Seleucus and NE of Krafft. The area appeared flat.
Lava-filled crater located on the east-northeastern limb.
Origin: Impact Size: 81 km Rukl: 6, 5 Type: Crater
Objects: Hubble
Others Identified: Cannon, Eimmart, Mare Anguinus, Mare Crisium, Mare Marginus, Plutarch
Date: 2020-08-31
Location: Home
Time: 8:40 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian + Explore Scientific 4.7 mm with 82º FOV eyepiece
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Very good (4)
Transparency: Very good (4)
Windless night with no cloud cover during the observing session. Jerry was out with his telescope for astroimaging purposes. Waxing Moon at 99.9% illumination.
C1: Hubble is east of Mare Crisium, close but not on the edge of the limb. I used Mare Anguinus and Eimmart as the start points for location as they appeared to be approximately at the same latitude. Hubble looked shallow and elongated (perhaps due to libration?). No peaks or craters visible at this illumination level.
A sharply-defined crater located in a remote area of the Moon.
Origin: Impact Size: 40 km Rukl: 1 Type: Complex Crater
Objects: Markov, Oenopides, Volta, Xenophanes
Others Identified: Sinus Roris
Date: 2020-08-31
Location: Home
Time: 9:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian + 9.7 mm eyepiece with x2 Barlow
Magnification: x247
Seeing: Very good (4)
Transparency: Very good (4)
I had been waiting quite a while to view this crater! Knew it was near Babbage and Sinus Roris. A real treat to finally see it!
C1: Markov was a slightly elongated crater with a pointed southern wall. Oenopides was easily located to Markov's north. Could not see the floor of Xenophanes and Volta but did locate their walls on the terminator. Appeared to be quite tall.
IWLOP #042 – Sinus Asperitatis
Joins Mare Tranquilitatis to Mare Tranquilitatis just to the north of Theophilus.
Location: 6.0 S 25.0 E Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 180 km Rukl: 46, 47 Type: Bay
Objects: Sinus Asperitatis, Torricelli
Others Identified: Craters A, B, F, R, T; Hypatia, Mädler, Theophilus
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-31
Time: 10:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x3 Barlow
Magnification: x371
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: This area has a rough surface, especially between Hypatia and Theophilus. A particular raised rough area between Torricelli and Theophilus - perhaps remnants of a crater wall (?). Toricelli appears to be shaped like a piece of candy corn.
C1: Torricelli looks like a crater within another well worn crater. One of the walls was observed as obliterated due to an overlapping impact.
Planet: Jupiter
IWLOP Observations: 42, L4, L6, L7, Revisited 133 & 134
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-31
Time: 8:30 PM - 11:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT with 12mm 92° FOV eyepiece
Temperature: 14° C
SQM: 18.70
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Very good (2)
Jupiter and Saturn were aligned above the trees in your neighbour's yard. Jupiter
|
|
![]() |
Saturn |
Jupiter
Time: 8:49 PM ADT
Europa as on one side of Jupiter with Ganymede and Callisto on the other. Io was either too close to the planet to see it or was eclipsed by it.
Saturn
Time: 8:57 PM ADT
Saturn was slightly higher and east of Jupiter. It was tilted such that the underside fo the rings were exposed, as was the southern hemisphere.
Planet: Jupiter
IWLOP Observations: 102, 103, 110
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-28
Time: 9:58 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT with 12mm 92° FOV eyepiece
Temperature: 14° C
SQM: 18.70
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Very good (2)
The primary purpose of this session was to observe and log IWLOP objectives. Had success completing three. I also noticed Jupiter so took time to have a look there, too.
Jupiter
Using the SCT, Jupiter was located above the Moon in Sagittarius. The 4 moons were split with 2 per side - Io and Ganymede + Europa and Callisto.
IWLOP #103 - Reinhold & Lansberg
Mare Cognitum, the “Known Sea,” was named in 1964 to mark the successful flight of the Ranger 7 spacecraft, which sent back the first detailed television pictures of the lunar surface. Kuiper, located in central Cognitum, is an excellent example of a small, simple crater.
Location: 3.3 N 22.8 W Origin: Impact Size: 48 km (Reinhold), 39 km (Lansberg) Rukl: 31, 42 Type: Simple Crater (CS)
Objects: Reinhold, Lansberg, Luna 5 landing site
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-28
Time: 9:02 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 90° FOV
Magnification: x210
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
![]() |
R1: Reinhold: deep terraces; some of the surfaces were bright which initially made me mistakenly think they were well-lit craters. Central peaks are small. C1: Easily located two small central peaks in Reinhold. |
IWLOP #110 - Montes Riphaeus
Picturesque mountain range located between Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Cognitum. These mountains are quite impressive when viewed near the terminator.
Location: 6-10 S 28.0 W Origin: Impact Length: 150 km Rukl: 41, 42 Type: Mount
Objects: Montes Riphaeus, Euclides
Others Identified: Eppinger
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-28
Time: 9:20 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 90° FOV
Magnification: x210
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
![]() |
R1: Montes Riphaeus is on the NW border of Mare Cognitum. It separates this Mare from Oceanus Procellarum. The mare floor on the east side of the Montes is dark compared to the ejecta to the west where Euclides is located. Note: The rounded/curved edge of the mountains on the Mare Cognitum side made it look a bit like the remnants of an old crater. The north range also looked like it had been a crater rim. C1: A large dome appeared SE of crater D and N-NW of the western branch of Montes Riphaeus. |
Planet: Jupiter
IWLOP Observations: FLC (unidentified Funny Looking Crater)
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-27
Time: 9:36 PM - 10:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 17° C
SQM: 19.42
Transparency: Fair to Good
Seeing: Fair to Good
Jupiter
Ganymede, Europa and Callisto relatively close to the planet on one side with Io quite a distance out on the other.
IWLOP Observations: FLC (unidentified Funny Looking Crater)
For some reason, I noted this observation in my compiled log but I have no way of identifying where or what this crater was. It was not identified using Rukl or the S&T lunar maps for the purposes of this observation (drat). Suffice to say, it was just an FLC.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (20.8%)
Q-Day: -3
Moonrise: 10:31 AM Moonset: 10:23 PM
Sunrise: 6:26 AM Sunset: 8:08 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-22
Time: 10:14 PM
Temperature: 16°C
SQM: 19.42
Equipment: 6” Dobsonian, 12 mm 92° FOV + 9.7 mm eyepieces
Magnification: x100 + x124
Transparency: poor (1) to fair (2)
Seeing: fair (2)
No clouds and a light breeze. Because of the trees in our yard, I went to our neighbour’s driveway for an unimpeded view. Used the 12 mm eyepiece first but resorted to the 9.7 mm.
Cook looked like a very shallow crater; the sides did not provide any significant shadows. A crater appeared just inside its SW floor and there was one on its southern wall. Its floor appeared to be the same coloration as Mare Fecunditatis.
Montes: Pyrenaeus, Secchi
Maria, etc.: Dorsa Cato
Craters: Cook, Taruntius
Craters not on ETM List: Colombo, Magelhaens, Messier, Messier A, Secchi
Named for British naval captain and explorer James Cook (1728-1779) who spent 4 winters (1758-1762) in Halifax, NS, preparing charts and sailing directions for eastern Canadian Seaways, 5 years (1763-1767) carrying out the first accurate coastal survey of Newfoundland, and he established the location of the Coast of British Columbia (in 1778).
Flooded crater in western Mare Fecunditatis near Colombo.
Diameter: 47 km Rukl: 59
Objects: Cook
Others Identified: Colombo, Colombo A, Goclenius, Magelhaens, Monge, Santbech
Location: Next door to Home
Date: 2020-08-22
Time: 10:14 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian, 9.7 mm Meade eyepiece
Magnification: x123
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
SQM: 19.42
Temperature: 16º C
No clouds, light breeze. Transparency created a small bit of distortion. Overall good viewing from our next door neighbour's yard - they have no trees!
Cook was a low-rimmed crater. There was a small crater on its south rim and ridges to the NW. The NE and East rim seemed more shallow than the western rim.
![]() |
![]() |
IWLOP #007 – Furnerius & Fraunhofer
Furnerius is an old eroded crater with Nectarian ejecta on its floor. Compare this ancient crater with younger Petavius to the northeast.
Objects: Furnerius, Furnerius B, Fraunhofer, Fraunhofer B
Others Identified: Rimae Furnerius
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 10:06 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
R1: Furnerius, Furnerius B, Fraunhofer and Fraunhofer A all easily located south of Petavius. Compared to Petavius, the walls of Furnerius showed very little terracing; west exterior wall is cratered. The north wall looks like lava covered it as there was no noticeable rim.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-22
Time: 10:14 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
C1: Rima Furnerius appears as a very faint ridge just above crater B and goes across the crater floor. Showed a very light and thin shadow. Petavius A was also located on the crater wall, and almost appeared as if Rimae Furnerius pointed to it.
IWLOP #013b – Central Mare Fecunditatis
A mare consisting of two contiguous, nearly round areas of dark Basaltic lavas. The northern part is three times larger than the southern and exhibits a number of dorsa. These lavas probably overlie an impact basin of pre-Nectarian age. Mare Fecunditatis covers 20 degrees of the lunar surface and may require various terminator angles for optimum views of all the features listed below.
Location: 4.0 S 42-62 E Origin: Impact and Volcanism Size: 990 km. Rukl: 37, 48 Type: Basin
Objects: Messier, Messier A, Dorsa Cato, Taruntius, Secchi, Montes Secchi
Others Identified: Anvil
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-22
Time: 10:14 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 25 mm eyepiece + x3 Barlow
Magnification: x144
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
R1: Messier craters very dark and shallow. Didn't see Dorsa Cato in this observing session. C1: The coloration of the floor of Taruntius suggested possible volcanic activity, especially in light of the dark colour in the NW towards the north wall that disappeared into the Mare. |
![]() |
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-20
Time: 9:04 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 25 mm eyepiece + x3 Barlow
Magnification: x300
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
![]() |
R1: While looking for another feature, I came across Messier and Messier A. Two individual ejecta lines were very noticeable across the Mare Fecunditatis floor heading westward to end just above the crater Lubbock. Dorsa Cato was also observed east of Montes Secchi, going basically south from Taruntius towards the Messier craters. There were 3 dorsa appeared as part of the ejecta field from Taruntius: (W to E) Cato, Cushman, Cayeux. |
IWLOP #013c – Western Mare Fecunditatis
A mare consisting of two contiguous, nearly round areas of dark Basaltic lavas. The northern part is three times larger than the southern and exhibits a number of dorsa. These lavas probably overlie an impact basin of pre-Nectarian age. Mare Fecunditatis covers 20 degrees of the lunar surface and may require various terminator angles for optimum views of all the features listed below.
Location: 4.0 S 42-62 E Origin: Impact and Volcanism Size: 990 km. Rukl: 48, 59 Type: Basin
Objects: Lubbock, Goclenius, Colombo, Gutenburg
Others Identified: Colombo A, Gutenburg A, C, D, E, J, Montes Pyrenaeus
Observation 1: R2: Goclenius appeared pear-shaped with the NE crater wall non-existent. Colombo and Colombo A also viewed with Gutenburg. Gutenburg E looked to be created by an impact that obliterated that portion of the Gutenburg's east wall. Gutenburg A impacted the outer west rim of the crater. Gutenburg C's impact obliterated the southern rim and created ejected to its south as well. NOTE: Lighting and magnification not sufficient to complete this objective. |
![]() |
![]() |
Observation 2: R1: Lubbock located in the triangular-shaped highlands. Appeared flat, virtually no rim C1: There were 10 ghost craters that could be seen in the immediate area of the mare floor east of Goclenius. |
Planet: Jupiter, Saturn
Not Located:
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-10
Time: 10:40 PM - 11:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars, 6" Dobsonian with 9.7mm Plössl eyepiece
Temperature: 17° C
SQM: 18.91
Transparency: Fair (4)
Seeing: Fair (4)
Very light breeze with a few clouds. The fog rolling in shortened the session.
Jupiter
Located Jupiter very easily in the SE. Used binoculars first but could only locate 2 of the 4 moons so brought out my 6" Dobsonian. With it, I could not only locate the 4 moons but also see the direction of Jupiter's stripes.
Saturn
Easily spotted Saturn close to Jupiter in the SE. I used my binoculars first but then used the 6" Dobsonian. I was able to discern the orientation of the rings and located one of its moons - Phoebe. then the fog rolled in....
Planet: Jupiter
Not Located:
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-08
Time: 10:38 PM - 11:09 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 18° C
SQM: 19.27
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Jupiter
Equipment: Visual, binoculars
Searching for NEOWISE (failed!), so tried to look for Jupiter and its moons. I could barely see Jupiter with binoculars; did not see the moons. So disappointing!
Planet: Jupiter
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Saturn
Not Located:
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-07
Time: 12:09 AM - 12:15 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 18° C - 17° C
SQM: 18.52 - 19.31
Transparency: Fair (4)
Seeing: Fair (4)
High cloud created fair to poor visibility earlier. Slight breeze. Clouds now gone and therefore an ever so slight improvement to seeing.
Located Jupiter (& Saturn) visually in the SE sky, then used the binoculars to identify the location of Jupiter's 4 Moons.
The 2 maps indicate the path of the comet as it traversed from Ursa Major to Coma Berenices.
July 18 - July 31, 2020
August 1, 2020 - August 6, 2020
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Planet: Jupiter, Saturn
Stars: α Böo (Arcturus), ζ Böo (Mufrid), 36, Com, 38 Com, α Com, Dubhe, χ1 Sgr, χ3 Sgr
HD Stars: 114725, 114762, 115166, 115183, 115381, 115404, 173278, 173744, 174005
HR Stars: 4987, 4992, 4962, 5007, 7007, 7024, 7034, 7083
Messier: M11
Satellite
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Big Dipper, Boötes, Coma Berenices, M53, Melotte 111, NGC 5053, Serpens Caput
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-06
Time: 10:18 PM - 11:50 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 18° C - 17° C
SQM: 18.52 - 19.31
Transparency: Poor (5)
Seeing: Poor (5)
Clear skies. Enjoyed an evening observing with Jerry at home. Clouds coming in the from SSE late rent he sessions negated the ability to view Jupiter and its moons, and other objects in that area of the sky.
Comet NEOWISE
I used α Böo (Arcturus) and ζ Böo (Mufrid) along with the line of stars from Coma Berenices and Melotte 111. It took a while to find with averted vision. I suspected it had gone past α Com. Even when I found it, I was not sure if it was the comet or one of the adjacent DSOs, but the star field I saw confirmed the comet. An email from Michael Boschat was read after I returned indoors and his photo confirmed my observation.
Messier 11 (Wild Duck Cluster)
The main reason for this observing session was to view the comet. However, M11 caught my eye so I was determined to identify all the stars I used to locate the cluster. In the Scutum Star Cloud, I look for β Scutum and λ Aquila then look below them for what looks to be an upside-down and backwards golf club with a 'fuzzy' ball beside the head of the club. That fuzzy ball is M11.
Satellite
Time: 11:27 PM - 11:28 PM
Equipment: Binoculars
Caught motion in Serpens and followed it past Boötes to above Dubhe in the Big Dipper before it disappeared.
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Planet: Jupiter, Saturn
Stars: χ1, χ3, ψ Sgr, 50 Sgr
HR Stars: 7327
HD Stars: 112196, 112735, 113365
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Moon, Boötes, Coma Berenices
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-05/06
Time: 10:50 PM - 12:09 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 19° C
SQM: 18.61 - 18.75
Transparency: Poor (5)
Seeing: Poor (5)
It was cloudy last evening (August 4, 2020) so could not view the comet. There were no clouds this evening, and no breeze.
Jupiter
Time: 11:03 PM - 11:10 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars
S&T Chart: 66
Jupiter was in Sagittarius and formed a triangle with 50 Sgr and HR 7327. All 4 of Jupiter's moons were on one side. Europa and Io were close together and close to the planet.
Comet NEOWISE
Time: 11:12 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 44, 45
Had used Arcturus and Mufrid (ζ Boötes) in conjunction with the line of stars in Coma Berenices. Averted vision was the only way to "see" the comet. No tail was obvious, but it was a round, greenish-greyish fuzzy with a dense, brighter core. I stopped mapping the star field at 11:40 PM as it had now descended into the murky horizon.
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Planet: Jupiter, Saturn
Stars: 35 Com, 39 Com, 40 Com, MP Com
HR Stars: 4873
SAO: 82571
HD Stars: 112196, 112735, 113365
Moon
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Moon
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-03
Time: 10:30 PM - 11:38 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 16° C
SQM: 18.22 - 18.57
Transparency: Fair to Poor (5)
Seeing: Fair to Poor (5)
Beautiful evening. Late enough there were no mosquitoes. No clouds or wind. The 99.7% illuminated Moon affected viewing.
Jupiter
Time: 10:55 PM AST
Equipment: binoculars
Jupiter was located in essence in the centre of a broad-based triangle formed by HR 7410, HR 7327 and 50 Sgr. Saturn was about 6°-7° away from Jupiter whereas the Moon was approximately 18° away in Capricornus. Callisto and Io were very close together on one side with Europa and Ganymede close together on the other.
Comet NEOWISE
Time: 10:38 - 10:50 PM AST
Equipment: binoculars
S&T Chart: 45
NEOWISE formed a triangle with 35 Com and HR 4873. Although I could not see it in my binoculars, I knew M64 (Black Eye Galaxy) was nearby. I initially used the curve of stars in Melotte 111 but found it easier using β Com.
The comet is tracking west through Coma Berenices, moving away from the North Galactic Pole and is getting fainter every day - now at 6.5 magnitude compared to 3.2 at Roy Bishop's cottage on July 18. I'm amazed I can still see it from our back yard. We may have a few more evenings of observing it from home (fingers crossed!).
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Planet: Jupiter, Saturn
Stars: Altair, Deneb, Vega, LW Com, 30 Com, 31 Com, 35 Com
HD Stars: 111066, 111285, 111541, 112127
HR Stars: 4873
Summer Triangle
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Arcturus, Moon, M64, NGC 4725, NGC 4565, Polaris
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-02
Time: 10:30 PM - 11:38 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 21° C
SQM: 18.42
Transparency: Poor (5)
Seeing: Poor (5)
Comet NEOWISE
Boy, what a challenge it was to find NEOWISE with binoculars! Could cover 0:35 PM - 10:55 PM made it challenging to find possible pointer stars, and then there was the transparency challenge plus the 99.5% illuminated Moon. Once the clouds disappeared in the west, there was no problem. I located the curved line of stars 14 Com, 16 Com and 17 Com. I knew the comet was somewhere above this star line and had moved westerly within Coma Berenices.
Lo and behold, I found it! It was below and tot he right between 30 Com and 35 Com, almost directly below β Com. It was moving away from the North Galactic Pole (which I had just learned about from Roy Bishop). Very faint and no discernible tail. All in all, a happy observing session. May have to opt for our neighbour's yard if the comet remains visible and keeps moving west. Our shed and lilac tree are great deterrents to viewing stellar and galactic objects in the W-SW-S.
Jupiter
Callisto and Io were very close to the planet with Ganymede further out, all on the right side. Europa was on the left, about the same distance from the planet as was Ganymede. Saturn and Jupiter were also relatively close to the Moon.
Summer Triangle
Noticed the three bright stars of Aquila (Altair), Lyra (Vega) and Cygnus (Deneb). There was the Summer Triangle!
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) Location: Perrier home in Middle Sackville Clear, no wind. |
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database: Location: Home |
Satellites Comet NEOWISE Jupiter |
We left to go home to get a better sense of where NEOWISE was located in our night skies. Canes Venatici Comet NEOWISE |
Jupiter's Moons |
Canes Venatici
|
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Planet: Jupiter
Location: Home
Date: 2020-07-31
Time: 10:20 PM - 11:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 18° C
SQM: 18.85
Transparency: Fair
Seeing: Fair
No breeze. Flies were an irritant but bug repellent worked wonders! The 92% rising Moon eventually affected seeing and transparency. Initially both were fairly good.
Jupiter
Jupiter and Saturn were quite bright. Three of 4 Galilean moons were seen as bright pinpoints. Io was behind Jupiter; Ganymede, Europa and Callisto were to the right of the planet.
Comet NEOWISE
The comet was above Melotte 111, well below Cor Caroli and not far from γ Com. No tail was seen and, although the comet was located with direct vision at the first sighting, averted vision was required later in the evening. Comet NEOWISE in Coma Berenices
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Stars: γ Com, 9 Com, 14 Com
HD Stars: HD106365, 107053, 107276
HR Stars: 4581, 4673, 4680, 4668
Cluster: Melotte 111/Coma Star Cluster
Moon: 3 days past 1st Quarter
Planet: Jupiter
Satellite
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Coma Berenices, Melotte 111, Moon, Ursa Minor
Location: Home
Date: 2020-07-30
Time: 12:10 AM - 12:40 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 22° C
SQM: 19.08 (at 12:35 AM)
The sky had been cloud-covered in the western sky but cleared near midnight. No wind. Good seeing but not sure if the Moon or high thin clouds affected the transparency.
Canes Venatici
While looking for NEOWISE, I located both α CVn and β CVN to use as pointer stars for the comet. The two stars just fit in my binocular FOV.
Comet NEOWISE
The comet appeared as a faint fuzzy Messier-like object with no sign of a tail. It was at approximately 10° - 15° declination. There was a triangle of stars formed by HD 107053, HR4668 and HD106365 that had also been seen on July 28th. The comet had moved from the right side below this formation to its left side and was closer to Coma Berenices and Melotte 111.
Jupiter
Io very close to the planet. Callisto on one side; Io, Europa and Ganymede on the other side.
Satellite
An ever so small satellite passed below Cassiopeia from Ruchbah to Schedar before disappearing.
Comet: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Stars: Alkaid, 55 Uma, 57 Uma, 61 Uma
HR Stars: 4545, 4574, 4581, 4584, 4593, 4668
HD Stars: 103288, 106365, 107053
Planet: Jupiter, Saturn
Constellation: Coma Berenices
Satellite
Moon: 3 days after First Quarter
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Aquila, Canes Venatici, Cygnus, Ursa Minor
Location: Home
Date: 2020-07-28/29
Time: 11:23 PM - 2:00 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars 10x42 IS, 10" Meade SCT
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Poor (2)
Temperature: 22° C
SQM: 19.11
No wind. Thin, high clouds. It was the first time I can remember being out that late at night in shorts, t-shirt and sandals! Jerry had set up both scopes - my 10" Meade SCT for observing and his Skywatcher Esprit 120 mm aperture refractor to take photos of the Wall in the America Nebula.
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
With binoculars, I started with Alkaid in UMa and searched down to the horizon. Found NEOWISE just above the wiring to our house. As the evening progressed, it went down below the wire then disappeared due to poor transparency. Nucleus was very fuzzy; almost looked like a Messier object when seen through binoculars. The tail was barely observable and was considerably shorter than the night before. However, the comet did appear to be at the same declination as γ Coma Berenices.
Also used the 10" Meade SCT with 30mm eyepiece (x83 magnification). It didn't really provide any additional information about the comet or its tail. Not sure if we will have another night in the coming week(s) to observe it again.
NEOWISE (in Binoculars)
NEOWISE (in Telescope)
Jupiter
Used the Meade SCT with 30mm eyepiece to view the striping on Jupiter. Callisto was viewed by skewing the telescope slightly. The poor transparency made for poor viewing of the planet at this magnification. Also tried a x2 Barlow with a 12mm eyepiece with 90° FOV (x208 magnification) which gave me the view of the stripes.
Satellite
Time: 11:35 PM
A satellite crossed West to East through my FOV across the top of the comet.
Coma Berenices
Time: 11:48 PM - 12:07 AM
Equipment: Binoculars
The busy star field adjacent to Uma and NEOWISE was seen on July 18, 2020 at Evangeline Beach and on July 19, 2020 on Big Muise Island at Kejimkujik National Park. It got my curiosity as to what it was but I did not take the time to investigate. It continued to intrigue me so I decided to take some time to sketch the brightest stars I could see given the sky conditions. Coma Berenices was relatively low on the horizon so that the haze and thin cloud made for poor transparency. I used my binocs to make this observation and drawing.
Coma Berenices
Saturn
Time: 12:20 AM
Equipment: visual, binoculars, telescope
Located visually then viewed with binoculars; could see the rings low on the planet's "ball." With the telescope, saw the orientation of the planet and rings and could also make out one of its moons (Phoebe).
Saturn & Jupiter (in binoculars & telescope)
Comet: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Stars: 55 Uma, 57 Uma, 61 Uma
HR Stars: 4452, 4536
HD Stars: 100235
Planet: Jupiter
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Moon, Aquila, Cygnus, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, Ursa Minor
Location: Home
Date: 2020-07-27
Time: 12:15 AM - 12:50 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars 10x42 IS
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Fair/Poor (2)
Temperature: 19° C
I looked out our bedroom window towards the W-NW to see clear skies and stars. Got dressed, grabbed my phone and binoculars, and went into our backyard. I knew approximately where it was the previous evening, spa went looking below the Big Dipper handle. AT approximately 20° from the horizon and below Mizar-Alcor, I found a fuzzy ball with a faint tail, 2 bright stars aligned on the right and 2 at an angle left of it.
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) in Ursa Major
Jupiter
Comet: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Stars: 47 Uma (Chalawan), 49 Uma, 51 Uma, 55 Uma, 57 Uma, ω UMa, Alula Australis, Alula Borealis
HR Stars: 4264
HD Stars: 94225, 94792, 98682, 98823
Planets: Jupiter
Location: Home
Date: 2020-07-25
Time: 10:05 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars 10x42 IS
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
SQM: not recorded
Temperature: 20° C (at 10:27 PM ADT)
At 10:10 PM, I had looked out our bedroom window to discover most of the sky was clear so decided to take a chance at observing NEOWISE once more. I knew generally where where we had looked the night before. The cloud cover hid most of that part of the sky so that finder stars were out of the question. I didn't use SkySafariPro (needed updating). So, I searched along the lower edge of the clouds and found it!
I drew the comet (sort of) and then placed the stars around it that I could see. Then looking further away, I noticed the semi circle created by 51 Uma, 49 UMA, 47 Uma (Chalawan), HR 4264, and ω UMa. I could even make out HD 94792 and HD 944225 (not placed in the sketch) that were perpendicular to the semi-circle. I now knew where it was!
The comet had shifted a few degrees further west and was now adjacent to the rear leg of the Great Bear. It was really cool to add this location to the plot. With today being 5 months until Christmas, this felt like an early present, one you hope to see but know the chances are quite slim.
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) in Ursa Major
Jupiter
Time: 10:40 PM
I located Jupiter. Interestingly, Io and Ganymede were on opposite sides of Jupiter but Europa and Callisto were nowhere to be found.
Comet: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Stars: 47 Uma (Chalawan), 49 Uma, 51 Uma, ω UMa
HR Stars: 4264, 4285
HD Stars: 94425, 94792, 95296
Location: Home
Date: 2020-07-24
Time: 10:09 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars 10x42 IS
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
SQM: not recorded
Temperature: 20° C (at 10:27 PM ADT)
Partly cloudy and warm night. The comet was barely visible with averted vision above a curve of stars formed by 47 Uma (Chalawan), 49 Uma, 51 Uma, ω UMa, and HR 4264. The tail was greatly reduced in apparent size, perhaps only 2° - 3° in length. It was easily found and seen in 10x42 binoculars by both Jerry and me.
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) in Ursa Major
Comet: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Stars: Tania Australis, Tania Borealis
HR Stars: 4046, 4132, 4191
Constellation: Delphinus, Ursa Major
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn
Satellite: ISS
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Aquila, Cygnus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Sagittarius Star Cloud
Location: Site 15, Thomas Raddall Provincial Park
Date: 2020-07-21/23
Time:
July 21: 10:08 PM - 11:10 PM
July 22: 9:56 PM - 10:35 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars 10x42 IS
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
SQM: not recorded
Temperature: 16° C - 20° C
We had made arrangements with our daughters to camp together at a provincial park, especially when COVID-19 shut down the national park. Kathy and family arrived Monday. We arrived Tuesday. Cheryl and family arrived Wednesday. We all left the morning of Friday, July 24.
July 21: (with the Perrier family)
No wind and the mosquitos were plentiful! Numerous fireflies were flitting and lighting the edge of the roadway. At 10:10 PM, Jerry, William, Kathy and I went out to the road at their campsite to determine if NEOWISE was visible. It was! William was so excited, he ran back to get Graham. It was the first comet for them all. We told William he would have to live a long time to see this comet again. When we told him ~ 6,800 years, he doubted if he would live that long. Smart child!
NEOWISE had again shifted further NW towards the hind leg of the Bear. The nucleus was in line with Tania Australis and Tania Borealis. It wasn't as bright as the previous two evening observations nor did it appear as long; however, it was still visible naked eye. What was really cool was the star HR 4046 that could be seen through the debris tail.
July 21: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
At 10: 15 PM, Saturn was easily located naked eye but we used binoculars to determine the "slant" of the rings (or hoops as William referred to them). Could also see Jupiter and its 4 Galilean moons (Callisto & Ganymede on the left and Io and Europa on the right). William was excited to see the two planets. Saturn was smaller and seemingly less bright than Jupiter.
Magnitudes of brightness:
Saturn 0.1
Jupiter -2.7
Jupiter with its Galilean Moons & Saturn
July 22: (with Perrier & McIver families)
Comet was fainter with a tail that appeared shorter. Because of clouds and incoming fog, the star field could not be easily seen and therefore the exact location was unknown.
At 10 PM, we noticed Saturn and Jupiter once more; they lay on the same plane as the night before. Couldn't see Jupiter's rings but could make out Jupiter's moons. Io was very close to Jupiter and almost appeared as a bulge at times versus a separate entity. Showed this to Cheryl, Kathy, Graham, Lucy and William. Note that the lines between the two planets in the sketch just indicates there is a much greater space between them than indicated.
Satellite
Time: 10: 25 PM
The ISS crossed the sky but did not make note of its path.
Meteors
Time: 10: 30 PM
While looking at the night sky, there were 2 meteors that crossed our viewing filed. Dis not make note of where they crossed.
Delphinus
Time: 10: 40 PM
After pointing out the comet, I showed this constellation to Kathy. All 5 stars of the constellation easily located.
Comet: C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Constellations: Ursa Major
Stars: 55 UMa, 57 UMa, 61 UMa
HR Stars: 4432, 536
HD Stars: 100235
Location: Home
Date: 2020-07-20
Time: 12:06 AM AST
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x42 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: Not recorded
This information was originally noted in the RASC Halifax Centre discussion List.
Just after midnight, I looked out our bedroom window to determine the status of cloud cover. Stars could be seen from the W-NW horizon all the way over to Saturn and Jupiter. Just had to go out to look for NEOWISE! Grabbed my clipboard and 10x42 image-stabilized binoculars to hopefully catch one last glimpse of the comet before it disappeared from our view.
NOTE: This comet had been discovered on March 27, 2020 and was an 18th-magnitude object located 2 AU from the Sun and 1.7 AU from the Earth. Its closest approach to Earth will occur on July 23, 2020, 01:09 UT, (3 days from now) at a distance of 0.69 AU while still in Ursa Major. It was 2nd-magnitude in mid-July.
Knowing where it had been in the previous two evenings, I began my search under the Big Dipper handle. Starting with Alcor-Mizar, I slowly made my way down towards the horizon, zigzagging short sweeps across the sky. It was about 20˚ above my horizon, nestled as it were between 57 Uma and 55 Uma on the right and slightly above the line formed by 61 Uma and HR 4536, HR 4452 and HD100235. The nucleus was very fuzzy compared to the clearly defined entity it was earlier in the week, and the tail was greatly diminished in size visually (perhaps 1˚-2˚ in length?). Location #6 now on my tracking star map for the comet!
It was 30 minutes very well spent looking at the comet and staring at the night sky to determine the star field around it. And then another 30 minutes re-sketching it with the appropriate labels for the stars observed and writing it up in my log book.
Response from Dr. Roy Bishop: Judy, there is no hope for you! Anyone who would write a report like that has been totally captured by the night sky. Normal people (99%+ of your fellow citizens) pay no heed to it. You should make an appointment with a psychiatrist.
To Dr. Roy Bishop from Dave Chapman: Anyone who has taken a peak at Judy's logbooks for Explore the Universe or Explore the Moon know that she is an Observer (with a capital O). Just don't mention Omicron2 Cygni around either of us....
Comet: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Stars: 15 Uma, 18 Uma, 31 UMa, θ Uma, φ Uma, Talitha, Talitha Borealis
HR Stars: 3603, 3778, 3881, 3958
HD Stars: 81703, 82792
Constellation: Ursa Major
Planets: Jupiter
Located but not Observed & Logged:
Aquila, Boötes, Cassoipeia, Delphinus, Cygnus
Location: Site 15, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2020-07-19
Time: not recorded
Seeing: excellent
Transparency: Excellent
SQM: 21.60
Temperature: 18° C - 19° C
Equipment: Binoculars 10x42 IS
S&T Chart: 33
Because of a dental emergency, Dave and Christine could not join us. The original weather forecast included cloud and 30% chance of rain, but we went anyway. A beautifully calm lake and easy canoe to the site. Warm sunny afternoon that clouded over. Jerry set up his camera on the beach for a time lapse (hoping) and we sat by an evening fire. Around 10 PM, we were feeling a little sleepy. Before gong to bed, Jerry checked the images being taken - there were stars! So much for going to bed!
Went out to the beach and there she was in all her glory. Visible naked eye against the starry sky. It had moved slightly NW to the other side of the Great Bear's foot. Still quite bright and about 9° - 10° in length. The ion tail was easily seen.
We were able to watch the comet for about 45 minutes before the nucleus disappeared in clouds and trees at the point of Big Muise Island. During this time, I also located Jupiter - Callisto and Europa were on one side of the planet with Io and Ganymede on the other.
Skies were clear in the morning and the winds relatively calm, making for a wonderful paddle back to Jake's Landing before heading home.
![]() |
![]() |
Comet: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
HR Stars: HR 3603
Constellation: Altair, Delphinus, Ursa Major
Planet: Jupiter
Location: Evangeline Beach
Date: 2020-07-18
Time: 8:30 PM - 11:05 PM ADT
Seeing: Excellent
Transparency: Good
Equipment: Binoculars 10x42 IS
S&T Chart: 33
Time | SQM | Temp |
10:30 | 20.5 | 17° C |
10:55 | 21.16 | 16° C |
We were at at Roy & Gertrude Bishop's cottage at their invitation to all who wanted to join them. COVID-spacing between observers was a requirement. Joining us were Paul Heath, Nina, Dave Lane, Mary Lou Whitehorne and 3 others. Warm night that was cloudy when we arrived at 8:30 PM but cleared beautifully for an amazing view.
While looking at the comet, we also got to view other constellations and stars. Delphinus was easily found below Altair. At 10:45 PM, I located Jupiter with the binoculars. Callisto, Io and Europa were on one side (Europa close in proximity the planet) and Ganymede on the opposite side.
The comet's nucleus was inside a triangle formed by Talitha and Talitha Borealis in one of Uma's feet and HR 3603. It was at least 10° in length, stretching and filling the space between θ Uma and 18 Uma. Large Object!! We could make out the ion tail and the space between it and the debris tail. No problem locating it naked eye! We left the beach at 11:05 PM, regretfully. We gave our thanks to Roy and Gertrude for the invitation and to Gertrude for the cheese-jam cookies.
My diagram (bottom right) is squished top to bottom but the star locations/names provide markers for a true star map (bottom left) and better perspective.
![]() |
![]() |
Comet: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)
Constellations: Auriga, Taurus
Planet: Venus
Location: Cutler Avenue, Dartmouth, NS
Date: 2020-07-10
Time: 4:05 PM - 4:40 AM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x42 IS
We were at the back of a business on Cutler Avenue in Dartmouth. The original intent was to see the Comet NEOWISE but the bonus was Venus in the Hyades in the eastern morning skies. Clear skies but for very few clouds, and little if any breeze. Average seeing and transparency.
Taurus, Venus
Time: 4:05 - 4:30 AM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 15
Venus was about 10° above the horizon. Given the rising sun, it was impossible to discern the total star field of the Hyades, but Aldebaran and the Hyades "V" pattern was easily seen. Venus in the Hyades/Melotte 25 in Taurus
Time: 4:34 AM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 12
NEOWISE had a very long, wide tail, almost 10° in length. Quite bright. Easily seen adjacent to Auriga without binoculars There were two star shapes in Auriga adjacent to the comet nucleus:
a- an "M" shape: ψ, ψ2, ψ4, ψ5, ψ7
b- a curve below the nucleus: ψ3, 51 Aur, UU Aur
We wished we had left home an hour earlier to view it a bit longer and in brighter contrast to the morning sky.
Comet NEOWISE, Auriga
Constellations: Ophiuchus
Stars: 14 Oph, 16 Oph, 22 Oph, 23 Oph, 30 Oph
HD Stars: 152210, 152484, 152555, 1,152600, 53437, 153811
HR Stars: 6201, 6248
Clusters: IC 4665/Collinder 349/Melotte 179
Messier Objects: M10, M12/NGC 6218
Location: SCO
Date: 2020-06-18/19
Time: 8:30 PM - 12:15 AM AST
Equipment: Binoculars 10x42 IS
SQM: 21.19 (at 11:14 PM)
Temperature: 16° C
This was the forest night that SCO was open following the COVID-19 lockdown that began March 20, 2019. With me were Jerry, Blair MacDonald, John McPhee and David Hoskin. It was a relatively warm night.
Ophiuchus, M10/NGC 6254, M12/NGC 6218
Equipment: Binoculars
S&T Chart: 54, 56, 67
One of my goals was to view Ophiuchus and, if possible, M10 and M12 in its centre. Success!! Both were visible in one FOV of my binoculars. M10 had a fairly bright central core and was obviously a compact globular cluster. It was located almost central in Ophiuchus near 30 Oph, and initially looked like a bright singular star. M12 was a little dimmer and perhaps a little larger than M10. It had a bright core with a diffuse border. |
![]() |
![]()
|
![]() |
![]() |
IC 4665 Time: 10:50 PM Equipment: Binoculars S&T Chart: 54 I was looking around Ophiuchus and there appeared to be several very bright points of light with too many other stars to count, and to perhaps not see given I was using binoculars.But under these skies, it was very evident and bright adjacent to β Oph (Cebarai). It was almost like there was a brighter core with about 10 bright points filled in and around it with stars of varying brightness. |
IC 4665 Time: 10:50 PM Equipment: Binoculars S&T Chart: 54 I was looking around Ophiuchus and there appeared to be several very bright points of light with too many other stars to count, and to perhaps not see given I was using binoculars.But under these skies, it was very evident and bright adjacent to β Oph (Cebarai). It was almost like there was a brighter core with about 10 bright points filled in and around it with stars of varying brightness. |
M10 had a fairly bright central core and was obviously a compact globular cluster. It was located almost central in Ophiuchus near 30 Oph. It initially looked like a very bright singular star.
M12 was a little dimmer and perhaps a little large than M10. It had a bright core with a diffuse border.
![]() |
![]() |
vvvv
IWLOP #028: Capella & Vallis Capella
Interesting crater with a valley running through it; located on the northern edge of Mare Nectaris.
Location: 7.6 S 34.9 E Origin: Multiple linear impacts Size: Crater 49 km, Vallis 110 km Rukl: 47 Type: Complex Crater (CC) & Valley
Objects: Capella, Vallis Capella, Isidorus, Censorinus
Others Identified: Rimae Gutenburg
Came across this by accident. Was searching areas near Torricelli and came across this crater with a huge "scar" crossing it and stretching beyond its rim.
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-28
Time: 10:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 9.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x258
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
R1: Capella - Very large central peak. Valley runs NW to SE between peak and crater wall.
R2: Capella appears shallower than Isidorus and its western wall created a wide shadow in Isidorus' floor. Isidorus looked to have 2 craters on its floor.
C1: Could make out 8 craters only along Vallis Capella.
C2: Censorinus is very small and circular compared to the larger Crater A next to it. Area is brighter around its rim.
IWLOP #040 – Rupes Altai
This incredible scarp is the continuous southwestern outer rim of the Nectaris Basin. Spectacular at low Sun, it varies from 3.5 - 4.0 km but tapers off and is more broken southward toward the crater Piccolomini and northward past crater Borda.
Location: 16-29 S30-21 E Origin: Tectonic Size: 480 km. Rukl: 57, 59, 46 Type: Scarp
Objects: Rupes Altai, Cyrillus, Catharina, Colombo, Santbech, Tacitus, Kant, Hypatia
Others Identified: Ibn Rushd, Mädler, Mons Penck, Pons, Polybius
![]() |
Location: Home R1: Rupes Altai was first observed on May 28, 2020 during the waxing crescent phase when it was well-lit. It was again observed on March 21, 2021 during the 1st Quarter when observing Piccolomini (IWLOP #031 – Piccolomini). C1: Tacitus, Kant and Hypatia were located. Altai Scarp appeared continuous in the SE portion but appeared worn/non-existent as it continued N towards Tacitus, Kant and Hypatia. Note: Rupes Altai was first noticed because of the well-lit Altai Scarp; it wasn't in shadow. |
IWLOP #047 - Delambre
Delambre is located near the edge of Mare Tranquilitatis and not too far from Statio Tranquilitatis. Note the sharp rim and terraced walls of Delambre. Try to see this crater at a high sun angle.
Location: 1.9 S 17.5 E Origin: Impact Size: 52 km Rukl: 46 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Delambre, Theon Junior, Theon Senior, Delambre D, Apollo 11 landing site
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-28
Time: 10:46 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Delambre - Located the 1969 Apollo 11 landing site above Rimae Hypatia and NW of Moltke on Mare Tranquilitatis. The Mare floor looked very flat and smooth at this magnification for the Apollo landing.
R2: The twin craters Theon Junior and Theon Senior were easily located west of Delambre. Both are deep, round, and are much smaller than Delambre. Shadows covered their crater floors.
C1: Delambre D was located on the north wall of Delambre. It appeared more as a slight bump to the otherwise smooth roundness, as well as only see a slight discolouration at this location. One wall of Delambre H and part of the crater floor were barely visible just outside Delambre's NW wall, between Delambre and Theon Senior.
After almost a year of inactivity regarding the ETM, thought it was time to get back at this.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (10.9%)
Q-Day: -2
Moonrise: 7:44 AM Moonset: 11:48 PM
Sunrise: 5:37 AM Sunset: 8:48 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-28
Time: 9:40 PM – 11:15 PM
Equipment: 6” Dobsonian, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x255
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
My goal was to find Moltke and Rimae Hypatia as part of IWLOP #45: Moltke & Rime Hypatia. The Apollo 11 landing site was located NW of Moltke.
Craters: Arago, Atlas, Endymion, Hercules, Maskelyne, Maskelyne A, Plinius, Posidonius, Ross.
Craters not on ETM List: Armstrong, Bürg, Censorious, Grove, Hall, Maclear, Mason, Moltke, Plana, Torricelli. Sabine and Manners were on the terminator.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (37.7%)
Q-Day: -1
Moonset: 1:20 AM Moonrise: 10:53 AM
Sunrise: 5:35 AM Sunset: 8:50 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-28
Time: 10:46 PM – 11:18 PM
Equipment: 6” Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x248
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Good (3)
Viewed Delambre as part of IWLOP #47: Delambre. The crater appeared to be round, and it looked like there was a sharp edge all around the rim. Terraced in the S-SE rim. Delambre D was seen in the north wall and was observed only as a slight discoloration.
Theon Jr. and Theon Sr. were easily located. Both were round and appeared quite deep.
Rupes Altai was located, and it was noted the most prominent part of the Scarp was SSW of Catharina. It was easily seen as it was well lit by the sun. Tacitus, Kant and Hypatia were in the seemingly less defined northern Scarp.
Craters: Catharina, Delambre
Craters nor on ETM List: Delambre D, Hypatia, Kant, Tacitus, Theon Jr., Theon Sr
Mountains: Rupes Altai
IWLOP #045 – Moltke & Rimae Hypatia
Moltke is an impressive small crater that has a bright halo near the time of Full Moon. Rimae Hypatia is a group of rilles (grabbers) surrounding Mare Tranquilitatis. These parallel rilles form a shallow graben. Rimae Hypatia extends from the crater Sabine, past Moltke and along the southern edge to Statio Tranquilitatis (site of the Apollo 11 landing).
Location: 0.6 S 24.2 E Origin: Impact and Tectonic Size: 6.5 Km (Moltke), 180 km in length Rimae Hypatia) Rukl: 46, 35 Type: Crater and Rill
Objects: Moltke, Rimae Hypatia, Sabine, Apollo 11 landing site
Others Identified: Theophilus, Sinus Asperitatis, Mädler, Cyrillus, Armstrong, Toricelli and Toricelli C, H, J, K
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-27
Time: 9:39 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Located off the tip of a highland that extends into Mare Tranquilitatis, Moltke is circular and deep. Only a small part of shadow showing. Raised rim well lit and very light in colour compared to surrounding landscape.
C1: Rimae Hypatia easily seen. There were two extensions: one on the right side end went up at an angle; the left side looked to have a slight split just west of A. The split segment seemed to have a parallel portion.
C2: Two small craters were found along the rille to the left and right of the crater Moltke. The one to the left in Rimae Hypatia; the one on the right is just above the Rimae.
IWLOP #001 A – Eastern Mare Crisium ("Sea of Crises)
This spectacular lava-filled basin features impressive wall structures, and is actually oval-shaped but appears round because of its location near the lunar limb. Are Crisium covers 20° of lunar surface, and may require various terminator angles for optimums view of all the features listed. Some of these objects may be easier to see just after Full Moon.
Location: 17.0 N 70-50 E Origin: Impact and Volcanism Size: 570 km. Rukl: 38-27 Type: Basin
Objects: Promontorium Agarum, Landing sites of Luna 24 & Luna 15, Dorsa Tetyaev, Dorsa Harker, Mons Usov
Others Identified: Dorsum Oppel, Eimmart, Graves, Lick, Pierce, Picard, Shapley, Swift, Yerkes
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 8:40 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 15 mm Plösl
Magnification: x80
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
R1: Promontorium Agarum - Found this feature easily. The two Luna landing sites looked flat but there may have been a few dorsa or minor ridges.
C1: Dorsa Tetyaev, Dorsa harker, Nons Usov - Dorsa Tetyaev was barely discernible but Dorsa Harker and Mons Usov easily seen.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Time: 8:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm with Moon filter
Magnification: x530
R1: Promontorium Agarum: Easily found and the two Luna landing sites easily seen in this observation with the higher magnification.
C1: Dorsum Oppel, Dorsa Harker easily seen. Dorsa Tetyaev barely visible. Promontorium Agarum and Mons Usov easily identified.
IWLOP #001 B – Western Mare Crisium
This spectacular lava-filled basin features impressive wall structures, and is actually oval-shaped but appears round because of its location near the lunar limb. Are Crisium covers 20 degrees of lunar surface, and may require various terminator angles for optimums view of all the features listed. Some of the se objects may be easier to see just after Full Moon.
Location: 17.0 N 70-50 E Origin: Impact and Volcanism Size: 570 km. Rukl: 38-27 Type: Basin
Objects: Swift, Pierce, Yerkes, Picard, Graves, Lick
Others Identified: Alhazen, Condorset, Eimmart, Firmicus, Hansen, Lacus Perseverentiae, Mare Anguis
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 9:02 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 15 mm Plosl
Magnification: x80
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
R1: Swift, Pierce & Picard easily located. Also located Yerkes.
R2: Graves located. The crater walls of Lick barely seen but the crater floor colour gave it definition.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Time: 8:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece with Moon filter
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
I had sketched Mare Crisium on 2020-05-25 (refer to IWLOP #001 A – Eastern Mare Crisium). On 2021-04-15, I photographed the Mare and the craters identified for this objective. In the photo, it looks like the Mare has two eyes and a crooked smile.
IWLOP #005 – Langrenus
An Eratosthenian-aged crater with twin peaks, finely terraced walls and pronounced ejecta field. It stands out in an area that is heavily cratered. Note how older pre-Nectarian Vendelinus contrasts with the younger Langrenus.
Location: 8.9 S 60.9 E Origin: Impact Size: 132 km. Rukl: 49 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Langrenus, Atwood, Bilharz, Noanobu, Webb, Luna 16 landing site
Others Identified: Acosta
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 9:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
R1: Langrenus appears to have 2 high central peaks casting shadows on its floor. The terraced walls were noticeable in the north and south walls. The ejecta field to the SW was certainly noticeable.
R2: In order of smallest to largest crater: Acosta, Naonobu, Atwood, Bilharz. Luna 16 landing site was to the west of Webb and crater B on the Mare Fecunditatis.
C1: The south floor of Langrenus is darker than that in the north, and its wall almost looks more like an ejecta field or lava flow/stream out of the south wall.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-28
Time: 11:20 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
C2: Ejecta appears to be W and SW of Langrenus to Mare Fecunditatis, mostly SW.
![]() |
![]() |
IWLOP #006 – Petavius
A lower Imbrium crater with a massive, complex central peak and floor uplift as indicated by rifts. This is an excellent example of a "floor fractured" crater.
Location: 25.3 S 60.4 E Origin: Impact Size: 177 km. Rukl: 59 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Petavius, Rimae Petavius, Wrottesley, Hase
Others Identified: Vallis Palitzch, Petavius A, Petavius B, Hase A
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 9:40 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
R1: Petavius quite a large crater with a very large and irregularly shaped central peak.
R2: Rimae Petavius was very evident and easily identified. It went basically across the crater from the central peak (refer to sketch).
R3: Wrottesley appears to be NW to or on the outer part of Petavius's wall and has a faint central peak. It's not as terraced as Petavius. The shadow on its SE wall seems to extend outwards from the crater - perhaps from ejecta (?).
C1: I was very excited to see how easily Rimae Petavius could be seen. I followed it to the inner eastern rim and out the south wall.
C2: Noticed dark materials at 1 and 5 o'clock on the crater floor.
C3: Rimae Petavius continued southward until it met with the crater Hase (refer to sketch).
![]() |
![]() |
IWLOP #011 – Cleomedes & Macrobius
Prominent eroded craters to the west of Mare Crisium.
Location: 27.7 N 55.5 E Origin: Impact Size: 126 km. Rukl: 26 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Cleomedes, Cleomedes B & J, Cleomedes E & A, Delmotte, Tralles, Debes, Rima Cleomedes, Macrobius, Macrobius C
Others Identified: Burckhardt, Lacus Bonitatis, Tisserand
Observation 1
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 8:45 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 15 mm Plösl
Magnification: x80
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
![]() |
R1: Craters B & J on the floor of Cleomedes and A & E on its NW wall were easily identified. C1: Delmotte was to the east of southern Cleomedes whereas Debes and Tralles were in the northwest. Debes and Tralles appeared to be quite deep with the Debes SW wall appeared shallow or worn down. |
Observation 2
Location: Home
Date: 2021-05-15
Time: 8:32 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
R2: The SW wall of Macrobius was particularly terraced. Central peak looked a little off-centre. C3: Crater Macrobius C looked to have been created on the SW rim edge (refer to sketch). The crater rim was seemingly quite sharp where the crater was formed. |
![]() |
IWLOP #024 – Atlas & Hercules
Two prominent craters that share the same region. There is some debate about the age of Atlas but it is probably Upper Imbrium while Hercules is Eratosthenian.
Location: 46.7 N 44.4 E Origin: Impact Size: 69 km Rukl: 15, 14 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Hercules, Atlas
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 10:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece +x2 Barlow
Magnification: x248
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Both Atlas and Hercules appear oval. Atlas is much shallower than Hercules, perhaps due to the infilling as suggested in the IWLOP notes.
R2: Atlas has terraced walls, especially in the southern area where it almost appears to flatten as it approaches the floor.
C1: Hercules G was found in the brighter southern Hercules floor.
C2: Hercules walls were high with multiple terraces. The SE of the crater floor was noticeably darker than the rest of the floor.
C3: Multiple central hills in Atlas could be seen quite well. Could see a hint of 3 of the 5 of the south rilles. A portion of the north crater floor appeared darker. Southern wall may be more terraced than the northern portions.
IWLOP #035 – Jansen
Jansen is a low, mare-flooded crater. It dates from the Pre-Nectarian Era.
Location: 13.5 N 28.7 E Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 23 km Rukl: 36 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Jansen, Jansen Y, Sinas, Maskelyne, Dorsa Barlow
Others Identified: Beketov, Cajal, Carrel
This session was conducted as part of the lunar observing session - Lunar Session - April 15, 2021
Observation 1: R1: Jansen is a very shallow crater with a floor much darker than the surrounding area. C1: The small crater Jansen Y could not be seen. |
![]() |
Observation 2: C1: The small crater Jansen Y was seen on the crater floor. |
![]() |
IWLOP #036 – Lacus Mortis & Bürg
Lacus Mortis, the "Lake of Death," is an ancient crater flooded by lava and is almost hexagonal in shape.
Location: 45.0 N 27.0 E Origin: Volcanic and Impact Size: Dorse 150 km, Mons 40 km Rukl: 14 Type: Lacus, Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Lacus Mortis, Bürg, Plana, Mason, Lacus Somniorum, Rimae Bürg
Others Identified: Bürg A, Plana C, E, F, G
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 10:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Lacus Mortis is west and adjacent to Atlas and Hercules. Looked to be an old crater perhaps(?).
