{"id":1319,"date":"2017-07-07T09:13:40","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T13:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=1319"},"modified":"2019-01-17T08:00:09","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T13:00:09","slug":"julaugsep2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2017\/07\/07\/julaugsep2017\/","title":{"rendered":"JulAugSep2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

ASNH Loans a Telescope to Branford\u2019s Blackstone Library for Borrowing by Library Patrons<\/strong><\/h1>\n

In an effort to increase public interest in astronomy, ASNH has loaned a 4.5-inch Orion Starblast telescope to the Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford.  This telescope was generously donated by Greg and Cheryl Barker.  It will be available to be checked out by library users for one week at a time.  On Saturday, June 3, the library held a public event to inaugurate this program.  ASNH President Greg Barker officially presented the telescope to the library and discussed our interest in having community members borrow it and learn about the night sky.  Jim Mazur gave a presentation on how to use to telescope and how to find some objects in the summer sky using an all-sky star chart.  Cheryl Barker and Laurie Averill were also at this event, and after the presentations, all of us met individually with those who came to answer their questions about telescopes and astronomy.  Everyone present also received a star chart for June and eclipse glasses for the August solar eclipse.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Greg Barker presents the telescope to the Blackstone Library.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Jim Mazur answers questions about using the telescope.<\/p><\/div>\n

There were several individuals and families eager to borrow the telescope, and Librarian Katy Dillman held a lottery to select the lucky individual who got to take the telescope home that day.  The others are on a waiting list and will be able to borrow the telescope in their turn over the next several weeks.<\/p>\n

This telescope loan program (and the choice of this particular type of telescope) was patterned after a successful program of this type that was first developed by the New Hampshire Astronomical Society and has spread to many parts of the country.  Here is an article that describes the origins and successes of these programs:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.skyandtelescope.com\/observing\/stargazers-corner\/library-telescope-program-update\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The telescope is very lightweight and portable.  ASNH member Jim Podpolucha modified this telescope to make it more suitable for public use by adding lock nuts to the collimation knobs, attaching cables to the dust covers, and locking the zoom eyepiece in place with setscrews.  The zoom eyepiece provides magnifications from 19x to 56x.  The telescope can give very nice views of the Moon, planets, double stars, and the brighter deep-sky objects.  It comes with a carrying bag, an instruction manual, a star chart for the current month, and a pocket guide to the constellations that recommends suitable targets for each season of the year.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Some of those who are planning to borrow the telescope are families with young children.  We hope that the chance to use a telescope and view the wonders of the night sky will stimulate an interest in astronomy in the younger generation.  We encouraged those present to come to the ASNH observing nights at Young\u2019s Pond Park in Branford and to other ASNH activities.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

April Monthly Meeting<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At the April monthly meeting, Leo Taylor gave a presentation on the Clear Sky Chart website.  This is a service provided by Attilla Danko that gives astronomical weather forecasts for over 5000 locations in the US and Canada. There are Clear Sky Charts for over 40 locations in Connecticut, including Young’s Pond Park, Silver Sands State Park, and the Strang Scout Reservation in Goshen. These three charts are sponsored by periodic contributions from ASNH, since these are sites that we use for observing sessions and the Connecticut Star Party.  If you do observing from elsewhere in Connecticut, there is probably a Clear Sky Chart for a location just a few miles away.<\/p>\n

Each chart gives hour-by-hour predictions about clouds, sky transparency,seeing, wind, etc., for the next two days, based on a weather maps provided by the Canadian Meteorological Center.  Below is an example of a Clear Sky Chart for Silver Sands:<\/p>\n

\"\"The columns show the local time in 24-hour format. Blue represents good conditions for astronomical observing (few clouds, good transparency, etc.), and white represents poor observing conditions.<\/p>\n

Here is the link for the Clear Sky Chart for New Haven:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.cleardarksky.com\/c\/NwHvnCTkey.html?1<\/a><\/p>\n

