Observation Log

Objects seen

M1, M3, M4, M5, M7, M8, M10, M12, M13, M16, M17, M20, M22, M27, M31, M33, M34, M35, M36, M38,
M41, M42, M43, M44, M45, M46, M47, M50, M51, M52, M56, M57, M67, M80, M81, M82, M92, M103, M108,
Owl, Helix, California, Veil, Albireo, Double-Cluster, Geminids, Perseids, Sunspots, Venus, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn,
Halley's, Hyakutake, Hale-Bopp, NGC6826 Blinking, NGC6905 Blue Flash, NGC7332 & NGC7339 Galaxies,
1 total & 3 partial lunar-eclipses, Leonid Meteor-storm

Observations
(in reverse-chronological order)

11-18-01 2355
The Leonid meteor-storm was great. I told the folks about it, they called & we watched the show together over the phone. It became a small debate wheather we were viewing the same object as we were approximately 200 miles from each other. I figured that if they vaporize 100 miles up, that should be high enough to be seen from both our viewing sites. It did seem as though meteors I saw lagged their own by about 5 seconds. They traveled about 40 miles/sec so it stands to reason.

We saw one that was pretty phenomenal.. it lit up our faces! Justin & I were lucky to see it best. It had a big halo around it & must have been large. I could almost swear I felt its heat on my cheek. It just skimmed the tops of the trees due south & above Orion. Casey went in after 10 minutes but the other boys stayed out about an hour with me from 0230 to 0330. I taught them about all things astronomy while we watched. I went inside for a half hour then right back out for another 15 minutes or so. All said, the event was rather exciting. Standing alone, I focus my attention to the vastness of space & the insignificance of ourselves.

03-23-97 2300
With Hale-Bopp in the NW, a rising partial-eclipse in the SE, & calling everyone I could think of, I certainly had my hands full! Hale-Bopp is starting to really shine for me as I take it as it is without further comparison to Hyakutake. The Moon had intermittent difficulty rising through the clouds as it entered the umbra. It was almost as spectacular as the last eclipse for me because it sported a thin, white crescent top. As I explained to Casey, "An eclipse is orange with a white hat!". The boys seemed to enjoy it as I showed them the evolution; especially Justin. If I had more time to dedicate to the heavens, I would certainly appreciate life a bit more. I love the sky.

03-20-97 2325
I learned very humbly tonight that the sky is greater in size than I had previously realized. While searching for Hale-Bopp, it was very easy to search in the wrong area. Anyway, Hale-Bopp proved sufficiently exciting. It shouldn't be any longer than August until I buy a long-awaited telescope. I have finally chosen a 12" Meade SCT with the Nagler eyepieces. Since Hale-Bopp is at its best during the next few weeks, I must make an effort to view it as much as I possibly can while the weather holds. Hyakutake was many times over a better object to see. I sure hope that Hale-Bopp improves.

09-26-96 2240
Tonight's total lunar eclipse started slowly as the Moon rose above Seattle's hazy pollution. The skies were almost totally clear and the seeing was very good. Technically, totality began at about 1919 and lasted until 2029. But as this was my first total lunar eclipse, it seemed much longer. I failed to fully differentiate the penumbral duration. Saturn was about 6° southwest of the moon and I caught its rings and one of its moons. The eclipse was absolutely spectacular! The moon appeared ruddy-orange with a very small crescent of white on its northeastern limb. The best view came as it emerged from the Earth's umbral shadow. The thin, white crescent grew rapidly and the edge of earth's shadow was extremely prominent. Very, very cool! I presented the boys periodic glimpses. Casey was astonished; Justin was enthusiastic; and Chris assimilated his view to what he learned in his classroom today: Indian-pink! The moon sure turned white as I saw the Earth's shadow slowly creep across its face. The shadow was curved. I haven't given much thought that it actually projects out into space all of the time. The Earth is round after all!

