This page is mainly dedicated to observations made with binoculars. Binoculars are a great way to get yourself familiar with the constellations and some of the many objects that populate the sky. The observing reports shown below should give you a flavour of what you can see.

Observer:	Luke Invernon
E-mail address:	lukeinvernon@supanet.com
Web site:
Date and time of Observation:	01-08/08/03
Observing Location:	Jena, Eastern Germany
Object Observed:	milky way
Viewing conditions:	clear, fairly dark
Telescope	10x50 binoculars
Eyepiece
Observing notes:	While I was visiting I managed to do a little observation of the moon and the star fields of the milky way. I was in a hotel in the town center so it was a shock to me how dark it got. German lighting is much less polluting than in the UK. I saw m13 and m31 and several other faint objects which are difficult in my telescope in England. The moon was amazing , showing mountain rages I had never seen in binoculars before. Comment: It goes to show just how bad lighting is in the UK and how easily it can be avoided. All the towns I visited were well lit but still had a beautiful sky. This was the first time I have seen the milky way in years.

Observer:	Alistair Thomson
E-mail address:	thomson_alistair@yahoo.co.uk
Date and time of Observation:	16th April 2002
Observing Location:	Nottingham, UK
Object Observed:	Moon occult Saturn
Viewing conditions:	some hazy cloud and light pollution
Binoculars	Zeiss 10x50 binocs and naked eye
Observing notes:	Last night I managed to watch the moon occult Saturn using my 10x50 binoculars! (telescope is packed away as I'm moving house soon).  It was quite a sight to watch. In the binoculars Saturn appeared very bright, orange in colour and elongated in shape. The dark part of the moon was lit by Earthshine(?) and was clearly visible. I was surprised by how quickly the Moon caught up with Saturn. The gap between the Moon and Saturn rapidly diminished and before you knew it Saturn faded from view and was totally gone by 21:54 BST.  I can only begin to imagine how good it must have looked through a scope! I wasn't able to see Saturn reappear as the Moon sank towards the horizon it was enveloped in cloud!

Observer:	Darren Wong
E-mail address:	dhumpie@whale-mail.com
Date and time of Observation:	December 2001
Observing Location:	North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia
Object Observed:	Various
Viewing conditions:	Excellent magnitude 7 skies
Binoculars	10x50 binocs and naked eye
Observing notes:	Had a division retreat over at Stradbroke Island. As it was away from civilization as we know it, I decided to do some really dark sky observing (sans my telescope as I was too lazy to bring it over). The skies were superb and the transparency was totally excellent. The milky way in the direction of Sagittarius and Scorpius (at about 10pm local time) was directly overhead and boy was it bright. It was literally casting shadows on the ground. Sights such as these remind me why I got into amateur astronomy in the first place. The texture in the milky way was just simply astonishing. The knots and kinks, the dark obscuring nebulae (the coal sack was clearly visible as a "hole" in the star littered field). I think I saw more detail in the milky way through my naked eye than any galaxy with my 3" and 6" newts. Just gazed and gazed at our galaxy. Then I remembered I had a binoc with me........ The lagoon nebula and the trifid were nice and thick with the lagoon showing the dark rift. Could not detect any rifts in the trifid though. Also, M17 the swan nebula was visible in all its glory with its checkmark shape clearly visible. The eagle nebula was also visible as a patch of nebulosity without any details. On to the great southern globulars M22 (grainy and with several outer stars resolved), M4 (distinctly grainy but no resolution), omega centauri (wow, superb globular. huge in the bino with several faint stars sprinkled across its face) and some nothern brothers M13 (slight resolution in the outer halo). Excellent! Planetaries? Now I have seen M27 the dumbbell nebula as a faint round blob from my not so perfect skies (mag 5) back home but seeing it from a dark sky site was a totally new experience. I could clearly make out its dumbbell shape and it was distinctly greenish with several faint stars shining through the nebula giving it a 3D appearance. Though I caught ! a glimpse of M57 the ring but at 10x, its a little hard to make out fom the surrounding star field. My final objects of the night were the best, I went for the hardest (or so I though). Went for the peculiar galaxy NGC 5128 in Centaurus....wow saw it. Looks like omega centauri the globular (rather similar in size...well maybe smaller). No dark lane detected. Spotted the north american nebula with the naked eye (even better to look at in the binocs!). Also though I caught a glimpse of the veil nebula in my binocs. Very faint and ghostly arc...can anyone confirm this with me? Spent the rest of the time picking up all the globulars in this part of the sky...

Observer:	Jon Lopez
E-mail address:	jonnyv0@yahoo.com
Date and time of Observation:	7/14/01 about 1am edt
Observing Location:	Philadelphia, PA
Object Observed:	comet LINEAR C/2001 A2
Viewing conditions:	clear with city glare mostly to the south
Telescope	10x50 Orion explorer binoculars
Observing notes:	I obtained coordinates from skypub.com, and lined them up on the Night Sky planesphere. It was in Pegasus, at about 22h and +15deg. The comet appeared to be a wide, round, fuzzy patch, brighter at the center, and dimmer towards the outer edges.

