General Session - March 5, 2017

Explore the Moon (Binocular) - March 5, 2017
Constellation: Boötes
Asterism: Winter Circle
Stars: Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran, Sirius
Messier Object: M45 (Pleaides)

Location: Home
Date: 2017-03-05
Time: 7:30 - 9:45 PM 
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS
Magnification: x10
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded

This session began with looking for objects in the RASC Explore the Moon (binocular program). I then went looking for constellations and DSOs. The First Quarter Moon was centred in the Winter Circle, but was able to identify some of the brighter stars - Pollux, Capella, Aldebaran and Sirius.

M45 (Pleiades) Time: 9:25 PM  Instrument: Binoculars 10x30 IS Thin cloud and First Quarter Moon limited visibility but was able to see the 5 brightest stars of the Pleiades. Looked like a small, misshapen Big Dipper through the hazy clouds. The typical Pleiades brightness and beauty was lost under these conditions.
Boötes Time: 9:32 PM  Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 10x30 IS From our side deck, saw a bright star at approximately 30° and a configuration of stars to the NW. The street lights made it difficult to see all the stars but did see very clearly Arcturus, Rho, Izar & Eta. The others were hidden by our maple trees and the neighbour's home.