A list of all the Clear Sky Chart sites in Connecticut can be found here:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.cleardarksky.com\/csk\/prov\/Connecticut_charts.html<\/a><\/p>\n

May Monthly Meeting<\/strong><\/h1>\n

In his ongoing series of constellation posters made by students in his former astronomy classes, Al Washburn presented some nice posters on Andromeda.  There was discussion of some of the main objects of interest in Andromeda.  In addition to Messier 31, the famous Andromeda Galaxy, there is a small but distinct galaxy, NGC 404, that is very close to the star Mirach, and therefore it is relatively easy to locate.  There is also a nice double star, Almaak.<\/p>\n

Allan Sacharow gave a presentation about a wonderful experience he had recently.  One of his former students, Henry Schorz, had on observatory built in California and dedicated it to Allan.  The telescope is a PlaneWave 14-inch CDK on a Bisque MX mount. Henry flew Allan and a friend out to California on first class, and then they were picked up by a limo.  Allan’s son Neil and the grandchildren were also there. There was an elegant dedication ceremony, and Allan was very honored and moved by the whole experience. He was given a T-shirt with the observatory’s name on it. Henry said that he will be installing a camera that will feed to Allan\u2019s homes in Connecticut and Florida.  Congratulations, Al!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Henry Schorz’s observatory dedicated to Allan Sacharow.<\/p><\/div>\n

In other business, Eliezer Cruz, who is a member of the Community Foundation of New Haven, mentioned that there are grants that we could apply for to help finance some other library scopes in the future. This could also pay for insurance in case something happens to the scopes.The future of the Bethany observatory site is still uncertain, but there appears to be genuine interest in the community to preserve and restore the observatory so that it can be available for public use.  A member of the Audubon Society in Stratford offered to let ASNH use a site there for private viewing. He said that it is a peninsula the sticks out into the sound.  First, however, we will try out the New Haven Land Trust site at the Long Wharf Nature Preserve in a members-only observing night on July 14 (rain date July 15).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Observing Jupiter\/Moon Close Conjunction<\/strong><\/h1>\n

by Ray Kaville<\/h3>\n

June 3, 2017 21:00 \u2013 24:00
\nLocation: Driveway in Hamden CT
\nTemperature: Approx. 64\u00b0 and dry
\nSkies clear and a slight breeze. With a jacket it was pretty comfortable even after sunset.
\nGear: Celestron 6\u201d doublet refractor on an Orion Atlas EQ mount; 15×70 Bear binos
\nEyepieces: My trusty old Meade 32mm super plossl. 7mm UO Ortho which was used on both the moon and Jupiter. Three others from Russell Optics in Arizona. A 2\u201d 50mm, 15mm SWA & 18mm SWA.  Happily, all performed very well, but I\u2019m feeling the need for a 10mm and a 5mm.<\/p>\n

\"\"Cheap digital camera image of the conjunction as we saw it.<\/p>\n

After a long and unproductive day I decided to have a freezer pizza for dinner. Can\u2019t say I was lazy, but I was certainly unproductive. I hate freezer pizzas, but at 8pm when you haven\u2019t eaten all day it was pretty good. (didn\u2019t regret it till the next morning) About 8:30pm I decided I had to get the mail and drag the cans in off the curb when I glanced up and spotted a beautiful conjunction between Luna and Jupiter right in front of me. Who knew right? So I tossed a text to our club Prez and let him know about it. Greg was good enough to push me a picture of what Jupiter was doing at that exact moment which helped tremendously (below). Pretty spectacular and very unexpected, but it was a perfect day and they both sat above the tree line. I\u2019d been astronomically constipated for awhile and realized I had to get some gear out.<\/p>\n

