{"id":2427,"date":"2021-06-30T10:23:45","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T14:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/?p=2427"},"modified":"2021-07-17T08:53:20","modified_gmt":"2021-07-17T12:53:20","slug":"julaugsep2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asnh.org\/ShootingStar\/2021\/06\/30\/julaugsep2021\/","title":{"rendered":"JulAugSep2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sunrise Solar Eclipse, June 10, 2021<\/strong><\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Sky conditions were definitely mixed in southern Connecticut for this partial solar eclipse. There were clouds and there were breaks of clearing. Some of us had success in viewing and imaging the eclipse, and others did not. Below are some member reports and some very nice images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Leo Taylor:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I woke up at 4:30 am, a half hour before my alarm was set for. I stepped outside in my night shirt and saw a bright object high in the sky, I think it was Saturn. It was a GO so I stayed up. I even had time to shower and get dressed. <G>
I arrived at my chosen spot at 5:20 am. I set up a tripod, Short Tube 80mm FL 400, white light Sun filter, and old Pentax DSLR. First photo was 5:33.  Had a few technical issues because my test and calibrate session Wednesday evening was rained out.

There was only one couple on the field fast walking laps. Eventually the fellow complained I was blocking the paved path forcing him toward the bushes. My tripod was on the grass, my shoes were half on the grass. I moved 6 inches further down the hill and I trimmed the bushes. He said OK on his next pass. They did not leave until my last photo at 5:55 when the Sun moved behind a large cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m glad I got to see it. I took 44 photos, two best are below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top: 5:41 am. Bottom: 5:55 am.   Notice that the Moon is moving down to the left across the Sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From Pat Maturo:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope you folks got to see it. My local spot at the community center turned out better than I thought. But a big bank of slow moving clouds moved in before the Sun got high enough to see, and it didn\u2019t clear out until 6:34, just when it was over. I didn\u2019t see any of it.  Haha , so it goes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Donna Pursley:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike and I drove a few minutes to a close by neighborhood the is high on a hill. We got there about 5:20 and watched the beam of light that told us where the sun would be rising. The horizon was blocked by Tilcon Mountain so we did not have a horizon view. It was about 5:43 when we were able to start seeing the sun. From Sky Safari I am guessing it was about 2 degrees. We watched for about 10 minutes until the clouds started blocking the sun. We drove home and went to the backyard to pick up the eclipse again. Just one spot in the backyard can view at about 5 degrees between a gap in the trees. We watched a bit more until the clouds came back in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Chris Predom:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did get to see some of it from my home.  Went outside trying to find a opening between houses across street.  Could not find one, but I could see the sunlight reflected off of the windows onto the house next to it. Turned around to head back indoors, and noticed sunlight hitting one of my bedroom window areas.  Rushed upstairs with the solar eclipse glasses in hand. Threw open the window, and there it was, about 25 to 35%  covered.  My wife got a chance to see it. Later the Sun had some clouds cover it.  Had a small opening in the clouds, so I caught the tail end of it, before heading off to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Sunrise Solar Eclipse (continued):<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From Michael Amato:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the eclipsed sun rose, my brother Anthony and I had the pleasure of enjoying this amazing sun pillar. It was the best sun pillar I have ever seen. Below is a photo of the partial solar eclipse Anthony took while we enjoyed observing the eclipse. As the sun broke the horizon, two horns appeared before the rest of the Moon-covered Sun came up. The two of us really enjoyed viewing the eclipse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From Jim Mazur:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laurie and I went into our backyard and wandered around to find a few small openings among the tree branches where the Sun was poking through. At first the Sun was in some thin clouds and we saw nothing at all through our eclipse glasses. After about 5:45, when the Sun was higher and brighter, I got a few glimpses of the crescent shape through the eclipse glasses, and Laurie was able to see the crescent using pinhole projection. Since we didn’t travel to a better viewing area we were happy to see what we did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Ray Kaville:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4am = Alarm. Grabbed a quick breakfast of Sausage and Eggs with toast and coffee and did my morning clean up. Out the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5am – 5:30 Beat it down the I91 to I95 and off at First Ave. As I made my way down Beach St. I happened to glance toward the boat launch and noticed the glow onthe horizon. A quick U-turn and I was joining two other cars already parked. Massive cloud covered the upper sky, but the bottom was fairly clear and brightening. Jumed out and grabbed my bag of optics stuff as the car closest chose to engage me in a te-te-te. No real pressure yet so we chatted and he was there for the eclipse also holding his camera. Of course our charter says Do No Harm (or is that someone else?) so I grabbed one of the three remaining solar glasses from the last one and handed it over. Set up my tripod and my 15×70 binocs, unfolded my chair and settled in for the show. It was getting VERY colorful before the edge of Sol raised it’s brilliant head. For future reference the boat launch platform is pointed exactly at the Lighthouse Park area, and exactly where the Sun was rising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

