stayed in

Didn't go out.

Thought about it, during the day. 

But just couldn't get motivated...

Smoke might have been a factor.

There was the matter of Saturday, being away. The erratic weather, preventing a multi-night set-up.

Which meant quick 'scope, small 'scope, a grab and go. Which meant small aperture. And then some targets, like η CrB, were off-limits. Many of the new doubles I was considering were beyond the capabilities of the Meade 90mm. And the Edmund 6in is still not ready to go.

Really wanna use the 8.

And then there were the phone calls I had planned with Obs Comm members...

spotted character set error

Spotted a bug in SkySafari 6 Plus. When I turned on the label option for the FOV circle, it appeared as:

0.5?

i.e. 0.5 with a question mark.

That looks like a font or character set issue with the degree symbol! 

That's a very peculiar error. 

Wow. That's kind of an important thing.

Once again shows they did little testing or checking.

launched SkySafari page

Deployed a new web page over on the companion web site. It is for the SkySafari mobile app. It is like my other software pages, like SkyTools and Stellarium, where I plan to share tips and tricks, cautions and warnings, etc. Interesting... looking back.

shared ST4 TV issues

Submitted my observations report that while using SkyTools 4 Visual Pro I had a lot of trouble with the Thumbnail Viewer. I included 5 images. And shared that, in the end, I could not use it the way I had hoped.

§

The developer thanked me for throughly testing the feature. He said he'd start resolving the bugs ASAP.

Jupiter was bright! (Bradford)

Curbed the rattling recycling and the stinky compost. Not a lot of stars. Cloud? Smoke? Both? Bright thing to the south. Looks like Jupiter! Jupiter is back! Extremely bright. Wow. But where was Saturn? Ooh. Much dimmer, a bit lower, leading The King. Ah, ah, the Moon! The Moon went in my eye.

imaged gamma Her at 1 sec (Halifax)

Noting an empty queue at the Burke-Gaffney Observatory, due to the bright Moon, I submitted a job for γ (gamma) Herculis aka SHJ 227. I have visited this double star system many times. Noted it. Sketched it. And I have imaged it with the BGO. But the D companion eludes me.

So, had another go, but a much longer exposure, compared to previous. 16 and 27 Aug' 19 were at a tenth of a second. Also tried a ½ second. Doubled.

Luminance only, 1 second subexposures, 12 stacked shots. FITS Liberator, GIMP. North is up; east is left.

I like all the field stars.

OK. 

B is easy. Down and right. That's south-west.

C is visible. Obvious when zoomed in. Nearly due west. Just above the diffraction spike. Oh... it has some very faint neighbours.

Mystery star that I spotted visually way back in August 2019 is here. In fact, it's brighter than C! A variable star? This is definitely not shown in SkyTools.

GSC 01513-0543, as seen before, is inline with but well beyond B.

I believe there's an artefact in this image, a stacking issue, that's creating the bright bump on the east diffraction spike.

There are mag 15 and 16 stars in this image.

And D? If the WDS is right, D should be south of A, close, at mag 8.

DRS 58 AD at 176°, 8.3", mag 8.1, a blue-white A-class star.

It'd be in the glare of A...

There are double diffraction spikes...

§

Still don't know what the mystery star is but it's not my imagination. Saw it in an RC 16", sketched it in September 2019 with a C8" at high power, and I've tagged it easily in this image.

Still can't spot the D star. The typical double star challenge of a bright primary, a secondary at delta mag 3 or 4, in close.

tried a simple reticule method

Tried Jason Nishyama's method for measuring double stars as published on the RASC Calgary web site. Nope. Some errors. A major one includes not showing how to work with the tangent to calculate the slope! Quite surprising that oversight.

received refractor image (Stillwater)

Heard from the human. 

The "shutdown [process] failed so processing did not happen. Running manually now." And moments later, the usual automated message from the Mini-Robotic Observatory appeared.

Woo hoo. My Vulpecula image data from 23 Jul '21 was safe and sound.

Once again, I had aimed at star HD 183013 in Vulpecula. I specifically wanted to use the wide-field instrument so to pull in a lot of stars. It was just over a year ago I had stumbled into the area, while follow an asteroid, and noted a great number, significant number, of double stars.

So this is a bit of "getting more eyes" on this region.

Luminance, 3 seconds, 12 subs, FITS Liberator, GIMP. North is up, east is left.

Love it.