So we set up the 15×70 binocs and took a nice view of the pair in my field of view. I was immediately able to detect darkening around the equator and two Jovian moons. Lunar phase was 10 day waxing gibbous with a terminator just west of Copernicus. Very pretty, but I wanted more. So I scoped out a spot in the driveway. The students next door weren\u2019t home, but the inconsiderate neighbor out front was. Thankfully the leaves masked her eternal spotlight now as well as my activities. Yes, they\u2019re very nosy and send their baying hounds out whenever they see me out there.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Copernicus. From http:\/\/www.damianpeach.com\/lunar09.htm<\/a> and very similar to what I saw.<\/p>\n

It was disappointing to find that my widest (new) 2\u201d 50mm plossl ep was not able to get a full view of the pair. I could arrange it for about half Luna and get most of Jupiter with the moons, but only at the extreme edges of the ep. Regardless, the conditions were exceptional compared to most I can recall and after scoping out Jupiter with some low power eps I opted to spend time on Luna. Naturally I had no idea where I was or what I was looking at, but the most amazing crater on the moon was where I stopped. It turned out to be Copernicus. Under low power I was seeing dozens or hundreds of tiny craters and debris all around the opposite sides. The terminator was loaded with detail to explore, and the stepped walls of Copernicus was a feast of detail. The inner wall was just awash with sunlight and the terracing was crystal clear. A peak was visible in the floor area and another tip was just showing itself. You could actually watch details appear and change as the sun\u2019s rays crept down the inner eastern wall.<\/p>\n

As I got my bearings I spotted Eratosthenes and the Appenines. All pretty bright and slightly washed out, but very detailed. I jumped up the power from 38  to 80 and things really popped. The inner wall terracing on Copernicus was distinct and the tops of the  two biggest inner peaks were very clear. Light was washing almost to the floor of the crater now and as I watched it crept ever further. The terracing was multiple (I think about 5 to my count) levels and very erratic in shapes. It was pretty thrilling to see this along with the hundreds of tiny craters outside the main crater itself. On the other side of the crater were piles of rock and rough terrain referred to as the \u2018\u201cdomes\u201d near Milichius\u2019 in Hatfields atlas. The shadowing was powerful. As I explored. the terminator progressed until the floor was about a third illuminated and the second peak was now clearly visible.<\/p>\n

Plato was a tempting target and kept nagging at me, so at this point and I slipped a 7mm UO Ortho in bringing the mag up to about 170. This livened things up a lot. The Mare Plato displays a beautiful landscape with a perfectly flat and smooth floor with a very irregular wall and rough contrasting terrain surrounding it. It is believed this is the result of a large impact which liquefied the area inside the walls, but no internal peaks are visible so it\u2019s possible it was volcanic activity. With the extra power and the clear viewing I was experiencing it was stunning. The collapsed wall was easily visible as were several of the larger small craters.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Montes Alpes were easily visible along with a rille and the Mares Imbrium and Frigoris. Back at Copernicus the floor was close to half way illuminated, the terraced eastern wall was fully illuminated and detailed, and a third smaller peak was now visible. Eratosthenes was showing its twin peaks. Before it got too late I decided to spend more time on Jupiter with the stronger magnification. Its lowering altitude was pushing into the atmospheric soup, but I was able to easily make out the main storm bands with details and several bands nearer the poles. The two visible moons were Ganymede and Callisto, distinctly different in size, and as I watched I noticed a dark spot entering the planet on the side nearest Ganymede. I asked Greg if he knew of any transits at that time, and he sent me a nice image of exactly what I was seeing. Isn\u2019t technology wonderful. The shadows turned out to be from Ganymede and Io. Io was not immediately apparent, but as I looked I noticed a bright white spot on the upper storm band. That was Io, hiding in plain sight.<\/p>\n

We were passing 11pm and Jupiter was merging into the treetops, so time to close down. We got to watch the double shadows and Io transit across half the planet (a Trifecta!), and we got to see some pretty spectacular views on the moon. All this and a very comfortable night. Timing was perfect and so were the skies. Time to get some rest.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Upcoming Public Events<\/strong><\/h1>\n

