The 102 mm XLT at 10 pm on the deck. Not quite dark, but here it is...I had noticed earlier that the dovetail mounting screw seemed to be stuck when attempting to attach the
After that I waited another half hour. I was able to spot M87 at the heart of the cluster shortly after that, aiming at the midpoint between Denebola in Leo and Vindemiatrix in Virgo. Of course, I didn't see the ejection of the high-speed jet which is emerging from this galaxy.
I also caught M89 and M84 on either side of the giant Virgo A. Both fairly bright and elliptical in shape.
After that a few clouds started showing up and the humidity rose. With time short, I checked out a double star (Gamma Virginis or Porrima, which is separated by 4 arc seconds). Ramping up the power in my 6mm eyepiece I thought I saw two lobes of similar brightness, so you could say I split them, but the seeing was not perfect.
