Name:Achird          

 
San Jose 2005-1-11  21h35m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm plossl - 146x
limiting mag 3.8-4.0, seeing 7/10
Great color - primary yellow, secondary very red.
Not as crisp tonight as the 100x view I had at MB back in summer.
All my previous D* observations have been near the ecliptic 
looking east - so figuring PA on this really threw me a curve, got it
totally wrong (17). Easy enough to figure north, but my previous mental
calculations somehow involved the scope position, my sense of north, tilt of diagonal...
I need to just look at the view, note north and stick to that.
Another tetrahedron asterism around this double. Moments of seeing
as good as 8/10, but transparency failing a bit and dew getting on finder.
First use of the Stellarvue RDF - man what a breeze, smack on target.

Shingletown 2005-7-7   2h08m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

Yellow/yellow
PA 265
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Yellow twins
Also elongated in 80mm Nighthawk @17mm 28x 
LM rising 5.5 
Seeing 5-6/10

Shingletown 2005-7-7   2h13m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

Bright blue twins, tourmaline
Blue/blue
PA 110
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
LM rising 5.5 
Seeing 5-6/10

Montebello 2005-2-2  20h20m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9
Seeing variable 4-8/10
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 58x (25mm)
blue/blue
estimated pa at 60

Name:Mesarthim       

DI:13.08
 
Montebello 2005-2-2  20h01m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9
Seeing variable 4-8/10
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
blue/blue identical pair like headlights
PA is 0, or I guess the convention is to go north star first,
so then it would be 180

Montebello 2005-2-2  20h33m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9
Seeing variable 4-8/10
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 58x (25mm)
Yellow/red wide pair
pa 45 

Name:Al Rischa       

DI:81.76
 
Montebello 2005-2-2  21h12m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9
Seeing variable 7-8/10
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 304x
Yellow/red - more blobbage, elongated blob
Thought B star was primary.
pa 80 

30 Jan Coyote Lake
7:00 to 10:30
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7
LM 5.9 at best per Bob J.
100x Yellow/red and blue/green, great color!

DI:63.23
 
Montebello 2005-2-2  20h40m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9
Seeing variable 4-8/10
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
white/white  small fuzzy
pa 75

Name:Polaris         
 
San Jose 2005-1-11  21h26m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm plossl - 146x
limiting mag 3.8-4.0, seeing 7/10
A real bear getting polaris in the FOV on EQ mount - had to kick the legs around
- crude! No idea where north is from here - in FOV with zenith up, secondary at
about 88 degrees clockwise. Whopping difference in magnitude makes B star look
really tiny, but easy to see as the sep is pretty big.

DI:98.25
 
Montebello 2005-2-2  20h55m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9
Seeing variable 7-8/10
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 304x
Seeing a bit off, distinct double but not a real separation
Bright glare and colored diffraction rings, couldn't get
a real color sense on primary - secondary a red blob
Didn't check north - pa around 270?

30 Jan Coyote Lake
7:00 to 10:30
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7
LM 5.9 at best per Bob J.
10mm 53x really pretty, very red primary, blue pinpoint secondary

30 Jan Coyote Lake
7:00 to 10:30
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7
LM 5.9 at best per Bob J.
53x another pretty colorful pair, yellow and very blue
Really look like they belong to same system
Getting hang of divining north

San Jose 2005-1-4  19h54m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4.2, seeing 6/10
easy to split @ 100x, estimated PA 340
A gold B blue
A 4 times the size of B
figure 8 w @ 28x
vv faint * to north @100x

San Jose 2004-12-15  20h40m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
Seeing nasty, fresnel not, 4 or 5 on a 10 scale
primary star white
mag 7+ star just grey and fuzzy
guessed PA as 20

30 Jan Coyote Lake
7:00 to 10:30
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7
LM 5.9 at best per Bob J.
100x Close like beans, pale yellow and indigo
had to fish a bit @ 28x to find it
Bob sez he always uses binocs, then finder which 
matches typical chart magnitude. All I have is an RDF

DI:11.97
 
San Jose 2005-1-4  19h54m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
17mm 28x, 4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4.0, seeing 6/10
Nice close matched pair split @ 28x but faint
@ 100x the colors come out, very rich yellow and blue
est. PA 320, close to same mag but enough difference to make out the A star
Nicely different from other double tonight.
V. cold and dew all over now.

