seeing through poor seeing

Tonight's weather is clear and cold, but there's a haze of smoke come all the way from the fires near Los Angeles.  The Santa Ana winds carried the thick smoke out over the Pacific and they made a hook to the north and east into northern California.  So it's a surprise smoke out night.  It gives me a chance to write up observations from earlier this week with Big Blue.  Seeing was rather bad, 5,6/10, 7/10 at best, clear and cold, no dew.  I tried some clean up in Cygnus, which is getting low, in the early evening, but seeing was at its worst then.

12/4 / 553x

STTA 254 = WZ Cas: Pretty, deep orange A and very wide half delta mag B, white. [4 stars in system, faint and wide.]
00H 01M 15.85S +60° 21' 19.0" P.A. 89 SEP 57.7 MAG 7.40,8.33 SP NIAB:P DIST. 877.19 PC (2861.39 L.Y.)

H V 79: Bright white and very faint superwide pair. [Maybe I didn't see it; B is fainter than 12th mag which is limit of my scope...4 star system]
00H 04M 13.66S +62° 17' 15.5" P.A. 331 SEP 83.1 MAG 5.92,12.58 SP A1III DIST. 1190.48 PC (3883.35 L.Y.)

STF 3053: Pretty, orange and blue like Alberio.  1.5 delta mag. [AB seen, AC too wide and faint]
00H 02M 36.08S +66° 05' 56.3" P.A. 71 SEP 15.3 MAG 5.96,7.17 SP G9III+A1V DIST. 1369.86 PC (4468.48 L.Y.)

BU 392: ! Yellow A star.  12th mag B swims into view with averted vision and seeing, then can hold it direct as a bluish point. [AB seen.  Not physical pair, sadly.]
00H 16M 57.05S +61° 31' 59.5" P.A. 71 SEP 19.5 MAG 5.73,12.48 SP G4II DIST. 190.11 PC (620.14 L.Y.)

BU 1094: No deformation noticed, not seen.
00H 30M 19.91S +59° 58' 39.2" P.A. 290 SEP 0.3 MAG 6.07,8.45 SP B9IIIN DIST. 235.85 PC (769.34 L.Y.)

BU 1227: ! Yellow and 3 delta mag B, orange, comes into view direct vision but only with seeing, 2-3".  Two more stars wide at 90 degree PA from the closer pair.  [AB seen.  AC and AD are the two other stars, correct PA noted.  Two more stars, making six in the system, too faint.]
00H 32M 21.78S +58° 20' 19.1" P.A. 193 SEP 2.8 MAG 7.21,10.64 SP F3V DIST. 80.65 PC (263.08 L.Y.)

BU 1: !! Right triangle of equal stars; the foot star has a very faint, 2-3 delta mag star very close ~1", faint split.  Some fainter stars wreathed about it. [AB seen, while AC, AD appear to be the other triangle stars.  17 visible stars in the system, which I suppose ought to be called a cluster.]
00H 52M 49.22S +56° 37' 39.5" P.A. 83 SEP 1.5 MAG 8.58,9.33 SP O6.5V DIST. 3030.3 PC (9884.84 L.Y.)

BU 1098: Bright yellow and very much fainter 4 delta mag B
00H 55M 00.19S +58° 58' 22.1" P.A. 61 SEP 17.8 MAG 4.96,12.50 SP K2III DIST. 100.7 PC (328.48 L.Y.)

BU 1028 = Gamma Cas: Payed with placing the star beyond the field stop in the cardinal directions to see if the faint B would pop out.  I bet this is how Burnham did it, or he used an occulting bar, just to see if something popped out.  Star is called Tsih -- wonder how it got that name
00H 56M 42.50S +60° 43' 00.3" P.A. 259 SEP 2.1 MAG 2.20,10.90 SP B0IVE+F6V DIST. 168.35 PC (549.16 L.Y.)

BU 497: Super wide and faint.  Who would think it is double and not some random line of sight... [6 stars in the system, not a cluster?]
00H 53M 04.28S +61° 07' 24.8" P.A. 170 SEP 144.6 MAG 4.85,9.79 SP F7V DIST. 18.74 PC (61.13 L.Y.)

STT 553: Super wide and faint.  Why?
01H 11M 06.16S +55° 08' 59.6" P.A. 143 SEP 126.4 MAG 4.34,11.31 SP A7V DIST. 40.95 PC (133.58 L.Y.)

STF 16: White and blue-white, wide.
00H 16M 41.65S +54° 39' 36.5" P.A. 41 SEP 5.9 MAG 7.68,8.78 SP A3 DIST. 123.92 PC (404.23 L.Y.)

