601 replies to this topic

[Fiske]

In addition to making comparison observations between the Maven 15x56 and the Oberwerk 15x70 Ultra last night (10 June 2022) from my suburban yard, I also observed STF 1895, reported by Jordan in post #193 above. The transparency was poor and the hazy conditions combined with an 84% illuminated moon resulted in the worst SQM reading I have taken from my yard so far --  17.99 mpsas.

 

STF 1895

14h57m +40*10'

8.27/8.88 12.7" pa 42*

 

I was unable to resolve this double with the Maven 15x56, but was able to do so with the Oberwerk 20x65ED, once again proving its mettle as a binocular star splitter.   It was a challenging observation even at 20x. The star was near the zenith, and was a serious neckcraner for straight through binoculars on the OB PM1 p-gram -- the UBM with a zero gravity chair would have been a better option. I also observed it with the 82XL and Pentax 20mm XW eyepieces (28x), which thanks to the 45 degree eyepieces was by far the most comfortable view. Seen as a blue white primary with a white secondary.

 

The problem for the 15x56 was not the separation so much as the brightness of the two stars, or rather the lack thereof. Both components are 8th magnitude. The secondary, at 8.88 magnitude was only slightly brighter than the 15x limiting magnitude last night (between 9.5 and 10.0). Had the stars been brighter, they would have been easier to resolve at 15x. 

 

Anyway, it was a fun if somewhat challenging double and a happy addition to my astronomy journal.

[jrazz]

Bright bright moon out there but not a cloud in the sky. SQM is hovering right around 18.9-19 mpsas so fairly clear despite the moon. The temp was super nice starting at 65°F and ending at 61°. Not much wind to speak of but the air was not very calm so the seeing wasn't perfect.

 

STF1659AB

12h 35m 43.75s -12° 01' 30.0" P.A. 351.00 sep 28.1 mag 7.94,8.34 Sp G0 dist. 144.51 pc (471.39 l.y.)

I have no idea in what catalog I found this one but it's nice warm up. It's a double that's actually a triple in the center of a larger triangle. 

Really cool to look at. Quite unique!

 

STF1608AB (MZ UMa)

12h 11m 27.76s +53° 25' 17.5" P.A. 220.50 sep 13.6 mag 8.11,8.27 Sp K0 dist. 30.15 pc (98.35 l.y.)

Getting narrower but I practiced my "no touch" method and it resolved nicely! Fun, easily found double.

 

STF1321AB (Lalande 18115)

09h 14m 22.79s +52° 41' 11.8" P.A. 99.50 sep 17.0 mag 7.79,7.88 Sp K7V+M0V dist. 5.81 pc (18.95 l.y.)

This one was REALLY pretty. Two yellowish stars that really stood out in the sky. I really liked their color.

 

STF1258

08h 43m 25.41s +48° 51' 41.9" P.A. 331.00 sep 10.1 mag 7.72,7.87 Sp F0 dist. 143.47 pc (468 l.y.)

This one was a challenge to separate. They were already very low on the horizon. I'm not used to looking so low and the sky glow was beginning to affect visibility. At first they looked like a single star but as soon as the binoculars settled down and the view became steady they resolved nicely! I'm kinda proud of this one.

 

STF1415

10h 17m 50.61s +71° 03' 38.9" P.A. 168.00 sep 16.5 mag 6.65,7.27 Sp A7m+Am dist. 401.61 pc (1310.05 l.y.)

This one was really nice to finish on. The secondary was visibly fainter, seemed to twinkle more and sometimes looked to have a yellowish tinge though it's a spectral type "Am" so should look white. Still, a nice, pretty pair to wrap up with.

 

Thank you for joining me on this very comfortable spring evening 

[clastro8*]

17 CVn, 13h 11m, 5.92 / 6.26, sep 276 arc sec, PA 296, I came across this one while looking for something else a couple of nights ago.   On occasion when similar occurred in the past, I would make a mental note apparently a double is there and I should identify it later when time permits.  But by the time the clouds and my schedule permit another observing session days later, I'm usually prepared to look for other 'given' targets (and forgotten the unidentified one).

 

This time, I noted its approximate sep comparing to Mizar/Alcor and its PA more or less, and later that evening consulted a couple of sources to compare to what I had observed.   The best source was Star Safari because it lets you set the time and date and turn to the cardinal direction to see what's up there, but I was not thinking in those terms initially and wasn't able to make the identification using my atlas.

