{"id":1371,"date":"2017-10-19T12:21:02","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T16:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=1371"},"modified":"2019-01-17T07:59:36","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T12:59:36","slug":"octnovdec2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2017\/10\/19\/octnovdec2017\/","title":{"rendered":"OctNovDec2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

Connecticut Star Party 27, September 22-24, 2017<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The 27th annual Connecticut Star Party was held on the weekend of September 22 at the Edmund Strang Scout Camp in Goshen CT.  The weather was very good this year, with sunny skies and warm temperatures.  Friday night was partly cloudy, with periods of clear skies alternating with clouds.  Still, observers were able to get in some good looks during the clear periods.  Saturday night was perfectly clear, and both observers and imagers made good use of the observing conditions.<\/p>\n

\"\"During the daytime, the camp dining hall was filled with good conversation, good food, and three excellent speakers.  Pete Kandefer spoke about suspected meteorite impact sites in the Northeastern US, and how he has personally visited and explored them.  Dana Casetti presented an informative summary of star motions as measured by the Gaia space mission, and what they can tell us about the formation of the universe.  Andy Poniros described the many amazing findings and images that were produced by the Cassini spacecraft, which just ended its 13-year exploration of Saturn and its moons.  Other highlights of the weekend were a live broadcast of Andy Poniros’s radio program Cosmic Perspectives<\/em> on WPKN, the children’s and adult raffles, and a huge cake to celebrate the 80th anniversary of ASNH.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2017 President\u2019s Annual Address<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Another year has passed.  The 80th year for The Astronomical Society of New Haven.  We should be very proud that since 1937 ASNH has been dedicated to the advancement of astronomical science to the public.<\/p>\n

As of today, we have 81 active members.  I encourage all members to come out to our public outreach events. We have a lot of knowledgeable members that know the sky and can show you some remarkable deep sky objects and planets. The public events are the best time to bring out your scope and take advantage of those in the know as well as some good venues for viewing.   You do not have to have a telescope to participate in our events; everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.<\/p>\n

Our monthly public events are held at Silver Sands State Park, Milford and Young\u2019s Pond Park, Branford. At these events we educate those attending in general astronomy and in some cases where we have and indoors facility we display our meteorite collection and have an interactive hands-on exhibit with children and their parents. We had 22 events scheduled this year so far.  Seven of these events were held, with 15 canceled due to the weather.  For more than 15 years we have participated in The New Haven Science Fair.  We present a telescope to the student or classroom whose project best represents an astronomy theme. This year was a bit disappointing. For the first time that I can ever remember, there was no astronomy project.<\/p>\n

Throughout the year, we also participate in events with the Boy Scouts of America, Regional Water Authority, Trumbull Nature Center, New Haven Land Trust, Discovery Museum and many more.  We give educational talks, share our meteorite collection and of course show the stars.<\/p>\n

In October, 114 people attended the 27th Connecticut Start Party (CSP) at the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation camp in Goshen. I would like to personally thank everyone who attended and continue to support us over the years.  We had more first time CSP attendees than we have had in a few years.  We had some great viewing, great food and our speakers, Dana Casetti, Pete Kandefer and Andy Poniros presented various astronomical topics.  Since 2012, the CSP \u201cT\u201d-shirt artwork has been created by Donna Pursley and Mike Zarick. I\u2019d like to thank them both very much for doing an outstanding job over the years and hopefully for years to come. I\u2019d also like to thank the CSP Committee who were the reason we were so successful this year:  Mike Zarick, Donna Pursley, Ray Kaville, Jim Mazur, Laurie Averill, Bob Carruthers, Gaianne Jenkins, Al Washburn, Wendo Steinhardt, Steve Steinhardt, Leo Taylor, and Andy Poniros. Every year they help make CSP the premiere star party in Connecticut.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve had a couple notable accomplishments this year:<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve had a long running project to loan a telescope to a local library.  Jim Mazur and Laurie Averill volunteered to complete the effort. We now have a 4.5\u201d tabletop Dobsonian on loan at the Blackstone Library in Branford, CT. The library currently has 8 patrons waiting to sign the scope out and Jim and Laurie are now setting another 4.5\u201dscope for a library in Madison!! Jim has done two presentations on the care and use of the scope for the Blackstone patrons. Many thanks to Jim and Laurie for all they\u2019ve done and are continuing to do.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to take this opportunity to also thank Jim Mazur for producing our club\u2019s quarterly newsletter the Shooting Star. It\u2019s always a good read.<\/p>\n

