Thanksgiving Observing

Date: 2009-11-27 UT
Time: ~1:00--5:00 UT
Location: Russellville, GA
Telescope: Dob 10.1-in f/4.5 and stopped down to 3.5-in f/13
Magnification: 44x and 114x
Objects: Moon, Jupiter,  h and χ Per, Pleides, M42, M36 Aur
Seeing: 2 (1=worst--4=best)
Atmosphere: Clear, cold, windy.

(Since I didn't have internet access from the phone there, I couldn't tweet log notes from the telescope).

With the family we observed the moon and Jupiter around 1:00--2:30 UT.    The moon was a waxing gibbous at about 80% illumination.  Piton was distinct with it's shadow.  Several craters along the limb had bright illuminated rims.

All four Galilean satellites were visible around Jupiter.  Io actually disappeared behind Jupiter at 1:54 UT, but we didn't actually see the eclipse.

Later, after 2:30 UT I observed the deep sky objects.

I could definitely see the reflection nebulosity around the brighter Pleides stars.  They had that sort-of embedded-in-fog look.

Orion was rising and I observed M42 several times as it got higher in the sky.   As it got higher the details became visibly more distinct.  The sharp edge of the nebula's southern wing was easy to see.  There's also a lone star in that nebulosity that I could see.  Features like the Fish's Mouth and the Trapezium were trivially easy of course.

Later I observed the Double Cluster h and χ Per, and M36 in Aur.

These notes were added around  2009-11-27 23:53 UT and updated on 2009-11-30 10:24 UT.