[Chaos-l] Thursday Farrington Point Observations

[Mark South]

Here's a log of our impromtu Farrington Point Observations for Thursday 2/17/06

**Observation Log**
Observers: Mark South, Klaus Hoog
Date: 1/16/06
Location: Farrington Point
Goal: Gemini Objects
Seeing: Average-Poor  Transp:  Average-poor

Object: Saturn
Instrument:  Celestron 8’’
Powers: 200x  Filters: none
Comments: Beautiful as always.  Cassini Division visible at certain moments. Moons in field of view PA 135-degrees and 225-degrees.  

Object: NGC 2129 (Eskimo Nebula)
Type: Planetary Nebula
Time: ~20:00
Constellation: Gemini
Object Size 47’’
Instrument: ETX-125 PE f-15
Powers: 200x Filters: none
Comments:  considerably faint, small, and round planetary nebula with a brighter inner core surrounded with a fainter circumference.  From time to time, with averted vision a star would “pop” out, but as a whole no real detail.  A star in the field of view to the NE.

Object: NCG2266
Type: Open Cluster
Time: 21:00
Instrument: ETX-125 PE f-15
Powers: 195x
Comments:  a very small and faint compact open cluster.  Due to the clouds moving in, I could only make out the brighter chain of stars.  The formation was somewhat like a flock of birds ‘flying south for the winter’ or a “greater-than sign.”  Hard to determine the number of stars, but a brief moment noted many fainter stars inside the triangle.   Will try to view this in a larger scope and darker sky later.

Other Objects: 
Also took a brief look at M42, Pleadies.  The comet C5 2005 could not be located in the field of view due to clouds and being low to the horizon. 

Have a good weekend, friends.
Mark

Mark South
500 Market Street Ste. 204
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
http://homepage.mac.com/md_south