What we saw

This page will be updated frequently as we hold observing sessions. Editor's note: in April, 2008, CAS acquired a 10"-aperture Dobsonian with computer "push-to" control through SAFC funding. This allows us to have a portable telescope to take to school outreach events and on other club trips. To differentiate observations made with it versus the classic 12"-aperture refractor, we named it "Bob the Dob." Several members had already taken informally to referring to the main telescope as "Irv," since its official title is the Irving Church Porter telescope, after its donor. Thus, most log entries from April 2008 onwards refer to "Bob" and "Irv."

Sunday, November 8, 2009

When returning the logbook from data entry, Art did a half-hour of early-evening binocs practice mostly around Cassiopeia: Neptune, OCs Tr2, St2, NGCs 752, 663, 457 (Owl), 864/889 (Double), Ms 15, 31/32, 33, 34, 103, 81, and the Pleiades to end.

Friday, November 6, 2009

A very cold night with moon just past full, but still a good 80-90 visitors. In lieu of the usual lecture the evening began with Pon's excellent gameshow, "Who Wants to Be an Amateur Astronomer?", which was pronounced wonderful fun by all attending. Targets in whatever included Jupiter + 4 moons, Neptune, Uranus, M31/32, M110, Pleiades, Ring Nebula, and the season's first look at M42/43—gotten by both Maya and Lorraine, who also looked at the other open clusters that make up Orion's sword. Maya also got the "37" Cluster (NGC 2169) in after-hours training.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Shianne stopped by for a little bit and got the Delphinus open cluster NGC 6934 ("a cute little cluster in a cute little constellation") and M15.

Monday, October 19, 2009

An attempt to hold early evening training failed, but Art got in an hour of Bob/binocs practice before the clouds arrived: Jupiter + 3 moons for Bob alignment, Neptune, Saturn Nebula, Ms 31/32, 110, 76, 34, and a presumed sighting of asteroid Julia—need a second sighting. After a long search, failed to see the allegedly magn. 7.4 Comet McNaught, and clouds foiled an attempt at galaxy NGC 7331.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

A couple CASers came by to take advantage of the first clear night in eight. Mike+Shianne stayed outside to do some star-trail digital photography; Art did a little Bob/binocs practice, getting M31/32, M33 (in the binocs at Fuertes!--had been thought impossible), the Double Cluster and two other OCs nearby (Tr2 and St2), γ-And., M110, and M76 (in Bob; not binocs-visible). Later on, Maya and Evelyn came by for a bit of training, getting Jupiter but failing a more complex star-hop to M15.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Art came in for some Bob/binocs practice. He failed to get the parabolic comet McNaught but got the open cluster Ste-1 (=δ-Lyr.) and multiple stars ε-Lyr., ζ-Lyr., and γ-And. before Bryan showed up with a friend; two other random passers-by also came up with them, so Irv was got out too. Nickel sky tours given; sundry targets in whatever included Jupiter + moons, OCs NGC 752 and the Owl, Ms 31/32, 110, 57, 8/20, 22, the α-Per. Group, the Saturn Nebula, and Neptune to end. Closed ca. 2115.

(Although the Appel Commons lights were off for Fall Break, some sports event in Schoelkopf Stadium provided just as much light pollution...)

Saturday, October 3, 2009

A nice training night, although the full Moon washed out most everything. Despite that, Lorraine, Maya, Corey, John, Steven, and Kyle were able to get Jupiter, M31, M13, M57, the Owl Cluster, and Albireo.

