It was clear enough to go outside last night. Though there were some high thin clouds, viewing was surprisingly good. I used my 15x70 binoculars with mirror mount, and I hit several winter sky highlights.
First up was M42 the Orion Nebula; I could clearly see the Fish's Mouth and hints of the larger circular nebulosity. The whole of the sword was visible in one FOV. Also panned around the belt, with the nice wandering of stars around Delta Orionis. There's a noticeable cut-off of stars north of the belt, which I know is due to nebulosity but of course can't see that. M45 looked great, high in the sky. I panned around a little and was able to find M38 & M36 in the same field -- M38 tight and bright, and M36 diffuse. M37 was a little more difficult and was a greyish diffuse patch, with a distinct red star beyond the outer edge. I found M35 after some panning -- it was pretty large and a ragged spray of stars. I panned from one to the next. Then I dipped down to Sirius, and M41, and then finally the very large open cluster around Eta CMa, which had a nice arc of bright stars.
I then changed my seat at the picnic table and swept up M31 -- the bright hazy core and, fleetingly with averted vision, the extensions of its arms, which I at least imagined stretching to most of the FOV. Then the double cluster, and Stock 2, and Stock 1 -- which fit in the FOV with loops of stars like a ribbon dancer.
I had been craving a night out to look at stars; it made me happy and calm to be able to get out.
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