Name:Rigel           
 
San Jose 2004-12-19  22h45m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4+, seeing 6/10
Finally split after several nights
big bright yellow primary with little companion maybe 1.5 diameters away
pa about 200, started using sketch pad marked with 45 deg. ticks 

---
San Jose 2005-1-3  22h10m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm plossl - 146x
4.8mm Nagler - 304x 
limiting mag 3.9-4.2, seeing 6/10
Breezy with the bigger scope, primary v. bright and just slighlty gold
bright diffraction rings, B star just outside @ 146x
304x B star widely separated and clear silver/white

San Jose 2004-12-15  20h53m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4  
tight pair, split fine, sliver of dark between, transp poor
no diffraction rings tonight, seeing 5/10
rough estimated PA at 180 or so

Name:Mintaka

San Jose 2004-12-16  19h30m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4, seeing 6
Bright white star with a small blue companion about 10 diameters of A away
due north - estimated PA as 0

San Jose 2004-12-16  20h40m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
See notes for Iota Orionis, same date/time

11 Dec 2004
Henry Coe State Park - Potluck
9:15
Seeing 7, Trans 6, 4 to 20d above horizon
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
4.8mm Nagler nagler
Double in Orions head - one twice the size of the other, v. close
but easy to split with black sep. at 100x,
diffraction rings overlap

---
San Jose 2004-12-15  21h39m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
hard to split this time, poor night
est PA as 45
both seem blue, perhaps influenced by earlier night good view
limiting mag 4 
poor night seeing 4/10 trans 3/10
mag 11 limiting mag in scope w/ 4.8mm Nagler

Name:Trapezium

Calstar Sept. 2004
First look at Orion in a scope, 4" f/15
Ok, I must have seen 50 or 100 photos of this, but I had never seen it in a
scope before, and when the clouds were not completely blocking it from view it
was amazing! Half of the field of view just glowed right to the edge and beyond,
amazingly bright and full of swirls and rivers, the other half of the view jet
black with just a few tiny points of stars here and there. The semi-circle of
bright stars at the center almost looked like ball bearings, they seemed so
perfect and round, perhaps the surrounding nebulosity helped conceal some lack
of contrast. This was a stunner, I'll be back.
---

San Jose 2004-12-16  20h10m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
17mm 28x, 4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4, seeing 5/10
Even on a bad night this group looks good
lopsided kite shape or crescent of 4 stars just above an
inlet in the bright nebulosity, not very much nebula visible tonight
Usually can split this group even at low power, tonight just barely made it a
multiple at 28x
No sign of E,F

Name:Nair al Saif

San Jose 2004-12-16  20h40m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4, seeing 6/10
pretty area at point of orion's sword, I think of this as the 
jewel box of the n. hemisphere. Iota is a nice double with big
and small components up and down (nw to se). Struve 747 is a horizontal pair
(ne to sw) of similar mag. Stars above and below a line between
iota and struve make an orthodox cross asterism.
There's supposed to be some nebulosity around Iota, NGC 1980, but I don't see it
directly, but perhaps sense it.

San Jose 2004-12-16  20h10m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
17mm 28x, 4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4, seeing 5/10
Bright double of similar mag in nebulous bulge below trapezium, looks like a
triple to me as a third star of slightly lesser mag almost in a straight line 
with other two bearing east.
(later - STFA 16 ABC is triple)

San Jose 2004-12-16  20h05m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4, seeing 6
Really pretty group of multiples, two groups of 3 stars each
Main group to SE a blue-white main component with a pair of like sized
companions. Second group to NW, close pair of mag 8 with a third mag 8
to north. PA of main brightest pair about 90.

---
21 Jan, Montebello
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Moon 3rd Q
Another companion seen making main triple a quad.
>My OR on calastro: Sigma Orionis was examined by all (a kinda swanky
>double/triple/asterism thing).
DDK notes: 
'Very swanky. Those 5 we see really are in the same system, and the A
and E stars have spectroscopic companions, so it's a septuple star.
Just imagining the orbital dynamics makes the head spin. Burnham has
a vivid description of sigma Ori, p. 1310. He describes it as a "vast
physical system. The true separation between A and E is at least
20,000 AU, or about a third of a light year!" World without end.'

Name:Alnitak

San Jose 2004-12-16  19h45m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4, seeing 5/10
Couldn't split - but elongated yellow-white star with a red bulge to south
mag 10 star to north, too far to be 3rd companion which I could't see

---
San Jose 16 Jan 05
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
4.8mm Nagler 304x
Very poor trans but seeing 7 
More of a blob and C star visible
AB clean split but exaggerated diff ring due to poor transp
B star in it, looks red and 'behind', after some time looking at it
finally resolved into 2 fat disks, made a second sketch.

---
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  21h01m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Clean tadpole split tonight.