Our CSP banner was showing its age. The banner was created some 25+ years ago and the painted on letters were flaking off. Laurie Averill volunteered her time and artistic skills to replace our CSP banner with a new rip stop nylon material. The replacement is beautiful! Thank you Laurie.<\/p>\n

Thank you all for another outstanding year.  Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and New Year.<\/p>\n

Greg Barker
\nPresident ASNH<\/p>\n

More Images from Connecticut Star Party 27<\/h2>\n

Photos by Shannon Calvert<\/h3>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Gr<\/strong>eat Ame<\/strong>rican Eclipse of August 21, 2017
\n<\/strong><\/h1>\n

ASNH members had it covered!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This was the first total solar eclipse to cross the entire continental United States in about a hundred years, and ASNH members made sure they did not miss it.  Our members spanned virtually the entire eclipse path across the US, some in the zone of totality and others at home in Connecticut, where about 68% of the Sun was covered at the maximum.  Here are some pictures and reports of our members’ experiences, listed from west to east, following the Moon’s shadow across the country.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The red markers show locations of ASNH members who submitted reports to us.<\/p><\/div>\n

Stayton, Oregon<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Jim Mazur<\/h3>\n

Laurie Averill and I stayed at a bed-and-breakfast at the home of Tony and Edna Graham, who invited many of their relatives from as far away as British Columbia to visit for the event.  Tony and Edna were wonderful hosts, and they made us feel like members of the family.  On the night before the eclipse, many of us went out into the yard and did some star gazing with binoculars.<\/p>\n

Stayton was very near the center line of the eclipse, and totality lasted for 2 minutes.  The skies were perfectly clear, and the eclipse was a spectacular show.<\/p>\n

This was the first total eclipse either of us has seen, and I decided not to put a lot of effort into taking pictures, choosing instead to sit back and enjoy the experience.  However, I did take some pictures during the partial phases using a Canon T6i camera and a 200mm lens through a solar filter.  For totality, I put the camera on automatic, and it snapped a picture every few seconds.<\/p>\n

The two pictures at the bottom show the group of people we were with.  The first picture was taken about a minute before totality.  At about that time, we could see the “shadow bands” on the grass in front of us, and the air temperature dropped substantially.  The picture on the right was taken during the middle of totality.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n


\nGreat American Eclipse, continued:<\/p>\n

Weizer, Idaho<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Leo Taylor<\/h3>\n

Like many I had no idea I should make reservations so far ahead. I knew Madras Oregon was the best spot in the U.S. In September I used Orbitz to start looking – 11 months ahead.  I reached the border of Oregon, a very wide state, without a single vacancy. I skipped over the state line to Idaho. The capitol Boise it was sold out. I finally found rooms available at a Motel 6 in Meridian Idaho, a suburb of Boise. I pounced on one.<\/p>\n

With my hotel secure I reserved airline and rental car then sat back for months. I waited far too long to look for a spot of land to stand\/sit upon during the event. I wrote to the Boise Astronomical Society asking for some suggestions and received an email saying most of the towns in the eclipse path would be crowded but suggesting Weiser or Midvale.<\/p>\n

I’m glad I left the hotel early the morning of eclipse day! When I arrived at the high school in Weiser before dawn there were lots of people, but less than half the spaces were filled. When I pulled into the driveway I was asked if I had a reservation. It seems the parking was sold out two months ahead. But, the lady pointed out street parking alongside the field which was fine with me!<\/p>\n

I hung around, drank iced tea, and finally sat in my new chair. I exchanged some small talk with a couple nearby on the grass. We ended up talking for about 90 minutes. I set up my little tripod.<\/p>\n

I had practiced with the tripod a week earlier. I can’t bend far enough to look through the finder
\nthus used a “Compact Makeup Mirror” to re-center the Sun every 8 minutes. I also could not focus well. I knew I’d have problems, but did not want photography to dominate the day. I spent most of the time looking up with my $2 McDonald’s glasses. Note the cloudless blue sky with high transparency looking up.<\/p>\n

I did capture the corona\/halo with the three spikes so many reported. I saw some of the well talked about effects: In the 15 minutes before totality the land darkens, a strange effect since shadows are visible. When the Sun was a thin crescent it got suddenly dark and the audience went from quiet to cheering. I could see the corona with proper glasses, I had thought it required a camera. We all noticed it got cooler.<\/p>\n

I did not see: Shadow coming down the mountains. Crescent shadows on the ground due to grass field.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Wilson, Wyoming<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Dave Noble<\/h3>\n

