Quote:

---

What an honor! Thanks everyone!
Actually, I read about it quite a while ago and it's been a bino favorite ever since. Carol L.

---

To all,

This post is intended to clear up the history of this asterism in Auriga.

This may be my only discovery and seeing it usurped on this thread is a bit disheartening. I christened this asterism back in 2002 calling it 'Cheshire Cat'. No one had made the association of a face with this group of stars before my posting to StarryNights on 8-Nov-2002 (see below).

Carol did mention in her 1st response to this thread that it was discovered by someone else.

Sometime ago I sent a message to Phil Harrington (who keeps an official list of asterisms called S.T.A.R.) letting him know about the asterism and received a reply from him saying that 'Cheshire Cat' is a new find.

Just wanted to set the record straight.

All the best.

Ben Cacace

Here is the original text in message # 13510 on the Yahoo Groups list StarryNights:

/----- original message -----\
Date: Fri Nov 8, 2002 11:57 am
Subject: Asterism in Auriga [7Nov2002]

Last night while looking through Auriga for M36 and M38 with 8.5x42 binoculars I came across a binocular asterism located SSW of M38. It is centered on RA 5h 27.5m / Dec +35 degrees. I viewed it at ~10p EST. The object is made up of 8 stars ranging in magnitude from 5.08 (phi Aur) to 6.86 (TYC 2411-515-1). The entire asterism can fit inside a 2° circle. This asterism looks like a face -- 2 eyes (mags 6.15 & 6.52) and 6 stars for the mouth. I am calling it "Cheshire Cat" ... unless, of course, there is another Cheshire Cat up there. If so then I would call it Frog Face keeping with the alliterative theme. The face is oriented "properly" at this time of night/year.

If this asterism has been named already please let me know if the details exist somewhere.

Also, on the left edge of the "smile" (nearer to M38) is the eclipsing binary star LY Aurigae which varies from 6.7 - 7.4 with a period of 4.002 days.

Let me know what you think.

Ben Cacace
Manhattan, NYC

P.S. - with the binoculars M36 was an easy target. M38 was not an obvious open cluster.
\----- end quote -----/

--------------------
Ben Cacace
Manhattan, NYC
http://novahunter.blogspot.com

Edited by Ben Cacace (12/18/05 02:35 AM)

Post Extras