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2022-07-04

Condition: E5

Location: Home, Spearfish: 44.49, -103.87

It was interesting to be observing tonight simultaneously while hearing the occasional distant explosion of fireworks. Certainly a change of pace from the normal observing session.

Since moving back into our home, I've been worried about the lack of visible sky in the backyard. The three ash trees with leaves obscure much more of the backyard sky than I anticipated. On a whim, tonight I attempted to setup in the grassy strip that runs between our fence and Angie's fence and had great success. The added benefit is that it runs almost perfectly North/South, so I can polar align. I'll have trouble seeing anything too far north-west or south, but anything directly overhead will be easily seen.

10:10PM

Target: π Boötis

Const: Bootes

RaDec: 14h41m +16°19

Scope: ST80

Setting: 120x, 1/2 stop-down

Double: AB: 110°

Image

Very nice split. Easy to find and clean gap between pairs.

10:30PM

Target: ξ Boötis

Const: Bootes

RaDec: 14h52m +19°00

Scope: ST80

Setting: 150x

Double: AB: 280°

Image

Very faint sibling, could hardly detect it and took a little fiddling with the micro-focus to find it.

Feeling a little more confident with double stars since my struggle with δ Corvi. I was almost deflated when searching for the ξ Boötis sibling. But once I found it, and saw how faint it was I realized that I must be making progress since there was no way I would have "seen" it a few months ago.