We flew into Phoenix, AZ and began our two week adventure by exploring the Sedona\/Flagstaff area, Meteor Crater, and the Lowell Observatory. The newly restored 24 inch Clark Refractor was on display but the sky was overcast and drizzly.<\/p>\n

We next drove along Route 66 from the Grand Canyon towards Las Vegas entertained by the occasional Burmashave signs. As we neared the zone of totality, signs appeared cautioning heavy traffic and selling last minute provisions.<\/p>\n

Our viewing location in Wilson, WY (near Jackson Hole) at the foot of the Grand Tetons. Our star party of 12 observers utilized 6 cameras, a pair of binoculars, an 8-inch Orion Dobsonian, and a plate of welding glass mounted on tripod.<\/p>\n

The light in the area began to dim at roughly 75% coverage and the air temperature became noticeably cooler but the scenery didn\u2019t darken completely until totality.  Removing eclipse glasses to see the Diamond Ring, the sight was amazingly brilliant against the black sky.<\/p>\n

The corona blasted outward from what appeared to be a circular black void. Venus was a beacon to the west with dimmer Mars and Mercury just visible beyond the extended corona.<\/p>\n

It was the shortest two minutes I\u2019ve ever experienced and the event was over far too soon. But we immediately began making plans for future solar eclipse events!<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n


\nGreat American Eclipse, continued:<\/p>\n

Beatrice, Nebraska<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Greg Barker, Cheryl Barker, Wendo Steinhardt, and Steve Steinhardt<\/h3>\n

These four ASNH members got together in the farm country of Nebraska to view totality.  The location was chosen by members of the Westport Astronomical Society, several of whom were also there.<\/p>\n

Steve and Wendo were featured in an article in the Beatrice Daily Sun<\/em>, which described their three-week astronomy vacation across the country, highlighted by the total eclipse.  The article included a picture of Wendo setting up his new telescope. Here is a link<\/a> to the article.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Denton, Kansas<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Don Filer<\/h3>\n

Happy to report that I saw the eclipse from rural eastern Kansas.  We were in Denton Kansas in a cemetery among miles and miles of corn and soybean. We had heavy clouds and some passing rain showers but did get to see much of the partial phase before totality.  We saw the start of totality then only about 10-15 more seconds at the very end. Not ideal conditions but still worth the trip.  Looking forward to 2024.<\/p>\n


\nGreat American Eclipse, continued:<\/p>\n

Hopkinsville, Kentucky<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Lee Cruz<\/h3>\n

Our family traveled to Hopkinsville, KY (a.k.a. Eclipseville)  where we had a great time.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Greenville, South Carolina<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Rich Asarisi<\/h3>\n

My wife and I and our friend Pat Maturo had a chance to visit my friend in Greenville SC for the eclipse.  Gary Prestash used to live in Hamden CT and a few years ago moved to Fountain Inn SC which is a suburb of Greenville.  As luck would have it he built his new home right on the center line of the 2017 Eclipse.<\/p>\n

Gary and his wife Frannie opened their home to us and invited us to stay with them for a few days around the time of the eclipse.  We left CT on Thursday Aug 17th about 5am<\/span><\/span> and arrived at Gary and Fran\u2019s house about 10pm<\/span><\/span>.  It\u2019s about 814 miles and takes about 15 to 16 hrs on a good day.<\/p>\n

The day of the eclipse was partly cloudy and 93 degrees at 1pm<\/span><\/span>.  The weather forecast all week hinted that we might be in clouds for the event.  But as luck would have it the skies were clear around the sun at eclipse time and stayed that way for the whole event.<\/p>\n

Here is a small collection from thousands of shots I took.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

By Pat Maturo<\/h3>\n

Here are a couple of shots I took in South Carolina, near the centerline, along with Rich and Martha Asarisi. It was an indescribable experience, seeing the eerie light and odd colors just before totality, the confused birds, and the dramatic darkening ultimately leading up to the stunning sight of the fully eclipsed Sun.<\/p>\n

In the second shot, taken a little after the diamond ring, there appears to be a star to the lower left, but I’m not sure if it’s Regulus or not as the position seems wrong.  There are also four other ‘stars’ (one might be Mercury??). I don’t think they’re lens artifacts as they are identical in more than one exposure and with consistent color.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n


\nGreat American Eclipse, continued:<\/p>\n

Island of Palms, South Carolina<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Charles Cogswell<\/h3>\n

