General Session - November 13, 2017

Conjunction: Jupiter-Venus
Constellation: Puppis, Taurus, Virgo
Asterism: Winter Circle
Cluster: Hyades
Messier Objects: M42 (Orion Nebula), M43, M45 (Pleaides)

Location: Peggy's Cove, NS
Date: 2017-11-13
Time: 5:45 AM - 7:30 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + new Binoculars, 10x42 IS
Transparency: Good (3)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: -1º C
Some cloud on the horizon that disappeared shortly after our arrival. Light wind. Our older granddaughter, Brianne, was interested in what we did and she arrived shortly after we did to enjoy an early morning view of the skies.

Conjunction: Jupiter-Venus (in Virgo) Time: 5:50 AM - 7:05 AM AST Equipment: Visual  Planets came up and peeked through the clouds before rising above them. Venus was very bright in comparison. For some reason, I could not find Mars near the star Porrima ("above" Spica in the morning skies).
Winter Circle Time: 6:15 AM AST Equipment: Visual  The major stars of Auriga, Taurus, Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor and Gemini could be seen naked eye. Pointed out all the circle stars to Brianne. M42 & M43 Time: 6:15 AM AST Equipment: Visual + Binoculars  S&T Chart Reference: 16, B I used my new binoculars to look at M42 and M43  in Orion, and for the first time could see the nebulosity around the star clusters. M42 was seen as a separate entity from M43. The central star area was quite discernible as was the surrounding nebulosity. A very different view. So exciting!

Puppis
Time: 6:30 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x30  IS
S&T Chart Reference: 26, 27, 28, 29
This constellation is normally seen in the Southern Hemisphere, and represents the stern of a ship. It was part of a larger constellation "Argos Navis" before it was divided into Puppis (the poop deck), Carina (the keel) and Vela (the sails). I saw a triangle below Sirius that was not much above the horizon. This unknown triangle piqued my curiosity. Had to use SkySafariPro to help establish the identify of the three stars. Surprised, or what!

Taurus & the Hyades
Time: 6:30 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42  IS
S&T Chart Reference: 14, 15, A
Aldebaran was still bright in the morning sky so showed Brianne some of the stars in the constellation but focused on the Hyades open cluster, using my new 10x41 IS binoculars. What a difference from the 10x30 IS!!

M45 (Pleaides)
Time: 6:30 AM AST
Equipment: Visual + Binoculars, 10x42  IS
S&T Chart Reference: 14, 15, A
After pointing g out Aldebaran and the Hyades to Brianne, I showed her the Pleaides. We could very easily see this cluster. She had seen it before but hadn't known what it was.