08-25-96 0000
I may have discovered the Great Red Spot of Jupiter & maybe a band or two. My firm belief is that I will get no closer to verifying this to be true with my binocular's magnification. I am starting to feel a little experience playing here. Saturn's rings are definitely prominent! Initially I had thought that I spied Mimas; but at Mag 13, I think perhaps not. I can just barely see the background field through the rings on the southern side. I wish for more observing time so that I may further my experience with the night sky. Soon, I will have my 12.5" dob. Although I do not plan on observing nightly, ownership of a scope shall most certainly advantage the time spent looking up!

08-21-96 0115
I made an effort to understand the orientation of Jupiter's moons in relation to my reference programs. I also chased Jupiter into the treetops in hopes of catching Io's occultation reappearance. Not to be as it occurred an hour later. I caught a tumbling satellite's solar reflection. Its regularity certainly surprised me! One good look at Saturn had me believing that I could discern its rings! I'm fairly confident that I had. Here Telescope, telescope, telescope!

08-12-96 0330
Although the Perseids were decent, I expected a bit more from a reliable shower. From 2300 through 0330 I saw about 20 or 30 bright, extended meteors. There seemed to be quite a few sporadics as well. Throughout the night, I was sure hoping that one would land in the field! What astronomical odds of such an event actually happening. M31 at Mag 4 became directly observable as it approached the zenith. The double-cluster at Mag 7 was similar in brightness to M31. Saturn slowly crept skywards making me wish that I could discern its ring structure. Light clouds to the north threatened on occasion but the skies remain clear & seeing was pretty good. Justin, Chris, & Casey saw about two nice meteors each. Casey was really excited if only to be out together under the stars.

08-09-96 0040
Uranus, Neptune, & M101 still proved elusive. The two bodies must surely look like stars. I grabbed Hale-Bopp but could see no tail as of yet. Meteors from the Perseids are picking up a bit. I can hardly wait until Sunday night! Capella is rising in the NE & shimmers in blue & gold.

08-08-96 0110
After a brief scan for Hale-Bopp, I made an attempt to find Uranus & Neptune to no avail. Although seeing was decent & the sky was clear, the skyglow around the southern horizon was fairly bad. I saw a few meteors & one that was spectacular! It travelled south along the Milky-Way & its trail extended almost 30°! It was rather small but very bright & residual.

07-22-96 2100
The Moon was about 37% illuminated so I went out for 30 minutes or so to start familiarizing myself with it. I brought my new moon-map I identifed a few craters. The map is oriented with South at the top; so I had to invert it for proper reference. The most prominent features were Atlas, Hercules, Theophilus, & the many maria. Although the surface seems inviting, I fail to appreciate it yet as I have little experience observing the Moon. I have less knowledge of the names or significance of its features. I believe that the Moon shall eventually become a rich source of pleasure in the future as I commit more time for its exploration.

07-14-96 0400
The Table Mountain Star Party was a resounding success! My first look through a telescope was through a 4" refractor at Io's transit across the face of Jupiter. I could not make out the orb but its shadow quickly migrated along the southern equatorial band. I saw a few festoons but I realize that observing indeed favors an experienced eye. My next object was through Jim's 13" Dobsonian at M13. With a 26mm eyepiece it was wonderful! Though swapping in a 10mm, it was breathtaking & three-dimensional! My 12x80s received much time from all who were gathered around it & Jim's 13". Jim showed me the Lagoon, Trifid, Omega, & Eagle nebulas as I discovered the M22 globular for myself. Hale-Bopp did not show much of a tail as it hovered to the SW of Sagittarius & Jupiter. We moved on to M57, M27, Albireo, & Jim assigned me to find M56. I took a break from the scope to verify these views through my glasses. During this time, I quickly showed those interested in my binoculars M3, M5, M10, M12, M31, the aforementioned nebulas, & Hale-Bopp. It really made me feel like I knew the sky to a fair extent. Back at Jim's dob, we viewed the Owl Nebula & M108. Jim & I decided to test a really tight triple star: Iota Cassiopeia. Playing the focus we resolved the three components of Mag 4, Mag 7, & Mag 9. One gentleman showed us the Veil Nebula. I went off to verify the Veil for myself through my binoculars. It was extremely faint, but visible nonetheless. I also confirmed the California Nebula & Helix Nebula.