 

Now I'm thinking that, especially for those of us who are more or less new to this hobby, it would be rewarding to set out scanning around for doubles without any specific target in mind, and then on finding one to attempt to figure out what it is.   It's not always going to be there easily, I know, for example, when Sky Safari refers to a multiple star but lists the member of the group that you did not see or even when two stars are really close together but 'we' just don't call that a double star just because of the proximity.

Edited by clastro8*, 22 June 2022 - 07:12 PM.

[astronomus1930]

Clastro8*- I think your approach for double stars hunting is very clever! Changing the pathway to finding and observing doubles makes the journey of discovery just that much more educational and enjoyable.
Thanks!

[Fiske]

Now I'm thinking that, especially for those of us who are more or less new to this hobby, it would be rewarding to set out scanning around for doubles without any specific target in mind, and then on finding one to attempt to figure out what it is.

It is rewarding even to those of us who are not new to the hobby.  And after years of observing, there will still be more to find, not to mention many favorites to revisit.

[jrazz]

GRRRRR posted to the wrong thread. I'll copy it here just for posterity.

 

Back to doubles and this time with more power!

Sky is looking great again with no wind, terrific transparency, low humidity, ~21mpsas and approx 60°F. I am spoiled!

Here are the doubles I managed to find tonight:

STF2351

18h 36m 12.00s +41° 16' 41.2" P.A. 160.00 sep 5.0 mag 7.60,7.64 Sp A1V+A0V dist. 206.61 pc (673.96 l.y.)

Really sharp looking double. Was easily split at 40x and when I knew what I was looking at I could split it at 25x. Not sure I would be able to do this on something like the 25x100 but the BT-100 made it easy. Something to be said about an APO design.

 

STF2362

18h 38m 25.70s +36° 03' 11.3" P.A. 187.00 sep 4.4 mag 7.53,8.72 Sp A5 dist. 105.26 pc (343.36 l.y.)

Following my theme of seeing just how close a double I could see tonight. Again, eminently doable with the BT100.

 

STF2333

18h 31m 06.94s +32° 14' 43.4" P.A. 333.00 sep 6.3 mag 7.82,8.57 Sp B9IV dist. 216.92 pc (707.59 l.y.)

Another nice looking pair in Lyr. This could be a nice challenge at 25x but at 40x it's really easy. I need to recalibrate. Been splitting at 3" now which is really fun. So much so that this pair, as nice as it is merely registers as "meh" which is not really the case. It's actually quite pretty.

 

STF2470 and STF2474

19h 08m 45.20s +34° 45' 37.1" P.A. 267.00 sep 13.8 mag 7.03,8.44 Sp B5V dist. 12500 pc (40775 l.y.)

19h 09m 04.35s +34° 35' 59.9" P.A. 263.00 sep 16.0 mag 6.78,7.88 Sp G1V dist. 52.33 pc (170.7 l.y.)

 

Now THIS is a double double. Perfect for binoculars. The BT100 is rather an overkill for it. My guess is that you could easily see it with a 20x or 15x (Maybe a 15x56? hint hint wink wink). 2474 is actually a triple system but in the eyepiece these look like twin systems. Way more impressive than the more famous Double Double pair to the north west of them. Will have to revisit them with my 20x65ED which is sitting forlorn and unused ever since the fancy new guy showed up.

[Fiske]

STF1659AB

12h 35m 43.75s -12° 01' 30.0" P.A. 351.00 sep 28.1 mag 7.94,8.34 Sp G0 dist. 144.51 pc (471.39 l.y.)

I have no idea in what catalog I found this one but it's nice warm up. It's a double that's actually a triple in the center of a larger triangle. 

Really cool to look at. Quite unique!

This is a multiple star I have enjoyed for years as a pointer to the excellent M 104 Sombrero Galaxy, which is barely in Virgo, just north of the border with Corvus. Here is an observing report from last June. Oddly, exactly one year from the date of Jordan's observation.  What are the odds?

 

STF 1659 Corvi

12h35.7m -12*01m

AB 8.0/8.3 27.5" pa 352*
AC 8.0/11.0 42.2" pa 69*

Appears between a pair of 6th magnitudes stars making a striking binocular view, which is also a star hop step to nearby M104. Excellent in 70 and 80mm binoculars. Observed Sunday evening, 13 June 2021 from Lewis Young park when it was already well to the west and past the meridian. Haas p. 62.

 

Here is another double adjacent to M104, just over the border in Virgo. It should be observable with mounted 10x50 binoculars from a darker site.