R2: Bürg had steep sides that created long shadows over the central peaks.
R3: Plana had as deep thick east wall but the west wall seemed disintegrated. Plana joined to Mason. Mason's north wall was virtually non-existent; another mountain on its E-SE wall. Plana had a central peak; Mason did not. Both seemed to form the southern border of Lacus Mortis.
C1: Rimae Burg began where shadows showed on the west side of Lacus Mortis and headed NE above Bürg.
Moon
Planets: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn
Conjunction: Moon-Jupiter-Saturn-Mars
Constellations: Lyra
Stars: Nunki, Vega, ε1 Lyrae, ε2 Lyrae, ζ Lyrae
Location: Home
Date: 2020-03-18
Time: 6:30 AM - 7:00 AM AST
Equipment: Visual, 10x42 IS Binoculars
Temperature: 0° C
SQM: 14.63 (with Sun just below the horizon)
Jerry woke me up at 6:30 AM AST to alert me of the Moon-Mars-Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in the Eastern sky. Dave Chapman had tweeted it was "up". Clear skies in the East, very light breeze, and no clouds.
Conjunction
Could easily see the Moon with the reddish Mars at 1 o'clock from the Moon's terminator. Jupiter was at 11 o'clock. Saturn was quite a distance away towards the SE. Using my binoculars, I could see a star that I later identified as Nunki in the handle of the Teapot.
Jupiter, Mars and Saturn were easily seen naked eye and with binoculars. I did not take the time to locate and identify Jupiter's moons. Saturn was seen between two branches of our maple trees.
On the Moon, could easily see Kepler and its splatter, Copernicus on the terminator, Aristarchus brightly lit and Montes Jures well lit on the northern shore of Sinus Iridum. Oceanus Procellarum made up most of the lit portion of the Moon look dark.
Conjunction of Moon-Mars-Jupiter
Proximities of the Moon and 3 Planets
Lyra |
![]() |
Constellations: Orion, Perseus, Taurus, Ursa Minor
Asterisms: Big Dipper, Winter Circle
Stars: α Arneb & β Nihal (in Lepus), Alcor-Mizar
Clusters: Melotte 25/Hyades, NGC 869/NGC 884
Planet: Venus
Messier Objects: M31, M41, M42 (Orion Nebula), M45 (Pleaides)
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Students were shown the location of Boötes with Arcturus, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Leo, Lepus, Taurus.
Location: York Redoubt
Date: 2020-03-05
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM ADT
Moon: 81% Waxing Gibbous
Instruments: Visual, Binoculars 10x42 IS, 10" Meade SCT telescope
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: not recorded
SQM: not recorded
At York Redoubt with Tony Schellinck's SCANS class. Also with us were Jerry, Blair MacDonald, Dave Hoskin, David Robertson and Bob Russell. We had arrived at 6:30 PM to set up - no breeze but foggy. Through the fog, we could see Venus shining through the western sky. At 7:25 PM (with students expected to arrive at 7:30 PM), the fog completely cleared to expose the clear sky.
Big Dipper, Mizar-Alcor
Time: not recorded
Equipment: Visual, binoculars
S&T Chart: 31, 32, 33, 43, F
One of the women asked me where the Big Dipper was. I turned her attention from the S-SE sky to the NE where the Dipper was standing on its handle. Using our binoculars, I pointed out Mizar and the smaller adjacent Alcor to her.
Ursa Minor
Time: not recorded
Equipment: Visual, binoculars
S&T Chart: 41, 51
For the first time in a long time I could actually locate all 7 stars in the asterism with no difficulty. The bowl was pointing downwards. Ask if I was excited!
![]() |
Orion, M42 |
![]() |
Winter Circle
|
Notable subsidence fault, linked to Mare Humorum.
Origin: Tectonic Diameter: 180 km in length Rukl: 51 Type: Fault
Objects: Rupes Liebig, Doppelmayer, Rimae Doppelmayer
Location: Home
Date: 2020-03-05
Time: 8:30 PM - 8:40 PM AST
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 25mm eyepiece
Magnification: x100
Seeing: Good (2)
Transparency: Fair (3)
RI: Rupes Liebig appeared very well lit with a dark thin shadow between it and the mare floor.
CI: Doppelmayer has a main central peak. The crater wall is disintegrated as if flooded. There is rough terrain between its peaks and its walls on the Mare's ring. Rimae Doppelmayer is dark in comparison to Rupes Liebig.
IWLOP #113 - Promontorium Kelvin and Rupes Kelvin
A large, well-defined promontory in Mare Humorum and a scarp located nearby on the edge of the same Mare.
Location: 27.0 S 33.0 W Origin: Impact and Tectonic Length: 50 km (Promontorium Kelvin), 86 km (Rupes Kelvin)
Rukl: 52 Type: Promontory and Scarp
Objects: Promontorium Kelvin, Rupes Kelvin, Rimae Hippalus, Hippalus, eastern Mare Humorum, Agatharchides A
Others Identified: Gassendi, Loewy, Pulseux, Vitello
Location: Home
Date: 2020-03-05
Time: 9:10 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 9.7 and 25 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x258 and x100
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Promontorium Kelvin was well lit and appeared to be joined to Rupes Kelvin by a narrow isthmus. Rupes Kelvin was less well-defined; appeared as a broken up range of mountains.
R2: Rimae Hippalus runs north to the degraded crater Hippalus. It looked like a thin valley with a rim.
R3: There was an extensive system of wrinkle ridges in eastern Mare Humorum. Several formed a semi-circle of sorts that ran from Gassendi in the north to Loewy to Pulseux to Vitello in the south.
C1: Rimae Hippalus runs north to the large crater Agatharchides. The crater's northern rim appears broken/fragmented.
IWLOP #116 - Gassendi
Nectarian Era, eroded crater with extensive system of rimae on its floor.
Location: 17.5 S 39.9 W Origin: Impact/Tectonic Size: 110 km Rukl: 52 Type: Complex Crater (CC), Rille
Objects: Gassendi
Others Identified: Doppelmaier, Gassendi A, Gassendi B, Hippalus, Lee, Loewy, Rimae Mersenius, Rupes Liebig, Vitello
![]() |
Observation 1: Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (81.5%) R1: Gassendi was easily found on the north shore of Mare Humorum. It appeared to have 3 central peaks. Gassendi A & B also visible. Crater A appeared to have a tall crater wall that created a large shadow on the floor whereas crater B appeared shallow by comparison. C1: The rilles were in greater number on the west side and almost suggested 2 or 3 craters in the past with varying depths. |
![]() |
Observation 2: R1: Observed mini-craters on Gassendi's floor plus one on its west wall. Looked like the "time" was 4:40 PM. (Note: I didn't take the time to sketch this in detail.) |
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2020-02-23
Time: 8:35 PM AST
Instrument: 10x42 IS Binoculars + 16" Dobsonian, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x45
Transparency: Fair (2)
Seeing: Fair (2)
Temperature: 1º C
SQM: 21.15
Light breeze and no clouds. Observing with Jerry and Peter.
![]() |
Constellation: Orion Originally viewed Orion naked eye, then used the the binoculars to view the nebulosity around a bright pinpoint. The slewed the 16" Dob to centre on M43. The nebulosity was like a 1/2 ball with one end dragged out. A very bright star was centred on the concave edge. Assumed it was a single star versus the triplet in M42. |
Constellations: Canis Major, Cassiopeia, Leo, Lepus, Orion, Pisces, Taurus, Ursa Minor
Asterisms: Big Dipper, Winter Circle, Winter Triangle
Stars: Aldebaran, α Arneb, Alrescha, Betelgeuse, Castor, Capella, δ Ceti, Gomeisa, α Menkar, Mira, β Nihal, β Kochab, Pollux, Procyon, Rigel, Sirius
Clusters: Melotte 25/Hyades, NGC 1981
Planet: Venus
Messier Objects: M41, M42 (Orion Nebula), M43 (De Mairan's Nebula), M79
Location: SCO
Date: 2020-02-21
Time: 6:30 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Instruments: Visual, Binoculars 10x42 IS, 16" Dobsonian telescope with 40 mm Plössl eyepiece
Transparency: Good (3) until around 10:30 PM
Seeing: Good (3) until around 10:30 PM
Temperature: 1° C to -2° C
SQM: 21.08 - 21.15
Could not Locate:
Monoceros, M1, M50, M52, M65, M66, M95, M96, M103, M105
NGC 869/NGC 884
At SCO with Jerry and Peter Hurley. Slight breeze. No clouds.
Big Dipper Asterism in Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Time: 7:45 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 31, 32, 33, 43, F
The Big Dipper was in essence standing upright with its bowl facing W-SW. All 7 stars were visible naked eye.
The Ursa Minor 'bowl' was below Polaris as it was two nights ago. I could locate 5 of the 7 stars - Anwar al Farkadain and Alifa al Farkadain (the two stars closest to the handle) were barely visible at 10:30 PM due to diminished sky conditions.
Orion, M42, M43
Time: 8:17 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binocular
S&T Chart: 14, 16, B
Easily located all the major stars and nebula in Orion. Could easily see M42, M43 and NGC 1981 in Orion's 'sword' below his belt naked eye. I also used my binoculars to have a closer look. I used the 16" Dob that had been poorly aligned so had to slew to find M42 and M43.
M42 (Orion Nebula) was located naked eye and with binoculars. However, it filled the Dobsonian FOV! There were 3 stars in a triangular formation (very tight) and 3 more in a linear arrangement. The "wings" spread from side to side; there were 3 very bright stars in the nebulosity and a couple just outside where the triangular star formation was located. All in all, very impressive. Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M042 (Orion Nebula, NGC 1976) - February 23, 2020. |
M42 ![]() |
M43 ![]() |
M43 (De Mairan's Nebula) was located naked eye and with binoculars. In the eyepiece of the Dobsonian, the nebulosity was like half of a ball with a very bright star about half way along the "cut" edge. There were 4 stars just outside the rounded edge that were bright. Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M043 (De Mairan's Nebula, NGC 1982) - February 23, 2020 |
Otherwise, Orion took up a large part of the southern sky and we watched him over the course of the evening go from S-SE to S-SW. M42
Taurus, Hyades/Melotte 25, Cetus, Venus
Time: 8:35 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binocular, Telescope
S&T Chart: 14, 15, A
Identified Aldebaran and the V-shaped open cluster of the Hyades naked eye. Also used binoculars to view the gorgeous Hyades! Attempted to find M1 (Crab Nebula) near ζ Tauri but could not find it naked eye, with binoculars, nor the 16" Dobsonian.
To locate Cetus, I followed down from the Hyades to λ and ξ to Cetus's head and there found Mira.
The very bright Venus was high in the sky, west of Cetus in Pisces.
Lepus, M79
Time: 9:23 PM
Equipment: Binocular, Telescope with 40mm Plössl eyepiece
S&T Chart: 16
Lepus was easily located naked eye below Orion and was able to identify all the major stars of the constellation. With binoculars, used Arneb and Nihal as the stars to measure distances; they were approximately 1 FOV apart in my binoculars. Went 1 FOV below Nihal and located M79 - a small dense cluster that had a circle of stars around it.
I then used the 16" Dobsonian, slewing from M43 to M79. Found a small compact grey fuzzy with a bright centre and a nebulous-looking but probably stars are packed around the central core. What made this so interesting (and gave me an "oh wow" moment) was the darkness surrounding this nebula that was ringed with 8-9 bright Gaia-labelled** stars, just like a stellar outline of the space taken by the cluster. Really cool! Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M079 (NGC 1904) - February 23, 2020.
** Gaia is an ambitious mission to chart a three-dimensional map of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, in the process revealing the composition, formation and evolution of the Galaxy. Gaia provides unprecedented positional and radial velocity measurements with the accuracies needed to produce a stereoscopic and kinematic census of about one billion stars in our Galaxy and throughout the Local Group. This amounts to about 1 per cent of the Galactic stellar population.
Monoceros, M50
Time: 9:45 PM
Equipment: binoculars, 16" Dobsonian
S&T Chart: 25, 27, E
I was using the Dobsonian to locate these two objects, despite its poor polar alignment. Used the controller to move around this area of the sky but to no avail. The seeing had greatly diminished at this point so did not make an attempt to identify the stars in the constellation nor to locate M50 via Canis Major.
Canis Major, M41/Little Beehive
Time: 9:50 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binocular
S&T Chart: 27
The temperature had dropped to -4° C and was cool but the breeze had dropped. Stars of the 'big dog' were as evident as they were two nights ago but they were not as bright. Used my binoculars to very easily locate M41.
![]() |
Leo Time: 10:00 PM Equipment: Visual S&T Chart: 34, 35 I could actually see the major stars in the constellation. This was helpful as I was attempting to locate 5 Messier objects in Leo: M65 and M66 between Chertan and Iota; M95, M96 and M105 just under Leo's mid-belly. Unfortunately, at this time of the evening, the seeing had diminished. Could not find them naked eye with the binoculars over a 30-45 minute period, nor the 16" Dobsonian with 40mm Plössl eyepiece. Disappointing to say the least. |
Cassiopeia, Perseus
Time: 10:20 PM
Equipment: Visual, binoculars, telescope
S&T Chart (Cassiopeia): 1, 3, 72
S&T Chart (Perseus): 2, 13
The seeing and transparency had diminished; stars not quite as bright as compared to what they were earlier. The constellation was identifiable since 8:00 PM or so. I wanted to look for M52 and M103 using binoculars and the telescope. Unsuccessful on both counts.
Located Perseus and many of its stars. However, due to diminishing seeing and visibility, could not locate NGC 869 / NGC 884.
Winter Circle, Winter Triangle
Equipment: Visual
The Winter Circle stars were quite visible all evening - Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon, Pollux and Castor.
The Winter Triangle Stars were also visible all evening - Procyon, Sirius and Betelgeuse.
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2020-02-23
Time: 8:17 PM AST
Instrument: 10x42 IS Binoculars + 16" Dobsonian, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x45
Transparency: Fair (2)
Seeing: Fair (2)
Temperature: 1º C
SQM: 21.15
Light breeze and no clouds. Observing with Jerry and Peter.
![]() |
Constellation: Orion Originally viewed this with binoculars. I then switched to the 16" Dobsonian. Given the star alignment was not the best, I had to star hop to M42/M43. the Dobsonian to M42. I could make out what looked like wings of nebulosity. There were two groupings of 3 stars visible - one set tight together in a triangle while the other 3 were linearly arranged. M42/M43 easily located naked eye. |
Location: SCO
Date: 2020-02-23
Time: 9:23 PM AST
Instrument: 16" SkyWatcher Dobsonian, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x45
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Temperature: -2º C
SQM: 21.08
![]() |
Constellation: Lepus Lepus was well above the horizon and all the stars could be seen. I tried to use 10x42 IS binoculars but failed to see it. Dave Chapman had shown me this earlier in the observing session so I decided to try the telescope on my own. Arneb and Nihal were used as locator stars and M79 was found below Nihal. The globular cluster had a very dense core and an amazing circle of stars around it. Really Cool! NOTE: |
Location: SCO
Date: 2020-02-21
Time: 9:40 PM AST
S&T Chart Reference: 27
Instrument: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Good (3) to Very Good (2)
SQM: 21.10
Temperature: 16º C
No wind or clouds. Joining me at SCO were Jerry, Blair, Jeff and Troy.
I had just begun my search for M47 wth Sirius at 12 o'clock in my binocular FOV when this caught my attention. With averted vision, I found it easier to locate the 4 bright stars that crossed just above the midline of the cluster.
![]() |
Constellation: Canis Major Type: Open Cluster Magnitude: 4.5 Distance: 2.3 kly Size: 38.0' |
Constellations: Auriga, Aries, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Cetus, Gemini, Orion, Perseus, Pisces, Taurus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Asterisms: Winter Circle
Stars: Alcor-Mizar, Aldebaran, α Arneb, Alrescha, Castor, Capella, δ Ceti, Gomeisa, α Menkar, Mira, β Nihal, β Kochab, Pollux, Procyon, Rigel, Sirius
Clusters: Melotte 25/Hyades, NGC 869/NGC 884, NGC 1981
Planet: Venus
Nebula: Heart Nebula (IC1805), Soul Nebula (IC1848)
Messier Objects: M41, M42 (Orion Nebula), M43 (De Mairan's Nebula), M45 (The Pleiades), M47
Location: SCO
Date: 2020-02-21
Time: 6:30 PM - 11:55 PM ADT
Instruments: Visual, Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: -16° C
SQM: 21.10
At SCO with Jerry, Blair MacDonald, Jeff Donaldson and Troy Sweeney. No clouds, no wind.
Taurus, Melotte 25/Hyades, M45/Pleiades
Time: 7:55 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 14, 15, A
Identified Aldebaran and the Hyades naked eye. Used binoculars to view the Hyades in more detail - beautiful!
The Pleaides was quite high in the sky and easily located adjacent to Taurus. All major stars in their nebulosity could be identified.
Ursa Major, Ursa Minor |
![]() |
Venus, Cetus, Pisces
Time: 8:10 PM - 8:30 PM
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
S&T Chart: 4, 6, 7
Venus was certainly bright as it obliterated stars in the low SW horizon.
To locate Cetus, I went down from the Hyades to λ Ceti and ξ Ceti to Cetus' head and from there found Mira. Mira was about 25° - 30° above the S-SW horizon. Could easily locate Menkar, γ Ceti, ξ Ceti, μ Ceti, λ Ceti and δ Ceti. Cetus was virtually vertical. Could not compare it to any stars in Aquarius (it was below the horizon). Ο Ceti/Mira did appear dimmer than Alrescha.
I was attempting to determine the brightness of Mira when I saw a star adjacent to it. Identified it as α Pisces (Alrescha)) then proceeded to locate and identify as many of Pisces stars before the west side disappeared in the trees. I determined Mira was dimmer than Alrescha but that may have been because it was at the same declination (approximately) as Venus.
Winter Circle, Auriga, Gemini, M35
Time: 9:00 PM - 9:10 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 12
All of the Winter Circle stars were located and identified - Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon, Pollux, Castor. Noticed Auriga and its formation; Capella was quite bright compared to the others in this constellation.
Castor and Pollux were also easily found. A while later, their 'arms', 'body' and 'legs' were identified. I pointed out that M35 was at Castor' s foot/toe near the star Propus.
Orion
Time: 9:15 PM
Equipment: Binoculars
S&T Chart: 14, 16, B
Could see M42 naked eye but used my binoculars to view M42, M43 and NGC 1981 in Orion's sword. The nebulosity spreading around a bright central area was evidenced. Orion took up a large portion of the southern sky and we watched him over the course of the evening go from S-SE to S-SW.
M41 (Little Beehive) Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M041 (NGC 2287) - February 21, 2020 |
![]() |
![]() |
M47 (NGC 2422) Time: 9:50 PM Equipment: Binocular S&T Chart: 26, 27 Had to wait for Sirius and Procyon to clear the SE treeline. Using Sirius as the start point at 3 o'clock in my binocular FOV, I went 2 FOVs east of Sirius to find M47. The 4 brightest stars of its core stood out, then was able to sketch details, despite the bitter cold. Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M047 (NGC 2422) - February 21, 2020 |
Canis Major, Canis Minor
Time: 10:00 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 4
I was pointing out Lepus to Troy Sweeney and we both noticed the "dog" in the sky. Without identifying any stars except Sirius, we could see the body, legs, head and tail of this mythical heavenly creature. Had never seen this so clearly before. Quite striking.
Procyon and Gomeisa of Canis Minor were were easily found.
Aries
Time: 10:30 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 4
I was looking in the area of Pisces and Cetus and saw the 4 stars of Aries in a vertical line. Using SkySafari, I identified them as Aries. All very clear and pinpoint bright.
Perseus, NGC 869/NGC 884
Time: 11:35 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 2, 13
Troy and I noticed an arc of stars that pointed to Cassiopeia and determined it was the arm shoulder and head of Perseus. The stars in Perseus's arm were wrote brilliant and the arc it created easily recognizable. I noticed a nebulosity between η Per (Miram) and Ruchbah & Begin of Cassiopeia. Using Sky SafariPro realized the double cluster 869/884 were part of the nebulous oval. There was a dark lane per se between the double cluster and the Heart & Soul Nebulae.
Heart Nebula/IC 1805 and Soul Nebula / IC1848 The Heart Nebula was squarish in appearance but had a part that seemed brighter than the rest. I was very excited to find this! Could not make out any specific stars int he Nebula. The Soul Nebula was 'above' the Heart Nebula. It appeared as a squared oval with a slightly brighter area on its west side. Could not make out any specific stars. |
![]() |
![]() |
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2020-02-21
Time: 9:51 PM ADT
Instrument: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Magnification: x10
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: -16º C
SQM: 21.10
Observing with Jerry, Jeff Donaldson, Troy Sweeney & Blair MacDonald
![]() |
Constellation: Puppis Had to wait for Sirius and Procyon to clear the E-SE tree line. Using Sirius as the start point at 3'oclock in my FOV, I used stars to go 2 FOVs east of Sirius to find M47. The 4 stars in its core stood out. It was so cold, had to warm my hands between sketching each segment separately to provide the details. There was a bit of nebulosity on one side of the core. |
Milky Way
Constellations: Auriga, Cetus, Castor, Cygnus, Gemini, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Orion, Perseus, Pollux, Serpens Cauda, Taurus
Asterisms: Kemble's Cascade, Leaping Minnow, Summer Triangle, Winter Circle
Stars: Adid Australis & Adid Borealis & Misam (Perseus), Albireo, Alcyone, Aldebaran, Alcor-Mizar, Algol, Almach (Andromeda), Alrescha, Altair, Antares, Asterope, Atlas, Bellatrix, Betelgeuse, Celaeno, ι Cygni, ζ Cygni, ν Cygni and δ Cygni, Deneb, Electra, Elnath, Maia, Meisa, Menkar, Merope, Mira, ζ Ophi, Pleone, Sabik, 26 Tau, V650 Tau, Taygeta, Vega (+ Epsilon1 & Epsilon2 + Delta1 & Delta2), Yed Prior
HD Stars: 23609, 23631, 23632, 23654, 23665, 23694, 23733, 23763, 23872, 23873
HR Stars: 1183
Clusters: Melotte 25 (Hyades)
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
Meteors: above Capricornus, 1 near Cassiopeia and 3-4 near Auriga
Satellites: 1
Messier Objects: M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M11 (Wild Duck Cluster), M20 (Triffid), M22 (Great Sagittarius Cluster), M23, M28, M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M35 (Shoe Buckle Cluster), M36 (Pinwheel Cluster), M37, M38 (Starfish Cluster), M42 (Orion Nebula), M43 (De Mairan's Nebula), M45 (The Pleiades)
Located but not Logged:
Constellations: Andromeda, Aquarius, Aquila, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Delphinus, Equuleus, Sagitta
Asterisms: Big Dipper, Teapot
Location: SCO
Date: 2019-10-28/29
Time: 7:00 PM - 1:45 AM ADT
Instrument: Binocular 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Time | SQM | Temperature |
7:00 PM | 18.53 | 4º C |
7:30 PM | 20.98 | 4º C |
10:44 PM | 21.14 | 1º C |
11:58 PM | 21.18 | -2º C |
Jerry and I were together at SCO. He was imaging the Bubble Nebula and I was there for General Observing. There was no cloud or wind and the humidity was low. It became much cooler as the night progressed but the skies also became darker.
Summer Triangle
Time: 7:05 PM
Equipment: Visual
Identified the Summer Triangle very quickly. Vega was located, then Altair near the zenith, then followed a while later with Deneb. These three stars were certainly visible until at least midnight (after that, my attention was elsewhere). Its as interesting to note that this was still high in the sky as the Winter Circle was rising in the SE (could not see Procyon and Sirius).
Milky Way, Cygnus
Time: 7:15 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 62
The Milky Way started to make its presence known. Hints of the dark lane and its adjacent star fields were just starting to form. Seeing the Teapot gave a clue as to where it began in the southern skies. Looking up, there were clues as to where it lay, shading and light sections were barely discernible but so awe inspiring. The start of another glorious night under the strs with Jerry!
I then looked at the Sagittarius Star Cloud in the Milky Way by finding the two stars ζ Sputum and β Sputum. Knowing their location, I was then able to find M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) - the fuzzy ball at the end of the golf club.
I looked more closely at the stars of Cygnus. Easily found were Deneb, Sadr, Albireo, ι Cygni, ζ Cygni, ν Cygni and δ Cygni. The "Northern Cross" was easily seen, even the blueness of Albireo could be discovered naked eye.
![]() |
Jupiter |
Scorpius, Ophiuchus
Time: 7:25PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart: 54, 56, 58
Noticed that Antares and other stars of Scorpius were already below the horizon/trees in the SW. Quickly identified Ophiuchus's "base" stars - Sabik, ζ Oph, and Yes Prior. Once they were found, the rest of the constellation was easily seen. The part known as Serpens Caput couldn't be seen due to the angle of the constellation and the tree line, but Serpens Cauda's stars were readily found.
Satellite
Time: 7:30 PM:
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars
A bright consistent object caught my eye as it travelled from Mirach in Andromeda in the East to where it disappeared just past ψ Capricornus. Used binoculars to determine if it was the ISS; I assumed it was.
![]() |
Teapot, Saturn, M8, M20, M21, M22, M28 |
Perseus, Melotte 20
Time: 8:05 PM
S&T Chart: 2, 13
Perseus was quite high in the sky throughout the whole session so had time to view it. Using Naked eye, I could find the 4 stars with which to compare Algol for magnitude (Adid Australis, Adid Borealis, Misam and Andromeda's Almach). I did a second comparison at 11:55 PM and at 12:51 AM (no record).
Mirfak was easily seen naked eye so then used my binoculars to get a closer view of it and Melotte 20. So many gloriously bright stars, making it one of my favourite open clusters. Unfortunately, the sky was getting poorer as fog began to encroach on our view.
Lyra
![]() Meteor |
Hyades ![]() |
![]() |
Pleaides |
Cetus WOW! Is Cetus ever large! Come to find out it's the 4th largest constellation in the sky, covering an area of 1231 square degrees. All of the stars drawn were seen naked eye in the E-SE of our SCO sky. At 11:05 PM, Mira looked comparable to Menkar and was brighter than α Pisces (Alrescha). Comparative Magnification: 4.9 Mira |
![]() |
Uranus |
![]() |
Gemini, M35 |
![]() |
Auriga, M36, M37, M38 |
|
Leaping Minnow Asterism |
![]() |
5 Meteors |
|
Winter Circle, Orion, M42, M43 |
![]() |
Kemble's Cascade |
Constellations: Aquila, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Equuleus, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Sagitta, Serpens Caput, Serpens Cauda
Asterisms: Big Dipper, Coathanger, Keystone of Hercules, Summer Triangle, Teapot, Winter Circle
Stars: Alcor-Mizar, Altair, Deneb, Vega, Spica
Messier Objects: M6, M7, M8, M10, M12, M13, M22, M23, M24
Moon: at 7.2% Waxing Crescent
Location: Site 15, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2019-09-30
Time: 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature @ 9:45 PM: 9º C
SQM @ 9:45 PM: 21.45
Due to a foot injury, the Chapmans weren't able to come with us. It was a beautifully clear night until around midnight. I made a list of objects seen (above) but for some reason did not enter all of them into the written log.
Summer Triangle
Aquila, Cygnus, Lyra
Time: 9:45 PM
Equipment: Visual
Had to step closer to the shore to see the triangle above the trees. Very bright! All the associated constellations were easily identified naked eye.
Mizar-Alcor
Time: not recorded
Equipment: Binoculars
I could see the two stars in binoculars with Alcor at 11 0'clock to Mizar. Did not see the double in Mizar.
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster
Time: not recorded
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
I could see this object naked eye but did use binoculars to view the 10 stars in the asterism.
Location: SCO
Date: 2019-09-28
Time: 1:45 AM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 2, 13
Instrument: 16" Dobsonian
Magnification: unknown
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
SQM: 21.16
Temperature: 6º C
Calm with little or no breeze.
Found this open cluster with 7 stars in its core shining brightly. Six more stars were around them near the border of the cluster's nebulosity. They appeared to be like a container for all that nebulosity. All the stars were fairly bight in their nebulous surroundings.
![]() |
Constellation: Perseus Type: Open Cluster Magnitude: 5.2 Distance: 1.4 kly Size: 35.0' |
Constellations: Cassiopeia
Asterisms: Big Dipper, Summer Triangle
Stars: Vega, ε Vega, Mizar-Alcor
Location: Home
Date: 2019-09-28
Time: 9:30 PM - 10:15 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: nor recorded
Observing with grandson William who was with us for a sleepover. We spent some time going through some the constellations and asterisms he knew. For instance, because Vega was one of the first stars to be seen, he could easily find the Summer Triangle, and we saw the beginnings of the Milky Way showing up.
He has known about the Big Dipper since he was little. He also remembered Cassiopeia that he first saw at Blomidon Provincial Park two years ago (although he calls it the "William" constellation because of its 'W' shape). He was also shown the double stars Mizar and Alcor at Blomidon and during this evening's sky tour.
Constellations: Aquarius, Auriga, Capricornus, Gemini, Ophiuchus, Perseus, Pisces Austrinus, Serpens Caput, Taurus
Asterisms: Summer Triangle/DAVe
Stars: Aldebaran, Algol, 47 Aquarii, 41 Capricorni, α1 Capricorni, α2 Capricorni, β1 Capricorni, β2 Capricorni, Castor, 1 Gem, Fomalhaut, Mirfak, Sadalsud
Messier Objects: M2, M30, M34, M35, M36, M37, M38, M45
HD Stars: 21472, 23631, 23609, 23654, 23632, 23665, 204663, 204796, 204951, 205088, 205104, 205176, 205240, 205242, 205288, 205244, 205260, 205403, 214046, 214172
HR Stars: 1172, 8251
Clusters: Hyades/Melotte 25, NGC 869/884, Melotte 20
Not found: NGC 7293/Helix Nebula (above Pisces Austrinus in Aquarius)
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Constellations: Aquila, Cygnus, Lyra, Serpens Cauda
Location: SCO
Date: 2019-09-27/28
Time: 10:05 PM - 2:30 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS + SCO 16" Dobsonian (eyepiece unknown)
Transparency: Good (34)
Seeing: Good (3)
Time | Temp (º C) | SQM |
11:02 PM | 13 | 20.93 |
11:51 PM | 7 | 21.10 |
1:28 AM | 6 | 21.16 |
Clear skies, no clouds and virtually no wind with only an occasional breeze. General observing with Jerry, Blair MacDonald and Mark Dryden - the fellows with telescopes and me with binoculars. The southern horizon became more diffuse as the night wore on.
Pisces Austrinus |
Taurus + Hyades/Melotte 25 |
||
M45 / Pleiades There was a line of stars arching away from one of the nebula in the cluster. The stars were of varying brightness but were very clearly visible. The nebulosity around each of the primary stars were easily seen with binoculars. |
![]() |
||
NGC 869 + NGC 884 |
Summer Triangle / DAVe |
||
Ophiuchus, Serpens Caput |
Perseus + Melotte 20/α Persei Cluster/Perseus OB3 Association |
||
Auriga |
M37 was found just a bit southwest of the imaginery line between Elnath (beta Aurigae) and theta Aurigae. M36 was found northeast of M37, just about equidistant on the other side of the imaginery line. M36 and M37 could be seen in the same FOV. M38 was found northeast of M36. Both of these objects could be seen in the same FOV. |
||
Gemini + M35 |
Capricornus Time: 1:15 AM Equipment: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Reference: 66, 68, 77 The "smile in the sky" was located and identified; all of its brightest stars were found visually. Algedi Prima (α1 Capricorni) and Algedi Secondi (α2 Capricorni) were easily seen as separate entities. Dabih Major (β1 Capricorni) and Dabih Minor (β2 Capricorni) were also seen. |
||
M30 NGC 7293 / Helix Nebula (attempt to find) M34 |
|
||
M2 (Globular Cluster) When I returned home, I was able to label the stars in these two formations. |
|
Planet: Saturn (in Sagittarius)
Location: Home
Date: 2019-09-09
Time: 10:05 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 13º C
SQM: 18.39
Saturn was located above Nunki, one of the stars in the Teapot handle. I decided to sketch Saturn and the surrounding star field.
Planet: Jupiter
Location: Nova East Star Party, Smileys Provincial Park, NS
Date: 2019-08-30
Time: 8:40 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
I along with Tony Schellinck, Paul Heath, Melody Hamilton and a group of others noticed the strange arrangement of the 4 Galilean moons - like butterfly wings. I made rough notes about this but couldn't find this particular lunar formation; the OH had no mention of it and SkySafariPro showed the moons in a line with Europa on one side and Io, Ganymede and Callisto on the other.
No explanation for this pattern. Perhaps Europa (upper right of the 4 sketched) formed the shape with three GAIA-designated stars and we didn't look further for the other 3 moons (?).
Constellations: Aquila, Aries, Boötes (except for Asellus Primus), Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Pisces Australe (PsA), Triangulum, Ursa Minor
Asterisms: Big Dipper, Square of Pegasus, Keystone of Hercules, Summer Triangle/DAVe
Stars: Antares, Deneb, Altair, Vega, ε1 Lyrae, ε2 Lyrae, Mizar & Alcor, Fomalhaut, ε PsA, ι PsA, Mirach, μ Andromedae
Messier Objects: M11, M22, M31
Not found: M9, M10, M12, M14, M107
Location: Home
Date: 2019-08-27
Time: 8:32 PM - 11:45 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Fair (2) - Poor (1)
Seeing: Fair (2) - Poor (1)
Temperature: 16º C
SQM: 19.65
No wind or clouds. I had written rough notes in my draft log book but didn't enter them into the compiled logbook. The items listed above were viewed but I cannot attest as to whether it was an "oh yes, there it is" (identified, not observed) or "let's take a closer look" (observed).
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Constellations: Aquila, Aries, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Delphinus, Lyra, Scorpius, Triangulum, Ursa Minor
Asterisms: Big Dipper, Coathanger, Summer Triangle, Teapot
Stars: Altair, Antares, Mizar & Alcor, Deneb, ε1 Lyrae & ε2 Lyrae, Vega
Messier Objects: M6, M7, M8, M11, M20, M21, M31
Location: Sky Circle, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2019/08/24
Time: 9:30 PM - 11:45 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + 10x42 IS Binoculars
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Fair (2)
Temperature: 14º C
SQM: 19.68
NOTE: The above mentioned objects were found as part of two sessions of a binocular table hosted by Tony Schellinck at the Dark-Sky Weekend. They were not truly observed but they were located and so noted.
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Constellations: Aquila, Aries, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Delphinus, Lyra, Scorpius, Triangulum
Asterisms: Big Dipper, Coathanger, Summer Triangle, Teapot
Stars: Altair, Antares, Mizar & Alcor, Deneb, ε1 Lyrae & ε2 Lyrae, Vega
Messier Objects: M6, M7, M8, M11, M16, N17, M20, M21, M22, M25, M31
Location: Port Mouton with Tony Schellinck
Date: 2019/08/20
Time: 9:30 PM - 11:45 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + 10x42 IS Binoculars
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Fair (2)
Temperature: 18º C
SQM: 21.46
NOTE: We were with Tony in Port Mouton to practise finding objects for the binocular table at the Kejuimkujik DSW later in the week and at Nova East the following week (i.e., Tony was coaching me on how to lead the binocular table). Jerry and I were envious of his seaside observatory.
Comet: 21P/Giacobini-Zinner
Location: Nova East Star Party, Smileys Provincial Park, NS
Date: 2019/08/12-13
Time: 9:30 PM - 12:20 AM EDT
Equipment: Visual + 10x42 IS binoculars
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
First found this with Melody Hamilton and Dave Chapman. Very clear night, dew starting to form. The comet was found two ways:
a) Melody:
Visually found NGC869/NGC 884. With them in my lower binocular FOV, I looked for a "7" laying down on its side, then looked up from the the left side of my FOV at about 10 o'clock. There it was ! Including a slight tail.
b) Dave:
Look at Cassiopeia's star Segin (epsilon Cass). With Segin centred on my FOV, 21P could be found at approximately 8 o'clock.
Win-win! Two ways to find the same location. After I returned home, I identified the four stars in the "7" lying down.
![]() |
![]() |
Planet: Jupiter, Saturn
Stars: Altair, Deneb, Vega
Asterism: Summer Triangle/DAVe
Meteor (1 Perseid)
Moon
Location: Caesar Road, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Date: 2019/08/11
Time: 10:45 PM - 11:10 PM EDT
Temperature: 18º C
Equipment: 10x42 IS binoculars
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
Temperature: 19º C
No breeze or clouds.
Moon
Time: Not recorded
Equipment: Binoculars
Using the binoculars, I identified the distinct mountains on the north shore of Mare Imbrium (Montes Alpes) and Sinus Iridum (Jura Mountains). Tycho was seen quite well as was its ejecta field all the way up to Mare Serenitatis.
Jupiter (in Scorpius) Clearly identified Europa and Callisto. Io and Ganymede were not seen. SkySafariPro suggested Io was very close to the Moon's west limb but I couldn't separate the moon from the planet. Ganymede must have been occulted by the planet. |
![]() |
Saturn (in Sagittarius) Could also see Saturn's moon Phoebe! Initially mistook Albaldah (π Sgr) and ο Sgr as possibly 2 of its moons. |
![]() |
Meteor (from Perseids)
Time: ~ 11:00 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual
Long streak approximately 1 second in duration that travelled from the centre of the Summer Triangle towards the Moon. The apartment building blocked the view of its origin. Turned colour from red to green. Tail was very short.
Summer Triangle / DAVe
Time: Not recorded
Equipment: Visual
Despite the Moon and street lights, I could see Altair (in Aquila), Deneb (in Cygnus) and Vega (in Lyra).
Constellation: Cygnus
Planet: Jupiter
Stars: Antares, Deneb, Altair, Vega
Asterism: Northern Cross, Summer Triangle/DAVe
Moon
Location: Deschamps’ Cottage, St. Joseph’s Island, Ontario
Date: 2019/08/10
Time: 10:00 PM - 10:30 PM EDT
Temperature: 18º C
Equipment: 10x42 IS binoculars
Seeing: Good to excellent
Transparency: Good to excellent
Temperature: 18º C
No breeze and very few clouds. Attending JamFest 2019 in honour of my brother, Randy, who had died on January 31, 2018. Stood on their dock to get a good view of the
Lunar Observations
83.4% Moon. Easily located Mares Crisium, Imbrium, Serenititatis, Tranquilitiatis, Nectaris and Sinus Iridum.
What stood out visually in the binocs were the Jura Mountains on the northern shores of Sinus Iridum – they were on the terminator and the light was bright on its slopes to the mare floor. Couldn’t help but return again to view Iridum and the terminator. Showed both Linda and Mark at different times.
Jupiter (in Scorpius) Viewed Jupiter while standing on their dock. The four Galilean moon were visible, Io fairly close tot he planet on one side with the other 3 (Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) on the other. |
![]() |
Also pointed out the red star Antares in Scorpius, and stars the comprise the Summer Triangle/DAVe (Deneb, Altair and Vega). Also noted the Northern Cross in the constellation Cygnus.
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn
Messier Objects: M22
Stars: Alcor, Mizar A, Mizar B
Asterism: Teapot
Location: Home
Date: 2019/08/05
Time:
Equipment: Visual + 10x42 IS Binoculars + 6" Sky-Watcher Dobsonian with 10 mm eyepiece
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Fair (2)
Temperature: 19º C - 15º C
SQM: 19.64 - 19.41
No breeze or clouds. An all-sky murkiness prevented great observing but didn't stop it.
Jupiter (in Ophiuchus) |
![]() |
|
Saturn (in Sagittarius) Time: 9:50 PM ADT Equipment: Visual, Binoculars, Telescope Easily found Saturn near the Teapot handle, especially after finding Jupiter. Used binoculars to see all 4 moons - 2 on each side, forming what appeared to be a curve. I identified Rhea, Dione and Titan but wasn't sure if I saw a 4th moon or a star in that curve. In the telescope, the tilt of the planet and its rings were seen. |
Stars - Alcor, Mizar A, Mizar B |
![]() |
M22 / NGC 6656 |
![]() |
Constellations: Aquila, Boötes, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn
Asterism: Coathanger, Summer Triangle, Teapot
Location: Home
Date: 2019/08/02
Time: 10:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + 10x42 IS Binoculars
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
Temperature: 20º C (average of 3 readings)
SQM: 19.21 (average of 3 readings)
Found - handwritten notes about this evening. I had noted the items observed during this evening in my 'draft' log book intending to write it up in the compiled log book - but failed to do so. There apparently was lots of light at the horizon and that it seemed murky.
All the items above were located and identified. The lower part of Scorpius' tail was in the area of the murky horizon.
It was noted that all 4 of the Galilean moons of Jupiter were visible in the binoculars. Jupiter was about 6.5º above Antares towards Sabik (in Ophiuchus). On the east side were Callisto and Europa. On the west side were Io and Ganymede. I noted that Io was relatively close to Jupiter compared to the other 3.
Saturn was located near the handle of the Teapot in Sagittarius. The rings were tilted (NW to SE). I made no note of any moons identified.
Constellations: Delphinus, Scorpius
Planet: Jupiter
Stars: Antares, HD 169706, HR 6893, HR 6936
Messier Objects: M4, M11, M13, M54, M55, M69
Asterism: Job's Coffin
Satellites (3)
Meteor (1)
Failed Attempt: M70
Identified, not Observed & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Messier Object: M11
Location: Site 15, Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2019-08-01/02
Time: 9:45 PM - 12:30 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + 10x42 IS binoculars + TeleVue Ranger 70 mm telescope, f/6.9
Magnifications: x10, x92
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3) to Very Good (4)
Temperature: 23º C - 22º C
SQM: 21.39 - 21.82
We were camping with the Chapmans again for our Annual Big Muise Island Star Party. New Moon. Breezy enough to keep the mosquitos away. Occasional clouds.
Delphinus Jerry, Dave and I could easily see all 5 stars of the constellation. Jerry then told us about how the 4 stars forming the 'head' of the dolphin was also an asterism - Job's coffin. It is referred to as a coffin because of its long, box-like shape. Job’s Coffin is formed by four relatively bright stars in Delphinus: Rotanev (β Delphini), Sualocin (α Delphini), γ Delphini ,and δ Delphini. The two unusual star names – Rotanev and Sualocin – come from the Latinized name of Italian astronomer Niccolò Cacciatore – Nicolaus Venator – written in reverse. A fifth star, Aldufin (ε Delphini), forms the dolphin's tail. |
Lore re Job's Coffin: 1- The dolphin constellation represents Poseidon’s messenger. When the sea god courted the nymph Amphitrite, one of the Nereids, she resisted his advances and took refuge among her sisters. Poseidon sent messengers to find her and bring her to him, among them a dolphin. The dolphin found the nymph, soothed her and brought her back to the god. The two were later married. Poseidon decided to honour the dolphin and placed his image among the stars. 2- It was Apollo, the god of poetry and music, who placed the dolphin among the constellations for saving the life of Arion, a poet and musician born on the island of Lesbos, whose skill with the lyre made him famous in the 7th century BC. Arion was sailing back to Greece after a concert tour of southern Italy when the sailors who were also on the ship started plotting to take the money he had earned. Surrounded, Arion asked them to let him sing one last song. The sailors allowed this, and Arion’s music drew several dolphins to the ship. As he played, the dolphins swam alongside the ship and Arion decided to take a leap of faith and he jumped overboard. One of the dolphins saved him and carried him all the way back to Greece. In this version of the myth, Apollo placed the dolphin next to the constellation Lyra in the sky, and Lyra represents Arion’s lyre. |
||
Jupiter (in Scorpius) Only 3 Moons were seen adjacent to Jupiter - Callisto, Io and Ganymede. Europa was being occulted by Jupiter. |
![]() |
||
M55 Looking at the S&T Pocket Star Atlas, I noticed M55 between the Teapot handle and the bottom of Capricornus. I started with Ascella and worked my way towards ω Capricorni. I accidentally found it using averted vision - showed Dave where it was located on the star map and he found it as well. A very faint fuzzy. In looking for info on this object, it was suggested to follow the arc of stars from τ Sagittari to ψ Sagittari to χ Sagittari to h2 (52 Sgr) and then go straight down to M55. |
![]() |
||
Satellite (ISS) It appeared near Arcturus then disappeared just past Altair. Very bright and very fast! And very large compared to other satellites. |
Satellite First noticed while on its path between the Keystone of Hercules and Corona Borealis. It Passed through Ophiuchus then disappeared between Antares and Dschubba. |
||
Meteor |
Noticed it coming across the top of Ophiuchus and travelling across a corner of the Keystone of Hercule. It disappeared just past the Keystone. |
||
M70 Used my binoculars to attempt to find M70 approximately midway between Ascella and Tau Borealis in the Teapot. I could find M69 and M54 but M70 alluded me once more. Use a telescope next time! |
![]() |
||
M4 + Scorpius Scorpius was identified visually in the S-SE with Antares clearly visible naked eye and with binoculars. Could see as far down the tail/stinger as ε Scorpii before the remaining stars of the constellation disappeared in the murkiness. Was able to locate M4 adjacent to Antares. |
|||
|
|||
M69 (Globular cluster) There was a curved formation of 3 stars from Kaus Australis towards the inside of the Teapot. Just above this curve was M69. I hadn't been able to find M69 for a couple of years, despite good seeing and visibility. Perhaps my cataract surgery made a difference(?). |
![]() Note: The 3 stars starting at Kaus Borealis are HR 6893, HD 169706 and HR 6936. |
||
M54 / NGC 6715 / Summer Rose Star I had been unable to find this object for a couple of years. Focused my binoculars with Ascella at 9 o'clock in my FOV. Found M54 with averted vision! Finally.... success! It was very faint but it was found. I returned to this location later in the observing session to confirm I could find it again. |
|
Constellations: Delphinus, Lyra, Scorpius, Vega
Asterism: Keystone of Hercules
Stars: Vega ε1, Vega ε2, ν Vega, Sheliak
Messier Objects: M4, M6, M7, M8, M11, M13, M20, M21, M22
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn
Location: Site 15, Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2019-07-31
Time: 9:30 PM - 11:45 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + 10x42 IS binoculars + TeleVue Ranger 70 mm telescope, f/6.9
Magnifications: x10, x92
Transparency: Good
Seeing: good
Temperature: 28º C at 9:35 PM
SQM: 21.81
We were camping with the Chapmans again for our Annual Big Muise Island Star Party. Around 10:35 PM, lightning periodically lit the sky; Jerry determined the storm was centred over St. Stephen, NB. A little breezy but it did keep the mosquitoes away. The New Moon was expected at 12:12 AM ADT.
Varying degrees of transparency and seeing as the night progressed. Clouds occasionally covered the Teapot that affected the visibility of the stars and globular clusters in the area.
Lyra Vega appeared overhead around 9:35 PM. Could easily see the locations of β, ζ, and ε Lyrae. Did not pay particular attention to δ and γ Lyrae. |
![]() |
||
Delphinus At this time, sections of the sky were clear but very murky near the horizon. Used naked eye to find and identify all 5 stars item constellation. |
|||
Scorpius Scorpius was identified visually in the S-SE although its tail wasn't visible due to the murkiness at the horizon. The red Antares was clearly visible naked eye and with binoculars. Dave pointed out the 2 stars adjacent to Antares (σ Scorpii and τ Scorpii) both had the same name - Al Nayat. Could see as far down the tail/stinger as ε Scorpii before the remaining stars of the constellation disappeared in the murkiness. |
![]() |
||
Jupiter (in Scorpius) Observation 1 with Binoculars: Observation 2 with Telescope: |
![]() |
||
M4 / NGC 6121 Using the binoculars, I could find the small fuzzy M4 at 4 o'clock to Antares. |
M6 / Butterfly Cluster I used Kaus Borealis in the Teapot to find M6 approximately 1.5 FOV away. The grey fuzzy was visible but not as clearly defined as in the past due to the haziness in that part of the sky. |
||
Keystone Hercules + M13 / Hercules Globular Cluster I found the Keystone of Hercules almost at the zenith and located all 4 of its stars. Using binoculars, I was able to find the small grey fuzzy between η Herculis and ζ Herculis without any difficulty. |
|||
M7 / Ptolemy's Cluster / NGC 6475 In clearer skies, the cluster would have shone almost as brightly as the Pleaides. It was easily located naked eye as a dullish object. I followed the line from Ascella to Kaus Australis in the Teapot and went out 1.5 FOV. The murkiness creating poor seeing and transparency in this part of the sky was quite evident. |
M8 / Lagoon Nebula Made a line from Kaus Australis through the mid-point of the line at the top of the spout, then travelled an equal distance to M8. Could easily see the bright open cluster of M8; could also see M20 in the same FOV. M21 is very close to M20 and therefore easily found within the same FOV. |
||
Saturn (in Sagittarius) Observation 1 - Visual: Observation 2 - Binoculars: Observation 2 - Telescope: |
![]() |
||
M11 Discovered that M11 is located in the Scutum Star Cloud below a dark nebula Bernard 111. I easily found a 'square' portion of the Cloud with 2 bright objects in its upper border. With binoculars, I found M11 as the left bright object and guessed (with star charts help) that the right bright object was β Scutum. I still consider M11 as the "golf ball" next to an asterism shaped like a golf club. Note:
|
![]() |
||
M22 Again, I used Kaus Borealis to locate M22 within the same FOV. It appeared as a small grey fuzzy with no particular details in binoculars. |
IWLOP #050 - Maurolycus and Barocius
Large structures with underlying and overlapping impact scars.
Location: 41.8 S 14.0 E Origin: Impact Size: 114 km (Maurolycus), 82 km (Barocius) Rukl: 66 Type: CC
Objects: Maurolycus, Barocius, Brieslak, Clairaut, Buch, Büsching
Others Identified: Baco, Cuvier, Ideler
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-10
Time: 10:20 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 92° FOV + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x416
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Both craters showed terraced walls. Especially visible were SE Maurolycus and Barocius that appeared steeper the the other walls. Maurolycus had a central peak plus at least 4 very small craters within.
C1: The craters Breislak and Clairaut were towards the south. Breislak had terraced walls and an uneven floor. Clairaut had 2 craters within it. Buch and Büsching appeared very shallow compared to Maurolycus.
NOTE: With effort, I was also able to identify Maurolycus G, L, A, J, M, F and D. Also identified Barocius B and C easily.
![]() |
|
Maurolycus: Very easily could see the main and secondary central peak. At least 4 craters on the floor and 2 with direct impact on the rim. Ridging or slumping of the east wall was evident.
Breislak: Its NE rim showed at least 4 craters on its wall or just inside on the floor. There were 2 craters on its SE rim and a small one in the NW.
Clairaut: More definitive this session. Two large craters on its floor. Three small craters on the outside of its SW rim. Crater A had a direct impact on its SE rim while Crater E hit just on the edge of the NW rim.
IWLOP #051 - Gemma Frisius
This crater features an unusually high wall of over 5 km.
Location: 34.2 S 13.3 E Origin: Impact Size: 88 km Rukl: 66 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Gemma Frisius, Goodacre, Poisson and craters D, G & H
Others Identified: Craters, U, V, K, Q
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-10
Time: 10:35 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 92° FOV + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x416
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Both Gemma Frisius and Goodacre are generally round. Goodacre has its rim interrupted only in the S-SW whereas Gemma Frisius has craters of varying sizes on all of its rims.
R2: Just over the western wall of Gemma Frisius are the craters D, G and H in a line, going from SW to NE. G & H are shallower than D.
C1: To the NW is Poisson with disintegrated crater walls and its unsmooth floor. Crater A and the grouping of U, V, K, Q between it and Gemma Frisius were easily identified.
NOTE: The crater combo of Gemma Frisius, Goodacre and Crater D makes it look like Minnie Mouse with a bow in her hair! However, you might never know it from my sketch!
IWLOP #058 - Cuvier
Crater with a smooth floor. Cuvier is located almost due south of the prominent crater Maurolycus (Rukl 66) in a heavily cratered area of the Moon that is an interesting challenge to navigate.
Location: 50.3 S 9.9 E Origin: Impact Size: 75 km Rukl: 74 Type: Simple Crater (CS)
Objects: Cuvier + Q, F, A, E, B, L, H; Baco, Ascelpi, Tannerus, Mutus, Manzinus, Jacobi, Kinau
Others Identified : Biela, Boguslawski, Boussingault, Demonax, Hagecius, Nearch, Rosenberger, Vlacq
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-10
Time: 10:40 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 92° FOV + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x416
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
No clouds or wind. Relatively warm night.
![]() |
R1: Located Cuvier SE of Heraclitus. Slight oval shape with crater impact on NE rim. Five craters curved to the SE - Q, E, A, E, B). Also found L & H on NE rim. |
C1: Found all 3 craters (Baco, Asclepi and Tannerus) to the east and SE.
Baco: worn down rims, oval shaped, smooth floor. Several craters near its rim.