These events are free and open to the public. If the weather looks questionable for an observing event, check the ASNH website<\/a> before you leave home. There will be a scrolling message on the home page if an event has been cancelled.<\/p>\n

Saturday, August 12, dusk<\/strong>
\nAnsonia Nature Center, Ansonia CT
\nPerseid meteor shower and public observing session<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events for ASNH Members<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Saturday, July 1, dusk<\/strong>
\nTrumbull Nature & Arts Center, Trumbull CT
\nOutreach program: Members and telescopes are needed.
\n(Rain date Sunday, July 2)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday, July 14, dusk<\/strong>
\nNew Haven Land Trust, Long Wharf Nature Preserve
\nObserving night for ASNH members
\n(Rain date Saturday, July 15)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 24<\/strong>
\nStellafane Convention
\nBreezy Hill, Springfield VT<\/p>\n

Friday, September 15, 8:00-10:00pm<\/strong>
\nColchester Land Trust
\nOutreach program: Members and telescopes are needed.
\n(Rain date Saturday, September 16)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday, September 22 – Sunday, September 24<\/strong>
\nConnecticut Star Party
\nEdmund D. Strang Scout Reservation, Goshen CT<\/p>\n

Solar Observing at Ansonia Nature Center<\/strong><\/h1>\n

On Saturday, June 10, a small group did some solar observing at the Ansonia Nature Center.  The event began indoors with a presentation by Bob Carruthers about the Sun–its size, distance, and characteristics.  Bob also explained what features could be observed through the telescopes.  Then the group went outdoors to look through several telescopes.  There were scattered clouds but with enough breaks to get some good looks at the Sun.  There were few if any sunspots, but other features were visible on the solar disk.  One of the attendees brought a beautiful solar telescope that he had built, which attracted everyone’s attention and appreciation. Everyone who needed them were given solar viewing glasses for viewing the August 21 solar eclipse.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Solar observing at the Ansonia Nature Center.<\/p><\/div>\n

Summer Solstice Picnic<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The annual ASNH solstice picnic was held on Saturday June 24 at the pavilion at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden.  We had a good gathering, and it was a sunny and beautiful afternoon. As always, there was plenty of good food, relaxing conversation, music, and some solar observing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Features<\/strong><\/h1>\n

If you have not looked at the newsletter before, check out some of the regular features. There are four useful links in the menu at the top of this page:<\/p>\n

Calendar <\/b> This is a monthly calendar that includes all the scheduled events of ASNH, other regional events of interest, plus the dates and times of noteworthy events in the night sky.<\/p>\n

SkyMap <\/b> This page has a chart of the sky as it appears over the New Haven area at the present date and time. It is constantly updated, so you can go to this page on any clear night to see what is overhead.<\/p>\n

Space Place<\/strong> Read the monthly article from Space Place.<\/p>\n

Directions <\/b>This page gives directions to all the locations where regular activities of ASNH take place, including the monthly meeting, public observing sessions, and the annual Connecticut Star Party.<\/p>\n

Other regular features can be found within these pages:<\/p>\n

Upcoming Public Events <\/strong>Many ASNH events are free and open to the public. These include the monthly meetings and public observing sessions at Young’s Pond Park in Branford and Silver Sands State Park in Milford. This section gives the dates, times, and descriptions of these events.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events for ASNH Members <\/strong>These events are for ASNH members only. Some are private observing nights, and others are outreach events where volunteers are needed with the telescopes and equipment.<\/p>\n

Night Sky Highlights <\/strong>This section lists some objects to observe in the sky during the next few months, whether you are using just your eyes, a pair of binoculars, or a telescope.<\/p>\n

Gallery <\/strong> This section will feature recent photographs of celestial targets taken by ASNH members and others. If you have a picture you want to share with us, please submit it to newsletter@asnh.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Do You Have a Street Light That is Shining Onto Your House?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

by Donna Pursley<\/h3>\n

Many towns in Connecticut have or will be transitioning to LED street lights. Because of the bluer color, these lights can produce more glare. The fixture should be mounted so it is level and not angled in any direction.<\/p>\n