San Jose 2005-1-4  19h54m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
17mm 28x, 4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4.2, seeing 7/10
A star yellow, B looks lavender/purple to me (cat. says red)
PA 350
in a sort of tetrahedron asterism w/ east-west baseline
AB about a 1/4 brightness ratio
color is better in 17mm @ 28x

San Jose 2004-12-19  22h00m-22:30  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x, barlowed 200x, barlowed in diag 233x more or less
limiting mag 4+, seeing 6/10
Couldn't get a certainty on the B star, at best some red glow in the wrong place
and odd looking diffraction rings, but not exactly elongated.
Checked the 33 web site - they give this one a 95 difficulty and nobody
logs a really clean split even with some pretty hefty scopes

---
San Jose 2005-1-3  22h30m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm plossl - 146x
4.8mm Nagler - 304x 
limiting mag 3.9-4.2, seeing 7-8/10
First light for Bruno with the new diagonal adapter and baffle placement, and
first double star. Trying to split this one was what made me get the work done.

A break in the week old cloudy weather, just for an hour or so, and just after I
had done a lot of work on the old scope adapting it to use a diagonal and modern
EP's - doesn't have the finder back on it yet... Grabbed the opportunity - Auriga
was approaching zenith where the  hole in the clouds was. Took a while to get
the star in the FOV, had to back off to a 25mm EP to find it, and then try to
keep the the scope steady while changing to a 10mm plossl and the nagler. The
SVP mount has a lot of backlash and the scope is right at the weight limit (20 lbs)
so a bump can throw it out a degree or so, and it wiggles like jello when
touched. Never mind all that - I got the star in there, at 146x it had a nice, 
just slightly turbulent single diffraction ring and blue-white disk. I *thought* I
saw the companion at about PA 300 just in a moment where the diffraction rings
went wobbly. Went to the nagler and a small cloud formed which I noticed after a
few minutes of looking at a suspiciously dim orange star where it was bright
just a moment before. After a minute of cursing I went and looked at Saturn
(nice but scope too wiggly to focus properly), M42 (couldn't see it, my deck has
a beam that is right between mount and the celestial equator) and Rigel (ack,
blinding in the bigger scope but a mile of separation). So then the cloud passes
and all is clear - my quarry is right at zenith and I'm propped on one elbow
lying on the deck, get it centered, focused and there it is, clear as anything,
a tiny white B star in the very faint second diffraction ring. A mag 10 star just to
the north about 2' and a couple of mag 11 stars to the south about 3' Estimated
PA at the eyepiece as 330, looks more like 310 once sketched. The first diffraction
ring is so much brighter than the B star, with anything less than very good seeing
it's no wonder I couldn't make it out before. Happy camper.

---
12 Jan 2005 Montebello
In another observers C8 @ 240x - still difficult to view - not hard for the scope,
but B star is in glare

San Jose 2004-12-16  20h55m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4, seeing 6/10
Kinda hard to locate without many nearby bright stars
Easy split, blue A component and a grey small B component
PA about 30

DI:20.89
 
San Jose 2005-1-4  19h54m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
17mm 28x, 4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4.2, seeing 7/10
very cool triple, all yellow
@ 28x looks like a pair of same magnitude
@ 100x B star is another pair, identical mag, very close but with clean separation
BC looks like a pair of beans hugging as the dark line between makes them look oval
AB estimated PA 145, BC 110

30 Jan Coyote Lake
7:00 to 10:30
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7
LM 5.9 at best per Bob J.
100x Blue and yellow

Name:Adhara          

21 Jan Montebello
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
3Q moon
Not a hint of a double - angst, self abasement 
and raspberry sounds.

---
30 Jan Coyote Lake
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7 LM 5.9
Pretty horrible seeing, not a hint, made a sketch anyhow

---
San Jose 2005-1-31  
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor on the deck
15,000 times more luminous than the Sun says the literature. 
I've tried to split this before without any luck, seeing problems.
I set up on my deck which has a good view of the path this star will 
travel until about midnight, when it hits a tree. I'm determined, 7" separation 
can't be that hard.
7:34 Seeing between 1 and 2 on the pickering scale, looks like a cheap 60s 
light show.
8:27 Mostly colorless now, seeing is 3 or 4, I look on the web for reports 
about this star, one fellow says it splits at 100x but not at 150, so I go to 100x.
9:09 seeing is now just barely at 5 (Airy disk always visible. Arcs frequently seen)
While searching web I note that according to Astronomy mag, my previous nemesis 
theta aurigae is listed as a double for larger than 10" scopes (I did it with a 4", yay for me). 
The one I am after tonight is listed as an object for 10" scopes. Hmmm.
10:15 seeing is back to 4 despite star now being close to maximum elevation. I give up.