Observer:	Tom Campbell
E-mail address:	softech@iolaks.com
Web site:	www.iolaks.com/softech/astro/astro.htm
Date and time of Observation:	2/24/01 - 7:45 to 8:45pm CST
Observing Location:	Iola, KS
Object Observed:	Various
Viewing conditions:	Good, but windy
Telescope	Simmons 10x50WA Binoculars
Observing notes:	M45 (Pleiades) [Taurus] - 7:52pm CST In my binoculars, dozens of stars are visible. The seven brightest ones stand out prominently, with a multitude of fainter ones interspersed throughout the cluster. The entire cluster easily fits within the field of view. One of the stars, Alcyone, particularly caught my attention because of a fainter star right next to it that made for a nice visual binary. This cluster is absolutely gorgeous, with several small chains and patterns of stars. I never get tired of looking at it. With the naked eye (well, almost naked, since I do wear glasses), I could pick out six of the brightest stars (all but Pleione), so the seeing must've been fairly decent. M44 (Beehive) [Cancer] - 7:55pm CST This cluster is much fainter than M45. In fact, the brighter stars of this cluster would be categorized as some of the fainter ones of M45. Even with binoculars, you can easily detect the beehive or house shape in the center of the cluster. With slightly averted vision, all three components of the visual triple star that comprises of the top of the roof were visible, as were the visual companions to the the two stars that form the bottom of the roof. In all, about 25 stars were visible. Even though this is a nice cluster, I suggest that you look at it BEFORE you look at the Pleiades. Mel25 (Hyades) [Taurus] - 7:58 CST This large open cluster is almost too close to appreciate. Through a telescope, only small sections of the cluster can be seen at a time. Even in binoculars, the entire cluster won't fit into the field of view. Besides the familiar V shape that makes up the head of Taurus, there are a few other interesting patterns of stars within the Hyades. My favorite is a little asterism near Aldebaran which consists of three double stars in a circle, forming a sort of triangle with the ends chopped off, similar to the triangular caution sign that you see on the back of farm equipment travelling down the road. Sword of Orion [Orion] - 8:00pm CST Although I don't think it is, the stars making up Orion's Sword appear as a loose open cluster through binoculars. Dozens of stars can be seen, grouped in pairs and triples. In fact, the stars in M42 and M43 appeared as a triple star with a faint glow of nebulosity surrounding them. I've seen better views of M42 through my binoculars on other nights, so I'll give it a try on another night. Sigma Ori [Orion] - 8:05pm CST At first glance, I was only able to detect the bright primary star of Sigma Ori. But by using averted vision, the double Struve761 could be seen. A second component of Sigma Ori seemed to pop in and out of view, but with the windy conditions, it could have been my imagination. Jupiter - 8:08pm CST The glaringly bright disk of Jupiter could easily be seen, as well as the four Galilean moons. Two of the moons were on one side of the gas giant, about equally spaced apart from the planet itself. On the opposite side of the planet, one moon was in close (closer than either of the planets on the other side), and the fourth moon was out quite a distance. Jupiter itself was a featureless ball. Saturn - 8:10pm CST Situated a little lower in the sky than nearby Jupiter, Saturn has a definite yellow-orange coloring and oval shape. The rings couldn't actually be separated from the planet, however. NGC869/NGC884 (Double Cluster) [Perseus] - 8:18pm CST Two round fuzzy balls were easily detected, with a few bright stars in each cluster being resolved. This makes a nice view in binoculars, but they look a little better in a telescope, due to the greater number of stars that can be resolved. Mel20 (Alpha Per Moving Cluster) [Perseus] - 8:23pm CST Through binoculars, this is a really impressive and big cluster. A lot of bright stars are visible. I think that if the Pleiades was about twice as close to us, it would probably look something like this. The cluster is rather elongated, and looks much better through binoculars than a telescope. Alpha Per is definitely the brightest star of the group, and many other stars (a couple of dozen) are about as bright as the brightest Pleiades members. M46 & M47 [Puppis] - 8:30pm CST M46 and M47 are pretty close to each other, visually at least. I like to think of them as the southern version of the Double Cluster. I easily found these two clusters by extending the lines indicating the two legs of Canis Major above the dog until they intersect. The clusters are really close to that point. M47 is much brighter than its neighbor M46. It appears to be about 10 stars visible through binoculars. It's not a bad-looking cluster, but smaller than many of the other clusters I viewed tonight. M46, on the other hand, was barely detectable as a faint smudge on the background sky. In fact, I had to stare at it for a couple of minutes to convince myself that it wasn't just a small cloud. It begged for more magnification.

Observer:	Alistair Thomson
E-mail address:	thomson_alistair@yahoo.co.uk
Web site:	www.oocities.org/the_150mm_reflector
Date and time of Observation:	12th February 2001 19:00 - 19:30 UT
Observing Location:	Nottingham UK
Object Observed:	ISS, Rosette nebula, M46, M47
Viewing conditions:	Clear skies
Telescope	10x50 binoculars
Observing notes:	My main aim tonight was to catch the International Space Station. I had my chart and timings from Heavens Above and went outside a few minutes early to get dark adapted. I scanned some favourite objects and then went in hunt of the Rossette nebula in Monoceras. I've tried a few time with my scope to find this and always failed. Tonight I tried a new approach. I found a faint grouping of mag 6 stars just below Betelgeux and moved towards Procyon in Canis Minor. As I gradually swept across the sky a whole host of clusters came into view and finally I picked up the nebulosity of the rosette nebula (mag 5.5). It was larger than I expected and quite bright despite being quite low in the sky, I could make out a few stars sitting in amongst the nebulosity. I spent some time trying to make out detail in the other clusters but they weren't giving anything up. How I wish my scope was operational! I got so carried away with Monoceras and its clusters that I almost forgot about the ISS. I turned around and waited a minute or so and there just below Venus was the ISS - and boy was it moving! It gradually increased in brightness and was easily seen with the naked eye. In binoculars I could make out a kind of wedge shape. As I followed it up into the sky a plane crossed right in front of the ISS momentarily blocking it from view! I followed the ISS up into the Hyades cluster where it very quickly faded from view. Wow, my first sighting of the ISS - it wont be my last! Spurred on by this I went in search of M46 (mag 6.1) and M47 (mag 4.4) in Puppis. I first found Sirius and Murzim. I followed a line from Murzim through Sirius and slowly moved towards Puppis. Then I saw M47 with the hint of a star or two being resolved M46 appeared as a fuzzy patch of nebulosity with no hint of stars being resolved. Yes, I finally got this pair as well! Quite a night, I saw many objects that I've never seen before. I can't wait for my scope to be back in action...

Observer:	Alistair Thomson
E-mail address:	thomson_alistair@yahoo.co.uk
Web site:	www.oocities.org/the_150mm_reflector
Date and time of Observation:	8th February 2001 16:00 UT
Observing Location:	Nottingham UK
Object Observed:	The Sun
Viewing conditions:	Patchy cloud
Telescope	10x50 binoculars
Observing notes:	I've borrowed some welders glass (the really dark blue stuff) and fixed it to the front of my binoculars. I made sure it was secure as I didn't want it to drop off whilst looking at the sun! I went out with my improvised viewing aid and pointed it at the sun. WOW! What a view. The sun took up about 25 - 30% of the field of view. I could see three distinct groups of sun spots! It was incredible. I didn't realise I'd see so much detail. The first group of sunspots (to the left) were very prominent showing two close to each other, the right one of the pair was the darkest. The grouping towards the centre of the sun was larger though the spots were fainter. There was a reasonably dark spot with the fainter ones arcing of up in the general direction of the first two spots. The last grouping were to the right and were a smaller version of the spots on the left of the sun. I managed to find this photograph which shows exactly what I saw (the orientation of the sun was a little different - probably down to the different geographic locations from where the picture was taken and my viewing site). Check the site out at Solar Data Analysis Center

Observer:	Mitsuhiro Kawase
E-mail address:	goshawk301@yahoo.com
Date and time of Observation:	January 22 2000, 2300-2345 PDT (January 23, 0700-0745 UT)
Observing Location:	North Creek Park, Mill Creek WA (20mi. NNE of Seattle)
Object Observed:	A tour of winter Messier clusters
Viewing conditions:	Fair, some skyglow and high clouds, LM=5
Telescope	7x42 Binoculars
Observing notes:	For my first viewing opportunity of the new Millennium, I went out and set up in a parking lot of a county park in the northern suburb of Seattle. Sky conditions were less than great, with some skyglow perhaps from a recent solar activity, as well as high clouds and suburban light pollution. Although I set up my 4 inch telescope also, I did most of my observing with binoculars. M36-38 in Auriga: These three beauties could fit in the same FOV of 7x42, lining up as a trio of little clouds (no resolution) nicely contrasting with the profuse field stars. I'm partial to the one in the middle (M36), dainty but bright. M35 in Gemini: Big M35 could be a big sister to the Auriga trio. Along with M42, this was one of the only two DSOs I could find when I was a city-bound, stargazing kid. It's a pretty well-defined square cloud, and again it creates nice contrast with field stars. M41 in Canis Major: Allow me to extol the beauty of this cluster. This one is a real showpiece for binoculars, a worthy winter counterpart to M6/7 of summer. Its handful of bright members create a real impact in a binocular view, like a blast from the horn section of a crack swing band. As it happened, this cluster was just off to the west of a foreground tree, and the visual effect of this glittering group floating far beyond silhouetted branches was memorable. M50 in Monoceros: Just detectable as a misty patch with binoculars. M47 in Puppis: A handful of bright stars and the rest in a background glow, nice through 7x42. Unfortunately the companion cluster M46 was not seen this night. (I was able to see M46 with 7x42 a few days later from a dark sky site. It is a gentle dusting of very fine stars and it contrasts beautifully with bright, coarse M47 in a binocular FOV.) M48 in Hydra: Much like M50, just detectable with binoculars as a little cloud. I ended the session with a view of M1, Crab Nebula, through my 4 inch.