My wife and I traveled to the Island of Palms in South Carolina about 20 minutes north of Charleston SC.  On August 21st the sky was cloudy and overcast.  My worry was that I would not get to witness the full total eclipse.   The eclipse started at 1:15 pm and I had my 70×150 binoculars with solar filters taped to the front lens so that they would not fall off.  The clouds continued but we were able to see the eclipse through the clouds.  Once or twice the clouds grew dark enough it blocked out the Sun entirely.  However, about 2:30 pm the sky like magic cleared with blue sky.   As the full eclipse started the crowd shouted with joy and the sky grew dark and the stars came out.  I looked for Regulus but the corona of the eclipse was too bright.  I saw Jupiter and many other stars for at least 2 full minutes.  My wife was reluctant to travel all the way to South Carolina just to see a total eclipse of the Sun.  But once she saw the full eclipse she is now planning to attend the April 8th 2024 eclipse in Texas.<\/p>\n

The pictures are from the beach at the Wild Dunes Resort on Island of Palms, SC.  I tried to take a picture of the Sun in total eclipse but I had no camera filter to see the eclipse clearly.   It was a great day and I can now cross off “Watch a total eclipse of the Sun” from my bucket list.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Milford, Connecticut<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Al Washburn<\/h3>\n

At the request of the Milford Public Library, the Astronomical Society of New Haven was asked if a member was interested in assisting them in their publicized solar eclipse gathering. My wife, Jeni and I thought it would be a wonderful experience and decided to accept their invitation.<\/p>\n

We arrived about noon<\/span><\/span> to find hundreds of people lining up to get a pair of eclipse glasses. They only had 200 sets and ran out quickly. I gingerly wove my way towards the front door to get inside and let them know that we had arrived. I announced myself to the librarian who was running the event and asked where we could set up our meteorite collection with Jeni overseeing the table. With that set up, I was introduced as the \u201c astronomer\u201d who was promised would be there for questions and answers. We did that for while and I would refer to a live feed from NASA showing the sun, with a great sunspot group, on a nice large screen! I showed how to use the solar viewing boxes I made for the event. Many had made their own with cereal boxes.<\/p>\n

Finally, at 1:40<\/span><\/span> ish the eclipse began and we all rushed outside to begin viewing. Some people had already left with their glasses for their own eclipse viewing party. Many people arrived and were disappointed that viewing glasses were no longer available. At this point it was viable for me to begin to hand out glasses that the club had procured form NASA but that librarian had asked me to hold off on for such late comers. Unfortunately there were some high altitude clouds that made the image not as crisp as it could be.<\/p>\n

Shortly before 68% totality we packed up the meteorites and Jeni came out to assist with the box viewers and socialize. Many tried to get photos with their cell phones by putting the eclipse glasses in front of the lens. This did not work very well and the images looked overexposed. However, some managed to use the lenses and sunglasses and got better results. Lots more questions outside and about 1\/2 hour after maximum people began to leave, whereupon I gave away the box viewers I made and Jeni and I headed out.<\/p>\n

We had a good time and it was rewarding to help people make the most out of the day\u2019s special event.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Flashback: Observing a solar eclipse on February 26, 1979
\nPhoto submitted by Ray Kaville\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Stellafane Convention, July 20-23, 2017<\/strong><\/h1>\n

By Donna Pursley\"\"<\/h3>\n

Since the New Haven area in Connecticut doesn\u2019t have the darkest skies (and this year, the best weather), many of us take a star gazing trip at some point during the year. For Mike and me, it was to Stellafane in Vermont. We go a day early, so that makes a possible 3 nights of viewing. I found most of my objects on Thursday, which was the best night, including a few nebulas. Friday had about 30% moving clouds so the holes to view through moved around quickly. It was forecast for rain on Saturday, so most people packed up early. It never did rain, but there was 100% cloud cover.<\/p>\n

New this year, they had a lobster bake on Friday night. We didn\u2019t go for that, but I heard that it was good. We stayed at the Hartness House Inn which they are renovating a bit at a time. They have a new chef and the breakfast and dinner were excellent.<\/p>\n

The picture below shows the Pink House, Russell Porter’s uniquely designed Turret Telescope and a few homemade scopes. On the right is a picture of a homemade scope called the Gilligan Island scope, complete with coconut counterweight. Bob Carruthers would be proud.<\/p>\n

It is great to get out and meet new people interested in astronomy.\"\"<\/p>\n

Star Gazing at the Cold Spring Farm Hosted by the Colchester Land Trust<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Friday, September 15, 2017
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Donna Pursley<\/h3>\n