 

STF 1664
12h38m -11*31'
7.82/9.17 38.7" pa 223*

 

And another very promising double a little south in Corvus.

 

STF 1669 / VV Corvi / 58 Corvi
12h41m -13*00'
5.88/5.89 5.3" pa 314*

At 0.01 magnitude difference and brighter than 6th magnitude, this is a perfect double to challenge the 20x65ED, 25x100, etc. Should be relatively easy with a BT. Beware Sky Safari on this – it is listing the much less interesting A/C pair for its own inscrutable reasons.

Edited by Fiske, 23 June 2022 - 07:04 PM.

[clastro8*]

Appreciation to Astronomus1930 and Fiske for commenting on my post about encountering a prospective double then followed later by researching its identity on a doubles sources list.

 

I see that I should take more than a mental note from such encounter, rather to write it down to make sure I follow up on it in near future.  Duly noted.

 

Which brought me back to one such candidate in the few minutes I had last evening to observe before the clouds moved back in.  The object is also in CVn, about 8 deg NE from Cor Caroli, it caught my attention with a separation looking very similar to Mizar/Alcor.   Doing some brief research, I think the two stars are HR5045 and HD116127 and are about 720  arc sec apart and both with magnitudes about 6.5, but as far as I can see, are not on anybody's doubles list.  I take it this means that they are not gravitationally related and, despite their more or less similar separation to Mizar/ Alcor, they don't qualify as a double based on line-of-sight as seen from the earth, either.

 

Sky Safari does say that HR5045 itself is a double with a companion of mag 11.5, I will try to observe it but I don't think I can see something that dim.

Edited by clastro8*, 24 June 2022 - 01:32 PM.

[Fiske]

Clastro, 

 

Here is a double in Canes Venatici not far from the HR5045 pair, which you might enjoy. The "S" stands for James South, a 19th century British astronomer. I came across the double last June. According to StelleDoppie, this is a physical double star.

 

S 654

13h47m +38*33'

5.62/8.91 71.3" pa 239* 

 

For myself, I am not super concerned about "physical" double stars versus optical doubles, or what I have come to think of as binocular pairs -- stars that are not included in official double star catalogs but are still enjoyable binocular companions. A mean, no less legit than binocular asterisms, honestly.  Plus, many "double" stars included in official catalogs are not physical pairs.

 

I own both the first and second editions of the Cambridge Double Star Atlas, which both feature charts from the indefatigable Wil Tirion, but the first edition was co-authored by James Mullaney while the second was with Bruce MacEvoy. An improvement in the second edition, from my perspective, is that the target list appendix is organized by constellation, where it was not in the first edition. Though, why the constellation index included in the first edition, which specified map numbers for each constellation, was excluded from the second edition is something of a mystery to me.

 

But more to the point, MacEvoy was very concerned with including high probability physical pairs in the second edition, and excluding "mere" optical doubles. Sort of a purist attitude not uncommon among extreme double star enthusiasts. Ironically, not necessarily an ideal change from a binocular perspective because any number of the non-physical pairs removed in the second edition are more suitable for (and enjoyable with) binoculars, however little their value from a scientific perspective.

Edited by Fiske, 25 June 2022 - 11:58 AM.

[clastro8*]

Hi, Fiske, thanks for the info, I will check for S654 on first chance.

 

Turns out, I was happy to receive the Cambridge Atlas 2nd addition for Fathers' Day.   There is a lot of great info there particularly for telescope users.  I smiled a bit at the Intro which points out they added 1100 targets but deleted 850 including those without evidence of physical connection.  Sounds a bit like they frog marched out the latter, LOL, and I was reminded when about a year ago someone suggested in the CN Observing forum a sub-forum for binos-only doubles.  The idea went over like a lead balloon, as I recall.

 

I still think it would be good idea, in fact, I would break it down into separate groups, for example, binos up to 10x, 15x - 25x, and 25x +, or something like that.

Edited by clastro8*, 25 June 2022 - 05:26 PM.

[Sarkikos]

If they would only have kept the best features of the first edition when they put together the second edition. 

 

Best from first:  optical doubles, constellation index. 

 

Best from second:  target list organized by constellation, 1100 additional physical doubles.

 

We are amateur astronomers, not professional astronomers.  I'm not trying to earn a junior scientist badge.  But if you write a book about astronomy, and get paid for it, does that make you a professional? 

 

Mike

Edited by Sarkikos, 28 June 2022 - 11:40 PM.