Observer:	Stephen Tonkin
Web site:	www.aegis1.demon.co.uk
Date and time of Observation:	various
Observing Location:	N50.9108 W1.830
Object Observed:	various
Viewing conditions:	various
Telescope	Helios 15x70 Binocular
Observing notes:	On the way home from our AS meeting in early August, 2000, a friend and I stopped off in the darkest wilds of East Dorset (cue: chirping crickets, wailing hounds...) and tried out his Helios Stellar 15x70. I like! These are seriously nice binoculars for the price. The FOV (4 deg) gets a tad ragged very close to the edges but, apart from that minor inconvenience (it was unnoticeable unless I was actively looking for it) they gave nice images. I found I could hand-hold them acceptably steadily for short periods -- there was no other option. M57, 81, 82, 27 were ridiculously easy. M13 looked as though it was about to resolve. I went to a local supplier the following morning to have a look at the binocular again, and ended up coming away with one. It's not up to the standard of the Fujinon 16x70 that I have supposedly been saving up for, but it's only 1/6 the price -- and I'd hesitate to say that the Fujinon is 6 times as good. (N.B. This is the UK price differential; in the USA the Helios is relatively more expensive, the Fujinon less so.) The Fujinon will almost certainly have better contrast and the optics will be better corrected, but ... back to the Helios: The binocular comes in a double-skinned cardboard box (thin-card outer; 2mm corrugated cardboard inner). Inside is a black faux-leather hard case lined with red felt and with real leather hinge and snap-closure tab. Inside this is the binocular (with capped lenses), the plastic case strap, the nylon-webbing binocular strap, a sachet of silica-gel desiccant (which I have since taped to the inside of the case lid), and a multi-lingual (English, French, Spanish, German) instruction leaflet. The binocular is a snug, but not tight, fit in the case. The leaflet is cursory and aimed at beginners. The bulk of it deals with setting the Interpupillary distance, focusing, and adjusting the right eyepiece. I take issue with the advice on cleaning "dust and other particles" on the lenses ("...blow on them or wipe them with a soft brush, and then rub gently with a piece of clean dry cotton."). The mechanical construction is very good, although not excellent. The body is of Bausch & Lomb-type ("American") construction; i.e. the objective barrels and prism housings are cast as one piece; the prisms are secured in a removable cage. Focus (centre focus with a large -- 32mm diam, 29mm long -- rubber-grip focus wheel) is smooth, as is the right eyepiece adjustment (also rubber-grip). The right eyepiece has no scale, merely a zero and + and - indicators -- it has about 1.5mm of longitudinal adjustment either side of the zero marker. The hinge is slightly stiff as it begins its motion (i.e. the static friction of the joint is noticeably greater than its dynamic friction). Interpupillary distance is adjustable from 60mm to 70mm. It is possible to rock the eyepieces slightly (about 0.5mm), but this required much more force than would normally be applied by the eye/orbit to the eye-cup and the rocking is negligible in normal use. The objective lens caps are a tad oversized -- they are too easy to knock off -- you could not have the binocular slung around your neck and expect the caps to stay on. The supplied nylon webbing neck strap is too short for those of us with larger necks; it is also too thin for the weight of the binocular -- you will want to get a wider one if you intend to neck-sling the binocular, but this is not a problem if it is to be tripod-mounted. The binocular weighs 45 oz. The centre of mass of the binocular is almost exactly over the nearer hole in the foot of the L-bracket when the latter is attached -- i.e. it stands quite happily on the L-bracket alone. However, it will only be balanced in this manner on a tripod-head when it is near the horizontal. The outer diameter of the bush for the tripod bracket is undersized at 14mm -- this means that the bolt needs to be done up very tightly to prevent rotation. I suggest that it would probably be better to accept that some rotation is inevitable and to periodically tighten the bolt when this is necessary. The optics are fully multicoated and, as far as I can tell, are acceptably collimated (I am unusually sensitive to mis-collimation). I cannot detect any vertical miscollimation, but there is some convergence of around a quarter of a degree -- certainly no more than 20 arcmin. (40 arcmin convergence is conventionally considered to be acceptable -- "standard" manufacturing tolerances are of the order of 20 arcmin convergence, 50 arcmin divergence, and 15 arcmin vertical.) As I said earlier, the field (4 deg) falls off in quality at the edge, but the "ragged" zone is less than 1/4 deg wide so the usable field is a good 3.5 deg. There is a slight, but noticeable, amount of field curvature. There is moderate positive ("pincushion") distortion. One of the prisms (Bak-4) in each side is slightly undersized; its edge makes a chord slightly under 2mm long at the top inside edge of the exit pupil (This is so slight that it can easily be missed on a cursory inspection -- I missed it in the shop). This amounts to a vignetting of a single-digit percentage of the aperture area. I have not dismantled the binocular to ascertain whether the prisms are grooved. The colour correction is poor at the edge of field, and is poor for very high contrast objects everywhere but the central degree or so. However, this is a daytime limitation unless you intend to use it a lot on the Moon and bright planets, where I find it obtrusive unless the object is reasonably well centred. I noticed no false colour on Arcturus or Vega. The internal baffling is very good -- I have used an angle-poise lamp to try (without success) to lighten the black surround of the image. This aids the very good contrast of the night-time images. Despite the fold-down eye-cups, the eye relief is inadequate for use with spectacles. However, the fold-down capability will be useful on dewy nights, where good air circulation around the eyepieces is essential to waft away water vapour from the eyes. Certainly not the best, but extremely good for the price, and certainly better than some supposedly better binoculars I have seen for more than double the price. I think you might struggle to find a better way to spend a hundred and thirty quid on astronomical optics! One nice surprise -- there's room in the case for my L-bracket; there isn't room in the case of my 10x50. The Helios 'Stellar' 15 x 70 is distributed in the UK by Optical Vision Limited. The RRP is 169.99 pounds sterling, but most astronomical outlets sell it for between 125 and 140 pounds. In the USA it is called the Orion 'Little Giant' 15x70, is distributed by the Orion Telescope and Binocular Centre and retails for US$259