If you have light from a street light shining into your house, most local utilities will install a glare shield for you. I had this done a month back and it works great. Instead of having the light from the street light shining through my house to the back wall, it now doesn\u2019t make it all the way down the driveway.<\/p>\n

The residents in UI and Eversource areas have the ability to call and have a glare shield installed. You call as if you had a street light problem. (You do.) They will need your address, the pole number (big numbers on the pole), and a call back number.<\/p>\n

For UI, call the street light repair line at 203-499-2290.  It took them 1 week from the time I called to come out and install the shield. They never called to ask for more information. My town does not have LED fixtures yet. My problem was that they just installed a taller pole and mounted the light higher which caused it to shine further onto my property.<\/p>\n

For Eversource, call customer service at 800-286-2000, options 1, 3. I don\u2019t live in this area, but I was told that they would install glare shields if someone in their service area called to request one.<\/p>\n

Wallingford Electric said that they would not install a shield. Instead, they said they would consider taking down the light. Maybe a better solution?<\/p>\n

The City of New Haven owns and maintains the city\u2019s street lighting system. You can call 203-946-6091 if you have a glare issue. They do not have glare shields but will come out and verify that the light was installed correctly.<\/p>\n

I am interested to hear if anyone else has any experiences with street lights. You can email me at secretary@asnh.org.<\/p>\n

Some Astronomy Links<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Selected by Ray Kaville<\/h3>\n

If you want to explore images of astronomy and space exploration, a great resource is the NASA Image and Video Library<\/strong>.  You can search for images or videos of a specific object (e.g., Saturn, Andromeda Galaxy).  Most of the images are not copyrighted and can be used for educational and non-commercial purposes, but you should give credit to NASA.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/images.nasa.gov\/#\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is a link to an article with a large poster that displays all the unmanned spacecraft missions through the solar system.  The poster is so detailed that it is hard to read at a normal screen size, but this article includes a zoomable version of the poster.<\/p>\n

http:\/\/bigthink.com\/robby-berman\/a-massive-poster-of-earths-spacecraft-so-far?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1492544618<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Article<\/p>\n

Prints of the poster can be purchased from here:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.popchartlab.com\/collections\/best-sellers<\/a><\/p>\n

Another poster shows the entire history of human space travel:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0211\/4926\/files\/P-Space2_Zoom_0501.jpg?14555061489894755973<\/a><\/p>\n

The International Dark Sky Association<\/strong> has a collection of very nice videos and other products that it sells as part of Project Skyglow.  The video trailers at this link are by themselves worth watching.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/skyglowproject.com\/#new-page<\/a><\/p>\n

The August 21 solar eclipse<\/strong> that will cross the United States is receiving a lot of attention.  Here are some links with information about the eclipse:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.fhwa.dot.gov\/trafficinfo\/eclipse.htm<\/a>
Solar Eclipse 2017 Traffic and transportation information

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FederalHighwayAdmin\/<\/a>
Federal Highway Administration Facebook page

https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/explore\/solar-eclipse-2017\/<\/a>
Ideas and opportunities you can use to enjoy the eclipse

https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2017\/eclipse-2017-nasa-supports-a-unique-opportunity-for-science-in-the-shadow<\/a>
NASA page on using science in the shadow

https:\/\/eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov\/eclipse.html<\/a>
NASA Goddard – Eclipse web site

https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/eclipselive<\/a>
Live coverage from NASA. Excellent page.