---
San Jose 2005-2-1  
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor on the deck
Another 3 hours, averted imafunarion <- typing in the dark

---
Montebello 2005-2-2  22h15m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9
Seeing variable 7-9/10
First in Bob Jardines 10" CPT reflector @ 220x 7mm nagler type 6
Then with 100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 208x w/ 7mm nagler (no go with my 10mm or 4.8mm Nagler)
Yay!! Finally got this beastie. Very dim but very clear in the dob.
Then even more dim and only momentary in the diffr. rings in Bruno using Bobs EP.
Est. PA 160

Name:Wasat

San Jose 2004-12-15  22h12m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
Finally a break in the transp allowed this to split
large yellow star with a grey pinprick
poor night seeing 4/10 trans 3/10
mag 11 limiting mag in scope w/ 4.8mm Nagler

30 Jan Coyote Lake
7:00 to 10:30
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7
LM 5.9 at best per Bob J.
100x another blue and yellow

Name:Castor
San Jose 2004-12-15  21h14m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
 
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
so close and transp so bad almost not splittable
color unknown due to transp, dew coma, astigmatic scope :P
A-B PA estimated at 90, 171 given in ALDB list must be AB-C
2 mag 10 stars nearby makes a hockey stick shape with dbl at business end
closer mag 10 C said to be a third orbiting companion
limiting mag 4 at best, 11 in scope
seeing - not! 5/10
freezing

San Jose 2004-12-18  23h51m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
4.8mm Nagler 100x
limiting mag 4, seeing 6/10
Nice double of close to same mag and color.
Estimated PA at 350 but guess I don't count too well. The sketch shows it closer to
the actual PA of 315.

DI:38.33
 
San Jose 2005-1-16  20h27m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm plossl - 146x
Limiting mag 3.6 - misty + moon
See 7 at times.
Looks like pretty colors, transp pretty bad, dew on and off
so contrast on and off, and color certainty not, but noted
orange and blue. RDF came off scope, lucky to find this one.
Estimated PA 100.

30 Jan Coyote Lake
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7 LM 5.9 
100x 
Not sure if I was looking at it or not, didn't look like a double to me.

---
Montebello 2005-2-2  21h35m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9
Seeing variable 7-8/10
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm  146x
yellow/blue
looked like pa at about 200 - doesn't jive with catalog pa, could be I was mixed up.
The colors, separation and magnitudes seem correct. Nothing else nearby.

DI:93.91

30 Jan Coyote Lake
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
Seeing 6-7 LM 5.9 
4.8mm 100x 
Elusive, I thought my chart for this and Iota Cancri was messed up.
Didn't know I was looking for a wide difference in magnitude.
Need to go back and try with something bigger.

San Jose 2005-2-1  21h42m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Seeing 4/10
Limiting Mag 4.2
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
12.5mm 117x
Sep 1/6 fov @ 117x - up and down 50d from north
big yellow maybe and faint fuzzy B star

Name:Algieba         

DI:58.75
 
San Jose 2005-1-31  22h31m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
seeing 4-6
Limiting mag 4.2
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
12.5mm 117x
A night of terrible seeing, got a fuzzy look at this pair before quitting.
Sometimes split and sometimes like a lightbulb.

San Jose 2005-2-1  21h42m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Seeing 4/10
Limiting Mag 4.4
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
12.5mm 117x 
Soft seeing
Hula tadpole

DI:11.97
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  22h00m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
17mm 85x 
Very close to equal magnitude. Both yellow-white.
Est. PA 210 
Spent a while just sorting out Hydra in the sky, CDC charts rule!

Name:Algorah         
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  21h55m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
17mm 85x 
Both blue-white. Estimated PA 220, then 215 on second thought.
Good because actual is 214
 

Henry Coe 2005-3-11  21h31m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x (also nice @ 58x)
Neither close nor distant. Yellow and blue/white.
They look 'related', fraternal somehow.
Estimated PA 280

Name:Porrima         

DI:44.30 <- wrong!! Actual sep is now ~ 0.7"
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  21h43m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x 
Nice field of view, otherwise, yeah right, 0.7" separation.
I don't think so! Made sketch anyhow. Was hoping for a peek in
neighbors 18" dob, forgot to ask.

---
San Jose 2005-5-28  22h00m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 6
Limiting mag 3.5?
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x, barlowed 400x
Seeing not supporting the magnification. Blobby and jumping around.
Had to look since it's about the closest separation it will get, something
like 0.3" now.

---
I had about a dozen good looks at Porrima, you know, just in case I 
suddenly got super-vision or something. One night with particularly bad
seeing it was elongated. Ha ha.