[Fiske]

Here are some observations of the double stars near M104 mentioned in post 207 above from my observing session at Lewis-Young Park in Louisburg, Kansas last night (Tuesday 28 June 2022). The weather was remarkably fine for late June -- the humidity and temp was tolerable and the skies were clear. I recorded Sky Quality measures between 20.47 and 20.54. 

 

STF 1659 Corvi

12h35.7m -12*01m

AB 8.0/8.3 27.5" pa 352*
AC 8.0/11.0 42.2" pa 69*

 

STF 1664

12h38m -11*31'
7.82/9.17 38.7" pa 223*

 

STF 1669 / VV Corvi / 58 Corvi
12h41m -13*00'
5.88/5.89 5.3" pa 314*

 

All of these systems, along with M104 are easily seen together in a 3 degree FOV. 

 

The 1659 AB pair is challenging but can be fully resolved with mounted 10x56 binoculars and is beautiful between bright and colorful flanking stars (HD 109584 and HD 109545). I had trouble resolving the secondary of 1664 (adjacent to M104) with the 10x Maven. It was noticeably easier to resolve with the 12x56 and a treat with the 15x56. And since all three instruments are the same weight, swapping them on the PM1 p-gram takes only a moment with no rebalancing needed.

 

M104 is readily seen and enjoyable with all three binoculars.

 

STF 1669 is fantastic with a binocular telescope, as predicted. Two perfectly matched warm white stars. I could resolve it at 28x (with the Pentax 20mm XWs). It is better seen with more magnification, however, and enjoyable with the 14/10/7mm XWs. I could see it as two stars in contact with the Oberwerk 20x65ED Deluxe. (Hint! )

[Fiske]

Here is something I realized about an asterism west of Rasalgethi in the constellation Hercules, which is referenced in this What Did You See Last Night... post and shown in the simbad image below.

 

 

I have been puzzled because the image is not nearly as engaging as the naked eye view, which, honestly, is partially due to binocular vision and our ability to manage contrast much more flexibly than cameras. BUT, that isn't the only issue. Visually, I see three prominent binocular pairs in the starfield, but the image only shows two prominent pairs -- STFA 33 and HD 151796/151782. The third pair is 49 Herculis and S Herculis (annotated in the image as S Her -- the star is quite faint in the image, just barely seen). My realization is that S Her is an M-type Mira variable with a magnitude range of 6.4 to 13.8, and it is now near its maximum, making a fine pair with nearby 49 Her, but when the image was recorded it must have been near its 13th magnitude minimum. Its period is 307 days, so presumably in about 5 months 49 Her will again be flying solo from a 10x50 binocular perspective. 

 

Another thing to note is that of the three prominent binocular pairs in the field, one is listed in double star catalogs (STFA 33 -- though it is not a physical double) and the other two pairs are not catalogued, though they are just as bright with equivalent or even smaller separations, which goes to show that double star catalog inclusion is somewhat arbitrary. 

 

It really is a lovely starfield -- deserving of a visit if you happen to be roaming July skies...

Edited by Fiske, 15 July 2022 - 10:26 AM.

[Fiske]

Here are some interesting numbers I came up with in a friendly conversation about how many double stars can potentially be observed with a 20x binocular. 

 

According to StelleDoppie 3,637 double stars have primary and secondary components brighter than 10th magnitude and separations between 7 and 200 arc seconds. Doubles under 10 arc seconds might be difficult at 20x if they have a significant magnitude difference -- I count 93 doubles in the 7 to 10 arc second separation range with a magnitude difference greater than 2, so let's make the total possible 3,544 to be on the safe side. ​  Maybe the remaining 93 can be extra credit opportunities. 

 

One of the 93 which was specifically called out as probably not observable with a 20x binocular is Polaris.

 

STF 93 / Polaris

02h31m +89*16'

2.04/9.10 18.4" pa 236*

 

That is quite a magnitude difference. As was seen with Mintaka in Orion last year, masking a binocular can improve resolution of double stars that have a significant magnitude difference by reducing the glare from the primary. Whether Polaris can be resolved at 20x with a masked binocular is not certain, but 40mm inserts for my Oberwerk 20x80 aperture masks have now been printed (Prusa 3D printer  ) and are awaiting a clear night for a tryout on this famed double star.

 

Edited by Fiske, 26 July 2022 - 01:28 PM.

