General Session - June 22-23, 2023 (6th Annual Big Muise Island Star Party)

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

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 Time: 10:12 PM Equipment: Visual, Binoculars S&T Chart: 58, 58 Antares was still quite bright. Could also identify Graffias, Dschubba, π Scorpii, σ Scorpii. However, could not see M4. The tail section was still behind trees at the end of the island.

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.

False Comet Time: 12:02 AM - 12:20 AM Equipment: Binoculars S&T Chart: 58 I directed my attention to a specific part of Scorpius' tail known as the False Comet. I had first been introduced to this asterism when in San Pedro de Atacama (by Dave, by the way) and he was now observing it and its various components again with me. Collinder 316: Saw 7 bright stars with numerous others not as bright in a nebulous background. HR 6272 V973 Scorpii: near the 'border' of Collinder 316.  NGC 6231: below Collinder 316. ζ1 and ζ2 Scorpii: Below NGC 6231; the stars were parallel to the horizon.

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.