Observations

Date: 1/5/09

Location: Venice, Fl

Time: 8:00-8:30

Conditions: some clouds low in sky, none higher up

Observations:

Constellations:

Orion: 25 degrees high ESE

Casseiopeia: high in the N, WorM asterism appears as an M when looking to the north

Pegasus: Great Square of Pegasus easily visible in the W

Gemini: about 20 degrees high in the East, Pollux and Castor very bright

Planets:

Jupiter: about 10 degrees high in the SW, very bright

looked for Mars, but it was too low to be seen

Stars:

Sirius: very bright about 15 degrees in ESE, blue appearance

Fomalhaut: in the SW about 15 high, did not appear as bright as it did at other times, (E.g. Fomalhaut seemed brighter in November)

Deneb: 15 high in the NW

Polaris: around 25 degrees in the N, not very bright, was almost directly above another bright star by about 15 degrees with very few, faint stars in between

found the two bottom stars of the Little Dipper asterism of Ursa Minor by using Polaris as a guide.