Location: Home
Date: 2022-04-05
Time: 9:40 PM ADT
Instrument: 10" Meade SCT, 40 mm Plössl
Magnification: x63
Transparency: Excellent (1)
Seeing: Excellent (1)
Temperature: 4º C
No wind or clouds.

Constellation:  Gemini
Magnitude: 5.1
Distance: 2.8 kly
Size: 28'

Jerry and I were looking for Messier objects - me to visually observe (outside), him to image (mostly inside). Gemini held its high position above our trees to the W-SW.

Located Tejat then slewed northerly and lower towards the horizon just a little. It's a beautiful cluster with lots of stars. I began my sketch with the two bright central stars. There was a curved line of 5 stars to the east of them. Seven stars that went SW then 2 stars to the west looked like a hockey stick with a super huge blade. Didn’t notice nor look for the adjacent NGC 2158.

NOTE #1I first viewed this cluster on May 5, 2018 at 10:10 PM at SCO with binoculars. It looked like a fuzzy circle when viewed with averted vision. I could detect 4 bright stars.

NOTE #2: Had another look on April 2, 2022 where I may have also seen NGC 2158 nearby.

Date: 2022-04-02
Time: 10:30 PM ADT

Instrument: 6" SkyWatcher Dobsonian, 40 mm TeleVue
Magnification: x30
Transparency: Fair - Good (3-4)
Seeing: Good (3)
Temperature: 1º C
SQM: 19.55
Windy with gusts, no clouds.

Jerry and I were again looking for Messier objects - me to visually observe, him to image.
Gemini was high above our trees as was most of Orion. Followed Castor's stars to his foot to find M35. many bright stars visible with too many to count in the diffuse background. Bright point south of it that made me wonder if it was NGC 2158 (or was is it 1 Geminorum?).

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