General Session - May 7, 2018

Winter Circle
Time: 9:12 PM - 9:15 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 
Was able to see Aldebaran visually; however, by 10:00 PM it had sunk below the horizon. Couldn't find Castor's toe (Propus) visually but did find it with binoculars.

Orion
Time: 9:42 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 14, 16, B
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars 
Was looking at Betelgeuse not far up from the horizon. Looked to its right closer to the horizon and found Meissa that is usually seen closer to Bellatrix that was now below the horizon.

With Melissa in the FOV, I found a triangular shape - Meissa, φ¹ Orionis and φ² Orionis.

Auriga
Time: 9:58 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 12
Instrument: Visual 
Located Capella then identified the other 5 stars in the constellation. Did not look at the constellation in any detail.

Venus 
Time: 10:05 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual
Venus was seen as the first "star" in the sky at 8:45 PM about 45º above the horizon.

However, it wasn't until later that I decided to track Venus' orbit as it related to Taurus. Venus about 2º - 3º above the horizon at this time and half way between Elnath (β Tau) and Ain (ε Tau). 

Jupiter (in Libra)
Time: 11:19 PM ADT
Instrument: Visual + Binoculars + Telescope
Visual: Saw Jupiter then was able to locate α, β and σ Librae plus Jupiter's orientation to these stars.

Binoculars: @ 10:56 PM - Located Jupiter and noted the location of its 4 Galilean moons.

Telescope: @ 11:19 PM & 11:53 PM - Jerry set up the telescope for me. Saw Jupiter at two times. At 11:53 Io was touching the SW limb. Because of Io's proximity to Jupiter, I couldn't see Io with my binoculars.

Minor Planet - Ceres (in Cancer)
Time: 11:15 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 34, 35
Instrument: Telescope
Ceres wasn't bright under these conditions. Couldn't find Cancer so used Leo's Ras Elased Borealis (μ) and Australis (ε) and Pollux. Determined Ceres should be about 1/3 the distance along the imaginary line from ε to Pollux.

Our scope had not been previously aligned; it went in the general direction so had to use the hand control to locate the related stars in Cancer using SkySafariPro and Chart 35 in the S&T Pocket Sky Atlas. Recognized the triangular pattern with the greyish not so bright Ceres at the top.

M5 / NGC 5904
Time: 11:50 PM ADT
S&T Chart Reference: 55, 57
Instrument: Telescope
Used or telescope. Very faint. Saw it better on May 5 with binoculars (refer to General Session - May 5/6, 2018).