My gut feel is that we're seeing about four times as much sky as the BGO image from yesterday.

§

The field is approximate 1°18' in size, square.

There is very slight imager rotation here. North is about 1 degree to the right or clockwise...

We're seeing to magnitude 15 and 16.

§

This wider field includes some known doubles.

SLE 942. North-west. Tight. Slightly unequal pair oriented south-east to north-west.

SLE 943. North-west. Tight. Slightly wider than 942. Slightly unequal. Slightly dimmer than 942. oriented east to west, almost perfectly.

STF 3111. In the image but not splittable.

WSI 22. West-west-south of centre. Oriented west-east. Identical stars, in brightness.

WW Vul is here too aka LI 2. But I can't see the B star...

With the lovely grouping to the south. Including HD 183014 (aka STF 2523), KRU 8, and HLM 23. Includes A 2786 proper though not splittable.

KPP 439 is here, nearby, but not splittable.

§

Checked against the analysed field...

Whoa.

received an app or two

Received a ETM-T application tonight. Or two? Asked if an Obs Comm team member can review it.

asked for a clarification

I spotted something a little mysterious in the lists or tables for the Deep-Sky Gems in the Observer's Handbook. Couldn't find an explanation. So I reached out to the editor, James Edgar.

I asked, "What does the parenthesis mean around the magnitudes?" I cited an example. Winter. Near bottom of page. Levy 158. It appears to be 3 galaxies.

I guessed it was the combined or average mag?

James quickly replied. "From the last sentence of para. 1 on p. 324: Chart numbers in parentheses indicate unlabelled objects."

Oh brother.

I countered, "No. I'm not asking about chart numbers. Magnitude."

He responded quickly, "In that case, it's a combined magnitude."

I thought that a funny way to say it... Was he guessing?! Seemed like it and that didn't sit well.

So I asked, "Should a footnote go somewhere to clarify this?" 

Thanked him for his time.

To which he said, "I'll check with Doveed (David)."

Good. That's what should have been done.

§

A couple of days later, James relayed a message from Mr Levy.

"Good catch! The parenthesis means that the magnitude is probably a combined value for the three. But the magnitude is only a guess, so you can easily remove the parens without causing any problem."

Wow. 

Interesting.

More wingin' it...

James said to Doveed, "That was a catch by Blake Nancarrow of Toronto. I think I'll leave the parens, and create a footnote. There are a couple of others."

At last. Something to aid the reader of the fine Observer's Handbook!

§

The 2023 edition of the handbook shows a footnote.

You're welcome.

tried cross-hair method

I tried John McCue's for measuring a double star's separation and position angle with a simple cross-hair eyepiece (reference from Cloudy Nights). Can't do it. I'm certain his article is missing steps. Or there are errors in his formulae. Just doesn't make sense.

checked a vid

Reviewed a RASC TC RAN video for the A/V team.

updated L2 deck

Updated the level 2 slide deck for that Ian B can build the lesson plan doc for himself and the other Stellarium instructors...

imaged HD 183013 with BGO (Halifax)

When I saw the queue empty at the Burke-Gaffney Observatory, I thought, well, let it have a go at the Vulpecula region. Submitted the same request, aimed at HD 183013. It was immediately accepted. And captured a short time later.

North is up, east is left. Luminance at 3 seconds, 12 subs. Processed with FITS Liberator and GIMP.

Fascinating!

Still northing back from MRO...

§

Imaged HD 183013 back in June 2020.

§

w00t! Received the wide-field refractor MRO image. Captured earlier but only released later.

documented SkySafari errors

Completed my review of the double stars issues in SkySafari 6.

First, I want to discuss the class of the issue or problem. This is the programmer side of me considering the root cause and maybe it is one thing that can be changed or corrected to fix a raft of problems.

I assign numbers here not for precedence or weight but to count the types of errors.

