2021-05-13
2010 - 0015 CDT (
Set up my telescope including my light shield wall. Scanned the skies while I waited for Arcturus to clear my roof. I then star hopped over to the Globular Cluster M3 using my Astro-Tech
While waiting for M5 to be in the clear, I hopped off to the tail Ursa Major to the diamond like star Alkaid (Eta Ursae Majoris, η Ursae Majoris). From Alkaid I went the the beautiful double star Mizar (ζ Ursae Majoris, Zeta Ursae Majoris) easily split with my 12 mm eyepiece. I switched to the 5 mm and saw that the star to the more southern declination had a slight yellow tint and was nearly twice as bright as the greener companion star (not the further companion Alcor). Though easier at 5 mm, the pair looked pretty through the 12 mm because they are brighter and the telescope’s star diffraction rings aren’t visible.
Went back to Arcturus (α Boötis) to star hop my way down to M5. On the way down through Boötis I made a stop on the double star 29 Boo A (π Boötis) I could split them clearly at 5 mm and while both were tinted blue, the more easterly star was slightly dimmer. I also stopped at the double star 30 Boo B (Zeta Boötis) though I could not split it, possibly due to the fact the pair are very near (2023) perigee in their 125 year orbit. I finally hopped through the scarcity of bright guide stars to M5’s location, right behind the corner of my house. Took a short break to wait for the earth to rotate.
I came back out after about 19 minutes and M5 had cleared my house. It was very obvious but not impressive given the poor transparency of the night and my
The constellation Corona Borealis was rising above my roof so I swung my telescope over to the bright eclipsing binary star Alphecca (Alphekka, α CrB). Though pretty, I could not detect a companion star. Since their orbital period is only about 17 days I’m sure they are too close together to split. I hopped over to the double star θ Coronae Borealis (4 CrB B, Theta Coronae Borealis) and easily split the pair at 12 mm. I could not detect much color but the slightly fainter companion may have had a slight blue tint.
I swung the telescope back over to Bootes and to the double star Izar (Epsilon Boötis, ε Boötis). The star was yellowish red but I could not detect a companion. At 5 mm I don’t think I had enough contrast and dark sky to see the much fainter companion (I didn’t have my 2X Barlow lens out). However, (about ~2340 CDT) I was treated to a large, relatively dim, and slow moving spacecraft crossing my field of view that took considering considerable time (~1 s) to cross my high power field of view. I could even see some kind of structure in the satellite!
Hercules was now starting to rise above my house. I locked into to the star Kornephoros (Beta Herculis, β Herculis). From there I star hopped to the double star Zeta Herculis (ζ Her, ζ Herculis, 40 Her A). I could only discern one star. I then star hopped over to M13, The Great Cluster in Hercules. It was easily discernible in the 25 mm eyepiece. It was quite visible in the 5 mm though I still could not make out individual stars.
Star hopped down to the Globular Cluster M92 just as it was rising over my house. The cluster was still small even in the 5 mm eyepiece and not as bright as the others I’ve seen this evening.
At this point I decided to call it a night.
