Doug

The Leo Triplet

 Deep Sky Section, Doug's Sky Notes, Observer's Log  No Responses »
Feb 252012
 

The Leo Triplet

The Leo Triplet is generally easy to find with a small short focal length telescope, often one can capture all three galaxies in the same field of view. The Leo Triplet consists of NGC 3628, Messier 65, and Messier 66, all roughly 35 million Light Years away. The Leo Triplet is located on the back leg of Leo the Lion, about half way between Chertan and iota Leonis, M65 is right on the line connecting the two stars. NGC 3628 is the dimmest object at Magnitude 9.4, but has reasonable surface brightness, M66 is 9.7 and M65 is 10.3. Most small scopes can get M65 and M67 in the same field of view, all three are in the same field of view with a short focal length small scope. Now that spring is approaching, it is a good time to go out and find the Leo Triplet in the east, in the same part of the sky as is Mars!

Haiku Poems for 2012

 Doug's Sky Notes, General VBAS Information, Outreach  No Responses »
Jan 202012
 

Celestial Awareness Poem for January

Mars Starting to Rise

Red Planet Moving Closer

Winter Brings Cold Air

Celestial Awareness Poem for February

Big Dipper Rising

Warm Sun Higher Overhead

Pre-Awakening

Celestial Awareness Poem for March

Spica Rising East

The Sun Crossing Equator

Life Starts Unfolding

Celestial Awareness Poem for April

Saturn Rising High

Earth Warming from Rising Sun

New Life is Thriving

Celestial Awareness Poem for May

Summer is Coming

Sun Climbing to Peak in Sky

New Life Rising

Celestial Awareness Poem for June

Summer Arriving

Venus Transits Across Sun

Eastern Sky Lights Up

Celestial Awareness Poem for July

Cat’s Eye in the South

Great Square Rising in the East

Heat of Summer Day

Celestial Awareness Poem for August

Mars, Saturn in West

Summer Triangle Above

Days Growing Shorter

Celestial Awareness Poem for September

First Days of Autumn

Clusters and Galaxies Rise

Fall Flowers Present

Celestial Awareness Poem for October

Pegasus Rising

Summer Triangle Fading

Fall Colors Shining

Celestial Awareness Poem for November/December

Rising Winter Sky

Jupiter Glowing in East

Cold Clear Sky Season

Celestial Awareness Poem For Galaxies Presentation

Observing for Years

To Most Distant Galaxies

Look What We Have Found

Doug Horacek Author of All Poems

 Posted by at 6:05 pm

Observing Session 14 January 2012

 Doug's Sky Notes, Observer's Log  No Responses »
Jan 172012
 

Observation Session 14 January 2012:

2:00-2:30 U.T. on 15th: Jupiter, Ganymede above Io, Europa and Callisto on other side

2:30-3:00 U.T. on 15th: M42 and M43 in same field of view with wide angle 40mm eyepiece.

4:00 U.T. on 15th: M41 with 40mm wide angle eyepiece.

Meteor over head around 3:00 U.T. on 15th

Meteor in west around 3:30 U.T. on 15th

 Posted by at 4:47 pm

Observing For the Year 2012

 Doug's Sky Notes, Events and Meetings, General VBAS Information, Observer's Log, Outreach, Planetary Section  No Responses »
Jan 172012
 

Saturday Evening 3 March 2012:

Mars Opposition

Friday and Saturday Evening 23 & 24 March 2012:

Messier Marathon #1, Saturday Evening Alternate Evening

Private Party Monday and Tuesday Evenings 2 & 3 of April 2012:

Pizza and Rootbeer at Doug’s Condo 256 772-6788 before and at Dusk

Venus in the Pleiades Cluster

Bring Scopes and Cameras, wider field of view the better

Friday Evening 13 April 2012:

Youth and Adult Observing Night Planetarium Show on Saturn begins at 7:00 P.M. for kids,
Observing afterward for kids and adults, both bring scopes.

Friday and Saturday Evenings 20 & 21 April 2012:

Messier Marathon, Saturday evening alternate evening

Friday Evening 11 May 2012:

Youth and Adult Observing Night Planetarium Show on Venus Transit begins at 7:00 P.M. for kids,
Observing afterward for kids and adults, both bring scopes.

Tuesday afternoon early evening 5 June 2012:

Set up at 3:00 or 4:00 in evening to be arranged, Transit of Venus

Possible locations:

Airfield in Decatuar with HAL5
Huntsville Botanical Garden
Burritt Museum

Friday evening 24 August 2012:
First Quarter Moon Walk with Land Trust and Sierra Club, Doug

Friday 28 September 2012 Evening:

Your and Adult Observing Night Planetarium Show on Soap Opera in the Sky for kids, Observing afterward for kids and adults bring scopes.

Morning 12 September 2012:

At 4:00 or 5:00 in morning the Beehive, M44, Venus and the Moon are less than a degree apart each in a line with the waning crescent Moon and Venus pointing to the Beehive Cluster, M44.

Best weekend for star party: 14-16 September 2012:

If you want French Camp on this date start thinking about now!

Friday Evening 5 October 2012:

Youth and Adult Observing Night Planetarium Show on Meteor showers for the Season begins at 7:00 P.M. Observing for Adults and Kids afterward.

Possible Star Party Weekend Friday thru Sunday 12-14 October 2012:

Possible star party, close to New Moon, Astronomy Day Concerns

Possible Star Party Weekend Friday thru Sunday 19-21 October 2012:

Possible Star Party, member meeting night and Astronomy Day Concerns

Possible Star Party Weekend Friday thru Sunday 9-11 November 2012:

Still Close to Last Quarter Moon, Possible Star Party

Possible Star Party Weekend Friday thru Sunday 16-18 November 2012:

Members Meeting Conflict, Close to First Quarter Moon, Weekend before Thanksgiving, Possible Star Party

 Posted by at 4:32 pm
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