1. Most instances show that a selected companion text appears with a single letter, such as "A" or "B" for the star, while quoting a separation value. An exception: HD 75353 AB 3.5".
2. In many instances, selected companion star shows different or specific name as opposed to parent name. E.g. Beta Cam. Tapping primary shows β Cam A 84.2". Tapping secondary shows as HD 31911 B 14.8".
3. Faint stars not plotted. Odd when dimmer stars can be and are shown in software. E.g. Phi Tau C and Rho Ori B and HD 109556!
4. Star not plotted while there is a reference to it from a shown member. E.g. 1 Cam C not plotted but 1 Cam B refers to C.
5. Companion star or family member of double but not shown as such. I.e. shown as random Tycho star. E.g. 32 Eri C. (Forgivable perhaps in that WDS data may expand to incorporate some surrounding stars. Still, it is a rife issue in SS6.)
6. Downright incorrect separation (sep) and position angle (P.A.) data. A star shows incorrect chart text and incorrect data in Object Info. E.g. Trapezium or Beta Mon. 
7. Most instances of companion stars in Object Info screen show Position Angle FROM companion to primary. E.g. Tap on Trapezium B star. Sep. OK but PA shows as 212°.
8. Most PA values in Obj Info shown with tenth decimal. WDS does not provide this data.
9. For a number of companion stars, Obj Info shows single magnitude. E.g. Trapezium D or E.
10. Outright error in label in chart. E.g. HD 34071 or HR 3395 E.
11. Companion letter not shown at all. E.g. HD 109556 F.
12. Reference to a companion star at or beyond mag limit. E.g. HD 109556 E in reference to G.
13. Discoverer code ID not consistently shown. E.g. 32 Com.
14. AU value shows for a number of doubles. Inconsistent in appearance. That's one issue. More importantly, where is this value coming from? A trusted source? It appears to be calculated. E.g. HD 3125.
15. Not 100% sure of this but there seems to be a recurring pattern of tight partners not being plotted.

Over a dozen types of issues.

As I reviewed the doubles, in many cases I found multiple errors types were happening on the same double star, say one star not plotted but referred to, and then a third star with an overt error or backwards position angle.

Now to the specific errors.