https:\/\/eclipse2017.nasa.gov\/eclipse-live-stream<\/a>
Multiple stream sources of Eclipse 2017 related live coverage
 
https:\/\/eclipse2017.nasa.gov\/nasas-eyes<\/a>
Various Desktop and Web based applications for 3D eclipse monitoring<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Night Sky Highlights for July-September 2017<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Solar System<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Perseid Meteor Shower<\/strong>
\nThis great annual meteor shower peaks around Saturday, August 12,<\/strong><\/span> but the many Perseids can be seen throughout the week of August 10-16.  During this week, the waning gibbous Moon will be rising late in the evening, and then shortly after midnight, so the best times to see meteors may be in the evening soon after dark.<\/p>\n

Solar Eclipse
\nMonday, August 21<\/strong>
\nIn Connecticut, this will be a partial eclipse, with about two-thirds of the Sun covered at its maximum.  However, the path of totality stretches across the entire US, and many ASHN members will be going to these locations in the hope of seeing a spectacular total eclipse.  Hoping for clear skies!<\/p>\n

Mercury
\n<\/strong>This elusive planet makes a brief appearance in the western sky after sunset in late July and early August, and it will be farthest from the Sun on July 29.  Mercury also appears in the morning sky for a few days around September 12.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Venus<\/strong>
\nBrilliant Venus can be seen in the eastern sky before dawn throughout the summer months.<\/p>\n

Mars<\/strong>
\nThis is not a good time to view Mars.  It will be close to the Sun during July and August.  By September, Mars will be rising in the east shortly before dawn. On September 16, it will be about 0.3 degrees below Mercury, but this pair will probably be difficult to see with the naked eye in the bright pre-dawn sky.<\/p>\n

Jupiter and Saturn<\/strong>
\nThese two planets will dominate the evening sky throughout the summer months. Jupiter will be the brightest object in the southwestern sky (in Virgo), and Saturn will be in the southeastern sky (in Scorpius and Sagittarius).  Both of these will be well positioned for telescope viewing.<\/p>\n

Uranus<\/strong>
\nUranus is in Pisces, rising around midnight in July, and then rising in the early evening by September.  If you try to spot it with a telescope, this article from the Sky & Telescope<\/em> website includes finder charts for both Uranus and Neptune:<\/p>\n

www.skyandtelescope.com\/observing\/planets\/ice-giants-neptune-and-uranus\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Neptune<\/strong>
\nThis gas giant is in Aquarius this year, and it will be rising late in the evening during July.  Neptune will be at opposition on September 4 (rising just as the Sun sets), so it will be conveniently placed for telescopic observing in the eastern sky once it gets dark.<\/p>\n

Deep Sky Objects<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Summer is an ideal time for looking into the deep sky, and you don\u2019t need an enormous telescope to do so.  Below is a list of some objects that are large and bright enough to be fine targets for binoculars or small telescopes.<\/p>\n

Messier 6, the Butterfly Cluster
\n<\/strong>Open cluster in Scorpius
\nAbout half-way between the tail of Scorpius and the teapot of Sagittarius, Messier 6 is an excellent open cluster to view on a clear dark night.  Through a telescope, this cluster really does look like the outstretched wings of a butterfly.  Can you see the bright red-orange star (a red giant) on the tip of one of the butterfly\u2019s wings?<\/p>\n

Messier 7, Ptolemy\u2019s cluster<\/strong>
\nOpen cluster in Scorpius
\nThis bright cluster is not very hard to see with the naked eye if you know where to look, even from Connecticut, where it is low in the southern sky, just a few degrees to the lower left of Messier 6.  It has been known since ancient times, first recorded by Claudius Ptolemy.  Many blue-white stars can be seen through binoculars or a telescope at low power.<\/p>\n

Messier 8, the Lagoon Nebula
\n<\/strong>Diffuse nebula with open cluster in Sagittarius
\nThis nebula is also pretty easy to see with the naked eye as a fuzzy spot above the spout of the Sagittarius teapot.  The hazy nebula is very easy to see through binoculars, and the open cluster NGC 6530 can be seen on its eastern edge.  The view is quite impressive through a telescope with a wide-field eyepiece.<\/p>\n

