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(IAAC) Obj: Psi Dra (STF 2241) - Inst: Discovery DHQ 8" dobsonian




IAAC Deep-Sky Observing Log Entry

Name of observer: Tom Campbell
Your observing skills then:  Advanced (many years) 
Date/time of observation: June 6, 2003 11:30pm CDT

Site type:  Exurban
Location: Iola, Kansas (Long: 95o24'W Lat: 37o55'N)
Transparency: Clear (8/10)
Seeing: Mostly Stable (7/10) 
Moon presence: Major - Gibbous or near object

Instrument: Discovery DHQ 8" dobsonian
Powers: 49x, 81x, 125x, 203x, 305x
Filters: None

Deep Sky Object: Psi Draconis (Struve 2241)

Object category: Double Star.
Object class: 

Constellation: Dra
Position: RA: 17h 41m 54s | Dec: +72o09'
Object data: Mag: 4.6, 5.8

Description:
With the nearly first quarter Moon high overhead as twilight neared an
end, I knew that my Herschel galaxies were out of the question from my
back yard.  So instead, I gathered up the last couple of issues of
Sky&Telescope to see what objects were featured. As it turned out,
most of the observing articles were about double stars. In the
moonlight, doubles seemed the best course to take, so I thought it was
fitting. I hand-picked several of those listed that I either hadn't
seen yet, or else I hadn't visited in quite a while. I began in Corona
Borealis, but the glare of the Moon in that region of sky made me
retreat into Draco, the land of the Dragon.
--
This pair was wide and nicely split at 49x; however, the best view was
at 88x. The colors for these stars were subtle; at first glance, both
appeared white. By defocusing the eyepiece slightly, the star patterns
smeared and the colors became easier to detect. The brighter star
appeared pale yellow and the slightly fainter companion was pale blue.
--
The dew was overpowering my simple homemade dew heater, so I called it
a night. I'll need to adjust the resistor values to work better with
my 9V battery power source. Still, it was a pleasing and peaceful hour
under the stars.
--
Any Web URL related to log:
 http://www.iolaks.com/softech/astro
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