2019, March 12, Tuesday, 01:30 ~ 01:40

DATE UTC: 2019, March 12, Tuesday, 01:30 ~ 01:40
LUNAR DAY: 06
LOCATION: Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA
SUBJECT(S): M41, M47, Cr 121, NGC 1981
EQ: BUSHNELL 10x50 Legacy WP Binoculars
Notes: Found and viewed M41. Could see without averted vision but looked better with. STELLARIUM and my atlas Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas don't jive when it comes to the area around Cr 121 & Udra / Omicron 1 CMa (It is a nice golden star). Looked in on NGC 1981 and could see the crocodile. Easily found M47 as usual. The star cluster looked like nebulosity.
TO DO LIST: Use a telescope to get a better look at M47's star cluster and to find M46.

Donald,

Thanks for your report.

M46 is very close to M47 as you have probably seen in Stellarium - same binocular field. But it is composed of much fainter stars and in binos. M46 looks even more like a faint nebula in low power binoculars than M47 does.

M46 has a nice planetary nebula around one of the stars - telescopic only, not binos.

Good Luck

Joe

I just popped out again at 02:53 and added M44.

Your times were freaking me out until I realized you are using UT. :lol:

The DST time change has my brain scrambled. :D

Congrats on the views, Donald!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bladekeeper

Your times were freaking me out until I realized you are using UT. :lol:

The DST time change has my brain scrambled. :D

Congrats on the views, Donald!

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Do you like how it is in a nice descending order? I have an astronomy book that recommends doing it that way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by seer

Do you like how it is in a nice descending order? I have an astronomy book that recommends doing it that way.

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Works for me! Good and clean and straight to the point.

This is an example of one of mine and my typical format: http://www.astronomyforum.net/astron...es-hammer.html

Though the sky has been so poor the past few months I am largely out of practice. :lol:

It looks good but you can set it up however it works best for you :)
I would list what your seeing conditions and transparency are also.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bladekeeper

Your times were freaking me out until I realized you are using UT. :lol:

The DST time change has my brain scrambled. :D

Congrats on the views, Donald!

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Although UT is the norm for formal astro observation reporting, on AF, I usually list my times as am/pm local time so that people anywhere can more or less relate to it without doing the mental gymnastics.

Joe

Nice brief session Donald! I like your collection of small binoculars and telescopes, although the 15 x 70 is kinda big for binoculars.

Just looked at M44 through my two 70mm scopes a few days ago...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gabby76

It looks good but you can set it up however it works best for you :)
I would list what your seeing conditions and transparency are also.

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I normally do. I use Limiting Magnitude but it slipped my mind last night.