2023-05-16

• Condition: VG6
• Location: Ammon, Idaho: 43.51, -111.80

9:30PM

• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 306x

• Target: α Geminorum[1]
• Const: Gemini
• RaDec: 7h34m 32°53
• Type: Star (Double)[2]
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 102x

• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 306x

• Target: M 44, Beehive Cluster (Praesepe)[3]
• Const: Cancer
• RaDec: 8h41m +19°35
• Type: Open Cluster[4]
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 34x

• Target: M 81, Bode's Galaxy[5]
• Const: Ursa Major
• RaDec: 9h57m +68°57
• Type: Spiral Galaxy

• Target: M 82, Cigar Galaxy[6]
• Const: Ursa Major
• RaDec: 9h57m +69°34
• Type: Irregular Galaxy
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 34x-70x

• Target: M 104, Sombrero Galaxy[7]
• Const: Virgo
• RaDec: 12h41m -11°44
• Type: Spiral Galaxy
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 34x-70x

We setup in a field of wind turbines not sure if the clouds were going to disperse.

Started off viewing Venus, was able to push to 300x again.

I then moved to Castor, to show them what a splitting a double star is like. We started at low magnifications and worked up until they were able to detect a split.

We were able to get close enough at 300x to see the medium red surface. The color was pretty intense.

By this time, it was dark enough to move on to DSO's, so I moved on to M44.

With Canis Major overhead, I then moved to M81 and M82. I was able to fit both of them snugly in the FOV at 30x. They both said that M82 was easier to see than M81.

We finished by looking at M104. Located δ Corvi, found the "blowing pine tree" asterism just above and used that to locate M104.

[1] α Geminorum (ID)

[2] Star (Double) (ID)

[3] M 44, Beehive Cluster (Praesepe) (ID)

[4] Open Cluster (ID)

[5] M 81, Bode's Galaxy (ID)

[6] M 82, Cigar Galaxy (ID)

[7] M 104, Sombrero Galaxy (ID)