A 1253: Tried pretty hard for this one, but could not see faint B
00H 07M 37.40S +52° 46' 22.7" P.A. 84 SEP 3.8 MAG 7.70,11.28 SP G0IV DIST. 591.72 PC (1930.19 L.Y.)

HU 502: Hint of something, a bit of a smear in the diffraction.
00H 05M 57.04S +49° 37' 20.4" P.A. 108 SEP 2.4 MAG 7.66,10.61 SP F0V DIST. 146.63 PC (478.31 L.Y.)

ES 41: ! B appeared while putting my eye to the eyepiece -- then disappeared.  B is averted vision to see -- can barely hold it direct vision.  Wide, 4 delta mag.
00H 18M 21.55S +49° 30' 35.1" P.A. 221 SEP 6.3 MAG 7.96,11.16 SP F8 DIST. 115.61 PC (377.12 L.Y.)

STF 30: Obvious wide bright pair. [AB seen, 5 stars in system]
00H 27M 12.45S +49° 59' 08.6" P.A. 314 SEP 12.8 MAG 6.96,8.92 SP B9III DIST. 248.14 PC (809.43 L.Y.)

BU 394: ! Very fine, pop split with seeing, near equal.
00H 30M 45.56S +47° 31' 47.5" P.A. 277.4 SEP 0.82 MAG 8.49,8.77 SP G0 DIST. 49.33 PC (160.91 L.Y.)

STF 45: Easy wide orange and blue, 3 delta mag. [AB seen.  AC is BU 1347, very faint and super wide -- again why would anyone think it's part of the system to bother taking a measure?]
00H 38M 41.60S +46° 57' 24.6" P.A. 90 SEP 19.2 MAG 6.85,10.06 SP G9III DIST. 112.23 PC (366.09 L.Y.)

STT 16: wide and faint. 
00H 39M 09.89S +49° 21' 16.5" P.A. 22 SEP 12.3 MAG 5.62,10.48 SP K4III DIST. 641.03 PC (2091.04 L.Y.)

BU 232: ! Neat near equal orange and yellow.  Split with seeing, 1".  Is it a 2+1 system? [AB close pair, AB,C the triple]
00H 50M 25.10S +50° 37' 49.6" P.A. 255.5 SEP 0.86 MAG 8.46,8.79 SP F5 DIST. 101.11 PC (329.82 L.Y.)

ES 940: Orange A with very faint pin prick B, with seeing, 3 delta mag, wide. [AB see, 4 stars in system]
00H 57M 20.19S +52° 14' 23.7" P.A. 359 SEP 62 MAG 7.27,10.11 SP K2 DIST. 869.57 PC (2836.54 L.Y.)

A 812: Suspect a brightening in diffraction when seeing stills, but not certain.  Orange star.
00H 51M 47.06S +48° 03' 23.6" P.A. 326 SEP 1.7 MAG 7.67,11.11 SP K0 DIST. 226.24 PC (737.99 L.Y.)

ES 45: ! Orange-yellow A, need averted vision to flash B out, barely hold with direct vision.
01H 01M 27.04S +49° 32' 39.1" P.A. 244 SEP 7.9 MAG 6.60,10.80 SP G5 DIST. 322.58 PC (1052.26 L.Y.)

12/6: Clear and cold, sky not as steady as I would wish.  553x

S 790: Bright star with wide very faint companion, and a 3rd forming a triangle. [AB seen, 4 stars in system]
21H 25M 47.02S +36° 40' 02.5" P.A. 29 SEP 34.7 MAG 5.89,11.71 SP B0IB DIST. 2777.78 PC (9061.12 L.Y.)

STF 2802: Seeing poor; orange stars, near equal, ~4"
21H 31M 48.94S +33° 48' 56.2" P.A. 10 SEP 3.9 MAG 8.60,8.70 SP A5 DIST. 214.13 PC (698.49 L.Y.)

HO 164: Appears as an elongation in poor seeing, near equal 4"; splits with averted vision.
21H 41M 01.95S +35° 04' 44.7" P.A. 70 SEP 4.3 MAG 9.51,9.80 SP K0

BLL 55 = RV Cyg: Orange in finder, vivid in eyepiece.  2 delta mag very wide B; 3rd star as faint makes a triangle. 
21H 43M 16.33S +38° 01' 03.0" P.A. 117 SEP 143.2 MAG 8.43,10.92 SP CII DIST. 1562.5 PC (5096.88 L.Y.)

