December 2008 Archives

19 Lyncis (Struve 1062)

Sketch of 19 Lyncis (Struve 1062) Observation Notes: The two main stars in this attractive multiple provided me with another unusual color contrast. The primary appeared yellow next to a rich blue secondary. Both stars are B class, so the appearance of the primary is illusory. I made measurements...

12 Lyncis (Struve 948)

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Sketch of 12 Lyncis (Struve 948) Observation Notes: 12 Lyncis was a great triple star system. Color contrast was very nice--the primary appeared pale yellow, with a pale blue secondary hugging it. The tertiary appeared to be dull orange. They made for a very striking sight at 120X and...
The way the contours of this galaxy danced and materialized with increased dark adaptation, averted vision, and patience was particularly enjoyable. When I first centered my telescope on the galaxy, it was easy to spot and appeared elongated with a strongly condensed core. With time spent at the eyepiece, the...

NGC 891

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Sketch of NGC 891 Observation Notes: This large, edge-on galaxy is no friend of man-made light sources. It was not difficult to find, but was still rather subtle from my back yard. It appeared as a slender, soft brightening of the sky and shared space with one rather distracting...

Jupiter-Europa Transit: DEC 6/7, 2008

Digital Sketch: Jupiter-Europa Transit Entry Move mouse over sketch above to view Europa's motion.Click for larger version. Observation Notes: I brought the telescope out at sunset to view the moon and Venus with the kids. I tried to locate Jupiter in the still-bright sky with no success. I went...

NGC 7331

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Sketch of NGC 7331 Observation Notes: I have glanced at and passed over this galaxy a number of times on my way to other nearby sights, such as Stephan's Quintet. On this evening, I finally settled down for a nice, long look at it. Although I would have loved to...
Tonight's conjunction was a beautiful sight in the dwindling twilight. McMillan Mesa provided a wide open view of the western horizon as the lunar-planetary trio sunk lower. Thin cirrus, and a fresh contrail added color and interesting geometry to an already stunning scene. To cope with the wide dynamic...

The Cerulean Arc

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