Observer:	Matt Andrew
E-mail address:	MAndrwe@cs.com
Web site:	ourworld.cs.com/mandrwe/
Date and time of Observation:	January 2001
Telescope	16x80 binoculars
Observing notes:	I received my set of "big binos" today. They are a pair of 16x80's from Orion T&B. I took them out this evening and turned them on the full moon first. Jumping from 10x to 16x is noticeable in binos! The moon showed excellent detail, and the ray systems were very marked. I swung around to Orion and checked out M42. It is very impressive in 80mm. The trap. was very distinct and nebulosity visible. The next stop was Jupiter, which showed some surface detail, and the Galilean moons very distinct and pin-point. Even Saturn showed a hint of ring, at least oblong structure. I was hand holding these, which is not recommended for very long. I will put them on my parallelogram mount later on. The quality of these binos is excellent! They are fully multicoated on ALL air to glass surfaces, have BAK4 multi coated prisms, and still give 16mm eye relief at the 16x level. The 5mm exit pupil is good for my age, and my light polluted back yard. This is the second pair of Orion binos that I have purchased, the first being 10x50 Vista's, also an excellent binocular for the money. All in all, the 16x80's are well worth the money. Clear skies, Matt Andrew

Observer:	Tom Campbell
E-mail address:	softech@iolaks.com
Web site:	www.iolaks.com/softech/astro/astro.htm
Date and time of Observation:	12/27/00 7:30pm-7:45pm CST
Observing Location:	Iola, KS
Object Observed:	Pleiades (M45), Jupiter, Saturn
Viewing conditions:	Clear and cold, but fog rolling in
Telescope	Simmons 10x50WA Binoculars
Observing notes:	After reading about the Simmons 10x50WA binoculars being on sale at Wal-Mart for only $20, I decided to brave the post-holiday crowds and pick up a pair. I have never owned a pair of binoculars larger than 5x25, so these were a real treat. Tonight, the sky was clear, but fog was moving into the area. I was anxious to try out these binoculars and make sure that they would properly come to focus, etc. on stars and other deep sky objects. I bundled up and went outside for a quick look around. Pleiades (M45) - 7:30pm CST The Pleiades were high in the sky at this time of night, and the perfect object for binoculars. Propping my arms up on the roof of my car allowed me to steady the binoculars enough for enjoyable viewing. Much to my delight, the stars were crisp pinpoints, and the varied brightnesses of the stars in the cluster gave it a 3D appearance. The entire cluster fit nicely within the field of view, with room to spare. Compared to my low-power telescope views (where only about 3/4 of the cluster would fit into the field of view), the wider view was stunning. The sparkling jewel box glistened brightly in the cold winter night, its gems forming patterns of lines and swirls on the canvas we call the sky. Jupiter - 7:35pm CST Next, I turned my attention to Jupiter. While the planet itself gave off some color (due to the achromatic lenses and fast focal ratio) and made it impossible to discern any detail, all four moons were clearly visible. At this particular time, one of the moons was pretty close to the planet (about one planet's diameter) it could still be easily seen. Saturn - 7:40pm CST I decided to push my luck and try for the ringed planet. The dirty yellow color was unmistakable. The planet was definitely oblong-shaped, and in moments when my hand was particularly steady, the ring structure could definitely be seen around the equatorial regions, with a definite band of black separating the rings from the planet proper. After making a quick sweep of the Hyades, and with fog settling in, I called it a night. All in all, the binoculars exceeded my expectations. For the price, a little bit of color aberration is perfectly acceptable. If you need a lightweight but powerful pair of binoculars, I wouldn't hesitate in recommending them.

Observer:	Peter Huang
E-mail address:	pphuang@earthlink.net
Date and time of Observation:	04 Nov 00 04:00-­05:30AM EST
Observing Location:	Bangor ME, USA - 45°40'N 70°12'W
Object Observed:	Various
Viewing conditions:	Good
Telescope	Celestron Ultima 7x50
Observing notes:	I've been lurking around s.a.a. and a few eGroups astronomy lists, but recent posts about binocular observing motivated me to post my own experience. I just got my binoculars a few months ago and have only just begun learning the sky. I hope this doesn't bore the more experienced observers out there. Started with just a naked eye sweep, trying to identify constellations, especially unfamiliar ones. I think I pretty much can pick out the major ones throughout the autumn/winter sky. Then started picking out specific targets within each constellation, focusing on Messiers and guided by StarryNight Pro and Harringtonšs book "Touring the Universe Through Binoculars". During the session, a couple of satellites were observed and the thrill of seeing a couple of bright meteors streaking across the sky. Comparing them to nearby stars, I would estimate the brightest to be about 1-2 in magnitude. Cancer - A relatively faint constellation made even less obvious by my near-sightedness. Followed from Orion to Gemini then identified it as I swept towards Leo. M44 (Beehive) was the standout here, easily finding a large cluster of discrete bright stars. One of the most impressive clusters Išve seen! I swept towards the horizon and found Acubens (alpha-Cancri) as a guidepost for M67. This cluster was seen just to the right of Acubens, not resolving points of stars, but definitely seeing a tight patch of mist here. I was pretty happy to find this relatively inconspicuous object. Perseus ­ With a general look at the constellation, I was struck by the concentration of stars around alpha-Persei (Mirfak). As far as I can tell, this is not a true cluster of stars but an impressive sight nonetheless. Hopping from alpha- to kappa-Persei, I was able to form a triangle within a field of view of kappa-Persei, beta-Persei and M34. This was seen as a nice small cluster of stars. Beta-Persei (Algol) is an eclipsing binary ­ I didnšt split the double but according to Harrington it should be seen as a variable with about a 2.8 day period ­ cool. I looked over to the double cluster (NGC 869 / NGC 884) which I had seen before but remains very impressive each time I see them. When I first saw this, the background star density was so high, I wasnšt sure whether these were true clusters or just focally increased star densities. Beautiful! Cassiopeia ­ Just taking in sweeps of this rich constellation is a joy. Looking here, I found M103 as a faint cluster just above delta-Cassiopeiae (Ruchbah). Failed to find M52 by following a line from alpha to beta-Cassiopeiae towards Cepheus. Should be just more than one FOV away from beta-Cass. Rats. Puppis ­ Following a line from Mirzam to Sirius in Canis Major, I searched for a pair of Messiers which are actually in Puppis. M47 was easily seen as a nice tight cluster of discrete stars. M46 just to the left was seen only as a faint smudge best seen with averted vision. Canis Major ­ Just a quick look here to find M41 which is viewed as a nice bright cluster of a large number of discrete stars. I notice I described this as a faint cluster when I first observed this in September. Are conditions better or am I getting better at observing? Hopefully the latter! With creeping light from the east and creeping clouds as well as fog from the Penobscot River from the west, I turned to more familiar bright targets which are listed briefly. Orion ­ M42 and M43 nebulae, splitting theta1 and theta2, I think. Following the chain up, seeing NGC 1977 with 42- and 45-Orionis split within this. NGC 1981 cluster slightly higher. Taurus ­ Hyades cluster, M45 (Pleiades) both nicely seen. Jupiter and Saturn here as well. I have seen as many as three Jovian moons in the past, but they are too close to the planet tonight for me to resolve any of them tonight. With the glow from the east getting brighter, clouds/fog getting thicker and my hands shaking from the chill getting worse I called it a day. All in all just about one of the best sessions I've had. Thanks for listening... Clear Skies! Peter Huang

