General Session - July 28, 2017

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
Time: 8:35 PM 
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS 
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58, J
Scorpius could be seen but it was only the stars above Antares - ν, Graffias, δ, π, ρ and σ.

Jupiter & Moon
Time: 9:29 PM 
Instrument: Visual
The Moon was about 60º declination and Jupiter was readily seen below it. Not sketched.
Moon with Jupiter below. ©Jerry Black
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
Time: 10:35 PM 
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS 
S&TChart Reference: 75
Melody Hamilton showed this constellation to me and Liz Greenough. I read later this was referred to as "Equus Primus" as it rises before Pegasus. Melody had us look below Cygnus and below Delphinus for a formation of 4 stars, the upper 2 relatively close and the other 2 further apart. I was able to see it and then attempted to find it with my binoculars. Visually, ε was difficult to find but found it with the binoculars.

      

Sagittarius
Time: 10:47 PM 
Instrument: Visual + Binocular 10x30 IS 
S&T Chart Reference: 66, 67, 68, 69, I
Peaking out of the clouds were 5 stars of the Teapot - Kaus Borealis, Kaus Media, Kaus Australis, Almasa and φ. A search for nearby Messier objects was possible.

M8: Found but no details recorded.
M20 (Trifid Nebula): Found but no details recorded. 
M22: Easily found near Kaus Borealis but no details recorded.

     

 

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