Re: Observations: 29/6/06

Nice contrast of targets.

I was getting a little bored of faint fuzzies, so late last year I parsed up
the Saguaro Astronomy Club's double star catalog into monthly targets, about
40-60 or so doubles per month. Haven't seen a pair I didn't like.

It's a real treat to end each observing session with a few multis.

Thanks!
Jim
"Willie R. Meghar" <NoMail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:oqb8a2dg1lichpn3ube1ueg2i98igt5nrk@xxxxxxxxxx
Latitude: between 45 and 46 degrees North
Telescope: 13cm (5.1 inch) f/6 apochromat
Zenithal Naked-Eye Limiting Magnitude: 6.4
Seeing: IV to V on Antoniadi Scale
Magnifications used: 43x, 80x, 125x, 170x and 220x

Sixteen celestial objects were observed last night:
Thirteen globular clusters, Two double stars and one planetary nebula

Globulars:
NGCs 6093 (M80), 6121 (M4), 6144, 6235, 6273 (M19), 6284, 6287,6293,
6355, 6401, 6569, 6624 and 6637

Double Stars:
36 Oph. and 39 Oph.

Planetary Nebula:
NGC 6369

I'll spare the group of most of the details and go to what were for me
the highlights.

After observing nothing but DSOs for the past few nights 36 Oph. was
nothing if not beautiful! It was best at 125x -- a pair of equally
bright 'head lights' with just the right amount of dark sky between
them. The colors were, at first glance, the same; but on closer
inspection the S.E. component had a slight orangish tint while the
N.W. component had a slight bluish tint.

39 Oph., with its wider separation looked best at 80x. The S.
component was brighter with a yellowish tint. The N. component was
dimmer with a bluish tint.

Revelation: Double stars can be really beautiful, especially after
observing a bunch of 'faint fuzzies'! I'm glad I decided to mix a
fair number of double stars into my 'master' observing list.

Clouds brought this session to an early end. Today my sky is
smoky/hazy. The moon is about to make it's presence felt in the
evening sky. My next session may have to be of a lunar or planetary
nature ;-)

Willie R. Meghar


.

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