Asclepi: SE of Baco. Crater floor appeared smooth.Easily identified sub-craters B, D, G, H along with A and E. Looked like a squished diamond shape. Tannerus: Sub-craters formed a right angle with Tannerus at the corner. |
![]() ![]() |
C2: Further SE, I found Mutus and Manzinus and to the south Jacobi and Kinau. I knew Kinau formed a triangle with Mutus-Manzinus and it wasn't easily found. The Moon was favourably librated so could identify others even further south. Mutus: Craters A, B and V found on smooth floor. Steep eastern rim versus the ridged west rim. Crater A adjacent to the rim. Crater B just off-centre to the west and completely on the crater floor. Crater V was in the east and was the largest of the three. |
![]() |
Manzinus: Craters D, E and G on SW sloped rim, plus C and N. |
Jacobi: Impact crater O on northeast rim and J on southwest rim, plus N, K, W on the crater floor. |
NOTE: Search, Rosenberger, Vlacq, Biela and Hagecius formed a grouping NE of Mutus.
IWLOP #062 - Stöfler & Faraday
Large pre-Nectarian crater with overlapping Imbrian Era crater.
Location: 41.1 S 6.0 E Origin: Impact Size: 126 km (Stöfler), 70 km (Faraday) Rukl: 65, 66, 73 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Stöfler, Faraday, Licetus, Heraclitus, Fernelius, Kaiser
Others Identified : Cuvier
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-10
Time: 9:58 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 92° FOV + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x416
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R1: Stöfler has terraced walls in its western rim. Most of the adjacent secondary craters also have terraced walls.
R2: There are two distinct craters on either side of Faraday. The east crater appears deeper and smaller than the western crater with more terracing in the western crater.
R3: The oval-shaped Licetus is southeast of Stöfler whereas the odd-shaped Heraclitus is in the southwest. Heraclitus appears to have a small dividing mountain or ridge.
R4: To the north are Fernelius and Kaiser. Fernelius shares a ridge with Stöfler and also has a crater on its west rim. There is also a small crater where the crater rims of Stöfler and Fernelius meet. Kaiser also has a small crater to its NE.
These objects were confirmed on another evening when viewing Stöfler and Faraday.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-15
Time: not recorded
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 3° C - 0° C
IWLOP #079 - Deslandres
A very large, pre-Nectarian Era, disintegrated crater.
Location: 32.5 S 5.2 W Origin: Impact Size: 234 km Rukl: 65, 64 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Deslandres, Hell, Lexell
Others Identified: Ball
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-10
Time: 7:54 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 9.7 mm Plösl eyepiece
Magnification: x258
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
![]() |
No wind or clouds. R1: Lexell has a central peak and a very eroded northern edge. Hell is very deep and has a well-defined rim. Deslandres appears to have been impacted several times on its rim and its floor, giving it the irregular shape. C1: A line of 5 or 6 very small craters were in a line from the SE to the NW within the crater. Couldn't see the central peak of Hell. |
IWLOP #081 - Maginus
Large, prominent, pre-Nectarian Era crater.
Location: 50.0 S 6.2 W Origin: Impact Size: 163 km Rukl: 73 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Maginus, Maginus A, Maginus C, Heraclitus, Lilius, Deluc
Others Identified: Licetus, Pictet, Proctor, Saussure, Street, Tycho
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-10
Time: 10:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x416
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
![]() |
R1: The floor of Maginus was quite rough. Maginus A not seen. C1: Heraclitus and Licetus in the east look like a small car. Deluc looks like Mickey Mouse with A and D adjacent, smaller and maybe deeper. |
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-22
Time: 9:54 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
![]() |
R1: Maginus A easily seen. Part of the floor in the central area between the twin peaks and Maginus C looked darker than other areas. C1: Lilius has a central peak and several small craters units NW rim; crater C has impacted its SE wall. |
Took this evening to complete more of the ETM as well as capture some of the IWLOP objects.
Lunar Phase: First Quarter (58.7%)
Q-Day: 0
First Quarter: 3:00 AM
Moonset: 2:01 AM Moonrise: 1:26 PM
Sunrise: 5:29 AM Sunset: 9:00 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-10
Time: 9:30 PM – 11:00 PM
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x416
Transparency: very good (4)
Seeing: very good (4)
Maurolycus and Barocius both had terraced walls. Especially visible were the SE sides that seemed steeper than the other sides. Maurolycus had a central peak plus at least 4 very small craters within. There is a flat area in the SW that may be the remnant of a crater it impacted (???). Barocius looked like a rabbit’s face. Almond-shaped face with 2 ears – craters B & C. The floor didn’t appear smooth. The northern rim of C seemed very shallow. The rim of B seems very shallow as if it is disappearing after its impact.
Craters: Barocius, Maurolycus
For details on the observations relating to the RASC IWLOP, refer to:
IWLOP #037 – Theophilus (Sinus Asperitatis & Mare Nectaris Area)
The three craters - Theophilus, Cyrillus and Catharina - are all about 100 km in diameter and form a trio bordering the edge of Mare Nectaris.
Location: 11.4 S 26-22 E Origin: Impact Size: 100 km Rukl: 46 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Theophilus, Sinus Asperitatis, Mädler
Others Identified: Cyrillus, Ibn Rushd, Kant, Mons Penck
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-08
Time: 11:10 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 90° FOV + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x416
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
SQM: 19.41
Temperature: 15° C - 10° C, no wind or clouds
![]() |
R1: Theophilus located between Mare Nectaris and Sinus Asperitatis, and above Cyrillus. R2: Theophilus had a terraced wall, flat floor and a 4-part central peak. R3: The continuous ejecta deposit went from Theophilus into the Sinus. R4: Mädler was oval-shaped, much smaller, and steep-sided with a smooth dark floor. |
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-25
Time: 9:35 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
C1: The landscape north of Theophilus looked like a very rough lava flow for the same distance as the crater radius. There were no deep ridges detectable in the 'flow'.
IWLOP #038 – Cyrillus
Cyrillus is older than Theophilus which overlaps its eastern wall, and is more eroded.
Location: 13.2 S 26-22 E Origin: Impact Size: 98 km Rukl: 46 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Cyrillus, Mons Penck, Ibn Rushd, Kant
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-08
Time: 11:39 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 90° FOV + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x416
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
SQM: 19.41
Temperature: 15° C - 10° C, no wind or clouds
R1: The two peaks of Cyrillus (α, η,) were slightly above centre. Theophilus cuts into the NE wall. Cyrillus crater A easily seen on its floor at the western wall.
R2: Mons Penck was next to Kant in the NW.
C1: Ibn Rushd and Kant are craters located in the NW of Cyrillus. Ibn Rushd appears shallow in comparison to Kant and Cyrillus.
C2: The third peak (δ) of Cyrillus was smaller than the other two (α and η).
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-05-28
Time: 10:46 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x250
Seeing & Transparency not recorded
C3: Observed the narrow rille on the eastern floor in June 2019, and saw again. The arcuate ridge on the eastern floor was observed in this observing session.
IWLOP #039 – Catharina
Catharina is the oldest of the three features with 5 craters superimposed on it. Probably pre-Imbrian since elongated craters on its northeast rim are aligned with Mare Imbrium.
Location: 18.0 S 26-22 E Origin: Impact Size: 100 km Rukl: 57 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Catharina; Catharina P, B & G; Catharina C, K, A, F, S & D
Others Identified: Tacitus, Polybius
Location: Home
Date: 2019-06-08
Time: 11:39 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 92° FOV
Magnification: x416
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
SQM: 19.41
Temperature: 15° C - 10° C
Very light or no breeze. No clouds.
R1: Ghost crater Catharina P in north-northwest portion of the crater very shallow but slightly deeper than Catharina. The crater changed the shape of Catharina to look more like a small pear versus perfectly round.
C1: Catharina - Craters B and G on the northeastern wall appeared to be very deep, their floor shadowed by their steep walls.
C2: Small craters within crater P appeared as pinpoints. Craters B, D, G, F and S were noted on or adjacent to Catharina's crater wall. Craters A, K, and C were adjacent to the crater in the SE. Also noted were crater A (maybe related to Tacitus?) and craters D, E and G were located in the W-NW.
Constellation: Gemini, Leo
Messier Objects: M44
Stars: Castor A, Castor B, Pollux
Location: Home
Date: 2019-05-02/03
Time: 11:15 PM - 1:00 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + 6" Sky-Watcher Dobsonian with 10 mm eyepiece
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 9º C - 3º C
Clear skies, no cloud. No wind but there was the occasional breeze.
Gemini + Castor A/Castor B
Time: Not recorded
Equipment: Telescope
S&T Chart Reference: 23, 25
Gemini was seen in the western sky with Castor and Pollux easily identifiable. By using the 10 mm eyepiece, I was able to distinguish between Castor A and Castor B. Castor C was not seen. Quite exciting to see two stars of the sextuplet.
Leo + M44
Time: Not recorded
Equipment: Telescope
S&T Chart Reference: 24
Leo was visible well above our tree line. I used the imaginary line from Chertan (θ Leonis) to η Leonis, then went the same distance toward Ascellus Australis in Cancer. About 2º from there was the fuzzy M44.
Large basin with flooded dark floor that can new seen with binoculars whenever this area is sunlit.
Location: 5.2 S, 68.6 W Origin: Impact and volcanic Diameter: 222 km Rukl: 39 Type: Basin
Objects: Grimaldi, Rimae Grimaldi
Others Identified: Damoiseau, Sirsalis, Sirsalis A
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-17 + 2020-08-31
Time: 10:25 PM AST + 10:10 PM AST
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 9.7 mm Meade eyepiece
Magnification: x257
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Observation 1 - April 17, 2019: |
|
Observation 2 - August 31, 2020: C1: Seeing the 230 km Rimae Grimaldi was a "woo-hoo" moment. With the lighting on the Moon and the magnification, the 'valley' was readily seen. It was nestled between Grimaldi's eastern wall and the ridge formed as part of the southern Damoiseau. The ridge extended further south. |
![]() |
IWLOP L8 (Libration Object): Bailly
This is the largest crater visible on the near side of the Moon and, with some libration, its entire surface can be seen.
Location: 66.8 S 69.4 W Origin: Impact Size: 303 km Rukl: 71 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Bailly
Others Identified: Zucchius
Date: 2019-04-17
Location: Home
Time: 9:37 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 33 mm eyepiece then 9.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x75.7 then x258
Seeing: Very good (4)
Transparency: Very good (4)
SQM: 17.81
Temp: -2º C
No wind. No clouds. Jerry set up the 10” Meade SCT while I attempted to identify items on my observe list – potentially 13 items, depending on where light & terminator were located. Because the SW limb was librated, I was able to find Bailly.
C1: Because it was on the terminator, Bailly appeared very elongated. One of its walls was on the terminator but features within its crater walls were quite easily seen.
C2: At least 7 craters on the floor or on its walls. It was difficult to determine if the walls were ridged or whether the floor looked rough near the walls.
This session was devoted to lunar observing. Three IWLOP objects were viewed.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (96.9%)
Q-Day: 4
Moonset: 5:54 AM Moonrise: 5:54PM
Sunrise: 6:27 AM Sunset: 8:02 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-17
Time: 8:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 33 mm + 9.7 mm
Magnification: x76 + x258
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: -2º C
SQM: 17.81
No wind or clouds. Jerry set up the telescope for me then I began looking for things on my observe list - 13 items, depending on where light and the terminator were located. I found Grimaldi (on the list) and then had 3 surprises due to the SW limb being librated - Bailly, Cassatas and Klaproth.
![]() |
Bailly Cassatas and Klaproth |
![]() |
Grimaldi This was the first time viewing this crater. Grimaldi's west wall was on the terminator. The almost lace-like Damoiseau was to the east with Sirsalis and Sirsalis A to the S-SE. Appeared to be doors on the very dark floor. Refer to IWLOP #134 - Grimaldi for details. |
![]() |
IWLOP #107 - Klaproth & Casatus
Double crater located near the southern edge of the Moon.
Location: 69.7 S 26.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 119 km (Klaproth), 103 km (Casatus) Rukl: 72 Type: Simple Crater (CS)
Objects: Klaproth, Casatus, Casatus C and J
Others Identified: Casatus A, H, G and H
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-17
Time: 10:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 9.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x258
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
![]() |
R1: Klaproth is larger and relatively smooth floor. Casatus had 2 craters (C and J) that were easily seen. Could also see Crater A (on the wall or very close to it), H, G and H. The latter two are shallow and no high walls seen. Casatus appeared to have a small dorsa or other structure in its western floor. Note: This was a surprise discovery. Looks a bit like Sirsalis/Sirsalis A. |
IWLOP #083 - Rupes Recta
The famous "Straight Wall" is one of the most interesting features on the Moon.
Location: 22.0 S 7.0 W Origin: Tectonic Length: 110 km Rukl: 54 Type: Scarp
Objects: Rupes Recta, Birt, Promontorium Taenarium, Birt A, Rima Birt
Others Identified: Nicollet, Thebit, Thebit A
Observation 1: Variable high clouds. R1: The Straight wall was barely visible.R2: The crater Birt in Mare Nubium to the west was easily identified. R3: Promontorium Taenarium was very large - 1/4 as long and almost as long (east to west) as the Wall. The curve of the peaks made it look like a wall of a much larger crater (now gone). |
![]() |
![]() |
Observation 2: C1: Birt and Birt A were easily identified adjacent to the Wall. The shadow extended just west of Birt almost perfectly parallel to the Wall. Because this part was near the terminator, I could see the worn down crater wall (refer to note). Rimae Birt ran parallel to the Wall, running north of Birt; it was about half the length of the Wall. NOTE: (July 4/21) It always strikes me that there had been a large crater in this section of Mare Nubium because of the hint of a circular wall in the Mare floor. |
![]() |
Observation #3: This is not the best photo possible. It was taken using my iPhone mounted on the eyepiece with a NexYZ while doing a general 'look' at the Moon. The straight line defining the lit area from a dark area of Mare Nubium is Rupes Recta aka the Straight Wall! It's the absolute best example of a lunar fault. Rupes Recta casts a wide shadow that gives it the appearance of a steep cliff. The fault has a length of 110 km, a typical width of 2–3 km, and a height of 240–300 m. Thus although it appears to be a vertical cliff in the lunar surface, in actuality the grade of the slope is relatively shallow. Thebit (circular crater with most of its floor in darknesss, Thebit A, the small Thebit L beside A, Thebit J nested beside Thebit, and Rupes Recta! Thebit A appears to have impacted both Thebit and Thebit L. The crater Birt is the illuminated crater in the shadows. Promontorium Taenarium was very large and well illuminated at the south end of the Wall; an intermittent ridge line ran from Thebit J to the south end of Rupes Recta, creating what looked like a break in the Wall just before the Promontorium. Alpetragius is the small crater in the upper right, lying to the side between what you can see of the rims of Arzachel and Alphonsus. The bowl of the crater is in darkness but its rim is well illuminated. Had the floor been lit, you would have seen the central peak that takes up about 1/3 of the floor; this has lead to it being referred to as "egg in the nest". |
Named for Sir Frederick Banting (1891-1941), born in Alliston, ON. Doctor and Nobel laureate for co-discovery of insulin.
Isolated bowl-shaped impact crater on more Serenitatis, SE of Linné. Former name was Linné E.
Diameter: 5 km Rukl: 23 Type: Crater
Objects: Banting
Others Identified: Linné, Basel, Deseilligny, Menelaus, Sarabhai, Sulpicius Gallus; ghost craters Dawes, Plinius
Other Features: Dorsa Aldrovandi, Dorsa Azara, Dorsa Gast, Dorsum Buckland,
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-11
Time: 11:45 PM AST
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 9.7 mm Meade eyepiece
Magnification: x257
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
This session was devoted to lunar observing. Most of it was directed at finding objects in the Isabel Williamson Lunar Observing Program (IWLOP).
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (90.6%)
Q-Day: 4
Moonset: 6:10 AM Moonrise: 8:52 PM
Sunset: 12:15 AM Sunrise: 8:02 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-11/12
Time: 10:00 PM - 12:45 AM
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
No wind, no clouds. The Moon was in the middle of the Winter Circle.
There were numerous IWLOP targets found that despite the beautiful temperatures I made rough sketches of the objects at the eyepiece, wrote notes regarding the required (or challenged) IWLOP observations, did rough sketches then completed the details later. I also noted some craters not required to view along with the targets. I tried using a x2 Barlow with some success but the x3 Barlow was too fuzzy/grainy.
Time: 10:10 PM ADT
The first target was IWLOP #52 - Montes Haemus and the Mare Serenitatis Lacus Group. The Lacus Group in particular was very interesting give the number in
Time 10:29 PM ADT
The second targets were Aristoteles, Eudoxus, Rima Ariadaeus, and IWLOP #48 - Aristoteles & Eudoxus. It was very interesting to compare these two craters for size, depth and features.
Time 10:38 PM ADT
Temperature: 9º C
SQM: 19.25
Completed IWLOP #41 - Mare Serenitatis. The numerous dorsa on the mare floor were intriguing and at times a challenge to find.
Time 11:21 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Completed IWLOP #33 - Posidonius. The crater floor with its roughness and numerous rime made this an interesting find.
Time 11:30 PM ADT
Completed IWLOP #53 - Rima Ariadaeus. The fact that it cut across mountains, ghost craters and through ridges with craters was intriguing. I wondered what had created such a long rift across the Moon's surface (but didn't investigate any further.
Time 11:45 PM ADT
Completed IWLOP #56 - Dorsa von Cotta & Dorsum Buckland. In searching this area of Mare Serenitatis, I found not find the feature named Rimae Sulpicius Gallus. However, if I ever own a dog again, I'd love to name it "Sulpicius" - 'Sully' for short.
Time 11:52 PM ADT
Temperature: -1º C
SQM: 19.32
Completed IWLOP #65 - Hipparchus. The ghost craters on its floor and its somewhat square shape were interesting.
IWLOP #033 – Posidonius
Flooded crater from the Upper Imbrian Era. The interior ring is higher than the lunar mean surface in the eastern portion. It has very irregular terrain. There are 5 separate rimae within Posidonius; these possibly happen when a large impact occurs on the edge of an already fractured basin.
Location: 31.8 N 29.9 E Origin: Impact Size: 95 km Rukl: 14 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Posidonius, Posidonius A, Chacornac, Chacornac A
Others Identified: Daniell, Luther, Le Monnier, Posidonius craters B, D, J, M, O, P
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-11
Time: 11:21 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
R1: Posidonius had one large hill on its floor along with what appeared to be ridges or smaller hills. Round and deep Posidonius A was just west of centre.
R2: Chacronac appeared shallow compared to Posidonius. Its NW crater wall appears non-existent except for Posidonius' crater ridge.
C1: I found two of the rimae within Posidonius, one running NW to SW and one running NE to SW.
C2: Chacornac A is almost centred in the crater. Very small and shallow. Had to stare for a period of time before it appeared.
IWLOP #041 – Mare Serenitatis
Nectarian Era impact basin predating Mare Imbrium, filled with Imbrium Era mare material, very titanium rich. It is rich in dorsa and rimae. The second strongest subsurface Mass Concentration (or Mascon) on the near side is centred under the Mare Serenitatis.
Location: 28.0 N 25.3 E Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 707 km. Rukl: 24, 13, 14 Type: Basin
Objects: Dorsa Smirnov, Dorsa Lister, Bessel, Dorsa Aldrovandi, Very, Dorsum Nicol, Dorsum Azara, Sarabhai
Others Identified: Banting, Deseilligny, Fabbroni, Luther, Mons Argaeus, Plinius, Promontorium Archerusia, Tacquet
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-11
Time: 10:38 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
R1: Dorsa Smirnov and Dorsa Lister form a partial semi-circle that extended to Bessel and to its north. The structure formed by Dorsa Lister almost looks like a 'ghost crater'.
R2: The area surrounding the Dorsa Aldrovandi from Mons Argaeus to Posidonius and the crater Le Monnier is darker than that of the adjacent mare floor. Its also dark south of Dorsa Lister.
C1: The crater Very appears as a bright spot in the north end of Dorsa Smirnov. Very appears to be on the wall of a 'ghost' crater to its north and is also a darkened area.
C2: Dorsa Nicol heads northward and is perpendicular to the dark area of Rimae Plinius, terminating at Dorsa Lister. Dorsa Azara has a curve NW to SE and extends past Sarabhai.
IWLOP #048 - Aristoteles & Eudoxus
Spectacular pair of craters located at the edge of Mare Frigoris, the "Sea of Cold." These two prominent craters can be easily identified using binoculars.
Location: 50.2 N 17.4 E Origin: Impact Size: 87 km (Aristoteles), 70 km (Eudoxus) Rukl: 5, 13 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Aristoteles, Eudoxus, Mare Frigoris, Egede, Galle, Sheepshanks, Sheepshanks C, C. Mayer, Arnold
Others Identified: Democritus, Kane
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-11
Time: 10:24 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
R1: East wall of Aristoteles was especially terraced. Could see a circular pattern near the shadows on the west wall.
R2: Eudoxus is a deep crater with steeply terraced walls and a central peak.
R3: Aristoteles crater walls are not as tall as those of Eudoxus and its floor was smooth. Eudoxus had steeper walls and showed rises in the floor and small craters; its ejecta field is also smaller. In comparison, Tycho is higher-sided and has a much larger ejecta field and rays.
R4: Egede looked diamond-shaped and well flooded. Mitchell was quite shallow and its west wall impacted by Aristoteles. Galle was north of Aristoteles in Mare Frigoris and appeared quite shallow.
C1: The 2 peaks in Aristoteles were observed; the multiple central uplifts in the floor of Eudoxus were noticed.
C2: The 4 secondary craters were located. Sheepshanks and the much smaller Sheepshanks C were north across Mare Frigoris from Aristoteles. Mayer was just north of Sheepshanks. I looked west from Mayer to Kane and then NW from there to observe Arnold, a shallow elongated crater with an irregular north wall.
![]() |
![]() |
IWLOP #052 - Montes Haemus & Mare Serenitatis Lacus Group
Raised edge of Mare Serenitatis Basin, overlain with ejecta from the Mare Imbrium and flooded by basaltic lavas. These Upper Imbrium age lowlands near Mare Serenitatis are separated into multiple Lacus or "Lakes."
Location: 17.0 N 13.0 E Origin: Impact & Volcanic Size: 400 km (Montes Haemus) Rukl: 23,22 Type: Mount and Lacus
Objects: Montes Haemus, Menelaus, Lacus Hiemalis (Winter), Lacus Lenitatis (Tenderness), Lacus Gaudii (Joy), Lacus Dolores (Suffering), Lacus Odii (Hate), Lacus Felicitatis (Happiness)
Others Identified: Auwers, Banting, Bessel, Boschovich, Daubrée, Dawes, Deseilligny, Manilius, Plinius, Tacquet
Observation 1: Location: Home Date: 2019-04-11 Time: 10:10 PM ADT Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece Magnification: x250 Seeing: Very Good (4) Transparency: Excellent (5) |
![]() |
R1: Montes Haemus has a linear nature to its structure - very straight, almost like a box bottom. The high massif NW of Menelaus appears as part of a short strip along the mare shore.
R2: All 6 lakes (lacus) were easily seen between Montes Haemus and Manilius.
NOTE #1: The west ridge of Manilius was well illuminated, showing ridges on crater wall. 'Ghost crater' to the SE was well filled and joined Boscovich's NW wall.
Observation 2:
The sketch below was drawn April 19, 2021 while observing Manilius (IWLOP #059 - Manilius). What a difference 2 years makes!
IWLOP #053 - Rima Ariadaeus
Wide, prominent rima. Exceptional object when close to the terminator. It is a classic graben formed by separation of the lunar surface and down-dropping of material. This rima has a very notable fault structure apparent in its make-up. It consists of a series of offset segments and at least one offset may well be visible.
Location: 7.0 N 13.0 E Origin: Tectonic Size: 220 km Rukl: 34 Type: Rill
Objects: Rima Ariadaeus, Julius Caesar, Rima Hyginus
Others Identified : Agrippa, Arago, Boscovich, Cayley, de Morgan, Godin, Manners, Rimae Triesnecker, Silberschlag, Sosigenes, Tempel, Whewell
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-11
Time: 11:40 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
R1: Rima Ariadaeus cuts across mountainous features, across a ghost crater above Silberschlag and through ridges with small craters.
R2: The southeast wall of Julius Caesar is eroded. The floor looks filled as part of it is dark similar to there floor.
R3: Rima Ariadaeus and Rime Hyginus appear to form two mountain valleys going into Mare Vaporum. It appears that Rimae Trienecker forms the west rim of the valley 'delta'.
Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-04-19
Time: 9:18 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x1060
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Others Identified: Ariadaeus, Sinus Honoris
R2: The east and SE walls of Julius Caesar were non-existent. There was a line of craters across the east from SE to NW; small craters on the NW wall.
R3: Rimae Ariadaeus and Rima Hyginus quite visible.
Found the crater Ariadaeus just south of the end of the Rima on the shore of Mare Tranquilitatis. Sosigenes visible. Sinus Honoris is NE of Julius Caesar with a ridged area between them.
IWLOP #055 - Abenezra & Azophi
Two craters that are part of a group that is useful for orientation in this heavily bombarded area of the lunar surface.
Location: 22.0 S 12.0 E Origin: Impact Size: 43 (Abenezra), 48 km (Azophi) Rukl: 56 Type: CC
Objects: Apianus, Playfair, Azophi, Abenezra, Geber, Almanon
Others Identified : Andel, Catharina, Cyrillus, Theophilus, Kruzenstern
![]() |
Observation 1: R1: Abenezra and Azophi are two overlapping craters between Almanon and Geber in the north and Apianus and Playfair in the south. C1: Abenezra overlaps both Azophi and Crater C. However, unable to tell the difference in their floors during this session. Observation 2: C1: Abenezra had a ridged floor whereas Azophi was smooth except for the small craters. Note: I attached my iPhone with x1.7 digital zoom part way through this session to determine if it would help by "zooming in". |
IWLOP #056 - Dorsum von Cotta & Dorsum Buckland
Prominent wrinkle ridges at the southeastern edge of Mare Serenitatis caused by subsidence.
Location: 24.0 N 12.0 E Origin: Tectonic Size: 220 km (Dorsum von Cotta), 159 km (Dorsum Buckland) Rukl: 23 Type: Wrinkle Ridges (WR)
Objects: Dorsum von Cotta, Dorsum Buckland, Sulpicious Galla, Menelaus, Dorsa Owen, Dorsa Gast, Rimae Menelaus
Others Identified : Bobillier, Linné, Tacquet
![]() |
Location: Home R1: Sulpicious Gallus was located on the SW shore of Mare Serenitatis. Dorsum Buckland and Dorsum von Cotta were located north of the crater on the mare floor. C1: The shadows of Dorsa Owen and Dorsa Gast on the west shore of Mare Serenitatis were barely visible between the shore and Dorsum von Cotta. Rimae Menelaus could just be seen - Menelaus to the east and Tacquet in the west. Rimae Sulpicius Gallus not seen in this observation session. Note: Linné at top of Dorsa von Cotta appeared as a white circular fuzz; could not see the crater. |
IWLOP #065 - Hipparchus
A pre-Nectarian crater with badly disintegrated walls and square-like shape, perhaps due to pre-existing faults.
Location: 5.5 S 4.8 E Origin: Impact Size: 150 km Rukl: 44, 45 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Hipparchus, Horrocks, Halley, Hind
Others Identified: Airy, Argelander, Pickering, Vogel
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-11
Time: 11:52 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
![]() |
R1: Hipparchus had a smooth floor except for what appears to be two ghost craters plus craters N and X. Crater N was central on the floor whereas crater X looks to have impacted the wall. C1: I referred to the two buried craters as ghost craters (refer to R1) NOTE: Also identified Pickering outside the wall near Horrocks. |
NOTE: This entry was added when it was known the session was not in the original ETM-T logbook.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (42.6%)
Moonrise: 10:49 AM Moonset: 1:35 APM
Sunrise: 6:39 AM Sunset: 7:56 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-11
Time: 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250
Transparency: Excellent (1)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Spent most of this evening observing objects in the RASC IWLOP. Some of the objects were also included in the RASC ETM(T) observing program as well.
|
Julius Caesar was viewed with the 10” Meade SCT at x250 magnification at 10:40 PM. Could see the E-SE wall was eroded or non-existent. It looked like the floor was filled/flat but wasn’t sure. Will require another look. |
Hipparchus was viewed at 11:52 PM. It had smooth floors except for the two ghost craters and craters X and N, the latter being slightly off-centre. It also looked like there was an opening in the NW towards Sinus Medii. The crater Horrocks was inside the crater in the N-NE and had a dark floor in shadow; Halley looked to have impacted/affected the SE rim. |
|
Craters: Albategnius, Aristoteles, Eudoxus, Halley, Hipparchus, Posidonius
Craters not on ETM List: Agrippa, Godin, Hind, Horrocks, Pickering, Silberschling, Tempel, Vogel, Whewell
Sinus: Medii
Montes: Haemus
Rimae: Ariadaeus, Hyginus
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (7.1%)
Q-Day: -5
Moonrise: 8:13 AM Moonset: 10:17 PM
Sunrise: 6:45 AM Sunset: 7:50 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2019-04-07
Time: 8:30 PM – 9:35 PM
Equipment: 6” Dobsonian, 10 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow and x3 Barlow
Magnification: x120, x240, x360
Transparency: good (3)
Seeing: good (3)
No wind, high cloud slowly moving over the Moon. On our return from a family BBQ and bonfire in Middle Sackville, we noticed the clear sky and Moon to the W/SW, still high enough to observe. Set up the telescope in the backyard.
![]() |
After locating Langrenus and Vendelinus (x120 mag), I used my “new to me” x3 Barlow, then my x2 Barlow. The visible SE limb was awash with illumination so couldn’t see/identify any craters. Closer to the terminator was easier but seeing/transparency reduced the ability to observe features of craters beyond shadows. Disappointment! There was Earthshine this evening naked eye. Clouds rolled in so packed up. |
Maria, etc.: Lacus Temporis, Mare Crisium, Mare Frigoris, Mare Undarum
Craters: Atlas, Cleomedes, Endymion, Geminus, Hercules, Petavius, Snellius, Stevinus,
Craters not on ETM List: Bernoulli, Burckhardt, Condorcet, Fraunhofer, Lohse, Messala, Petavius B
Constellations: Eridanus, Hydra, Orion
Messier Object: M45 (Pleiades)
Planet: Mars
Identified & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Asterism: Big Dipper, Winter Circle
Messier Objects: M67
Location: SCO
Date: 2019-03-26
Time: 7:30 PM - 11:05 PM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: -8º C
SQM: 21.49
At SCO with Jerry and Peter Hurley. Clear skies, no clouds, little if any wind.
Mars & M45 (the Pleaides)
Time: 7:40 PM AST
S&T Chart Reference: 15
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
The red planet was seen just below and to the SW of the Pleiades.
Hydra
Time: not recorded
S&T Chart Reference: 24, 26, 36, 37
Equipment: Visual
Peter and I were looking for M67 in Cancer and noticed Hydra's head. We followed the constellation down to the horizon. Could not see Hydra's tail ( 58 Hya, π Hya and γ Hya).
|
Orion Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 14 Equipment: Visual I had thought Orion had a shield but Bruce Hamilton corrected last evening - it's a bow, not a shield. Tonight I looked for that curve of stars and found them visually. I did not use my binoculars. |
Eridanus
Time: 10:48 PM
S&T Chart Reference: 6, 16, 17, 19
Equipment: VisualPointed out this constellation and explained it to Peter. Dis not see all of the constellation due to our northern latitude.
Constellations: Canis Major, Gemini, Lepus, Eridanus
Satellite: ISS
Planet: Mars
Clusters: Melotte 111
Messier Objects: M35, M42, M44, M67
Stars: Meissa, φ1 Orionis, φ2 Orionis, HR1883
Zodiacal Light
Identified & Not entered into Logbook or database:
Constellations: Auriga, Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, Comma Berenices, Corvus, Leo, Orion, Orion Nebula, Perseus, Taurus
Asterism: Winter Circle
Clusters: Hyades, Pleaides
Messier Objects: M31
Location: Home of Bruce & Melody Hamilton, Litchfield, NS
Date: 2019-03-25/26
Time: 6:40 PM - 1:15 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 0º C - 1º C
SQM: 19.25
Jerry and I were invited to the Hamilton home for an overnight observing session. Given their clear skies and incredible horizon, we accepted their invitation.
Zodiacal Light
We watched the Sun set and saw the Zodiacal Light (ZL) rise on the western horizon. Beautiful! In the Atacama, Mars was centred in the base of the ZL but in Litchfield it was east of the ZL.
Mars
Time: 7:15 PM - 1:00 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
Mars was first sighted SW of Aldebaran and south of the Pleiades. Although the relative placements of the stars and planet remained consistent, it was amazing to see how far the planet had 'travelled' during this session - approximately 30º - 40º to the NW horizon. WOW.
Satellite (ISS)
Time: ~ 9:08 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
Noticed the ISS travelling towards us. The path was from above Aldabaran, above the Pleiades, over Cassiopeia, and then disappeared to the left and below the handle of the Big Dipper. Very bright throughout its entire path. Could see a sort of diamond shape through the binoculars, but could not clearly see the 'wings'.
M42 / Orion Nebula / NGC 1976 |
|
M44 / Beehive Cluster / Praesepe |
M67 Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 23, 25 Equipment: Visual, Binoculars Located the star Acubens in Cancer to find the grey fuzzy M67 nearby. RASC Halifax Centre had thrown out the challenge to members to look for M67. Dr. Roy Bishop had provided a chart for us to determine their magnitude limits. All 4 of us attempted to use the chart but could not see the variation in the stars to the degree depicted in the chart. |
Orion's stars |
![]() |
M35 / NGC 2168 Time: 1:12 AM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 23, 25 Equipment: Visual, Binoculars Sitting in their living room, I noticed an arch of stars above Orion. Turned out it was the 'feet' of the twins in Gemini. Knowing that, I used my binoculars to easily find the fuzzy M35. |
|
Canis Major Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 27 Equipment: Visual All the stars were very clear and for the first time I actually saw a "dog" formation, complete with tail. |
![]() |
Eridanus In the Atacama, we had seen the end star Achernar, but only a portion of the "river" could be seen here. |
![]() |
Gemini
Time: not recorded
S&T Chart Reference: 23, 25
Equipment: Visual
Sitting in the warmth of their living room, I noticed an arch of stars above Orion. I soon realized it was the "feet" of Gemini. Looking further up were the stars Castor and Pollux, their bodies, arms, and legs - all clearly seen and identifiable.
Lepus
Time: not recorded
S&T Chart Reference: 16
Equipment: Visual
All the stars of this constellation were clearly visible below Orion. Ne need for binoculars!
Melotte 111
Time: not recorded
S&T Chart Reference: 45
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
Jerry noticed this first and then I used our binoculars to view it. It was amazingly bright visually and certainly very bright in binoculars. Melody used her telescope to find it and I had a brief viewing of it through it.
Interesting mare areas that lie on the eastern limb.
Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 360 km Rukl: 38, 27 Type: Basin - Mare
Objects: Mare Marginus
Others Identified: Apollonius, Condorset, Firmicus, Mare Arguis, Mare Spumans, Mare Undarum, Neper
Date: 2019-03-20
Location: Home
Time: 9:50 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian + 15 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x80
Seeing: Very good (4)
Transparency: Very good (4)
SQM: 18.17
Temp: 1º C
No wind. Full Moon at 99.% illumination. Very bright.
C1: The shadow/mare floor looked to form an "N" on the Moon's surface. Could not discern any specific craters in the mare.
IWLOP #002 – Eastern Basin Group
A number of small maria and a sinus in the region between Crisium and Fecunditatis. These features can be observed either during the waxing crescent phase, or the waning gibbous phase just after Full Moon. In addition, most basins can be seen whenever in sunlight.
Location: 1.0 N 69-58 E Origin: Volcanic Size: Various Rukl: 38 Type: Mare-Basin, Sinus
Objects: Mare Undarum, Mare Spumans, Sinus Successus, Condorcet, Firmicus, Apollonius
Others Identified: Neper
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-20
Time: 10:16 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 15 mm Plösl
Magnification: x80
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Mare Undarum ("Sea of Waves"), a wishbone-shaped area with two main sections, was seen in the libration. Sketched the area in IWLOP L2: Mare Marginus (see below).
R2: Mare Spumans ("Foaming Sea") is easily located south of Mare Undarum.
R3: Sinus Successus ("Bay of Success") is located adjacent to Mare Spumans.
C1: Condorcet is above Mare Spumans. Firmicus is adjacent to Mare Undarum. Apollonius located half way between Firmicus and Sinus Successus.
NOTE: Initially, I thought Sinus Successus was Mare Fecunditatis until I looked more closely at the shape and identified it using the S&T Moon Map.
IWLOP #003 – Mare Anguis
Small mare patch north of Mare Crisium that has less well-defined borders, and is a small mare section of one of the concentric rings from the Crisium impact. This area of the Moon is quite spectacular when observed just after Full Moon, particularly during favourable libration. It can also be viewed during the waxing crescent phase and while observing this are note the spectacular walls of Mare Crisium that are visible nearby.
Location: 22.0 N 67.0 E Origin: Volcanic Size: 130 km. Rukl: 27 Type: Mare
Objects: Mare Anguis, Mare Crisium, Eimmart
Others Identified: Delmotte
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-20
Time: 10:16 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 15 mm Plösl
Magnification: x80
Seeing: 4 (Very Good)
Transparency: 3 (Good)
R1: Mare Anguis is on NE side of the Mare Crisium.
R2: Eimmart is elongated in same direction as the shores of Mare Anguis.
Notes: Didn't recognize Eimmart as a crater initially; thought it was part of the rough shoreline structure.
An ancient impact basin badly degraded by cratering.
Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 900 km Rukl: 76, 69 Type: Basin - Mare
Objects: Mare Australe, Oken
Others Identified: Abel, Brisbane, Brisbane 2, Gill, Hanno, Harlen, Lyot, Lyot H, Marinus, Peirescius, Pontécoulant
Date: 2019-03-20
Location: Home
Time: 10:41 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian + 15 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x80
Seeing: Very good (4)
Transparency: Very good (4)
SQM: 18.08
Temp: -2º C
No wind. No clouds. Full Moon at 99.% illumination. Very bright.
C1: Most of the E and Se limbs were favourably librated to expose the Mare and several craters. Oken was quite dark compared to the other craters in the Mare.
![]() |
![]() |
Circular mare on the eastern limb, located south of Mare Marginus.
Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 360 km Rukl: 38, 49 Type: Basin - Mare
Objects: Mare Smythi
Others Identified: Apollonius, Firmicus, Mare Fecunditatis, Mare Spumans, Mare Undarum, Neper, Sinus Successes
Date: 2019-03-20
Location: Home
Time: 10:16 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian + 15 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x80
Seeing: Very good (4)
Transparency: Very good (4)
SQM: 18.12
Temp: 0º C
No wind. Full Moon at 99.% illumination. Very bright.
C1: The Mare was very cratered but could not discern specifics other than slight variations in the darkness of the Mare floor.
IWLOP #095 - Copernicus
A prominent crater that is the prototype of the Copernican geological period. Copernicus features spectacular central peaks and is surrounded by both a prominent ejecta blanket and numerous secondary craters. The impact that formed Copernicus occurred about one billion years ago. It is easily visible in binoculars, particularly when near the terminator, and is by far the most prominent feature in the otherwise mostly flat Mare Insularum.
Location: 9.7 N 20.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 93 km. Rukl: 31 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Copernicus, Kepler, Tycho
Others Identified: Fauth, Guy-Lussac
Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-20
Time: 9:16 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
R2: The Copernican rays extend half way into Mare Imbrium, eastward into Mare Vaporum via Sinus Aestuum, NW through Montes Carpatus to Aristarchus. They overlap Kepler in the west.
C1: Did not complete this challenge in either observing session 1 or 2.
C2: Copernicus has a large number of shorter, overlapping rays, leaving the impression of a squashed tarantula. Whereas Copernicus' rays extend over the NW quadrant of the Moon, Tycho's rays extend over most of this side of the Moon, from the SW limb, NW to Mare Cognitum, Down to Mare Australe, NE into Mare Serenitatis, E to Mare Nectaris and Asperitatis. In essence, Tycho's rays cover a little over half the surface we see.
Observation 2: R1: Copernicus and Montes Carpatus were well lit near the terminator. The Copernican floor had 2 peaks centrally located. Floor and walls very well illuminated. Could see ridges on the west wall and highlights of tall ridges on the east rim. |
|
Noble craters near Mare Humorum, with four and two craters respectively on their floors.
Origin: Impact Diameter: 87 km, 52 km Rukl: 51, 61 Type: CC
Objects: Cavendish, Cavendish A, Cavendish E, Cavendish F, Fourier, Henry, Henry Frère, Mersenius, Vieta
Others Identified: Doppelmeyer, Fourier C, Fourier F, Fourier G, Gassendi A, Gassendi B, Liebig, Mare Humorum, Mersenius N, Mersenius P
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-18
Time: 7:55 PM AST
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece with x2 Barlow
Magnification: x240
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Transparency: Very Good (2)
RI: Vieta and Fourier were southwest of Mersenius and were aligned oblongs; Fourier was SE of Vista. I cold make out a central peak in Vieta. Also saw shadows in the shallow craters Fourier G and Fourier F.
C1: Cavendish and its secondary craters, E, F and A were easily seen to the north of Vieta and Fourier. In the NW, were Henry and Henry Frère.
|
![]() |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (93.4%)
Q-Day: +1
Moonset: 6:13 AM Moonrise: 4:25 PM
Sunrise: 7:22 AM Sunset: 7:25 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-18
Time: 8:16 PM – 9:30 PM
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 9.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x248
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
On the north limb, there was a jagged edge that caught my attention. Acquired a large view of Mare Imbrium/Sinus Iridum over the terrain to Mare Frigoris through to the north limb. Beautiful view of the craters on the terminator and those adjacent. So many were so clearly defined! Mare Humorum craters were drawn in IWLOP. |
![]() |
Maria: Frigoris, Imbrium, Sinus Iridum
Montes (observed but not sketched): Alpes, Jura, Promontorium Laplace, Promontorium Heraclides
Craters: Gassendi, Plato, Pythagoras
Craters not on ETM List: Anaximander, Anaximenes, Babbage, Babbage A, Bouguer, Bouguer A, Bianchini, Bianchini P, Carpenter, Cavendish, Cavendish A, E, F, Doppelmayer, Foucault, Fourier, Harpalus, Henry, Henry Frères, Horrebow, Horrebow A & E, J. Herschel, J. Herschel B, C, E, F, la Condamine, la Condamine A & C, Liebig, Mersenius, Mersenius N & P, Robinson, Sharp, Sharp A & B, South, Vieta
Trio of equal-sized craters.
Origin: Impact Diameter: 64 km, 71 km, 73 km Rukl: 2 Type: CS
Objects: Bettinus, Kircher, Segner, Zucchius
Others Identified: Wilson
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-18
Time: 8:22 PM AST
Equipment: 6" Sky-Watcher Dobsonian, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x110
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Transparency: Very Good (2)
RI: Seeing the chain of craters caught my eye. Zucchius, Bettinus and Kircher were easily found adjacent to Bailly.
R2: Segner looked to share a common rim or ridge with Zucchius, and that Wilson shared a common rim or ridge with Kircher.
Note: I first saw these 3 craters two years earlier when they were on the lunar terminator. Refer to the RASC Explore the Moon (Telescope) - July 31, 2017 for details.
Prominent craters near the northeastern limb of the Moon.
Origin: Impact Diameter: 130 km, 39 km, 23 km Rukl: 2 Type: Craters
Objects: Babbage, Bouguer, Bouguer A, Bouguer B, Foucault, Harpalus, Mare Frigoris, Pythagoras
Others Identified: Anaxamander, Anaximenes, Carpenter, Horrebrow, La Condamine, La Condamine A, La Condamine C, South
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-18 + 2020-08-31
Time: 8:40 PM AST + 9:35 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 9.7 mm Meade eyepiece
Magnification: x257
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Observation 1:
RI: The foreshortening makes all three craters appear elongated, oval shape.
R2: Foucault is closer to Harpalus than is Bouguer.
C1: There is a common wall between Babbage and Pythagoras. J. Herschel was a large crater on the shores of Mare Frigoris, SE of Pythagoras.
Observation 2:
R3: Bouguer A and B are deep and round but Bouguer appears deeper and steeper. One corner of Bouguer not completely symmetrical and rounded. There is also a little outcrop on the NE and is perhaps flatter in the SW.
R4: Pythagoras looked to have two peaks, one definitely larger than the other. They covered a large area of the crater floor.
C2: Did not see the central peaks in Pythagoras during the previous observation but did this time; however, I did not sketch them.
A crater that is very elongated, perhaps as a result of a very low-angle impact or the merging of two crater structures. The Schiller-Zucchius Basin is the remains of a very large, ancient impact.
Origin: Impact Diameter: 179 x 71 km Rukl: 71 Type: CC & Basin
Objects: Bayer, Phocylides, Rost, Schiller, Schiller-Zucchius Basin, Weigel, Zucchius
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-18
Time: 8:09 PM AST
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Transparency: Very Good (2)
RI: Schiller's distinctive, long, fairy wide size was what caught my eye first thing.
R2: Bayer was a small oval-shaped crater in the NW. Rost and Weigel were in the SE. Weigel appeared as part of the SE shore/mountainous area of the Basin. Rost looked deeper than Weigel.
C1: The Schiller-Zucchiius Basin was similar in shade to the floor of the crater Schiller, and was relatively smooth except for the formations along its N and SW shores.
Phocylides is a prominent crater and crater Wargentin is a very interesting, unique flooded structure that is filled to its brim with lava.
Origin: Impact / Volcanic Diameter: 114 km, 84 km Rukl: 70 Type: SImple Crater/Complex Crater
Objects: Nasmyth, Noggerath, Phoclides, Phocylides C, Wargentin
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-18
Time: 7:55 PM AST
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian, 9.7 mm eyepiece with x2 Barlow
Magnification: x240
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Transparency: Very Good (2)
RI: Wargentin is narrow and dark-floored compared to Phocylides with it's rounder and steep sides.
R2: Nasmyth and Phocylides have similar shading and colour on their crater floors. Crater C appears shallow-sided and a little lighter in colour.
C1: Noggerath, in the east, has 3 or 4 craters on its W and SW sides.
Pre-Nectarian Era crater with subtle variations on its floor. Crater Schickard contains bright spots of high albedo and several secondary craters. Lacus Excelentiae, the "Lake of Excellence", lies near Schickard.
Origin: Impact & Volcanic Diameter: 227 km, 150 km Objects: Clausius, Drebbel, Inghirami, Lacus Excellentiae, Lee, Schickard, Vitello Location: Home |
![]() |
RI: Located Schickard and identified at least 3 craters in the SW floor of the oblong crater.
R2: Found the Lacus Excellentiae between Schickard and Mare Humorum. The Lacus looked darker and was certainly bordered by numerous small craters.
R3: Clausius is on the W side of the Lacus Excellentiae.
R4: Lehman appeared to "drain" into Shickard. Maybe just dark(?)
C1: The crater Lee's sides are greatly eroded, especially those facing Mare Humorum. Vitello has what appears to be a large peak just off-centre on the E side, and has either a shadow or opening towards Mare Humorum.
IWLOP #086 - Tycho
One of the youngest craters on the Moon, Tycho is inconspicuous during most of the lunar day, but comes into its own at the Full Moon where its rays can be traced over much of the lunar surface. The Tycho impact may have occurred as recently as 100 million years ago!
Location: 43.3 S 11.2 W Origin: Impact Size: 85 km Rukl: 64 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Tycho, Street, Pictet, Surveyor 7 landing, Sassiredes
Others Identified: Orontius, Saussure
Love this crater's show of ejecta on the Full Moon! Makes the Moon's surface look like a peeled orange!
![]() |
Location: Home R1: Tycho had a very prominent central peak, steep walls and darker ejecta in the north and northwest. Street and Pictet are two craters that form part of what I term the "flower petals" surrounding Tycho. C1: Surveyor 7 landed a short distance north of Tycho's rim. Not exactly a smooth-looking surface in large quantities for the lander's landing. Sasserides, Saussure and Orontius were identified. There were numerous small unnamed craters as well. Note: Under certain light, Tycho looks like a flower centre with several small flower petal encircling it. Loe this crater's show of ejecta on the full Moon! |
IWLOP #096 - Mare Imbrium / Eratosthenes / Copernicus System
This area of the Moon illustrates the overall pages of the major systems. You can trace out the relative ages of each by noting which crater is overlain on the other.
Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: Various Rukl: 19-22, 9-12, 31 Type: Various
Objects: Mare Imbrium, Archimedes, Eratosthenes
Others Identified: Copernicus
Location: Home Date: 2019-03-18 Time: 8:43 PM ADT Equipment: 6” Dobsonian, 10 mm eyepiece Magnification: x120 Seeing: Very Good (4) Transparency: Very Good (4) |
![]() |
NOTE: Archimedes appears shallower than Eratosthenes (based on shadows in their craters). Eratosthenes had taller/longer shadows on its floor and towards the terminator.
IWLOP: Note these features | My Observation |
Mare Imbrium lavas fill crater Archimedes; they are post-impact, but pre-Imbrium. | R1: The opening in the NE Archimedes wall allowed for the lava to fill the crater. |
The crater Eratosthenes is post-Mare Imbrium but pre-Copernican. | R2: In this session, a large shadow covered most of Copernicus' floor. |
The crater Copernicus is the most recent major impact in this area and overlies older structures. | R3: Copernicus and Montes Carpatus were located. |
The ejecta blanket surrounding Mare Imbrium is the oldest part of this system and dates back to the Imbrium impact itself. It is especially noticeable in some areas, e.g., in the area of the crater Julius Caesar (Rukl 34). | R4: Mountainous area on shores of Mare Imbrium evidence of ejecta. |
IWLOP #106 - Sinus Iridum
Massive, spectacular, flooded crater on the edge of Mare Imbrium. It combines the high mountains of Montes Jura with a missing southeastern rim & two prominent “capes.” Sinus Iridum covers more than 10 degrees of the lunar surface and may require various terminator angles for optimum views of all the features listed.
Location: 45.0 N 25-37 W Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 260 km Rukl: 9, 10 Type: Simple Crater (CS)
Objects: Sinus Iridum, Montes Jura, Bianchini, Promontoria Heraclides and LaPlace, Helicon, le Verrier, C. Herschel, Sharp, Marina, Maupertius, Luna 17 landing
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-18
Time: 9:08 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Dobsonian, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
![]() |
R1: Montes Jura is a half circle structure on the north shore of Sinus Iridum, light in colour compared to the Mare floor. The crater Bianchini impacted the crest of its northern wall. R2: Both Promontoria LaPlace and Heraclides appear steep sided and rugged, projecting into Mare Imbrium at both the eastern and western tips of Montes Jura respectively. R3: Helicon and le Verrier craters are aligned and point to Promontorium Heraclides. The crater C. Herschel is to the SW of this promontorium. |
C1: Sharp and Mairan appear as deep oval craters versus the irregular shape of Maupertius. The latter may be misshapen perhaps because of many previous impacts filling it in (?).
C2: The Luna 17 landing site is south of Sharp and SW of the Promontorium Heraclides on the seemingly flat Mare Imbrium.
Lunar Phase: First Quarter (55.9%)
Q-Day: 0
First Quarter; 7:28 AM
Moonset: 2:34 AM Moonrise: 12:02 PM
Sunrise: 7:30 AM Sunset: 7:19 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-14
Time: 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM
Temperature: 4° C to -1° C
Equipment: 6” Dobsonian, 25 mm eyepiece with x2 Barlow
Magnification: x96
Transparency: good (3)
Seeing: good (3)
No noticeable breeze, clear skies with high cloud temporarily around 8 PM.
![]() |
Saw the Moon during my walk from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM so decided it would be a good evening for observation. I was also interested in completing one or two items in the IWLOP. I included my rough sketch of “Huggins, Nasireddin & Miller” in my ETM logbook; a detailed sketch is in IWLOP #72. Also observed Saussure, Proctor, Orontius, and Walther but didn’t draw them in detail. I then looked at the area around Mare Vaporum. |
Craters: Archimedes, Aristillus, Autolychus, Eratosthenes
Craters not in ETM List: Bancroft, Huggins, Huggins A, Miller, Miller H & C, Nasireddin, Orontius, Proctor (didn’t sketch but did locate), Saussure, Wallace, Walther
Maria: Imbrium, Palus Putredinis (P), Vaporum
Rimae: Rima Bradley (RB)
Mountains: Mons Bradley (MB), Mons Hadley (H), Mons Hadley Delta (HD), Mons Huygens (A/H), Mons Wolf (W), Montes Apenninus, Montes Ampères (A/H) Luna 2 Landing site: near Autolycus |
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: First Quarter (55.9%)
Q-Day: 0
First Quarter: 7:28 PM
Moonset: 2:34 AM Moonrise: 12:02 PM
Sunrise: 7:30 AM Sunset: 7:19 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-14
Time: 7:50 PM - 8:15 PM
Equipment: Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: Fair (2)
Seeing: Fair (2)
Temperature: ~ 9º C
Clouds had begun to move in that affected observing. Initially, the clouds came I waves but eventually just high clouds/haze allowed identifying some lunar features. This wasn't a long session due to the clouds moving in.