[Fiske]

I did stumble upon a fine 20x double last week in Equuleus, STF 2737 / Epsilon / 1 Equ, reported in this What Should I Observe Tonight challenge thread post.

[jrazz]

 

Doubles under 10 arc seconds might be difficult at 20x if they have a significant magnitude difference

Even with less than 2, splitting sub 10" doubles with 20x is a challenge! Nevertheless that's exactly what I did yesterday

 

Ok ok, so I started with a much easier and friendlier target:

STF2202AB (61 Oph)

17h 44m 34.09s +02° 34' 45.9" P.A. 93.00 sep 20.8 mag 6.13,6.47 Sp A1IV-V dist. 84.82 pc (276.68 l.y.)

 

This is the perfect size and magnitude for the 20x65ED. Super easy to find and observe given a rock steady mount (which, thanks to some beefing up, my Monster now is). 

 

STF2272AB (70 Oph)

18h 05m 27.37s +02° 29' 59.3" P.A. 120.90 sep 6.7 mag 4.22,6.17 Sp K0V+K4V dist. 5.08 pc (16.57 l.y.)

 

Now this one is easy to find, Nice yellow color, and fairly close in magnitude but they are CLOSE! This is my first real sub-10" double with the 20x. Took me a long time and I had to fiddle with the focus and go get some eye drops but then it all came together and I could just about see the elongation. I later verified with the BT-100 as this sort of thing is not much of a challenge for that instrument.

 

Finally I set myself a real challenge. The night was superbly clear and calm so I figured this is probably the best time to try:

STF2016

16h 12m 07.05s +11° 54' 39.2" P.A. 147.00 sep 7.5 mag 8.49,9.60 Sp A3 dist. 172.12 pc (561.46 l.y.)

 

Turns out this was easier than 70 Oph! Whereas 70 Oph had glare, this didn't. While they were fairly dim they weren't anywhere near hard to see and the pinpoint like nature made them relatively easy to separate. These are still a workout for a 20x instrument but definitely doable and not hard to find at all. This shows that with patience and a good mount you can definitely pick out close doubles with a "normal" binoculars. No, 10x would probably not cut it but I can definitely see going below 10" with a good 18x56. Maybe even a 15x56 if one was so inclined  

[Fiske]

Nice work, Jordan! 

 

Two things. The aperture mask technique really helps for some number of doubles with significant magnitude difference that are still reasonably separated at whatever give magnification is being employed. Mintaka with a 10x50 masked to 25mm was my introduction to the technique. It was a beautiful view.

The second thing is that as components get closer to the limiting magnitude of whatever aperture, they do become more difficult to resolve. The secondary of STF 2016 at 9.6 magnitude is easily seen with the 20x65ED from your Bortle 21ish sky, I'm guessing. To explore this, you might choose a double with a fainter secondary closer to the limiting magnitude of the 20x65ED in your skies.

 

I really love 70 Oph. I'll look at my notes to see what instruments I have observed it with. Probably a good candidate for masking.

Edited by Fiske, 26 July 2022 - 03:03 PM.

[Fiske]

Here is a recent observation I made of 70 Oph.

 

STF 2272 / 70 Ophiuchi
18h05m +02*30'
4.22/6.17 6.67" pa 120.9*

 

82XL+10mm XWs (45x) Warm white primary with tiny, deeply orange secondary. Striking color and magnitude contrast. A beautiful double star for binocular telescopes.

 

I also have in my notes that I was not able to resolve it with the 82XL+20mm XWs (22.5x). So it would be difficult at 20x. Seems like another candidate for the aperture mask so I will add that to my observing project list. 

Edited by Fiske, 26 July 2022 - 03:16 PM.

[jrazz]

Yeah, the BT-100 with 10mm Pentax made it really easy at 56x.
It is a beautiful double. Took me a really long time to resolve but that is the advantage of a ZGC+parallelogram combo.

[Fiske]

Though the forecast was for rain last night, the sky was surprisingly clear. A few passing clouds wandered through around 11:00 pm but did not linger long enough to convince me to go to bed at a reasonable hour, and I foolishly observed until 1 am, goaded on by Jon Isaac's taunts about 80mm refractors. I paid for that today. Particularly after getting my second shingles vaccine yesterday afternoon, which caused more trouble for me than about any vaccine ever. 

 

Anyway, waiting for the clouds to pass, I did hand held observing with 10x binoculars for 20 minutes or so, which is an unusually long spell for me, picking out M57, M27, M15, M2, 61 Cygni, and an overlooked but pleasing open cluster in Cygnus, NGC 7063, among other lovelies.

