TheSkySearchers

Hello, I was wondering if someone might be able to give me a few targets to try to find for tomorrow night, April 6.

Some info: I will be using Bushnell Falcon 10x50 binoculars. I live at roughly the 45th parallel. I also live in an orange zone, and my horizon on three sides are trees, and on the 4th side, houses. Lol Seriously.

Since we are all under a stay in place state mandate, i cant go anywhere else.

So from my perspective, anything 20° up from the curve of the earth is impossible. Are there any ideas for some things to check out?

I am first going to check out Venus with Pleiades, if they are still close together, that is. I know some common constellations and some stars within them. I also have a good star map book (S&T's Pocket Sky Atlas).

Any help would be great, thank you.

Give Calsky.com a try, once you set up an account set the user level to Learner.
It will generate a list of objects for you and best times to view, direction, height of object. The time it lists is when the object is highest so it gives you some variability either way.

The Moon? You won't be able to see much else!

Then you could turn round and have a look at M13 the great nebula in Hercules.

There's a start!

Regards

Graeme

I have used this many times. Hope you find it helpful.

https://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 7:12 pm Give Calsky.com a try, once you set up an account set the user level to Learner.
It will generate a list of objects for you and best times to view, direction, height of object. The time it lists is when the object is highest so it gives you some variability either way.

Thanks, Gabrielle! I will try it out.

I should have said it gives you a best seen time which is for it transiting the sky and a best time which is highest point.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 7:40 pm I should have said it gives you a best seen time which is for it transiting the sky and a best time which is highest point.

Thanks again, G. I was looking at the scope you recommended to me a short time ago, and found myself drooling. Lol

Gordon wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 7:16 pm I have used this many times. Hope you find it helpful.

https://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php

Excellent, Gordon! I tried in vain to find that site. I've been there before but could not find it again. Thanks.

With the Moon as it is, there is the Moon but in 10x50 binoculars open clusters and binary stars won't be horribly affected.

The Hyades and Pleiades come first to mind. But it would also be fun to go after the trifecta of clusters in Auriga M36, M37, M38. M35 in Gemini is also quite nice! There are also doubles that can be tried with 10x50s.

The tool I use for planning sessions is https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start

It is free and can be downloaded. It doesn't have the pretty opticals that Stellarium has but that is why I like it. It's a map not a VR experience.

notFritzArgelander wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 9:10 pm With the Moon as it is, there is the Moon but in 10x50 binoculars open clusters and binary stars won't be horribly affected.

The Hyades and Pleiades come first to mind. But it would also be fun to go after the trifecta of clusters in Auriga M36, M37, M38. M35 in Gemini is also quite nice! There are also doubles that can be tried with 10x50s.

The tool I use for planning sessions is https://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start

It is free and can be downloaded. It doesn't have the pretty opticals that Stellarium has but that is why I like it. It's a map not a VR experience.

Thanks Fritz! Added the link to my list. And i will download your example. Gracias! Was going to watch a movie later, but instead I just might be plotting the list and starhopping.

Thanks everyone!

Good hunting Eric!

Here is a link to a pdf that list targets and has finder charts:

         http://carolrpt.com/astroguidev9complete.pdf

Try the brighter targets

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+1 for Stellarium, mentioned above. Just set the sliders for DSO labels and markers so that the program only shows you the brighter DSOs (deep sky objects like nebulae and star clusters).

helicon wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 10:03 pm Good hunting Eric!

Thanks Michael. If there is a report subforum, I will post one. Can't view tonight though.

Oddly, its been overcast since i recieved the binos last week.

Ruud wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 10:33 pm Here is a link to a pdf that list targets and has finder charts:

         http://carolrpt.com/astroguidev9complete.pdf

Try the brighter targets

---

+1 for Stellarium, mentioned above. Just set the sliders for DSO labels and markers so that the program only shows you the brighter DSOs (deep sky objects like nebulae and star clusters).

Thanks Ruud, that is quite the all-inclusive pdf file! I sent it through the cloud to my email, so i will have a backup copy. Thank you.

I have a question, but maybe it might warrant a new thread. It has to due with astronomical navigation. E.g., "ecliptical", "azimuth grid vs equatorial grid" (I saw that on Stellarium), etc. A site that explains that would be great, but truth is, i probably have it in my books. I will have to check.

The other day I posted a link to a textbook on astronomy. Have a look if you will:
 
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8438

Ruud wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 11:15 pm The other day I posted a link to a textbook on astronomy. Have a look if you will:
 
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8438

Thanks Ruud, it's a biggy alright. I downloaded the PDF. It took about 5 minutes, wasn't too painful. I browsed it a bit, it looks great for explaining things, so I appreciate the link very much. I might have to consider a donation.

I know that Comet Atlas is in Camelopardalis right now, but what bright stars are in close proximity for comparison? I could star hop over from Ursa Major if I knew a few star names. I have my maps, but I don't know exactly where to look for it. Will it look like a star? Or will any of the tail be visible?

Specifically, tonight I doubt whether you can see the Auriga clusters. Not only are they low in the sky but they are best seem when the Moon is out of the way. There is a good chance that you can see the phase of Venus, which will appear like a half-moon shape.

If you know Perseus, there is Melotte 20 of which Alpha Persei (Mirfak) is a member and is visible under quite bad conditions. It is not as "famous" as the Hyades and Pleaides but just as bright. M35 in Gemini is marginal under the conditions, as is the Beehive in Cancer. Mizar and Alcor split easily in your bins, as will Nu Draconi. Later in the evening, the double double Epsilon Lyrae shows as two stars in your bins. If you have a telescope, you can see four stars. If you wait until the early hours, Beta Cygni is a good target.

Buckethead 2.0 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:55 pm I know that Comet Atlas is in Camelopardalis right now, but what bright stars are in close proximity for comparison? I could star hop over from Ursa Major if I knew a few star names. I have my maps, but I don't know exactly where to look for it. Will it look like a star? Or will any of the tail be visible?

The brightest star in Camelopardalis is mag 4.0 Beta, so the constellation doesn't have much going for it in terms of a recognizable pattern, particularly with the intrusiveness of the moon. Also, be advised that the comet may have disintegrated, per my thread linked below. If this is indeed true and some of its fragments were visible, it would likely be tough with the moon out and with binoculars.

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=8756