Then, I wandered out among the other observers & their scopes. It was like a carnival! Telescopes were everywhere! Big ones, little ones, & in every shade imaginable. I checked Saturn for the first time in a huge 8" refractor. It seemed tilted almost to the vertical with a peppering of moons. I'm not so sure that I saw the Cassini-division but it was spectacular! Yellowish with thin rings, it was the indeed the gem of our system. I walked back to our own area to see M51 & M33. Then Jim got a bit wild with some often overlooked objects: the Blinking Nebula, the Blue Flash in Delphinus, & the Johnny-Five cluster. We looked at Saturn in a 24" Dobsonian at about 900x! The humor was well intended. Few of us could keep it centered long enough to focus it -- & when we did, it was boiling! Almost dawn & Venus has risen. I walked off once again to find a 8 to 12" Schmitt-Cassegrain. I found an older 8" Celestron & the owner was happy to talk to me concerning the pros & cons of his type of scope. He showed me M13, M27, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, & a very nice double: Gamma Andromeda, which looked alot like Albireo. M27 was the only object to appear diminished in this scope as compared with the dobsonians. The other objects however, definately rivaled the dobs. Venus appeared as a crescent which I later confirmed in my binoculars.

I have learned much in my first night of observing the heavens through real hardware. I have Jim to thank for his patient teaching & commitment to providing a wonderful introduction. I believe that to the many suggestions that I purchase a dob-newt to start with, I shall indeed. I have been pouring over my Orion & Adorama catalogs compiling my purchase list. I'll call Jim in a day or so to ask a few questions concerning coma abberations & to price the goods for me. I will most probably purchase Orion's Premium 12.5" Dobsonian with a 2" Crayford focuser, a Telrad (of course), a 20mm Nagler2 2", a 16mm Nagler2 2"/1.25", a 12mm Nagler2 2"/1.25", & an aluminium accessory case. The price comes to over $2200 but I think Jim may be able get it down to around $1700. I should have these items by September as I plan on meeting Jim back on Table Mountain that month. Wow!!

06-25-96 0130
Although I have located M57, alas, I cannot resolve the ring's structure. I suppose its brightness is simply too low for such a small object through my glasses. Next, I identified Antares & while looking around Scorpius I stumbled upon M4! Jupiter was my last stop for the night. Rising in Sagittarius, I can almost discern equatorial flattening. I shall check the orbital periods of the Galileans as I really should catch one occulting another. After a brief pause, I went back out to check if Europa & Io had moved. They had not. But with my observational experience mounting, I nailed M27. The Dumbbell Nebula! I couldn't quite match the surrounding stars to my atlas but am positive that I saw M27.

03-25-96 0200
I spent time during the last couple of nights focusing my observing sessions almost entirely on comet Hyakutake. This periodic is nothing short of an amazing sight through my 80mm glasses. This evening, it was high in the sky (about 10° NE of Alkaid) & the dust tail extended through Alkaid for well over 35°! I also saw a mini-tail thrown from the condensate itself which extended to the south edge of the coma. It seems to travel over 20° every 24 hours or almost a degree per hour; blazing! Unfortunately, I have no statistics on Hyakutake but anticipate extensive coverage in upcoming issues of Astronomy magazine. I must admit, comet Hyakutake is by far, the best object I have ever seen. I've shown it to almost everyone I know. It will be interesting to see how it loops around Sol. I snapped a roll of 400-ASA at varying exposures to gain a feel for astrophotography. I hope that I get a few nice pictures back after developing. I tried the following sequential exposures:

Tele-Far: 2secs, 10, 20, 40, 80;
Tele-Near: 10, 20, 40, 80;
Standard: 10, 20, 40, 2, 80, 160, 3, 10;
Tele-Far: 14, 160;
Tele-Near: 10, 20.