 

I put a lot of effort into resolving Polaris, STF 93, with various binoculars.

 

STF 93 / Polaris

02h31m +89*16'

2.04/9.10 18.4" pa 236*

 

The essential challenge was to observe it with a 20x80 binocular, which I was not able to do either unmasked or with the 40mm aperture masks shown above. I subsequently tried the Obewerk 20x65ED, but no joy. The OB 25x100 made short work of the double, however, handily resolving it and providing an enjoyable view. Following that I had the happy thought to try the 20x80 with the 70mm aperture masks and was able to resolve the secondary, seeing it about 30% of the time. A challenging observation to be sure. I'm thinking 80mm masks for the 100 might be a nice addition to the tool kit, wondering what that view would be like. So more to come on that front.

 

The OB 70XL made short work of the double. I could glimpse it part of the time at 19.5x with 20mm Pentax eyepieces, seeing it about 60% of the time with 14mm XWs (27.85x) and steadily with 10mm XWs (39x).

 

Seeing conditions were not great, nor was transparency, so it might be possible to do better on another evening. If I feel like tormenting myself when appropriate sky conditions occur, a sequel to this post may be aired. 

 

I find making an observation like that, pushing the limit of a given instrument, to be a fun occasional challenge, but prefer to devote most of my time to double stars that are more relaxing and enjoyable at whatever magnification level. 

 

After observing Polaris, I visited STF 2737 / 1 Equulei, to my taste a more enjoyable and beautiful double star for a 20x binocular. And then visited some multiple star friends from last fall in Delphinus, also relaxing and lovely in a 20x glass.

 

Here is another thing I have thought of for amusement. Rather than gnashing one's teeth over double stars that might be beyond reach for a given instrument, why not go for the glass is half full gambit  and concentrate on viewing double stars with which one is not yet familiar? Accordingly, I have devised a list of 100 doubles in Cygnus that should be within reach of a 20x80 binocular (primary/secondary brighter than 9.5 magnitude, separation between 7 and 200 arc seconds, magnitude difference under 2.0). Such a pleasing round number, it is almost hard to believe. So, this is officially the Cygni 100 Challenge. 

Edited by Fiske, 28 July 2022 - 07:18 PM.

[jrazz]

You on!

 

Cygni is directly overhead and heading west... Should be perfect for a 20x65ED, parallelogram and a ZGC. I am missing the clear sky part but I'm sure those will return... Eventually.

[GamesForOne]

Colorado delivered... It was super windy tonight and COLD (50° and probably like 35 with wind chill) my hands are FROZEN.

 

Worth it though.

Transparency is spectacular. I would have stayed out longer but would have died of hypothermia.

 

[...]

 

Fun night! 10/10 would do again with a space heater and more blankets!

 

 

BTW, do any of you observe with music? When I go to the remote sites I appreciate the silence but my back yard is LOUD (especially at night). I find that music helps me focus and isolates me from the world around.

This is a great thread! I wish I had time to keep up and duplicate the many observations.

 

The music question brings up good memories. I observed for about a decade, beginning around 2002, with a retired gentleman that became a good friend. He allowed me to assist him in rebuilding the dob structure for our club's 20-inch mirror which is now a great club resource and legacy.

 

He had created a playlist of classical and popular music that referenced the night sky in some form. I can't recall all the titles, but he would pull up to our favorite observing overlook on the Cherohala Skyway just past the NC/TN line in his VW bus. Out would come his wonderful 14.5" Zambuto Starmaster with the full tracking/goto features. His soundtrack accompanied many a night while looking at wonderful views in his scope and my own. I do recall many nights when Vincent by Don McLean would come 'round, always a highlight.

 

Wonderful memories... unfortunately age has caught up with him... and I now have a full-time job and young twins. And that ever encroaching light dome from metro Atlanta, oh my...

 

---

Michael Mc
 

[Fiske]

Thank you for sharing, Michael. 

[jrazz]

I've organized the list according to the traveling salesman problem. Not sure this is the ultimate path but it should be pretty close. Should make this easier to follow.

 

In case you're wondering, here's what the path looks like:

Attached Files

•  Cygnus 100 Challenge.csv   4.3KB   34 downloads

Edited by jrazz, 29 July 2022 - 04:54 PM.

[jrazz]

Urg.... Due to my using Sky Safari I didn't include the coordinates. LMK if you need a version with the actual coordinates and I'll whip something up.