@5:40 (stopped watching time closely looking for the best breaks in the cloud bank) A young mom holding her camera brings her @7yr old daughter near me to watch the eclipse. Naturally I had to pry. She had no vision protection, so the second pair of glasses went to them. She was very nice and her daughter on the way to school had several questions. It was a lot of fun talking to them. Due to the clouds you could see very little through the glasses or the binocs while the clouds were there, but we did get lucky. For the first half hour or so it was a color show which went from blazing orange on the horizon to brighter yellows and oranges as the Sun climbed. We did get to see the crescent as the Moon passed and overall had a great time. Others showed up further down, one with a pair of astro binos and filters. He didn’t look familiar, but was gone before the event ended for us. By around 6am the clouds had mostly covered the Sun and most of us packed up and headed out. I had some time to kill so I ran down the coast to Anchor Beach and worked my way back looking for spots. Best view was around Woodmont Beach just into Milford. By then the Moon had completely disengaged, but the clouds were leaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were some good views through the binocs periodically, but the lack of controls forbade me from getting good images of the event. Sorry, the Sun area is all washed out, but the colors were pretty and some phone shots came out pretty good.

Glad everyone had a good time. I sure did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Different Connecticut Star Party this Year<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Greetings:
This years CSP is going to be more CS less P. Here is the breakdown:
The date is September 10-12.
This is a private event for club members only.
Friday night 19:00 we will be doing a Zoom meeting for CSP presentations.
Arrive Saturday noon at the Goshen Boy Scout Camp main field to setup.
Stay the night and leave by noon Sunday.
If you are not planning on spending the night, you\u2019ll have to park in the \u201cday parking\u201d area at  the downhill entrance for the field.
No bunkhouses, no dinning hall, no meals, no power, no warming tent in the field.
Attendees will be responsible for sleeping arrangements, car, camper, tent.
Bring your own food and power for your observing needs.
We will have the bathroom and shower building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s it! It’s just an as is no frills observing event.
The Zoom meeting and observing night events are by reservation only. We will not accept walk in\u2019s. We will be inviting other clubs in the state and they have to follow the same requirements.
Admission is $5.00 \/ person upon arrival.
Vaccination card must be presented upon arrival.
Masks are required if you start to congregate with others.
If it rains we have reserved the 18th for a second chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To register, send an email to: prez@asnh.org<\/a> with the names of those attending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upcoming Monthly Meetings on Zoom<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Tuesday, July 27, 7:00 pm
Tuesday, August 31, 7:00 pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will continue to use this format for monthly meetings until it is safe to meet in person again. A week or two before each meeting, members will receive an email announcement with a link that will allow them to connect to the online meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just click the link or copy and paste in your browser and that will connect you to the meeting. You can do this on any device that has an internet connection and a browser.  You can do this on a smart phone. You can display yourself if you like with your selfie camera on your device. If you don’t that’s okay, don’t feel you have to.

You can also dial in to the meeting. The number and password will be given in the announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancellation of Public Events<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Because of COVID-19, all of our public observing events have been cancelled until further notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