San Jose 2005-3-8  21h45m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Seeing 6-7 on pickering.
(Note Saturn rock steady at times for periods approaching a second)
Limiting Mag 4.1
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
Without a finder and so close to the pole, had to nudge and pan
and wiggle to find this one, luckily it's the only bright thing
within a few degrees. Guestimated starting point using Polaris and
Beta UMi, the only naked eye visible stars around. Pair seemd about 
1 mag in difference to me, surprising it's only 1/2 mag.
Yellow primary and a white B star. Hey, it is white. My color 
skills are getting better.
PA 315
After looking at Saturn a bit, and Jupiter, dew was coming on strong.

Name:Cor Caroli      
 
San Jose 2005-3-8  21h12m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Seeing 6 on pickering.
Limiting Mag 4.1 - Alpha only visible star in Canes Venatici
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
RDF fell off again :( had to sight down the tube.
Nice pair, pale yellow primary, orange-red secondary.
PA 230

Name:Mizar           

San Jose 2005-3-8  20h40m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Seeing 6 on pickering scale, nice break from last backyard conditions.
Limiting Mag 4.1
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
First night out in a long time, really sweet to see stars again
after so much cloud, moon and travel. 
Took my time and got good PA estimates.
Primary on the blue/green side of white. B&C on the orange side.
B&C stars like twins, identical, the color of the B star somewhat
washed out by the proximity of A, to my eyes anyhow. Catalog (Tycho)
says B & C are the same color.
A-B PA 155, AB-C 68

Montebello 2005-3-9  22h08m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
38x, 100x 
Seeing 7-8
Limiting Mag 4.2 Wispy Cirrus clouds above and skyglow in the north.
At 38x in the same field with Iota, Yellow primary and bluish B.
A pretty view at low power.
Estimated PA 245

Montebello 2005-3-9  22h17m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
38x, 100x 
Seeing 8
Limiting Mag 4.2
Yellow-white primary, B too faint to call, white?
Very steady seeing now, but skyglow pretty bad to north of
Montebello.
Est. PA 40

DI:46.68
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  23h11m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8
Limiting mag 5.8
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
Another tight pair. 
Est. PA 130 but drew 110 (108 actual) who knows?
This pair both blue.

Name:Izar            

DI:89.06
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  22h46m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
Clean and very close, both stars with nice diffraction disks.
Primary yellow-white, B star grey-white.
PA 355

Name:Zuben El Genu   
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  23h18m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8-9 Really steady.
Limiting mag 5.8
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
Yellow pair with wide separation.
Est. PA 325
A great night, warm and dry, above the fog, dark and quiet.
Lot's of folks doing the MM around me. Peanut M&Ms for me.

DI:49.88
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  22h58m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8
Limiting mag 5.8
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
Very tight, sweet looking pair.
Yellow and white,
PA 330 
Getting darker as fog over Morgan Hill.

Name:Alrakis         
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  22h36m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
Wide yellow/blue. Primary suspiciously elongated, but 
later check says no.
PA 88

Henry Coe 2005-3-11  22h27m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
17mm 85x, 10mm 146x
At first with 17mm 85x, hey, it's triple!
@ 146x splits the BC cleanly, pretty view.
AB PA 175, BC 10, all white.

DI:57.14
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  23h29m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 9 Amazing.
Rock steady diffraction disks.
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
V. tight white/yellow pair.
PA looks smack on 180

DI:40.48
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  22h11m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
17mm 85x 
Kinda dim pair. Couldn't decide which was the A star so
PA est was 97/277 (off by 25! 307) 
Both white stars. Corona is a nice little spot.

DI:52.76
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  24h00m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7 
Limiting mag 5.4
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
In same FOV with Struve 1999. 2 very different looking doubles at once
Xi is yellow and orange at PA 45.

Henry Coe 2005-3-11  24h00m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7 
Limiting mag 5.2
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm 146x
In same FOV with Xi Scorpii.
1999 is a fainter white/white pair @ PA 105

Name:Graffias        
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   0h21m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 5-6 
Limiting mag 4.5
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Seeing and transparency not great close to the horizon, but
I haven't seen Scorpio since summer, gotta do it!
Bright blue and orange pair, Estimated PA 10

Henry Coe 2005-3-11  23h35m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 9 
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Possibly the most uninteresting double :)
I made a face on the sketch :|
But, a beautiful night to see it.
Both yellow, PA 10

Henry Coe 2005-3-12   0h26m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 5 
Limiting mag 4.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
I was warned in advance to look for a double-double here.
And there it is.
The A star is yellow, the rest are too dim to make color out of.
AB-CD PA 350
AB 15, CD 70
Seeing softer down here.