My first thought as we were driving out to Colchester was, what was Greg thinking. This place is in the middle of nowhere with no majors roads going from here to there. Then we saw the huge field with one of the best
\nnorthern, western and eastern horizons that I have seen.<\/p>\n

The sky was perfectly clear. It was so dark, we saw a beautiful Milky Way. This would be a great place for viewing if there was no dew. It was a damp day and dew heaters were set on max.<\/p>\n

There was a large crowd and here were long lines at the larger scopes, as usual. There were probably about 50
\npeople, mostly adults and a few older children. They were one of the most courteous groups that we have seen.
\nBut I can\u2019t believe how many hadn\u2019t seen the movie ET or knew about the Greek Myth of Andromeda.<\/p>\n

It was a very successful night and good practice for CSP, especially since we haven\u2019t had many outreach events this year.<\/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

Sunday, October 8, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Madison Surf Club, Madison CT
\nMadison Moonlight Walk, with telescope observing
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday, October 20, dusk
\n<\/strong>Silver Sands State Park, Milford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Saturday, October 21, dusk<\/strong>
\nYoung\u2019s Pond Park, Branford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Tuesday, October 31, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nYale Leitner Student Observatory
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

Friday, November 17, dusk
\n<\/strong>Silver Sands State Park, Milford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Saturday, November 18, dusk<\/strong>
\nYoung\u2019s Pond Park, Branford, CT
\nPublic observing session<\/p>\n

Tuesday, November 28, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nYale Leitner Student Observatory
\nGeneral monthly meeting<\/p>\n

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

Saturday, October 14, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nCub Scout Hauntoree
\nCamp Cedarcrest, Orange, CT
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday, November 3, 7:00pm
\n<\/strong>Milford Education Foundation Night Under the Stars
\n<\/strong>Foran High School, 80 Foran Road, Milford, CT<\/p>\n

Friday, November 10, 7:00pm<\/strong>
\nLake Gaillard, North Branford, CT
\nPublic outreach program hosted by the Regional Water Authority
\n(Rain date: Saturday, November 11, 7:00pm)<\/p>\n

Saturday, December 9, 6:15pm<\/strong>
\nWinter Solstice Dinner
\nMark your calendar: Details to follow
\n<\/strong><\/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

Night Sky Highlights for October-December 2017<\/strong><\/h1>\n

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

Orionid Meteor Shower<\/strong>
\nThis moderate meteor shower peaks around October 21<\/strong>. Under ideal conditions, perhaps 15-20 meteors per hour can be observed in the early morning hours, when Orion is high in the sky.  The Moon is new and will not be a problem, so this is a good year to observe the Orionid shower.<\/p>\n

Mercury
\n<\/strong>For a week or two during late November, Mercury will be low in the western sky after sunset.  It will be farthest from the Sun on November 23, but even then a good view toward the western horizon will be need to see it. Mercury will also be visible in the eastern sky before dawn at the end of December.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Venus<\/strong>
\nBrilliant Venus can be seen in the eastern sky before dawn during October and much of November, but it will be approaching the Sun, and by December it will be too close to the Sun to be visible.<\/p>\n

Mars<\/strong>
\nMars will be visible in the pre-dawn sky throughout the fall, moving from Virgo in October to Libra in December.  Although it will be about magnitude 1.5, it will be very far from Earth and will therefore appear very small through a telescope.  Its angular size will be only about 4 to 5 arcseconds, about the same as Uranus!  On October 5<\/strong>, Mars will be about 0.2 degrees from Venus, so they will easily fit in the same telescopic field.<\/p>\n

Jupiter<\/strong>
\nIn October, Jupiter will be too close to the Sun to observe.  It then enters the morning sky, and can be seen low in the east before dawn.  A good viewing opportunity occurs in the pre-dawn hours of November 13<\/strong>, when Jupiter will be just 0.3 degrees away from brighter Venus.<\/p>\n

Saturn<\/strong>
\nBright Saturn will be in the southwestern sky (in Scorpius and Sagittarius) early in the evenings in October and November. Each night it will be getting closer to the Sun, and by the beginning of December it will be very difficult to observe.<\/p>\n

Uranus<\/strong>
\nUranus is in Pisces,and it will be well placed for observing in the evenings throughout the fall. 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>
\nNeptune is in Aquarius this year, and like Uranus it will be conveniently placed for telescopic observing throughout the fall.<\/p>\n

