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⬅️ Previous capture (2022-06-03)

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Date: 2015-03-25

Seeing: II (Antoniadi)

Transparency: 7 (AAAA)

Telescope: 254 mm f/4.92 Newtonian

Object: M101

Eyepiece: 30mm (42x)

I spent about 30 minutes trying to find this galaxy using my newly acquired Sky Atlas 2000.0. The process of star hopping was very easy, but the 38% waxing crescent moon high overhead made the sky too bright. In the end, I did locate M101, but its appearance was extraordinarily dim. I saw only a faint patch of fuzziness that became apparent initially only via averted vision. I will have to try again on a moonless night.

Object: M42/M43

Eyepiece: 30 mm w/2x Barlow (84x)

Using the Barlow lens, I was able to resolve the four stars of the Trapezium! What an astonishing sight!

Moonlight gave a slightly degraded contrast to the vibrance of the nebula, but the stars within M42 remained as bright and sharp as the last time.

In my 8x50 finderscope, I viewed M45 briefly. I will sketch this later as a catalyst for a detailed description.

Oh, I also resolved the double stars Alcor and Mizar in Ursa Major as part of my star hop to M101. I used my 30 mm eyepiece for that.

Location: east of Antonito, behind my house.

Temperature: -2 degrees C

Objects referenced in the narrative above

M101

M42

M43

M45

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