03-21-96 0130
I heard yesterday on the radio that a comet, discovered in January was to be the brightest in 20 years! Furthermore, it was about 10° SE of Arcturus & would be only a few degrees away from Alkaid at the end of the Big Dipper's handle by the weekend. North of Arcturus I found M3 & searched NNE in vain for almost 15 minutes until I looked all around Arcturus in desperation. Comet Hyakutake was outstanding! It hovered about 12° SE of Arcturus & its central condensate, or core was extremely bright. The coma was very large & spherical but alas, I could not make out the tail. The light pollution was terrible as there were many clouds in the sky tonight. Nonetheless, I am very excited about finding my second comet! I remember seeing Halley's Comet back in 1986 & comet Hyakutake simply is one of the best objects I have ever viewed.

02-11-96 0030
Since it has cleared up after two weeks of rain, I setup a mini-marathon for myself tonight. Mostly new objects for me. M35 in Gemini was among the most revealing objects on the list, as was M41 & M47 in Sirius, M34 in Perseus, & M36 & M38 in Auriga. M44 in Cancer, M42 in Orion, M103 in Cassiopeia, & the Double-Cluster in Perseus were pretty cool. M46 & M50 in Sirius, & M67 in Cancer, & M31 - the Andromeda Galaxy were fair sights also. The Crab Nebula - M1 was just barely visible. M52 in Cassiopeia, was diminished & I tried in vain to locate the globular cluster M79 to the S of Orion. Seeing was average & it was fairly cold tonight. I am happy that I could find most of the objects I planned on viewing with much ease. About a week ago, Venus passed Saturn within a degree or two & the view was exhilarating! Soon I will anxiously start viewing Sol again. M42 was extraordinary! I can hardly wait for the day when I finally purchase a scope!

12-13-95 0000
Coming home around 2310 tonight, I looked to the north to see two meteors within a second or two from each other. They both travelled to the NW & were about the same in magnitude, angle of attack, trail length, & origin. I saw them in two separate glances & they appeared to be approximately 8° from each other. This just happens to be the peak of the Geminids! Pretty cool.

12-6-95 1800
Around 1715 I saw brilliant Venus shining in all its glory! It flickered quite a bit as the weather was not good. It was only about 8 to 10° above the SW horizon's treeline but surprisingly, it seemed fairly high.

11-26-95 0200
I went out with the boys just before sunset to see the showing of Venus, Mars, & Jupiter. When I first found Venus, I should have known that it wasn't Jupiter as it was blazing! It also must have been almost fully illuminated. I located Jupiter about 15 min before it set behind a wall-cloud. Mars was spotted a bit before Jupiter disappeared & I could see neither with my naked eye. Jupiter was markedly round but was very dim as it was within 8° E of the western horizon & Venus. Mars was also very dim but definately reddish in color. Venus was a good 10° off the horizon. The sun set around 1625 but I didn't watch it dip as the wall-cloud was thick just above the distant mountains. Justin saw all that I did. Chris saw all but Mars. Even though Casey saw the Moon & Venus, Luna was a thick sliver of a waxing crescent & of course he liked it best of all.

11-18-95 0100
The power went out tonight due to windy conditions so light pollution was at its very minimum. M42 was exceptional, almost bright-green & seemingly like a bird in flight! The double-cluster in Perseus literally jumped out at me! The Andromeda Galaxy was definately visible with my naked-eye. The Crab stood out just a bit more & appeared to be embossed. I even caught a few Leonids. Generally there were many more stars down to around Mag 8 with my eyes alone. Seeing was about a III. I don't know to what extent the wind would make in seeing as opposed to the obvious factor that thermal currents would degrade viewing conditions. Overall, the session was pretty cool. It was windy & clouds were constantly blowing through, but the night sky was just peppered with the pinpoints of distant stars. It made me wish that I lived in Arizona with more free time available.

10-28-95 2330
At about 1805 I saw Venus as it was just about to settle into the treetops. I continued to view it for the next 10 minutes before it was lost. Tonight, I also believe I caught M1 for the very first time. About a degree NW of Zeta Taurus I could only perceive M1 as a very dark gray blob with thick radiating spokes; very challenging!

10-26-95 0130
Sat out for almost an hour trying to catch the last of the Orionids. I saw five & about seven sporadics. Reclining in a squat lawn chair without binoculars, my eyes acclimated & I could barely make out M31! Seeing was mid-range but the pollution is terrible.

