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.