So here we go, from 25 March 2009, my first honest attempt to write down what I was seeing through my then 15x70 binoculars mounted on a tripod. I hadn't read these notes in years and it sort of brings a smile to my face and does jog some memories of that trip. If anything I see that I am verbose now and I was verbose then!
First off let me say that this is my first observing report, so please be gentle! I am on a business trip, but I did bring along my binoculars and tripod. I had some local lighting that was evident, but was situated in a shadow between two low buildings. I also had a lightdome along the western horizon. I kept my focus more to the northeast-east-southeast region, as well as overhead. I judged (as best as I can) that seeing was around 3+ and transparency was around 5+. The equipment used was my Garrett 15X70 Gemini LW binoculars on a Slik Pro 700DX tripod.
While my eyes adapted, I scanned some familiar objects. First I checked Saturn, and could see that it had "ears" from the rings being pretty much being edge on. I then moved on to M42 in Orion and was welcomed by it's soft glowing appearance. Though no real detail was evident, it still is a mesmerizing object to see at any aperture. I then went to M44 the beehive, which by now had achieved naked eye visibility for me. This one is always a pleasure to stare into - the bees drawing you deeper and deeper into their swarm. Why I didn't take a look at M67, I don't know. I finished off my prelim by drawing a bead on M35 in Gemini. Though not as bright as M44, this swarm was still pretty and worth taking time to look at for a moment. Okay, enough of that.
Down to business now. I took a quick visual check of Ursa Minor and found I could see all seven stars of the dipper, so that's good. So, based on that, I figured for my old eyes seeing was pretty good. So while I was in the area, I thought I would track down M81 and M82. I guesstimated their location and pointed the Garretts. It didn't take me long to come across that familiar pattern - a soft glowing oval with the slightly brighter cigar shape of M82 in the same field. No true detail was evident of course, but the longer you look, the brighter they seemed to be. This buoyed my hopes for the evening. So off I go in hunt of M51. I set my sites on Alkaid and moved slowly towards Cor Caroli. Barely more than one FOV width there was the patch I was looking for. Dim, but still plainly visible. I used averted vision and swear I could detect two brightening patches, one M51 and the other NGC 5195, it's partner in crime. I tried this several more times to convince myself that I was indeed barely discerning M51's companion.
Emboldened by my success, I moved further towards Cor Caroli in search of a Sunflower. I ran across M63 as a light slightly oval patch, plainly visible, but like all the galaxies I found this evening, devoid of any true detail in my binoculars. From there I moved upwards towards Chara, this time in search of M94. Again, I found that soft glow I was looking for. I was really having a blast now. So why not keep heading towards the Dipper's bowl. And as I had hoped, I ran across M106. Like the others, a faint glowing patch in the depths of night.
My confidence was up now. I decided to try three more galaxies in Ursa Major before moving on to Coma. So I swung my binoculars up to Phecda (or Phad if you prefer) in search of M109. However, try as I might I could not detect it. Disappointed, I still moved onward in search of M108. I set my sights on Merak and slid slowly back towards Phecda. After several painfully slow passes, I was just not able to detect this one either. Now, with two strikes on me, I went for one more, M101. I pointed at Alcor and Mizar and worked slowly to the northeast. I swept the field slowly, adjusting as I went back and forth, and wouldn't you know - no dice!. I know, being a face-on spiral, that it's surface brightness belies its listed magnitude of 7.7, but I would not give up. I already had two strikes, I was not going down swinging! So I stopped, took a couple of deep breaths, relaxed a bit, then went back to my starting point at Alcor/Mizar. I forced myself to slowly creep across the area. Then bam! On the second pass, I detected an ever so subtle patch that was just barely lighter than the background sky. I locked my binoculars down in position and just stared and tried averted vision. It seemed there was something there, but was there. I tapped the Garrett's lightly and yes! The pale patch moved with the background stars. I was vindicated!
Okay, now I could leave UMa with a sense of success and move on to Coma Berenices. Melotte 111 was just discernible to the naked eye, so I started out with it. My FOV could not contain it, so I scanned it slowly, just taking in the beauty of this grouping. Next stop, M53 next to Alpha Com. Worked my way there, and move slightly to the northeast. There was that little fuzz ball, clearly visible and round. However, I didn't notice its neighbor, NGC 5053 at two magnitudes dimmer. So now it's time to compare this to M3 in Canes. I slid further to the northeast and soon I was at a bigger, brighter fuzz ball. They both looked like small cotton balls against the darkness of the sky. Ok, now how about the Black-eyed galaxy, M64? Back to Alpha Com and sight a course along a line from there to Gamma Com. I follow this line and before long, I have my next faint fuzzy, a nice clearly visible oval shaped patch. Of course, I would never dream of seeing the "black-eye" with my binoculars.
By now, I am getting tired and a little cold. My neck hurts and I'm about ready to call it an evening. However, part of my plan was to bide my time waiting for Hercules to rise up. I see that familiar keystone shape lying on it's side in the northeast. So that means only one thing - M13! I lower my tripod, which I love by the way because it can extend far enough that I can get my full 6 ft height under the binoculars when looking at the zenith. Anyway, I start with Eta Her and move my way towards Zeta. It doesn't take me long to find my goal. Even at this low elevation it's bright and bold. I detect what seems to be an ever so slight mottling effect. I will be anxious to see it again later when it clears the horizon more just to see what detail I can pick out. Anyway, I wasn't getting any warmer so on to my final target. I slid the binos to the northeast and in short order I ran across my final cotton ball for the evening. M92 presented itself pretty much as M3 had, a clearly visible fuzz ball though slightly dimmer due to it's low elevation. Like M13, it would look better once it attained some elevation. That is for another time.
All in all, I am quite pleased with my outing. I don't get out as much as I would like, and when I'm on the road, I have even less time. But any time I can spend under the stars is time well spent.