09-19-95 2215
After going out almost every day for a week, I was seeing spots! Sunspots that is. Three small spots in a linear configuration in Sol's NE quadrant a little of its equator. Fighting light cloud-cover for two days, they came into view. The reason they are not prolific now is because they peak on an 11-year cycle & the last peak was in 1990. Trying to find spots in mid-1995 is an impatient proposition. Tonight after working out, I went out again for a half-hour or so. I caught a globular in Hercules but don't know which one as I have lost my bearings. I could make a positive identification if I had the initiative though. Albireo was as beautiful as ever & I did a double-take on the Double Cluster as I absorbed myself a bit in the thought of the U's (Universe) spatial-depth. Saturn is bright through the scopes & presents a continued challenge to the astimatism of my optics. I just wonder if I could really make out the rings later.

09-17-95 0250
Went out for only about 20 minutes to see the Pleiades (M45), Andromeda Galaxy (M31), & Saturn. Also caught Perseus's Double Cluster. Hit Luna's waning third quarter for quick peek.

09-15-95 1240
I viewed Sol with my new solar filters for about 30 minutes this afternoon. Although I saw a white feature in the SW quadrant, unbelievably there were no sunspots. Subsequent attempts will be made during the next few days to strengthen my confidence in the filters.

09-02-95 0105
I spent from dusk focusing on the Moon's first quarter. Last night, the Moon was about three or four degrees N of Jupiter. Tonight however, it was about 18° E of Jupiter. I had not realized before that the Moon orbits the Earth so fast! Jupiter was sighted in the very early twilight. First, one moon appeared; then another. For another couple of hours, my attention turned to Luna's terminator. I patiently waited for it to advance eastward & swallow some of the peaks of lunar-mountains with bathing sunlight. I believe my actual survey focused a bit later so I lost the Moon in the trees before I thought I really saw some eastward movement of the terminator.

08-31-95 0000
Just out to see Saturn tonight. It had a noticeably smaller disk than Jupiter's. Saturn was rather yellow & I could not see the rings as they will be edge-on for about another couple of months. Hopefully, my 12x80s can make them out then. I sought M13 & M92 but had lost my bearings & saw but one. I realized that Pegasus was up & found M31 fairly quickly. It was a much better sight high in the East than it was setting in the Northwest five or six months ago.

07-12-95 0040
Went out for about 30 minutes to check Luna. Full moon, very bright. No clouds, no wind. There seemed a peculiar vibration around the entire limb, similar to heat-waves. Two stars about 2° E of the Eastern Limb. It didn't really appear to close the distance & it makes me wonder of an axial occultation's period. I took Justin out a couple of weeks ago to see Jupiter & Albireo. Afterwards, he drew a picture from memory. I believe he saw two or three of the Galilean's & also separated the two components of Albireo! His observations were inline with my account.

06-02-95 0020
I ventured out only to verify Ceres. I saw it immediately! Mag 8.6 sure is dim. There's quite a bit of difference between Mag 8 & 8.6. I can state with much confidence that I have found my first asteroid! Seeing was about a II due to clouds moving in from the West. I stayed out only about 20 minutes. I think that the discovery of Ceres' visibility came to me at the right time as it is relatively close to a major star (Epsilon Leo). Cool.

06-01-95 0045
Checked my drawing against the sky & within 15 minutes had Ceres! A definite movement Eastward about 0.5° SE of Epsilon Leo. A quick reference to the 8th magnitude star between the two components of Zeta Ursa Major, Mizar & Alcor. I drew a tighter set for tomorrow's comparison. M3, M13, & M92 were quickies until I reset my position & lingered a bit on Albireo & Jupiter. I caught three Galileans & really started to feel as if it was closer & a bit more tangible. Sure was bright; enough to use my anti-glaring technique. Seeing was almost a I! Arcturus did not even shimmer! Still, the pollution is the only thing at fault.