Observer:	Charlie Wallace
E-mail address:	cvwallace@webtv.net
Date and time of Observation:	9/27/00 2345-0030
Observing Location:	Columbus Indiana
Object Observed:	numerous and varied
Viewing conditions:	fair.
Telescope	Bushnell 12x50 binoculars
Observing notes:	I pulled into my drive way after work and could see black sky and bright stars. Took a look east to see what was up and was greeted by Auriga sitting on its side due east. Looked for its companion Orion and didn't see it. This seemed like a good time to observe. Went in the house and grabbed a jacket as the air was rather cool with what I was wearing. I almost grabbed a flashlight to take with me but instead I used the porch light to set up. I mounted the binos on the tripod and turned off the porch light. I pointed the binos at Auriga and took a look and immediately recognized the star pattern in the fov. M36 was easy to find. It was a small gray patch of light (fuzzie) there were no other stars real close by. It would have been really easy to go right by it without seeing it if I hadn't seen it many times before. I dropped down and M37 came into view. It was about twice the size of M36 and it too was a fuzzie. I visited a mag 7.5 cluster that wasn't visible but I recognized it location from the star patterns around it. Tried to split the binary of Capella without luck. Noted that there were spikes shooting off the edges of the star indicating a turbulent atmosphere. I stepped back from the binos and started looking around naked eye. Jupiter was approaching the tips of the horns of Taurus. Cool site. I then took a look at both thru the binos. Jupiter was a bust, to many spikes shooting off the edges. Twinkling too much. Saw on moon close to the planet. I really enjoyed the star fields of Taurus. A lot of paired doubles (as opposed to true binary star systems) and their arrangement made for a good view. Aldeberan was shining yellow at the lower left of the fov. Just had to take a look at the Pleiades. Awesome. Blue/white stars on a black background. I stood back just in time to see a meteor streak across Cassieopia in a north/south direction. I took in the constellation of Perseus. Back to the binos. The upper half of the constellations have awesome star fields and are definitely worth the effort to view. Between the constellations of Cassieopia and Perseus is the gem called the double cluster. I observed this just for a few moments since it was almost beyond my reach and my body started to protest the awkward position I was in to see that high up. I looked east along the horizon and and there were the three belt stars of Orion in plain view almost vertical. I looked for the Orion Nebula but all I saw was grey. It amazing me sometimes how when I first go out to observe the sky is pitch black but as my eyes adapt the sky turns grey. Naked eye I turned to see what was in the south. Didn't see anything specific in regards to constellations. Started looking towards the south east toward zenith and the great square popped into view. I followed the "kite tail" and with averted vision was able to see where M31 was. It was way to high in the sky so I didn't waste my time on it. I looked west and Cygnus was almost straight up and cool sight in and of itself. A cross clearly visible. I saw the constellation that has M27 in it and took a look even though I knew M27 was way beyond the reach of my binos. I went back to looking east. Orion had risen some more so I looked for M42 again. This time it was clearly visible even in the ! grey of the sky. About the same size as M38 in Auriga We have some shingles layed out on the ground between the shed and the house and I heard the tell tale sound of claws scrapping the shingles as something walked by. I got an adrenalin rush because there have been two animals seen here at night on of which was a skunk. Needless to say I wished I had brought the flashlight. Not knowing which one it was I ended the session.

Observer:	Mitsuhiro Kawase
E-mail address:	goshawk301@yahoo.com
Date and time of Observation:	September 19, 2000, 9-11 p.m. PDT
Observing Location:	Rattlesnake Lake, North Bend, WA USA
Object Observed:	M30 and NGC 7009 (Saturn Nebula)
Viewing conditions:	Steady, very moist air
Telescope	7x42 binoculars
Observing notes:	A great use of binoculars, if you also own a telescope, is as an aid to starhopping. Before I look for an object with my telescope I usually survey the area with my binoculars, to get an idea of the star patterns in the area and compare with the star chart. This is helpful even when the object itself is invisible with binoculars. This evening I had a program of lesser-known Messier objects of early autumn, M75, M30, M72 and M73. I will post a report of the telescopic observations under 105mm refractor category. Of these, M30, a globular cluster in Capricornus, could be identified with my 7x42 binoculars. It was low over the skyline, and right next to the star 41 Capricorni which forms an equilateral triangle with Epsilon and Zeta Cap. It was a small circular glow and it took averted vision to register it properly. I also hunted down the well-known planetary nebula NGC 7009 in Aquarius, a.k.a Saturn Nebula. This lies close to the star Nu Aquarii and to M72 and M73. With binoculars this looks like a fairly bright field star, and it took a telescopic look to positively identify it.

Observer:	the astronomer
E-mail address:	theastronomer@webtv.net
Date and time of Observation:	09-14-00
Observing Location:	north central ohio, united states
Object Observed:	jupiter, saturn and M42 "orion nebula" --also incuded are sporadic meteors and first ever sighting of the aurora borealis
Viewing conditions:	light pollution from the moon, but excellent clear sky
Telescope	celestron 4.5 reflector
Eyepiece	25mm 1.25
Observing notes:	A bulletin from the space weather bureau alerted all interested that a massive coronal flare had occurred on 09-12, making conditions extremely favorable for sighting the aurora borealis on the early morning hours of 09-14. being an enthusiast on all things concerning the night sky...i HAD to try! starting my observing session at 4:00 a.m., i saw several sporadic meteors emanating from different sectors...but no aurora. it became increasingly difficult to concentrate on the northern horizon with Jupiter, Saturn and Orion blazing up the eastern area, so i abandoned my vigil to bring the little telescope that could out to visit with the "neighbors". as always, i was delighted with Saturn's rings...and particularly excited to see that the current high pressure system had made conditions so clear that three (count 'em folks, because you don't get to see it often!) moons of Saturn were visible! now, on to Jupiter and my never-ending fascination with the Galilean moons. once again i was pleasantly surprised to be able to view seven "bands" on the planet itself, and continually marvel at the "depth perception" effect that the moons provide! some of you may be familiar with this, but if you are not, be sure the next time you view Jupiter to use averted vision... the moons positively leap from eyepiece! it is very easy to tell which of them orbit beside, behind, or in front of Jupiter (from our vantage point, of course!) even suffering under the effects of "moon glow", i find myself unable to resist taking a shot at the M42, "great Orion nebula". it remains as beautiful as i saw it during the winter...just begging for more magnification to explore the trapezium area! by now the time to prepare for work has arrived, and i regretfully return the 'scope inside. i made my preparations for the day, and when i returned at 5:15 to restore the outside lighting...there it was!!! the most incredible phenomena i have ever seen! massive pillars of light, blazing from the northern horizon all the way up to the zenith! i have seen the "pillar lighting effect" and the "zodiacal lights", but nothing compares to this! i stood in slack-jawed wonder for more than thirty minutes...i was in awe! who cared if i were to be late for work? (being the "boss" does have its' advantages!) by now the first glimmers of dawn had arrived on the scene, fading it away. after receiving confirmation from the space weather bureau that my observations were correct, i felt compelled to share with all who are interested. since that time, the sun has unleashed three more massive ejections... allowing me two more opportunities to observe the aurora. after sunset on 09-17, (approximately 9:00 p.m.) the phenomena occurred again...complete with waves of color to dazzle the eye! then once again on the evening of 09-18...but not as spectacular. i urge all of you to visit www.spaceweather.com for updated information. their predictions were 100% correct!  humbly yours, theastronomer Comment: i would be interested in knowing if anyone else witnessed the aurora!