ASNH Receives Frank Burnham Telescope<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Dear members of The Astronomical Society of New Haven,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Tuesday, February 16, 2021 I received a phone call from a Brent Nielson, who introduced himself as the great grandson of Frank Burnham, the co-founder with Don Kimball of The Astronomical Society of New Haven, CT back in 1937. He reported he was moving to Orange, CT from West Haven and was wondering if our Society would like to acquire his great grandfathers telescope? I immediately replied, Yes! Arrangements were made and on Thursday, February 25, 2021 I picked it up in my van.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with a very heavy pier equatorial mounting, also received at this time was a wooden box of 4 very antique eyepieces, a handwritten pocket booklet, in very small lettering, of selected astronomical facts that he must have made reference to when needed. There was a magazine article with his picture in it using the Broecker Telescope, in the \u201cdome\u201d at Bethany, to show sunspots. It is noted in the article that the lens for the Broecker was formerly from a telescope used at the U. S. Naval Observatory! Also, there was a 33 rpm vinyl record of him speaking of things astronomical and finally an official club document of condolence, signed by Mr. Elmer Wright, the 15th president of the ASNH (whose homemade telescope the club also possesses) to the Burnham family on his passing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Burnham was a New Haven businessman and the first member of the Society to make a telescope. It is an 8\u201d Newtonian reflector with a prism secondary. Its length is 67,\u201d making it about an f\/8. Plans have been enacted for the club to construct a Dobsonian mount to use it on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Burnham was the 2nd president of The Astronomical Society of New Haven and served in that capacity from June 1940 to May 1942 as well as many other club positions over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Burnham died on September 30th, 1965 at the age of 88 years, 11 months and 5 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Frank Burnham will be remembered!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respectfully submitted 5\/4\/2021,
Alfred G. Washburn, past president, ASNH<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left: Frank Burnham observing sunspots with the Broecker telescope at Bethany. Right: Al Washburn with the optical tube of Burnham’s telescope.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Monthly Meetings on Zoom<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Donna Pursley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our ASNH general meetings are still being held via Zoom. The presentations are shared so all can see. There is also a dial-in number for those that are shy or are not using Zoom. This way everyone can join the meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are short summaries of the March, April, and May meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 30 General Meeting<\/u><\/strong>
19 members on Zoom
We have 86 members. Three new members: Steven Schoenberger, Samatha Sheppard, Gary Cline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leo Taylor did a presentation on eyepieces:<\/strong>
Lower cost eyepieces are best for public events.
Orthoscopic \u2013 planetary \u2013 very little glass, high power, low cost
Plossl \u2013 a little more complicated, wider field, popular
Ultra Wide \u2013 68 degrees and wider, complicated design
          Leo\u2019s favorite \u2013 18mm, 125x, 68 degrees
Illuminated Reticle eyepieces \u2013 crosshairs, used for tracking, measuring scale
Barrel Sizes – .965\u201d, 1 \u00bc in, 2\u201d:  the 2\u201d has a wider field of view (FOV)
He went through the magnification and focal length calculations.
Also the Practical magnification, exit pupil vs power and eye relief.
AFOV, True FOV
Parfocal Eyepieces \u2013 don\u2019t need to refocus between eyepieces<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many eyepieces do you need?  Start with 2. See what works and add what you think you are missing.
FOV for different eyepieces = Plossl-50, panoptics-68, nagler-78, ethos-110
Much of this is on the website under \u2018observing\u2019 then \u2018education.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donna Pursley\u2019s presentation of FOV and filters:<\/strong>
FOV, focal length, magnification, focal ration, exit pupil, eye relief, binoculars
Filters \u2013 color, moon, deep sky, light pollution, OIII, UHC.
This will be on the website also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a discussion about how useful binoculars are.
There was a discussion about Stellafane and why everyone should visit at least once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 27 General Meeting<\/u><\/strong>
84 members, no new members this month<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donna Pursley did a presentation on the Red Dot Finder<\/strong>
         Standard, easy to use finder<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Washburn did a presentation on the Telrad<\/strong>
         Circles, has many accessories (hood, dew heater, risers, blinker), 10 oz.
         Also Rigel \u2013 taller<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group discussed which finders they used and pros and cons of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shop Talk<\/strong>
Jim Mazur is looking at the Caldwell Objects. Showed pictures of a few.
Silver needle galaxy, C71, Tau Canis Major cluster<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astronomy on Tap will be this Thursday \u2013 YouTube<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We discussed some different apps to control smartphones while taking pictures through the telescope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Amato viewed 3 groups of sunspots or 1 mega group of spots with his sun spotter solar scope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moon maps are nice because they can show you the names and the features to look for on the Moon.
There is a book called Lunar 100 that shows 100 different features to look for on the Moon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ASNH has a Zoom presentation for the Milford Library on how to use their telescope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

