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(IAAC) IC1396 & Trumpler 37 - Inst: 7" f/15 Maks-Cas, 80mm f/3.2 finder



Observer:  Randy Moench
Your skill:  Intermediate
Date and UT of observation:  12/26/97 19:30 MST; 12/27/97 02:30 UTC
Location & latitude:  Poudre Park, Colorado, 40d 41'
Site classification:  Rural
Limiting magnitude (visual):  5.9
Seeing (1 to 5 - best to worst): 4
Moon up (phase?):  No
Instrument:  7 inch f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain with 80 mm f/3.2 finder.
Magnification:  83, 109, 148, 193.
Filters used:  Orion Skyglow, Lumicon UHC and OIII.
Object:  IC1396 and Trumpler 37
Category: Open cluster with nebulosity.
Constellation:  Cepheus
Object data: Mag: 3.5, Size: 154.0'x140.0', Number of stars: 50, Mag. of
brightest star: 3.8 F,eL neby,incl. Struve 2816.
RA/DE: RA:   21h 39m 6s Dec: +57° 47' 00"
Description:  A beautiful triple star association marks the center of my 52'
field of view.  The brightest star in the association appears to be SAO33626
according to my skycharting software - SkyMap.  To my eyes the brightest
appears to be then "center" star of the three having the most "yellow"
appearance.  Each star in the triplet offers a different color making it a
real gem.  The cluster is designated Trumpler 37 in the heart of IC1396.
    Other notable doubles lie in the 31' field of my 18-mm eyepiece.  Above
(east?) of the triple lies a pair with quite unequal magnitudes.  The
companion was best seen with averted vision, becoming more apparent at 193
times with my 13.8-mm eyepiece.  Another faint pairing lies below and right
(SW?) of the bright triple.
No nebulosity was detected in either the widefield 80-mm refractor or the
7-inch Maksutov using Skyview, UHC or OIII filters.
    Conspicuous in the 5-degree field of the 80-mm finder was mu Cephei,
magnitude 4.  A very yellow/red star.  Probably the reddest I've seen to
date.

Randy Moench
Northern Colorado Astronomical Society
http://lamar.colostate.edu/~rmoench/ncasrdm.html