Brief Morning Binocular Session

Date: 20 January 2007 U.T.
Time: 12:25 - 12:35 U.T.
Binoculars: 20x80 (hand-held)
Seeing: Good
NELM: 6.5
Temperature: +15 F (-9 C)

Observations were made of three Messier objects in this brief morning session. The first was the globular cluster, M68. Next was the "Sombrero" galaxy, M104; and the last was a rather nice binocular galaxy, M83. All three objects were also visible with 8x42 binoculars; but the 20x80s showed them much better.

Comet McNaught's tail: At the start of astronomical twilight I scanned my eastern horizon for any hint of this comet's tail in the morning sky -- just in case. No hint of tail was evident with either pair of binoculars. On the other hand, parts of my eastern horizon, particularly in the southeast, are cluttered by trees that obscure as much as six degrees from view.

On the more casual side I took quick looks at a few additional Messier objects and scanned parts of the Milky Way before ending the session. For all practical purposes I stopped observing around the beginning of astronomical twilight.