Observer:	Charlie Wallace
E-mail address:	cvwallace@webtv.net
Web site:	members.tripod.com/~c-wallace/gzhome.html
Date and time of Observation:	9-17-00, 2000 - 2130
Observing Location:	Columbus, Indiana
Object Observed:	Various
Viewing conditions:	fair. some greyness to sky but acceptable viewing.
Telescope	This time out I used 12x50 binoculars. Own a Cestron G5, a 5 inch Cassagrain
Observing notes:	Taking the trash out to the curb has its advantages. I looked at the sky and saw Arcturas in the west, Sagittarius in the southwest and Andromeda in the east. The sky was dark with a touch of gray. There wasn't a great deal of shimmering of star so I figured it was a good time to do some observing. This time out I took my bushnell 12x50 binos and mounted them on my camera tripod. I extended the tripod until the binos were at eye level. My first target was Sagittarius. I first found the tail of the scorpion and moved up. Two nice clusters. M6 & M7. Very nice views. The nice thing about binos is the wide fov and only the brightest stars are visible. With 5ē fov I was able to see both clusters at the same time. Individual stars were clearly visible and were far from being fuzzies. The street light on the reflecting in the ep I decided to relocate to the backyard. Picked up the tripod with one hand and headed for the darkness. Once in the back yard I set the tripod down in the general direction and to my surprise there was M6 & M7 in the fov. From there I moved upwards and found M8 & M20. M8 was really cool. It just had the faintest of glow (nebulosity) around a portion of the stars. All the stars shined bright and were clearly visible. M20 was also in the same fov. Really cool looking. It reminded my why I like binocular observing so much. Moving up and to the left I spotted M24 and another cluster that was a fuzzy. Don't remember the name of that one. I then decided just to follow the Milky Way. I started back at the bottom of Sagittarius and just moved upward. The star fields were spectacular. Caught M11 on the way up. I had to get into a contortionist configuration to view it but it was worth the effort. A small ball of light I knew to be a open cluster so tight that it was as close as you can get to a globular without being one. Before moving the tripod to continue following the Milky way I viewed the "coat hanger" cluster by the base of the cross in Cygnus. Also viewed the double star Alberio(sp?) while I was in the area. Then I went back to the Milky Way. I swung the binos to northeast. Naked eye I could see Cassieopia and the top half of Perseus above the horizon. Couldn't resist taking a look at the double cluster. It was easy to find and even in binos was a spectacular view. I find Perseus to be a good view in and of itself. The star patterns are really cool and the double cluster in the middle of it all takes it from cool to spectacular! I think there are many nice star fields in this region of sky and I spent some time looking them over. As a way of training my eyes to see detail I searched these star fields to see how many different color stars I could see. As I climbed up the Milky Way I couldn't a stop by the Andromeda Galaxy. What a sight that is. A large gray fuzzy sitting all by itself in the darkness of space. Have to admit binoculars still provide fantastic views. Was glad I left the scope in the house this time. Try it some time you'll like it. Charlie

Observer:	Thomas Moosey
E-mail address:	mooseytc@htcomp.net
Date and time of Observation:	0540 Local 1140 UT
Observing Location:	Texas 32N 97W
Object Observed:	Orion + various objects
Viewing conditions:	Clear and calm, GREAT CLEAR SKIES
Telescope	12x50 binoculars and eyeballs
Observing notes:	I stayed up later than I wanted to, the clouds cleared out early in the night, but the moon was just to bright to see anything. Heck you could read out there and she wasn't even close to being full. I don't have a lunar filter so I didn't plan on taking out my scope. Well I did go back out at 05:40 (the Moon had set at around 09:00UT) to eyeball Orion, I love that constellation, Orion was at 45 degrees, with Sirius hanging at 22 degrees. Jupiter and Saturn was almost at zenith, M45, the Seven Sisters, was very clear you could see 5 stars without any aid. I was forced to run in and grab the first thing I could find, a pair of Bino that I don't use that much 12x50. I went first to M42 and M43, WOW looked great!!! I was impressed with the picture I was seeing, very clear. I could clearly see two stars in M42. Then I went to Saturn, just a yellow dot, than to Jupiter, I could swear I saw a moon I believe it was Callisto, but I really don't believe I could see it with that low of power. I am thinking that it was just a star near by. By this time my neck was killing me. After a ten minute break, I looked at M45, you could clearly see the ? mark. I wasn't able to count the number of stars I could see, but it was breathtaking. Then I stared at Sirius for a while, that star is so colorful. The bright colors of red, blue dancing back and forth. I could see the Winter Milky Way, rising off from Orion heading to the North - Eastern sky. It isn't as bright as the Summer Milky Way, but well worth the look. I did a quick scan of it with the Bino, noting some cool sites to check out again with my scope. I have been learning the Southern half of the sky , but I think this summer I will turn my butt around and look Northward. Thomas

Observer:	John Davis
E-mail address:	JohnFromNebo@webtv.net
Date and time of Observation:	Various times
Observing Location:	Nebo, North Carolina, USA
Object Observed:	"Coathanger" asterism of stars
Viewing conditions:	Clear
Telescope	10x50 Binoculars
Observing notes:	After reading several observations about the notable "Coathanger" asterism, I had to chuckle after I had read the comments about how some observers "snuck up on it" while searching for something else. My first viewing of it was when I first began to seriously search the skys for deep sky objects. I used my binoculars to sweep the sky and it suddenly popped into view like a quaint oddity that made me wonder if anyone else had noticed before. Little did I know that almost every casual stargazer who has ever swept through this field of stars has seen it with the same mysterious delight as I had. Every now and then I may run across it and when I do, it's unexpected appearance almost makes me laugh because it's presence always brings a surprising charm that you weren't expecting at all. I am glad that it is still taking more new astronomers by surprise and will continue to do so as long as there are those who just happen to stumble onto it!

Observer:	Marc Laidlaw
E-mail address:	laidlaw@valvesoftware.com
Date and time of Observation:	Numerous nights in midsummer
Observing Location:	Suburban backyard
Object Observed:	Brocchi's Cluster aka Coathanger Cluster
Viewing conditions:	Good
Telescope	Bushnell 10x42 binoculars
Observing notes:	Before I had a scope, I was cruising the region of the Summer Triangle between Lyra and Cygnus with binoculars. I didn't know the names of anything I was looking at. I stumbled across an amazing sight: what looked like a line of stars with a clearly defined star-hook hanging from it. I went through several maps until I discovered that I was looking at Brocchi's cluster, better known as the Coathanger Cluster. It appears to best advantage in binoculars--it's hard to miss if you scan along a line between Albireo and Deneb. As far as I know, telescope eyepieces are too narrow to take it all in.

Observer:	Mitsuhiro Kawase
Date and time of Observation:	August 28, 2000
Observing Location:	Rattlesnake Lake, North Bend, WA USA
Object Observed:	Two Globulars in Sagittarius, M28 and M22
Viewing conditions:	Dark sky
Telescope	7x42 Binoculars
Observing notes:	M28 is right next to Lambda Sagittarii, the top star of the Sagittarius teapot. This is a small globular, little more than a dim circular glow with binoculars. Go up and left from Lambda Sag and .... Bang! You hit the monster that is M22. This globular is so impressive that even with binoculars it seems to show itself as a spherical, three dimensional object! One can easily distinguish the spherical core and the outer halo. It is a not-to-miss sight for all binocular fans, especially for those of us in high northern latitudes where this globular doesn't stay in the sky for long.

