Stephenson 1 Star Cluster

Stephenson 1 Star Cluster

Stephenson 1 is a star cluster in the constellation Lyra. It is about 1200 light years from our solar system and more or less centered on Delta 2 Lyrae, which ironically has been found not to be a cluster member. Nearby Delta 1 Lyrae is a 70% probable member. Also...
A Late, Late Spring Galaxy Night

A Late, Late Spring Galaxy Night

Sunday and Monday nights (18 and 19 June 2023), just days before the summer solstice (21 June), were some of the best skies we have had here in months, following rain Saturday night and a temporary respite from Canada wildfire smoke. I had a Sunday evening meeting so...
Venus and the Beehive

Venus and the Beehive

I observed at Lewis Young Park in Louisburg, Kansas Tuesday evening, June 13, 2023 with ASKC friend Bill Barlow, who motivated me to get to a darker site for the first time in months. I had qualms about the sky conditions, but Bill (a retired meteorologist) said it...
Oberwerk 120XL-SD First Light

Oberwerk 120XL-SD First Light

A long anticipated arrival has occurred, and the Oberwerk 120XL-SD binocular telescope has returned to my Team BT, which now includes the full Oberwerk XL line-up (70XL-ED, 82XL-SD, 100XL-SD, 120XL-SD, and 127XL-SD). I evaluated the proto-type 120XL-SD several months...
Binary Bounty in Boötes

Binary Bounty in Boötes

Following up on a conversation about SHY double stars in the Cloudy Nights binocular forum, I decided to observe the double star STTA 122, which includes the “E” component of SHY 247, a comoving stellar companion to what is arguably the most famous of all...