General Session - August 5, 2019

Planets: Jupiter, Saturn
Messier Objects: M22
Stars: Alcor, Mizar A, Mizar B
Asterism: Teapot

Location: Home
Date: 2019/08/05
Time:  
Equipment: Visual + 10x42 IS Binoculars + 6" Sky-Watcher Dobsonian with 10 mm eyepiece
Seeing: Good (3)
Transparency: Fair (2)
Temperature: 19º C - 15º C
SQM: 19.64 - 19.41

No breeze or clouds. An all-sky murkiness prevented great observing but didn't stop it.

Jupiter (in Ophiuchus)
Time: 9:47 PM ADT
Equipment: Binoculars, Telescope
Took out my binoculars then noticed the crescent Moon so also set up the telescope. Could see the 4 moons with both sets of equipment. Io on one side with Europa, Ganymede and Callisto on the other. They appeared to all be in a straight line except Ganymede that was just slightly above it. As noted in the sketch, I could see 3 stripes on the planet, with the southernmost one having 2 bumps on its northern edge.

    

Saturn (in Sagittarius)
Time: 9:50 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars, Telescope
Easily found Saturn near the Teapot handle, especially after finding Jupiter. Used binoculars to see all 4 moons - 2 on each side, forming what appeared to be a curve. I identified Rhea, Dione and Titan but wasn't sure if I saw a 4th moon or a star in that curve. In the telescope, the tilt of the planet and its rings were seen.

Stars - Alcor, Mizar A, Mizar B
Time: 10:21 PM ADT
Equipment: Telescope
S&T Chart Reference: 32, 43
Used my telescope in an attempt to find M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy) above Alcor and Alioth - but failed. However, I did see the split of Alcor from Mizar A and Mizar B.

    

M22 / NGC 6656
Time: 10:55 PM ADT
Equipment: Visual, Binoculars 
S&T Chart Reference: 67, 69
In identifying the location of Saturn, I realized we could actually see part of the Teapot in our backyard! The 4 stars of the handle plus Kaus Borealis and Kaus Australis were also identified. With binoculars, I located Kaus Borealis, found the "Y" shaped grouping of stars adjacent to it and then the faint fuzzy M22 was seen with averted vision.

    
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