THE TEXAS STAR PARTY 2016 TELESCOPE OBSERVING CLUB

BY TED SAKER

COLUMBUS ASTRONOICAL SOCIETY

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Welcome to the Texas Star Party's Telescope Observing Club. The purpose of this club is not to test your observing skills by throwing the toughest objects at you that are hard to see under any conditions, but to give you an opportunity to observe 20 showcase objects under the ideal conditions of these pristine West Texas skies, thus displaying them to their best advantage. The regular observing program is “Spiralmania”, 22 of Ted Saker’s favorite spiral galaxies. All you need to do is observe 20 of the 22 available to get your pin, but if you are using a smaller scope and have a little trouble with some of the objects, just mark it as “tried” and move on, and you will get credit for the object. We are also bringing back “In Living Color” from 2015. This is a list of 30 objects. Only 25 objects need be observed.

That's it. Any size telescope can be used. All observations must be made at the Texas Star Party to qualify. All objects are within range of small (6”) to medium sized (10”) telescopes, and are available for observation between 9:00PM and 5:00AM any time during the TSP. Each person completing this list will receive an official Texas Star Party Telescope Observing Club lapel pin. These pins are not sold at the TSP and can only be acquired by completing the program, so wear them proudly.

To receive your pin, turn in your observations to John Wagoner - TSP Observing Chairman any time during the Texas Star Party. I will be at the outside door leading into the TSP Meeting Hall each day between 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM. If you finish the list the last night of TSP, or I am not available to give you your pin, just mail your observations to me at 1409 Sequoia Dr., Plano, Tx. 75023, and I will see that you get a pin.

Good luck and good observing. Now, let's get out there and observe!!!

P.S. If you would like to see some of your favorite objects on a future TSP program, or have any ideas for a new program, let me know during TSP or email me at [email protected]

For those of you who missed previous TSP’s, pins for the following programs are still available: 2012 – 2012 - 2011 – Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! 2010 – About Face, 2009 – Texas Star Party 5X5 2007 - Be A Sap (Shapley-Ames Person) 2006 – Eye in the Sky --- 2004 – Starlight, Starbright 2003 - The Great Celestial A.R.C. (Asterisms, Radio sources, & Clusters)

You can download these observing programs and others from the TSP website: www.texasstarparty.org.

Pins for other programs may be available. Be sure to ask me so that I can verify it for you. ‘SPIRALMANIA’

Object Type R.A. Dec Con Size Mag Date Time IC 342 Gal 03 47 +68 06 Cam 20’ 9.6 NGC 2403 Gal 07 37 +65 36 Cam 20’X10’ 8.8 NGC 2683 Gal 08 53 +33 25 Lyn 9X3 10.0 NGC 2841 Gal 09 22 +50 59 UMa 8X4 10.0 M 81 Gal 09 56 +69 04 UMa 22X11 7.8 NGC 3521 Gal 11 06 -00 03 Leo 10X5 9.9 M 66 Gal 11 20 +13 OO Leo 9x4 9.7 NGC 3628 Gal 11 20 +13 35 Leo 12X3 10.0 M 106 Gal 12 19 +47 18 CVn 17x6 9,1 M 100 Gal 12 22 +15 49 Com 8x7 10.0 NGC 4490 Gal 12 31 +41 39 CVn 6X2 9.8

M 104 Gal 12 40 -11 37 Vir 9X6 9.1 NGC 4631 Gal 12 42 +32 33 CVn 13X2 9.5 NGC 4656 Gal 12 44 +32 10 CVn 9X1 9.7 NGC 4725 Gal 12 50 +25 30 Com 10X7 9.9 M 94 Gal 12 51 +41 07 CVn 10X9 8.7 M 64 Gal 12 57 +21 41 Com 10X5 9.3 M 63 Gal 13 16 +42 02 CVn 12X7 9.7 M 51 Gal 13 30 +47 12 CVn 10X8 8.7 M 83 Gal 13 37 -29 52 Hya 14X13 7.8 M 101 Gal 14 03 +54 21 UMa 22X21 8.4 NGC 6946 Gal 20 35 +60 09 Cyg 11X10 9.8

“In Living Color”

Object Type R.A. Dec Con Size Mag Date Time

BowTie Nebula - NGC 40 PlNeb 00 14 +72 36 Cep 36”

11 Camelopardalis Double 05 07 +58 59 Cam 179”

IC 2149 PlNeb 05 58 +46 06 Aur 12”

Eskimo Nebula - NGC 2392 PlNeb 07 30 +20 53 Gem 42”

Albireo - β1 Cygni Double 07 53 +19 31 Cyg 35”

τ1 Hydrae Double 09 30 -02 50 Hya 68”

Ghost of Jupiter - NGC 3242 PlNeb 10 26 -18 43 Hya 36”

V Hydrae Carbon 10 52 -21 19 Hya

SS Virginis Carbon 12 26 +00 41 Vir

Baby Eskimo - IC 3568 PlNeb 12 33 +82 29 Cam 18”

24 Comae Berenices Double 12 36 +18 18 Com 20”

La Superba - Y CVn Carbon 12 46 +45 21 CVn

Izar - ε Bootis Double 14 45 +27 00 Boo 3”

Antares - α Scorpii Double 16 30 -26 28 Sco 2.6”

Turtle Nebula - NGC 6210 PlNeb 16 45 +23 46 Her 12”

α Herculis Double 17 15 +14 23 Her 5”

Cat's Eye Nebula - NGC 6543 PlNeb 17 59 +66 38 Dra 18”

95 Herculis Double 18 02 +21 36 Her 7”

Blue Racquetball - NGC 6572 PlNeb 18 13 +06 52 Oph 12”

T Lyrae Carbon 18 33 +37 01 Lyr

Ring Nebula - Messier 57 PlNeb 18 54 +33 03 Lyr 66”

V Aquilae Carbon 19 05 -05 40 Aql

Little Gem - NGC 6818 PlNeb 19 45 -14 07 Sgr 12” Blinking Planetary - NGC 6826 PlNeb 19 45 +50 34 Cyg 126”

ο1 Cygni Triple 20 14 +46 47 Cyg 331”

γ2 Delphini Double 20 47 +16 11 Del 9”

Saturn Nebula - NGC 7009 PlNeb 21 05 -11 18 Aqr 24”

Green Rectangle - NGC 7027 PlNeb 21 08 +42 18 Cyg 12”

Garnet Star - μ Cephei Star 21 44 +58 51 Cep

Blue Snowball - NGC 7662 PlNeb 23 27 +42 37 And 30”