Craters:
Birt, Birt A, Nicollet, Thebit
Couldn't distinguish between Bird and Bird A nor could I see Rima Birt.
Other features:
Straight Wall (Rules Recta), Promontories Taenarium
IWLOP #070 - Montes Apenninus & Apennine Bench
Spectacular mountain range with heights to 5,000 metres; best seen at first and last quarter.
Location: 20.0 N - 10.0 W - 6.0 E Origin: Impact and Tectonic Length: 600 km (Monte Apenninus) Rukl: 22, 21 Type: Mount
Objects: Montes Apenninus, Apennine Bench, Mare Imbrium, Montes Carpatus, Montes Alpes, Mons Hadley, Mons Hadley Delta, Mons Bradley, Mons Huygens, Mons Ampère, Mons Wolf, Apollo 15 landing site
Others Identified: Bela, Conon, Vallis Alpes
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-14
Time: 7:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 25 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x96
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
This observation was two days after First Quarter.
![]() |
R1: Located the full range of the Montes Apenninus that forms the southern Imbrium basin. C1: I located and sketched the northern portion of the mountain range that contained Mons Hadley, Mons Hadley Delta, and Mons Bradley. However, Mons Huygens, Mons Ampère, and Mons Wolf were also located and identified in the southern range. |
NOTES: (from a web search re definition of "Apennine Bench"):
"The term Apennine Bench Formation (ABF) was originally used to denote the diamond-shaped zone of relatively smooth, flat light-gray material that has high albedo (reflectance) situated roughly midway between Montes Apenninus and Archimedes and is somewhat larger than Archimedes in size. It has a unique "KREEP" chemical signature. The acronym ‘KREEP’ is used to identify higher abundances of potassium (K), rare earth elements (REE), and phosphorus (P). By relative dating, we can tell that the ABF formed after the Imbrium basin impact event (around 3.85 billion years ago)and before Mare Imbrium – the massive lava deposit that erupted within the basin, filling it to about half its original depth. This stratigraphy (time order) tells us that the ABF could be an example of pre-mare volcanism, whose magma came from a different source than the later basaltic eruptions that cover about 30% of the nearside. Since its formation, the ABF has been modified by many impact craters."
IWLOP #072 - Huggins, Nasireddin & Miller
A fine trio featuring nearly equal sizes and structures; located in a rich area of many craters.
Location: 40.0 S 0.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 65 km (Huggins), 52 km (Nasireddin), 75 km (Miller) Rukl: 65 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Huggins, Nasireddin, Miller, Orontius, Saussure, Proctor
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-14
Time: 7:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Found the central peaks for all three craters. Nasireddin appears to have impacted on Miller and Huggins, and Huggins has impacted on Orontius. The much larger Orontius was located to their west and had craters on both its rim and floor.
R2: Found Saussure a short distance from Orontius. Proctor was 2-3 times that distance from Saussure and was quite shallow.
IWLOP #078 - Archimedes & Montes Archimedes
Crater Archimedes is an impact structure that was flooded from the interior by Imbrian Age lava. Montes Archimedes is a notable mountainous area just south of Archimedes.
Location: 26.0 N 5.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 140 km Rukl: 22 Type: Flooded crater and basin remnant.
Objects: Archimedes, Montes Archimedes
Others Identified: Beer, Bancroft
Location: Home
Date: 2019-03-14
Time: 8:10 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Skywatcher Dobsonian, 25 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x96
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
Clear night with no wind.
R1: The floor of Archimedes was flat; there was an opening in the NE wall.
R2: Montes Archimedes looked like 2 tails of a kite curving slightly from the NE to the SW; light colour compared to the floor of Imbrium and Archimedes.
Star Cluster: Hyades (in Taurus)
Could not Find: M47 / NGC 2422
Location: Home
Date: 2018-11-13
Time: 12:45 AM - 1:15 AM AST
Equipment: Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Poor (1)
Seeing: Poor (1)
Temperature: -1º C
SQM: 19.25
Seeing and visibility were very poor with high cloud/haze obliterating many stars. The Moonset was around 10:15 PM the previous evening so was not a factor.
Hyades / Melotte 25 / Caldwell 42 / Collinder 50 A very hazy sky. Only the brightest stars were seen naked eye, and with binoculars I could barely make out the Hyades star field. I found Aldebaran using Orion's Belt stars as the pointer. With the binoculars, I easily found σ1 and σ2 plus θ1 and θ2. I sketched the star field as seen in my binoculars. The shaded area signifies the open cluster Hyades. θ1 was at 1 o'clock to θ2 at this hour of the morning. I noted the magnitudes of the identified stars once back in the house, especially since many of them were variables or variable doubles. |
![]() |
![]() |
M47 / NGC 2422 In between the observation of Taurus θ1 and θ2, I attempted to look for M47. According to SkySafariPro, it should have formed a triangle with Procyon and Sirius. However, the haze meant M47 was nowhere to be found nor were any stars in the constellation Puppis. I will have to wait for better seeing and transparency - and use a telescope! My 6" Dob or 10" Meade SCT should do the trick. |
This session was devoted to lunar observing. IWLOP objects were completed and Mars and Saturn were observed.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (59.6%)
Q-Day: -1
Moonrise: 3:17 PM
Sunrise: 7:02 AM Sunset: 7:28 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-17
Time: 7:30 PM - 10:45 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece (+ x2 Barlow)
Magnification: x250
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Fair (2)
Temperature: 24º C
SQM: 17.58 - 19.11
My main objective was to check off more items from the RASC Explore the Moon (Telescope). In doing so, it meant I cold also observe several IWLOP objects:
I also took some time to locate two planets:
Saturn Viewed Saturn west of the Moon in the southern sky. Able to see the planet and one of its moons (Titan). The rings were clearly visible as well. |
![]()
|
Mars Visually, Mars twinkled slightly. Using the telescope with the x2 Barlow with seeing that was not the greatest meant I had a blurred view of the planet. However, I catch sight of the northern polar cap occasionally. |
IWLOP #068 - Montes Alpes & Vallis Alpes
Spectacular boundary of the Mare Imbrium Basin, with heights from 1.8 to 2.4 km ranging up to 3.6 for the great Mont Blanc. The impressive Vallis Alpes runs perpendicular to the prominent Montes Alpes, making this one of the most picturesque areas of the Moon. The valley is a wide rift valley, 180 km in length that links Mare Frigoris to Mare Imbrium.
Location: 46.0 N 3.0 E-3.0 W Origin: Impact and Volcanic Length: 250 km (Montes Alpes), 166 km (Vallis Alpes) Rukl: 12, 4
Type: Mount and Valley
Objects: Montes Alpes, Vallis Alpes, Mare Frigoris, Mare Imbrium, Cassini, Cassini A, Cassini B, Theætetus, Promontoria Agassiz & Deville, Mont Blanc
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-17
Time: 8:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x500
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: The shadows extending from Montes Alpes were quite long in some areas. Refer to the sketch below.
R2: Vallis Alpes was quite wide and very easily identified; its shadow was on the northern edge.
R3: Cassini had low walls and two craters - A and B - were on its floor. Theætetus was also low-walled SE of Cassini. Refer to the sketch below.
C1: The Promontorium Agassiz and Promontorium Deville were sketched. They in essence formed a shallow bay on Mare Imbrium. Mont Blanc was to their north.
C2: The sinuous rille was seen; it had a varying width away from straight rille. Shadow on its north rim.
![]() |
|
IWLOP #069 - Aristillus & Autolycus
Two outstanding craters in the Mare Imbrium that contrast nicely in size. They are both Copernican era impacts with Aristillus featuring a notable ejecta blanket.
Location: 33.9 N 1.2 E Origin: Impact Size: 55 km (Aristillus), 39 km (Autolycus) Rukl: 12 Type: Complex Craters (CC)
Objects: Aristillus, Autolycus, Sinus Lunicus, Luna 2 landing, and Aristillus A, B, C, & D
Others Identified: Alpetragious, Alphonsus, Ammonius, Arzachel, Herschel, Nonius, Ptolemaeus, Thebit, Walther
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-17
Time: 8:05 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x500
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
![]() |
R1: The ejects blanket of Aristillus rays out from its high crater sides. Autolycus doesn't appear to have ejecta to the same degree and is shallower than Aristillus. C1: Very small secondary craters (A, B, C, D) were located near Aristillus and appeared to be located along the ejecta lines / rays. |
IWLOP #071 - Walther
Large, prominent Nectarian Era Crater.
Location: 33.0 S 0.7E Origin: Impact Size: 132 km Rukl: 65 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Walther, Nonius
Others Identified: Alpetragius, Alphonsus, Ammonius, Aristillus, Arzachel, Autolychus, Herschel, Luna 2 landing site, Ptolemaeus, Sinus Lunicus, Thebit
Observation 1: R1: Walther had terraced walls, especially in the north-northeast. There were five peaks / bright areas seen off-centre towards the east side. Several others interrupted the exterior walls; not all were sketched. C1: Shortly after sunset, a lightened area stretched across Walther from the east to the overlapping craters. |
![]() |
![]() |
Observation 2: R2: Details of the numerous craters and the central peak were more readily seen with the larger telescope and magnification. |
IWLOP #073 - Regiomontanus & Purbach
Regiomontanus is a pre-Nectarian Era crater. Note it's severely eroded walls and elongated shape. Purbach is a prominent pre-Nectarian Era crater with a poorly defined and eroded western wall.
Location: 28.4 S 1.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 126x110 km (Regiomontanus), 118 km (Purbach) Rukl: 55 Type: Complex Craters (CC)
Objects: Regiomontanus, Purbach
|
Observation 1: R1: Regiomontanus was located north of Walther. Regiomontanus A was located on its north floor. At x120 magnification, the centre peak was a little off-centre and a few crater-like formations comprised the terrain of that area. Regiomontanus appeared lower in elevation than did Walther. |
Observation 2: The line of craters on Purbach's floor is what caught my attention, in combination with the line of craters in Regiomontanus. NOTE: The shadows that showed like two lines going from near the rim to almost the centre in the previous observation may have been the east and west walls of the craters on the floor. R2: Purbach's north wall was either terraced quite well or was slumped (?). Crater G was completely in shadow on its floor; its impact on Purbach's north wall was substantial. Tonight there appeared to be 2 shallow craters in a line southward from G above crater W; small crater A was below and in line with them. Two craters (U and S) impacted the south wall. Didn't see this detail in 2018. |
![]() |
IWLOP #074 - Arzachel
Arzachel is a spectacular Imbrian Era crater with sharply defined, deep-terraced walls. It makes a nice trio with Alphonsus and Ptolemaeus to the north.
Location: 18.2 S 1.9 W Origin: Impact Size: 97 km Rukl: 55 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Arzachel, Arzachel E & F, Alpetragius, Thebit & Thebit A
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-17
Time: 9:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 10 mm eyepiece + x2 Barlow
Magnification: x500
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)
R1: Arzachel had an off-centre peak, broad wall, and two valleys in shadow. The depression valleys E and F on the southeastern and southwestern walls were in the shadows and not easily seen, even at this magnification.
R2: Alpetragius had its crater floor seemingly filled with a volcano-looking peak.
R3: Thebit and Thebit A were to the southwest of Arzachel. The smaller Thebit A had impacted near Thebit's NW rim.
C1: The low hills on the south and southwest floor of Arzachel were observed.
C2: The accurate rille was noticed because its shadow was darker than the shadow cast from the rim onto the crater floor.
IWLOP #075 - Ptolemaeus & Alphonsus
Very prominent craters easily visible through binoculars. Older Ptolemaeus (pre-Nectarian) and younger Alphonsus (Nectarian) are visible on the terminator at the same time. Ammonius, located on Ptolemaeus' floor, is one of only a few named craters within a larger one.
Location: 12.0 S 2.0 W Origin: Impact Size: 153 km (Ptolemaeus), 110 km (Alphonsus) Rukl: 44 Type: Complex Craters (CC)
Objects: Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus, Herschel, Ammonius, Flammarion, Rima Flammarion
Identified Others: Glyden, Mosting, Mosting A, Spörer
![]() |
Observation 1: R1: Alphonsus' central peak was located adjacent to a rise or rille. |
Observation 2: R1: Herschel is north of Ptolemaeus and is quite deep by comparison, and is especially deeper than the shallow Spörer to its north. C1: There are three distinct dark patches in the NE, SW and SE. NOTE: Research conducted after this session indicated the dark patches were ash deposits from fire fountains that ocurred after Alphonsus was formed. |
![]() |
Spent most father night on the Moon. Briefly observed Mizar and Alcor with the telescope.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (50.4%)
Q-Day: 0
First Quarter: 8:16 PM
Moonrise: 2:17 PM Moonset: 11:47 PM
Sunrise: 6:55 AM Sunset: 7:24 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-16
Time: 8:20 PM - 9:20 PM
Equipment: Celestron 6" Dobsonian, eyepiece unknown
Transparency: Good to Fair (3-2)
Seeing: Good (3)
No wind or cloud.
![]() |
No wind or cloud. Although moonset wasn’t until near midnight, the Moon disappeared from our view by 9:30 PM due to our southerly treeline. I knew I had a limited window to see the Moon before it disappeared. My focus was on the NE portion, especially Montes Caucasus. Identified Calippus and noted 3 small volcanic-looking cones SE of the range. Also noted a line of brightness in the floor of Mare Serenitatis; identified it as Dorsa Smirnov. |
I then went southward to Mare Tranquilitatis where I found a familiar pattern of craters near its chores in the SW – Manners, Ritter, Sabine & Dionysius. Rimae Hypatia was also identified but I didn’t look at it in detail. Montes: Caucasus, Rimae Hypatia Maria: Frigoris, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis Dorsa: Smirnov Craters: Aristoteles, Bessel, Calippus, Dionysius, Eudoxus, Manners, Mitchell, Ritter, Sabine |
|
IWLOP #060 - Montes Caucasus
A continuation of the Montes Apennines, and part of the original edge of the Mare Imbrium impact basin.
Location: 39.0 N 9.0 E Origin: Impact Size: 445 km in length Rukl: 13 Type: Mount
Objects: Montes Caucasus, Calippus
Others Identified : Aristoteles, Bessel, Eudoxus, Mare Frigorum, Mare Serenitatis
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-16
Time: 8:22 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
No wind or clouds initially and then wispy clouds later in the session. Lost Moon in the trees at 9:30 PM ADT.
Moonrise: 2:17 PM Moonset: 11:47 PM
Sunset: 7:24 PM 1st Quarter: 8:16 PM
R1: Montes Caucasus is very rough located between Mare Serenitatis and Mare Imbrium, extending up to the crater Eudoxus. Calippus is located about 1/2 way up the range in the NE section of Mare Serenitatis.
C1: Observed the SE area of the range, there were 3 well-separated domes located in the area separating the 2 maria.
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra)
Located, Not Observed:
Constellations: Cassiopeia
Asterisms: Big Dipper
Planets: Mars, Saturn
Moon
Location: Bishop's Landing, Halifax (RASC 150 Star Party)
Date: 2018-09-15
Time: 8:00 PM - 11:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian Telescope with 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: not recorded
SQM: not recorded
A group of RASC Halifax Centre volunteer were on the Halifax waterfront at Bishop's Landing. We were participating in the RASC's 150th anniversary cross-Canada star party. We had over 200 people come visit the numerous telescopes set up on the board walk and despite being downtown Halifax we were able to sow visitors Jupiter and other objects easily seen through the urban light pollution. It was a warm night, no breeze or clouds. Through the telescope, the stripes on the planet appeared diagonal to the horizon. I sketched Jupiter with its moons before it disappeared behind one of the buildings. Ganymede, Callisto and Europa formed a triangle on one side of the planet and Io was alone on the other.
Comet: 21P/Giacobini-Zinner
Constellations: Auriga, Gemini, Lepus, Milky Way, Ophiuchus, Orion, Pisces Austrinus, Sagitta, Serpens Caput, Serpens Cauda, Taurus
Asterism: Keystone of Hercules, Leaping Minnow
Satellite (ISS)
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra)
Stars: Mizar A, Mizar B, Alcor, GAIA 1565097112139144832, θ1 Taurus, θ2 Taurus, TYC3853-0175-1, TYC3853-0228-1
Messier Object: M8, M11, M13, M20, M35, M36, M37, M38, M42, M43
Located, Not Observed:
Constellations: Aquila, Capricornus, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Asterisms: Coathanger, Keystone of Hercules, Pegasus
Planets: Mars, Saturn
Location: Site 15, Big Muise Island, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2018-09-09/10
Time 1: 8:00 PM - 11:50 PM ADT
Time 2: 3:50 AM - 5:05 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 12º C - 10º C
SQM: 21.64 - 21.89
This was the second year we camped at this location with Dave and Christine where we have our "private" star party.
No wind. No dew. The Lake was dead calm which allowed for the perfect reflection of the stars. No clouds but the horizon to the north was certainly better than to the S and SW; it did improve as the evening progressed.
Milky Way
Time: 8:00 PM - 4:16 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
Just wanted to highlight a segment of this observing session to the Milky Way. It was seen as a faint nebulosity across the sky around 8 PM and by 4 AM the Great Rift was clearly defined all the way from Cygnus through Vulpecula to Aquila that was now setting. A row of very bright stars seemed to be falling down through the Rift but I did not identify what they were.
Observation Time 1:
Ophiuchus + Serpens Caput + Serpens Cauda Ophiuchus: I located the stars of this huge constellation above Scorpius, this protector of Hercules. Easily saw the curve formed by Nehushtan, Sabik (η), ζ, Yed Posterior (ε) and Yed Prior (δ). Looked above this to find Rasalhague (α), Cebalrai (β), Marfik (δ) and κ. Serpens: I then went eastward from Yed Prior to follow the stars comprising the constellation Serpens Caput (the head of the snake). Going to the other side of Ophiuchus, I went westward and followed the stars from nu Ophi to Alta (theta) - the snake's tail. Once identified, I pointed out all 3 constellations to Jerry and explained how Ophiuchus was the snake charmer. |
|
||
|
Jupiter Readily located visually. Used my binoculars to view 3 of the 4 Galilean moons - Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. |
||
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) + M20 (Trifid Nebula) Attempted to see M8 visually but that was not possible. However, it was easily located and viewed with my binoculars. The oval-looking nebula and about 5 bright stars were readily identified. In the same FOV was M20. I did not view it more closely to determine if there was any "structure to the cluster. |
Keystone of Hercules + M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster) Sometime after 9:00 PM, I noticed the Keystone overhead so pointed my binoculars at η Herculis and saw M13 as a grey fuzzy. Could not see the specific structure of the globular cluster. |
||
International Space Station (ISS) The ISS came into view visually as I looked up at Corona Borealis. Very bright and easy to follow so used my binoculars. I could actually see two distinct wing structures. 1 = first sighting of ISS |
|
||
Sagitta I had attempted to find this last evening but had failed. Tonight, however, after some effort, I did find all 4 stars. Yay!
|
Pisces Austrinus Fomalhaut was the star that brought my attention to this area of the sky. It was about 5º above the SE horizon and was very bright in the evening sky. All 10 stars of the constellation were easily seen visually; I did not use my binoculars. |
Observation Time 2:
Taurus Had to wait until 4 AM for Taurus to rise above the tree line. θ1 and θ2 appeared one above the other, pointing towards 11:30 o'clock. |
![]() |
Auriga I located Auriga by first locating Capella, then identified the major stars of the constellation. I began to "Messier hop" beginning with the "Leaping Minnow," an informal grouping of stars that includes 14, 16, 17 and 19 Aurigae. I then found the grey fuzzies of M38, M36, then M37. Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner appeared as a vertical smudge west of M37. In binoculars, there was no distinction between the comet and its tail. However, Dave had a small telescope with him on the beach through which the distinction could be made. |
||||
|
M11 (Wild Duck Cluster)
Time: 4:40 AM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 67
The Milky Way was so b right, its central dark lane was clearly discern le. I knew that M11 was located near Scutum and the semi-circle of stars beside it. I visually located the star cloud then found the small grey fuzzy adjacent to the golf club head with my binoculars. Dave also had a view of it in his telescope.
Gemini + M35 |
Orion + M42 (Orion Nebula) + M43 (De Mairan's Nebula / NGC 1982) Time: 4:52 AM Equipment: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Reference: 14, 16 B I first noticed this constellation was once again visible after locating theta1 and theta2 in Taurus. What a pleasant sight! The big was so clear that all the stars ere brilliant and the nebulosity in the sword (M42 and M43) was quite clear visually and with binoculars. |
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra)
Stars: Mizar A, Mizar B, Alcor, GAIA 1565097112139144832, TYC3853-0175-1, TYC3853-0228-1
Messier Object: M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster, M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)
Failed to Find: Sagitta
Location: SCO
Date: 2018-09-08/09
Time: 8:00 PM - 12:10 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual + 10" Meade SCT with 10 mm & 30 mm eyepieces + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Magnification: x120
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 12º C - 10º C
SQM: 20.79 - 21.19
Light breeze. Occasional cloud in various parts of the sky all evening. Very loud crickets this evening. Peter & Ilias Hurley, Jerry Black, and several others were there.
Jupiter (in Libra) I could not locate all 4 moons. Could only locate 1 this evening that I assumed was Callisto. |
![]() |
M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster) I specifically sought this out as I hadn't observed it in a while. Visually, could make out a grouping of stars lower to the west of the Teapot. The large open cluster filled my FOV with numerous stars clearly visible. |
|
Stars of Ursa Major I was showing Ilias and Peter the night sky later in the evening. Using my telescope, we first viewed the optical double Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major. Used the handle of the Big Dipper to locate Mizar then enjoyed the view in the eyepiece. Mizar A was larger and brighter than Mizar B. Alcor was easily seen below Mizar in the telescope view. A triangle was formed by Mizar-Alcor-HD116789. A line of stars to the side of this triangle were identified:
|
|
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) I showed Ilias and Peter two views of the Lagoon Nebula: a) Binoculars: Used Kaus Australis and the Teapot spout to locate it. Saw M8 as an oblong nebulosity with a line of 4-5 bright stars with a couple more above it b) Telescope: Jerry showed us through the telescope. We could then see two parts to the object - a small nebulosity with a line of stars plus the adjacent denser nebulosity with numerous stars. Such a difference from the binocular view. |
|
M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster) I showed them the Keystone of Hercules almost directly overhead, then showed them how to find it 1/3 of the way between η Herculis and ζ Herculis. Success! They found the small grey fuzzy. |
|
M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)
Time: 11:15 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars + Telescope with 30 mm eyepiece
Magnification: binoculars x10, telescope x83
S&T Chart Reference: 3, 72
I explained how to find it using Cassiopeia and by using the Square of Pegasus/Andromeda. Could see it visually and then a much better view through binoculars. Jerry then showed us the view through the telescope where the bright centre of the oval galaxy was observed.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (14.7%)
Q-Day: +6
Moonrise: 11:11 AM Moonset: 9:59 PM
Sunrise: 6:52 AM Sunset: 7:31 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-06
Time: 6:20 PM - 7:40 PM
Equipment: Celestron 6" Dobsonian, 10 mm + 25 mm
Magnification: x120 + x48
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Clear skies to start then high thin clouds began to obscure the perfect views of craters.
Poncelet appeared to have little or no rim on the S and NE. Only a bit of shadow cast on its north and west rims. There was a shadow from a peak. Because of the angle of viewing, Pascal and Brianchon appeared to be joined. The SW edge was rougher compared to the others and a peak’s shadow was seen in both.
|
![]() |
![]() |
Grimaldi had a high side to the NW causing shadows towards Riccoli. To the SE rim, 3 shadows were cast (peaks?) along the rim.
Going away from the SE rim were 4 very small craters that led me to Sirsalis and Sirsalis A. There was a dark line SE of Sirsalis – Rimae Sirsalis.
In referencing the S&T Moon Map, I realized the bumpy terrain between Grimaldi and Sirsalis was Lacus Aestatis.
|
Schikard had 2 craters very visible in the SW limb. The NE rim had a rough area between it and Lehmann. Its floor was a little darker than its surroundings.
Wargentin had a crater off-centre that appeared to have a ridge running from rim to rim over or very close to the crater. The rim was more evident on the side of the Moon’s SW limb (not the terminator). To verify the rim, I observed it twice.
Phocylides had a large crater on its S-SW rim and its NE rim.
Nasmyth was barely discernible; its NE rim the only evidence that it was beside Phocylides and Wargentin.
Lacus Excellentiae was seen but couldn’t see Clausius.
Maria: Lacus Aestatis, Lacus Excellentiae, Oceanus Procellarum
Mountains: Vallis Inghirami, Rima Sirsalis
Craters: Cavendish, Fourier, Grimaldi, Henry, Henry Frère, Hevelius, Inghirami, Lacroix, Lehmann, Liebig, Mersenius, Sirsalis, Sirsalis A, Lohrmann, Nasmyth, Phocylides, Schikard, Vieta, Wargentin.
Crater and system of rilles, the largest of which is clearly visible through a small telescope.
Origin: Impact and Tectonic Diameter: 42 km Rukl: 39,50 Type: Crater & Rill
Objects: Crüger, Darwin, Rimae Darwin, Sirsalis, Sirsalis A, Sirsalis (J, F, G, H)
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-06 + 2019-04-17 + 2020-08-30
Time: 6:30 PM ADT + 9:50 PM AST + 9:15 PM ADT
Equipment: 6” Sky-Watcher Dobsonian, 4.7 and 9.7 mm eyepieces
Magnification: x255 + x120
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Good (3)
Observation #1:
Date: September 6, 2018
R1: Sirsalis and Sirsalis A are SE of Grimaldi.
R2: Rimae Sirsalis is located SE of Sirsalis and appeared as a dark line on the lunar surface. I was able to follow it to near/below the crater Darwin.
Observation #2:
Date: April 17, 2019
C1: I was able to locate the secondary craters Sirsalis J, F, G and H.
Observation #3:
Date: August 30, 2020
C2: Finally located the Rimae Darwin! It intersected Rimae Sirsalis that ran from Sirsalis/Sirsalis A south to the crater Darwin. It took a bit of time to see this but it was worth the time to adapt to the brightness to discern the rimae.
IWLOP #084 - Mons Pico & Montes Teneriffe
Isolated mountains in Mare Imbrium that may be the remnants of an inner wall of the Mare Imbrium Basin.
Location: 48.0 N 9.0-13.0 W Origin: Impact Length: 110 km (Montes Teneriffe), 11x25 km (Mons Pico) Rukl: 11 Type: Mount
Objects: Mons Pico, Mons Pico β, Montes Teneriffe
Others Identified: Bliss, Mare Imbrium, Montes Alpes, Plato, Vallis Alpes
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-02
Time: 12:10 AM ADT
Equipment: 6" Dobsonian, 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 16° C
SQM: 20.88
Moon Phase: 3rd Quarter at 11:39 PM ADT
R1: Mons Pico and Mons Pico β were located south of Plato on Mare Imbrium. Both were very bright compared to the Mare floor. Montes Teneriffe was located NE of the Mons Pico.
NOTE: From a web search discovered that Mons Pico and individual peaks of Montes Teneriffe rise up to 2.4 km above the Mare floor.
IWLOP #085 - Plato
Spectacular dark-floored crater at the margin of Mare Imbrium and south of Mare Frigoris. It is older than Mare Imbrium. Plato's dark floor is basin-like and visible whenever it is in sunlight.
Location: 48.0 N 9.3 W Origin: Impact and Volcanic Size: 101 km Rukl: 3 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Plato, Fontonelle, Philolaus
Others Identified: Anaximenes, Anaximander, Carpenter, J. Herschel, Mons Pico, Montes Teneriffe
Observation 1: R1: Plato has a very dark and smooth floor. Oval shaped. C1: Plato's floor is darker than that of Mare Imbrium.
|
![]() |
Observation 2: R2: Fontonelle and Philolaus located. Couldn't see them last week; probably a more favourable libration this evening. C3: I tried to view the 5 craters on Plato's floor; located one (refer to the sketch). I don't have a large aperture scope to view them but did try a couple of eyepieces to see these craters. No success in viewing the other 4. |
![]() |
I was working on both the ETM (telescope version) but also spent time in general observing and on IWLOP objects. Also viewed Jupiter and its 4 visible moons.
Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (71.0%)
Q-Day: +1
Moonset: 12:45 PM Moonrise: 11:15 PM
Sunrise: 6:38 AM Sunset: 7:53 PM
Location: SCO
Date: 2018-09-01 - 2018-09-02
Time: 9:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Temperature: 16º C - 15º C
SQM: 21.07 @ 10 PM, 20.88 @ 10:28 PM
Equipment: Celestron 6" Dobsonian, eyepiece unknown
Magnification: unknown
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Clear skies to start but clouds came in for about an hour around 10 PM then cleared off to a clear sky again. Because of the treeline at SCO on the driveway side of the Warm Room (best view of the Moon after Moonrise), I didn’t start observing until 12:02 AM. Wanted to find Apollo 12 & 14 landing sites but the iPhone App didn’t cite them. However, I did spend time on the shores of various maria – Cognito, Frigoris, Imbrium, Nubium, and Oceanus Procellarum.
![]() |
Also of note was how heavily cratered the southern limb was. Didn’t attempt to identify them at this time as the craters on the maria and the related mountains caught my attention. Found 3 “new-to-me” features: Regiomontanus, Mons Pico, Bliss. Downside to the 3-hour observing session was that I didn’t fully explore the landing sites for Apollo 12, Apollo 14, and Ranger 7. Maybe tomorrow night/AM? |
![]() |
|
Maria: Cognito, Frigoris, Imbrium, Nubium, Oceanus Procellarum, Palus Putredinus
Mountains: Alpes, Apennine, Carpatus, Mons Pico & Pico B, Riphaeus, Tenerife, Vallis Alpes
Craters (East of Mare Nubium): Albategnius, Arzachel, Blanchinus, Herschel, Le Caille, Ptolemaeus, Purbach, Regiomontanus, Thebit, Werner.
Craters (East Shores of Mare Nubium): Archimedes, Aristillus, Autolychus, Cassini
Craters (North of Mare Nubium): Bliss, Lansberg, Plato, Reinhold
Other Craters: Copernicus (south of Montes Carpatus), Eratosthenes (southern Mare Imbrium).
Tried to locate Stadius but wasn’t successful. Contacted Dave Chapman as to how best locate Stadius. He described it as a “ghost crater”. It’s old and has been flooded by lava when the mare formed so its walls are not too high, and it has been eroded by impacts so it’s a bit camouflaged. The trick is to look for it when it’s near the terminator (tonight or early tomorrow AM?) when the low sun angle will cast it in a more obvious relief.
Location: Home
Date: 2018-09-01
Time: 10:28 PM
Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS (Magnification x10)
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT
Magnification: x10
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
![]() |
Constellation: Sagittarius I had a new-to-me 10" Meade thanks to a friend in Ottawa. This was my first "oh, WOW!" moment with it. M8 was seen fully divided into 2 distinct segments: Absolutely beautiful - and amazing.
|
NOTE:
I had observed this object at SCO on September 3, 2016 using 10x30 IS binoculars only.
Time: 10:45 PM
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
SQM: 21.07
Temperature: 16º C
The nebulosity was oblong with a line of 5 stars in the bottom half, and 2-3 not so bright stars in the upper half. Very distinctive look and shape.
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra), Saturn (in Sagittarius)
Satellites: (1)
Meteor: (1)
Cluster: α Perseus Cluster
Messier Object: M8 (Lagoon Nebula)
Location: SCO
Date: 2018-09-01/02
Time: 9:00 PM - 2:00 AM ADT
Equipment: 6" SkyWatcher telescope with 15 mm eyepiece + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Magnification: x80
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 16º C - 15º C
SQM: 21.07 @ 9:25 PM, 20.88 @ 10:28 PM
I had spent some time looking at the Moon to determine what features to observe. I managed to complete IWLOP #84 - Mons Pico & Montes Teneriffe in Mare Imbrium. Also observed some features needed for the Explore the Moon (telescope).
Jupiter (in Libra) Jupiter was quite bright although not as bright as Venus or Mars. Could easily see Callisto but Io took much looking to find it. There was a bulge on Jupiter's surface that could have been Ganymede or perhaps just a very bright spot that made it look like a bulge or moon. |
|
|
Saturn (In Sagittarius) Saturn was high in the sky above the Teapot's spout and M8. Very Bright. Was able to determine one moon - Titan. Initially I thought it was Phoebe but it wasn't far enough away from the planet to be so. Could not make out any moons closer. |
Satellite |
α Perseus Cluster |
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) Seeing M8 with a telescope is very different than through binoculars. What I had seen on September 3, 2016 was 5 or 6 bright stars in a dense clump that formed a line of stars and the less dense clumps filled the mottled brightness above it. The telescope view seemed to have 5 or 6 vertical rows of stars that remind me of the α Perseus Cluster. Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M008 (Lagoon Nebula) - September 1, 2018 |
![]() |
Meteor
Time: 1:30 AM
Equipment: Visual
A very bright meteor lasting 1.5 seconds. Began whitish and ended in bright green as it travelled through the region of Draco.
This was a night spent mostly on the ETM(Telescope version). The results of the lunar session can be found at Explore the Moon (Telescope) - August 29/30, 2018.
Asterism: Big Dipper
Stars: Mizar, Alcor, HD 116789
Location: Home
Date: 2018-08-29
Time: 9:30 PM - 11:30 PM EDT
Equipment: Binoculars, 10x42 IS + 6" Skywatcher Dobsonian with 10 mm eyepiece
Temperature: 18º C
SQM: 19.05
No clouds or wind. The crickets were surprisingly loud. The Branton's were visiting so showed them the double stars of Mizar-Alcor in the Big Dipper using binoculars.
At 11:23 PM, after they had left, I located the double using the telescope where I also saw Alcor's companion star HD116789.
This was a night spent mostly on the ETM. There were other observations made but they were more for my interest than for the purpose of an observing program.
Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (87.7%)
Q-Day: -2
Moonset: 9:28 AM Moonrise: 9:44 PM
Sunrise: 6:33 AM Sunset: 7:57 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-08-29 - 2018-08-30
Time: 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Equipment: Celestron 6" Dobsonian, 10 mm
Magnification: x120
Temperature: 18º C
SQM: 18.66
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
11:20 PM:
No wind or clouds or dew. Hazy skies due to either Moon or high-altitude smoke (?). Saw the Moon coming through the grape vines on our shade structure in the East. Knew it would be at least another hour before it would be high enough to view.
![]() |
12:07 AM: |
It was then I referred to the S&T Field Map of the Moon to identify craters. Took me about 15 minutes to orient myself to the upside-down and what I was seeing due to Moon phase. I noticed Apollo 17 on the map so decided to focus on that area. To get to Apollo 17, I located Le Monnier then navigated along the shores of Mare Serenitatis. The name of the landing site is the Taurus-Littrow Valley. Posidonius had 2 craters seemingly in its rim and another just outside. I drew what I saw then identified the following features: |
Coordinates for Apollo 17: |
![]() LRRR: 0.673445 N, 23.47307 E Lunar Module (LM): 0.67416 N, 23.47314 E |
1:10 AM: To get to Apollo 11, I went from Vitruvius to the craters Plinius to Ross and Maclean to Arago & Manners. Followed the curve formed by 2 small craters (Ritter and Sabine) to Moltke and the landing site. |
NOTE: Looked up the lunar coordinates for the two Apollo missions later.
1:29 AM:
SQM: 18.66. Temperature still at 18° C, no wind, no clouds but still a bit hazy. Decided to focus on the shorelines of Mare Nectaris where if found the craters:
I then headed north back to the Apollo 17 landing site, to the crater Daniell just above Posidonius, then on to Hercules and Atlas. Hercules was very visible, but Atlas was now mostly beyond the terminator.
Mare: Lacus Somniorum
Other craters viewed:
Planets: Jupiter, Mars, Venus
Red Moon
Red Sun
Constellation: Cassiopeia
Asterism: Big Dipper
Stars: Mizar A & B, Alcor
Location: Blomidon Provincial Park, NS
Date: 2018-08-25
Time: 8:00 PM - 10:05 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" SkyWatcher 150P Dobsonian telescope + 10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120
Transparency: Fair (2)
Seeing: Fair (2)
Temperature: 16º C
Light breeze with smoke in the higher atmosphere from the western Canada forest fires.
Jerry and I were camping at Blomidon along with our two daughters and their families. I was able to show both our 5-year-old grandson and 2-year-old granddaughter a view of the Moon and Jupiter through the 6" Dobsonian we had brought with us. Our grandson particular was quite excited about identifying things he saw in the sky - naked eye and through the telescope, not to mention in SkySafariPro.
Jupiter, Mars & Saturn Our grandson pointed to Mars and asked what the name of that "star" was. When he was told it was actually the planet Mars, he was so excited! He ran to his parents shouting, "I saw the star Mars!" Jupiter was west of Mars and was bright enough to point it out to him. Also showed him Venus that was just about to set in the west; he was so excited to see his 3rd planet for the evening. I told him he had actually seen 4 planets and he correctly identified "Earth" as the fourth. Smart boy! |
Cassiopeia Red Moon. Red Sun. |
Big Dipper + Mizar A & B + Alcor Because our grandson had stars on his bedroom ceiling, he knew the Big Dipper when I pointed it out to him. I also told him the centre star in the handle was special because it was a double star. I showed him on SkySafariPro what it would look like close up then showed him through the eyepiece. Wow. |
![]() |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (83.0%)
Q-Day: +3
Moonset: 1:52 AM Moonrise: 5:18 PM
Sunrise: 6:24 AM Sunset: 8:11 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-08-21
Time: 8:45 PM - 9:50 PM
Equipment: Celestron 6" Dobsonian, 25 mm wide-field
Magnification: x48
Transparency: Poor (1)
Seeing: Poor (1)
Warm night. High fog and cloud impeded clear viewing of any object for any length of time. Dave Chapman arrived around 7:45 PM to collimate the telescope. He was unhappy with the attempt to do so at Kejimkujik, so came here to determine if it could be done. Success! Collimation achieved. He also brought his eyepieces, and we tried his Televue Ethos 8 MM. The clarity was wonderful!
![]() |
After he left, I returned to my 25 mm eyepiece and between episodes of fog/cloud cover, drew the Sinus Iridum. What captured my attention was the brilliance of the face of the semi-circular Montes Jura. The pure white edge contrasted to the adjacent terrain. The shadows of the two promontories were evident. There were two faint craters to what would be the NE, one of which might have been Maupertuis or just the two smallest craters nearest Promontorium Laplace. Needs a further investigation. Did not look for other features due to limited time during sucker hole opening. Gave up at 9:50 PM. |
Constellation: Ursa Major
Planets: Saturn
Moon
Location: Home
Date: 2018-08-20
Time: 9:00 PM - 11:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 6" SkyWatcher 150P Dobsonian telescope + eyepieces (10 mm, 25 mm wide angle, 30 mm with 2" adapter)
Magnification: x48
Transparency: Fair (2)
Seeing: Fair (2)
Temperature: 14º C
Moisture/Dew forming on surfaces.
Moon Refer to Explore the Moon (Telescope) - August 20, 2018 for details. Also completed this evening was IWLOP #100 - Bullialdus. |
|
Saturn Time: 9:20 PM ADT Equipment: telescope + 25 mm eyepiece Magnification: x48 Saturn was in the SE sky above our neighbour's back shed. The telescope very clearly provided a view of Saturn and its rings. No ring separation but could see a gap between the planet and its ring structures. This view, however, did vary with the changing atmosphere. |
![]() |
Ursa Major In all 3 eyepieces, Mizar was seen asa double star. As in 2016, there was a third star that formed a triangle with Mizar and Alcor; I later identified it as HD116798. Below HD 328226 was a line of 4 stars, ranging in magnitude of 11.1 - 13.6 (#1 - #4 in the sketch). The identified HD238226 and a fainter magnitude 12.9 star to its right as GAIA 1563780481323958784 (#5 in the sketch). Quite the handle! |
![]() |
IWLOP #100 - Bullialdus
An exceptional Eratosthenian Era crater.
Location: 20.7 S 22.2 W Origin: Impact Size: 61 km Rukl: 53 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Bullialdus, Bullialdus A & B, König
Others Identified: Blancanus, Rutherford, Porter, Scheiner
![]() |
Observation 1: R1: The ejects blanket of Bullialdus is mostly to the SE, extending out to A and B.
|
Observation 2: Saw this again when observing Kies and Mercator (IWLOP #101 - Kies, Mercator & Campanus). Walls were very terraced and had at least 2 central peaks. Rim is not rounded completely; perhaps the rim has collapsed partially in some sections (?). The north rim didn't look as defined as the others; not sure if due to crater formation or the lighting on the Moon. |
![]() |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (75.3%)
Q-Day: +2
Moonset: 1:10 AM Moonrise: 4:25 PM
Sunrise: 6:23 AM Sunset: 8:12 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-08-20
Time: 9:20 PM - 10:15 PM ADT
Equipment:Celestron 6" Dobsonian, 10 mm + 25 mm + 30 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x120 + x48 + x40
Transparency: Poor (1)
Seeing: Fairly Good (2)
No wind or clouds. Slight haze to the sky that gave a shimmery/shaky look from time to time.
We were playing with my newly-acquired 6” Dobsonian (gifted to me after the Kejimkujik DSW). Aligned the finder scope with the tube and ‘pushed’ it to the Moon. It provided me an upside-down view of the Moon, but was able to identify Clavius, Porter, Rutherfurd and Blancanus, as well as other features.
Maria: Crisium, Fecunditatis, Imbrium (partial), Nectaris, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis, Vaporum
Montes: Alpes, Apennine, Carpatus (partial), Caucasus, Tenerife
Craters: Archimedes (no shadows), Blancanus (sketched), Bullialdus, Clavius (sketched), Copernicus, Eratosthenes, Porter (sketched), Tycho (sketched)
Found Craters not on the list: König (sketched), Lambert, Rutherfurd, Scheiner, Street (sketched)
![]() |
![]() |
|
Constellations: Teaspoon
Location: Slapfoot Beach, Kejimkujik National Park, NS
Date: 2018-08-01
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:15 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 25º C - 20º C
SQM: 21.46 - 19.63
The 78.6% Waxing Gibbous Moon was going to rise at 11:21 PM ADT. Jerry and I were just beginning to see a brightness in the east.
Teaspoon I had read about this on the RASC discussion list or in one of the RASC newsletters or magazines in the spring. This was the first time I actively looked for it. We were searching for Mars adjacent to Capricornus. With Sagittarius so high in the sky, I decided to look for the Teaspoon. There it was. We could easily see ρ1, 43, π, ο and ξ2. Did not have binoculars with us so couldn't look for the double star of 43, nor the binaries ρ1/ρ2 and ξ1/ξ2 Next time. |
![]() |
Constellations: Cygnus, Scorpius
Asterisms: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster, Teapot
Meteors: 2
Planets: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus (all on the ecliptic)
Messier Objects: M5, M7
Located, Not Observed: Ophiuchus, Serpens Caput
Location: Slapfoot Beach, Kejimkujik National Park, NS Date: 2018-07-31 - 2018-08-01 Time: 9:15 PM - 1:30 AM ADT Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS Transparency: Very Good (4) Seeing: Very Good (4) Temperature: 25º C - 20º C SQM: 21.46 - 19.63 |
![]() |
No clouds and only a light breeze across the water. Hubby and I were viewing the 4 planets (Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus) because of their alignment on the ecliptic - me visually and with binoculars, him with his camera. It was a quiet calm evening with the planets and Moon providing beautiful reflections in the Lake.
Venus (in Leo) Observation #1 @ 9:24 PM: Observation #2 @ 10:24 PM: |
Mars |
Saturn (in Sagittarius) On this night, Saturn was 3º - 4º above & NW of Kaus Borealis. I couldn't see the rings with the binoculars. Only saw the planet as slightly elongated in the middle latitudes. |
Jupiter (in Libra) Used my binoculars to view Jupiter's moons and its proximity to α Librae, approximately 10º. Could only see 2 of the 4 Galilean moons; I later identified them as Callisto and Ganymede. |
![]() |
![]() |
Meteor
|
M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster) Noticed a patch of bright light sky just west of Kaus Australis. Used binoculars to identify the cluster. It's a beautiful open cluster, site bright and filled my 6.5º FOV. Seven to eight of the brightest stars looked like they foreman "H" albeit an artistic one. |
Cygnus + Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Found Deneb then identified Cygnus aka the Northern Cross. Followed the line from Deneb to Sadr to ν to Albireo. Used my binoculars to locate the double star Albireo: I then put down my binoculars for a moment to visually locate Albireo and the possible location of the Coathanger. Put my binoculars up and there it was! All of the stars in the hanger and hook were visible. |
Teapot + Saturn Saturn was 3º - 4º above & NW of Kaus Borealis.
|
Scorpius All of Scorpius was well above the horizon; theta was at least 10º above the horizon if not a little more. Could see Antares in all of its redness quite well. Could also identify most of the stars in the stinger and all of the stars in the constellation above Antares except nu and rho. Always seem to have difficulty identifying / locating theses two. |
Meteor M5 / NGC 5904 Found M5 after locating Ophiuchus and Serpens Caput. Used the two stars δ Ophiuchus and μ Ophiuchus to find M5. Fairly faint fuzzy, but did see it and more readily using averted vision. |
Planets: Venus (in Leo)
Location: Rushing River Campground, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, ON Clear skies and no cloud. We had our chairs on the Lake Superior shoreline within inches of the water. Mama duck and 7 ducklings swam past us within arm's reach - their fear of humans was not evident. Sitting on the narrow shore, we watched as the sun set over the Sleeping Giant and the stars begin to appear. A beautiful night on the shores of Lake Superior. |
![]() © Jerry Black. D600, ISO 800, 1/250 sec @ f/4.5 |
Venus (in Leo)
Time: 10:45 PM CDT
Instrument: Visual
Venus was only about 7º above the western horizon, near Regulus in Leo. The planet was first located at 9:47 PM.
Constellations: Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Leo, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Asterisms: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster, Summer Triangle/DAVe
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra), Venus (in Virgo)
Stars: ε1 & & ε2 Vega, α1 & α2 Librae, Regulus
Messier Objects: M8, M11
Meteor
Identified, Not Observed: Arcturus, Spica
Location: Valley View Campground, Echo Valley Provincial Park, SK
Date: 2018-07-11
Time: 9:30 PM - 11:30 PM MDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 20º C - 19º C
SQM: 17.65 - 19.99
Light wind at this time of evening. The few clouds earlier in the evening have disappeared.
Earlier in the day when trying to set up camp, we had to open both flies of the tent to allow the wind to go through it during set it up (otherwise it became a kite) and weighed down the floor with camp gear to keep the tent from blowing off the mountain. Too windy for a camp stove so had a sandwich supper inside the tent.
Venus (in Virgo) Viewed Venus naked eye. Found it 15º above the WSW horizon below β Virgo (Zavijava). |
|
Jupiter (in Libra) Jupiter could easily be found visually in the SW sky. My binoculars allowed me to find all 4 Galilean moons - Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Jupiter was located less than 5º from α Librae at approximately 2 o'clock to the star. |
![]() |
Scorpius Observation #1 @ 9:50 PM: Observation #2 @ 11:00 PM: |
![]() |
M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) Looked for the semi-circle of stars above the Teapot and used binoculars to locate M11 (as the golf ball next to the golf club). Could make out the brighter centre with fading edges of the globular cluster. |
Summer Triangle (DAVe) |
Leo First noticed Regulus very low in the sky, about 5º above the horizon with Venus nearby. Could faintly make out Denebola and may have seen θ Leonis and δ Leonis, but not sure. Definitely didn't see his legs or most of his mane/head. |
Lyra |
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) |
Ophiuchus The curved line of stars above Scorpius caught my eye. Very quickly located α, β and κ at the top of the huge figure, but only visually. Didn't look for the accompanying stars in Serpens Cauda and Serpens Caput. |
Cassiopeia |
|
Cygnus + Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Used the binoculars to view the double in Albireo. Could see the larger yellowish star β1 and the bluish companion albeit smaller β2. Also used Albireo to locate all 10 stars of the Coathanger. Within 10 minutes, the light and dark lanes of the Milky Way became visible. |
|
Meteor
Time: 11:12 PM CDT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
There was a very bright flash near Cygnus. It then moved left to right in my binocular FOV before disappearing.
Planet: Venus (in Leo)
Stars: 31 Leo
Occultation: Venus-Regulus
Location: Astotin Recreation Area in Elk Island National Park, AB Clear skies. Very little if any breeze or clouds. Had a suppertime visit from a former cohort and now a good friend, Mike Hoffman. It was great to reconnect and to explain this newfound interest to him. We encountered a few buffalo roadside during our travels throughout the park. |
![]() © Jerry Black. Coolpix P900, ISO 100, 1/800 sec @ f/3.5 |
Venus (in Leo)
Time: 11:15 PM MDT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 34, 35, G
Regulus could not be seen as a separate entity but it did make Venus appear misshapen at its SE limb. At 10:40 PM, Regulus couldn't be seen at all. I used the binoculars to view the occultation and also identified the star 31 Leo below Regulus. I did not see Regulus appear on the NW limb later in the evening.
![]() © Judy Black. D600, ISO 100, 1/640 sec @ f/6.3 |
Constellation: Aquila, Cygnus, Lyra, Perseus Asterism: Summer Triangle Planet: Jupiter, Venus (in Leo) Open Cluster: Alpha Persei Cluster Noctilucent Clouds |
![]() © Judy Black. Nikon D600, ISO 100, 1/160 sec @ f/8.0 |
Location: Rocky Mountain House Historic Site & Campground, AB We were camped on an open flat field that was adjacent to the fenced-in buffalo pen/range and close to the historic site. |
Constellation: Aquila, Cygnus, Lyra, Perseus
Asterism: Summer Triangle
Planet: Jupiter, Venus (in Leo)
Open Cluster: Alpha Persei Cluster
Noctilucent Clouds
Jupiter (in Libra)
Time: 10:55 PM MDT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
Thought I saw all 4 moons but in reality only saw three. Jupiter was at 2 o'clock to Zubenelgenubi (α1 and α2). What I thought was a planet was later identified (believe it or not) as TYC 577-0952-1.
Venus (in Leo) |
![]() |
Cygnus Aquila |
Summer Triangle (DAVe) |
Lyra |
Perseus + Alpha Persei Cluster |
Noctilucent Clouds (NLC)
Time: 2:21 AM MDT
Instrument: Visual
The sun had already set in the west and the remnants of light indicating its last attempts to illuminate our sky was barely evident.
However, 20º - 25º to the NW were clouds that were very well illuminated - and it wasn't the sunset! Turns out it was noctilucent clouds. These electric blue clouds also called "polar mesospheric clouds". Ice crystals at about 80 - 85 km above Earth reflect the Sun's light during a period of time from about 90 minutes to about 2 hours after sunset or before sunrise. This occurs at latitudes 50º - 70º north and south. We were at 52.3488º N. The clouds are visible only when they are illuminated by sunlight below the horizon while the lower layers of the atmosphere are in Earth's shadow.
A beautiful sight. A moving experience in the badlands of Alberta.
Constellation: Cassiopeia
Asterism: Teapot
Messier Object: M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)
Planet: Saturn (in Sagittarius)
Location: Banff National Park, AB We had a fairly open campsite so had a section of sky to observe. With the sounds of the coyotes calling in the distance, there was a quick realization that we were in the wilds of the Rockies. |
![]() ©Judy Black. iPhone 6s Plus, ISO 25, 1/15 sec @ f/2.2 |
M31 / Andromeda Galaxy + Cassiopeia
Time: 11:32 PM MDT
Instrument: Visual
I used Cassiopeia's Navy-Shedar-Caph "arrow" to find the two lines of stars that are part of Andromeda. It was then easy to locate the faint oval fuzzy in the night sky. The centre did appear brighter than the exterior portions of the oval. The trees hid the Square of Pegasus that I usually use to locate M31.
Saturn (in Sagittarius) Time: 12:04 AM MDT Instrument: Visual Saturn appeared to be about 7º away from Kaus Borealis, located at approximately 2:30 o'clock from the star. Did not use my binoculars to visualize the rings. |
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (90.6%)
Q-Day: 4
Moonset: 6:10 AM Moonrise: 8:52 PM
Sunset: 12:15 AM Sunrise: 8:02 PM
Location: Grasslands National Park, East Block
Date: 2018-06-24
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Relatively clear with just a light breeze. We had had a big thunderstorm when we were setting up camp. Felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, just waiting for the wind to lift us inner tent up into the storm. The early evening was cloudy but it did clear for some viewing. Because of the size of the Moon, it negated any chance of viewing the star field this evening.
Mare: Crisium, Fecunditatis, Frigoris, Humorum, Imbrium, Nectaris, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis
Sinus: Iridium, Roris
Craters: Aristarchus (on terminator), Aristillus, Copernicus, Gang of 4 (pure white, no shadows), Gassendi (on terminator), Harpalus, Keplar and surrounding pale area, Plato, Tycho
Stars: Castor, Pollux
Conjunction: Mercury-Castor-Pollux
Planet: Jupiter (in Libra), Mercury (in Gemini), Venus
Moon
Location: Grasslands National Park, East Block
Date: 2018-06-24
Time: 9:20 PM - 10:30 PM CDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
A little hazy (especially on the horizon), no wind. Waxing Gibbous Moon (90.6%) on the rise. Some time was spent with binoculars identifying lunar features (Lunar Session - June 24, 2018) as part of the RASC Explore the Moon (Binocular) program.
