General Session - June 20/21, 2018

Constellations: Cancer, Cygnus, Libra, Ophiuchus, Scorpius, Serpens Caput, Serpens Cauda 
Asterisms: Coathanger/Collinder 399/Brocchi's Cluster
Planet: Jupiter (in Libra), Venus (in Cancer)

Location: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Ontario
Date: 2018-06-20/21
Time: 9:45 PM - 12:30 AM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 19º C
SQM: 19.89
No wind or clouds but felt there was more humidity here than the night before in Agawa Bay. Also, smoke in the atmosphere may also be limiting seeing and transparency. To add to the wonder of the night was the baleful loon calls across the lake around midnight. Some of the evening was spent observing the moon; read all about it in Lunar Session - June 20, 2018.

Venus (in Cancer)
Time: 10:35 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 
S&T Chart Reference: 24
The stars of Cancer couldn't be seen that well so used SkySafariPro to determine the constellation was Cancer. Venus was so close to Asellus Borealis (γ) and Asellus Australis (δ) that the stars couldn't be seen. Even with binoculars, ι and Acumen's (α) were a challenge and β wasn't visible at all. 		    

Jupiter (in Libra)
Time: 10:35 PM + 11:55 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 
S&T Chart Reference: 46, 57

Observation #1 @ 10:35 PM:
Jupiter was shining bright and easily located visually. We were on the edge of smoke in the atmosphere but not quite sure if we truly had smoke. Stars were not seen as early as they were the night before. The planet was similar to last evening's location.

Observation #2 @ 11:55 PM:
Only see 3 Galilean moons could be seen. Io was so close it just made Jupiter look misshapen. Could not see Europa at all.

    
Scorpius
Time: 11:30 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 
S&T Chart Reference: 56, 58, J
Scorpius was slowly rising with Antares making its presence known. Took my binoculars to see what I could see near Graffias and Deschuba. Saw a pair of stars close to Graffias. Later identified them as ω1 and ω2. Something new to me!		    

Cygnus + Coathanger/Brocchi's Cluster/Collinder 399
Time: 11:37 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars 
S&T Chart Reference: 62, 73, H
Cygnus rose behind us above the trees of our campsite. As was the case the night before, Deneb was noticed first, then came the wings and followed down to the double star Albireo. Used my binoculars and saw the Coathanger once gain in the same FOV. All 6 of the "hanger" were seen but only 3 of the 4 "hook".

Ophiuchus
Time: 12:13 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual 
S&T Chart Reference: 54, 56, 67
I noticed the sweeping curve of the bottom of Ophiuchus from Nehushtan to Yed Prior. Looked higher in the sky to locate Rasalhague, then located and identified the other major stars in the constellation.

   

Serpens Caput
Time: 12:13 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual 
S&T Chart Reference: 55
After identifying Ophiuchus, I noticed a snake-like line of stars - Serpens Caput. Very pleased with self that I located all the stars visually. Didn't use the binoculars to view the double stars in δ and β.

   

Serpens Cauda
Time: 12:13 PM EDT
Equipment: Visual 
S&T Chart Reference: 65,67
After identifying Ophiuchus, I noticed the other half of the snake-like line of stars - Serpens Cauda. Very pleased I could see θ, 4,  η and τ as they led to ν Ophiuchus. Didn't use binoculars to view the double stars of θ and τ.

NOTE: Had seen Serpens Cauda in the Atacama Desert, Chile, but did not document it.

    
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