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[timothy]

Hi All Astronomers
5" newt eq
No moon
clear
winds calm
transparency 5
LVM 4.3
seeing5

I originally went out with the intention of finding more galaxys, but nothing targeted tonight. I started out early at twilight and targeted saturn. It shoud up quite clearly along with about 5 of the moons ( I showed my 12 year old daughter for about the 4th time and all of a sudden she gasps " I can see the rings !
By the time I set up my scope it was getting dark and I took a look at the Orion belt cluster with binoculars. It showed me a good 100 or so stars tonight. Very cool.
Next I went after M65-66 in Leo, no luck, Then I tried the virgo galaxy cluster, again no luck.
Went back to Orion because about a month ago I found this really cool star pattern about 2 degrees WSW of Zeta Orionis. There are 7 stars in a long triangle, two of the stars are close, possiby a double, another the are extreamly close as in barely splittable.
Now to M53. A globulsr cluster in Coma Berenices, close to the star Alpha Comae Berenices. It was nice seeing a globular again. I started out at 60x to locate it went through 120x, 150x and 180x . The best view was at 180x where i began to resolve some individual stars

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

It looked like an excellent night for some observation, but I didn't have the time.

I am glad you took some time out to get some observational time in and share with your daughter the rings of Saturn. Always a cool sight!

I always mention to the people who peer thru my scope, that they are in a special club...in that the majority of humanity has never seen Saturn's rings first hand!

[timothy]

>I always mention to the people who peer thru my scope, that they are in a special club...in that the majority of humanity has never seen Saturn's rings first hand! <


Thats a great idea Joe