Observing report, TV76, 1/27/05

Date: Thursday evening, 27-Jan-2005
Location: Backyard, Palm Springs, California
Equipment: Tele Vue 76 (3" f/6.3) refractor

Short backyard observing session with the TV76. The moon a few day
past full had just risen but skies were surprisingly dark. Open
cluster NGC 1662 in Orion that Sue French mentioned in her recent
column does look very much like the running lights of a Klingon ship!
Visible with 10x42 binoculars but nicest with the 9mm Nagler at 51x.
Tried for galaxy NGC 1691 but was unable to locate. A bit south-east
is the variable W Orion. Nice orange color. There is also a nice
little double in the same field to the north-west. Just north of Orion
over the border into Taurus open clusters NGC 1807 and 1817. Both are
rather sparse but they make a nice little pair. Moonlight getting
fairly bright now but i did remember to take a look at comet Machholz.
The comet and the double cluster in Perseus just fit in the same
binocular field. Seems weird to see the comet so far north. Just a few
months ago it was way down south below Lepus. No real detail was seen
through the moonlight.=20

-Florian
Stargazing.com

Florian, nice report. It's great to see an observing report again on
s.a.a. Maybe the clouds are starting to lift across the country.

Larry Stedman
Vestal