Good day to everyone. These are our observations on the night of 11th August 2014.
Valerie and I set up the 158mm apochromatic refractor in our back garden. It was truly a great way of celebrating the anniversary of my 1st total solar eclipse on the 11th August 1999. I was on a beach in northern Bulgaria with 3000 others a full 15 years ago -how time flies!
Last night, we studied nothing less than 16 enjoyable objects in the heavens. A reminder I do have a 2" diagonal fitted to the telescope.
1. We observed Arcturus in the north western sky just 6 minutes before sunset at 11X and 40X. A nearby tree guides me to my favourite bright star.
2. A minute after sunset, I split Izar at 112X and 140X -orange and blue in the 10 o'clock position angle (PA).
3. Epsilon 1 & 2 Lyrae (double -double). We could see all 4 split at 112X. And we could see the 10th magnitude fifth component forming a sideways shaped V with the double -double. All this about 20 minutes after sunset.
4. Just a couple of degrees south of Vega, double star Zeta Lyrae is easily split at 11X in the guidescope, and 40X in the main scope in the 7 o'clock PA. White and blue pair.
5. Naked eye observation at 21.48: an Iridium Flare with a magnitude of -8.3 west of Deneb! This is easily the brightest one we have seen.
6. Back to the telescope, we see all 4 components of Sheliak (Beta Lyrae) at 40X. Magnitudes 3.5, 7, 9 and 9. PA's are 6 o'clock, 11 o'clock and 2 o'clock. A and B are gold and blue.
7. STF 2367: double star in Lyra split at 40X. Magnitudes 7 and 8.5. PA is 7 o'clock. Yellow and blue.
8. STF 2333: double star in Lyra split at 40X. Magnitudes 7.5 and 8. White and white.
And so I set off to Serpens (the Healing Serpent). Ophuichus is carrying him.
9. Alya (Theta Serpentis): stunning double star split at a mere 11X in the guidescope. 2 pure white stars with magnitudes 4.5 and 5 in the 4 o'clock PA. Quite wide at 40X.
10. STT 361: double star in Serpens. I spotted this fellow last week by accident. Both components are white with magnitudes 8.2 and 9.5. Wide at 40X in the 6 o'clock PA.
11. STF 2375 delightful double star in Serpens. It has a nickname: Tweedledum and Tweedledee! We split him at 112X and 140X. Both are are pure white and in the 4 o'clock PA.
12. Below STF 2375 is an asterism shaped like a dog! I do have the advantage of a 2" diagonal on my apo; my north is up and my east is right. A major advantage to see for this brilliant shape. Perfect at just 40X.
13. Huge open star cluster IC 4756 at 40X. This is more twice the size of even our Supermoon -a full 70 minutes in diameter. At least 100 stars visible.
14, And finally, what is in my mind the best object I saw last night: a very faint carbon star called DR Serpentis. According to Guide 8 it varies in magnitude from 8.4 down to 13. We estimated it to be 9.4 magnitude at present. We could just see it at 40X -but we went through 112X, 140X and 167X. At this final magnification it stills remains a most intense orange -red. The faint magnitude brings out the intense colour! This is Serpens only Carbon Star. So see if you can find it. It is very near to all the other spectacular features I have listed above in the constellation of Serpens Cauda. Perhaps if it fades, the red will become more intense. I have to say what a funny designation it has: DR Serpentis. The abbreviation suggest the name Doctor Serpentis. And of course, Ophuichus is holding the Healing Serpent in the sky!
15. My last 2 objects are the ISS and the ATV-5 spacecraft. Magnitudes were -3.2 for the ISS and the ATV-5 was +0.8. Both objects were about 3 minutes in time apart and my friend Bob saw both from his backyard.
Thank you for reading.
Aubrey.
  