Jupiter (in Libra) Jupiter was within 10º - 15º from α1 Libra and α2 Libra (visually). With binoculars, one could see the Galilean moons - 2 on each side.
|
|
||
Conjunction (Mercury-Castor-Pollux) + Venus The Moon was beginning to rise in the East and obliterating chances of seeing stars in the East and South. Looking westward, I located Mercury 5º above the horizon and within 10º of Castor & Pollux. Venus was nearby and only 15º above the Grasslands horizon and at 10 o'clock from Mercury. Although a bit bleached out by the Moon, these were easily located and identified. |
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (45.9%)
Q-Day: 0
First Quarter: 7:52 AM
Moonset: 2:33 AM Moonrise: 2:28 PM
Sunrise: 6:37 AM Sunset: 9:58 PM
Location: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Date: 2018-06-20
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
No wind or clouds. Less humidity than Agawa Bay the night before. Also read about the other observations made this evening in General Session - June 20/21, 2018.
![]() |
There was a bump that created a shadow. Looked like a high peak on the side of a crater - maybe the crater below Curtius (?). Also identified Palus Putriedinus. The Moon was also situated in Virgo. |
![]() |
The Moon had changed its location within Virgo compared to the night before.
Constellations: Cancer, Cygnus, Libra, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Serpens Caput, Serpens Cauda
Asterisms: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster
Planet: Jupiter (in Libra), Venus (in Cancer)
Location: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Ontario
Date: 2018-06-20/21
Time: 9:45 PM - 12:30 AM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 19º C
SQM: 19.89
No wind or clouds but felt there was more humidity here than the night before in Agawa Bay. Also, smoke in the atmosphere may also be limiting seeing and transparency. To add to the wonder of the night was the baleful loon calls across the lake around midnight. Some of the evening was spent observing the moon; read all about it in Lunar Session - June 20, 2018.
Venus (in Cancer) Time: 10:35 PM EDT Equipment: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Reference: 24 The stars of Cancer couldn't be seen that well so used SkySafariPro to determine the constellation was Cancer. Venus was so close to Asellus Borealis (γ) and Asellus Australis (δ) that the stars couldn't be seen. Even with binoculars, ι and Acumen's (α) were a challenge and β wasn't visible at all. |
![]() |
Jupiter (in Libra) Observation #1 @ 10:35 PM: Observation #2 @ 11:55 PM: |
![]() |
Scorpius Time: 11:30 PM EDT Equipment: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58, J Scorpius was slowly rising with Antares making its presence known. Took my binoculars to see what I could see near Graffias and Dschubba. Saw a pair of stars close to Graffias. Later identified them as ω1 and ω2. Something new to me! |
![]() |
Cygnus + Coathanger/Brocchi's Cluster/Collinder 399
Time: 11:37 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 62, 73, H
Cygnus rose behind us above the trees of our campsite. As was the case the night before, Deneb was noticed first, then came the wings and followed down to the double star Albireo. Used my binoculars and saw the Coathanger once gain in the same FOV. All 6 of the "hanger" were seen but only 3 of the 4 "hook".
Ophiuchus |
|
Serpens Caput |
|
Serpens Cauda NOTE: Had seen Serpens Cauda in the Atacama Desert, Chile, but did not document it. |
|
This session was devoted to lunar observing. The position of the moon in this session can be viewed at Lunar Session - June 20, 2018.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (45.9%)
Q-Day: -1
Moonset: 2:32 AM Moonrise: 1:39 PM
Sunrise: 6:41 AM Sunset: 10:41 PM
Location: Agawa Bay, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Date: 2018-06-19/20
Time: 10:30 PM - 2 AM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 12º C
SQM: 21.66
No wind. Clouds only in the W-SW.
|
At 10:40 PM EDT, the Moon was due south above the horizon in Virgo. With my binoculars, I removed the Moon from my FOV and saw a faint star that I later identified as ν Virgo. beta Virgo (Zavijava) could easily be seen at 7 o'clock to the Moon. Mare: Crisium, Frigoris, Tranquilitatis and Serenitatis, and Sinus Asperitatis. Montes: The Montes Caucasus disappeared into the terminator. Craters: Albategnius, Aliacensis, Aristillus, Aristoteles, Blanchinus, Eudoxus, Hipparchus, Plinius (no shadows), Werner. The Gang of 4 showed as completely white. |
![]() |
At 1:35 AM EDT, the Moon was disappearing into Lake Superior. It was an orangish-gold and what was really cool was how the bands of cloud sliced the Moon and made it appear misshapen. Its a beautiful thing - the Moon going down and its perfect reflection across the glass-like surface of the Lake. |
Constellations: Capricornus, Cygnus, Delphinus, Equuleus, Lyra, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Asterisms: Coathanger, Summer Triangle/DAVe, Teapot
Planet: Jupiter (in Libra), Mars (in Capricornus), Saturn (in Sagittarius)
Moon (Lunar Session)
Satellites (2)
Location: Agawa Bay, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Date: 2018-06-19/20
Time: 10:40 PM - 2:40 AM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 15º C - 12º C
SQM: 21.66
No wind or clouds except for a few in the W-SW. Mosquitos were present earlier the evening. Also made some observations of the Moon; read about it in Lunar Session - June 19/20, 2018.
Ursa Major
Time: 10:52 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 31, 32, 33, 43, F
Visually located the "Big Dipper" asterism then used my binoculars to view Mizar-Alcor. Also used the pointer stars to locate Polaris.
Jupiter (in Libra) At 11:06 PM, all 4 moons of Jupiter could be seen. However, I had to place the eyepiece so that the FOV didn't include the planet in order to see the moon closest to it - Io. At 2:30 AM, Jupiter had a beautiful reflection on Lake Superior. |
|
Lyra Summer Triangle / DAVe |
Cygnus + Coathanger / Brocchi's Cluster / Collinder 399 I followed the constellation's stars down to Albireo with binoculars. Albireo's two components were easily viewed. Looked for the Coathanger and saw it and Albireo in the same FOV! How cool is that! Satellite |
Scorpius 11:42 PM 1:35 AM |
![]() |
Mars (in Capricornus) |
![]() |
Delphinus |
Equuleus |
Saturn + the Teapot (Asterism in Sagittarius) At this hour of the morning, the Teapot was was 5º above the horizon with Saturn directly above Kaus Borealis - just like in the Atacama! I didn't use my binoculars to view the rings. Satellite |
![]() |
Constellations: Aquila, Boötes, Cassiopeia, Corvus, Cygnus, Delphinus, Libra, Lyra, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Asterisms: Coathanger, Summer Triangle/DAVe
Planet: Jupiter (in Libra)
Satellites: (3)
Located, not Observed: Corona Borealis, Keystone of Hercules, M11, Scutum
![]() |
Location: Mount Carleton Provincial Park, NB Date: 2018-06-11/12 Time: 10:00 PM - 1:30 AM ADT Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS Transparency: Excellent (5) Seeing: Excellent (5) Temperature: 5º C - 2º C SQM: 25.8 - 27.8 (not possible, but that was the reading) |
The clouds disappeared, wind dropped, lots of black flies and mosquitos in the early evening. Amazing sky! With no manmade lights, the stars created our shadows and those of the picnic table and camera gear on the beach. Never had this happen before! A very definite "OH WOW"moment!
Scorpius Satellite |
Aquila Boötes |
Ursa Major |
Cygnus |
Cassiopeia Satellite |
Lyra Delphinus |
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster |
Satellite |
Summer Triangle / DAVe |
Corvus |
Jupiter (in Libra) Using binoculars, was able to see α1 Librae and α2 Librae that were adjacent to Jupiter. |
|
Constellations: Libra
Planets: Jupiter
Stars: Zubenelgenubi (α1 & α2), Zubeneschamali, 5 Librae, μ Librae
Location: Home
Date: 2018-06-03
Time: 11:28 PM - 11:35 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 46, 57
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 4º C
No wind or clouds. Hazy sky due to atmospheric conditions or soon-to-rise Moon.
Libra
Used the binoculars on the side deck after seeing Jupiter through our bedroom window. I wanted to determine where Jupiter was in relation to the α Librae-β Librae line. Jupiter was now above it but more importantly was once again seeing the double star at α Librae. Was also able to see two other bright stars with the binoculars that I later determined were 5 Librae and μ Librae.
α1 - larger of the two in the double, brighter and yellowish
α2 - much smaller, almost pinpoint. Couldn't determine a colour.
Jupiter
Could make out all 4 moons of the planet but had to use slight averted vision to distinguish between Io and Europa due to the brightness of Jupiter.
![]() |
![]() |
Constellations: Cepheus
Double Stars: δ Cephei & HD 213307
Moon: Waning Gibbous (97.9%)
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-30
Time: 2:15 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 15x70 + 10" Meade SCT with 30 mm eyepiece
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 7º C
Light breeze, no clouds.
SUCCESS! Despite the almost full Moon, I located Cepheus above our roofline. Visually: was able to locate δ Cephei. Binoculars: Used the binoculars on a tripod and located δ, ε and ζ Cephei but could not positively identify the companion star. Telescope: I used the 10" Meade SCT to navigate to Cepheus then manoeuvred to δ Cephei, and there was the companion star HD213307. δ Cephei was bright yellow and almost double in size compared to its blue-yellow companion. There was a row of 3 stars below them and then discovered the centre star (H4) was also a double (using averted vision). All the other stars in the FOV were fairly faint. More time required at the eyepiece. |
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (99.6%)
Q-Day: 5
Moonset: 5:21 AM Moonrise: 7:50 PM
Sunrise: 5:35 AM Sunset: 8:50 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-28
Time: 2:38 AM - 2:45 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
|
Woke up to the Moon shining in the bedroom window, Jupiter not far from it. I again watched the Moon between the clouds in the partly cloudy skies - both visually and with binoculars. Jupiter was relatively close as well. In a large sucker hole was α Libra (Zubenelgenubi) and β Libra (Zubeneschamali), but Brachium was in the cloud cover below. Jupiter had certainly moved closer to α and was almost sitting centred on the α-β Librae line. |
This session was devoted to lunar observing. Refer to the star chart in Lunar Session - May 28, 2018 for the location of the Moon on this date.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (87.1%)
Q-Day: 4
Moonset: 3:55 AM Moonrise: 4:38 PM
Sunrise: 5:37 AM Sunset: 8:47 PM
Location: Peggy's Cove, NS
Date: 2018-05-25
Time: not recorded
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Attempted to view the Moon as it went through Virgo but cloud cover negated that possibility. Refer to the star chart in Lunar Session - May 28, 2018 for its approximate position on this date.
This session was devoted to lunar observing - Moon-Regulus conjunction. Refer to the star chart in Lunar Session - May 28, 2018 for the location of the Moon on this date.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (48.4%)
Q-Day: 1 and 0
First Quarter: May 22 - 12:50 AM (59.5%)
Moonset: 1:48 AM Moonrise: 12:03 PM
Sunrise: 5:41 AM Sunset: 8:43 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-21/22
Time: 9:15 PM - 2:30 AM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
|
1- @9:27 PM: Had to view the Moon and Leo between the clouds. Could easily identify tiny Regulus and 31 Leo in close proximity. Regulus was just tot he south of the Moon's south limb terminator; the terminator was parallel t the line formed by Regulus and 31 Leo. 2- @10:30 PM: Still catching between cloud cover intervals. Moon had moved a bit SE of its previous position. Besides Regulus and 31 Leo, ν Leo was now faint but seen with the binoculars. The Moon looked to be sitting at the intersection of Regulus-η Leo and 37 Leo-ν Leo. 3- @ 11:28 PM: The Moon had again moved SE of its previous position. 4- @ 1:28 AM: The Moon had moved to a position east of Regulus and looked to be nearing the intersection of Regulus-θ Leo and 37 Leo-31 Leo. At this point, it was very low in the sky, about 10º - 12º above our backyard horizon. 5- @ 2:05 AM - 2:20 AM: The Moon again had moved a bit SE from its previous position and was now below θ Leo-Regulus line. It was also a few degrees from the horizon. at 2:20 AM, it disappeared from our view. Interesting to watch the glow in the sky disappear at the horizon s the Moon set. |
b
Conjunction: Moon-Regulus
Constellations: Cepheus
Stars: 31 Leo, 37 Leo, ν Leo, η Leo, θ Leo
Moon: Waxing Crescent
Planet: Jupiter (in Libra)
Satellite
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-21/22
Time: 10:00 PM - 2:22 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS + 10" Meade SCT with 30 mm eyepiece
Transparency: Fair (2)
Seeing: Fair (2)
Temperature: ~ 10º C
High winds at the start of the session earlier in the evening that disappeared in the early morning. No clouds.
Conjunction - Moon-Regulus (in Leo) Observation 1: at 9:27 PM: Observation 2: at 9:27 PM: Observation 3 at 11:28 PM: Observation 4 at 1:28 AM: Observation 5 at 2:05 - 2:20 AM: |
|
||||||
Jupiter (in Libra) Visually: It was close to the α Librae-β Librae line. Binoculars: The moons were not aligned but rather formed a saucer beside the planet. Could not see the bands on the planet. Telescope: Bands were almost vertical (relative to our horizon). The Giant Red Storm (GRS) again was not seen. The saucer of the moons supported the planet and were left-right reversed to my binocular view. |
![]() |
||||||
Satellite |
![]() |
||||||
Cepheus The double star could be seen (as circled in the sketch) but not sure if the pair was in fact δ Cephei or if the brighter star (not seen as a double) was the double. Will need to attempt to see this with a telescope at some time. |
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing. Refer to the star chart in Lunar Session - May 28, 2018 for the location of the Moon on this date.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (16.5%)
Q-Day: -2
Moonrise: 8:40 AM
Sunrise: 5:43 AM Sunset: 8:40 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-18
Time: 7:30 PM - 11:50 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 3º C
|
Clear skies but a little hazy at the horizon. Little if any wind. Observing with Jerry and Peter (New telescope). 1- @ 7:44 PM: Couldn't see the stars but the Moon was directly below Mekbuda (according to SkySafariPro). 2- @ 8:43 PM: Moon was about 23º away from Venus (at 5 o'clock to the Moon). Mekbuda was 2 o'clock to the Moon. 3- @ 9:36 PM: Mekbuda is adjacent to the Moon at 3 o'clock. 4- @ 11:23 PM: Moon was directly below Wasat with Mekbuda at 4:30 o'clock. |
![]() |
Constellation: Auriga, Cepheus
Conjunction: Moon-Venus (Refer to Lunar Session - May 18, 2018)
Messier Objects: M36 (Pinwheel Cluster), M37 (NGC 2099), M38 (Starfish Cluster)
Stars: Mekbuda in Gemini
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra)
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-18
Time: 8:30 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS + 10" Meade SCT with 30 mm eyepiece
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 9º C - 3º C
Clear skies, no cloud, no wind. Hazy near the horizon. Part of this session was for lunar observing, especially with the conjunction of the Moon with Venus and Mekbuda (in Gemini).
Auriga & 3 Messier Objects ( M36, M37, M38) M37 / NGC 2099 @ 10:00 PM M36 / Pinwheel Cluster @ 10:20 PM M38 / Starfish Cluster @ 10:28 PM |
|
||||
Jupiter (in Libra) Binoculars & Telescope: Easily found the planet and saw its 4 Galilean moons. Telescope: Could make out the bands but not the giant red storm (GRS) on the planet. The bands were almost perpendicular to the visual horizon. |
![]() |
Cepheus
Time: 11:17 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Ref Chart: 71, 73
All 8 main stars of the constellation could be found in the northern sky above our neighbour's trees. My target for tonight was δ Cephei. After blocking out their street light, I located the area of δ Cephei visually and then with the binoculars. I found the variable Cepheid but could not make out the 2 stars of the double, just a single bright star. Will need to go out again and confirm this find with binoculars and then with the telescope.
Constellations: Boötes, Cepheus, Cygnus, Hercules, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Scorpius
Asterism: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster
Minor Planet: Ceres
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra), Venus (in Taurus)
Messier Objects: M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster)
Double Stars: ε1 & ε2 Lyrae; δ1 & δ2; Lyrae, ν1 & ν2 Lyrae; ω1 and & ω2 in Scorpius
Identified, Not Observed: Arcturus, Castor, Cassiopeia, Pollux, Spica
Not found: M47 - My attempts to find this object were thwarted by the tree line on the S-SW area of our property. Sirius could be seen but it was very low on the horizon.
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-14/15
Time: 9:00 PM - 1:30 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS + 10" Meade SCT with 10 mm Speers-Waler
Transparency: Fair (2) - Poor (1)
Seeing: Fair (2) - Poor (1)
Temperature: 13º C - 8º C
Jerry and I were in the back yard - me observing and him astroimaging. No wind or clouds bu there're may have been a very light haze. Dew is settling on surfaces. Visibility and transparency were not as good as a couple of nights ago.
Venus Venus was very bright in the SW sky at about 25º to 30º above the horizon. It has changed position from the previous night's location. It has moved quite a bit from the Ain-Elnath line to being between ζ Tau and Elnath. Also tried using the Venus-Capella line to locate M37. Failed. |
![]() |
||
|
M37 / NGC 2099 Could make out all of Auriga's stars and I knew that M37 was west of the line formed by theta Aur and beta Aur. Could not see it visually. Using binoculars, I put Venus at 7 o'clock in my FOV which put the top of the neighbour's clothesline at the top of the FOV. I went almost straight up from there but couldn't see the open cluster. Will try earlier in the evening next time when Auriga isn't setting and, when higher, will make star-hopping a lot easier - especially if observing conditions improve. |
||
Jupiter Libra was almost on her side in the southeast sky. Jupiter was located very close to the line between α and β Librae as compared to May 8/9, 2018. I used binoculars to see the moons - only saw 3 (Callisto, Europa and Ganymede). I guessed that Jupiter was bright enough to hide Io, the one closest. Then Jerry set up the telescope to look at Jupiter. This confirmed my binocular view but also provided a view of Io. |
|
||
Ceres (Minor Planet) I used ε Leonis and μ Leonis to locate κ Leonis. Cancer took some staring for a few minutes so did find ι and Asellus Borealis. Using an imaginary line between ε Leonis and ι Cancer, I confirmed κ Leonis. Ceres, when centred in my FOV, was at 5 o'clock to κ Leonis but wasn't as bright. Averted vision was sometimes required to see Ceres. It had helped to study the star charts in advance of this search! |
|
||
Boötes Time: 12:03 AM ADT Equipment: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Reference: 42, 44, 53, 55 Arcturus was located high above Venus. I took my time to find all the stars of the constellation because of the less than great seeing and transparency. The part I couldn't locate was the 'arm' from Seginus to what I call the 'Asellis Triangle' - Asellus Primus, Asellus Secundus and Asellus Tertius. |
|||
Lyra Time: 12:05 AM ADT Equipment: Binoculars S&T Chart Reference: 63 Saw Vega high in the E-SE sky and could faintly make out some of the stars in constellation. Used my binoculars to find two sets of double stars - ε Lyrae and δ Lyra. Success! |
|
||
Scorpius On going through my scratch notes, I realized I had also seen ω1 and ω2 that were very bright adjacent to Graffias. |
![]() |
||
Cygnus Time: 12:20 AM ADT Equipment: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Reference: 62, 73, H While looking at Hercules about 20 minutes earlier, I noticed Deneb but ignored it for the time being. Being determined, I located the swan's stars despite the sky conditions. Certainly her wings took a bit of effort and not quite sure if I actually saw ι2 and ζ or just imagined them. Seeing Albireo, I easily located the Coathanger. |
|||
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster |
![]() |
||
Hercules & M13 I found M13 easily enough in the same FOV of my binoculars as eta Herculis. It was circular with no clearly defined or bright stars evident. |
|
||
![]() |
Ophiuchus |
||
Cepheus 12:57 AM: 4:30 AM: |
|
Messier Objects: M81, M82
Meteor (in Leo)
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-11/12
Time: 11:00 PM - 12:45 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + 10" Meade SCT with 30 mm eyepiece
Transparency: Very Good (5)
Seeing: Very Good (5)
M81 / NGC 3031 + Also refer to these Messier Catalogue entries: |
![]() |
Meteor (in Leo) |
![]() |
Planets: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn
Location: Driving home from SCO
Date: 2018-05-09
Time: 2:20 AM - 3:00 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: Very Good (5)
Seeing: Very Good (5)
We were driving home from SCO when a red object appeared on the horizon before us - Mars. It was a definite red in appearance so no question as to its identity. In lined with it were 2 more planets - Saturn and Jupiter. Couldn't see what constellations they were in due to the internal reflections of the car's windshield and lights of oncoming traffic. Mars was approximately 5º above the horizon.
Found out later via SkySafariPro:
Mars and Saturn in Sagittarius
Jupiter in Libra
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-08
Time: 10:15 PM ADT
Instrument: 10x42 IS Binoculars + 10" Meade SCT, 30 mm Spears-Waler
Magnification: x83
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
![]() |
Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa) Saw this 3 nights ago at SCO through Bruce Hamilton's telescope. Used two stars in UMa (Dubhe 7, 23 UMa) to locate M82. Earlier tonight, I located the elongated shape in my 10x42 IS binoculars. Used the line between these 2 stars then went 'up' just past the halfway point towards 23 UMa. The telescope provided a much grander view of this galaxy. A bright nebulous oblong object, particularly bright in the centre. It almost appeared as if the bright centre cut the cigar in half. |
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2018-05-08
Time: 10:37 PM ADT
S&T Reference: 45
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT*, 30 mm Spears-Waler
Magnification: x83
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
* At this time, the SCT was not on a motorized mount. We jokingly referred to it as the "push-to SCT."
|
Constellation: Coma Berenices Searching through the night skies with our SCT. Looked specifically for Coma Berenices then pushed to α Com and M53 just up from it at about 11 o'clock. It is fairly bright and condensed, but a few bright stars were seen with averted vision. These stars seemed to provide a bright centre as opposed to the consistent brightness across the globular cluster. |
Constellations: Cancer, Corona Borealis, Corvus, Crater, Draco, Leo, Leo Minor, Serpens Caput, Ursa Major
Asterism: Winter Circle
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra), Venus (in Taurus)
Comet: C/2016 N6 (PANSTARRS) (in Lynx)
Double Stars in Draco: 16&17, 39, ν1 and ν2
Messier Objects: M44, M53, M67, M82
Located, Not Observed: Betelgeuse, Capella, Gemini, Polaris, Pollux, Libra, Lynx
Location: SCO
Date: 2018-05-08/09
Time: 8:45 PM - 1:30 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS + 10" Meade SCT with 30 mm Speers-Waler eyepiece
Transparency: Very Good (5)
Seeing: Very Good (5)
Temperature: 13º C - 9º C
Jerry and I were the only 2 at SCO this evening. The wind made it feel colder than was. There were ripples on the pond in front of the observatory and on the river. No clouds. No flies! First time using my Sky Quality Meter (SQM)!
|
Venus (in Taurus) Time: 9:08 PM ADT Instrument: Visual Went out to the road to get away from the trees. Venus appeared to have moved to the left of the line between Elnath and Ain and also lower in the sky, or so it seemed. While looking for ζ Tau, I came across a very red star - Betelgeuse! |
||||
Jupiter (in Libra) |
![]() |
||||
Winter Circle A happy coincidence was that while searching visually and with binoculars, I saw a bright red star at the same level as ζ Tau but much further south - Betelgeuse! |
![]() |
||||
Cancer, M44/Beehive Cluster/Praesepe, & M67 I actually found M44 while searching in that area for α Serpens. Noticed it visually then used the binoculars. After that, I took some time to locate the faint stars of this constellation, i.e., faint relative to other stars adjacent to it. While doing so, I also found M67. I viewed the two Messier Objects visually, with my binoculars and then Jerry located them with our 10" Meade SCT. M44 / Beehive Cluster / Praesepe M67 |
![]() |
||||
Ursa Major (UMa) |
![]() |
||||
Corvus (Crow) |
Leo Time: 9:32 PM ADT Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 34, 35 Only Denebola, Zosma and especially Regulus gave Leo's location away. By 10:00 PM and for the remainder of the session, the remaining stars of the constellation (Chertan and those of the Sickle) came into view. Could follow Leo's path through the night sky. |
||||
M53 / NGC 5024 |
|||||
M81 / NGC 3031 / Bode's Galaxy |
M82 / NGC 3034 / Cigar Galaxy |
||||
|
Leo Minor I used Adhafera and Rasalas as a base for the search. Looked halfway along that line then moved my eyes upwards a bit before putting up my binoculars. Imagine my surprise when I saw 4 stars in a tight cluster in a rectangular formation. Using SkySafariPro, I identified them as 27 LMi, 28 LMi, 30 LMi with the fourth star perhaps having two components - UU LMi and HD90024 - that appeared as one entity in my binoculars. |
||||
Draco Could make out the general shape of the constellation then set to work to find three pairs - binary double (ν1 & ν2) and two optical doubles (16 & 17, and 39 & HD238865). Guess the others will come later.
|
|
||||
Comet: C/2016 N6 (PANSTARRS) Telescope: Visually: Binoculars: |
|
||||
Serpens Caput |
![]() |
||||
Corona Borealis |
Crater (Cup) Time: 12:53 AM ADT Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 36 Visibility and seeing below 10º on the horizon is non-existent due to haze or fog or clouds. I could see the base of Crater earlier in the evening but the cup stars were elusive. |
Location: SCO
Date: 2018-05-08
Time: 10:10 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 24
Instrument: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Jerry and I were the only members at SCO.
Locating M44 led me to the star Acubens (in Cancer) with M67 in close proximity. Not as bright at M44 but more compact, i.e., more stars in the central core. This cluster could easily be found naked eye.
![]() |
Constellation: Cancer Type: Open Cluster Magnitude: 6.9 Distance: 2.7 kly Size: 29.0' |
Location: SCO
Date: 2018-09-08/09
Time: 10:10 PM ADT
Instrument: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature ~9º C
Very windy and cool enough to warrant winter coat, hat and gloves.
I spent part of this evening searching for the stars of Cancer, a constellation I hadn't found before/ While trying to locate the stars visually, I noticed a faint fuzzy in the area. With the binoculars, I found this beauty that completely filled my FOV. No evidence of any true centre, other than some of the stars being slightly closer together.
![]() |
Constellation: Cancer |
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-08
Time: 01:43 AM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 30 mm Spears-Waler
Magnification: x83
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
![]() |
Constellation: Ursa Major I was looking through the scope and paying attention to M82. I moved the scope using the hand controller to go south (left) and there was M81. Both M81 and M82 were in the same FOV, and both were small and medium brightness. Neat to see them both together. M81 had a dark oval centre and a brighter oval shape around the core. |
Constellations: Auriga, Leo, Orion
Asterism: Winter Circle
Minor Planet: Ceres (in Cancer)
Planets: Jupiter (in Libra), Venus (in Taurus)
Messier Objects: M5/NGC 5904
Located, Not Observed: Arcturus, Procyon, Sirius
Location: Home
Date: 2018-05-07
Time: 8:45 PM - 12:00 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS + 10" Meade SCT with 30 mm Speers-Waler eyepiece
Transparency: Poor (1)
Seeing: Poor (1)
Temperature: 10º C - 8º C
Very light wind and occasional high haze/cloud.
Winter Circle |
![]() |
||
Orion With Melissa in the FOV, I found a triangular shape - Meissa, φ1 Orionis and φ2 Orionis. |
|
||
Auriga |
Leo Time: 10:00 PM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 34, 35 Instrument: Visual All the stars in the sickle were seen visually but as the evening went on μ and ζ were more difficult to see. Denebola, Chertan and Zooms were visible during this observing session. |
||
Venus However, it wasn't until later that I decided to track Venus' orbit as it related to Taurus. Venus about 2º - 3º above the horizon at this time and half way between Elnath (β Tau) and Ain (ε Tau). |
![]() |
||
|
Jupiter (in Libra) Binoculars: @ 10:56 PM - Located Jupiter and noted the location of its 4 Galilean moons. Telescope: @ 11:19 PM & 11:53 PM - Jerry set up the telescope for me. Saw Jupiter at two times. At 11:53 Io was touching the SW limb. Because of Io's proximity to Jupiter, I couldn't see Io with my binoculars.
|
||
Minor Planet - Ceres (in Cancer) Our scope had not been previously aligned; it went in the general direction so had to use the hand control to locate the related stars in Cancer using SkySafariPro and Chart 35 in the S&T Pocket Sky Atlas. Recognized the triangular pattern with the greyish not so bright Ceres at the top. |
![]() |
||
M5 / NGC 5904
|
Conjunction: Moon - Mars
Moon: Waning Gibbous (67.4%), rose at 1:36 AM ADT
Identified, Not Observed: Aquila, Teapot asterism in Sagittarius
Location: on way home from St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2018-05-06
Time: 2:30 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 8º C
Very little wind and clear skies.
The Moon rose earlier last evening but we did not notice it while out at SCO. Once we turned onto the road that led to Hwy 101, it was just above the horizon. Once on the 101, the Moon was right in front of us. Jerry noticed a "star" below it that was too bright to be a star. He was correct - it was Mars! The distance between was about x3 the diameter of the Moon or approximately 2.5º apart.
When we arrived home, Mars could be easily seen visually below the Moon.
Jerry went out onto the front lawn and took a photo; I sketched it.
![]() ©Jerry Black. Nikon D800, ISO 160, 1/13 Sec @ f/25 |
![]() |
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2018-05-05
Time: 11:52 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 55
Instrument: 10x42 IS Binoculars
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Although more easily found using Serpens Caput, I went down 2 FOVs plus a bit more from Arcturus to find it. Other than bright the bright centre, I couldn't make out any significantly bright individual stars in this very tight cluster. I saw 4 stars below M5 that I was able to identify with SkySafariPro.
![]() |
Constellation: Serpens (Serpens Caput) Type: Globular Cluster Magnitude: 5.7 Distance: 24.5 kly Size: 17.4' |
Constellations: Auriga, Canes Venatici, Cassiopeia, Coma Berenices, Corvus, Crater, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Stars: Castor, 1 Geminorum, HD114905, HD136067, HD136888, Pollux, Propus, 5 Ser, 6 Ser, Sirius
Asterism: Winter Circle
Double Stars: Com 32 & Com 33/HD111892, 17 Com, ζ Leonis & 35 Leonis, Canes Venatici 15 & 17
Planet: Jupiter
Messier Objects:M5, M35/NGC 2168, M82 (Cigar Galaxy/Bode's Nebula)
Satellite
Meteor
Identified, Not Observed: Boötes, Lyra, Procyon, Pollux, Spica, Vega, Venus
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2018-05-05/06
Time: 8:00 PM - 2:00 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x42 IS) + Refractor Doublet Telescope, 120 mm with 17 mm eyepiece
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: ~ 12º C
Light wind, no clouds with only occasional very high clouds. Mosquitos have disappeared but the spring peepers continue to serenade us. On this night, I was observing with Melody & Bruce Hamilton, Blair MacDonald, Matt Dyer, Mark Dryden, Jerry and the Desveaux family of four. Lots of observing fun and laughter.
Spring Peepers serenaded us most of the evening. An owl made its presence known in the latter part of the evening. The flies came out as the sun started to set but soon disappeared - and they didn't bite (at least they didn't bite me). A dominant (male? nesting female?) Canada Goose met us on the road near SCO and continued to harass 2 other geese on the pond beside SCO. Bruce brought his "new" scope to try it out. Jerry realized when setting up his scope that he forgot the counterweights so had to go back home to get them.
Humour: Melody had sent an email earlier that had autocorrected "binocs" to "bingos". We used our "bingos" numerous times throughout this session. Laughter about "Bingo Night at SCO" all evening!
Auriga
Time: 8:45 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 12
Instrument: Visual
Identified Capella and the other brightest stars in Auriga. I did not investigate any further.
Winter Circle Note: I had also seen the Circle while in Chile earlier this year. Whereas the zenith was between Castor and Capella here, it was between Procyon and Sirius in Chile. |
![]() |
||||
Leo 11:23 PM: Satellite |
|
||||
Boötes |
|||||
Corvus ("Crow") Ursa Major |
|
||||
Crater ("Cup") Time: 9:52 PM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 36 Instrument: Visual Melody pointed out the base of Crater. It was easy to find as it had a similar shape to Corvus. Once the base was found, we looked for the shape of the cup. Found them all although it took some time as they were all quite faint. |
|
||||
Gemini & M35 / NGC 2168 I followed Castor's foot stars to locate the general area of M35. In my binoculars, it looked like a faint circular fuzzy. With averted vision in the binoculars, I could detect at least 4 brighter stars. the remaining stars were not that significantly dimmer. Couldn't locate it visually this evening. The star 1 Geminorum was below M35. |
|
||||
|
M82 / Cigar Galaxy / Bode's Nebula / NGC 3034 |
||||
Canes Venatici Time: 10:42 PM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 43, 32 Instrument: Visual + Binoculars Melody and I found this constellation again. At this pointing time, it was almost perpendicular to the horizon between Leo and Boötes. Once we identified this constellation, we looked east of Cor Caroli (α CVn) to find the double star CVn 15/CVn 17. In line with them was a third star - HD114905. |
|
||||
Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair) 11:41 PM:Located 17 Comae using gamma as the first star to use in star hopping. Started here then moved the binoculars slowly towards 7 o'clock to γ Comae - et voilá! |
|
||||
Meteor |
![]() |
||||
M5 / NGC 5904 Once found, we used SkySafariPro to identify the stars nearby - 5 Ser, 6 Ser, HD136888, HD136067. Should look at Serpens sometime. Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M005 (NGC 5904) - May 5, 2018 |
|
||||
Jupiter in Libra Blair MacDonald let me view the bands of Jupiter plus its 4 moons through his scope. Couldn't see the GRS. |
|
||||
Cassiopeia Scorpius |
![]()
![]() |
Constellations: Aquarius, Cygnus, Pisces
Asterism: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster
Planet: Mercury, Neptune
Zodiacal Light (ZL)
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile @ SPACE Lodge
Date: 2018-04-17
Time: 6:00 AM - 6:45 AM EST
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: ~ 6º C
Jerry and I woke up shortly after 6 AM. Clear sky with no wind.
And there before us was the main reason for the early rise. The Zodiacal Light with Mercury rising in its centre over the mountains and Pisces on the edge of its glow was easily seen. For me this was especially exciting as it was the first time seeing the ZL in the southern hemisphere, and to see it rise adjacent to the volcanoes Licancabur and Juriques was breathtaking.
When Mercury first rose in Pisces, it appeared to be perched on the mountain’s edge like a small ball ready to roll down a knoll. Could see the planet both visually and with binoculars literally in the centre of the base of the ZL. With Aquarius in the sky, we thought we might be able to see Neptune that was located almost straight up from Mercury. Couldn't quite see it with binoculars but found the general area. It couldn’t be seen visually nor with binoculars, but we did locate it in the photos taken of the zodiacal light. Had we looked up towards the Zenith, we would have found mars in the Teapot. A wonderful start to the day! |
![]() |
Cygnus
|
![]() |
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster |
![]() |
We spent the remainder of the morning packing up and arrived at the Calama airport around noon to catch our flight to Santiago. The Andes still had us in awe at its beautiful formations and colour.
![]() |
What made it particularly exciting on this day was the trip that had us “officially” passing the Tropic of Capricorn – Latitude 25° 26’ 16”. There actually is a sign indicating its location and its where this picture was taken of the 4 Amigos – Melody, Dave, Jerry and me – at 1:10 PM. The desert expanse was mind boggling with very little if any plants on the desert expanses. There was one volcano en route that showed steam coming from its cone, reminding us this is country is part of the Pacific rim volcano ring. Arrived at Laguna Miscanti (elevation 13,668 ft / 4,164 m ASL), at 1:20 PM. The “lake” was surrounded by mountains and their volcanic peaks, most notably the volcano Miñiques whose lava flow separated Laguna Miscanti from Laguna Miñiques. The first thing we encountered upon arrival was a herd of vicuña on the gentle slopes leading down to the laguna and at water’s edge. Humorous Side Story: Our car, driven by Charline, had never been the lead car on excursions so “ate the dust” of the cars ahead of us on the numerous unpaved desert roads. On this day, it was warmer than usual, so Dave requested the air conditioning be turned up. Unexpectedly, a large plume of dust spewed out over Charline and me in the front seat which had us choking. Laughter prevailed throughout the car for several minutes! Dave suggested there must be 4 speeds of air conditioning in Atacama cars – low, medium, high and Atacama dust storm. That had us laughing even more! |
Back to the Lodge for supper and for what we thought might be another night under the stars. That was not to be. We were informed upon our return that Latam Airlines was going on strike! Our flights to Santiago and the consequent connection to our flight home on Air Canada were in jeopardy. Jerry spent a lot of time on the computer and phone getting flights for him, Melody, Dave, and me. Thankfully, he was successful. The airline strike certainly put a damper on that night’s observing. Melody located and viewed the remaining objects she wanted to find but did not have time to sketch them. I just didn’t have the heart for any serious observing other than to stare at the skies for a short period and to realize it may be the last time to see these dark southern skies with all its wonders. A great disappointment for everyone that the trip was cut short. |
![]() |
Constellations: Apus, Ara, Boötes, Carina, Centaurus, Chamaeleon, Corvus, Crux, Hydrus, Leo, Musca, Norma, Octans, Orion, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Asterisms: "False Comet" in Scorpius, Teapot, Winter Circle
Galaxies: Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Nebula: Coalsack Nebula, NGC 3324 / Keyhole Nebula, Tarantula Nebula/NGC 2070
Clusters: β Crux, Collinder 361 (in Sagittarius), Herschel's Jewel Box/NGC 4755, NGC 6231 (in Scorpius), NGC 6397, Omega Centauri, Southern Pleaides/IC 2601, 47 Tucanae/NGC 104, Trumpler 24
Planet: Jupiter (in Libra), Saturn and Mars in Sagittarius, Venus
Stars: Achernar, α Centauri, β Centauri, HD111122, double star δ1 Apodis and δ2 Apodis (in Apus)
Messier Object: M8 (Lagoon Nebula)
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Date: 2018-04-15/16
Time: 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM EST
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS + 450 mm F5 Dobsonian with 21 mm Ethos eyepiece
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 10º C - 5º C
No wind initially but a light breeze later in the evening. No cloud. No flies.
![]() |
Melody, Judy, Jerry and Charline rose early to arrive in time for the tour bus to the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Due to its dryness, high altitude, scant clouds and scarce radio interference and light pollution from cities, this location was deemed one of the best places on Earth for astronomic observation. The bus turned to go up the mountain range towards the Chajnantor Plateau where the Array Operation Site (AOS) itself was constructed at elevation 16,000 ft / 5,000 m ASL. However, the tour was only going to the Operation Support Facility (OSF) at the lower elevation of 9,515 feet / 2,900 m ASL to reduce altitude sickness risks for staff, volunteers and visitors alike. One of the 66 AOS dishes was at OSF for repairs, and the two 28-wheel dish transporters were there as well. Talk about luck! It showed us how large these scopes and their transporters to the Array truly are. ![]() |
Back at the Lodge after supper, five of us gathered in the adjacent yard of the ladies' lodge - Melody, Charline, Dave, Jerry and me. I discovered that Leo had a backwards upside-down sickle. In looking closer at Eta Carina, I discovered the keyhole Nebula (NGC 3324). Dave pointed out the “false comet” seen in the tail of Scorpius. In observing it, I was able to identify NGC 6231, Trumpler 24 and Collinder 361. He also showed us the Tarantula Nebula in a 450 mm F5 Dob with 21 mm Ethos eyepiece, then he used OIII (oxygen 3) and UHC (Ultra-high Contrast) to demonstrate the variations in viewing. Fascinating!
Carina Coalsack Nebula Hershel's Jewel Box / NGC 4755 |
Centaurus Omega Centauri |
||||||||
Ursa Major Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 31, 32, 33, 43, F Instrument: Visual Ursa Major was once more pouring out its contents with Mizar-Alcor only about 2º above the horizon. Quite a mind bender! Dubhe was again hidden by the tree adjacent to the Lodge. |
Venus Time: 8:11 PM EDT Instrument: Visual Venus could be easily seen in the western sky coming up through Aries between Cetus and Perseus just on the horizon and below Taurus. |
||||||||
Achernar (in Eridanus) Hydrus |
Orion ![]() M44 (Beehive Cluster) in upper right - Photo by Jerry Black |
||||||||
Leo |
47 Tucanae |
||||||||
Tarantula Nebula / 30 Doradus / NGC 2070 Two clusters are in the Nebula:
We first viewed the Tantula just using the eyepiece provided by the Lodge. Melody then provided 2 filters for comparison
|
Winter Circle - North vs. South Hemispheres |
||||||||
Crux + HD111122
|
Apus (Bird of Paradise) I used my binoculars to view the flower head and discovered the double star δ Apodis (δ1 and δ2). They were parallel to the horizon at this time and δ1 was the larger of the two. |
||||||||
Octans (Octant) I was looking in the general area of Hydrus for other constellations. The triangle of the constellation was found but truly had to concentrate in the area of the sky. I used Roy's star map of the southern sky for orientation. |
Jupiter (in Libra)
Very easy to see Jupiter in Libra. It lay on the line (finally!) between α and γ Librae. Very bright and easy to see at 18º above the horizon. Southern Pleaides / IC 2602 / θ Carinae Cluster |
||||||||
Boötes |
Chamaeleon NGC 3195 (a planetary nebula) is located near delta but can only be seen by telescope (which I didn't use at this time). Its central star has a magnitude of 15.3.
|
||||||||
"False Comet" in Scorpius Using my binoculars at 12:39 AM from the back patio of our Lodge, it looked like a group of 2 star clusters: |
|
||||||||
Ara (the "Altar") 11:10 PM: |
Stars in Ara: 11:25 PM: |
||||||||
Norma (Carpenter's Square) Stars in Norma: |
|
||||||||
|
Constellations: Circinus, Crux, Triangulum Australe
Galaxies: Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Clusters: Herschel's Jewel Box/NGC 4755
Planet: Jupiter (in Libra)
Location: Laguna Lejia, Chile
Date: 2018-04-13
Time: 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM EST
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: Beyond Excellent (5+)
Seeing: Beyond Excellent (5+)
A group of us in 3 cars headed out for the high Andes at 3 PM – me, Jerry, Melody, Charline, Dave, Fred, Malcolm Park, Greg Merrick and Rajeev Gupta.
Went south past Toconao then turned inland to Talabre Viejo where the paved road became a dirt road, with the road edge ‘curbs’ formed by the sands ploughed up providing guidance there and especially on the return in the dark. The we started the climb the wind-blown virtually smooth hillside. There were several stops for sight-seeing – volcanoes Simba & Pili and Láscar (most active volcano in Chile), and Cerro Tumisa. Láscar was especially interesting with its numerous craters.
![]() |
We tried to climb the cone of a known crater in the area, but the gas engine cars couldn’t handle the combined altitude and incline, then there it was as we came over the crest of a hill – Laguna Leija! Elevation: 14,117 ft / 4,303 m ASL. Salt-crusted shorelines surrounded the lake and the cloud-covered Argentine Andes way off in the distance provided a lightning show later in the evening over the Argentinian border but no thunder due to distance away or lower O2 at that altitude. Maybe both. |
And was it ever COLD!! With the high-Andean winds and a big temperature drop, every piece of winter gear was necessary. The lee of the cars provided some protection. The Milky Way above the mountains with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) with their reflections in the waters of Leija were breath-taking! No twinkling at this elevation! Stars were like small diamonds – so bright and so clearly defined. Left us speechless as we took in yet another “oh, wow” moment.
Circinus, Crux & Triangulum Australe
Time: not recorded
S&T Chart Reference: 48, 50
Instrument: Visual
I located Crux and showed Melody and Charline how to find Circinus and Triangulum Australe. With the stars being so clearly seen no matte where you looked, it was an easy exercise to complete - and then duck down behind the car to get out of the wind!
Jupiter (in Libra)
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Visual
I located Libra and noted the location of Jupiter just below the imaginary line between α Librae and γ Librae. It had moved sightly closer to that line compared t0 the night before.
Herschel's Jewel Box / NGC 4755
Time: not recorded
S&T Chart Reference: 48, 50
Instrument: Visual
Having found Crux and the Coalsack Nebula, it was very easy to visually locate and identify the Jewel Box. Such a beautiful bright entity.
Constellations: Boötes, Centaurus, Circinus, Corvus, Crux, Lepus, Lupus, Musca, Orion, Puppis, Triangulum Australe, Ursa Major, Vela, Volans
Galaxies: Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Nebula: Coalsack
Stars: α Centauri, β Centauri
Clusters: Herschel's Jewel Box/NGC 4755, Omega Centauri
Planet: Jupiter
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile @ SPACE Lodge
Date: 2018-04-12
Time: 8:00 PM - 12:00 PM EST
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x42 IS
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: ~ 8º C - 6º C
![]() |
We once again had a road trip, this time travelling 62 km from San Pedro de Atacama to Laguna de Chaxas (Chaxas Lake) in the Reserva Nacional “Los Flamencos”. On the way back, Charline (aka driver/tour guide) remembered a side trip she had taken on a previous Atacama trip to a beautiful valley oasis – Valle de Purques – on the mountainside from where we could see Licancabur, Juriques and the ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF). One would never know this amazing, fertile place was in the middle of the desert where a farmer was obviously growing some crops (including corn) along the stream bed! |
Set up for the observing session around 8:00 PM. No clouds or wind. Clear skies.
Some of this session was with Melody, Dave and Charline; Jerry visited occasionally between times when he had to deal with his astroimaging equipment. Went back to our lodge at midnight when I became too chilled to remain outside.
Carina (the "Keel") Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) / PGC 17223 / Nubecular Major Orion & M42 (Orion Nebula) |
Coalsack Nebula & Crux Corvus (Crow) Musca (the "Fly" or "Mosquito") |
Herschel's Jewel Box / NGC 4755 Jupiter (in Libra) |
Centaurus Omega Centauri |
![]() |
Lupus (the Wolf) |
Triangulum Australe Stars in Triangulum Australe: |
Note: Atria = A(lpha) Tri(anguli) A(ustralis) |
Circinus (Compass) Stars in Circinus: |
|
Lepus (the Hare) Stars in Lepus: |
NOTE: This is the Southern Hemisphere orientation. Asterism in Lepus - Known as the Throne of Jawza or the Camels (from the Arabic phrase meaning "camels quenching their thirst") |
Vela (the "Sails") To find it, it helped knowing its relative position to Carina and the η Carina Nebula. Still needed to stare a long time at that part of the sky to determine its general location using the shape of the constellation, then finding the specific stars. Didn't locate them all initially but did find most as the night wore on. |
*Suhail has the modern name of "Regor" ("Roger" spelled backwards). It honours Apollo 1 astronaut Roger Chaffee. Originally inserted in NASA star charts by Gus Grissom as a practical joke, but has endured as a memorial to both men who died in the Apollo 1 fire. |
|
Volans ("Flying Fish") Stars in Volans: |
Puppis (the "Poop Deck" or "Stern") ![]() |
Stars in Puppis: |
Ursa Major |
|
Boötes |
|
Constellations: Carina, Centaurus, Corvus, Crux, Hydrus, Orion, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Galaxies: Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Nebula: Coalsack, Eta Carina/NGC 3372
Stars: α Centauri, β Centauri, θ Carina
Clusters: Herschel's Jewel Box/NGC4755, Omega Centauri, Southern Pleiades (IC 2601)
Planet: Jupiter, Venus
Messier Object: M42 (Orion Nebula)
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile @ SPACE Lodge
Date: 2018-04-11
Time: 8:30 PM - 11:45 PM EST
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x42 IS + Televue 60 with 17.3 mm eyepiece
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: ~ 11º C
No clouds or wind. Clear skies.
We were on the road at 7 AM for a 2-hour drive (98 km/ 61 miles) drive to the El Tatio geyser field – elevation of 14,173 feet / 4,320 m ASL). We saw the sun rise over the Andes and mention numerous vicuñas along the roadways. What sights! Then there it was - El Tatio! It’s an amazing place with over 80 active geysers – geyser cones, fumaroles, steaming soil, mud pots, and sinter terraces. It’s the 3rd largest geyser field in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Back into San Pedro for a Chicken enchilada crema supper– fabulous! We also picked up some empanada pollo for tomorrow.
![]() |
![]() |
We spent the rest of the evening at the Lodge observing the night skies. I managed to get most of the targets for this evening. One pleasant surprise was Scorpius that rose on its side well above the horizon. I also watched as α Crux rotated 90° in orientation for “SE” to “SW”; read about it below. When I became chilled enough, it was time for bed.
Centaurus Omega Centauri |
Coalsack Nebula Hydrus |
Carina (the "Keel") Eta (η) Carina / NGC 3372 Southern Pleiades / IC 2602 / θ Carinae Cluster |
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) / PGC 17223 / Nubecular Major Corvus |
Crux 9:25 PM: looked like γ Crux was pointing to 10 o'clock. |
![]() |
Herschel's Jewel Box / NGC 4755 |
Orion & M42 Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 14, 16, B Instrument: Visual Still surprised to see the Hunter on his side, almost as if having a nap while traversing the southern skies. The jewel in his sword (M42) was easily identified. |
Venus (in Aries) Jupiter (in Libra)
|
![]() |
Ursa Major |
![]() |
|
Scorpius Time: 11:01 PM EST S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58, J Instrument: Visual First saw this orientation here in the Atacama on April 9 during the sky tour with Alain Maury and casually observed it on the 10th. All of Scorpius was above the sky line! Haven't seen it all above the horizon since Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah (May 2017) and Acadia National Park, Maine (August, 2017). Although the sketch shows it at an angle, it truly was lying on its side along the horizon with θ and ι only 1º above the horizon. Despite the lower declination, I was able to see how close Shaula and Lessath really are. |
Constellations: Canis Major, Carina ("Keel"), Centaurus, Crux, Hydrus, Musca, Orion, Ursa Major
Galaxies: Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Nebula: Coalsack, Eta Carina, NGC 3372, Herschel's Jewel Box/NGC 4755
Stars: Achernar, Canopis, θ Carina, α Centauri, β Centauri
Clusters: Omega Centauri, Southern Pleiades (IC 2601)
Planet: Jupiter, Venus
Messier Object: M42 (Orion Nebula)
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile @ SPACE Lodge
Date: 2018-04-10
Time: 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM EST
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x42 IS + Televue 60 with 17.3 mm eyepiece
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: ~ 8º C
No clouds or wind and humidity is not evident. Clear skies.
In the early afternoon, we visited the ancient village of Tulor de Aldea. Around 4 PM, it was decided the excursion to Valle de la Luna was postponed to another day because of incoming clouds from all sides (the only time we saw cloud cover the whole trip). Without the sun, we would not be able to see the effect on the Valley as the sun set. Consequently, I spent the early evening viewing the night skies with Melody, Charline, Dave and occasionally Jerry (who visited between adjustments to his astroimaging equipment). Headed to bed at 11 PM.
Musca |
Coalsack Nebula Venus (in Aries) |
Herschel's Jewel Box / NGC 4755 In looking through Charline's telescope, it was so easy to see the strs differentiated in the teardrop. You could also see where the stars were brighter/clustered in the open cluster and where they were fainter. |
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) / PGC 17223 / Nubecular Major The LMC and SMC are ever present in the night skies. They continue to provide "oh wow" moments every time they are seen. Guess I just can't believe I'm seeing them. |
α Eridani / Achernar (in Eridanus) Binary star system with a companion known as Achernar B. Magnitude 0.45, 9th brightest star in the night sky. Tiny but regular variations over 1.26 days caused by actual complex pulsations, or by rotation bringing dark star spots in and out of view. |
Orion & M42 Charline told us the 3 stars in Orion's Belt were known as the "Las Tres Marías" (the 3 Marys), i.e., the 3 Marys who were present at Christ's crucifixion. She then showed us M42/M4 3 through the scope - a very nice version to see. Also used my binoculars to compare the size and nebulosity. |
Centaurus Omega Centauri
|
|
Canis Major |
|
Carina ("Keel") Carina is one of 3 parts that was once the large constellation Argos Navi. It is circumpolar and is the 3rd largest constellation in the sky. It was very easy to identify as were ε and β. The other stars were very difficult to identify. θ Car was easier to find because of its proximity to the Southern Pleiades. Canopus is the next brightest star in the sky next to Sirius and never sets below the horizon. Absolute mag -5.53. |
|
Eta (η) Carina / NGC 3371 Eta Carina is an emission nebula. I had been looking at Carina in an attempt to find all of the constellation. Charline was able to locate the η Carina nebula in her telescope and shared the sight with us. Almost looks like the Trifid Nebula. Apparently, this nebula is 4x the size and even brighter than the Orion Nebula. Within this nebula (we later discovered) is the Keyhole Nebula, located just to the right of η Carina. Following this viewing, I looked at the nebula with the binoculars. |
|
|
Southern Pleiades / IC 2602 / θ Carina Cluster (in Carina) After I saw what looked like an hour glass on the left and other stars to the right in my binoculars, Charline showed me the Southern Pleiades in her telescope. The binocular view wasn't as good as the scope's (obviously!). NOTE: θ Carina is the brightest star at mag 1.9. It also has the obscure name of "Vatharz Posterior" meaning "succeeding one of the waterline". This probably refers to the waterline alongside of what was once referred to as the Argo Navis. |
Jupiter (in Libra) The constellation Libra was easily located after noticing bright Jupiter also in the same portion of sky. Jupiter was located a little below the imaginary line from β to γ Libra.
|
Hydrus (Water Snake) I was looking to see if Achernar had gone below the horizon when I saw a couple of stars at an angle to each other above and to the left of the SMC. SkySafariPro identified the pair as 2 stars of Hydrus. |
Ursa Major |
|
Constellations: Corvus, Crux, Musca, Orion
Galaxies: Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Nebula: Coalsack
Clusters: Omega Centauri
Planet: Venus
Messier Object: M42 (Orion Nebula), M45 (Pleaides)
Located, not observed: M45 (Pleaides)
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile @ SPACE Lodge
Date: 2018-04-09
Time: 8:00 PM - 10:15 PM EST
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS + TeleVue 60 with 8 mm eyepiece
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 8º C - 4º C
Light wind, no clouds, no flies.
