Telescope Reviews: 41 deg N Lat suburban after-dinner targets

As an experiment in observation planning, I threw together a list of targets appropriate for small aperture telescopes in semi-light polluted suburban skies and 41 degrees north latitude. The intent behind this list is to have a few after-dinner bright objects to look at in the zenithal good seeing zone on for each night during the May 25-June 9 dark sky window. The intent was to have a list of non-DSO objects that could be viewed on those nights where was not practical to drive for an hour to a dark sky site and view DSOs in the Virgo Realm of the Galaxies. Accordingly, this list ignores the Virgo Realm of the Galaxies, access to which normally requires a large aperture.

List materials developed include:

1) Text catalogue for 5/25-6/9 tour for 41 degrees north latitude
Text catalogue (12kb)

2) Region (50ø) finder charts
UMa Region Finder Chart 50 deg to mag 8.6 (22kb)
Bootes Region Finder Chart 50 deg to mag 8.6 (26kb)
Hercules Region Finder Chart 50 deg to mag 8.6 (25kb)

3) Software data files
Zip datafiles Astroplanner Ciel Excel (154kb)
containing -
2005JunTourScope.cds Ciel plotting file
2005JunTourScope.dat Ciel plotting file
200506 Scope targets.apd Astroplanner v1.2.3 target file
200506 scope.xls Excel catalogue

The target zone was developed as follows:

1) a 30 degree zenithal good seeing zone above 41 degrees north latitude was found at the start of the current dark sky window beginning on May 24th at 9 PM local time.

2) a 30 degree zenithal zone above 41 degrees north latitude was found on the last day of the current dark sky period ending June 9 at 11 PM.

3) bright targets were identified in between these two zones.

Bright targets selected include:

1) bright wide space binaries-primary < 8v; secondary < 10v.

2) bright DSOs < 11v.

3) short period variables whose entire magnitude cycle can be seen in less than 14 days.

4) long period variables were intentionally excluded.

5) faint DSO's or excluded.

Again, this is an initial experiment. Any comments would be appreciated.

- Enjoy - Canopus56