DI:47.13
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-11  23h39m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 9 
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Yellow/blue @ PA 255
Faint wide third star at 90. Is it a triple system?
(It's a quad, C is too faint but I saw D: STF2032 AD   1996: 88.4"/ 82°)

DI:65.92
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   0h31m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8 
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
17mm 85x, 10mm 146x
Back to the northeast dark steady sky after mucking about with
Scorpio rising.
Just made the triple split @ 85x.
Primary greenish. Secondary blue, tertiary white.
I am calling the C star A here as it seemed brighter to me than
either of the close components, so I have PA for the single to the
pair as 18 (WDS catalog has it the other way at 194 so I am close).
PA of the close pair I get 100, catalog says 108.
This is a pretty group, not unlike Mu Bootis, but more colorful.
 

DI:62.86

San Jose 2005-5-28  22h10m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 5-6
Limiting mag 3.5?
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Very close but well split. Lots of flare, poor seeing.
Equal magnitude. PA 20
First split with the new 10" scope. Need to try this one with the 4" refractor 
and see how that goes.

Name:Ras Algethi     

DI:61.24
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   1h11m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8-9 
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Very yellow pair, like 2 eggs sunny side up.
(later 95 Herc is even more egg-like, so this one has to be one
hens egg and one goose egg I guess)
PA 110

Name:Sarin           
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   0h58m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8-9 
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
B star a little speck! Inside a cool cross asterism.
I like these doubles where the mag difference is large.
A star is white, B too faint to call.
PA I said 280, kinda far off from 236 given in AL list.
But wait, WDS says D* STF3127 Aa-B  m: 3.14/ 8.30 1779: 33.8"/163° 2001: 11.0"/282°

DI:34.34
 
Shingletown 2005-7-7  23h40m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

Yeeha! Shingletown Star Party.
Both yellow-white, and equal magnitude.
Seeing 6-7/10
LM 6.2
PA 268
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
While the dob has no trouble resolving - 
the views of double stars aren't the same 
aesthetic experience for the most part as 
they are on the smaller refractors.

Shingletown 2005-7-7  23h45m  ( TU +  -7h00m )


Yellow and blue
Seeing 6-7
LM 6.2
PA 275
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
About a magnitude difference. Good color.

DI:54.79
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   0h43m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8-9 
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Snug pair, a bunch like this tonight.
Mags in this range make the best disks in the scope at 140x+.
Many of these would probably be prettier to look at at a lower magnification,
for one thing, I am missing the context, the field of stars and whatever else
might be nearby. But I find that I keep the same EP in the scope until I need to change 
it for some reason. I notice other folks seem to make it a habit to start at
a lower mag and work up as a routine. I should do that.
White and yellow @ PA 330

Name: Kuma

San Jose 2005-5-28  22h16m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 5-6
Limiting mag 3.5?
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Widely separated equal mag yellow and pale yellow pair.
PA 310

San Jose 2005-5-28  22h33m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 5-6
Limiting mag 3.8
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Sort of yellow, B star reddish.
PA 15

San Jose 2005-5-28  22h49m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 5-6
Limiting mag 3.8
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
PA 185 nearby mag 8 star. Somewhat ho-hum. Seeing still pretty awful.
Still getting used to figuring PA by warching drift.
Rechecked - got 220
No real color on these.

DI:29.72
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   1h21m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 8-9+ wow!
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
An even more egg-like pair, both yellow and v. similar magnitude.
Almost perfect twins.
PA 80 (guess I didn't correctly pick the A star - catalog says 258)

DI:81.46

San Jose 2005-5-31  23h53m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 5-6
Limiting mag 3.8
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Pale yellow and gold.
Lots of faint field stars, getting into the Milky Way again.
PA 88
Flare from poor seeing but easy clean split.

Name: Double Double

3 Aug, 2004, around 10-11 pm
Mount Lassen, south summit lake campground 
At zenith through the trees
seeing 9
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor 
10mm 53x
Couldn't split (or had wrong pair - probaly wrong, as later can 
find and split @ 53x not too hard)

---
San Jose Summer 2004
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
7mm (approx) E.B.M. 215x
First rime I saw a proper diffraction ring (4 of them), lying on grass in back yard
looking almost straight up through Bruno's 215x huygenian eyepiece.  Made my neck ache
but the view was captivating. Pairs almost at right angles to each other. Tourmaline blue.

