2024-08-24

• Condition: VG6
• Location: Home, Spearfish: 44.49, -103.87

I think I may have found a way to keep my white charcoal pencils sharp to help me produce nicer stars. Today, I used a knife to shave the wood from the tip of the charcoal core about 1/2 to 3/4ths of an inch from the tip. Then, I used sandpaper to gradually grind the exposed charcoal core into a very sharp tip.

I was doubtful if this was a good idea. It seemed at first like the tip was going to break more easily; but, it might actually be more durable. I wonder if the "twisting" action required by conventional pencil sharpeners actually makes the core more brittle.

I'm much more pleased with the outcome of the stars in tonight's sketches.

09:41PM

• Target: Dolidze 27[1]
• Const: Ophiuchus
• RaDec: 16h36m -08.56
• Type: Open Cluster[2]
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 55x
• Class: III 2 p
• Image: ../images/2024-08-24_Dolidze27.jpg[3]

Very sparse cluster. I had to pan around it a bit to confirm that I was actually looking at a cluster.

[1] Dolidze 27 (ID)

[2] Open Cluster (ID)

[3] ../images/2024-08-24_Dolidze27.jpg

09:58PM

• Target: M 31, Andromeda Galaxy[1]
• Const: Andromeda
• RaDec: 00h42m +41.16
• Type: Spiral Galaxy
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 55x
• Image: ../images/2024-08-24_M31.jpg[2]

I wanted an excuse to stay out longer and decided to attempt a nicer sketch of M 31. M 32 is just visible on the left edge of the sketch. M 110 eluded me.

[1] M 31, Andromeda Galaxy (ID)

[2] ../images/2024-08-24_M31.jpg

10:36PM

• Target: T Coronae Borealis[1]
• Const: Corona Borealis
• RaDec: 16h00m +25.55
• Type: Star (Variable)[2]
• Scope: AT102ED
• Setting: 55x

Still seems close to magnitude 10.1

[1] T Coronae Borealis (ID)

[2] Star (Variable) (ID)