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(IAAC) Object: The Trapezium, Instrument: 16" Dob



Observer:  Todd Gross
Your skill:  Intermediate +
Date and UT of observation: 1/30/97 0030 GMT
Location & latitude: 22 miles west of Boston, Ma. 42.3N
Site classification: Suburban

Limiting magnitude (visual): 4.9 (estimated),  4.9 (est)  in vicinity of object
Seeing (1 to 5 - best to worst):  2
Moon up (phase?): No

Instrument: f/4.59 16" Dob, f.l. 1839mm, excellent optics, 
96-99% coating, 3.1"secondary

Magnifications: 450x, 354x, 175x
Filters used: none
Object:  The Trapezium, multiple star system
Constellation: Orion
Object data: Multiple star system in the Orion nebula
RA/DE:  

Description:
After searching so hard through so many scopes for the six stars
in the Trapezium, I was surprised to see how easy it is to view them
through the 16" scope when skies are fairly steady. What I didn't realize, 
and wanted to share, is that the 5th (E) star is actually quite redder than
the others, and F gave off a slight shade of blue. Separation was wide and
easy on E (see below), F was just a tad harder because of the brighter glare
of it's neighboring star (C). While I wasn't able to see G or H, (G is
inside the box
and H is above it)  I could make out what appeared to be a 14th magnitude star, 
below the asterism, buried in nebulosity. I saw this before through a 14" SCT
and mistakenly thought it was E or F.  

This may, or may not look right depending on how you receive
email: 


                a                   c
                 *                    *    . f
          e  .                                            
                
             b  *                        *d


                             
                            . other


The view was quite good at all of the high magnifications listed.






- Todd
_________________________________
BOSTON TV METEOROLOGIST TODD GROSS
Weather/Astronomy Home Page: http://www.weatherman.com
Administrator, Meade Advanced Product User Group: mapug@shore.net
Administrator, New England Weather Observer Mail List, wxobs-sne@shore.net
IRC Channel Operator: #Weather, #Sciastro (Undernet)
Originator of the NE.WEATHER newsgroup
_________________________________
Email: toddg@weatherman.com    Work Phone# (617)725-0777