May 25 General Meeting<\/u><\/strong>
21 people on Zoom
There are 87 members. No new members last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a donation of $250 in memory of Donald Kimball, our 1st<\/sup> president, by his grandson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Great Give gave us a total of $1652.20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shop Talk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does anyone have a question on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Buynak needs to lie on the ground to see through the finder sometimes. What are options to help?  Discussions about 3 or 4 legged stool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greg Barker had a story about viewing at the airport and had the feeling there was someone watching him. Turned around and there was someone watching him.
Also a story about being very dark and hearing a deer snort about 10 feet away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Washburn \u2013 Mowhawk Mt \u2013 really dark \u2013 must pay attention because you can\u2019t see the trip hazards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laurie Averill \u2013 trip to Palomar CA several years ago \u2013 at night \u2013 very dark \u2013 heard a mountain lion \u2013 got back into the car quickly<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Carruthers \u2013 loves to sketch small pieces of the Moon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fred Danowski from the Milford Public Library was in attendance and told a few stories.
On Thursday, ASNH will be doing a virtual event with them with the meteorites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray Kaville mentioned that we can watch the June 10th<\/sup> eclipse live on YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greg and Mike talked about the Sun spotter and different filters to view the Sun.
This sparked a group discussion about how to view the Sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a discussion about viewing double stars and which are the nicest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bob Carruthers talked about a homemade scope with a Bob Rice mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Amato went to Westport\u2019s public night. Viewed through the large telescopes.
Saw the ISS and the Chinese space station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Buynak talked about the Elon Musk satellites.
The new ones are painted black and shielded so they don\u2019t reflect back to the earth as much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jim Mazur \u2013 this week Mercury is very near Venus. Venus is very bright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Observing Report<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Michael Amato<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My brother Anthony and I used a lunar map while observing the first quarter Moon. To start, we viewed some nice mares but one mare named Mare Nubium was very interesting because of a long rill running through called Rupes Recta. This is a most interesting rill to look at and we stayed on it for a while. Some of the mountain ranges we saw were the Alps Mountains, the Jush Mountains, the Haemis Mountains, and the Tenneriffe Mountains. One particular mountain we looked at was Mt. Pico. We’ve seen it before but we never knew its name. Seeing all these mountain ranges is something but knowing what the names of the mountain ranges you are seeing is something else! Seeing the crater Proclus and its lunar ray system always catches your eye, with the same being true of crater Aristarchus and its very bright lunar ray. Plato, Manilus, Menelaus and Romer were some other among many craters we enjoyed viewing. To sum it all up, observing the Moon with a lunar map is a whole new ball game!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Submitted by Ray Kaville<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amazing image from the Mars helicopter Ingenuity (from JPL):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.jpl.nasa.gov\/images\/ingenuity-spots-perseverance-from-the-air?fbclid=IwAR3ILezaYvGbSclmsHQH-FWanS97_sVH0ThTUOiePOXQUdxpgQGyfcpebI0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

AAP – Moon observing and imaging group:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1009891179089083\/<\/a>

AAPOD2:
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/aapod2\/<\/a>

Comet Watch
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/watchcomet\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Calendar<\/strong> 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\n\n\n

SkyMap<\/strong> 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\n\n\n

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

Directions <\/strong>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\n\n\n

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

Gallery<\/strong> This section features 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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Night Sky Highlights for July-September 2021<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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

Perseid Meteor Shower<\/strong>
Peaking on the night of August 12-13<\/strong>
This should be a good year for the Perseids, because the crescent Moon sets at about 10:20pm on August 12, and after that many meteors should be visible if the sky is clear. If the weather is not good on that night, remember that quite a few Perseids can be seen for several days both before and after the peak night. Just lie back on a recliner or blanket, relax, and watch the show!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mercury<\/strong>
Mercury makes an evening appearance after sunset in August and September, but its trajectory around the Sun keeps it low in the western sky for northern hemisphere observers. The best chance to spot it will be as soon as the sky darkens at the end of August and beginning of September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venus<\/strong>
As usual, Venus is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon, and it will be a bright beacon in the western sky during evening twilight throughout the summer. Like Mercury, it takes a path that remains low in the west and southwest, so you need to look soon after sunset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mars<\/strong>
For months, Mars has been in the western sky during the evening hours. It continues to do so in July, but as the summer progresses it gets too close to the Sun to observe easily. It is also far from Earth and will present just a small disk through a telescope. From about July 8 to July 16<\/strong>, Mars and Venus will be just a few degrees apart ( 0.5 degrees apart on July 12<\/strong> with a thin crescent Moon to the upper left).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jupiter<\/strong>
This will be another good summer for observing Jupiter. It rises in the mid-evening during July, and it will be up most of the night in August and September. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saturn<\/strong>
This will be a good summer for observing Saturn too. It will be in Capricornus, about 15 to 20 degrees to the west of Jupiter. It rises in the early evening in July, and will be up in the east as the sky darkens in August and September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uranus<\/strong>
Uranus is in Aries, rising after midnight in July, around midnight in August, and around 9 pm in September. At about magnitude 5.7, its blue-green disk is easy to see in any telescope. See the link below Neptune for a finder chart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neptune<\/strong>
Neptune is in Aquarius, slightly more than 20 degrees east of Jupiter and rising about an hour after Jupiter does. To find it, you will need a go-to scope or a finder chart such as the one in this article from the Sky & Telescope<\/em> website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