Target	Parent	WDS	Pair	PA	Sep	M1	M2	SkySafari observations
Phi Tau	SHJ 40	SHJ 40	AB	259	48.7	5.08	7.51	OK
		WAL 29	AC	25	118.1	5.08	12.27	Does not show. Curious as SS6 can show fainter stars.
32 Eri	STF 470	STF 470	AB	349	6.9	4.8	5.89	OK
		STF 470	AC	5	164.7	4.8	10.5	Shows star in chart but it is not identified as C companion.
Keid	STF 518	STF 518	AB	102	83.7	4.43	9.31	OK
		STF 518	AC	98	78.1	4.43	11.17	OK
		STF 518	AD	38	481.4	4.43	12.62	Does not show. Is it too dim?
1 Cam	STF 550	STF 550	AB	309	10.4	5.78	6.82	OK
		STF 550	BC	217	150.9	6.82	11.36	shows as 1 Cam B 150.9" but C star not plotted
Beta Cam	S 459	S 459	AB	209	84.2	4.12	7.44	OK
		ES 58	BC	170	14.8	7.43	12.4	shows as HD 31911 B 14.8" but C not plotted
Rho Ori	STF 654	STF 654	AB	65	6.4	4.62	8.5	shows as rho Ori 6.4" but B not plotted
		STF 654	AC	157	183.4	4.62	11.43	shows star; not identified as C
Mintaka	BU 558	STFA 14	AC	4	56.2	2.41	6.83	OK, shows C. And C shows at sep. 56.2". But A text refers to B a mag 14 star!
HR 1887	STF 747	STF 747	AB	225	36	4.7	5.51	OK
		CLL 22	AC	12	68.2	4.7	8.95	shows star; not identified as C
Trapezium	STF 748	STF 748	AB	32	8.8	6.55	7.49	At first blush, OK. A, B, C, and D components shown. Chart text wrong at A 12.7" ; object info wrong at 12.7". and 312°. Strange error. The Sep and PA is from C star to A star!?! B chart text shows as Trap B 8.8 which is correct Sep. Object Info shows PA as 212 which is FROM B to A.
		STF 748	AC	132	12.8	6.55	5.06	OK.
		STF 748	AD	97	21.5	6.55	6.38	OK. Only a single mag shown in Object Info.
		STF 748	AE	352	4.6	6.55	11.1	OK. Only a single mag shown in Object Info. Catalog Numbers shows discoverer and WDS only. Curiously, discoverer shows with full name Struve. One of the only places!
		STF 748	BF	154	20.5	7.49	11.5	Star plotted. Label is STF 748 F 4.6". Object Info shows PA 121. This is the C-to-F info. WDS records B-to-F (which is odd but its official). Curiously, in Obj Info discoverer shows with full name Struve. One of the only places!
		MZA 16	CZ	338	6.5	5.06	12.7	does not show
Beta Mon	STF 919	STF 919	AB	133	7.1	4.62	5	A OK; B shows as 2.6"; that's B to C
		STF 919	AC	125	9.8	4.62	5.39	A OK; B shows as 2.6"; that's B to C
		BU 570	AD	55	26.6	4.62	12.1	does not show
HD 34071	GAL 378	GAL 378		318	39.1	7.77	9.19	star plot OK; sep OK; shows as HD 3407 not 34071; Object Info OK
Gamma Lep	H 6 40	H 6 40	AB	350	97.4	3.64	6.28	Plotted OK. Obj Info designation shows as H 6. Wrong, incomplete.
		H 5 50	BC	8	112.1	6.28	11.37	shows star; not identified as C
HD 51502	STTA 80	STTA 80	AB	53	124.1	7.25	7.37	OK; B shows as B from C!
		STTA 80	AC	112	81.2	7.25	8.37	shown, C from A
		ARN 1	AD	286	86.3	7.25	10.31	shown; not noted as D; labelled at HD 267101
Mekbuda	SHJ 77	SHJ 77	AB	85	87.4	4.05	11.46	shows as 87.4"; that's for B; but B not plotted!
		SHJ 77	AC	347	100.2	4.05	7.66	plotted; shows as 35.0" at 154°; that's C to D!
		SHJ 77	AD	354	67.8	4.05	12.46	does not show
19 Lyn	STF 1062	STF 1062	AB	316	14.8	5.76	6.71	OK for A; B shows as 74.1"!?
		STF 1062	AD	6	215.3	5.76	7.57	OK; shown as HD 237611 D 214.9"
		STF 1062	BC	288	74.1	6.71	12.76	B shows as 74.1", that's B to C, correct; except C is NOT shown
HD 75353	STF 1282	STF 1282	AB	279	3.5	7.59	7.76	B NOT shown!; text displays as HD 75353 AB 3.5" - that's HOW to do it!
		SLE 1025	AC	10	49.4	7.53	12.41	C NOT shown!
Alpha Lyn	STT 571	STT 571	AB	43	223.3	3.29	8.83	OK shown as alpha Lyn AB 223.3"- good
		STF 1342	BC	313	16.7	8.83	11.1	OK shown as SAO 61419 BC 16.7" - good! EXCEPT C NOT shown
HR 2910	H N 19	H N 19		117	9.6	5.82	5.85	stars plotted; Object Info says 0.9" at 298.0° - that's the B to A angle; because of the 2909 vs 2910 convention
