Hello astronomy fans! I got out last night for two and a half hours. I started off with Antares and M4 in my binocs (for focus) and then tried to see if I could spot M80. I spied what I thought would be M80 and then checked that spot out with my Celestron G8. Sure enough, there it was – a nice compact little globular cluster. I didn't have that one on my Binocular Messier list, but I can spot it now. 🙂
I got 2 Herschel 400 objects before the Moon came up. NGC's 5005 and 5033, spiral galaxies in Canes Venatici. They are an easy starhop from Cor Caroli (Alpha Canum Venaticorum), both edge on and both can just barely be seen in the same starfield. 8)
Jupiter was next while the Moon was climbing in the east. All four Galilean moons spread out widely from the planet, three to the west and one to the east. The middle one of the three had a faint background star near it.
For the Moon, I observed and drew the crater Julius Caesar for my Lunar II list. Then clouds rolled back in. ???
It was wonderful to be out there again, between weather and work and family committments, I hadn't gotten out in a long time. I'm going again tonight, weather permitting. 😉
See you Tuesday!