Messier 17, the Swan Nebula
\n<\/strong>Diffuse nebula in Sagittarius
\nThis is a bright emission nebula that has the shape of a swan floating on a pond in profile.  Other nicknames are the Checkmark, Omega, or Horseshoe Nebula.  Its shape can even be seen in binoculars, and it does look something like a check mark.<\/p>\n

Messier 22
\n<\/strong>Globular cluster in Sagittarius
\nThrough binoculars, Messier 22 is easy to spot just to the upper left of the star that marks the top of the Sagittarius teapot, appearing as a hazy ball.  M22 is fairly nearby and appears quite large, and even with a telescope of modest size, some of its stars can be resolved if you have a dark location and a clear sky.<\/p>\n

Messier 24, the Sagittarius Star Cloud
\n<\/strong>Milky Way star cloud in Sagittarius
\nSome sections of the Milky Way are especially good for observation through binoculars or a small telescope, and Messier 24 is one of them.  It is visible to the naked eye as a small cloud, about 3 times the apparent size of the Moon, and about 5 degrees above the lid of the Sagittarius teapot. Rich clouds of countless stars can be seen through a telescope.<\/p>\n

Albireo
\n<\/strong>Double star in Cygnus
\nOne of the most famous and colorful double stars, Albireo marks the head of Cygnus the Swan.  Identifying colors can be subjective, but the components are often described as orange and blue. It may be hard to separate the pair with low-power binoculars, but the smallest telescope will do the job.<\/p>\n

Collinder 399, the Coathanger Cluster
\n<\/strong>Asterism in Vulpecula
\nAlso known as Brocchi\u2019s Cluster, this group of about 10 bright stars is best viewed through binoculars because it covers more than 1 degree of sky.  However, it does look good through a small telescope at low power.  At magnitude 3.6, it can be seen with the naked eye, about 5 degrees to the west of the arrow shape of Sagitta.<\/p>\n

Messier 27, the Dumbbell Nebula
\n<\/strong>Planetary Nebula in Vulpecula
\nThe arrow shape of Sagitta can also help to guide you to the Dumbbell Nebula, as it is just 3 degrees north of the tip of the arrow.  This is one of the largest and brightest planetary nebulas in the sky.  Through binoculars it appears only as a small smudge of light, but through a telescope its distinctive hourglass shape can be seen quite easily.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gallery<\/strong><\/h1>\n

First Image With a New Telescope<\/strong>
\nRich Asarisi recently purchased a 12.5-inch PlaneWave CDK telescope, and below is his first test image. This is a single unguided 300-second luminance exposure of Messier 81 using an SBIG STXL11002 camera.  The details and crispness of this test image are very impressive.  Once Rich gets his equipment going, we expect him to obtain spectacular deep-sky images and get years of enjoyment from his new equipment.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAnother Leo Trio<\/strong>
\nThis is not the famous trio of galaxies in Leo that is so often photographed, but these three galaxies are nevertheless a nice group.  They include round Messier 105 on the right, oval NGC 3384 at the top, and spiral galaxy NGC 3389 on the left.  Jim Mazur took this image with a 14-inch Meade LX850 telescope and an SBIG ST8300M camera.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Coma Berenices Galaxy Cluster<\/strong>
\nUsing the same set-up as for the picture above, Jim Mazur obtained this image of the central region of the Coma Galaxy Cluster, one of the richest galaxy clusters visible in amateur telescopes.  Well over 100 galaxies are captured in this image.  The two largest are NGC 4889 (left of center) and NGC 4874 (right of center).  This galaxy group is estimated to be about 250 million light years away.  Here is a larger image<\/a> that shows the smaller galaxies more clearly.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ASNH Loans a Telescope to Branford\u2019s Blackstone Library for Borrowing by Library Patrons In an effort to increase public interest in astronomy, ASNH has loaned a 4.5-inch Orion Starblast telescope to the Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford.  This telescope was … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-13"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1884,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319\/revisions\/1884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}