After supper, we had a private tour of Alain’s telescope field. Melody and Dave didn’t feel perfectly well but Jerry and I had altitude sickness meds and felt fine. Alain (Owner of the SPACE Lodge) introduced us to the Southern Hemisphere skies and provided our first viewing of some of the southern wonders overhead. I was amazed at the size of the Coalsack – about 7° x 5° in the sky! Dave also explained how to find the globular cluster Omega Centauri (aka NGC 5139) – the largest globular cluster in the Milky Way. Melody gave us a Southern Hemisphere Star Chart that Bruce had found online. Came in handy throughout the trip. I became chilled so headed back to our lodge to get warmer clothes but decided instead to just go to bed. Lights out at 10:30 PM.
Venus
Time: 8:09 PM EST
Venus Set: 8:35 PM EST
Instrument: Visual
Venus (in Aries) was observed every evening we stayed in the Atacama Desert. We saw it as it began its descent towards the horizon.
![]() |
Orion Time: 8:35 PM EST Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 14, 16, B Orion stars were located but the Hunter was lying on his side with his sword pointing upwards. Quite a different look from what we see "up north". M42 was still as bright as ever and easily identified. |
Coalsack Nebula |
![]() |
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) / PGC 17223 / Nubecular Major |
LMC: SMC:
|
PM45 (Pleiades) Located this open cluster visually. It was very bright using the binoculars; the stars and nebulosity were fairly clear in the FOV. I didn't sketch it this time but hope to in the near future. |
|
Crux / Southern Cross Stars of Crux: |
|
Omega Centauri / NGC 5139 (in Centaurus) |
How to Find Omega Centauri: |
Corvus Stars of Corvus: |
|
Musca ("the fly") |
Musca Stars: |
Galaxies: Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Cluster: Alpha Centauri
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (SPACE Lodge)
Date: 2018-04-08
Time: 9:45 PM - 11:45 PM EST
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Very warm with no breeze or clouds.
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) / PGC 17223 / Nubecula Major
Time: 9:45 PM - 11:45 PM EST
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 20, 30
We had just arrived in Atacama then went for dinner. Upon return to the Lodge, we opened our car doors to be greeted by the southern Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud. So much larger than envisioned! This was our first “OH, WOW!” It literally kept me planted beside the car for a few seconds as I attempted to take it all in. "Large" as a descriptor doesn't do the LMC justice. It was so much larger than the photos suggest.
The night sky was so expansive with no interference from trees, buildings, or clouds. So much to explore! It was so different from home. Low humidity meant we didn't have to use warmers for telescope lenses nor to protect any books or papers we were using. Virtually no wind at night but cold, nonetheless. Dave led us to discover the Alpha Centauri Globular cluster. Another "Oh, WOW!" moment.
Bedtime at 12:30 AM.
NOTE: The LMC and SMC were named after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan who brought this to European knowledge in 1519.
Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) / Nubecula Minor
Time: 9:45 PM - 11:45 PM EST
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 10
Having been WOWed by the LMC upon our arrival back at the lodge, the SMC was the second "Oh, WOW!" in a very short time span. One cannot help but be in awe of such galactic entities.
IWLOP #087 - Eratosthenes
This prominent crater id post-imbrium Era, but pre-Copernican and lends its name tot he Eratosthenian Era. It can be found at the southern tip of Montes Apenninus.
Location: 14.5 N 11.3 W Origin: Impact Size: 58 km. Rukl: 21, 32 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Eratosthenes, Sinus Aestuum
Others Identified: Mons Wolf, Montes Apenninus
Location: Home R1: Eratosthenes has a central peak and deeply terraced walls; more evidence of terracing on the east wall. |
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (83.4%)
Q-Day: -4
Moonset: 9:27 AM Moonrise: 9:22 PM
Sunrise: 7:32 AM Sunset: 5:26 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-02-03/04
Time: 8:00 PM - 12:10 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: -14º C to -11º C
Clear skies except for a few bands of cloud to the south and a few near the Moon. Seeing and visibility decreased since last evening.
The Moon over the past 2-3 nights travelled above Regulus in Leo to beside Zaniah in Virgo. Couldn't see the majority of stars in Virgo but could see what I thought was Heze (ζ Virginis), a double star. Because of the clouds, the Moon had a hazy glow around it. With the binoculars, I could barely make out the features.
Couldn't make out the double star in binoculars. Could not see Spica due to neighbour's house blocking the view from the horizon.
![]() |
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Full Moon (99.5%)
Q-Day: -5
Full Moon: 9:28 AM
Moonset: 8:19 AM Moonrise: 6:58 PM
Sunrise: 7:36 AM Sunset: 5:24 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2018-02-01
Time: 12:04 AM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: Poor (1)
Seeing: Poor (1)
The haze had filled in a bit more. The Moon's features were no longer discernible. Again, SKySafariPro was used to determine the Moon's location relative to Leo, Cancer and Hydrus. Woke up at 4 AM again (hopeful) but clouds had filled the sky.
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Full Moon (99.8%)
Q-Day: -6
Full Moon: 9:28 AM
Moonset: 7:36 AM Moonrise: 5:43 PM
Sunrise: 7:37 AM Sunset: 5:23 PM
Location: Kentville + Home
Date: 2018-01-31
Time: 7:38 PM – 10:06 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x42 IS
Transparency: Fair (2)
Seeing: Fair (2)
Kentville: Time: 7:36 PM Home: Easily viewed the Moon from our side deck. Used my binoculars to determine the orientation of the Moon. |
![]() |
Planets: Jupiter, Mars, Mercury
Location: Home
Date: 2018-01-03
Time: 6:40 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature was below 0º C with clear skies. the 3 planets were viewed from kitchen door window, easily seen visually.
Jupiter and Mars were seen in close proximity, with Mars adjacent to Zubenelgenubi in Libra.
Mercury was seen just above our neighbour's roofline towards the street side of their property. I briefly stood outside to view it. It was quite clear and easily identified.
![]() |
![]() |
Conjunction: Jupiter-Venus
Constellation: Puppis, Taurus, Virgo
Asterism: Winter Circle
Cluster: Hyades
Messier Objects: M42 (Orion Nebula), M43, M45 (Pleaides)
Location: Peggy's Cove, NS
Date: 2017-11-13
Time: 5:45 AM - 7:30 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + new Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: -1º C
Some cloud on the horizon that disappeared shortly after our arrival. Light wind. Our older granddaughter, Brianne, was interested in what we did and she arrived shortly after we did to enjoy an early morning view of the skies.
![]() |
![]() ©Jerry Black. Nikon D600, ISO 250, 6.0 sec @ f/4.5 |
Conjunction: Jupiter-Venus (in Virgo) Planets came up and peeked through the clouds before rising above them. Venus was very bright in comparison. For some reason, I could not find Mars near the star Porrima ("above" Spica in the morning skies).
|
![]() ©Jerry Black. Coolpix P900, ISO 800, 0.8 sec @ f/3.5 |
Winter Circle M42 & M43 |
![]() |
Puppis
Time: 6:30 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x30 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 26, 27, 28, 29
This constellation is normally seen in the Southern Hemisphere, and represents the stern of a ship. It was part of a larger constellation "Argos Navis" before it was divided into Puppis (the poop deck), Carina (the keel) and Vela (the sails). I saw a triangle below Sirius that was not much above the horizon. This unknown triangle piqued my curiosity. Had to use SkySafariPro to help establish the identify of the three stars. Surprised, or what!
Taurus & the Hyades
Time: 6:30 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 14, 15, A
Aldebaran was still bright in the morning sky so showed Brianne some of the stars in the constellation but focused on the Hyades open cluster, using my new 10x41 IS binoculars. What a difference from the 10x30 IS!!
M45 (Pleaides)
Time: 6:30 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 14, 15, A
After pointing g out Aldebaran and the Hyades to Brianne, I showed her the Pleaides. We could very easily see this cluster. She had seen it before but hadn't known what it was.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (60.2%)
Q-Day: +1
Moonset: 12:12 AM Moonrise: 2:59 PM
Sunrise: 7:48 AM Sunset: 6:09 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-10-28
Time: 8:10 PM
Equipment: 8” Meade LX200, 30 mm eyepiece with 0.7 image reducer
Magnification: x47
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
No wind. Clear skies. I also took the opportunity to show Jerry the Minor Planet (7) Iris (refer to General Session - October 28, 2017).
Lunar Fault: Rupes Recta
Maria: Crisium, Nubium
Craters: Alpetragius, Alphonsus, Arzachel, Clavius, Ptolemaeus, Tycho
Some time was spent in observing Clavius as part of IWLOP #92 - Clavius.
Found Craters not on the list: Ball (sketched), Deslandres, Hell (sketched), Lassell, Nicollet (sketched), Pitatus, Porter, Purbach, Rutherfurd, Thebit (sketched), Thebit A (sketched), Wolf
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
Minor Planet: (7) Iris
Clusters: Melotte 20 (α Perseii Cluster, Collinder 39), Hyades
Messier Objects: M45 (Pleaides)
Location: Home
Date: 2017-10-28
Time: 7:45 PM & 10:00 PM AST
Equipment: Binoculars, 10x30 IS & 15x70
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 10º C
No wind. Clear skies. Waxing Crescent Moon. Jerry and I were in the backyard observing; the primary reason for this session for me was to observe the Moon with my telescope - Explore the Moon (Telescope) - October 28, 2017. I was also able to complete IWLOP 092 - Clavius.
(7) Iris
Time: 7:58 PM & 9:40 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
Having found (7) Iris the night before (thanks to Dave Chapman), I was able to show Jerry where to find it. Aries was high above our house so was able to show him how to locate the minor planet using κ Aries. The relative distances cited last night were no longer true; it appeared that the distance between κ and (7) Iris had increased.
Melotte 20 (α Perseii Cluster, Collinder 39)
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 2, 1
Perseus was above the house across the street. The star Mirfak was easily identified but required binoculars to see the stars of the open cluster due to light pollution from the street lights.
Taurus & the Hyades
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 14, 15, A
Used my binoculars to look at Aldebaran. Also attempted to see the double star at σ Tau and the triple at δ Tau - no success. However, the Hyades open cluster was glorious!
M45 (Pleaides)
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 14, 15, A
First viewed the Pleaides visually that were easily found after seeing the Hyades. The used the binoculars to look closer at the "7 Sisters".
IWLOP #092 - Clavius
Exceptionally large crater seen at its best near the time of First Quarter and Last Quarter Moon. It is also visible in binoculars. Used some of the viewing time this evening for Explore the Moon (Telescope).
Location: 58.4 S 14.4 W Origin: Impact Size: 225 km Rukl: 72, 73 Type: Complex Crater (CC)
Objects: Clavius, Rutherford, Porter, Clavius C, D, J, N (on crater floor), Clavius K, L, M (on/near the rim)
Location: Home
Date: 2017-10-28
Time: 8:10 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 40 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x63
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
No wind. 10° C.
Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous (59.7% illuminated)
Moonrise: 3:05 PM ADT, Sunset: 6:16 PM ADT
Moonset: 1:15 AM ADT (Oct 29)
R1: Located Clavius next to Blancanus on the terminator.
R2: Noted 4 craters in a unique half-circle of progressively smaller craters. Craters D, C, N and J on the crater floor began at Rutherford and ended near crater L.
C1: Found the overlapping crater Porter in the NE and the overlapping crater Rutherford in the SE. Craters C, D, J, N were identified on the crater floor; craters K, L, M were on or near the rim.
NOTE: On June 19, 2021, we had our Grandson for an overnight. I had the 10" Meade SCT set up and we looked at the Moon with a 9.7 mm eyepiece (x258 magnification). What was really cool was that he was looking at the mares shown on the S&T Field Map of the Moon and was trying to locate them naked eye. One thing I showed him was Clavius that was on the terminator. We could see a black floor, one exterior wall that was very well lit, and the top rims of two craters (perhaps C & D) looked like a pair of eyes peering out into the darkness.
Minor Planet: (7) Iris
Location: Home of Jeff Donaldson, Enfield, NS
Date: 2017-10-27
Time: 9:13 PM AST
Equipment: Binoculars, 10x30 IS & 15x70
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 6º C
No wind. Clear skies. First Quarter Moon. Jeff Donaldson had a neighbourhood outreach session and a few of the RASC Halifax Centre members were there with binoculars and telescopes to assist.
Dave Chapman showed Gillian and I how to locate Minor Planet (7) Iris in the constellation Aries. We had to put Hamal, Sheraton and Mesartim in our FOV, then focus on Hamal to find κ, then continue along that line to (7) Iris. It was almost equidistant, i.e., the distance between α and κ was equal to that of κ to (7) Iris. Very exciting! Thanks, Dave!
Constellations: Aquilla, Cygnus, Perseus
Asterisms: Teapot
Clusters: α Persii Cluster, Hyades / Melotte 25
Stars: ο1 Cygni (all 3 components!)
Planet: Saturn
Messier Objects: M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M20, M45 (Pleiades)
Identified, Not Observed: Cassiopeia, Summer Triangle, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Location: Sky Circle, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2017-09-25/26
Time: 8:30 PM - 1:30 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 24º C - 14º C
Clear skies, no clouds. Little if any breeze. Some humidity but good seeing and transparency.
Aquila
Time: 9:05 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 64, 65, 66
Instrument: Visual
Located Altair then was able to identify all the remaining bright stars in the constellation.
Saturn Time: 9:30 PM ADT Instrument: Visual + Binoculars Located the planet naked eye as it was quite bright in the south sky. It was in Ophiuchus between 45 Phi and Sabik. The best way to explain where it was located was to draw an imaginary line from Alnasi (the spout of the Teapot) to Sabik; Saturn was located just below that line a little less than half the distance from Sabik. |
![]() |
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) Time: 10:16 PM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 67, 69, I Instrument: Visual + Binoculars The Milky Way was a bit soft during the part of the evening as well - haze/ humidity? The Teapot was partially set behind the tree line but I could make out Kaus Borealis and Nunki. Using Kaus Borealis, I went westerly along the tree line and found the Lagoon Nebula. The line of 5 bright stars with the surrounding oval-shaped nebulosity was easily identified. |
M20 (Trifid Nebula) |
Perseus + α Perseii Cluster Time: 11:05 PM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 2, 13 Instrument: Visual + Binoculars Again, Perseus rose high in the sky above the tree line. I focused my attention on Mirfak and the α Perseii Cluster. Tried to determine if there was a difference in Algol's brightness from the night before. |
M45 (Pleiades) Time: 11:20 PM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 14, 15, A Instrument: Visual + Binoculars As Taurus rose higher, M45 became visible as well. Always a joy to see this bright jewel. Initially viewed visually, then with binoculars where the star field filled the FOV. |
Cygnus + Omicron (ο) Cygni Time: 11:50 PM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 62, 73, H Instrument: Binoculars Jerry and Dave assisted in finding it by explaining where it should be located. No trouble finding ο2 and ο1, the latter with 2 stars. My challenge was finding the third star. After 20 minutes or so on my back on the bench in the Sky Circle just staring at this part of the sky - SUCCESS! Finally saw all 3 stars of ο1 in Cygnus! My frustrations are at an end! Should attempt to find it again with my 15x70 binoculars and perhaps the telescope at home. |
![]() |
Hyades / Melotte 25
Time: 1:05 AM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 15
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
Noticed the open cluster below/near the Pleaides. Used the binoculars to look at the cluster, Aldebaran and briefly at the other stars in Taurus. Numerous stars were located around the "V" formation of Taurus. It was a very open cluster.
Constellations: Auriga, Canis Minor, Leo, Orion, Taurus
Asterisms: Teapot, Winter Circle, Winter Triangle
Clusters: Hyades / Melotte 25, NGC 1981
Stars: Aldebaran, Castor, Pollux, Sirius
Planet: Venus
Zodiacal Light
Located, Not Observed: Capella, M42/Orion Nebula/NGC 1976, M43/NGC 1982, NGC 1981
Location: Slapfoot Beach (morning) + Sky Circle (evening), Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2017-09-25
Sunrise: 7:11 AM ADT
Time: 5:05 AM - 5:45 AM ADT + 9:15 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Very clear skies over the eastern horizon. Cool breeze. Clouds appeared later. I had forgotten my binoculars back at the campsite so this morning was a naked eye only session.
Zodiacal Light Sirius (in Canis Major) |
![]() ©Jerry Black. Nikon D800, ISO 4000, 30.0 sec @ f/2.8 |
Orion, M42 (Orion Nebula/NGC 1976) + NGC 1981 + M43 (NGC 1982) Time: 5:25 AM ADTInstrument: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Reference: 14, 16, B This observations was in concert with observing the Winter Circcle and the Zodiacal Light. Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Rigel, and Saiph. Also made out the upper 2 stars in the belt and their fuzziness/nebulosity. Upon closer examination of the sword, I could identify NGC 1981 (just above M42), M42, & M43. M42 and M443 were seen as a single unit a little bigger than NGC 1981 above it. No single stars were evidenced at this sighting. |
|
Winter Circle + Winter Triangle To my surprise, the first thing seen in the early morning was the Winter Circle. Capella and Aldebaran were the highest stars of the Circle. Orion's stars in the belt and sword were so easily seen naked eye. Some of Auriga was also seen. My second surprise was Procyon and Gomeisha were easily seen - the one constellation that to this date had escaped me seeing both stars. Sirius, Pollux and Castor were also identified. NOTE: The stars Procyon, Betelgeuse and Sirius comprise the Winter Triangle. At the later time, the Hyades/Melotte 25 was seen naked eye. |
![]() |
Canis Minor Time: 5:23 AM ADT Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 25 Procyon was located as one of the primary stars in the Winter Circle. I then saw Gomeisa (β). Because of the tilt of the Circle at this time of year, Gomeisa was almost directly above Procyon and as easily seen naked yet. Finally saw Gomeisa! |
![]() |
Castor & Pollux (in Gemini) Time: 5:23 AM ADT Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 23, 25 Winter circle was very high in the sky so Castor and Pollux were very easily found. Didn't look for the other stars in this constellation. |
|
Auriga Time: 5:30 AM ADT Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 12 Recognized Capella first as part of the Winter Circle and Winter Triangle high in the sky. Then noticed the characteristic pentagon of the constellation. DIdn't see nor search for δ Auriga. |
Leo Time: 5:30 AM ADT Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 25 Very readily identified the backwards question mark just above the tree horizon - Regulus, η, Algieba (γ), Adhafera and Rasalas. Didn't search for κ or λ. Leo's hind end (Denebola) was below the treeline but Zooms and Chertan were just peeking above the trees. I looked for but could not find ι or σ. |
Taurus & Hyades/Melotte 25 |
Venus Meteor |
Teapot (in Sagittarius)
Time: 9:15 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 66, 67, 68, 69, I
The Teapot was seen above the trees of the Sky Circle. All 8 stars were located.
Constellations: Capricornus, Cygnus, Lyra, Perseus, Triangulum
Clusters: NGC 869/884, α Persii Cluster
Stars: 16 Cygni, Algol, Mirfak
Planet: Neptune
Messier Objects: M13 (Hercules Cluster), M33 (Pinwheel Galaxy), M45 (Pleiades)
Located, Not Observed: Aquila, Cassiopeia, Scorpius, Summer Triangle, Taurus, Teapot, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Location: Sky Circle, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2017-09-24/25
Time: 8:00 PM - 12:30 AM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS) + Kejimkujik's telescope
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 16º C - 14º C
Clear skies, no clouds. Little if any breeze. Some humidity but good seeing and transparency.
Lyra
Time: 8:37 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 63
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Identified Vega visually then used binoculars to view ε1, ε2, δ1 and δ2. Sheliak (β), ζ and γ were found naked eye.
NGC 869/884
Time: 8:48 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 1, 2, 13
Instrument: Binoculars (10x30 IS)
I drew an imaginary line between Navi and Ruchbah in Cassiopeia then continued along that line a little over once that distance to find this double cluster. Both appeared as grey fuzzies with a few bright stars in their centres.
![]() |
Cygnus Time: 10:30 PM - 10:38 PM ADT S&T Chart Reference: 62, 73, H Instrument: Kejimkujik's telescope I tried to locate 16 Cygni with binoculars but was unsuccessful. Chris Young used the Park's telescope to locate this double star and we discovered two in the same FOV - 16 Cygni and θ Cygni. The latter pair were located at 6:30 o'clock to 16 Cygni and were much fainter. |
|
Triangulum M33 / Pinwheel Galaxy |
M13 (Hercules Cluster)
Time: 10:50 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 52, 54
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Gillian Webster requested assistance to find M13. I first showed her on a star chart where the Keystone was located relative tot he head of Draco which she knew. Using binoculars, we located M13.
Capricornus
Time: 10:55 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 66, 68, 77
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Gillian asked for assistance in locating "Orion's Underpants", aka Capricornus. She easily saw it after I described it as a clown smile. I pointed out Algeidi (α), Dabih (β) and noted they were both double stars. Using binoculars, we were both able to see the double stars in each.
Neptune Time: 11:05 PM ADT Instrument: Binoculars (10x30 IS) Saw Fomalhaut in Pisces Austrinus and heard someone saw Neptune was in Aquarius (just above where I was looking). Looked for the planet and found it near Hydor. Bright blue, very clear limb borders compared to the neighbouring stars. |
![]() |
M45 (Pleiades)
Time: 11:10 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 14, 15, A
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
As Taurus rose higher in the sky, M45 became visible as well. Always a joy to see this bright jewel, initially naked eye and then have the star field fill my binocular FOV. Glorious!
Perseus + α Persii Cluster
Time: 11:20 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 2, 13
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Perseus rose high above the tree line and was very easily seen naked eye. All stars, including those in his 'arms' had previously eluded me but were now easily seen. Amazing to see! Using my binoculars, I looked more closely at Mirfak and its surrounding α Persii Cluster and at Algol. I had hoped to begin to track Algol's variability, especially now that it was at a minimum.
Moon: Waxing Crescent (14.2%)
Asterism: Teapot
Identified, not Observed: Capricornus, M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M20 (Trifid Nebula), Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
![]() ©Judy Black. iPhone 6s Plus, ISO 25, 1/1000 sec @f/2.2 |
|
![]() ©Jerry Black.Nikon D800, ISO 4000, 8.0 sec @f/2.8 |
Location: Peter Point Trail, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2017-09-23
Time: 7:00 PM - 10:05 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Clear skies overhead with a light breeze.
Moon
Time: 7:17 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Some high sirius clouds covered the Moon occasionally but I still had a great view of the Waxing Crescent above Kejimkujik Lake as the sun was setting.
Teapot (in Sagittarius)
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Visual
The Teapot was well above the horizon and at about a 23º tilt.
While working on this telescope version, I am also observing and drawing for the RASC IWLOP. At this point in the lunar cycle, I am observing items seen before, but I am now looking at them in a new light. Also took some time to look at Mars and Saturn.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (60.0%)
Q-day: +1
Moonrise: 3:12 PM
Sunrise: 6:56 AM Sunset: 7:22 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-09-17
Time: 7:20 PM – 10:30 PM
Equipment 1: 6” Dobsonian with 10 mm & 25 mm eyepieces
Magnification: x120 & x48
Equipment 2: 10” Meade SCT with 10 mm eyepiece and x2 Barlow
Magnification: x530
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 24° C @ 8:14 PM; 16° C @ 10 PM
SQM: 17.58 @ 8:14 PM; 19.11 @ 10 PM
No clouds and only a very light breeze that gained a bit of speed before the evening concluded. Had 2 telescopes for use: 6” Dobsonian and 10” Meade SCT.
Around 9:15 PM or so, I used the 10” Meade SCT with the x2 Barlow. Thankfully this telescope tracked after I used the handheld device to find craters that looked interesting. Wondered whether Nonius was created by an oblique hit versus a direct hit. I found a “row” comprising Arzachel, Alphonsus, Ptolemaeus and Herschel. What a neat grouping. Because I turned the star diagonal to the other side of the scope, it made my image not only mirror-reversed but also upside-down – go figure! Also found a new crater – Spörer. |
![]() |
![]() |
In Arzachel, there was a well-lit, off-centre peak and two bands of low mountains. Also saw Rimae Arzachel. Alphonsus had a ridge going SE to NW that showed a little bit of shadow. The west side of Ptolemaeus looked craggy, perhaps ridged. A high peak in the east (adjacent to Ammonius) was clearly visible. Herschel had a conical shadow towards the NE and looked ridged down/up from that shadow. |
Sinus: Lunicus
Mountains & Related Formations: Mons Blanc, Montes Alpes, Promontorium Agassiz, Promontorium Deville, Rimae Arzachel, Vallis Alpes
![]() |
![]() |
Craters: Alphonsus, Arzachel, Cassini, Herschel, Ptolemaeus
Craters not in the ETU Telescope Version: Alpetragius, Aristillus (+ Aristillus A, B, C, D), Arzachel A, Calippus, Regiomontanus, Spörer, Theaetetus, Thebit, Thebit A. Walter and Nonius were viewed with the Dobsonian at x120 magnification.
Moon: Waning Gibbous (58.4%)
Aurora Borealis
Occultation: Moon-Aldebaran
Constellations: Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Draco, Scorpius
Asterism: Teapot
Stars: Aldebaran, Omicron Cygni
Messier: M11
Satellites: (2)
Location: Site 15, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2017-09-12
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM + 8:10 PM - 10:50 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 16º C - 10º C
This was the second day and night hubby and I were with Dave and Christine in the back country at our first Big Muise Island Star Party. The day was beautifully clear and warm, another great day to lay in the hammock and peruse the Observer's Handbook chapters I hadn't read yet. In the evening, there were clear skies overhead with a light breeze - and our first sighting of the Northern Lights from Kejimkujik National Park.
Occultation: Moon and Aldebaran (in Taurus)
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Instrument: Visual
The sketch and photo of the occultation is recorded in Lunar Session - September 12, 2017.
Aurora Borealis
Time: 8:10 PM
Instrument: Visual
Dave noticed an unusual brightness on the N-NE horizon that we thought perhaps was light pollution. However, when the brightness changed depth and shape, Jerry took a time lapse and confirmed it was indeed an aurora due to a solar flare.
Teapot + Scorpius
Time: 8:20 PM
Instrument: Visual
As we sat on the beach just past sunset, we watched as the stars of the Teapot in Sagittarius and those of Scorpius became visible in the south sky and provided guidance as to where the Milky Way would appear. Both were well above the horizon at this time of night. All 5 stars of the Teapot were easily located and identified. Antares showed as red in the sky and 3 stars in the scorpion's arc to its west were also visible.
Satellite (LAGE052) Time: 9:28 PM ADT Instrument: Binoculars Was looking for Corona Borealis ν1 and ν2 when a satellite came into my FOV near M13. Followed it through Ophiuchus and lost it in Sagittarius. |
Satellite (ORBCOMM FMI[+]) Time: 9:50 PM ADT Instrument: Binoculars Looking for the Coathanger when it came into my view near Altair and travelled down Aquila to λ Aquila where it disappeared. |
Delphinus
Time: 9:56 PM ADT
Instrument: Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 64
All 5 stars in the constellations were seen with binoculars.
M11 (Wild Duck Cluster)
Time: 10:02 PM ADT
Instrument: Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 67
Looked for the semi-circle of stars on the eastern border of the Milky Way above the Teapot. Used my binocular to easily find this small very bright cluster.
Corona Borealis - ν1 & ν2 |
![]() |
Draco |
![]() |
Cygnus & Omicron (ο) Cygnus With his assistance, I did confirm I could see ο2, ο1-A, ο1-D but ο1-C escaped me. Dave then showed it to me in his telescope. There was ο1-C at 2 o'clock to ο1-A. Very happy at finding it! Attempted to find 16 Cygnus but with such a rich star field and my dry eyes watering, I left it for another night. |
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (58.1%)
Q-Day: -1
Moonset: 1:51 PM Moonrise: 11:50 PM
Sunrise: 6:57 AM Sunset: 7:37 PM
![]() |
Location: Site 15, Kejimkujik National Park We were camping at Site 15 on Big Muise Island with our friends the Chapmans. Dave had his telescope set up and watched as the Moon occulted Aldebaran; viewed it naked eye. Dave did share the view with his telescope when Aldebaran reappeared. Not sure who took the photo of Aldebaran's reappearance. |
![]() Nikon D600, ISO 6400, 30.0 sec@ f/3.5 |
Constellations: Capricornus, Delphinus, Draco, Pisces Austrinus, Sagitta |
Location: Site 15, Kejimkujik National Park (1st Annual Big Muise Island Star Party)
Date: 2017-09-11
Time: 8:30 PM - 11:35 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 10º C
This was the first time Jerry and I were camping with Dave and Christine in the back country. It was such a success, we are continuing this as an annual event - the Big Muise Island Star Party. By special invitation only. :)
On this evening, there were clear skies overhead with a cool wind. The horizon to the East was hazy negating being able to see any stars above the far shore and tree line.
Satellite Satellite |
Delphinus Sagitta |
Capricornus Time: 10:00 PM ADT Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS) S&T Chart Reference: 66, 68, 77 Could easily identify the main stars in this constellation. |
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Time: 10:15 PM ADT Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS) S&T Chart Reference: 66, 68, 77 All 10 stars easily identified. |
Pisces Austrinus Time: 10:30 PM ADT Instrument: Visual S&T CHart reference: 76, 77, 78, 79 Located Fomalhaut but due to the haze could not identify the other stars in the constellation. |
Neptune (in Pisces Austrinus) Time: 10:30 PM ADT Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS) S&T CHart reference: 76, 77, 78, 79 Located Fomalhaut then noticed Neptune at about 11 o'clock from Fomalhaut. Small blue dot, no variance or evidence of twinkling. |
Draco Time: 11:10 PM ADT Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS) S&T Chart Reference: 41, 42, 51, 52, 61 Easily found Kuma (ν) in Draco's head. Had the double stars (ν1 and ν2) been in the centre of the Dragon's head, they could have served as the Dragon's eyes. |
![]() |
Observation 1: Sunspots Location: Home Clear skies with occasional clouds, light wind. Three areas of activity were seen. 1- Near the equator had what appeared to be two spots - one circular and the other oblong with a slight curve. NOTE: A photo in spaceweeather.com showed AR2677 and AR 2678. Not sure which of these two was seen. |
![]() |
Observation 2:
Constellations: Boötes
Planet: Uranus
Stars: Alkalurops (μ1 & μ2), HD135631, HR5673
Messier Objects: M23 (NGC 6494), M45 (Pleiades)
Moon: Waning Gibbous (92.1%)
Located, Not Observed: M8, M20, M21
Location: Wharf Road in East Noel, NS
Date: 2017-09-08
Time: 9:40 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS)
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 16º C - 14º C
Very light breeze. Clear skies. Light pollution in the low horizon across the bay. The Moon also washed out some of the stars. There were clouds travelling over the Moon that did provide some "darkness" and allowed for viewing.
Uranus Time: not recorded Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS) Noticed a bright spot at about 10 o'clock to the Moon and a good distance away from it. Binoculars showed a blue, non-blinking object. SkySafariPro confirmed it was Uranus in Pisces. |
![]() |
M23 / NGC 6494 For details, refer to Messier Catalogue - M023 (NGC 6494) - September 8, 2017 |
![]() |
Boötes Boötes was in the opposite side of the sky from the Moon. I found Arcturus then located δ Boötes and Neckar (β). Thought I visually could see the bright location of the double, but turned out it was actually HD135631 and HR5673 very close together in a vertical line. I then adjusted where I should be looking - a little further away from the imaginary line between α and β and closer to the δ end of the line. Success! |
![]() |
M45 (Pleiades) Even though the Moon was quite bright, the main stars could still be seen - Asterope, Sterope, Tyageta, Electra, Maia, Merope, Alcyone, Pleione and Atlas. The star field and nebulosity behind and around them was not visible with the binoculars. |
Location: Wharf Road, East Noel, NS
Date: 2017-09-08
Time: 9:46 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 67
Instrument: 10x30 IS binoculars
Magnification: x10
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
I was determined to find this cluster this evening.
Looking at the star clouds, it appeared to be twice as far from the Teapot's spout as were M20 and M21. I located them easily then continued to what I thought was M23. I drew the sketch of what I saw then confirmed in a resource that the drawn star pattern was indeed M23. Success! It looked like there were thousands of stars in the open cluster to give it a hazy appearance behind the brighter stars.
![]() |
Constellation: Sagittarius Type: Open Cluster Magnitude: 5.5 Distance: 2.15 kly Size: 27' |
Asteroid: (2166) Florence
(2166) Florence is a 10.1 magnitude, 2.7-mile wide asteroid that orbits Earth every 2 - 4 years on average. Its distance is 1.8 AU and orbits between Earth and Mars. It is named in honor of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), the founder of modern nursing. This 2017 encounter is the closest by this asteroid since 1890 and the closest it will ever be until after 2500.
Location: Home
Date: 2017-09-02/08
Time: various times each evening
Equipment: Binoculars, 10x30 IS + Meade 200XL with Canon D800
S&T Chart Reference: 62
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
From September 3 to September 8, I followed the asteroid as it passed through the skies above our home. The asteroid passed through several constellations - Delphinus, Vulpecula, Cygnus and Cepheus - in its trek past our planet. It was interesting to see the "speed" at which it travelled day to day let alone on any given evening. Fascinating. It first caught my attention as it was approaching Cygnus.
September 4-5, 2017
Time: 9:00 PM - 12:40 AM
High haze, 17º C, no wind. Used binoculars to try to find the asteroid. I found Cygnus 39 and Cygnus 41 but couldn't see the asteroid. Jerry then set up the telescope and camera and took a series of photos. It was then that after viewing the photos and comparing to star charts that the location of the asteroids was found. I then followed it through the star field for several hours and sketched its path.
![]() |
![]() Jumbo Edition (2015) |
![]() |
Sunspots
Location: Home
Date: 2017-09-02
Time: 6:15 PM - 7:45 PM ADT
Instrument: Binoculars, 10x30 IS with ND5 filters + 8" Meade LX200 with solar filter & 15 mm, 25 mm, 40 mm eyepieces
Temperature: 12º C
Partly cloudy becoming clear. Light breeze.
Observation 1: There were 9 separate areas of activity, from very large to very small. (A) in upper left quadrant: One small black area with 2 even smaller areas adjacent to it. (B) in lower right quadrant almost on the centre line: 6 areas varying in size. The largest had a large perimeter of activity with 4-5 large areas that were black in appearance. The lowest sunspot and the one immediately below the large one were similar in structure whereas the other 3 had no visible perimeter around the area of activity. The limb definition was variable, indicating the heat radiation from the surface. |
![]() |
Observation 2: Saw 4 spots in the upper left quadrant. The smaller ones seen in the telescope couldn't be found in binoculars. The one spot in the lower right quadrant didn't show the very tiny 2 areas of activity as seen in the telescope. |
![]() |
Observation 3: Using the 25 mm eyepiece, caught 7 areas of activity in the FOV. Three of these areas had a grey area in which there was 1 to 5 dark spots of activity. The largest was located just off centre and contained 4 areas of activity varying in size. The 15 mm eyepiece more clearly showed there were 4 areas of activity; however, some of those areas could have been a combined large and small area. |
![]() |
Constellations: Scorpius
Planet: Saturn
Moon (Waxing Gibbous, 74.5%)
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-31
Time: 9:35 PM EDT
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 23º C
Cloudless, no breeze.
Antares, δ, ν and Graffias in Scorpius were easily seen above the tree line in the SW; the remainder of the constellation was below it. NOTE:
|
|
Although this evening included the Lunar Session - August 28, 2017 it was primarily a general observing session. The Moon was at Q-Day -1 and set at 10:38 PM.
![]() iPhone 6s Plus. ISO 1000, 1/4 sec @f/2.2 |
Constellations: Auriga, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cygnus, Delphinus, Ophiuchus, Perseus, Pisces Austrinus, Sagitta, Taurus, Triangulum, Ursa Major |
Location: Blue Hill Overlook, Acadia National Park, Maine
Date: 2017-08-28
Time: 6:50 PM - 11:55 PM EDT
Instruments: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS + 15x70)
Transparency: Good (3) - Very Good (4)
Seeing: Good (3) - Very Good (4)Temperature: 24º C - 14º C
Cloudless, light breeze. We were parked at the side of the road overlooking a long, expansive downhill to the ocean below. Such an amazing view! Even with the peak of Cadillac Mountain behind us, we still had about a 270º view of the night sky. The reflection of the Moon on the ocean was quite memorable.
![]() |
Sunspot |
Summer Triangle / DAVe |
Jupiter
|
![]() ![]() |
Saturn |
Cassiopeia Ursa Major |
Square of Pegasus Satellite |
Teapot (in Sagittarius) M8 (Lagoon Nebula) |
NGC 869 / 884 (Double Cluster) M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) |
Perseus & M34 (α Persei Cluster / Mellotte 20) 8:54 PM: Initially came across this messier object quite by accident when I was using my binoculars to scan the skies between Perseus and Andromeda. I came across a roundish fuzzy object that almost better seen with averted vision. |
|
Capricornus Satellite |
Meteor Cepheus
|
Delphinus Sagitta Triangulum |
Auriga Kemble's Cascade |
M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Cygnus |
Meteor Ophiuchus
|
M45 (Pleaides) Taurus & the Hyades Star Cluster This was my first attempt at identifying other stars in Taurus besides Aldebaran. |
|
Pisces Austrinus
Time: 11:48 PM EDT
S&T Chart Reference: 76, 77, 78, 79
Instrument: Visual
Surprised to see this constellation relatively high above the horizon (compared to home) and adjacent to Capricornus. Could identify all 9 stars visually. Talk about exciting! With the Moon having set earlier it was so easy to see this constellation above the ocean's horizon. Saw Fomaulhaut (α) first then identified the other stars visually (using SkySafariPro as an assist). Didn't use binoculars to see the double stars of γ and μ (if in fact they could be seen).
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing. Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (46.4%) Moonrise: 1:55 PM Location: Acadia National Park, Maine |
At 10:28 PM, the Moon was about 15º above the horizon and started to turn a yellowish colour. Watched its reflection in the ocean for the past hour - breathtakingly beautiful! Also used the binoculars to identify some of the lunar features.
At 10:44 PM, it was almost orange in colour and about 5º above the horizon. We lost our shadows on the mountain side. We watched as the Moon set (visually).
Mare: Crisium, Fecunditatis, Nectaris, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis
Craters: Aristoteles, Eudoxus, Plinius; Cyrillus and Theophilus near Nectaris. Gang of 4 all white.
Mountains: Caucasus and several crater-like structures along the north shore of Serenitatis. Haemus in the SW; only that portion separated the two mares.
This session was devoted to general observing but did include a brief look at the Moon.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (36.9%)
Q-Day: -2
Moonrise: 12:56 PM Moonset: 11:36 PM
Sunrise: 6:50 AM Sunset: 8:17 PM
Location: Acadia National Park, Maine
Date: 2017-08-27
Time: 7:45 PM
Equipment: Visual
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Didn't use binoculars to identify any features. Noted it was above the tree line above the rocky beach shore.
Although this evening included the Lunar Session - August 27, 2017 its was primarily a general observing session.
Constellations: Cassiopeia, Ursa Major
Asterism: Summer Triangle / DAVe
Meteor: (1)
Location: Amphitheatre of Acadia National Park, Maine
Date: 2017-08-27
Time: 7:45 PM - 9:30 PM EDT
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: Fair-Good (2-3)
Seeing: Fair-Good (2-3)
No clouds, no wind.
Summer Triangle /DAVe
Time: 7:55 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual
Located Deneb, Altair and Vega but didn't attempt to locate other stars in their constellations.
Ursa Major
Time: 8:15 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual
Located all 7 stars in the constellation.
Meteor
Time: 8:38 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual
Seen to the east and below Dubhe in Ursa Major, heading towards Leo and Leo Minor.
Cassiopeia
Time: 9:15 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual
Located all 7 stars in the constellation.
Constellations: Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Corona Borealis, Delphinus, Sagitta, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Asterism: Keystone of Hercules, Teapot
Satellite: (1)
Messier Objects: M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M11 (Wild Duck Cluster), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M20 (Trifid), M22, M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)
Location: Crawford Notch Campground on the Saco, White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
Date: 2017-08-26
Time: 9:15 PM - 10:45 PM EDT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS + 15x70)
Transparency: Fair (2) - Poor (1)
Seeing: Fair (2) - Poor (1)
Temperature: 16º C - 14º C
Similar sky conditions as the night before at this site. It started out partly cloudy in the N and NW but cleared up.
Capricornus |
Cassiopeia |
Satellite Ursa Major Ursa Minor |
Keystone of Hercules Corona Borealis M13 (Hercules Cluster) |
Teapot |
|
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) M20 (Trifid Nebula) |
M22 (Globular Cluster) M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) |
Sagitta & Delphinus Not too far away, the 5 stars of Delphinus could easily be seen visually and they appeared brighter than the evening before. A slight twinkling was noted. |
M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) |
Constellations: Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Delphinus, Lyra, Ursa Major
Asterism: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster, Keystone of Hercules, Square of Pegasus, Teapot
Satellite: (1)
Messier Objects: M8, M13, M20, M21, M31
Location: Crawford Notch Campground on the Saco, White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
Date: 2017-08-25
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:30 PM EDT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Transparency: Fair (2) - Poor (1)
Seeing: Fair (2) - Poor (1)
Temperature: 16º C - 14º C
No wind and light clouds occasionally. High humidity and light pollution to the E-SE. We did our viewing from the rocky beach of the shallow, cold water river. There was a steep cliff directly across from us that cut off our view to the East.
Teapot (in Sagittarius) |
![]() |
Delphinus Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 64 The 5 stars of Delphinus could be easily seen but they were not as bright the evening before. Showed it to Steve (a photographer on the beach). |
Lyra |
|
Keystone of Hercules (in Hercules) Satellite |
Cassiopeia Time: 9:48 PM EDT S&T Chart Reference: 1, 3, 72 Instrument: Visual + Binoculars Could identify all 5 stars of the constellation due to their magnitude. Surrounding stars not easily seen naked eye but could be seen with binoculars. |
Ursa Major |
Capricornus Time: 9:55 PM EDT S&T Chart Reference: 66, 68, 77 Instrument: Visual + Binoculars Saw 2 stars in vertical alignment and used my binoculars to confirm it was Capricornus α and β. Could not easily see the other stars in this constellation due to the light pollution. |
Square of Pegasus (in Pegasus)
Time: 10:00 PM EDT
S&T Chart Reference: 74, 75
Instrument: Visual
Just before leaving the beach, 3 of the 4 stars in the Square (Scheat, Algenib and Alpheratz) were visible above the cliffs across the river from us.
Coathanger /Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster
Time: 10:25 PM EDT
S&T Chart Reference: 65
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
Could not locate Albireo earlier in this session so decided to use Altair as the start point. Success! All 10 stars easily found with the binoculars. Showed this to Steve as well.
Messier Objects
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 67, 69, I Instrument: Visual + Binoculars The hazy skies and the tree line it made for difficult to find the spout of the Teapot; however, knowing where the lid was located, I was able to find the nebula. The line of stars plus the grey fuzzy area around and mostly above the line were easily seen in the binoculars. |
M13 (Hercules Cluster)
|
M31 (open cluster)
|
M20 (Trifid Nebula) |
M21 (open cluster)
|
Constellations: Boötes, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Corona Borealis, Delphinus, Lyra, Ursa Major
Asterism: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster, Keystone of Hercules, Summer Triangle / DAVe, Teapot
Stars: Alcor-Mizar, Polaris
Messier Objects: M6, M13, M22, M31, M72
Meteors: (2)
Satellite: (1)
Location: Hapgood Pond, Green National Forest, Vermont
Date: 2017-08-24
Time: 9:10 PM - 10:40 PM EDT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 16º C - 14º C
No wind or clouds. There was a wide open field not far from our campsite with a huge view of the sky. What clarity of viewing! The only down side to this campground was the trailer in the adjacent campsite that ran its generator all night.
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 65 I used Altair in Cygnus to locate the 10 stars of this upside-down coat hanger, a dear friend in the night skies. It feels like coming home after a long trip. |
Ursa Major + Polaris Time: not recorded S&T Chart Reference: 31, 32, 33, 43, F In the open field, we could make out all 7 stars naked eye but used binoculars to see the double stars Mizar and Alcor. Could also locate Polaris using the pointer stars of UMa but it was very faint to the naked eye. |
Teapot (in Sagittarius) |
![]() |
Cassiopeia M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) |
Lyra Time: 9:18 PM EDT S&T Chart Reference: 63 We could readily locate all 6 bright stars in this constellation, including the double stars of δ Lyrae and ε Lyrae. |
Summer Triangle / DAVe
Time: 9:30 PM EDT
Deneb, Altair and Vega were easily found throughout the entire observing session.
Corona Borealis Boötes |
Keystone of Hercules (in Hercules) |
Meteors Time: 10:16 PM EDT
|
Satellite Delphinus |
Capricornus
Time: 10:20 PM EDT
S&T Chart Reference: 66, 68, 77
We saw 2 stars in a horizontal line that through SkySafari pro were identified as Capricornus α1 and α2. How wonderful! "Orion's Underpants" were found! Using my binoculars, I was able to see the double stars in Algedi (α) and Dabih (β). From this I was able to locate naked eye: ω, θ, ε and Deneb Algiedi way over towards the north. First sighting of Capricorn on this trip! How exciting!
M22 (Globular Cluster)
Time: 10:28 PM EDT
S&T Chart Reference: 67, 69, I
Couldn't see all of the Teapot but could see Kaus Borealis well enough to find the faint grey fuzzy M22.
M6 (Butterfly Cluster)
Time: not recorded
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58, 67, 69, J
Just happened to notice several bright stars in V-shaped opening in the treeline. SkySafariPro confirmed it was the Butterfly Cluster.
M72
Time: 10:30 PM EDT
S&T Chart Reference: 66, 77
When looking at Capricornus, I found a faint grey fuzzy at a parallel declination or maybe just a bit above alpha Capricornii. Come to find out later in my star maps that it was M72. New discovery!!
Constellations: Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Draco, Hercules, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Asterism: Keystone of Hercules
Messier Object: M13, M31
Meteor: (1)
Location: Willow Bay Campground, Allegheny National Forest, PA
Date: 2017-08-23
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:40 PM EDT
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Temperature: 18º C - 16º C
No wind. Scattered clouds. Due to the threat of rain overnight and the distance between the car and our walk-in site, we left our cameras and binoculars in the car. The evening started out cloudy as could be expected given the weather report but it provide an extended period of clear skies as the night progressed. The night sky at the rocky beach front to our site varied from beautifully clear to partial cloud cover. Jerry and I sat on a large rock to take in the darkness and the amazing sky above us.
Ursa Major (UMa) |
Ursa Minor (UMi) Meteor |
Andromeda (M31) & Cassiopeia With the help of SkySafariPro, was able to locate Andromeda and its bright stars Alpheratz (α And) and Mirach (β And) above the distant tree line. From there we could locate Almach (γ And), μ And and υ And to draw the lines for her "legs". Didn't search out the stars for her "arms" but rather used Mirach and μ to locate M31 (Andromeda Galaxy). |
![]() |
|
Draco Viewing Draco naked eye, we used SkySafariPro to wend our way around UMa and UMi. We started with the 4 stars comprising the head then identified Altais (δ), ε and φ - never saw χ. We then located θ and Edasich (ι), followed by Thuban (α). Using the app, we were then able to fill in the spaces between φ and θ (except ω). Once these were all found, it was so exciting to "see" Draco as it curled around the two Bears! |
Cygnus
|
Delphinus Corona Borealis |
Hercules, Keystone of Hercules & M13 We also attempted to locate the stars in the 4 extensions from the Keystone and did find several. Refer to the sketch. Note: "X" on the sketch indicates they were not located (except M13). |
|
Constellations: Delphinus, Lyra, Perseus, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Clusters: NGC 869/884, α Persia Cluster
Conjunction: Saturn-Spica
Location: Fisherman's Corner Campground, Hampton, Illinois
Date: 2017-08-22
Time: 9:00 PM - 10:08 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 22º C
Light breeze and no clouds as we camped beside the Mississippi River - but they didn't tell us about the numerous trains passing on the tracks on the other side of the river at all hours.
Ursa Major
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 31, 32, 33, 43, F
Easily located all 7 stars in the constellation visually. With the binoculars, saw the Mizar-Alcor pairing.
Ursa Minor
Time: 9:00 PM
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 64
Using the pointer stars of Ursa Major, easily locate all 7 stars in the constellation except η. For me, this has always been a difficult to see.
Lyra
Time: 9:15 PM
Instrument: Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 63
I located Vega, ζ, ε1 and ε2, δ1 and δ2, β and γ.
Perseus + α Persii Cluster
Time: 9:33 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 2, 13
Able to see Mirfak, γ Perseus and δ Perseus. There were numerous stars seen around Mirfak, much like an open cluster; very bright stars extended towards δ. I had found the α Persia cluster!
NGC 869/884
Time: 9:33 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
S&T Chart Reference: 1, 2, 13
Used naked eye and binoculars. Located Perseus then noticed the 2 clusters above Miram, NGC 884 was a more diffuse grey fuzzy - numerous stars in the cluster with perhaps lower magnitudes. NGC 869 had 3 bright points in an otherwise grey fuzzy area. Both were easily seen in the same binocular FOV.
NOTE: There were 2 stars between Miram and the NGCs that I did not identify
Conjunction Saturn-Spica
Time: 9:10 PM EDT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars
Located Spica visually; couldn't see the other stars of the constellation due to light pollution. Using the binoculars, I viewed Saturn that was within 10º of Spica. Saturn was located slightly higher in declination than Spica.
Solar Eclipse! Totally Awesome!
(© Photo Montage of the Eclipse by Jerry Black)
Location: Lingley, Wyoming
Date: 2017-08-21
Time: 10:30 AM - 1: 15 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
How far will one travel to see a solar eclipse for the first time in their life? Does 4,393 km (2,739.7 miles) - one way - sound a bit far? Having just experienced my first solar eclipse, I can unequivocally say NO!
The planning of this trip began a year ago when Paul Gray had announced at a RASC Halifax Centre meeting that he had the perfect spot to view the eclipse - from the KOA in Grand Island, Nebraska. KOA reservations made last fall - check. Plan remainder of the 2.5-week trip to and from this exciting event - check. So, let's now focus on the experience in Nebraska. I remembered Roy’s cautionary note about experiencing the eclipse versus taking pictures. Consequently, I dictated notes to my phone so that my eyes didn’t have to leave what I was seeing for more than a split second.
The evening before the eclipse, there was a gathering of astronomers to determine the plan of attack for the next day based on weather reports and Jay Anderson's advice. Once back at our campsite, we decided we would travel further west from Grand Island, probably as far as Wyoming to ensure a clear sky. We left at 6:30 AM CST after a small breakfast, drove through dense fog across part of Nebraska before arriving at our sunny clear blue skies location on Hwy 85 north of Lingley, Wyoming at 10:30 AM Mountain Savings Time (MST). Interesting to note is that at one point when we turned towards Wyoming on Hwy 26, every other car (of which there were hundreds in the adjacent two lanes of traffic) headed north on Hwy 385 to Alliance, one of the sites suggested the evening before. We were grateful we were going another way, but perhaps we went further than needed.
We drove through Lingley (population 468, elevation 1,272 m) and parked on the side of the highway next to a farmer's field on the crest of a small hill. We arrived two minutes before first contact and had a phenomenal 360° view. Jerry quickly set up for his time lapse photography whereas I opened my binocular bag and witnessed first contact with filter-covered binoculars at 10:32 AM MST.
![]() |
With the solar filters in place, the sunspots were seen. They would perfectly provide the reference points by which to observe the rate at which the moon covered the sun. Four sunspots were located in the upper right quadrant of the sun, starting near the centre and going from lower left to upper right. A fourth was noted between the first and second but it was very weak and small and not as clearly defined. Two more sunspots were also noted at about 7 o'clock on the southwestern limb.
I watched as each sunspot was hit by the limb of the Moon:
|
At 11:05 AM, I noticed the sun not quite as bright as it was earlier. The sky was getting just a bit darker and the colours of the landscape were subdued, not as vibrant as they were when the sun was full.
