2018 CalStar second night

The sky was more transparent though seeing remained average.  So I didn't try hard on doubles.  I didn't try hard on much -- my observing has been lackadaisical and undirected, so the number of objects observed are few.  The quality of the observations was not good either.  The Argo/Servo still gave me problems.  I need to set it up at home again and really work out the tracking and the handpad control.  I can't do it at a star party when I should be using the time to observe.

I swept some more with the Springsonian, sharing views with Marko and Bill.  At the end of the night around 2am I looked at comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner after seeing it in Steve's scope -- something the scope is meant to do.  This morning at Chez Dan several people were interested in the scope, so I expect visitors tonight.  And tonight I should really put the hammer down -- don't bother with the Argo, just observe.  I think I'll pick some galaxy cluster and work it hard using the Uranometria charts.

Transparency 3/5 Seeing 6/10

WSI 110 / STF 2725: The Struve was easy, half delta mag and wide.  I was after the super close WSI but had no hope of seeing it.
20H 46M 13.31S +15° 54' 26.4" P.A. 321 SEP 0.1 MAG 7.90,8.90 SP K0

AC 15: Tried this at Steve's suggestion, he was not able to resolve the B star -- I gave it a try too but after many passes at different magnifications I could not see it either -- will need to keep trying. [I found out I was looking at 90 Her, when AC 15 is actually 99 Her.  So I need to try again!]

Poskus 1: ~30 brighter stars in a wide oval shape, some fainter behind, around 1/4 degree.

NGC 7006: Very faint galaxy-like, without star resolution, small.  It is a very densely packed cluster of faint stars, so looks more uniform in surface brightness.  205x; did not try higher magnification to resolve...

NGC 7094: ! Some barest hint of round shell without filter, but only having seen it with averted vision first then can hold direct; central star is hazy without filter.  OIII shows it best, brightens the nebula considerably.  The edge is crisp and there is some brightening along the west and south rim.  Somewhat irregularly bright middle.

NGC 7101: Very faint, need averted vision to notice.  Quasi-stellar nucleus, low surface brightness halo with diffuse edge, round.  [C v13.5]

MCG+01-55-005: Edge on 6:1 NNE-SSW but some gentle incline; very faint halo, moderately large.  Stellar nucleus flashing with averted vision.  In spite of its faintness I have a strong sense of spiral structure.  [b14.9]

BU 75: Yellow white and faint blue, well split [Saw AB,C.  AB is 1.1" equal mag.]
21H 55M 31.42S +10° 52' 49.5" P.A. 211 SEP 35.3 MAG 7.72,12.50 SP G5

MLB 282: Did not see -- may not have been looking at the correct star.  It should be near equal triple with 4" separation.

NGC 14 = Arp 235: 333x.  Fairly large, fairly faint, diffuse halo gradually brighter core, non-stellar knot on the west side of the core with what seems to be a spiral arm separated from the knot like a parenthesis also to the west.  Strong appearance of spiral, or at least mottling; core orientated N-S.  [v12.1, IBm]

NGC 7814: Large, bright oval / bulging central core, uneven surface brightness, mottled wide extended halo with diffuse edges.  NW-SE.  333x  [The mottling may have been hints of the dramatic dust lane.]

Arp 130: 205x  Two quasi-stellar nuclei share a round small faint halo.

UGC 148: Small, elongated, very faint, nebulous.  Just barely stellar nucleus, barely brighter core offset to the south, elongated 6:1 E-W, long diffuse tips.  Very pretty.    [SAc b14.0]

IC 4: Small, fairly faint, quasi-stellar nucleus, gradually brighter core N-S, round halo.  [In fact a pretty barred spiral.]

NGC 57: Moderately large, stellar nucleus, bright round core, faint round diffuse halo.  [E1, v11.6]

NGC 100: Beautiful.  Very faint edge-on, lengthens and brightens with averted vision, very long, NE-SW.  Quite a sight.  Some mottling in the core area suggesting spiral or dust lanes.

UGC 1154: Very faint, very small, round, stellar nucleus.  [b14.4, S].

NGC 661: Small, bright, intense oval core NE-SW, diffuse thin halo. [E2, v12.2]

MCG+5+5-11: Averted vision only, small, even surface brightness, N-S elongation.

NGC 670: 4:1 N-S, edge on, bright bulging core and fading tips.  [S0, v12.7]

NGC 672 [SBc v10.9] & IC 1727 [v11.5 SB]: Dramatic pair of large fairly bright spiral galaxies.  NGC 672 is brighter, with a prominent bright core and a large diffuse halo 3:1 NE-SW; the SW halo is brighter and larger (the near-side spiral arm) and is peppered with five faint knots.  IC 1727 is fainter, and more chaotic in appearance: bright but small elongated core NW-SE, with a large faint sweeping halo giving strong impression of spiral structure.  William Herschel discovered NGC 672; how could he miss IC 1727?  Other than the IC's fainter surface brightness, he should have been able to see it.  205x & 333x.

NGC 684: Stellar nucleus, bright small core, elongated 4:1 E-W.  333x [v12.4, Sb]

IC 1737: 3:1 Gradually brighter to the middle, diffuse edges, near the "Putter Cluster" XXXXX
-- Check atlas, wrong designation?

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner: 10-inch Springsonian, 37x: Bright coma and a lot going on (mottling) in the coma and tail.  Long wide tail and a stubby anti-tail.  Comet filter dims the main tail but livens up the coma.  Steve's 24-inch showed streamers radiating from the coma into the main tail, which appeared larger and with a larger/longer antitail.  Prominently green color.