This session was devoted to lunar observing. Some IWLOP objects were completed. Jerry Black and Frank Logan were astroimaging using their Seestar telescopes while I was using my Meade SCT for visual observing.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (55.6%)
Q-Day: 0
Moonrise: 12:59 PM
Sunrise: 5:39 AM Sunset: 8:45 PM
Objects: IWLOP #009 - Endymion and Mare Humboldtianum; IWLOP #059 - Maniliius; IWLOP L5 - Gartner & Democritus
Others Identified: Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, Hydra, Little Dipper, Lunar X, Lunar V, Ophiuchus, Scorpius
Stars: Antares, Arcturus, Graffias, Polaris, σ Scorpii, 𝝉 Scorpii, 𝛿 Scorpii, Spica
Messier Objects (with binoculars): M4, Moon affected the ability to find M10 & M12 in Ophiuchus
Location: SCO
Date: 2026-05-23/24
Time: 8:30 PM - 1:45 AM ADT
Equipment: 10" Meade SCT, SvBony 30-10 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x250 -x84
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 8º C - 3º C
SQM: 20.12
My main objective was to check a few more items from the IWLOP. I had prepared a list of items to complete:
- 3 items I had not found yet (15, 26, 104)
- 2 Canadian connections - Beals, Plaskett
- 1 Libration (challenge) - L5
- 14 challenges throughout various objectives
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Lunar X and Lunar V Time: 8:55 PM ADT Dave Chapman had alerted our RASC Centre of the Lunar X being visible tonight. Jerry found the Lunar X using the scope we had purchased from Roy Bishop. I easily found the X and the Lunar V with the Meade SCT. I then used my iPhone 17 Pro Max to take a handheld photo through the eyepiece to capture them both along the terminator. |
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I then set about finding the objects and challenges I had identified earlier in the day and was able to complete the following:
IWLOP #009 – Endymion & Mare Humboldtianum - This second observing session for this item allowed me to finish Challenge #2 regarding hte unnamed craters around Endymion.
IWLOP L05 (Libration Object): Gartner & Democritus - This second observing session for this item allowed me to finish the Challenge regarding Arnold, Cusanus and Petermann.
IWLOP #059 - Manilius - This second observing session for this item allowed me to finish Challenge #2 regarding the rays across the Mare floor.
10:30 PM ADT
SQM: 20.12
Temperature: 3º C
Because the other items on my to-do list were not illuminated, I decided to try the Messier Catalogue. Unfortunately, the telescope mount was having challenges so opted for naked eye and 10x42 IS Binocular searches for constellations, asterisms and stars.