With the summer Milky Way overhead, there are so many deep-sky objects to choose from it is hard to know where to start. The list below includes some old favorites along with some lesser known but worthwhile targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antares
<\/strong>Double star in Scorpius
If your telescope has good optics, this double star is a good challenge. The red magnitude 1.2 primary has a “greenish” secondary star of magnitude 5.4. The separation of the pair is just 2.9″, and because of the brilliance of Antares the secondary star can be very difficult to spot. With good seeing, it is a beautiful sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 4<\/strong>
Globular cluster in Scorpius
Just 1.3 degrees to the west of Antares is the large and loosely packed globular cluster M4. It can be glimpsed with the naked eye under dark skies, and is easy to see with binoculars. With a medium-sized telescope, the stars are easily resolved, and a distinct chain of stars can be seen stretching across the cluster from north to south. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 80<\/strong>
Globular cluster in Scorpius
Through small scopes M80 is a hazy ball with a much brighter center. With medium to large scopes, many of the stars around the periphery can be resolved, making an impressive sight. The cluster is about 33,000 light years away and about 95 light years in diameter. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 5<\/strong>
Globular cluster in Serpens
This is one of brightest and most impressive globular clusters visible in the summer sky. It is just about as bright as the more famous M13 in Hercules. It is interesting to compare the two. The stars around the edges of both clusters are easy to resolve, but the core of M5 is denser and appears brighter. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 11, Wild Duck Cluster<\/strong>
Open cluster in Scutum
This is one of the richest open clusters in the entire sky, containing well over 1000 stars. Several hundred are visible through typical amateur telescopes in an area about half the diameter of the Moon. Through a small telescope or binoculars, it can appear as a V-shaped patch that vaguely resembles a flock of ducks in flight. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 16, Eagle Nebula<\/strong>
Diffuse nebula in Serpens
The first thing you will see when centering on M16 is a loose open cluster of fairly bright stars. Look more carefully, and you should start to see that this cluster is enveloped by a faint nebula. A nebula filter will help to see more. This is another Messier object that can be seen as a faint glow with ordinary binoculars. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Messier 55<\/strong>
Globular cluster in Sagittarius
This is one more very nice example of a globular cluster for summertime viewing. To the east of the Sagittarius teapot shape, this cluster is large and bright with stars more loosely spaced in the center than those of M13. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NGC 6543 (Caldwell 34), <\/strong>Cat’s Eye Nebula
Planetary nebula in Draco
At magnitude 8.1 the Cat’s Eye is one of the brightest planetary nebulae, and one of the best for viewing through amateur telescopes. It has a distinct blue-green color that is makes it hard to miss once it appears in the field of view. Once you have located it, switch to high magnification and see how much detail you can observe. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NGC 6960 (Caldwell 34), Veil Nebula, western portion<\/strong>
Supernova remnant in Cygnus
The Veil Nebula is a remnant of a supernova that exploded several thousand years ago. It now covers an area of sky about 3 degrees wide, but it is very dim and you will need good dark skies to see it. An OIII filter makes a world of difference, making the nebula much easier to see with almost any scope. This part of the nebula appears to almost touch 4th magnitude 52 Cygni, so finding its location is not hard. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NGC 6992-5 (Caldwell 33), Veil Nebula, eastern portion
<\/strong>Supernova remnant in Cygnus
Once you have found the western portion of the Veil (NGC 6960), slowly pan east about 3 degrees, and you should reach the large arching western segment. With a nebula filter, this part of the Veil shows a wealth of lacy detail. Through most scopes, it is too large to be seen all at once through a low-power eyepiece, so slowly pan across the field and take your time to see as much detail as possible. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NGC 6822 (Caldwell 57), Barnard’s Galaxy
<\/strong>Irregular galaxy in Sagittarius
This small, irregular galaxy is a member of the local group of galaxies, and it is about 1.6 million light years away. Like the Veil Nebula, this galaxy is large but dim and diffuse. A nebula filter will not help here, but dark skies and a low-power eyepiece will give you the best chance of spotting this large oval glow. Star-hop chart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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

Al Washburn captured the gibbous Moon with an iphone attached to a 6-inch telescope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"This<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

John Pancoast took this image of spiral galaxy M101 from a state park in rural Virginia in May.  John writes: \u201cThis was taken over three nights and amounts to 9 hours total integration. I\u2019ve never imaged this long before. It\u2019s 54 x 10-minute subs. I used my 4\u201d refractor with a TeleVue 2x PowerMate, so I was imaging at f\/12.6\u2026 reeeeaaaalllly slow. I am still using an OSC camera, so I wasn\u2019t able to get much H-alpha. Other than that, I\u2019m pretty happy with the result!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jim Mazur took this time lapse of the Moon and Mercury setting in the trees after sunset on May 13. He used a Canon T6i camera with a 200-mm lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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