22 February 2026

 I set up about 20:00 MST, I did a "Skyalign" using Mizar and Sirius for the first two stars, and then just a random star in between them for the third star. NELM is about 3-4 and transparency not great. The only star I could see in the Little Dipper was Polaris. 

The first target was M1,The Crab Nebula,  but I couldn't see it so shifted to M42, the Great Orion Nebula. M43, it's smaller companion was also in the field of view. Using the 25mm Plossl eyepiece the four stars at the heart of M42 were visible. The bright core of M43 was also visible. The dark lane to the core of M42 was very well defined. I sketched it using HB and 4B pencils and a smudge stick in my sketchbook/log. 

Next target was M35 and I switched to the 32mm Plossl. This is an open star cluster about 2,800 light years away in the constellation Gemini. It consists of several hundred stars scattered over an area about equal to a full moon.I have tended to shy away from open clusters because of a lack of confidence in identifying them, even with the goto function of the SE mount. In this case, the mount took me close to it, and in moving down and right the cluster became very very apparent just by the density of the star field. Panning the scope a little in each direction made the outlines of the cluster obvious as the star field density dropped off. I later viewed M50, M36, M37, M38, and M39. The pattern for M50 was a little different from the others. It was a more "squashed" shape, elongated more east-west than north-south. There were all in the same general area as M35. I didn't attempt to sketch any of these open clusters just because of the sheer number of stars visible in each of them.

I tried to locate NGC 2392 . I think I was in the right location but couldn't see it. The sky was very bright and I suspect that was part of why I couldn't see it.  Same for M101. 

I went back to M42 and M43 to sketch them. After sketching those two, I tried again for M1 and was able to locate and make a quick sketch of it. The sky was bright enough that any higher power than than that with the 25mm Plossl just became too dim. 

Next was M79 , a globular cluster about 41,000 light years away. I had tentavely listed it as a target for tonight, It was low enough in the SSW that I was afraid it would pass behind the mountains before I could see it. To my surprise I was able to view it long enough to make a sketch!

After this I tried again for M101, but was only able to make out a hint of it. 

 

M42 and 43. Note that this is looking south. In the drawing East is to the right because the telescope flips the image left to right.

 

 

 

These sketches are all made at the eyepiece, under a dim red light. As you can see, I really need to work on making pinpoint stars.

 
Inverted image of M1 sketch

  

Inverted image of M79 sketch


  Just a quick aside on setting up, I have the 8SE set up on the pier and leave it covered with a Telegizmos 365 cover. Having it already set up and not needing to haul the tripod, mount, and OTA out makes a huge difference in being able to observe. Having it already set and level is great! I have power by running an extension cord from my woodshop about 60 feet away. The pier and then deck for the observatory were put up last year, and hopefully the rest will get finished this year.

 

 

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