---
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   1h40m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Double double! Still there after all these clouds.
All blue/white
Pair PA 355
AB 0 (or 180)
CD 85 (oops, that should be 95, as usual the drawing is better than the mind)

I decided to non-conform and did a mini double marathon instead more or less 
centered around Bootes and Hercules. I got 29 of the 30 on my list, including a few 
bonuses in Lyra I hadn't expected to see again until summer. Since I started 
stargazing in summer 2004, I have now circumnavigated the sky! I feel like 
Magellan (well, maybe not, he didn't make it home). 
The hill to the northeast meant that when my targets rose they were well out 
of the horizon muck, so I had consistent mag 5.9 skies all night over there. 
It was a bit darker elsewhere. Especially in the southeast at about 3:30 when 
I quit, what I thought was clouds was actually the summer milky way. Really sweet! 

San Jose 2005-5-28  22h56m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 5-6
Limiting mag 3.8
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Bright blue and yellow. Nice to visit Lyra again and to finish the doubles in it.
PA 160

Name:Sheliak         
 
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   1h53m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Pair of white stars, wide separation, another pair of faint stars 
to north like antennae. The "ant" double? Made me chuckle. It was late.
PA 160

DI:68.69

San Jose 2005-6-1   0h55m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 6
Limiting mag 4.2
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Little golden pair, hard to find. Very close .
PA 120

Henry Coe 2005-3-12   2h08m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Another widely separated pair,orange and white fuzz.
PA 355
Should really have backed off to low power to see this with Beta Lyrae
and maybe the ring nebula. Next time!

Name: Alya

San Jose 2005-6-1   0h05m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
Seeing 6
Limiting mag 3.8
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Barely visible as a double in 8x50 finder.
Look almost equal magnitude. Low to horizon, near a tree.
PA 100
Nearby mag 7 star.

Name:Albireo         

Summer 2004
Houge Park, San Jose, SJAA Star Party
First time I ever saw a double star - through Kevin's 10" dob.
My observation report was something like "ooooh, wow, dang!"
I remember seeing the colors, but not really consciously registering
that stars can be different colors.

---
Henry Coe 2005-3-12   2h21m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Very Red! Very Blue!
PA 60
Better at lower power.

Shingletown 2005-7-7  23h49m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

White and blue
Seeing 5-6
LM 6.2
PA 105
254mm f/5.5 Dob
7mm 200x
Another pair differing by about a magnitude.

Henry Coe 2005-3-12   2h36m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
Messier Marathon Night
Seeing 7-8
Limiting mag 5.9
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor
10mm 146x
Getting pretty tired. Finished off this great night with a triple.
Yellow, blue and white.
PA 330, 170 

Name:Al Giedi        

Shingletown 2005-7-7  23h53m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

Yellow/blue
PA 290
80mm Nighthawk 7mm 68x
Wide and low in the sky. 
LM 5.6
Seeing 6

Name:Dabih           

Shingletown 2005-7-7  23h57m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

Yellow/blue
PA 290
80mm Nighthawk 7mm 68x
LM 5.6
Seeing 6

DI:26.63
 
San Jose 2005-7-1   0h33m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
limiting mag 3.6
seeing 7/10
254mm f/5.5 Dob
81x - 17mm plossl
PA 255
Yellow & blue
Stars at edge 180 and 20
Real pretty

San Jose 2005-6-14  23h46m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
limiting mag 4
seeing 5/10
254mm f/5.5 Dob
55x - 25mm plossl
PA 145, both gold, rich field.
Nice also in 8x finder, barely splits and color contrasts well with 
mag 3.x-4.x white stars in finder fov.

Name:Alfirk          

Montebello 2005-1-12  19h41m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
17mm plossl - 86x
limiting mag 5.5, seeing 8/10
blue-white/white-yellow
10:1 in brightness
PA madness - 225??

San Jose 30 July, 2004, 10:30 pm
struve 2816 & 2819
80mm f/6 Stellarvue Refractor
mag 28x & 53x 
stumbled on it
fair, full moon
Triple & double in pointy hat (cepheus) OCN - bright points, easy to split in 17mm (28x) eyepiece
stumbled on it while looking for nebula, later learned that despite size nebula is not an easy 
visual w/o a filter and really dark skies, but fell in love with this pair of multiples.

---
Thu Aug 12 2004
Struve 2816 (in the same FOV with double 2819 @ about 50x)
An 8 or 9 year old at coyote lake said they were Soooo
Preeety. I thought so too.
2816 is in a blue/rose/blue triple.
My dad knew Otto Struve, I see these and wax nostalgic. 

---
Montebello 2005-1-12  19h31m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm plossl - 146x
17mm plossl - 86x
limiting mag 5.5, seeing 8/10
Good color, yellow red blue, view not great @ 146x
@ 86x can see 2819 also, better view
Tycho says they are all blue/green - why do they look colorful?
Really seen to better effect in a rich field scope where they stand out from the field.

