Sunday, August 28, 2011

Observing 08.27.11

Hurricane Irene had sucked all the clouds out into the Atlantic and was piling misery on the heads of friends along the East Coast, but she left us here in Georgia with good clear skies and enough wind to keep the mosquitoes at bay and cool the night. The sky was a little 'soupy', as one of my fellow observers put it, but it was really a good night. Here's what I was able to catch:

Andromeda
  • NGC7686, Herschel 400, Open Cluster
Cepheus
  • NGC6939 & NGC6946, Herschel 400, Open Cluster & Spiral Galaxy
  • NGC7142, Herschel 400, Open Cluster
  • NGC7160, Herschel 400, Open Cluster
  • NGC7510, Herschel 400, Open Cluster
Cygnus
  • M39, Binocular Messier, Open Cluster
  • NGC7044, Herschel 400, Open Cluster
  • NGC7062, Herschel 400, Globular Cluster
Delphinus
  • NGC6905, Herschel 400, Planetary Nebula - When I thought I had it, I used UHC and 0III filters to confirm
Draco
  • M102, Binocular Messsier, Galaxy
Ophiuchus
  • NGC6402 (M14), Globular Cluster
Scutum
  • NGC6712, Globular Cluster
There were several satellites, a few of which presented nice flares before disappearing over the horizon (or, rather, behind the trees). I also enjoyed a couple of meteors, Jupiter with 3 moons and Comet Garradd in Sagitta.

Instruments: 10" f4.7 Dobsonian telescope | Oberwerk 20x80mm binoculars
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