Observations

Date: 1/4/09

Time: 8:25-8:55

Location: Venice, Fl

Conditions: partly cloudy

Instruments: Celestron 10 X 50 binoculars

Observations:

Moon: has not risen yet

Orion: about 25-30 degrees high in the SE, can see Betelgeuse, Rigel, Bellatrix, Saiph, three stars of the belt, and the sword. When using binoculars, the Great Orion Nebula could easily be seen. Orion was surrounded by lots of stars that were visible with the binoculars, but not the naked eye.

Sirius: about 12.5 degrees high in the South East, brightest star that can be seen, appears blue, was twinkling a lot.

Procyon: about 12.5 degrees high in the East.

Gemini: Pollux and Castor very easy to see, the other stars of the constellation were difficult to see. Pollux- 15 degrees high in East. Castor: 17.5 degrees high in the East.

Cassiopeia: WorM asterism high overhead in the North

Polaris: about 27 degrees in the North
Deneb: about 17.5 degrees in North West

Square of Pegasus: in the West, spans from 20-30 degrees high

Pleiades: very blue and bright, almost straight up, in the East.

Mars: about 6 degrees high in the East, very red

Algol: straight overhead in the constellation Perseus, the hero.

looked for Mira high in the SSW, but it was not found