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(IAAC) Obj: various - Inst: 10 X 50 Nikon Lookout III Binoculars

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Observer: Penny Fischer
Your skills: Intermediate (some years)
Date/time of observation: 7 p.m. EST
Location of site: 40 N. (Lat , Elev )
Site classification: Suburban
Sky darkness: 4.0 <Limiting magnitude>
Seeing: 6 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Moon presence: None - moon not in sky
Instrument: 10 X 50 Nikon Lookout III Binoculars
Magnification: 
Filter(s): 
Object(s): various
Category: External galaxy
Class: 
Constellation: Ori
Data: mag   size 
Position: RA :  DEC :
Description:
**LOVE UNDER THE STARS**

Took the binocs out briefly tonight for some Valentine's Night
Observing. The skies are fairly dark here tonight and the transparency
is quite good, of course the costant problem is getting away from the
lights, but I found the darkest part of the backyard to look at my
objects of affection....the deeper the better :).

First up of course was the Orion Nebula, nebulosity appeared to be
present in a large portion of the sky surrounding the constellation, and
with averted (or maybe shaking optics) could have seen Barnard's loop.
At least two of the Trap stars were visible through binocs tonight.

Next up I turned towards the Rosette Nebula and cluster, and tonight it
was surrounded totally by nebulosity.  Further south I went to M41, this
open cluster looked decidedly globular tonight under binocular
magnification.

Moving back across the sky to Auriga and Taurus, picked out the clusters
of Auriga easily, they melded into a blanket of stars culminating with
the Hyades in Taurus.  It was quite a contortion to try and find M1
tonight, as the onstellation Taurus is almost zenith at this time of the
night, and I was unsucessful in finding that supernova remnant.  I did
however, get a stunning view of Pleiades.  While in the area, I found
the Andromeda galaxy, which in binoculars tonight showed a large
extended area around a much brighter core and it looked quite galactic
tonight with the core bulging out from the middle.

While in the area still, along my tour of the sky, I picked out a
favorite pair I love dearly and deeply, the double cluster in
Perseus. The clusters were resoleable but small in the binocs, but some
stars glittered through the dusty nebulous clusters looking like
sprinkled confectionary sugar on cookies.

Not to leave the northern part of the sky unattended, I swung over my
viewing to that direction.  I found my favorite cluster of all...the
Beehive, which shimmered with its understated beauty of dim yet
brilliant stars in a quite symmetrical configuration.

I spent about a half hour hunting down these objects of my affection,
but even love knows bounds :) and the cold drew me back inside for a cup
of Hot Chocolate...

Have a great Valentines Day Everyone and Happy Viewing!

--Penny
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