Observer:	Mitsuhiro Kawase
Date and time of Observation:	August 21, 2000
Observing Location:	Rattlesnake Lake, North Bend, WA USA
Object Observed:	A Summer Messier Tour, M8 - M11
Viewing conditions:	Dark sky
Telescope	7x42 Binoculars
Observing notes:	This is a tour of the summer "Messier Mile", which stretches from M6/7 in Scorpius to M11 in Scutum. Although the first two are splendid binocular objects, they were below the skyline from where I observed. So the tour started with M8, the Lagoon Nebula, in Sagittarius. M8 could even be spotted by naked eye as a misty patch in the Milky Way. Binoculars revealed it as a glowing cloud split diagonally by a dark lane (the "Lagoon"). The right (west) half is dominated by a bright foreground star 9 Sagittarii, while the left (east) half contains a smattering of starlets (Open Cluster NGC 6530). Altogether a splendid sight for binoculars. Up (north) from M8 I reached a small gathering of stars that form the core of M20, the Trifid Nebula, and a little further up and left, a small misty patch that is the open cluster M21. Although the nebulosity of M20 could not be positively detected, these stars formed a very attractive sight. Up and left, I came to the dazzling star cloud M24. This part of Milky Way is so magnificent, I could linger on for quite a while. Detours to the west to M23, and to the east to M25 are possible here. Up from M24 I came to two nebulosities in quick succession, both small but quite conspicuous. They were open cluster M18 and Swan Nebula M17, in order. Further up from M17 I reached another nebulous patch that was similar. This was M16 the Eagle Nebula - or rather the open cluster associated with it, the nebula itself (I believe) was outshone by the glitter of the stars. Up and left from this I entered Scutum. Near the center of the shield is the small open cluster M26, but this dim cluster was difficult to see, especially with so much brilliance around from stars and the Milky Way itself. I concluded my tour upon reaching M11, a bright, highly concentrated open cluster which to all intents and purposes looks like a globular with binoculars.

Observer:	Mitsuhiro Kawase
Date and time of Observation:	June 24, 2000
Observing Location:	Table Mountain, Ellensburg, WA USA
Object Observed:	Two Galaxies in Canes Venatici, M51 and M106
Viewing conditions:	Dark sky
Telescope	7x42 Binoculars
Observing notes:	M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, is a classic among spiral galaxies. I had spotted this for the first time with binoculars a few months earlier, under low light pollution, so I wanted to take a good look under a dark sky this time. It is easiest to star hop to this by locating it relative to Alkaid (the end star of Big Dipper), 24 and 21 CVn. I could detect a small, dim glow, presumably the core of the galaxy, but little more. Much more rewarding was M106, in the western part of the constellation. Star hop to this is south from 3 CVn, which in turn can be found from Phecda, the third star of Big Dipper. I could detect a surprisingly bright (in a relative sense!), clearly elongated patch of light. Although little more could be seen with binoculars, it was gratifying to welcome the well-traveled photons from such far, far places into my eyes!

Observer:	Mitsuhiro Kawase
Date and time of Observation:	June 24, 2000
Observing Location:	Table Mountain, Ellensburg, WA USA
Object Observed:	Two Spring Globulars, M3 and M53
Viewing conditions:	Dark sky
Telescope	7x42 Binoculars
Observing notes:	M3 is a straightforward starhop from Arcturus by extending the arc formed by Arcturus, 12 and 9 Bootis. I saw a bright and shapely globular, a little smaller than M13 but no less impressive and easy to see with binoculars. M53 is smaller but not much harder to spot or see. It is right adjacent to Alpha Coma Berenicis. With binoculars it looked to me like a "baby globular", diminutive but perfectly formed.

Observer:	Mitsuhiro Kawase
Date and time of Observation:	June 24, 2000
Observing Location:	Table Mountain, Ellensburg, WA USA
Object Observed:	Three Spring Galaxies, M63, M64, M94
Viewing conditions:	Dark sky
Telescope	7x42 Binoculars
Observing notes:	These were challenges to my binoculars and my own observing skill. The easiest was M63, the Sunflower Galaxy. Guided by a nifty four-star asterism formed formed by 19 CVn and others, I could detect a dim, slightly elongated patch of light. Interestingly, I had a harder time spotting the nearby M94, although it is listed as brighter than M63. M94 formed an obtuse triangle with Alpha and Beta CVn and was at the limit of visibility for me - I could just sense its presence. Similar was M64, the Black Eye Galaxy. Further to the south and next to 35 Com, I could frame this in the same FOV as M53.

Observer:	Fred F. Feddeck
E-mail address:	Feddeck@hotmail.com
Web site:	www.oocities.org/fritzfranzfeddeck
Viewing Location:	New York, USA
Date and time of Observation:	6/22/2000
Object Observed:	M56: Globular Cluster
Viewing conditions:	Good
Binoculars	9 X 63 Binoculars
Observing notes:	M56 appears as a very dim grainy ball that is a very washed light blue in color, almost gray. It is slightly smaller in size from what M13 looks like in my binoculars. Being very faint, averted vision and slightly jiggling the binoculars helps bring out more of the cluster. There are lots of stars around M56, so despite the dim appearance of the globular, the sight is very rewarding to observe with the scattering of stars around it.

Observer:	Fred F. Feddeck
E-mail address:	Feddeck@hotmail.com
Web site:	www.oocities.org/fritzfranzfeddeck
Viewing Location:	New York, USA
Date and time of Observation:	6/21/2000
Object Observed:	M57: The Ring Nebula
Viewing conditions:	Good
Binoculars	9 X 63 Binoculars
Observing notes:	At first a quick glance at the lower section of Lyra where M57 appears seems to reveal only stars. However, after spending a few minutes really studying the area, one "star" seems to stand out amongst the other and appears bloated in size and almost gray- this is M57. M57 is difficult to detect because at 9 X there is not enough magnification to turn it into anything other then what appears to be an irregular star in appearance- a very small star. However, at 9 X you can defiantly make out the bloated shape of it and its grayish appearance after some careful study.

Observer:	Fred F. Feddeck
E-mail address:	Feddeck@hotmail.com
Web site:	www.oocities.org/fritzfranzfeddeck
Viewing Location:	New York, USA
Date and time of Observation:	6/19/2000
Object Observed:	M13: Great Hercules Cluster
Viewing conditions:	Good
Binoculars	9 X 63 Binoculars
Observing notes:	Through the binoculars M 13 looks like a large star with a semi solid center and a grainy haze around the edges of it. At 9 X none of the stars that compose it can be resolved, but from the graininess of it in appearance you can understand that they are there. M 13 is fairly bright and very apparent in binoculars and is not hard to locate. Two stars are also near it, one to the lower left, and one to the lower right, that frame the cluster nicely. The cluster itself seems to be very light blue in color.