At 11:20 AM, I offered my binoculars to the family of 6 next to us. Each in turn had a chance to see in a much larger view how the moon was covering the sun and to see the sunspots in the southwest limb. So much fun watching their reactions, from the parents to the 6-7 year old. Also shared with a couple standing across the highway, and with a father and daughter who pulled beside us just a few minutes before totality.
At 11:40 AM, the temperature noticeably cooled, enough so that a sweater was required. Also noted that we were now being serenaded by chirping crickets. It was at this point I had total interest in what was happening around me versus recording the time frame. I did not note when the lower two sunspots were covered by the Moon nor the time and length of totality. I tried to remember Roy Bishop's description of what to expect but failed to do so in the excitement of what I was seeing.
I turned my back to the sun at one point and watched as darkness quickly approached. I likened it to being a teeny weeny little creature watching the great cape of Darth Vader billowing out as it approached and eliminating any hope of escape. I held my breath totally, enraptured as I watched it come across the field and overtake me.
What I saw next had me turning a complete 360°, and probably more than once in a couple of different directions in my attempt to decided which way I should look. A beautiful rainbow of colour appeared on the darkened horizon when the shadow overtook us. This was the one and only time I took a photo during the eclipse - a panoramic view of about 120° to 130°. Too many cars in the way to take the full 360. You can see the centre of the shadow as it rapidly travels eastward.
(Photo by Judy Black)
![]() |
Totality was reached! Darkness was upon us. Regulus, Jupiter and Venus were seen but I didn't think to look closer for other planets (Mars and Mercury) and stars as suggested in articles previously read. The back orb covering the sun contrasted with the elongated translucent streams of the white solar corona that reached out into the now darkened sky. I stood there transfixed and could only think, "Oh, wow! This is really cool!" Thanks to Jerry reminding me that filters were not required at this point, I held the filter-free binoculars once more to my eyes to view the prominences at various locations around the moon's limb. Their fire engine red-pink colours were indescribably beautiful. I handed my binoculars to the daughter and father adjacent to us for them to see them as well. The corona wasn't perfectly circular; longer spikes at 12, 2 and almost 7 o'clock were visible. The corona was spectacular; the extent from its source was astonishing. |
![]() |
Once the binoculars were back in my hands and up to my eyes, Bailey's Beads appeared. Light came through the Moon's crater valleys and seemingly bent around the Moon's surface to produce a reddish glow on its surfaces, especially on the Moon's limb at 12, 1 and near 3 o'clock.
Then it happened! The "diamond"! It started as a small glimmer on the Moon's limb then shone blindingly just above the Moon's equator! Another wow. So cool! Gave me goose bumps.
According to the reference book materials, totality at our site was 2 minutes 11 seconds. It was such a short time. This wasn't long enough to truly absorb what was happening. Could a replay be granted?
It was now 11:53 AM. My wits are back (if they ever are) and I can once more record the events. Filtered binoculars and eclipse glasses were in use once more, and the air was still cool enough (for me) to require a jacket. The sun's light affected the colours around us, much like a spot light bleaches colours out; the dark greens of the field and nearby grasses had become a grey-green, shadows perhaps not as distinct. The crickets were still chirping.
The moon now began to reveal the sunspots it had earlier hid from our view:
At 1:14 pm, the eclipse was complete. The Moon lost contact with the southwest quadrant of the sun. Time to pack up and head back to the KOA. I now had another check mark on my Explore the Universe certificate submission! A short video of our experience can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7HWur4Twp8.
End Note: Although it only took us 5 hours to arrive at Lingley from the KOA, the return trip took 11 hours. The distance between our eclipse location and the turnoff onto Interstate 80 should have taken only one hour but took 5 hours. Our heads hit our respective pillows at 1:15 AM CST, still whirring with the excitement of the day. Our trip home to Nova Scotia begins in 5 hours...
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (68.2%)
Q-Day: -1
Moonrise: 12:30 AM Moonset: 1:54 PM
Sunrise: 7:34 AM Sunset: 9:50 PM
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Date: 2017-08-16
Time: 6:40 AM + 8:20 AM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 12º C
1- Went for a morning walk and saw the crescent high in the sky. Saw it visually only as we left for the walk.
2- When we returned to Mom's apartment, I used my binoculars to see a very brightly lit crescent. To the East, there was a small section that was partially visible before fading in the morning sky. There was very little if any breeze. A high hazy cloud allowed viewing of the Moon but couldn't make out details on the lit terminator. Could make out dark Grimaldi.
![]() |
This session was devoted to lunar observing. Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (78.9%) Moonrise: 12:10 AM Moonset: 1:33 PM
|
Location: North Bay Look-off (Ontario)
Date: 2017-08-13
Time: 9:55 AM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 22º C
Stopped at the Look-off just west of North Bay. No wind. High wispy clouds that covered the Moon for a period of time. Just had to look up at the Moon between the clouds. Easily viewed some of the Moon's features quickly before the could cover obscured the view.
Mare: Nubian, Oceanus Procellarum, Nubian, Humorum, Imbrium
Sinus: Iridum
Craters: Copernicus, Keplar, Grimaldi
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (78.9%)
Q-Day: -4
Moonset: 11:17 AM Moonrise: 11:07 PM
Sunrise: 6:13 AM Sunset: 8:25 PM
Location: Between home and Halifax Airport
Date: 2017-08-12
Time: 4:20 AM
Equipment: Visual
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 14º C
We had woke up early to head out on a road trip to northern Ontario. Between Exit 5 and the Stanfield Halifax International Airport, the Moon was readily seen in the clear morning skies from the passenger seat.
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (94.2%)
Q-Day: -5
Moonset: 7:57 AM Moonrise: 9:37 PM
Sunrise: 6:10 AM Sunset: 8:29 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-09/10
Time: 11:48 PM - 12:52 AM
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS + Binoculars 15x70
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Mare:
Only part of Mare Crisium could be seen and part of Fecunditatis. All other Mare were readily seen and identified. Sinus Iridium and Sinus Roris were also located.
Craters:
(B) - 2 craters on N shore of Mare Imbrium.
(C) - Grimaldi and Hevelius - these seemed to have moved more easterly than the last time observed.
Tycho and some of its rays also observed.
Mountains:
Although no shadows, cold make out structures of the Haemus and Jura Mountains.
Note:
I did not look at all the features closely.
This session was devoted to lunar observing.
Lunar Phase: Full Moon (99.9%)
Q-Day: -6
Full Moon: 3:12 PM
Moonset: 5:53 AM Moonrise: 8:31 PM
Sunrise: 6:08 AM Sunset: 8:32 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-07/08
Time: 10:15 PM – 12:10 AM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
First noticed the Full Moon at 9:50 PM when on my way home. At home, there were wispy clouds travelling past the Moon until 11:02 PM when the sky opened for a clear view. Many features could be easily identified even though fully lit. Clouds returned and there was no opportunity to clearly view the moon again until 11:58 PM; the skies provided an opening until 12:10 AM when I called it quits.
Ejecta Rays: Mare: Sinus: |
![]() |
Craters:
- Sharp and Plato on north Mare Iridium
- Gang of 4 showing up as very white
- Grimaldi and the darker Hevelius
- Shades of grey suggested Schickard and Schiller
- Manilius was found adjacent to the Haemus Mountains
- The rays of Proclus going north on Mare Crisium and providing a "white peak" on the shores of Palus Somni
Mountains:
No shadows on the mountains but many showed as whiter areas on the surface - Haemus, Jura and Apennine.
Besides looking at Saturn, I spent the earlier part of this evening exploring the Moon towards achieving Explore the Moon (Telescope) - August 6, 2017.
Constellations: Boötes, Cassiopeia, Corona Borealis, Lyra, Ursa Major
Planet: Saturn
Asterism: Summer Triangle / DAVe
Meteor: (1)
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-06
Time: 9:06 PM - 11:15 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Poor - Fair (1-2)
Seeing: Poor - Fair (1-2)
Temperature: 19º C - 18º C
Fairly clear skies but slight haze and 99.3% Waxing Gibbous Moon affected seeing and transparency. Heavy dew in the early evening disappeared around 10 PM.
Ursa Major I was able to see all 7 stars quite readily at the first observation. However, all 7 stars appeared dimmer at the later observation, their brightness muted by the atmospheric conditioned and/or the Moon. |
Summer Triangle / DAVe A little breeze began at 9:06 PM but it disappeared around 10:00 PM. Located Deneb and Vega at 9:39 PM and Altair at 9:52 PM. Only some of the strs in each constellation could be seen so didn't spend much time looking - except around Deneb for Cygnus 16 and ο1. |
Boötes Saturn Saturn was easy to pick out in the sky just above our tree line. However, I did not see any adjacent stars. |
![]() ISO 100, 1/5 sec @ f/8.0
|
Corona Borealis Alpheca was very bright when it was first seen. With my back to the Moon, I visually could see Alpheca plus β, θ and γ. With my binoculars, I could also find ε; however, ι could not be identified in the slightly hazy skies. |
Meteor A bright white flash lasting ~ 1 second "downwards" in my perspective. Meteor flash went from NW to NE through Cepheus. |
Lyra
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 63
Located Vega and visually locate Lyra ε and Lyra ζ. I didn't use binoculars to see the remaining stars.
Cassiopeia
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 1, 3, 72
Walked to the deck side of the house and the shadow of the house next door to escape from the Moon and street ligh respectively. Cassiopeia was fairly visible from this location. All 5 stars could be seen but they were dimmed/muted by the atmosphere and/or the Moon. Given its dimness and that of UMa, I gave up for the night at 11:15 PM.
I spent som time doing general observations: General Session - August 6, 2017.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (99.5%)
Q-Day: +6
Moonset: 4:55 AM Moonrise: 7:54 PM
Sunrise: 6:07 AM Sunset: 8:33 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-06
Time: 9:06 PM – 11:15 PM
Temperature: 19° C - 18° C
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 30 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x83
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
A few clouds with a slight wind. Could see atmospheric turbulence at the terminus and limb edges.
9:06 PM: The Moon finally rose over the houses across the street.
![]() |
![]() |
~ 10:15 PM: Moon was high enough it could be seen with the telescope. The rays of Kepler and Tycho were easily seen. Surface was completely bleached out; no real features were seen except for a few at the terminator. Attempted to draw Kepler’s rays. The features adjacent to Kepler on the Moon’s rim captured my attention so sketched them next.
Craters: Grimaldi, Kepler.
Found Craters not on the list: Byrgius, Byrgius D, Crüger, Kepler A, Lamarck, Marius, Milichius, Rocca
Another night of observing the Moon then switching over to other objects in the night sky - General Session - August 5, 2017.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (97.3%)
Q-Day: +5
Moonset: 4:01 AM Moonrise: 7:13 PM
Sunrise: 6:05 AM Sunset: 8:35 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-05
Time: 8:48 PM – 9:15 PM
Temperature: 19° C - 16° C
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 30 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x83
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Windy. Cloud cover increased during the session. Good viewing until the clouds completely covered the Moon. Sucker holes thereafter. The sucker holes allowed for brief viewing of the Moon. One view (from Sinus Iridum to the Moon’s north limb) was only seen for about 30 seconds; this allowed for a rather hurried sketch.
Schikard was near the terminus. Its westernrim had shadowing and there was a crater at its southern end.
|
Identified Cavalerius, Hevelius and Lohrmann north of Grimaldi. Luna 9 landing NE of Cavalerius on Oceanus Procellarum. |
Identified Foucault and Harpalus in Mare Frigoris north of the Montes Jura. Also identified Babbage north of Frigoris with a crater on its floor (centred?). The latter was the largest of the 3 and was near the limb. |
Maria: Crisium, Frigoris, Humorum, Imbrium, Nectaris, Nubium, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis, Vaporum.
Sinus: Iridum, Roris
Craters: Grimaldi, Hevelius, Schikard
Found Craters not on the list: Babbage, Cavalerius, Foucault, Harpalus, Lohrmann, Sirsalis & Sirsalis A
Besides looking at Saturn, I spent the earlier part of this evening exploring the Moon towards achieving Explore the Moon (Telescope) - August 5, 2017.
Constellations: Boötes, Cygnus, Lyra, Ursa Major
Asterism: Summer Triangle
Sunspot: (1)
Stars: Cygni 30, Cygni 31A
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-05
Time: 4:45 PM + 8:48 PM - 9:40 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Fair-Good (2-3)
Seeing: Fair-Good (2-3)
Temperature: 16º C
Mostly cloudy skies that provided the occasional sucker hole for observing. Also windy.
Sunspot A sunspot (AR2670) was found using solar filters (ND5) on the binocular lenses. |
![]() |
Lyra I was able to visually identify Vega. I then used my binoculars and in 1 FOV could easily see Vega, ε1, ε2, ζ1 and ζ2; δ1 and δ2 had to wait until the next tie there was a clear sky. |
Boötes Located Arcturus visually and attempted to identify the kite shape of the constellation. Could only identify ζ, η, ρ and Arcturus. The others were difficult to find naked eye. Having found the Big Dipper in Ursa Major (UMa)a few moments earlier, I pointed my binoculars up from UMa t find what I refer to as the "Boötes extension" - θ, κ, ι, and λ. ι was easily seen but I had identified it earlier as HR 5360 - not sure which it was. |
Summer Triangle Depending on the size of the sucker holes, all or a portion of the Triangle was visible. |
Ursa Major During one of the instances of a clear sky, I was easily able to see all 7 stars of the Big Dipper visually and located Mizar-Alcor visually as well. I used my binoculars to view Mizar-Alcor. Clouds negated the ability to locate Polaris. |
Cygnus I was looking for Cygnus 16 but couldn't find it. However, I did find a double star that unfortunately I didn't realize it was Omicron Cygni. Looking closer, I had Cygni 30 on the upper left and Cygni 31A in the lower right of my FOV. I found them by locating Deneb and then δ Cygni. From the imaginary line between them, I looked a little above it and a little less than half way from Deneb. Success! I will look on another evening when he Moon and clouds don't limit my "stare" time. |
![]() |
Besides looking at Saturn, I spent the earlier part of this evening exploring the Moon towards achieving Explore the Moon (Telescope) - August 3, 2017.
Planet: Saturn
Satellite: (1)
Constellation: Ursa Major
Conjunction: Moon-Saturn-Antares
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-03
Time: 8:15 PM - 11:40 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 20º C - 17º C
Clear skies with only a few clouds. Clouds started to move in from the N-NE later in the session.
Ursa Major
Time: 9:45 PM + 11:00 PM
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 31, 32, 33, 43, F
The partly cloudy skies cleared by 8:30 PM so that all the stars in Ursa Major were visible at the earlier observing time. By 11 PM, the clouds covered the constellation completely.
Saturn Saturn was located visually earlier in this session. At the later time, I thought I had caught 2 moons in my sight. However, came to realize the brighter 'star' was ξ Ophiuchus and the fainter one was HR 6472. No moons of Saturn were seen. See the conjunction sketch below. |
|
Satellite The satellite entered my FOV when looking at Sabik in Ophiuchus. It passed between Sabik and 58 Oph just north of Saturn before disappearing.Ursa Minor |
|
![]() |
Conjunction: Moon-Saturn-Antares |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (87.7%)
Q-Day: +3
Moonset: 2:29 AM Moonrise: 5:37 PM
Sunrise: 6:03 AM Sunset: 8:38 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-03
Time: 8:15 PM – 11:40 PM
Temperature: 20° C - 17° C
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 10 mm + 30 mm eyepiece; Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x250 + x83; x10
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
![]() |
Mostly clear skies that clouded over much of the sky as the night went on until ~ 11:15 PM when there was just a clear patch around the Moon. Most of the evening was spent on the ETM (telescope version) list. Found tonight were several craters, mountains, and valleys. Very excited about the ones found!
|
I was surprised that having missed one night of observing due to cloud cover that so many items could be seen tonight. I started with 30 mm eyepiece to sketch areas that caught my interest: Gassendi, Mare Iridium (north shore) and Sinus Iridum.
10:44 PM
I switched to the 10 mm eyepiece. Between Maria Crisium and Tranquilitatis was a very brightly lit circular crater rim with 2 rays emanating from it. I asked Dave Chapman about this and he explained they were called “rays” (deposits of light-coloured material from impacts). One ray touched the mountain/mare edge of Tranquilitatis whereas the other went between the two maria and faded into the landscape. The field between this crater and Tranquilitatis is darker than the field between it and Crisium. It had many white-rimmed very small craters or raised cones.
NOTE: On March 21, 2021, I learned this fan-shaped area was Palus Somni with Proclus as the bright crater on its rim. The bright areas within were minor craters. | ![]() |
There were some areas seen that weren’t labelled on the RASC map provided:
![]() |
Feeling better and more comfortable with identifying reverse images of the Moon. Almost makes sense now. 11:30 PM |
Besides looking at Saturn, I spent the earlier part of this evening exploring the Moon towards achieving the RASC Explore the Moon (Telescope) certificate.
Planet: Saturn
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-01
Time: 8:32 PM - 10:30 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 16º C - 14º C
Clear skies. No wind. First Quarter Moon in the sky.
Saturn Time: 10:06 PM Instrument: Visual Saturn was seen about 8 o'clock to the Moon. From our yard, we could see Antares, Graffias, δ and ν but the remainder of the body and tail were below the tree line. |
![]() |
During this session, I also considered this a general session - General Session - August 1, 2017.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (72.3%)
Q-Day: +2
Moonset: 1:17 AM Moonrise: 3:47 PM
Sunrise: 6:01 AM Sunset: 8:40 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-08-01
Time: 8:32 PM – 10:00 PM
Temperature: 26° C - 23° C
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 30 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x83
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Clear skies. My first attempt at viewing was at 7:34 PM but it was too bright. Went back out 1 hour later with better viewing of the features. After spending much time sketching, I then attempted to identify features required by the Explore the Moon (telescope version).
Although listed for the next day, I was able to see Mare Imbrium and Copernicus. North of Copernicus were 4 small craters that formed an upside-down and backwards “L”. Using a digital Moon Map, I was able to identify Timocharis, Lambert and Pytheas but was unable to identify the smallest of the four. It was just inside the mare adjacent to Monte Carpatus or just on its slope facing the mare. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Maria & Sinus:
Crisium, Imbrium, Nectaris, Nubium, Serenitatis, Sinus Medii, Tranquilitatis, Vaporum.
Montes:
Carpatus, Spitzbergen, Tenerife
Craters:
Archimedes, Aristillus, Autolychus, Clavius, Copernicus, Eratosthenes, Maginus, Plato, Timocharis, Tycho
Other Craters not on the List:
Blancanus, Lambert, Porter, Pytheas, Rutherford
![]() iPhone 6s Plus, ISO 25, 1/30 sec @ f2.2 |
I spent the earlier part of this evening exploring the Moon towards achieving the RASC Explore the Moon (Telescope) certificate. Constellation: Boötes |
Location: Home
Date: 2017-07-31
Time: 9:20 PM - 10:15 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 16º C - 14º C
Clear skies. No wind. First Quarter Moon in the sky.
Summer Triangle / DAVe Time: 9:34 PM Instrument: Binocular 10x30 IS The 3 stars in the asterism "DAVe" were easily located - Altair, Deneb and Vega in Aquila, Cygnus and Lyra respectively. They were found despite the bight Moon of 1 day after the First Quarter. |
Satellite Time: 9:46 PM - 9:49 PM Instrument: Binocular 10x30 IS Entered my FOV at Mizar-Alcor then travelled through Draco to Deneb. I lost sight of it at 5ºN of Altair. |
Boötes Despite the Moon obliterating my view of numerous stars, the stars comprising the "kite" were found. Arcturus had been found earlier in the viewing session. |
Satellite Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Located Albireo in Cygnus, then found the 10 stars of the Coathanger. A satellite came into my view while looking at this asterism. |
Saturn Saturn was very visible just below Ophiuchus and above Scorpius (about 10 o'clock to Antares). The different scope meant the rings were seen differently and two of its moons were visible - Rhea and Dione. |
|
![]() |
Part of this session was also spent looking for other objects in the night sky (9:45 PM – 10:15 PM) - General Session - July 31, 2017. NOTE: Sketch was drawn as seen – upside-down and backwards. This was the southern terminus, not the North. No explanation. Maybe something to do with the star diagonal position, or the side on which I was standing? Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (63.1%) Moonset: 12:45 AM Moonrise: 2:49 PM Location: Home |
Mare Imbrium at the other end of terminus with a crater at each end, mountainous border and a large perfectly circular crater (Plato). Southern craters seen were Archimedes with Aristillus and Autolycus adjacent.
Maria:
Crisium, Lacus Somniorum, Nectaris, Nubium, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis, Vaporum.
Montes:
Alpes, Apennine, Vallis Alpes; couldn’t locate/identify Tenerife and Spitzbergen
Craters:
Alphonsus, Archimedes, Aristillus, Arzachel, Autolychus, Cassini, Herschel, Plato, Ptolemaeus.
Other Craters not on the List:
Alpetragius, Bettinus, Phocylides, Segner, Wargentin, Zucchius.
NOTE:
Bettinus, Zuccius and Segner were observed at a subsequent observation - IWLOP #125 - Zucchius, Bettinus & Kircher.
I spent the earlier part of this evening (7:20 PM - 9:10 PM) exploring the Moon towards achieving the RASC Explore the Moon (Telescope) certificate.
Constellation: Boötes, Canes Venatici, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Delphinus, Equuleus, Lyra, Ursa Major
Messier Objects: M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy)
Asterism: Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster, Square of Pegasus, Summer Triangle / DAVe
Stars: Deneb, Lyra ε1, Lyra ε2, Lyra δ1, Lyra δ2, Mizar/Alcor, Polaris, Vega
Planet: Saturn
Satellite: (2)
Meteor
Location: Home
Date: 2017-07-30
Time: 9:00 PM - 11:53 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS + 10" Meade SCT (100 mm + 30 mm eyepieces)
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 19º C - 14º C
Clear skies. No wind; a small breeze mid-evening that was barely discernible. First Quarter Moon in the sky.
Saturn |
|
Ursa Major (UMa) All the stars were visible at 10:15 PM but it was 20 minutes later that Dubhe could be easily seen visually. Polaris could easily be found visually. Using the telescope at 10:44 PM, I looked at Mizar and Alcor, Mizar being the brighter of the pair. |
Cassiopeia Had no problem identify the 5 bright stars in this constellation.
|
Satellite Summer Triangle / DAVe |
M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) Using the distance between Alkaid and Mizar, I looked below Alkaid just a little lesss than this distance and saw a faint, grey circular smudge. Not positive it was M51 but it was the only "smudge" in the vicinity. Next time look at the adjacent star patterns to ensure identification. |
Cygnus The Moon obscured the dimmer stars visually. At this time, the constellation was overhead. The stars ζ, η and ι were not easily seen visually. Used Albireo as a way to locate the Coathanger. |
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Travelled down the stars of Cygnus to Albireo then found the Coathanger - all 10 stars were clearly identified.
|
Canes Venatici Decided to look for this constellation and one of the arms of Boötes because the sky in this direction was darker and not affected by the lights of Halifax. Using my S&T Atlas, I found this constellation lay directly below Ursa Major's handle. Specifically, Cor Caroli (α)was directly below Alkaid; this was easily found visually and I also looked for Arcturus as another guide. With my binoculars, I was able to find Cor Caroli. Jubilation at also being able to find Chara (β) with binoculars! It wasn't until I looked on the internet and at my map more closely that I discovered α was a binary star. I will look more closely next time. |
![]() |
Boötes Saw most of the stars in Boötes except Seginus. Looking at the star Atlas made me want to look for an extension away from the "kite" that contained θ, κ and λ. I located Alkaid and looked one FOV above it and there it was. The 4 stars of the corner were very clear and were in 1 FOV of my binoculars. SkySafariPro helped me identify the names of the stars. I was thrilled to be able to find this group of stars using landmarks as guides. |
![]() |
Lyra Searched for the Lyra stars in this constellation to confirm the two sets of double stars. Lyra ε1 and Lyra ε2 were easily found in binoculars. Following through Lyra ζ, I was able to locate the red and yellow Lyra δ1 and Lyra δ2 respectively. Vega, Lyra ζ, Lyra δ1 and Lyra δ2 were in one FOV and I was able to centre them in the middle of the FOV.
|
|
Delphinus Equuleus I looked to Delphinus and after several second found α, δ, and γ Equ. It took a while to find ε with the binoculars. In examining γ Equ, I could see two stars there - γ Equi + 6 Equ. At ε Equ, I could make out 4 Equ and 3 Equ. I didn't take the time to note the colour differentiation (if any) or brightness, Next time? |
![]() |
Satellite Meteor |
Pegasus M31 / Andromeda Galaxy |
The lunar journey begins! Besides the Moon observing, there was also time to look for other objects in our universe – constellations and their asterisms and special stars, Messier objects and even a couple of satellites that passed by - General Session - July 30, 2017.
Lunar Phase: First Quarter (53.2%)
Q-Day: 0
Moonrise: 10:47 AM
Sunrise: 5:32 AM Sunset: 9:05 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-07-30
Time: 7:20 PM – 9:10 PM
Temperature: 18° C
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 30 mm + 10 mm
Magnification: x83 + x250
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
This was my first time looking through our 10” Meade SCT and getting my brain wrapped around the mirror view. Without any go-to or other source of mechanical movement, Jerry and I had to manually move the scope to the desired position. We jokingly referred to this scope as the “push-to”.
There was disappointment in that some of the items listed at Q-day 0 could not be seen; they were beyond the dark portion of the terminator, such as Herschel, Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel. However, I was able to identify 2 items on the list for Q-Day -1:
Most of the 2 hours of this observing session was dedicated to sketching the Lunar X, first with 30 mm eyepiece and then the 10 mm. However, there was time to identify other lunar features.
Constellation: Cassiopeia, Delphinus, Equuleus, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Ursa Major
Messier objects: M8, M20, M22
Asterism: Summer Triangle / DAVe, Teapot
Stars: Altair, Deneb, Polaris, Spica, Vega
Planets: Jupiter
Satellite: ISS
Location: Nova East Star Party, Smileys Provincial Park
Date: 2017-07-28
Time: 8:15 PM - 10:50 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Mostly cloudy with a threat of fog, but skies overhead and to the S-SW cleared for a couple of hours.
Scorpius Jupiter & Moon |
![]() Coolpix P900, ISO 800, 1/8 sec @f 4.0 |
Cassiopeia Time: 9:47 PM Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 1, 3, 72 Identified all 5 of the brightest stars. |
Ursa Major Time: 10:05 PM Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 31, 32, 33, 43, F Identified the stars in the Big Dipper and located Polaris in Ursa Minor. |
Satellite - ISS Time: 10:02 PM - 10:04 PM Instrument: Visual Ran from Ursa Major towards Cassiopeia in the Milky Way. Became distracted so lost sight of it. |
|
Summer Triangle / DAVe Time: 10:05 PM Instrument: Visual Easily found the stars in Aquila, Lyra and Cygnus that comprise the Summer Triangle - Altair, Vega and Deneb respectively. |
Delphinus Time: 10:33 PM Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Reference: 64 Located Delphinus as a means to locate Equuleus. All 5 stars were seen albeit faintly; almost looked like they twinkled. |
Equuleus |
![]() |
Sagittarius M8: Found but no details recorded. |
![]() |
![]() Coolpix P900, ISO 800, 1/100 sec @ f/6.5 |
Part of this session was devoted to observing the Waxing Crescent Moon (14.6%). Refer to Explore the Moon (Binocular) - July 26, 2017. Constellation: Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Libra, Lyra, Scorpius, Scutum, Ursa Major |
Location: SCO
Date: 2017-07-26/27
Time: 9:10 PM - 2:00 AM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 10º C
No wind or cloud.
I also attempted to find M17 and M18 but could not locate them with my binoculars.
![]() |
Jupiter |
![]() |
Lyra |
Scorpius
Time: 9:40PM - 10:15 PM
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58, J
The second experiment of the evening. Wanted to see when the stars of Scorpius would become visible in the southern horizon (or at least when I noticed they became visible).
9:40 PM: Antares
9:48 PM: ν, Graffias
9:54 PM: π, ρ
10:12 PM: The stars below Antares in the constellation were visible above the tree line. Perhaps θ or η were faint or below the trees.
Cassiopeia Saturn |
Ursa Major Time: 9:50 PM + 10:37 PM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Reference: 31, 32, 33, 43, F I visually identified all the stars within Ursa Major, not just the Big Dipper asterism. I later used my binoculars to look at the optical double in the handle - Mizar and Alcor. |
Satellite (ISS) |
Satellite Time: 10:35 PM - 10:36 PM Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS Sighting was accidental. Looking at Antares with my binoculars when it entered my FOV. It disappeared near Spica. |
M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster) |
|
M22 |
M28 Time: 10:57 PM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS Using Kaus Borealis visually and finding M22, I put the eyepiece back on the lid star in the lower left and M28 was readily seen as a round smudge. It had what appeared to be a brighter/denser centre. Couldn't discern any stars in the cluster with my binoculars. |
Scutum |
![]() |
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) |
M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) Time: unknown Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Reference: 67 I looked for the semi-circle of stars above the Teapot. Using my binoculars, I easily located the 'golf club' and 'golf ball' (aka M11). |
M20 (Trifid Nebula) |
M21 Time: unknown Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Reference: 67, 69, I After finding M20 a few moments earlier, I went up a partial FOV at about 45º to M20 to see M21 very clearly in my binoculars. |
Meteor
Time: 11:09 PM
Instrument: Visual
It ran parallel to 2º - 5º below the line from Ascella to Kaus Borealis in the Teapot.
Libra Time: 11:29 PM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Reference: 46, 57 Libra was very low in the sky but I was able to see α Libra (Zubenelgenubi). The brightness of this star alerted me this constellation was now visible. I put my binoculars up to this star and had a long look at it to discover this was a double star - α1 and α2. Alpha1 was a bright yellow star and about twice the size of its companion. Alpha2 was a bluish star, fainter and seemed to be twinkling at times. I didn't look for the other stars in this constellation. |
Capricornus Time: 11:56 PM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Reference: 66, 68, 77 I moved to the far end of the gravel pads next to the trees in the west. Given Scorpius and Sagittarius had moved towards the west, I hoped to locate this constellation - and I did. Most of the stars could be located except ζ and ε that were hidden by a tree. After finding the constellation visually, I used my binoculars to look at α Cap1 and α Cap2 (Algedi) and had no difficulty doing so. |
NGC 7000 / North America Nebula
Time: 12:25 AM - 12:45 AM EDT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 62, 73
Art Cole was at SCO tonight and pointed out NGC 7000. He pointed to Deneb in Cygnus and said it was just below it, that it looked like North America, including the Gulf of Mexico.
I used my binoculars and sat in the gravity chair in my attempt to find it. For the life of me, I couldn't find the dark Gulf to identify the nebula, even after 20 minutes of searching. However, maybe because of a strong desire to locate/see it, or because of my imagination, I thought I could faintly see it visually. Need another clear night to attempt again.
Kemble's Cascade
Time: 12:41 AM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 11, 13
Now that Cassiopeia was higher in the sky and away from the trees, I was easily able to visually determine where Kemble's Cascade was located and then to see it with my binoculars, including the hockey stick ending.
How to find Kemble's Cascade:
Place digit #1 (e.g., your left thumb) on Caph and digit #2 (e.g., your left baby finger) on Segin. Holding your fingers in that position and following the line/direction formed by Caph-Segin, move digit #1 on Caph to Segin so that digit #2 is away from Cassiopeia. The top of the Cascade should now be where your baby finger is located in Cameliopadardalis. Look for the hockey stick ending!
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (14.6%)
Moonrise: 9:36 AM Moonset: 10:53 PM
Sunrise: 5:55 AM Sunset: 8:49 PM
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO) Date: 2017-07-26 Time: 9:18 PM – 9:45 PM Eastern Temperature: 15° C Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x30 IS + 15x70 Magnification: x10 + x15 Transparency: good (3) Seeing: good (3) |
![]() |
Clear, no clouds, light wind. Part of this evening was also general observing - General Session - July 26/27, 2017
Mare Crisium very visible. Its western edge was well lit and this edge formed part of the terminator. Dark floor in Crisium. Cleomedes seen very well above Crisium. Gang of 4 was visible. The southern end of the terminator appeared to have 3 dark valleys/shadows that made it look like a serrated edge. There were 2 more craters that I questioned as to what they were. Maybe Geminus and Endymion?
The shape of the whole Moon could be seen despite parts of it being in shadow. All limbs were visible – Earthshine.
Constellation: Aries, Cassiopeia, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Perseus, Sagitta, Scorpius, Scutum, Triangulum, Ursa Major
Asterism: Coathanger, Kemble’s Cascade, Keystone of Hercules, Square of Pegasus, Summer Triangle / DAVe
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn
Stars: Albireo, Altair, Antares, Capella, Deneb, Polaris, Spica, Vega
Messier Objects: M4, M7 (Ptolemy’s Cluster), M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M11 (Wild Duck Cluster), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M20 (Trifid Nebula), M21, M22 (NGC 6656), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M69 (NGC 6637)
Meteor
Satellites (4; one was the ISS)
Couldn't find: Perseus (hidden by a tree and house), M17, M23, M54, M70
Location: SCO
Date: 2017-07-23/24
Time: 8:00 PM - 2:30 AM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Temperature: 10º C
New Moon. No wind or cloud.
Helped Jerry get set up for his astroimaging then sat and watched as the stars made their appearance in the night sky. New Moon today.
Saturn Time: 9:50 PM Instrument: Binoculars Saturn was located near the Teapot. Easily found due to its visual brightness. Using binoculars, I could determine it wasn't a "round" object but couldn't see the rings at this level of magnification. |
Jupiter Time: 9:55 PM Instrument: Binoculars I was looking for Spica (which I did find) but also noted Jupiter was once more near Virgo. |
Summer Triangle / DAVe
Time: 9:50 PM - 10:05 PM
Instrument: Visual
Three stars the asterism exposed themselves over a 10-minute period - Deneb, Altair, Vega.
|
Keystone of Hercule & M13 (Hercules Globular Cluster) I viewed the Keystone of Hercules that appeared overhead. M13 could be seen naked eye between η Herculis and ζ Herculis. I used the binoculars to confirm what I was seeing visually. I also viewed it again with binoculars after midnight when I was able to point out all 4 arms of Hercules to Jerry. I was amazed at how easy it was to find all the stars in the arms. |
Corona Borealis Ursa Major |
![]() |
Cassiopeia Time: 10:12 PM + 12:00 midnight Instrument: Binoculars S&T Chart Ref: 1, 3, 72 All 5 stars were readily seen naked eye. Attempted to use binoculars but the multitude of stars in my FOV confused me. When I easily found this constellation at midnight, I decided to try to find Kemble's Cascade. |
Kemble's Cascade Time: 10:00 PM + 12 midnight Instrument: Binoculars S&T Chart Ref: 11, 13 Could find all of Kemble's Cascade at 12 midnight but could not find it around 10 PM when looking at Cassiopeia. A beautiful tumbling of stars that ended in the hockey stick. |
M4 (NGC 6121) |
Meteor M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster, NGC 6475) |
Scorpius Time: 10:34 PM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Ref: 56, 58, J Scorpius was mostly above the tree tops but η, θ and ξ were below the treeline. I noticed the 'stinger' was quite bright so used my binoculars to look at the 2 stars - Shaula and Lesath. I wasn't disappointed. Both quite bright in a single FOV. |
M69 Time: 10:43 PM Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Ref: 67, 69 Located Kaus Australis and the adjacent sides of the Teapot. Put Australis in my lower right FOV and looked towards Nunki but just above the Ascella-Australis line. Found it with averted vision. It was a dark grey small fuzzy object. ![]() |
Cygnus Time: 10:52 PM + 12:35 AM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars S&T Chart Ref: 63, 73, H Deneb had come out earlier in the evening; had to wait to visualize the stars in Cygnus to find Albireo, Sadr and η Cygni when the sky was darker and the Milky Way was just starting to show up. Could easily see the wing stars from ζ to ι. The blue-gold of the double star Albireo could be seen but seemed to "twinkle"; could not discern between the 2 stars with the binoculars. Saw Cygnus visually again in the early morning - quite evident in the Milky Way. |
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Time: 10:52 PM Instrument: Binoculars S&T Chart Ref: 65 Just put my binoculars to my eyes after locating Albireo and guesstimated where it might be located - et voilá! Just like an old friend. I love finding this asterism! All 10 stars were very clearly seen. |
Delphinus Satellite (ISS) |
Satellite Satellite |
M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) |
Meteor Pegasus |
Perseus |
|
Capella (in Auriga) Aries Triangulum |
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) M20 (Trifid Nebula) M21 M22 (NGC 6656) |
M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) I was so happy to find it the first time that I found it again a few minutes later. Just had to see it a second time before we left SCO. |
Scutum |
Lunar Phase: Waning Crescent (8.6%)
Moonset: 3:09 AM Eastern Moonrise: 6:13 PM Eastern
Sunrise: 5:56 AM Eastern Sunset: 8:59 PM Eastern
Location: Site 13, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2017-07-20
Time: 8:15 AM – 9:50 AM Eastern
Temperature: 19° C - 20° C
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 15x70
Magnification: x15
Transparency: very good (5)
Seeing: very good (5)
Clear cloudless sky with no wind. Began looking for this thin crescent shortly after 8 AM. We made the mistake of searching low on the skyline before finding it in the SE and at about 65° - 70° above the horizon. Very difficult to find because of the clear skies and very bright sun.
With the binoculars, we could make out a dark smudge at about 8’clock. What was truly interesting was how there really wasn’t a terminator like there is at night. I could still make out the remaining part of the Moon, but it was more like a gradual diminution of light from the ‘bright’ crescent to the adjacent areas. The blue area of the Moon just blended gradually into the blue sky. Given the early hour, the sky was a beautiful blue!
Jerry had set up the binoculars on a tripod for my viewing as I couldn’t find it in my 10x30 IS. He then set up a camera on a tripod and captured a couple of beautiful pictures of the waning crescent; first picture was at 8:41 AM. We spent about an hour looking at the Moon until we could no longer see it in the brightening sky.
![]() |
![]() |
Constellation: Aquila, Boötes, Capricornus, Cygnus, Delphinus, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Scorpius
Asterism: Coathanger / Collinder 699 / Brocchi's Cluster, Teapot
Messier Object: M7 (Ptolemy Cluster), M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M13 (Hercules Cluster)
Planet: Jupiter, Saturn
Stars: Albireo, α Cap1 + α Cap2, Arcturus, Fomalhaut, Vega
Located, Not Observed: Hercules, Corona Borealis
Location: Site 13, Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site
Date: 2017-07-19/20
Time: 9:45 PM - 10:45 PM + 1:25 AM - 2:25 AM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS + Binoculars 15x70
Magnification: x10 + x15
Transparency: Good (3) - Very Good (4)
Seeing: Good (3) - Very Good (4)
Temperature: 15º C
The earlier session ended in fog. The second session had near perfect clear skies, no wind.
Jupiter
Time: 9:51 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual
Jupiter was located below Arcturus, halfway to the horizon.
Scorpius
Time: 1:30 AM
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 56, 58, J
Scorpius at this time of morning was mostly below the horizon. Could still see Antares, Delta and Graffias easily and perhaps π but the rest were out of observing range.
Capricornus Time: 1:40 AM Temperature: 15º C Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Reference: 66, 68, 87 Sitting on Slapfoot Beach, Capricornus was right in front of us. The major stars of the constellation were easily identified, and α Cap1 + α Cap2 were easily identified in the binoculars. |
Lyra Time: 1:46 AM |
M8 (Lagoon Nebula) Time: 1:35 AM Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Reference: 667, 69, I Was easily able to locate the grey smudge that had the line of stars below it. Not as well seen as in previous observations but easily identified nonetheless. |
M7 (Ptolemy Cluster) Time: 1:50 AM Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Reference: 58, 67, 69, I The fog earlier in the evening had cleared off. Although the Teapot was low on the horizon, I was able to locate M7. The 5 brightest stars could be seen with slight nebulosity; the inner stars could be seen in the centre area but there were not very bright. |
Ophiuchus No wind and only the occasional cloud. Amazed at its size!! I was looking at Scorpius (visually) and noticed an arc of 4 stars above. Using SkySafariPro, I came to realize it was Ophiuchus. What a pleasant surprise! Unexpected discovery! Once all the baseline stars in the curve were identified, I then began the search upwards. WOW! It was huge in the night sky! The Teapot was very small by comparison. Note 1: When I used SkySafariPro, I also discovered that one of the "stars" in the arc was not a star but rather it was Saturn. Note 2: used my 10x30 IS binoculars to locate both Yed Prior and Yed Posterior. Couldn't see them as 2 stars using naked eye due to sky conditions. |
![]() |
Aquila |
Boötes
|
Coathanger / Collinder 399
Time: 2:05 AM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 65
After locating Cygnus, I put up my binocs to where I thought it would be - et voilà! First attempt to locate it. All 10 stars easily seen. Went back to Cygnus to locate Albireo to use it as the start point to locate the Coathanger. Put my binocs up to find it then went 45º downwards and located it again. Tony Schellinck taught me well!
Delphinus
Time: 2:10 AM
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Reference: 64
Located Delphinus visually throughout this session. All 5 stars could be seen. Didn't attempt to use binoculars.
M13 (Hercules Cluster)
Time: not recorded
Instrument: Binoculars, 10x30 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 52, 54
Used Corona Borealis to locate M13 with binoculars. Grey fuzzy was easily seen between η Hercules and ζ Hercules.
After a short sleep we were once again the go getting ready to take down camp when Jerry noticed the waning crescent Moon. Almost missed it against the clear blue sky. Read more about it at Explore the Moon (Binocular) - July 20, 2017.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (96.0%)
Moonset: 3:36 AM Eastern Moonrise: 6:37 PM Eastern
Sunrise: 5:20 AM Eastern Sunset: 8:48 PM Eastern
Location: Friends’ home in Cornwall ON Date: 2017-07-06 Time: 10:38 PM - 10:50 PM EDT Temperature: 17° C Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS Magnification: x10 Transparency: very good (5) Seeing: very good (5) |
![]() |
Clear cloudless night with no wind. Saturn could be seen below the Moon.
Craters:
Clavius (shadowed but could see craters inside/beside it)
Eastern half of Grimaldi. Its eastern edge was well lit with crater floor in darkness. Maybe Hevelius above it (?)
Also identified Kepler, Schikard, Tycho
Sinus:
Aestuum, Medii, Rorus (next to Frigoris)
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (78.0%)
Moonset: 2:07 AM Eastern Moonrise: 3:54 PM Eastern
Sunrise: 5:27 AM Eastern Sunset: 8:55 PM Eastern
Location: Cottage on Bob’s Lake, South Frontenac, ON
Date: 2017-07-03
Time: 9:37 PM EDT
Temperature: 16° C
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS + 15x70
Magnification: x10 + x15
Transparency: very good (5)
Seeing: very good (5)
Clear windless night with just a few clouds. Could see the Moon through the treetops. Had to move around as the Moon moved to view the terminus. Disappointed that I couldn’t stay out later - limited viewing due to the tree canopy, even from the end of the dock.
Craters: Mares: |
![]() |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (50.1%)
First Quarter: 8:52 PM
Moonset: 12:41 AM Moonrise: 12:48 PM
Sunrise: 5:18 AM Sunset: 8:55 PM
Location: Ottawa, ON at RASC General Assembly (GA) Date: 2017-06-30 Time: ~ 8:45 PM EDT Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS Magnification: x10 Transparency: not recorded Seeing: not recorded |
![]() |
Travelling by bus from Ottawa to the Diefenbunker, I noticed the Quarter Moon high in the sky. I couldn’t make out any details other than the fact it was a 1/4 Moon.
I took out my binoculars and attempted to look at the terminator. Despite the image stabilization feature of the binoculars, the bus bounced too much to get a good look. There was no time to look at the Moon when we arrived and when we came out of the Diefenbunker it had clouded over. No Ottawa Star Party at the Ottawa GA.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (29.4%)
Moonrise: 10:47 AM
Sunrise: 5:32 AM Sunset: 9:05 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-06-28
Time: 9:48 PM – 10:08 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS + 15x70
Magnification: x10 + x15
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Mares: Craters: A strange looking large crater directly below Piccolomini – pale with a greyish crater edge and a dark spot in its centre (Stiborius or Wohler?). |
![]() |
Constellation: Cassiopeia, Corona Borealis, Delphinus, Scorpius, Ursa Major, Virgo
Asterism: Keystone of Hercules, Square of Pegasus, Teapot
Messier Object: M6 (Butterfly Cluster), M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M11 (Wild Duck Cluster), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M20 (Trifid Nebula), M21, M22, M25 (IC4725)
Planets: Jupiter, Saturn
Satellites: (2)
Failed Attempt to Find: M54, M58, M69, M70, Sagitta
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2017-06-26 - 2017-06-27
Time: 9:50 PM - 1:30 AM
Temperature: 20° C - 18° C
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS + Binoculars 15x70
Magnification: x10 + x15
Transparency: Excellent (5)
Seeing: Excellent (5)
Clear skies with only a few clouds. No wind. A few fireflies in the greenery near the shore. While Jerry was setting up his time lapse equipment, I was getting my bearings and determining the stars that rose in the night sky visually first.
However, my first order of business was to look at the Moon while it was still up high enough above the tree line at SCO. Not much time for Explore the Moon (Binocular) - June 26, 2017.
M70 |
![]() |
10:00 PM Given sky conditions on any given night, we appreciated that only one of these methods might be used. Tonight's excellent seeing and transparency meant both could successfully be used. |
![]() |
10:10 PM
For the second time in a month, Scorpius was well above the horizon and at about a 45° angle in the sky. θ and η were about 5° to 10° above the horizon; this was the brightest and highest I can recall seeing this constellation at home in Nova Scotia!
Adjacent to Scorpius was the Teapot (the asterism in Sagittarius). It, too, was at about 5° to 10° declination and was completely horizontal! Ascella and Kaus Borealis were level with the horizon and Kaus Borealis pointed straight up. Never saw it level before. Came close in Utah. All stars within the asterism were very easily located and identified.
10:15 PM - 10:26 PM
According to SkySafariPro, Jupiter was located in Virgo. Located Spica. Jupiter was bright and at a similar declination to Spica. Virgo seemingly wrapped her arm around the planet. Saturn was also visible this evening. Found Saturn adjacent to Antares in Scorpius.
10:42 PM
I noticed a satellite going across my visual field from West to East. My phone identified it as Taingong.
11:02 PM
Was looking in the general area of Virgo when an iridium flare caught my eye travelling SW to NE above Spica towards Jupiter.
11:16 PM
With the Teapot so high and level against the horizon, it was easy to find M6 (Butterfly Cluster) by going 1.5 FOV from Kaus Borealis.
11:18 PM
I decided that given Spica was so bright, I would use my S&T Pocket Atlas to identify the other stars in this constellation.
Not disappointed!
a) 109, τ, &mu:, and Syrma/ι were the first stars in addition to Spica that I could see.
b) Next came ξ, Vindemiatrix, Porrima. Vindemiatrix was particularly bright.
10:30 PM
Started at Kaus Borealis and followed a line to the midpoint in the spout, then the same distance to M8. M20 was just a little above M8 in the same FOV. This was not difficult to find given the excellent sky conditions.
10:37 PM
Could see all the stars in the Big Dipper naked eye; did not use binoculars. Polaris was easily found using the Dipper's pointer stars. I did not attempt to find Ursa Minor stars this evening.
11:28 PM
I knew Delphinus was near Altair and Cygnus. Found the stars naked eye but it did take a while to locate all 5 star. When I tried using my binoculars, there were too many stars for these untrained eyes to single out the 5 stars of Delphinus.
11:38 PM
I turned around toward the Warm Room and storage shed to see Cassiopeia and 3 of the 4 stars in the Square of Pegasus. I visually drew a line from Schedar towards Alpheratz and guessed where M31 was located. I was lucky in that I found it as soon as I held up my binoculars. The oval shape of the Galaxy was grey with a slightly brighter centre. I did not look for the remaining parts of Pegasus at this time.
12:02 AM 12:05 AM |
![]() |
![]() |
1:40 AM NOTE: Later on June 27, 2017, Dave Chapman told us M11 is sometimes referred to as the "golf ball" as some of the stars adjacent to it seemingly form a "golf club". In reviewing the photos Jerry took earlier, we were easily able to identify both the ball and the club. Note that the club is upside-down so to speak. |
![]() |
Phase: Waxing Crescent (10.4%) Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO) Moonrise: 8:28 AM Moonset: 11:13 PM |
![]() |
Cloudless night. When we arrived at SCO, the sliver of a Moon was peeking through the evergreens. There wasn't much time before it disappeared. I was able to find Mare Crisium (the western shore still in shadow at the terminator), Cleomedes, the Gang of 4 and several other craters in the lower segment of the crescent. The remaining surface of the Moon was dark but the 'full' Moon could be seen (Earthshine). When it disappeared, I went on to general observing. Here are the notes for General Session - June 26-27, 2017. |
Constellation: Cygnus, Ursa Minor
Asterism: Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster, Summer Triangle / DAVe
Messier Object: M13 (Hercules Cluster)
Planets: Jupiter
Location: home
Date: 2017-06-25
Time: 8:35 PM - 8:42 PM + 1:30 AM - 2:30 AM
Temperature: 11° C - 6° C
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: Fair(2) to Good (3)
Seeing: Fair (2) to Good (3)
Clear except for a high haze that Halifax light pollution seemed to bounce off of.
8:35 PM - 8:42 PM
The early part of this session was finding a few objects for Explore the Moon (Binocular) (June 25, 2017)
At some point in the later portion of the observing session, I noted how easily the Summer Triangle could be seen - Deneb in Cygnus, Altair in Aquila and Vega in Lyra. After finding the stars of the Triangle, I then looked at their related constellations briefly.
1:38 AM
I was able to locate the Keystone of Hercules using the Corona Borealis as the pointer. Looking between η and ζ Herculis, I found the small grey fuzzy known as M13, a.k.a. the Hercules Cluster. Couldn't make out the star field definition.
1:47 AM
Could only find Polaris, Pherkad and Kochab in Ursa Minor. Could not find the other stars either naked eye or with my binoculars.
1:57 AM
From Albireo, I went 1/2 FOV and found the Coathanger. All 10 stars of the asterism were easily found.
2:02 AM
In Cygnus, I followed the stars from Deneb down to Albireo. Although I could find the two stars of Albireo in my binoculars, I couldn't distinguish the blue and yellow.
2:10 AM
Jupiter was easily identified. I found it basically at the same declination as Arcturus. It was quite bright! Didn't make note of the location of its 4 moons.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (4.3%)
Moonrise: 7:18 AM Moonset: 10:25 PM
Sunrise: 5:30 AM Sunset: 9:05 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-06-25
Time: 8:38 PM
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
![]() |
I looked westward out our bedroom window to see a sliver of a Moon hanging just above the treeline, with a bit of a rough edge on the terminator. Grabbed my binoculars and ran outside only to find the Moon had disappeared. I went back in thinking I was too low to see it in the backyard, only to find it had disappeared from View. So much for viewing it. :( Following this session, I went back in the house for a few hours. I went back out in the wee hours of the morning to continue observing other celestial bodies. Look at General Session - June 25-26, 2017. |
![]() |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (89.2%) Moonset: 5:39 AM CDT Moonrise: 7:02 PM CDT Location: Sandy Beach Campground, Iowa (near Cedar Rapids) |
Very clear skies, no cloud. Amazing night! We had frozen the night before in the Rocky Mountains but on this evening we wore shorts and t-shirts to watch the night skies evolve. Set up our camp chairs next to the tent in the open field and enjoyed watching the Moon rise. Earth's Shadow and the Belt of Venus were bonuses. The fireflies in the field’s hedging that spread before us and along the river's edge twinkled like mini-Christmas lights.
![]() |
Craters: Mare: Crisium, Fecunditatis, Frigoris, Humorum, Nectaris, Nubium, Oceanus Procellarum, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis Sinus: Aestuum, Iridum (NW edge showed well-lit Montes Jura), Medii Montes: |
Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent (76.3%)
Moonset: 6:06 AM MDT Moonrise: 7:01 PM MDT
Sunrise: 8:34 AM MDT Sunset: 11:29 PM MDT
Location: Aspenglen Campground, Rocky Mountain National Park
Date: 2017-06-04
Time: 8:17 PM MDT
Temperature: 9° C
Equipment: Binoculars 15x70
Magnification: x15
Transparency: excellent (5)
Seeing: excellent (5)
Clear skies, no cloud. The temperature went down to -2º C overnight; we were not prepared for such low temperatures so we were quite cold come morning.
Craters: Mare: Crisium, Frigoris, Imbrium, Nectaris, Nubium, Serenitatis, Sinus Iridum, Tranquilitatis Montes: |
![]() |
Craters:
Clavius, Kepler, Plato, Tycho.
Very white Gang of 4.
Mare: Crisium, Frigoris, Imbrium, Nectaris, Nubium, Serenitatis, Sinus Iridum, Tranquilitatis
Montes:
Jura: well-illuminated as was Sinus Iridum.
Promontorium Laplace and Promontorium Heraclides: Had to look up the names of the 2 promontories; they were well lit and were quite striking.