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

The fall sky offers some favorite targets such as the Andromeda Galaxy and the Pleiades, but it also contains a wealth of lesser-known objects that are not hard to find.  The 10 objects listed here are either (1) visible to the naked eye, or (2) within a few degrees of a star that is visible to the naked eye.  All you need to find them with your telescope are a star chart that lists the Greek letter designations of the stars and the willingness to do a short star-hop.<\/p>\n

Mu Cepheus, Herschel\u2019s Garnet Star
\n<\/strong>Red variable star in Cepheus
\nThis is one of the most colorful stars as seen through binoculars or a telescope.   If you think of the constellation Cepheus as forming the shape of a house with a very pointy roof, Mu is in the basement, about halfway between and below the two stars that form the bottom of the house.  Its magnitude varies irregularly from 3.6 to 5.0, and at its brightest it is easy to see with the naked eye.<\/p>\n

Gamma Aretis
\n<\/strong>Double star in Aries
\nThe two components of this double star are a matched pair of blue-white stars of magnitudes 4.6 and 4.7, 7.8 arcseconds apart.<\/p>\n

Eta  Cassiopeia
\n<\/strong>Double star in Cassiopeia
\nYou can see Eta with the naked eye as the \u201csixth star\u201d of the W shape of Cassiopeia.  It is 1.8 degrees northeast of Alpha Cassiopeia, the bright star that forms the second angle in the W shape. The two components are magnitudes 3.4 and 7.5, and their colors have been described as gold and purple.  They make a very attractive pair.<\/p>\n

Messier 103<\/strong>
\nOpen cluster in Cassiopeia
\nM103 is a small and pretty open cluster with a triangular shape.  It is less than 1 degree northeast of Delta Cassiopeia, the star that forms the first angle of Cassiopeia\u2019s W shape.  After observing M103, you can move your scope another degree or so to the northeast and search for three other open clusters of varying sizes and brightness, NGC 654, 659, and 666.<\/p>\n

NGC 1528<\/strong>
\nOpen cluster in Perseus
\nThis is a nice open cluster about the size of the full Moon, with stars that seem to form a pinwheel shape.  It can be found about 1.6 degrees northeast of Lambda Perseus.<\/p>\n

Messier 1, the Crab Nebula
\n<\/strong>Supernova remnant in Taurus
\nThis fuzzy irregular patch is what remains of the bright supernova that appeared in the sky in 1054.  Through a telescope it appears pretty dim, but it is not hard to locate, about 1 degree northwest of Zeta Tauri, the tip of the southern \u201chorn\u201d of Tauris\u2019s bull-head shape.<\/p>\n

NGC 1647<\/strong>
\nOpen cluster in Taurus
\nUse low power for this is a nice open cluster of about 50 stars that spans an area about the size of the full Moon.  It is just to the east of the naked-eye Hyades cluster, about 3 degrees northeast of bright red Aldebaran.<\/p>\n

Messier 15<\/strong>
\nGlobular cluster in Pegasus
\nAt magnitude 6.3, M15 is one of the brightest globular clusters in the sky.  This is a superb object to observe at high magnification.  It is very condensed and has a bright center.  It can be found about 4 degrees to the northwest of Epsilon Pegasi.<\/p>\n

NGC 404, Mirach\u2019s Ghost<\/strong>
\nGalaxy in Andromeda
\nMirach, or Beta Andromeda, is a magnitude 2 star that is very easy to spot with the naked eye.  Get Mirach in the center of your eyepiece, and then look just 7 arcminutes (about 0.1 degree) to the northwest and see if you can spot a small circular fuzzy ball.  This is the elliptical galaxy NGC 404, about 10 million light years away.  Despite the proximity of bright Mirach, NGC 404 is not very hard to see with a medium-sized telescope.<\/p>\n

Messier 74<\/strong>
\nGalaxy in Pisces
\nThis face-on spiral galaxy is about magnitude 9, but its low surface brightness makes it one of the hardest Messier objects to observe.  Start by pointing at Eta Pisces, magnitude 3.6, then move about 1.3 degrees to the east and a little north to find Messier 74.  This galaxy is about 33 million light years away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Connecticut Star Party 27, September 22-24, 2017 The 27th annual Connecticut Star Party was held on the weekend of September 22 at the Edmund Strang Scout Camp in Goshen CT.  The weather was very good this year, with sunny skies … 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-1371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-13"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1371","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=1371"}],"version-history":[{"count":56,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1883,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1371\/revisions\/1883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}