Friday, September 25, 2009

A clear and cold night that allowed new members Lorraine, Evelyn, Nathalie, and Corey their first chance at "active duty.":-) Irv targets were Jupiter and the Ring Nebula; Bob targets were Jupiter, Andromeda, M13, Albireo, and "a bunch of double stars;" and in the binocs were M31, M13, the Pleiades, Jupiter, Neptune, and more double stars.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

It being clear after a concert, Art stopped by briefly to get the final objects for a Messier marathon: Saturn Nebula, then Ms 2, 73, 72, and 30. Also got Neptune along the way for practice.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Second training night of the year. Nathalie, Evelyn, Lorraine, Hua, Dan, Maya, and Lin all got to do their first star-hop (to Neptune from Deneb Algedi); those who hadn't been at the prior session first did Jupiter; there was learning of constellations; and other targets included M13, M31, Albireo, Arcturus, and the Pleiades—excellent training night! (And among assorted silliness for International Talk Like A Pirate Day, the highlight was clearly the swordfights out on the deck, with theatrical swords that Pon had "acquired" somewhen...)

Friday, September 18, 2009

A nice crowd tonight of about 40 for the talk then 70-80 for viewing. Targets included Jupiter, Neptune, M13, M31/32, M110(!), Albireo, the Saturn Nebula, and the α-Per. Group. We were increasingly toyed with by the clouds and finally forced to close about 2300.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Since Neptune is basically due north of Deneb Algedi all this week, Art stopped by to practice it. Also got Jupiter for realigning Irv's finder, and Uranus; determined that the Helix Nebula is not even visible in the industrial binocs, let alone Irv; but the Saturn Nebula is visible in the industrial binocs although indistinguishable from a star.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Finally got in a first training night, although our eight enthusiastic new members Joe, Sandy, Adidi, Corey, Jen, Erin, Evelyn, and Maya mostly got their first taste of being toyed with by the clouds... (The skies of course cleared about the time they had to leave.) Still, they were all able to get Altair or Jupiter for their first find. For fun Art got Neptune then the amazingly bright Saturn Nebula, at which point Pon brought his family by. They showed them a variety of stuff: M13, M31, Double and Owl clusters, α-Per. Group, Jupiter + moons, and Neptune. (N. B.: Neptune is just visible in the industrial binocs near opposition if you know exactly where to look...)

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Art stopped by briefly for a Shuttle-followed-by-ISS pass in Bob—neat to see two "< 0-mag. stars" chasing one after the other—and did Jupiter and the Owl Cluster just to make it legitimate. (Two of the moons looked almost as close as one of the ε-Lyr. pairs...)

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Due to a mixup, none of the new folks got notice that there would be training so none came. Art got Jupiter and Neptune for fun in Bob, and a weird pattern on Jupiter required getting it in Irv—seems to have been two moonshadows but very indistinct. Stephen brought a friend by and they gave her the nickel sky tour and showed a Bunch O' Stuff: Jupiter + moons, Neptune, M13, Albireo, α-Per. Group, Owl and Double Clusters (latter badly washed out by moonlight), M31 washed out, a barely visible M8/20, and blinded her with the Moon to end.

Friday, September 4, 2009

First meeting for an excited bunch of new freshmen. We saw a crowd of at least 200 people on a clear night with a bright near-full moon. Most deep [sky] objects were washed out, but we saw a great view of Jupiter in both scopes as well as Albireo, the Owl Cluster, a washed-out M31, M13, M103 in Bob, and the moon in binocs.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Cornell's Move-In Day and it rained, for the first time in at least 35 years—the world is clearly coming to an end soon...

It cleared at sunset, although extremely hazy all evening. A quiet first viewing night of the year; about 25-30 visitors. Targets in this, that, or the other: Ms 80, 8/20, 13, 31, 103, 27, 71, 57, and a very iffy M76 in the binocs; the Owl and Double Clusters and NGC 663; the Coathanger; Albireo and ο-Cyg.; and Neptune and the inevitable Jupiter + moons. A big highlight for the eight current CAS members present (Kim, Lisa, Shianne, Art, Brandon, Brian, Mike, and Pon) was meeting guest CAS alums Brian McLeod and Kim Katris McLeod, members from 1984-88 and both club presidents, who had first met at Fuertes and are now both professional astronomers.:-) We had them guest-sign the new logbook...