Name:Enif            
 
San Jose 2005-7-1   1h16m  ( TU +  -7h00m )
limiting mag 3.6
seeing 7/10
254mm f/5.5 Dob
81x - 17mm plossl
Pretty grouping, tough call which is the companion star.
The brightest and furthest is at PA 320.
M 15 nearby.

DI:43.57
 
San Jose 2005-1-16  18h21m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm plossl - 146x
Seeing 6-7/10, transp not hot barely naked eye would mean 4.2?
Sorta similar to delta - big yellow with a small companion.
Looked yellow/red (tycho says otherwise)
More PA confusion

DI:69.22
 
Shingletown 2005-7-7   2h24m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

White/white
Clean split but seeing gone off - ~ 5
PA 140
300x 4.8mm
Just very barely perceptible @ 200x 
Seeing 5-6
LM 5.5
Woohoo! Fin!
Last one in AL doubles list!
Surprised me by being a close one - I didn't see a companion at first, 
seeing not so good and it was just rising anyhow.
So I sketched the area as seen through the finder.
Came back to it later - 
I could *just* split the pair in the 7mm ep AT 200x
had to go to 300x ro confirm it.
A good pair to end the list on, 
nice and close but not excruciating ;)

Montebello 2005-1-12  19h48m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
17mm plossl - 86x
limiting mag 5.5, seeing 8/10
Lots of interesting stars in the view
Big yellow primary and blue secondary
Curious asterism to west. PA looks like it's right on decl line.

Shingletown 2005-7-7   0h02m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

Blue/blue
PA 182
80mm Nighthawk 7mm 68x
Sort of close, for this scope and this view
LM 5.6
Seeing 6/10

Shingletown 2005-7-7   1h16m  ( TU +  -7h00m )

Yellow/blue
PA 310
254mm f/5.5 Dob
200x 7mm nagler
Seeing 5-6
LM Rising 5.5 near horizon 

Also in 80mm Nighthawk just barely split @ 17mm 

As it's gotten easier to find and deal with doubles, the log entries get smaller.

DI:81.29
 
San Jose 2005-1-11  21h43m  ( TU +  -8h00m )
100mm f/15 E.B.M. Refractor 
10mm plossl - 146x
4.8mm Nagler - 304x 
limiting mag 3.8-4.0, seeing 6-8/10
Used the 10mm to locate this, and it was just barely suspect
as a double - getting dew all over and things getting fuzzy, RDF useless from dew.
Stuffed a wad of kleenex in the dew shield (just made, at least I have one now)
to buy me a minute to change EPs once I had what I thought was sigma centered.
Looked in the EP to focus - no sign of a star - oops, pull out the kleenex!
Focusing annoying, lots of scope wiggle.
@ 304x secondary star just outside primary diffraction ring, about 1/4 the brightness. 
Glare, maybe from dew. Getting little spikes off the primary.
Couldn't make a good color guess, too fuzzy, though seeing seemed great at times
it might have just been because everything was fuzzy and that damped out the turbulence.
Real cold and wet.

Compass - most sketches are 'through a diagonal', so where North is at 12:00, East is at 3:00. 
The sketches of doubles viewed through the 10" Dob are correct image - North at 12:00, East at 9:00

The notation DI is the 33 Doubles Difficulty Index - not always calculated 
from current data, and not always a good indicator.

The nice drawings are from memory and from referring to the field sketches and
notes, and were done with a paint program. These are views that I really enjoyed
for one reason or another. The field sketches are uniformly awful because I need
reading glasses to draw properly :)

Montebello 2005-1-21
3Q moon, Bruno, looked for Eps Can Maj, 38 Lyn, 32 Cam. 
No go. My OR on calastro: Went to look for certain doubles, 
couldn't resolve any on my plan with certainty - angst, self abasement 
and raspberry sounds.

Coyote Lake 2005-1-30
V. cold and poor transp over ridge to east.
Comet Machholz hint of dust tail in 25mm, also greenish
Night of color! 6 doubles all with notable color (maybe it's just the first dark
night I have had in a while, everything had more color than it does from downtown)

San Jose 2005-1-31  
The expanded Pickering seeing scale...
-1 Fairy Disk often visible. Pretend it's a star.
-2 Everything is a globular cluster.
-3 What a great star test! Oh, there's dew on the objective.
-4 Star winks out entirely. Recommend Braille star chart at this point as it will 
better match what you see in the finder.

Montebello 2005-2-2  
LM range from 5 to 5.5/5.9 in best part of sky (south at meridian)
Seeing variable 4-8/10
About 10 scopes present, Turley, Marek, Bob J., George and others
Several visitors as well stealing peeks, at one point a few too many.
I wimped out on two setting stars in Pisces, now I'll have to wait until Summer.