Observer:	Curt Hall
E-mail address:	curt1958@webtv.net
Date and time of Observation:	30 apr 2000 3:30 EST
Constellation:	Various
Viewing conditions:	Good
Equipment:	Tasco 10x50 wide angle (cheap, but effective)
Observing notes:	I looked through the binoculars at M11 (wild duck cluster) in Scutum. Also got a peek at M3 in Canes Venatici. Nice globular. Looks a lot like M13. M22 in Sagittarius was a sight to behold in the binoculars. I also got a gander at M8 (lagoon nebula). I could also see M8 naked-eye! What a night! Try looking at Cygnus through 10x50 binoculars sometime. You'll be amazed at all the stars you'll see. It seems to be "glowing". I had a very rewarding session this morning. Very unexpected, and I didn't have time to map out a tour, but sometimes you just have to be spontaneous. :-) Clear skies!

Observer:	Alistair Thomson
E-mail address:	thomson_alistair@yahoo.co.uk
Web site:	www.oocities.org/the_150mm_reflector
Date and time of Observation:	May 2000
Constellation:	Sagittarius, Scorpius, Cygnus, Lyra
Viewing conditions:	Clear skies, some light pollution limiting magnitude about 5.
Equipment	10 X 50 Zeiss Binoculars
Observing notes:	I took my binoculars on holiday to Cyprus in the hope that I would be able see some features that aren't normally visible to me in the UK. I wasn't to be disappointed. it's the first time that I've seen Sagittarius and scorpius in their entirety. They were a great sight just with the naked eye. Through binoculars the constellations revealed many objects of interest. Scorpius Antares was a brilliant orange / red colour, a real beacon in the evening sky. The globular cluster M4 made a triangle with Antares and s but was very faint gray circular patch. Traveling down the constellation m1 and m2 were an easy naked eye double. Moving to the east I found the open cluster M7. This was a fantastic sight in binoculars showing many stars in the grouping, I lost count after forty or so! Sagittarius I then turned my attention to Sagittarius. I started from l and moved towards the east where I saw the globular cluster NGC 6638 (my first NGC find) it was fairly small but discernable. Moving up from here I found another globular cluster M22, it was larger than NGC 6638 and clearly visible but no stars were resolved. I then swept westwards and found M8 The Lagoon Nebula - wow this really shows up well. The nebula was elongated and very bright, I saw many stars in the nebula and am assuming that I saw the open cluster NGC 6530 in front of the nebula. Moving north from here I found the Triffid Nebula M20. This was much fainter than the Lagoon Nebula but you could clearly see it. This nebula also appeared elongated in shape and formed a rough > shape with the Lagoon nebula. Moving further north I came across the open cluster M23, this was a very large, loose grouping of stars, easily resolvable. Cygnus I found M29 first time - in the UK I struggle to pick this cluster out! It was a small gray, circular patch but easy to see, no stars were resolved. I could split the double star b but could not make out the difference in colours. Moving back to the opposite side of the constellation I found the open cluster M39, it too appeared as a gray patch but easy to see. Lyra I'm not sure but I think I saw M57 the Ring Nebula, it looked very small and was barely discernable. On checking the star charts I found I was looking in the right place so I need to check this out with my telescope. On sweeping this area of the Milky Way I've never seen so many stars, just goes to show what effect light pollution has on viewing conditions in the UK. Vulpecula Finally I had a look in the area of Vulpecula and came across an asterism that took the shape of a coat hanger! I certainly wasn't expecting to see that! It was a great way to finish of an observing session. I only wish I had my telescope with me....

Observer:	Dave Mitsky
E-mail address:	djm28@psu.edu
Date and time of Observation:	Late February and early March, 1998
Objects Observed:	Comet Hale-Bopp and numerous southern hemisphere deep sky objects
Viewing conditions:	Seeing - very good, Transparency - very good, Limiting magnitude - approximately 6.5
Telescope	binoculars and 80mm f/5 Orion ShortTube achromatic refractor and a number of other small telescopes
Eyepiece	26mm Tele Vue Ploessl, 10.5mm Tele Vue Ploessl, 2x Celestron Ultima Barlow lens
Observing notes:	My cruise aboard the MS Veendam to see the 1998 total solar eclipse afforded me the opportunity to observe many of the best celestial objects of the southern hemisphere from as far south as 12 degrees north. I was armed with Swift 10x50's and an Orion ShortTube 80 refractor mounted on a Bogen video tripod, 10.5 and 26mm Tele Vue Ploessls, a 2x Celestron Ultima Barlow lens, and an Orion Ultrablock nebula(r) filter. The ShortTube acquitted itself quite nicely on board a ship. Several of the nights were very windy and the sea was choppy so I stayed at 15x. But on other occasions higher powers (30 and 36x) could be used to good effect. (I used 72x on the Moon briefly during the occultation of Aldebaran on 3/4/98 but the result was almost comical as the Moon swung in and out of the field of view.) The crew cooperated by keeping most of the lights off and it was really quite dark on the upper forward deck when one stayed in the shadows. M41 was an easy naked eye object. Unfortunately, it was possible on just one remarkably calm and windless night to set up on the upper forward deck. When the ship entered the trade wind latitudes observers had to be content with using the starboard or port decks or the aft decks. Of course, after the we headed north the aft navigation deck was the place to be in order to look southward. In addition to the usual winter, spring, and summer northern hemisphere DSO's I logged numerous southern objects, some of which I had not observed before. Before I mention those I should say that parts of the Rosette Nebula were visible in my 80mm when the Ultrablock filter was in place. And, of course, the sword of Orion was very striking when it was so high in the heavens. Perhaps the most memorable moments were seeing Comet Hale-Bopp again some 31 months after first observing it in S & T staff member Kent Blackwell's wonderful "Big Eyes" 20x120 naval binoculars, viewing Eta Carinae and Omega Centauri through TAC member Rod Norden's 105mm AstroPhysics Traveler equipped with an A-P binoviewer and twin 19mm Tele Vue Panoptics (definitely the best view of Eta Carinae that I have ever had), observing the Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) and the Large Magellanic Cloud for the first time, and scanning the summer Milky Way one morning through Kent's 20x120's. Some of the many southern DSO's that I observed included NGC 2477 and NGC 2451 (a wonderful pair of open clusters in southern Puppis that are remarkably similar to M46 and M47 in northern Puppis), Collinder 135, NGC 2546, IC 2391, IC 2602, NGC 2516, NGC 2070 and the LMC, NGC 2808, NGC 3114, the Eta Carinae Nebula, the rich open cluster NGC 3532, the Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755), the Coal Sack Nebula (which was most prominent in my 10x50's), Centaurus A or the Hamburger Galaxy (NGC 5128), and Omega Centauri (NGC 3159). Alpha Centauri was split at 30x with the ShortTube as was Gamma Velorum. On one night I saw Omega through a 6" Intes Maksutov and a number of objects including Omega and Eta Carinae through a pair of Miyauchi 20x100's. On another I compared Eta Carinae with M42 and estimated that Eta extended at least 3 times as far as the Orion Nebula. The summer Milky Way was extremely rich and well defined. Seeing Scorpius rise vertically from the sea was quite a sight! The Pipe Nebula (B59, B65-67), an absorption nebula in Ophiuchus, was fantastic through my ShortTube and Kent's 20x120's! Cruising through southern Scopius (M6, M7, NGC 6231), Sagittarius (M8, M24, M17, M18) and into Scutum (M11) with the 20x120's was an amateur astronomer's dream come true.

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