HO 161: Elongation but nothing more, seeing too poor.
21H 31M 23.29S +40° 03' 54.3" P.A. 12 SEP 2.7 MAG 7.54,11.05 SP F3V DIST. 97.56 PC (318.24 L.Y.)

KUI 108: Not a chance -- but a lovely star field.
21H 42M 22.94S +41° 04' 37.3" P.A. 0.5 SEP 0.2 MAG 6.33,6.72 SP A0V DIST. 126.42 PC (412.38 L.Y.)

KUI 109: Seeing too poor...
21H 43M 25.63S +38° 17' 01.0" P.A. 155 SEP 1.5 MAG 5.69,11.10 SP A0V DIST. 84.18 PC (274.6 L.Y.)

75 Cyg star chain:  WOW! Finder view of a line of stars from just west of 75 Cyg (which is a yellow orange star and double AC 20, not split) running north.  8 stars near equal space in wandering line like a fallen string, or Hansel & Gretel's breadcrumbs.  Upon coming inside I find it is set above a dark nebulous area between the North America Nebula and Lacerta, which accounts for the lack of other stars.  B 159 sprouts off 75 Cyg to the west; B 158 is above that and Barnard himself mentions dark areas to the north of this -- where the chain is -- but doesn't mention the chain itself.

BU 694: ! 2 delta mag, just resolves, 1" [AB seen; 5 faint wide stars in system]
22H 02M 56.68S +44° 38' 59.8" P.A. 7 SEP 1 MAG 5.71,7.76 SP A0IV DIST. 151.06 PC (492.76 L.Y.)

From here on it's 277x:

S 393: Orange-yellow A, 2 delta mag very wide B
01H 06M 11.20S +32° 10' 53.3" P.A. 295 SEP 60 MAG 6.42,10.61 SP K0 DIST. 172.71 PC (563.38 L.Y.)

STF 98: Yellow-orange and 1 delta mag B.  Could be a multiple system: some stars on other side of A making a triangle, 2-3 times fainter. [4 stars in system]
01H 12M 52.98S +32° 04' 31.7" P.A. 249 SEP 19.6 MAG 7.02,8.14 SP A0V+A3IV DIST. 131.58 PC (429.21 L.Y.)

GIC 2: New designation to me... Harry Giclas, Lowell proper motion survey -- the man who hired Burnham!  Faint yellow-orange star with fainter and very wide companion; possible 3rd to make a triangle. [AB seen, 4 stars in system]
00H 09M 15.74S +25° 16' 55.0" P.A. 237 SEP 29.5 MAG 7.77,11.46 SP G0 DIST. 51.41 PC (167.7 L.Y.)

STF 24: Near equal white ~5-6"
00H 18M 30.59S +26° 08' 25.1" P.A. 247 SEP 5 MAG 7.79,8.44 SP A2 DIST. 154.8 PC (504.96 L.Y.)

STF 28: Near equal yellow A, white B, wide.  Could be a 3rd of similar magnitude.  [AB seen; yes on the 3rd, which is FYM 12.]
00H 23M 53.23S +29° 30' 09.1" P.A. 224 SEP 33.2 MAG 8.32,8.55 SP F7V+F8V DIST. 84.6 PC (275.97 L.Y.)

AC 1: wide finder split, yellow orange A.  No close by stars in the eyepiece.  Why the designation? [Not seen; closer split, confirmed physical pair.]
00H 20M 54.10S +32° 58' 40.9" P.A. 288.8 SEP 1.84 MAG 7.27,8.26 SP F5V DIST. 67.93 PC (221.59 L.Y.)

STF 3056: Orange-yellow A with 2 possible pairings. [Did not see 0.7" AB; 7 stars in system]
00H 04M 40.09S +34° 15' 54.7" P.A. 141.7 SEP 0.71 MAG 7.72,8.08 SP G8III DIST. 177.3 PC (578.35 L.Y.)

STF 3050: Nice near equal yellow-white, ~3"
23H 59M 29.33S +33° 43' 26.9" P.A. 340.7 SEP 2.41 MAG 6.46,6.72 SP F8V DIST. 28.93 PC (94.37 L.Y.)

At this point I needed a little break, and moved the scope up to look at the Pleiades.  I used the 13mm Ethos in my 80mm finder, for a nice 3.5 exit pupil and 4.3° field.  The heavy eyepiece is almost more than the finder can take, but the view is so pleasing, sharp, and steady.  I plan to keep the finder on the scope no matter how much counterweight is needed, just to have that view ready wherever I happen to be looking.