Phase: Waxing Crescent (46.3%)
Location: Demotte Campground in Grand Canyon National Park
Date: 2017-05-31
Time: 8:37 PM MDT
Equipment: Binoculars, 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Seeing: poor
Transparency: poor
Moonset: 1:20 AM MDT Moonrise: 12:31 PM
Sunrise: 6:13 AM MDT Sunset: 8:40 PM MDT
Mostly cloudy, but it did clear our late in the evening.
Mare: Mare Crisium, Mare Fecunditatis, Mare Nectaris, Mare Serenitatis, Mare Tranquilitatis
Craters:
Aristoteles and Eudoxus on the upper edge of the terminator were easily seen.
The 'Gang of Four' appear as white circles on the surface with no definition of features.
Phase: Waxing Crescent (35.7%)
Location: The Gonzo Inn, Moab, Utah
Date: 2017-05-30
Time: 9:25 PM (MT)
Equipment: Binoculars, 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Seeing: good
Transparency: good (when clear)
Temperature: 21° C
Mostly clear sky with occasional cloud. I stood at an outdoor causeway between units at the hotel and had a clear view of the Moon. No Earth shine.
Moonset: 12:30 AM Moonrise: 11:13 AM
Sunrise: 5:56 AM Sunset: 8:35 PM
Mare: Mare Fecunditatis, Mare Nectaris, Mare Tranquilitatis
Craters: Catharina, Cyrillus, Theophilis.
Theophilis and Cyrilius are a little more than 1/3 down the terminator.
On one of the evenings while staying in Moab, Utah, I drove to the Dead Horse Point State Park to take in the sights from the elevation. While at the Grand View Point on the park, there was a beautiful panorama of the Earth's Shadow and the Belt of Venus. A father and son were taking time-lapse of the view but had no idea what they seeing. They thanked me for explaining the colour change that they attributed to clouds and they couldn't wait to process their video. The Colorado River is below (centre). In the back left rising above the landscape are the La Sal Mountains; unfortunately, the roads into the mountains were closed due to construction when I was there. The square pools of water seen in front and below the mountains are potash drying pools.
I left Grand View Point as it started to get dark. Not sure I wanted to drive the narrow winding road in the dark, especially with the possibility of not seeing cattle on the road in time.
Constellation: Scorpius, Ursa Major
Asterism: Teapot
Planets: Jupiter with 4 moons
Messier: M44 (Beehive Cluster)
Location: Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab, Utah
Date: 2017-05-27
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Instrument: Telescope (type and eyepieces used unknown)
Transparency: Excellent!
Seeing: Excellent!
Temperature: 14° C - 12° C
Elevation: 5,900 ft / 1,800 m
No clouds, just a light breeze.
I had made arrangements with Red Rock Astronomy to have a sky tour while in Moab. Alex, the proprietor, set up in a small, elevated, open field. Absolutely incredible 360° view of the land around us from our location. It was such an "oh wow" moment to see astronomical objects almost at eye level and to see them so far above the horizon, especially Scorpius! And the stars were so pinpoint!
Alex was showing the group several objects in the night sky through his telescope, proving information about and at times the associated star lore. Because of the number in attendance and the time he allotted for the session, participants only had 15 seconds at the eyepiece. I had this brief view of M44 (Beehive Cluster).
|
Jupiter Time: 10:12 PM Instrument: Telescope The planet and its 4 Moons were so so clear! Could even see the Red Spot! |
Scorpius Time: 10:20 PM Instrument: Visual + Telescope S&T Chart Ref: 56, 58, J I was paying attention to the Big Dipper and watching the stars come out as the sky darkened to identify Polaris. I literally turned around on the spot I was standing and there was Scorpius in all its glory completely above the horizon! Every star in the constellation was found and were very bight and non-twinkling against the night sky. Theta (θ) and Eta (η) were above the horizon at approximately 20° declination. It was so exciting to see!! No words could describe how amazing it was to see this constellation so high in the sky compared to what we see in Nova Scotia. |
![]() |
Teapot in Sagittarius
Time: 10:10 PM
Instrument: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 66, 67, 68, 69, I
I was excited, thrilled, in a state of disbelief to see the Teapot with Ascella and Kaus Australis almost horizontal and at 20° declination. I have never seen it so high nor so clear and bright against the dark sky. Incredible! Couldn't help but stare at it for several minutes while Alex set up his telescope.
![]() |
We were on our way to Moab, Utah for Jerry to attend Ron Risman's 4-day time-lapse workshop. En route, we decided to camp at Mesa Verde National Park in New Mexico. It was an interesting to go to the cave city and visit the site where people lived halfway up from the Valley and half way down from the top of the mesa. They had to climb up or down with food, water and all other things needed for their village to thrive and to build. Interesting history told by a Ranger who just loved this park and who declined offers to move to other national parks. |
Constellation: Aquila, Boötes, Leo, Lyra, Scorpius
Asterism: Teapot
Planets: Jupiter
Messier Object: M22, M24
Location: Mesa Verde National Park, New Mexico
Date: 2017-05-25
Time: 10 PM + 12:00 AM
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: Excellent!
Seeing: Excellent!
Elevation: 8,427 ft / 2,569 m
10:00 PM
I was able to find all the stars within Leo. Denebola was the star that initially caught my eyes on the way back from the Ranger talk
12:00 AM
Looked at the sky from the campsite itself. Clear skies until clouds moved in later in the AM.
Noted Altair, Alshain, Tanazed and Delta; didn't look further along the constellation to find the remaining stars. Arcturus was very bright against the dark skies. Able to visually locate all the stars in Lyra. Located Scorpius (original notes taken were not detailed).
Jupiter also located in Virgo near Porrima.
I found the Teapot. I looked up from its lid star (Kaus Borealis) at a 45º angle. I found the little "Y" star formation using the binoculars and just past it was the little fuzzy known as M22. I then started at Kaus Australis and extended an imaginary line to Kaus Media. I used the binoculars to find M224 twice that distance above Kaus Media.
Constellation: Corvus
Location: The Villages, FL
Date: 2017-05-16
Time: 9:20 PM - 9:25 PM
Instrument: Visual
Transparency: good (3)
Seeing: good (3)
Temperature: 16° C
Clear skies, no clouds. On a visit with family in The Villages on our way to Moab, UT for hubby to attend an astroimaging course. Was surprised to find it given we were in a very well lit suburban area.
Conjunction: Moon-Jupiter-Spica
Asterisms: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster
Constellation: Gemini, Leo
Location: Home
Date: 2017-05-08
Time: 11:00 PM - 11:45 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: good
Seeing: good
Temperature: -6° C
Semi-cloudy skies until binoculars revealed a haziness (high cloud or humidity). The Moon in particular reflected light onto the clouds.
Coathanger / Collinder 399
Time: 11:00 PM
Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Despite the atmospheric conditions, all stars in the Coathanger were easily found.
Leo Sounds of a loon calling out on Second Lake - a beautiful accompaniment. |
|
Conjunction - Moon-Jupiter-Spica Time: 11:35 PM Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS Magnification: x10 Spica was barely visible as a point of light. Jupiter was quite bright and due to the atmospheric conditions appeared as a 'twinkle' in my binocular view. |
![]() |
Gemini
Time: 11:35 PM
Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS
S&T Chart Reference: 23, 25
Could easily see Castor and Pollux but the haze made it difficult to see the other stars in the constellation that was found at approximately 45º declination.
Phase: Waxing Gibbous (57.9%)
Location: Home
Date: 2017-01-31
Time: 5:30 - 9:30 PM
Equipment: 8" Meade LX200
Magnification: unknown
Seeing:
Transparency:
-3°C at 5:30 PM, -6°C at 8:25 PM.
Clear sky, little or no wind and no clouds throughout the session. Following the session where the Moon features were identified and logged, it was General Session - March 6, 2017.
Moonset: 2:18 AM Moonrise: 12:06 PM
Sunrise: 6:43 AM Sunset: 6:09 PM
Clavius:
A large, dark centred crater at the south end of the terminus; much smaller craters south of Clavius.
Tycho:
Didn't see the rays you see during the Full Moon or later in the Moon's cycle. It looked like a flower - Tycho was the centre with smaller craters circling it like petals.
Eratosthenes:
The Apennine Mountains in their entirety could be seen this evening. This crater was at its southern tip. Quite large with a central peak.
Plato:
Located on the NE shore of Mare Imbrium. Large, dark centre with well-lit jagged rim.
Located Mare Nubium.
Explore the Moon (Binocular) - March 6, 2017
Conjunction: Mars-Uranus-Venus
Asterisms: Winter Circle, Winter Triangle
Location: Home
Date: 2017-03-06
Time: 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars (10x30 IS + 15x70)
Magnification: x10 + x15
Transparency: good
Seeing: good
Temperature: -6° C
Clear skies; little if any breeze. This session began with looking for objects in the RASC Explore the Moon (binocular) program. I then went looking for constellations and the conjunction.
Conjunction: Mars-Uranus-Venus |
![]() |
Winter Circle At 6:45 PM, Orion couldn't be easily seen because of the brightness of the Moon. At 8:15 PM, it was very visible. All the stars of the Circle were clearly and easily viewed - Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon, Pollux, Castor. NOTE: The night before, I could only see Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran and Sirius due to the thin cloud cover and the First Quarter Moon. |
|
Winter Triangle Time: 9:16 PM Instrument: Visual Dave Chapman had emailed the Halifax Centre Discussion List to remind us there was also a Winter Triangle - Procyon, Sirius & Betelgeuse. Tonight this asterism appeared to be an equilateral triangle. |
![]() |
Phase: First Quarter (55.8%)
Location: Home
Date: 2017-03-05
Time: 7:33 PM - 9:40 PM
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Seeing:
Transparency:
Hazy sky, -12°C, windy. This session was followed by General Session - March 5, 2017
Moonrise: 11:14 AM Moonset: 1:14 PM
Sunrise: 6:45 AM Sunset: 6:08 PM
Montes Apennine:
Apennine Mountains very easily seen; caught your eye because of their brightness.
Mare Located:
Fecunditatis, Frigoris, Nectaris, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis, Vaporum
Craters: Alphonsus, Arzachel, Klein and Ptolomaeus plus two small craters were on the lower half of the terminus. Upper part of the terminus was rough (craters? mountains?) compared to the terminus between Ptolomaeus and this feature. |
![]() |
Visual: Thin cloud plus perhaps the First Quarter Moon made for poor visibility of the Winter Circle but was able to see some of the stars around the Moon plus the adjacent Pleiades. NOTE: The dark line across the image is not an astronomical feature; it was the line drawn between this sketch and the one above. |
![]() |
Explore the Moon (Binocular) - March 5, 2017
Constellation: Boötes
Asterism: Winter Circle
Stars: Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran, Sirius
Messier Object: M45 (Pleaides)
Location: Home
Date: 2017-03-05
Time: 7:30 - 9:45 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
This session began with looking for objects in the RASC Explore the Moon (binocular program). I then went looking for constellations and DSOs. The First Quarter Moon was centred in the Winter Circle, but was able to identify some of the brighter stars - Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran and Sirius.
M45 (Pleiades) Time: 9:25 PM Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS Thin cloud and First Quarter Moon limited visibility but was able to see the 5 brightest stars of the Pleiades. Looked like a small, misshapen Big Dipper through the hazy clouds. The typical Pleiades brightness and beauty was lost under these conditions. |
![]() |
Boötes |
![]() |
Phase: Waxing Crescent (17.1%)
Location: Home
Date: 2017-01-31
Time: 7:10 - 7:30r PM
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
Clear sky, -5°C. This was part of General Session - January 31, 2017 .
Moonrise: 9:32 AM Moonset: 9:35 PM
Sunrise: 7:35 AM Sunset: 5:22 PM
Conjunction of Moon - Mars - Venus: This was first observed low on the horizon. Seen from our bedroom window. The Moon and Venus were easily discernible compared to Mars. According to the 2017 RASC Observer's Handbook, they should fit in a 6° circle in the evening sky. All 3 objects were visible in the same FOV in my binoculars. |
![]() |
Constellation: Auriga, Canis Major, Cassiopeia, Gemini, Leo, Orion, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Asterisms: Kemble's Cascade, Sickle Asterism in Leo, Winter Circle
Stars: Aldebaran, α & β Orionus, Polaris
Messier Object: M42 (Orion Nebula), M43, M45 (Pleaides)
Star Cluster: Hyades (Melotte 25, Collinder 50, Caldwell 41)
NGC: NGC 1981
Conjunction: Moon-Mars-Venus (Explore the Moon (Binocular) - January 31, 2017)
Location: Home / St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
Date: 2017-01-31
Time: 7:00 PM - 7:30 PM / 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Temperature: -7° C to -6° C
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: Very Good
Seeing: Very Good
An incredibly clear night. Clearer than we have seen in quite a while. Didn't look for M36, M37 or M38 in Auriga. Found an interesting fact online later this evening: this is the site of the anti-Galactic Centre (opposite centre of the Milky Way).
Leo - Sickle Asterism The exciting moment for me this evening was the discovery of Leo over the rooftop of our home. I wondered what the semi-circle of stars were part of anything or whether it was wishful thinking on my part. Come to find out through SkySafariPro that what I was seeing was the sickle. The others stars of the constellation (including Denebola) were hidden by the house. When I attempted to find the constellation on another side of the house, the street lights obscured my view. However, I did clearly see the 5-star sickle asterism that ended in Regulus (α Leo). |
![]() |
M45 (Pleaides) |
Ursa Major / Ursa Minor Time: 8:10 PM Location: SCO Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chat ref: 31, 32, 33, 43, F The little bit of cloud quickly dissipated; Big Dipper and Polaris easily found. Surprised that I could finally see all the stars in the Little Dipper! |
Orion Binoculars |
|
![]() |
Auriga Time: 8:45 PM Location: SCO Instrument: Visual S&T Chat ref: 12 Capella was easy to find in the Winter Circle. The other 5 stars of the constellation were easily visible with naked eye. This constellation wasn't difficult to find regardless of where in the sky they were located. |
Canis Major Time: 8:52 PM Location: SCO Instrument: Visual S&T Chat ref: 7 Didn't look for M41. Sirius was easily detected. From Sirius, I found Mirzam and Adhara. Wizen and Aludra took some time to find naked eye but were eventually found. Didn't find the other stars of the constellation (marked as an 'x' in the sketch). |
![]() |
Cassiopeia + Kemble's Cascade Time: 9:00 PM Location: SCO Instrument: Visual S&T Chat ref: 1, 3, 72 Easily identified all 5 stars visually. used it to locate Kemble's Cascade. Didn't sketch them. |
Hyades (Melotte 25, Collinder 50, Caldwell 41) |
Winter Circle Time: 10:12 PM Location: SCO Instrument: Visual At 8:15 PM, a little cloud cover in the SE soon dissipated to once again reveal Orion and Canis Major. Came back out at 10:15 PM to clear skies and -7° C. The winter circle was so clearly identifiable this beautiful clear night. I was so excited about seeing the circle that, other than Orion and Leo, I didn't locate stars in the other constellations that were so high in the sky. Missed opportunity initially. After observing the Moon-Venus-Mars conjunction, I identified stars in 6 constellations: Orion, Gemini, Auriga, Canis Major, Taurus and Canis Minor. NOTE: Canis Minor couldn't be made out despite Procyon being very visible. |
|
Constellation: Andromeda, Aquila, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Pegasus, Perseus, Triangulum, Ursa Major
Stars: Alpheratz, Deneb, Mirfak, Vega
Asterism: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster, Northern Cross, Square of Pegasus, Summer Triangle / DAVe
Messier Object: M31 (Andromeda Galaxy), M45 (Pleaides)
Melotte: Alpha Persei Cluster (Melotte 25, Collinder 39)
Meteor
Satellite
Location: home
Date: 2016-10-04
Time: 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 6° C
Clear skies and no Moon.
Aquila Time: 9:05 PM Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Ref: 64, 65, 66 Found Altair and most of the stars in Aquila. |
Cygnus / Northern Cross Time: 9:10 PM Instrument: Visual S&T Chart Ref: 62, 63, H Located Deneb in Cygnus then identified the "central" stars that created the Northern Cross. |
Coathanger / Collinder 399 |
Ursa Major Time: 9:25 PM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS Magnification: x10 S&T Chart Ref: 31, 32, 33, 43, F All stars in the constellation except Megrez very easily seen naked eye. Using binoculars, all stars were found including the optical double of Mizar & Alcor. |
Aquila |
Satellite Time: 9:25 PM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS ISS seen travelling NE of Arcturus low in the sky to Alioth in Uma, It disappeared just SW of Mizar. |
Perseus & Alpha Persei Cluster (Melotte 20)
Time: 9:37 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 2, 13
Could easily discern most of the stars in the constellation. Didn't realize there were stars past Epsilon. Mirfak was very bright! Numerous stars clustered near Mirfak - perhaps Alpha Persei Cluster(?). Very loose, very large.
Triangulum Time: 9:45 PM Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS Magnification: x10 S&T Chart Ref: 2, 4 The clear night skies allowed easy recognition of Triangulum. Used the binoculars to go below Cassiopeia to find it. Also located it visually. |
M45 (Pleiades) |
Meteor
|
Andromeda & M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) |
Pegasus Time: 10:15 PM Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS S&T Chart Ref: 74, 75 Square of Pegasus located and could easily see Homam, Baham and Enif as well. ![]() |
Cassiopeia Summer Triangle / DAVe |
Phase: Waxing Gibbous (64.6%)
Location: Home
Date: 2016-09-22
Time: 8:15 - 8:49 AM
Equipment: 8" Meade LX200, 40 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x30
Seeing: good
Transparency: good
Sunny, 14°C.
Moonset: 1:42 PM Moonrise: 11:35 PM
Sunrise: 7:02 AM Sunset: 6:54 PM
Craters:
Now that the sun was up, the features were somewhat bright but not completely washed out. Drew some of the features I saw but I obviously did not make much attempt at identifying them other than Posidonius and Tycho. At this point, I was getting used to the newly acquired 8" Meade SCT "push-to" telescope. With the star diagonal, I was sometimes confused as things were not only backwards (as they should be) but felt as though sometimes they were backwards and upside-down. Don't ask - I can't explain.
Constellation: Andromeda, Aquila, Boötes, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Pegasus, Perseus, Pisces Austrinus
Asterism: Coathanger/Brocchi's Cluster/Collinder 399
Stars: Cap Prima Giedi, Cap Secunda Giedi, Fomalhaut
Messier Object: M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)
Location: home
Date: 2016-09-21
Time: 9:30 PM - 10:40 PM
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: Good
Seeing: Good
Clear, warm night.
![]() |
Perseus: Time: 9:45 PM Equipment: Visual S&T Chart Ref: 2, 13 Tony Schellinck had pointed out Perseus in a talk and observing session in Liverpool earlier this month. Was able to find all the stars in Perseus at that time. This evening, while looking SE while standing on our side deck, Mirfak was quite visible as was Algol but for some reason couldn't see the others as well. Didn't look for them in binoculars. |
Andromeda & M31 (Andromeda Galaxy): Pegasus: |
Aquila: Cygnus & Coathanger: |
Cassiopeia:
Time: 9:55 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 1, 3, 72
Able to locate all 5 stars visually.
Capricornus, Cap Prima Giedi & Cap Secunda Giedi:
Time: 9:55 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
S&T Chart Ref: 66, 68, 77
Found Capricornus visually to locate the portion of the constellation I wanted to look at more closely. Used the binoculars to see Cap Prima Giedi, Cap Secunda Giedi, i.e., Alpha 1&2 and Beta 1&2 (aka Dabih) respectively.
Boötes:
Time: 9:55 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 42, 44, 53, 55
Identified all the stars in Boötes visually.
Pisces Austrinus:
Time: 10:30 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 76, 77, 78, 79
This was a surprise! A discovery in our own backyard! Facing the downhill neighbour's yard, I noticed a very bright star. It didn't appear to be associated with other stars or constellations nearby. SkySafariPro identified the bright star as Fomalhaut in the constellation Pisces Audtrinus. I then looked up the constellation and could identify 7 of the 10 stars comprising the constellation; the other 3 were hidden by the neighbour's trees.
Constellation: Hercules, Libra
Asterism: Keystone of Hercules
Messier Object: M13 (Hercules Cluster)
Location: Site 13, Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site
With Others: Jerry Black
Date: 2016-09-19
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Temperature: 15° C
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
S&T Chart Ref: 46, 57
Transparency: average (3)
Seeing: average (3)
No breeze and only the occasional cloud. Fog rolled in from the west and by 11:00 PM the observing session ended. NOTE: Attempted to find M5 located north of Zubeneschamalli but couldn't due to the fog.
Libra:
Time: 10:30 PM
Looked for Scorpio's Antares and Delta (δ) to get an orientation to begin looking for Libra. I was looking for α (Zubenelgenubi) and β (Zubenschemali) and found them readily, then began looking for other stars within the constellation. Was delighted I could find all of them and that the "weigh scales" were so easily recognizable! Once found, I could find them again using naked eye.
M13 (Hercules Cluster):
Time: 10:36 PM
M13 was readily found next to the Corona Borealis; however, the sky was such that locating and seeing M13 was not possible visually or with the binoculars. Disappointment.
Constellations: Boötes, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Lyra, Ursa Major, Scorpius
Asterisms: Kemble's Cascade
Stars: Arcturus, Capricornus β1 & β2, Capricornus δ1 & δ2, Lyra Epsilon 1&2, Lyra Zeta 6&7, UMa 79, UMa 80
Messier Objects: M4, M20 (Trifid Nebula), M21, M22, M24 (Sagittarius Star Cloud), M25, M57 (Ring Nebula)
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
With Others: Chris Young, Dave Chapman
Date: 2016-09-14
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 PM ADT
Transparency: Very Good
Seeing: Very good
Temperature: 11.5° C
Obtained a ride from Dave Chapman and Chris Young to head off to SCO whereas hubby headed to St. Margaret's Bay for a timelapse session. Windy at first at SCO and then stopped.
M4: (NGC 6121)
Time: 9:45 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 56, 58
Chris Young provided guidance on how to find it. Antares was located low in the sky with Mars and Saturn nearby. The grey circular fuzzy was seen with averted vision at approximately 5 o'clock from Antares.
M20 & M21:
Time: 9:45 PM + 11:37 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS + Thurlow Binoculars
Magnification: x10 + x20
S&T Chart Ref: 67, 69, I
Initially used my binoculars but then used the Thurlow Binoculars with Chris Young's assistance. We were able to clarify the boundaries between M20 and M21. It was much easier with the Thurlow's x20 magnification to make that distinction.
Boötes:
Time: 9:52 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 42, 44, 53, 55
Thanks to Chris Young for identifying this and showing me how to find it by following the arc of the Big Dipper's handle ("arc to Arcturus") then looking for the necktie/kite shape of the constellation. Noted it was adjacent to Corona Borealis and was tilted away from it. Identified stars in the constellation.
M22, M24, & M25:
Time: 10:22 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 67, 69, I
Chris Young and I wanted to get a better sense of location, size and boundary in relation neighbouring Messier objects. We found all 3 objects with our binoculars and had no difficulty in doing so.
To find M22:
It was easy found with Kaus Borealis at about 5 o'clock in the boundary of my FOV, then moved the eyepiece a little NE to view a small Y-shaped asterism with M22 to the left of it. The circular cluster was denser in the centre and fairly bright. Didn't draw the stars in it.
![]() |
![]() |
To find M24: (Sagittarius Star Cloud)
Time: 10:40 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 67, I
We followed the line from Kaus Australis to Kaus Media in the Teapot, then went up 2 twice that distance. We saw a very dense star field that I couldn't fit not 1 FOV.
To find M25:
Time: 11:10 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 67, I
Found a dim patch of diffuse light. Couldn't make out individual stars very well at all. Thanks Chris Young fo helping locate this one!
Lyra:
Time: 11:00 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS + 16" Newtonian Reflector with 8mm eyepiece, f1800, x225 mag
S&T Chart Ref: 63
Thanks to Chris Young! Located Vega then the parallelogram below it visually. All 4 stars of the parallelogram were easily identified but they were pale compared to Vega.
Lyra, Epsilon1 and Epsilon2:
Time: 11:00 PM ADT
Equipment: Binocular 10x30 IS + 16" Newtonian Reflector with 8mm eyepiece, f1800, x225 mag
S&T Chart Ref: 63
Chris Young and Dave Chapman then wanted to show me Epsilon1 and Epsilon2 using binoculars and SCO's 16" reflector telescope.
a) Binoculars: Looke for Vega then moved to Epsilon. Separation was evident albeit blurred.
b) Telescope: Found it in the finder scope, then had to move it slightly to see the "double-double". The pair on the left was horizontal; the pair on the right was vertical.
Lyra, Zeta1 and Zeta2:
Time: 11:10 PM ADT
Equipment: Binocular 10x30 IS + 16" Newtonian Reflector with 8mm eyepiece, f1800, x225 mag
S&T Chart Ref: 63
Found the triangle earlier in the evening with binoculars. Zeta1 and Zeta2 were not sen with binoculars but were viewed wth the telescope. First found it in the finder scope then slightly adjusted it for the eyepiece.
Ursa Major - Alcor (79 UMa) & Mizar (80 UMa):
Time: 11:15 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS + 16" Newtonian Reflector with 8mm eyepiece, f1800, x225 mag
S&T Chart Ref: 42, 44, 53, 55
a)Visual: Found Mizar and Alcor plus a 3rd faint star to the left that would form a triangle, just as I had seen the night before eat the Swiss Air Monument.
b) Binoculars: Found the 2 stars plus a dimmer smaller star to their left to forma triangle.
c) Telescope: I was shown Mizar in the telescope, then was made to find Mizar A and Mizar B using the telescope without the go-to capability. I was able to find them; they were close together with Mizar B located about 4 o'clock to Mizar A.
Kemble's Cascade:
Time: 11:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 11, 13
Thanks to Dave Chapman who introduced this to me.
a) Visual Location: Found Cassiopeia. Drew an imaginary line from Beta to Epsilon, then extended the line the same distance from Epsilon. Saw a faint bright line extending southwards towards the horizon.
b) Binoculars: Put my binoculars up to see what I thought was the start of the Cascade. Saw 4 bright stars in almost a straight line then the multiple well-spaced stars in a cascade towards the horizon and then terminated in stars arranged like the end of a hockey stick. A much brighter star half way down.
Capricornus - β1 & β2, δ1 & δ2:
Time: 11:40 - 11:50 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 66, 68, 77
Dave Chapman agreed to help me find the two sets of double stars in Capricornus - Delta1 and Delta2 plus Beta1 and Beta2. We found the constellation visually then located Delta Capricornus that appears as a single star. However, with binoculars, 2 stars (optical double) appeared with one just slightly above the other. We then looked below them for Beta Capricornus (Dabih). Again 2 stars were visible at this location, one brighter than the other. I failed to draw or explain in my rough notes the relationship of these two stars.
M57: (Ring Nebula)
Time: 11:47 PM ADT
Equipment: SCO Skywatcher 16" Dobsonian, 8 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x225
S&T Chart Ref: 63
Couldn't see this visually with binoculars. The telescope showed a donut-shaped object, more dense on the outer edge and less dense as went closer to the centre opening. NOTE: Also saw this Aug 26/16 at Nova East using mark Dryden's Obsession telescope.
Phase: Waxing Gibbous (75.2%)
Location: Home
Date: 2016-09-12
Time: 8:20 PM start; undocumented end time
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, 40 mm + 30 mm Antares 2" eyepiece
Magnification: x63 + x83
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
Clear sky with only a light wind. First Quarter was 3 days ago at 8:50 AM
Moonset: 2:02 AM Moonrise: 4:58 PM
Sunrise: 6:50 AM Sunset: 7:30 PM
Mare: Mare Hurmorum, Mare Iridum
Craters: Copernicus, Encke, Gassendi + Gassendi A Kepler, Lansberg, Plato, Reinhold, Tycho
![]() |
There was a large protuberance on the terminus in the area of Mare Iridum. I could not identify the lunar feature that would have been illuminated so well. Maybe the Jura Mountains?
|
![]() © Jerry Black - Nikon D800, ISO 100, 1/15 sec @ f/3.5 |
Lunar Phase: 1st Quarter (46.6%) Location: Home |
The evening began with the First Quarter Moon visible above the trees. This evening is to be devoted to Moon watching but will look at constellations and DSOs when we can do so. Jerry has the Meade LX200 set up with his camera so this session for me is through two pairs of binoculars - 10x30 IS and 15x70.
9:00 - 9:30 PM:
Reinforced ability to view the following seas: Crisium, Fecunditatis, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis.
New to my observations tonight were:
a) Mare Vaporum
b) Mare Frigoris & Lacus Somnorium
c) eastern portions of Mare Imbrium
d) Alps Mountains on the north shore of Mare Imbrium
e) Could make out the line of the Apennine Mountains running SW to NE at the bottom of Mare Imbrium and north of Mare Vaporum
f) Could make out the large, oval-shaped crater Petavius on the southern border of Mare Fecunidtatis.
g) Cleomedes was visible above the north shore of Mare Crisium. It wasn't attached to the Mare.
h) Oval-shaped Posidonis was seen on the shore between Mare Serenitatis and Lacus Somnorium.
![]() |
i) Just south of the Alps were the following craters: i- Cassini ii- Aristillus iii- Autolycus (the smallest) iv- Archimedes (the largest) |
![]() |
j) Sinus Medii below which I could easily see the following craters (top to bottom): i- Herschel ii- Hipparchus iii- Halley iv- Ptolomaeus v- Alphonsus vi- Arzachel |
![]() |
9:30 - 9:45 PM: Could see the crater Plato on the terminus. It was bright on the rim (western edge) whereas most of the crater and its eastern edge were in shadow. |
9:45 - 10:00 PM:
My focus was the lower quadrant, trying to identify, if at all, the "Gang of Four" craters. I am quite sure I found Vendilinus and Petavius. If I identified Furnerius, it was the centre of a feature that looked like a mini-Tycho. Was not sure about Langrenus. All the craters were whiter than the surfaces around them; no ridges were detected by shadows.
10:00 - 11:00 PM:
Spent the time on constellations as found in General Session - September 9, 2016
The main purpose of this session was to find lunar objects in the RASC Explore the Moon (Binocular) - September 9, 2016.
Constellations: Boötes, Cassiopeia, Cygnus
Asterism: Big Dipper, Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster
Messier Objects: M31 (Andromeda Galaxy)
Satellite
Location: Home
Date: 2016-09-07
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 PM
Equipment 1: binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: 1: x10
Equipment 2: Meade LX200, 25 mm + 45 mm eyepieces
Magnification: x48 + x27
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
Once the Moon went behind the trees around 10 PM, I turned my attention to the constellations. Also caught site of a satellite.
Boötes: Time: 10:05 PM Equipment: Visual + binoculars 10x30 IS Magnification: x10 Found Arcturus and quickly identified the constellation's brightest stars. |
Big Dipper: |
Satellite: Time: 10:10 PM Equipment: binoculars 10x30 IS Magnification: x10 Moon was still up but hidden by our trees. Satellite seen travelling from neck of Cygnus bear Eta Cygni towards Vega. Disappeared when it approached Vega. |
Cassiopeia & M31 (Andromeda Galaxy): |
Cygnus: Time: unknown Equipment: Visual + binoculars 10x30 IS Magnification: x10 Located Cygnus and saw the double star Albireo with the binoculars. Could also see the 4th star in one of the wings (not both wings unfortunately). |
Coathanger / Collinder 399 / Brocchi's Cluster |
Phase: Waxing Crescent (35.8%)
Location: Home
Date: 2016-09-07
Time: 8 PM start; undocumented end time
Equipment 1: binoculars 10x30 IS
Equipment 2: Meade LX200, 26 mm + 45 mm eyepieces
Magnification: x10
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
Jerry came in to alert me the Moon was high in the sky, i.e., above our trees. He set up the Meade LX200 for me. After polar aligning it for viewing all evening, we used the directional controls to locate the Moon and to find some of its features. Also used my 10x30 IS binoculars. Clear night with no clouds. 19° C.
Moonrise: 12:41 PM Moonset: 10:59 PM
Sunset: 7:40 PM Sunrise: 6:44 AM
Lunar Basins: Impact Craters: |
![]() |
The main purpose of this session was to find objects in the RASC Explore the Moon Observing Program - Explore the Moon (Binocular) - September 7, 2016.
Satellite
Location: Home
Date: 2016-09-07
Time: 8 PM start; undocumented end time
Equipment 1: binoculars 10x30 IS
Equipment 2: Meade LX200, 26 mm + 45 mm eyepieces
Magnification: x10
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
Satellite:
9:30 PM: Moon was still up but was once again hidden by our trees. Noticed the satellite when looking at Lyra. Followed it until it disappeared in the clouds near Altair.
Location: Home
Date: 2016-09-04
Time: 11:47 PM ADT
Instrument: 16" SkyWatcher Dobsonian, 8 mm Plössl
Magnification: x225
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
![]() |
Constellation: Lyra Couldn't locate this visually or with binoculars. Pointed the telescope towards Vega then pushed the scope down until the Ring Nebula was found. It was a ring/donut shape, seemingly more dense on the outer edge and less dense as you went closer to the central opening. |
Explore the Moon (Binocular) - September 3, 2016
Constellations: Aquila, Boötes, Cepheus, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Hercules, Lyra, Pegasus, Scorpius, Triangulum, Ursa Minor
Asterisms: Keystone of Hercules, Summer Triangle, Teapot
Messier Objects: M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster), M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M20 (Triffid Nebula), M21, M45 (Pleaides)
NGC: NGC 869 / NGC 884
Satellites: 3
Meteors: 12
Location: Swiss Air Monument
With Others: Jerry Black
Date: 2016-09-03 to 2016-09-04
Time: 8:00 PM - 2:35 AM ADT
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: High clouds sometimes limited viewing.
Temp: 16° C - 12° C
Fog and cloud on the low south horizon. Sitting on the rocks with Jerry as he does his astro-imaging and we do some visual observations together. As we were setting up for time-lapse imaging and binocular observing respectively, we watched the crescent Moon go down.
Meteors
Time: 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual
Saw 12 throughout the night. No Moon. One lasted 1-2 seconds, quite bright.
Satellites
![]() |
Summer Triangle (astronomical asterism) Located the brightest stars in Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila - Deneb, Vega and Altair respectively. |
Boötes Time: 8:45 PM ADT Equipment: Visual S&T Chart Ref: 42, 44, 53, 55 Located the Big Dipper then arced to Arcturus to locate and identify the stars in this constellation. |
|
Ursa Minor
Time: 8:50 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 41, 51
No low clouds but occasional high clouds impeded the view. Located the North Star (Polaris) then followed the stars to the bucket. I could easily see Zeta, β and Gamma UMi but not Eta UMi. This was the second night I had difficulty seeing it.
Cepheus (The King)
Time: 8:53 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 71, 73
Found between Cassiopeia and Cygnus, adjacent to Polaris. I knew Cepheus' roof pointed towards Polaris, so began my visual search near Cassiopeia and Polaris. Found it! I only looked for the stars that were brightest and formed the "house". Must look for other stars on a clearer night and when light pollution is not a factor.
NGC 869 / NGC 884
Time: 9:08 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 1, 2, 13
Viewed this with Jerry. Confirmed I knew how to find the double cluster.
Sagittarius
All stars of the Teapot were easily seen above the clouds on the horizon. Mars, Saturn and Antares were in close proximity.
M7: (Ptolemy Cluster, NGC 6475)
Time: 9:18 PM
Equipment: Visual
Magnification:
S&T Chart Ref: 58, 67, 69, I
Easily found it visually as a very large and bright object with direct vision and even brighter with averted vision. Although close to Scorpius, found it easier to find using the Teapot. Numerous stars with very bright core and those outside the core were equally as bright. Not as resplendent as the Pleiades - but close!
M8: (Lagoon Nebula)
Time: 9:27 PM
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 67, 69, I
Started at Kaus Australis and continued to the mid-point of the spout, then an equal distance again to M8 (or extend the line from the spout 2 FOVs). A line of 5 bright stars highlighted the object and its oblong shape. Through binoculars, I could see the brightness and the grey of the surrounding stars. In same FOV as M20.
![]() |
M20: (Trifid Nebula) Started at Kaus Australis in the Teapot and continued to the mid-point of the spout, then an equal distance again to M20. In same FOV but just slightly above M8. The stars didn't appear as bright as those in M8. Looked like the brighter stars formed a shape similar to M13 then had a large grouping just off-centre. Star field looked somewhat circular and a fuzzy grey. Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M020 (NGC 6514 / Trifid Nebula) - September 3, 2016 |
M21:
Time: 9:27 PM
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 67, 69, I
Found M20 and M21 in close proximity and in same FOV. Given their proximity, wasn't sure that both were seen versus only M20. There was a small greyish, mottled area NE of M20 that led me to believe I did see it. Couldn't discern bright stars in M21 as I had in M20. I didn't sketch it.
M13: (Hercules Cluster)
Time: 10:13 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 52, 54
Found Corona Borealis then the Keystone of Hercules then M13 with direct vision then with the 10x30 binoculars.
M45: (Pleiades)
Time: 11:00 PM
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Chart Ref: 14, 15, A
Because of the light pollution towards Halifax, we had to wait until it was higher in the sky to observe (~ 60°). Used averted vision to view it brighter in the sky than seen by direct viewing. Binoculars allowed viewing of the brighter "sisters" and "parents" with some of the secondary stars within. Viewed this at 11 PM and again at 2:05 AM.
Triangulum:
Time: 11:00 PM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 2, 4
Confirmed I knew how to find the constellation as taught by Dave Chapman. Due to light pollution from Halifax, had to wait until it was higher in the sky to observe.
Pegasus & Square of Pegasus
Time: 12:22 AM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref:74, 75
I located the Square of Pegasus using Cassiopeia and Andromeda as markers. I was able to see the stars o fate Square, plus some of the other stars of the constellation, but not all. I think I found Enif.
Aquila: (The Eagle)
Time: 1:18 AM
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 64, 65, 66
Sitting and looking at St. Margaret's Bay, I remembered Chris Young saying Altair was in the Eagle (Aquila). This evening, Aquila with its adjacent stars β and γ (gamma) were evident. Looking at SkySafariPro, we determined the location of the other stars in the constellation. We were pleased/thrilled that we were able to find the 3 stars in the head of the Eagle as well as θ (theta), λ (lambda), δ (delta), and ζ (zeta). Didn't search for Eta or Iota (another time?).
Phase: Waxing Crescent (7.2%)
Location: Swiss Air Monument
Date: 2016-09-03
Time: 8:30 PM start; undocumented end time
Equipment: Visual
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
Jerry and I were setting up for time-lapse imaging and binocular observing respectively. We watched as the crescent went down below the horizon as a red-orange sliver. Absolutely breath-taking and so amazing at how quickly it "disappeared" at the horizon. Took a picture of it but Jerry deleted it when formatting the card for time-lapse.
Location: Swiss Air Monument, Peggy's Cove, NS
Date: 2016-09-03
Time: 12:02 AM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 67
Instrument: 10x30 IS binoculars
Magnification: x10
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Fog/Cloud on the horizon impacted viewing lower parts of Scorpius and the Teapot.
I found M8 by going up the midline of the spout from Kaus Australis. M20 was at the top of the FOV with M8. Stars were not as bright s those in M8. It appeared the 4 brightest stars formed a mini-Keystone of Hercules, then had a large grouping just off-centre. The star field looked somewhat circular and a fuzzy grey. Could not discern the dark lanes that are characteristic of this nebula.
![]() |
Constellation: Sagittarius Type:Emission / Reflection Nebula Magnitude: na Distance: 5.2 kly Size: 20' x 20' |
Constellations: Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Hercules, Pegasus, Scorpius, Triangulum, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
Asterisms: Coathanger/ Collander 399, Keystone of Hercules, Square of Pegasus, Teapot
Stars: Albireo, Alcor, Deneb, Mizar
Messier Objects: M13 (Hercules Cluster), M31 (Andromeda), M45 (Pleaides)
NGC: NGC 869 / NGC 884
Location: St. Croix Observatory (SCO)
With Others: Jerry Black, Blair MacDonald, Dave Chapman, Peter Hurley, Art Cole
Date: 2016-09-02
Time: 8:30 PM - 12:30 AM ADT
Transparency: good
Seeing: good
Fog/Clouds on the low horizon initially but they disappeared by 10 PM. 12° C - 16° C. Lights from Halifax/Bedford restricted viewing until objects were higher in the sky. Only made reference to M7 in my notes as a large open cluster framed by several bright stars with numerous less bright/smaller stars within.
|
Ursa Major Only stars of the handle were visible at 8:30 PM. By 8:45 PM the bowl was visible as was Polaris in Ursa Minor. The double stars of Mizar and Alcor were easily seen naked eye and with my binoculars. |
Coathanger / Collander 399 / Brocchi's Cluster Started at Albireo at the top of my FOV then moved another .5-1 FOV and there it was! Could easily put my binoculars up there afterwards and land on or near it. Can also be found 1/3 of the way between Altair & Vega. NOTE: NASA refers to this as an asterism. |
![]() |
|
M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) Found it using the square of Pegasus and its "Andromeda legs". Confirmed faint fuzzy as M31 using my binoculars. An elliptical shape with a bright core and less bright star field around the core. |
M45 / Pleaides / Melotte 22 / "7 Sisters" This wasn't the first time I found the Pleaides, but this was the first time it was so visible and therefore easily seen naked eye. I am always impressed with this open cluster and its beauty. The 7sisters and their parent were very bright with numerous stars surrounding them. It always reminds me of a distorted, shrunken Big Dipper - shorter handle (1 main star) and a smaller squashed bucket. Also refer to Messier Catalogue - M045 ("7 Sisters", Melotte 22) - September 2, 2016 |
![]() |
Triangulum Time: 11:40 PM ADT Equipment: Visual S&T Chart Ref: 2, 4 Look for Andromeda (M31), then find the constellation below Mirach and Almach. Thanks again to Dave Chapman! With naked eye, the 3 brightest stars were very visible and stood out in the dark sky. Delta Triangulum and 7 Triangulum were not seen visually; hope to find them another night. |
![]() |
![]() |
NGC 869 / NGC 884 Thanks to Art Cole for instructions on where to find the double cluster. Both clusters are easily discernible within the same FOV, one just above and to the right of the other. Diffuse field around a bright centre for both NGCs. Found them between Ruchbah of Cassiopeia and Miram of Perseus. I was impressed - very cool! |
Capricornus
Time: 12:30 AM ADT
Equipment: Visual
S&T Chart Ref: 66, 68, 77
Capricornus is located beside Sagittarius outside the Milky Way midway to the Square of Pegasus. Looked like a double "V" - both very broad at the opening with the lower one being much deeper than the upper. Reminded me of a painted clown smile. The constellation also had many stars inside of it. Will have to take a closer look through binoculars.
Thanks to Dave Chapman! He jokingly referred to this constellation as "Orion's underpants." (NOTE: Zits cartoon in 2018 referred to it as "Orion's fanny pack.")
Location: SCO
Date: 2016-09-02
Time: 11:05 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58
Instrument: Visually, 10x30 IS Binocular
Transparency: Very Good (2)
Seeing: Very Good (2)
Found it visually using the stars of Cassiopeia and Pegasus (as shown tome by Tony Schellinck).
With binoculars, I confirmed the faint fuzzy galaxy was elliptical with a bright core. There was a less bright str field that extend quite a distance away from the core.
Location: Home
Date: 2016-09-02
Time: 11:40 PM ADT
Instrument: 10x30 IS Binoculars
Magnification: x10
Transparency: Fair (2)
Seeing: Fair (2)
![]() |
Constellation: Taurus This wasn't the first time I found the Pleaides but it was the first time it was so easily visible in the sky. I am always impressed with this beautiful open cluster! The 7 main "sisters" and their parents were very bright with numerous stars surrounding them. It always reminds me of a shrunken Big Dipper - shorter handle (1 main star) and a smaller squared bucket.* * Roland, an astronomy friend from out West, described the Pleiades as a "shopping cart." I like his descriptor better than my "shrunken Dipper." |
Conjunction: Saturn - Mars - Antares / Venus - Jupiter with "green flash"
Location: 2016 Nova East Star Party, farmer's field near Smileys Provincial Park
Date: 2016-08-27
Time: 8:10 - 8:45 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS + Visual
Magnification: x10
Seeing: very good
Transparency: very good
Dr. Roy Bishop had organized with a local farmer to use the farmer's driveway and adjacent field for viewing. A group attending Nova East drove 5 minutes outside Smiley's Provincial Park to the farm with a direct view facing West.
A partly cloudy sky with wide expanses of clear sky. Warm evening with the sky at the horizon in beautiful orange/peach shades. South of the sunset were Saturn with Mars (@ 7 o'clock to Saturn) and Antares (directly below Saturn and @ 5 o'clock to Mars). The two planets and star were extremely bright and other deep-sky objects also shone brightly (I didn't observe the DSOs).
Venus and Jupiter were visible then briefly covered by clouds before coming back into glorious view. Venus was exceptionally bright and positioned almost directly above a smaller and less bright Jupiter. We watched as the two planets lowered into the horizon - first Jupiter, then Venus. Gem of the night was seeing the ever so brief green flash of Venus at the horizon.
![]() |
![]() |
Messier Object: M7
Location: Slapfoot Beach, Kejimkujik National Park
Date: 2016-07-31
Time: unknown
Equipment: Binocular, 10x30 IS
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
Found M7 while looking for Messier objects near Sagittarius. Made observations of other objects but only recorded seeing the Messier object.
Actual date, time and conditions were not recorded.
Melotte 111 / Coma Star Cluster
Location: SCO
Date: 2016-05-05
Time: 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x420 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Melotte 111 / Coma Star Cluster |
![]() |
Constellation - Gemini
Location: Lower Sackville, NS
Date: 2016-01-31
Time: 8:35 PM AST start time; end time unknown
Equipment: Visual
Magnification: n/a
Seeing: very good
Transparency: very good
-6° C, clear skies. An amazing clear night! With seeing so well, I wanted to determine which of the stars in the constellation could be seen naked eye. Didn't look for M35 at the end of Castor's foot. Couldn't make out the "arms" but the legs were seen after several seconds of looking and blinking (Mebsuta, η (eta), δ (delta), μ (Mu), Mekbuta, ζ (Zeta), and Alhera).
Binoculars confused me because of all the other stars also visible, so I didn't spend any time using them.
Phase - Waning Gibbous (92.3%), 2 days past full Moon on August 29/15
Features Observed: Cleomedes, Mare Crisium, Langrenus, Vendilinus, Petavius, Funerius
Location: Lower Sackville, NS
Date: 2015-08-31
Time: 10:29 PM
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
Constellations: Cassiopeia, Corona Borealis, Cygnus, Delphinus, Hercules, Lyra, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Serpens Galaxy: Andromeda Asterisms: Coathanger/Collander 399/Brocchi's Cluster, Keystone of Hercules, Square of Pegasus, Teapot Stars: Albireo, Lyra Epsilon 1&2 Messier Objects: M6 (Butterfly Nebula), M7 (Ptolemy Cluster), M8 (Lagoon Nebula), M13 (Hercules Cluster), M16 (Eagle Nebula), M17 (Swan Nebula), M22 (NGC 6656), M25 (IC4725), M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) |
![]() |
Location: Nova East Star Party, Smileys Provincial Park
Date: 2015-08-14
Time: 9:35 - 11:30 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Seeing: Very Good
Transparency: Very Good
Clear with occasional clouds. 12° C, humid with little or no wind. I attended Tony Schellinck's binocular table and found quite few objects.
M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) First up was finding Andromeda. By finding Cassiopeia, we used the arrow of the larger 1/2 "W" to find the constellation. He also showed us how to find it using the Square of Pegasus, going over two lines of stars, then going up the 2nd line to the 3rd "star" that's was kind of fuzzy - that was Andromeda. |
![]() |
I followed Tony's directions to find Cygnus naked eye, then the directions on how to locate Albireo - the double star that I could see had a yellow-gold component and the other was blue. |
![]() |
Tony's directions to find the Coathanger:
Locate Deneb, go down the neck of the swan (Cygnus) to Albireo. The Coathanger (aka Collander 399) is ~ 1.5 FOV from Albireo. By going down about 45° from Albireo, we would come down to an upside-down coathanger. This was really cool! It was very easy to see the upside-down hanger - 6 stars forming the straight line of the hanger with 4 stars forming the hook that curved towards the right. It was slanted at about 40° angle in the FOV. The hook began at the 4th star from the left. Thanks, Tony Schellinck!
He also showed us to find Vega in Lyra and the double-double of Lyra1 Epsilon and Lyra2 Epsilon.
Going towards the south end of the Milky Way, he pointed out Serpens, Scorpius and Sagittarius. After explaining two types of star clusters (globular & open) and nebula, he showed us how to find M8, M17, M22 and M25 in Scorpius along with M16 in Serpens and M6 & M7 in Scorpius.
M6 (Butterfly Nebula):
Time: 9:48 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Ref Chart: 56, 58, 67, 69, J
The grey smudge appeared and was easily viewed. There are two ways to find M6:
a) Find Kaus Australis in the Teapot. Go to the right 1 FOV. Put that point on left of FOV and go right for 1/2 FOV. M6 should be in the middle of your view.
b) Take the distance from Theta (θ) to Kaus Media. Following the same direction, go 1.5 times that distance from Kaus Media.
Sketch of M6 can be found at Messier Catalogue - M006 (Butterfly Cluster / NGC 6405) - August 14, 2015
M7: (Ptolemy Cluster, NGC 6475) Sketch of M7 can be found at Messier Catalogue - M007 (NGC 6475) - August 14, 2015 |
![]() ![]() |
M13 (Hercules Cluster)
Time: 9:45 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
S&T Ref Chart: 52, 54
This was my 1st finding of M13. Tony Schellinck said to locate Corona Borealis to locate the Keystone of Hercules. M13 is located on the western side, approximately 1/3 of the way between Eta Hercules and Zeta Hercules. NOTE: Following the curve of the Corona also points to M13.
M16 (Eagle Nebula), M17 (Swan Nebula) & |
![]() |
![]() |
M22: |
![]() |
Delphinus:
|
![]() |
Lyra: |
Location: Smileys Provincial Park (Nova East), NS
Date: 2015-08-14
Time: 9:48 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 58
Instrument: 10x30 IS Binoculars
Transparency: Very Good (4)
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Used the Teapot in Sagittarius to find M6 (thanks to the directions provided by Tony Schellinck).
Started at Kaus Australis then went west 1 FOV. I put that point on the left at 9 o'clock then went west 1/2 FOV. M6 was centred in my binoculars. The grey smudge was easily identified and a few bright areas/stars were seen. There seemed to be a row of 4 stars near one border, a row of 3 stars below it, and a triangle of stars below that.
![]() |
Constellation: Scorpius Type: Open Cluster Magnitude: 4.2 Distance: 2 kly Size: 33.0' |
Location: Smileys Provincial Park (Nova East), NS
Date: 2015-08-14
Time: 9:40 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 59, 67
Instrument: 10x30 IS Binoculars
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Tony Schellinck was teaching us how to star hop using our binoculars at Nova East Star Party.
I found M6 then went 45º to the right. The open cluster appeared with a few bright stars within it. Could also locate this visually by going east from Kaus Australis in the Teapot. What was especially noticeable was the line of 4 stars.
![]() |
Constellation: Scorpius Type: Open Cluster Magnitude: 3.3 Distance: 0.8 kly Size: 80.0' |
Aurora Borealis
Location: Hall's Harbour, NS
Date: 2014-09-12
Time: not recorded
Equipment: Visual + Camera time-lapse
Transparency: Not recorded
Seeing: Not recorded
We had heard the Aurora Borealis would be visible from the northern shores of our province so we headed to Hall's Harbour on the Fundy Shore.
Jerry set up his equipment for time-lapse as the colours would not be seen from our latitude. We couldn't see the vibrant colours but we could see the undulating pale cream bands on the northern horizon. They varied in brightness, height and distance from us. We were very excited to see the Aurora despite it being colourless. Our daughter and son-in-law who resided in Kentville area brought hot chocolate to us on the beach - very much appreciated!! The light on the pier did have some effect on the visibility.
NOTE: I did see a red-green Aurora while camping at Lake Superior Provincial Park in mid-July 1987. My brother and I sat up until the wee hours of the morning chatting and saw them overhead.
Location: 2013 Nova East Star Party, Smiley's Provincial Park (Binocular Table with Tony Schellinck): Sept. 6 - 8, 2015)
Theme: What You see Depends on How You Look
Date: 2015-09-06
Time: 9:20 PM
Equipment: Binoculars (unknown)
Magnification: unknown
Seeing: not recorded
Transparency: not recorded
My first Star Party! Hubby found the RASC Halifax Centre Nova East Star Party online and was interested in going. After initially saying no to going with him, I changed my mind - after all, it was a camping weekend. On Saturday morning, there was a session that was well beyond my comprehension so I went to the observing field to listen to Paul Heath's Walk the Solar System. Along with the children in attendance, I learned a lot! Later that evening, Paul pointed out constellations and special stars in his Sky Tour. This was followed by Tony Schellinck's Binocular Table at which participants were given a pair of binoculars and showed several constellations, their special stars and the Messier targets in them. It was because of these two gentlemen that I was hooked on astronomy!!
Unfortunately, I did not begin to log my observationns until August 2015.