2022-08-21

• Condition: G6
• Location: Home, Spearfish: 44.49, -103.87

9:30PM

Got home from our trip to Erik’s Ranch. Unpacked the car quickly then setup the telescope. I locked on to Saturn again so I could wake Soren up to show him. He was so excited that he woke up Carly and said “I just saw Saturn, and I saw the RINGS!”.

9:52PM

• Target: ε Lyrae
• Const: Lyra
• RaDec: 18h44m +39.4
• Type: Star (Multiple)
• Scope: ST80
• Setting: 150x, ½ stop-down
• Double: AB: 350°, AB-CD: 170°, CD: 80°

I could not see the primary companion without tapping the lens (B). The secondary companion (D) showed up but without a clean split, looked more like an extension of ©. Took a bit to find all 4. Pretty cool double-double.

10:03PM

• Target: ζ Lyrae
• Const: Lyra
• RaDec: 18h44m +37.36
• Type: Star (Double)
• Scope: ST80
• Setting: 57x
• Double: AB: 160°

Very easy split. Similar in color, but the sibling looks like it has a little more purple?

10:08PM

• Target: β Lyrae
• Const: Lyra
• RaDec: 18h50m +33.22
• Type: Star (Double)
• Scope: ST80
• Setting: 57x, ½ stop-down
• Double: AB: 145°

Another easy split. The sibling is more noticeably faint.

10:14PM

• Target: M 57, Ring Nebula
• Const: Lyra
• RaDec: 18h53m +33.2
• Type: Planetary Nebula
• Scope: ST80
• Setting: 40x, AV

Very small. Just a subtle fat dot on a dark background. Looking directly at it will make it disappear! AV pops it back into view with a little definition. Getting some “irregularity” in the glow around the center.

10:26PM

• Target: Otto Struve 525
• Const: Lyra
• RaDec: 18h54m +33.58
• Type: Star (Double)
• Scope: ST80
• Setting: 57x
• Double: AB: 345°

Took a little to determine which nearby star was the sibling. Both are nestled between β and ν Lyrae.

10:32PM

• Target: M 56
• Const: Lyra
• RaDec: 19h16m +30.11
• Type: Globular Cluster
• Scope: ST80
• Setting: 40x, AV

Very faint. AV isn’t required for detection, but is necessary to get an observation of the size and shape.

10:47PM

• Target: β Cygni
• Const: Cygnus
• RaDec: 19h30m +27.58
• Type: Star (Double)
• Scope: ST80
• Setting: 44x
• Double: AB: 70°

Cool pair! The primary is very orange / yellow. The secondary is a colder white, a little less bright.

10:45PM

• Target: M 71
• Const: Sagitta
• RaDec: 19h53m +18.47
• Type: Globular Cluster
• Scope: ST80
• Setting: 44x, AV

I would have missed it if my star chart didn’t tell me it was there. No “concentration” of light or glow, more evenly distributed and spread out.