2 Pup	STF 1138	STF 1138	AB	341	16.8	6	6.73	OK
		STF 1138	AC	229	100	6	10.57	C NOT shown!
Tegmen	STF 1196	STF 1196	AB	8	1.1	5.3	6.25	plotted!; shown as Tegmine B 1.1"; plotted with orbit!
		STF 1196	AC	51	6.3	5.3	5.85	shows as Tegmine A 5.9" - that's to C; Object Info says 63.3° - close
		STF 1196	AD	107	275.6	4.92	8.89	shown as BD +18 01870 D 283.2"; Object Info shows 288.0° - that's D to A
		ENH 1	AE	26	562.2	4.92	10.08	shown as ENH1 EF 218.7"
		ENH 1	AF	46	638.1	4.92	10.26	star shown as TYC 01381-0323 1, not has F
		ENH 1	AG	332	672.3	4.92	10.15	star shown as TYC 01381-0213 1; not shown as G
HR 3395	STF 1245	STF 1245	AB	25	10.1	5.98	7.16	OK
		STF 1245	AC	109	100.4	5.98	10.7	star shown as TYC 00222-0444 1; not as C
		STF 1245	AD	292	110.3	5.98	11.91	not plotted, no star
		STF 1245	AE	207	114.8	5.98	9.6	shown as ANT 4 EG 11.8" - that's not the ANT 4 star, G is that; Obj Info has TYC 00222-1236 1 which is right
		ANT 4	AG	211	120.5	5.98	12.3	not plotted!
HD 75646	STTA 96	STTA 96	AB	312	50	7.65	8.45	OK. B shown as SAO 80466 B 36.2". huh? that's the BC info
		STTA 96	AC	267	35.6	7.65	10.7	No! Shown as STTA 96 - OK. AB. No. This is the C star. 49.9" i.e. 50". No. C is a different direction and sep!
HD 73668	STF 1255	STF 1255	AB	30	26	7.33	8.56	OK; B shows as SAO 117001 B 69.6" - huh?; 69.6 at 357° - that looks like BC
		STF 1255	BD	22	71.5	8.56	12.62	not plotted
Tau 1 Hya	HJ 1167	HJ 1167		4	67.5	4.64	7.28	OK; B shown as SAO 136896 B 65.7"; Object Info shows B-to-A info
HR 3963	BU 1072	BU 1072	AB	53	12.7	6.22	12.1	shown as HR 3963 A 12.7" which is for AB but does NOT plot B
		SHJ 110	AC	273	21.2	6.22	6.97	shown as HD 87330 C 32.0" with 79° in Object Info huh? that's C to B
83 Leo	STF 1540	STF 1540	AB	150	28.4	6.55	7.5	OK
		STF 1540	AC	191	205.2	6.55	11.13	C star plotted but shown as TYC 00267-0986 1
Tau Leo	STFA 19	STFA 19	AB	182	88.5	5.05	7.47	OK
		STFA 19	AD	92	761.2	5.05	9.51	shown as SAO 118883 D 764.8"; Object Info shows D to A angle!
HD 105590	STF 1604	STF 1604	AB	88	9	6.86	10	B star NOT plotted! shown as HD 105590 A 9.0"; Object Info 9.0" at 88.0° that's B
		STF 1604	AC	3	10.5	6.86	8.12	C plotted but WRONG location; shown as SAO 157112 C 13.6"; Object Info says 13.6 at 141° which is C to B! so wrong…
HD 109556	STF 1659	STF 1659	AB	351	28.1	7.94	8.34	OK / B shown as SAO 157383 B 46.5"? - that's B to C!
		STF 1659	AC	69	43.8	7.94	10.89	C NOT plotted, weird, but TYC 05531-1564 1 is! and it's mag 11.4
		STF 1659	AD	32	189.8	7.94	9.88	D plotted but labelled as TYC 05531-1190 1
		STF 1659	AE	275	151.2	7.94	6.78	E plotted but labelled as HD 109545 EG 12.4"; Object Info 12.4" at 248.0° - definitely the G star which is mag 15! G not plotted obviously
		STF 1659	AF	139	209.4	7.94	6.64	WRONG! plotted in correct location; shown as HD 10958 208.2"; that's AF sep; Object Info has AF sep and angle; does NOT show WDS name
12 Com	SHJ 143	SHJ 143	AB	57	36.7	4.86	11.8	OK - shows AB sep but NOT plot B
		SHJ 143	AC	168	59	4.86	8.9	C plotted but shown as SAO 82274 C 65.3"; Object Info shows 65.3" at 347.0° which is C to A; has WDS ID but not discoverer
		ARN 6	AD	132	213.1	4.86	10.1	D plotted but labelled as SAO 82278 DE 13.1" with E at mag 14.3 NOT plotted!
32 Com	STFA 23	STFA 23	AB	51	196.3	6.5	6.99	OK
		STFA 23	AC	262	905.1	6.5	8.95	shown as SAO 100299 C 897"; Object Info does not show discoverer