05-31-95 0020
Went out for a couple of hours with a single goal: find Ceres. I spent a good deal of time matching the sky presentation to my atlas. Finally, after a few trips into the house to consult my computer & retrieve a notepad, I just sketched my 4.5° field of view for comparison on the next few nights. Before packing it up, I saw three of Jupiter's moons at ^0200 & the other ^0830. That was a sight!

05-30-95 0040
Just a recap on most of my known objects in the spring sky tonight. M3, M10, M12, M13, & M92. M51, M81, & M82. Albireo was very nice. No luck on M57 in Lyra. I must reference my atlas. I caught Perseus' double cluster plus Jupiter & three Galileans. I used a new viewing technique to reduce Jupiter's glare & astigmatism to limited success by viewing the edge of the exit pupil.

05-29-95 0200
Seeing was about a II. I showed Shelley some sights: Mizar & Alcor, Albireo, M13, Jupiter & four Galileans. Albireo resolved perfectly into its two components and is very beautiful! Looked for M57 in Lyra but not with much effort.

05-21-95 0130
Tonight I started with the usual, gazing up to get my bearings then viewing a couple of objects I'm familiar with. Seeing was almost a II & focus was good but the pollution makes me angry; plus some clouds started to move in from the south. M51 was first (I skipped M80 & M81), M13, M92, M3, & M5 rounded out my first set. I also visited Virgo for a couple of galaxies but didn't catch much so I moved on. I almost mistook Serpens for Cygnus but then I searched for M10 & M12. I think M10 is a bit brighter than M12, particularly in the condensed region but they're both listed around Mag 6.6. I tried two or three times to find M14 but it remained elusive for a while because it sits at Mag 7.6 & lack experience & familiarity. But there it was. My belief is that my current level supports objects around Mag 8. I can barely pick out some galaxies around Mag 9 or 10 in Virgo. I cannot however distinguish any characteristics beyond faint smudges almost looking like nebulosity. Nonetheless, three new objects! Jupiter sported only two Galileans tonight & I almost thought I saw three at first; but when I adjusted my tripod, I think it was occulted. Either way, I must make an effort to catch one of Jupiter's moons appearing or disappearing.

05-20-95 1245
The first object tonight was M44. It was pretty low in the west. Next, I familiarized myself with Bootes & Canes Venatici. I located M3 and could even see it with the naked eye! Pretty tough though because of the pollution & I could not have found it without binoculars. I checked out Virgo to see if I could find some galaxies around Mag 10. I saw some smudges which I believe were some galaxies indeed! I moved to Hercules & saw M13 again. For comparison, I found M92 for the first time. Almost as bright & just a bit smaller than M13. I quickly panned to each. Now I've got four globulars under my belt & am confident I can see more without a telescope. I just wish I could resolve them. Mars is just a couple of degrees from Regulus & alot dimmer than in February at opposition. Jupiter presents all four Galileans.

05-19-95 0105
Went out for about an hour. Quickly viewed M81 & M82. Then M51 was next but brief. Poked around Cassiopeia a bit. Saw an open cluster but I don't think it was Perseus' double because I couldn't find the other one. Caught M13 once again then on to Jupiter. I couldn't focus on Jupiter. The seeing was great but it was too bright! Too bad I have trouble focusing. I am under the consideration of sending the 12x80s in to Celestron to check them out. It seems as though I never can get them focused well enough & I notice an astigmatism to them also.

05-07-95 0200
Its been cloudy for about a month. I went out with much confidence. I viewed the Moon's 1st quarter for over an hour while playing my focus. Then I searched for M81 & M82. Faint smudges further from Dubhe than I anticipated. Then I figured I should be able to find M51. I used my new two-legged tilting technique with my tripod & found it! Slightly elongated but very, very faint. Next, it took a long time to identify Hercules & locate M13; but once I found it, I had no problem from then on. I think it may just have been pollution. It was late but I wanted to catch Jupiter before retiring. I caught a few minutes before it hid behind a tree. So I just waited it out by scanning southward. I found a globular cluster & raced into the house to identify it! M5. Jupiter peeked out from behind the tree so I checked it out a bit. Clouds from the south faded in & out covering Jupiter intermittently while I pretended I was looking at a fast variable star!