Lyra, the Harp


Make a survey of the very rich area of the sky composed of Cygnus, Lyra, Vulpecula, and Sagitta.. Here, in a relatively compact region, are a wealth of objects to keep observers busy on an autumn night. Scanning this region with binoculars is a pure joy, with field after field of star clusters and groupings everywhere you look. The listing of objects presented on each page are just a few of the splendors waiting for you to observe.
M-57 - The Ring Nebula. This one of my favorite objects, and was the first object I looked at through my first telescope, bypassing even Saturn. The ring shape is evident even at low powers, and holds up well to magnification. This showpiece object is bright enough to be seen even in severely light polluted areas.
M-56. This is a relatively bright globular cluster, about 5' in diameter, concentrated in the center, and faintly resolved across its face. It is visible in binoculars as a small, unresolved fuzzy spot.
Delta Lyrae. This double star is wide and easy to split, and shows a pretty orange and blue-white pair.
ADS 11834. If you look at the Ring Nebula, give this pretty double star a glance. It is just north of the Ring, and is easily seen in the finder. It is easily split and presents a wonderful orange and blue contrast.
Epsilon Lyrae. The famous "double-bouble" is easily split into two components, but needs a steady night to further split these two into four. A very nice sight.

Article © Copyright Rick Raasch
Used with Permission from
Am. Assoc. of Amateur Astronomers
http://corvus.com

Whitney Summer Star Party
August 18th at Lake Whitney State Park


Events:
Mirror grinding at 12:00 noon.  Bring your own, watch or help grind a 14.5" blank for a telescope that will  be used at the state park for public star parties; Free null testing...first come, first serve!  We will have a mirror set up in a null tester for everyone to view; Video: "Star Hustler" at 3:00 pm; Video: "Understanding The Universe"; Three 45 min lectures: Milky Way, Other Galaxies and Clusters of Galaxies, Dark Matter. at, 5:15 pm , 6:15 pm , 7:15 pm; CTAS Star B-Q ( time is tentative ); Awards for Home built scopes. 8:00 PM; Slide Show: "The Sky Down Under" at 8:30 pm; Door Prize drawing: starts at 9:15 pm; Slide show: "Summer Objects at 9:30; Outside Sky Tour: at 10:00 pm; Observing Awards: receive a Whitney Summer Star Party Observing Certificate sponsored by the American Association Of Amateur Astronomers; Plaque - Elite Honors for Best All Around Scope; Ribbons: Largest, Smallest, Barn Door Mount, Binocular Mount, Nostalgic, Hand ground mirror over 12", Hand ground mirror 12" and under, Equatorial mount, Dob scope ( non truss ), Dob scope ( truss ), Modified factory scope ( must be home built).

http://www.digitex.net/lakewhitneystatepark/

Clear Skies!
Thomas Williamson