Asellus Tertius	STF 1821	STF 1821	AB	236	13.7	4.53	6.62	Labels show for A and B but with different seperation values. At first blush, looks inconsistent. A is 14.3"; B shows as 13.8"; Object Info reveals for B is to a mag 16.9 star! What?! A star beyond the mag limits of the app! That requires a 'scope bigger than 20 inches! Oddly, the AB Obj Info is a bit different than the WDS. The B star Obj Info Sep and PA is nearly spot on! What is going on here! Messy! Confusing.
Alkalurops	STFA 28	STFA 28	AB	172	109	4.33	7.09	OK
		STF 1938	Ba,Bb	4	2.3	7.09	7.63	3rd star NOT plotted; correct in Object Info
HR 5397	SHJ 179	SHJ 179	AB	296	35	6.61	7.16	OK
		BU 225	BC	91	1.2	7.16	8.37	OK shows as HD 126366 B 1.2" - which is the BC split
Zuben Elgenubi	SHJ 186	SHJ 186	AB	314	231.1	2.74	5.19	OK
		AOT 53	AC	291	275.6	2.74	12.48	C NOT plotted; shown as Zubenelgenubi B 111.1" which is BC info
HD 139691	HU 1167	HU 1167	AB	81	1.2	8.07	9.87	shows as HD 139691 A 1.2"; B is plotted with orbit!
		STF 1964	AC	90	14.5	8.07	8.06	shows as HD 139691 C 1.5"; Object Info shows 1.5" at 19.9°, i.e. CD info, D to the N
		STF 1964	AD	84	15.1	8.07	9.02	D plotted north of C; correct and based on current data, but WDS lists as AD
HR 6043	STT 305	STT 305	AB	263	5.7	6.44	10.17	shows 5.8" but does NOT plot star
Sigma CrB	STF 2032	STF 2032	AB	239	7.3	5.62	6.49	OK
		STF 2032	AD	82	93.5	5.62	10.78	star plotted but shown as TYC 02583-1900 1
		STF 2032	AE	241	634.8	5.62	12.31	E plotted but shown as HIP 79551 EF 30.7"; Object Info does NOT show disc. code, refers to F at mag 14.85!
HD 144564	STF 2007	STF 2007	AB	322	37.5	6.89	7.98	OK
		STF 2007	AC	137	162.7	6.89	10.81	star plotted but shows as TYC 00957-0530 1
Xi Sco	STF 1998	STF 1998	AB	9	1.1	5.16	4.87	OK
		STF 1998	AC	43	7.5	5.16	7.3	OK; C orbit plotted
Theta 1 Ser	STF 2417	STF 2417	AB	104	22.5	4.59	4.93	OK
		STF 2417	AC	58	421	4.59	6.78	B shows as Alya B 405.6"; Object Info 405.6" at 56.0° - that's BC!
Rasalgethi	STF 2140	STF 2140	AB	103	4.6	3.48	5.4	OK
		STF 2140	AD	39	79.2	3.48	11.1	not plotted!
100 Her	STF 2280	STF 2280	AB	183	14.3	5.81	5.84	OK
		STF 2280	AC	127	79.9	5.87	11.8	NOT plotted!
Kuma	STFA 35	STFA 35		311	62.1	4.87	4.9	OK; B shows as Kuma B 62.3" huh?; Object Info does NOT show PA or discoverer
Dsiban	STF 2241	STF 2241	AB	17	30.1	4.6	5.59	OK
		STF 2241	AC	107	78.1	4.6	11.05	star NOT plotted!
41 Dra	STF 2308	STF 2308	AB	232	18.8	5.7	6	OK
		STF 2308	AC	129	224.8	5.7	8.34	star plotted but shown in error: SAO 900 222.8"; Object Info name OK, 222.8" at 128.0°; that's AC!
HR 7083	H 6 50	H 6 50	AB	358	24.8	6.15	12.5	shown as HR 7083 A 24.8" which is B but B is NOT plotted; Object Info shows H 6 - wrong, incomplete designation
		H 6 50	AC	171	111.8	6.15	8.23	plotted and shown as HD 174209 C 110.4"; C to A angle quoted - wrong; discoverer not noted
Epsilon 1 Lyr	STF 2382	STF 2382	AB	345	2.3	5.15	6.1	OK, although A shows 2.2" and B shows 2.3" - make up your mind; Object Info shows STFA 37 - nope, that's for A to C
		STFA 37	AB,CD	172	209.5	4.67	4.56	shown obviously but no Object Info
		STF 2383	CD	74	2.4	5.25	5.38	OK
		STFA 37	AI	137	149.5	5.15	10.12	plotted but shown as BD +39 3512
		SHJ 277	CF	0	93.3	4.56	12.7	NOT plotted, should be between
		STF 2383	CE	334	63.2	5.25	12.3	NOT plotted, should be between; why not, there are other mag 12 stars plotted
Sheliak	STFA 39	STFA 39	AB	149	45.7	3.63	6.69	OK
		BU 293	AE	317	67.2	3.63	10.14	plotted; shown as BD +33 3222 EF 79.4"; Object Info shows 79.4" at 66.0° - that's E to F
		BU 293	AF	18	86	3.63	10.62	plotted but shown as BD +33 3225; no considered a double, sheesh
HR 7140	STT 525	STT 525	AB	130	1.8	6.14	9.12	B NOT plotted, shows HR 7140 A 1.8"
		SHJ 282	AC	350	45.4	6.14	7.6	obvious N star that's C, shows as HD 175634 C 192.4" huh?; looks like C to D data!
		SHJ 282	AD	295	214.8	6.14	11.03	plotted but shown as TYC 02647-1810 1
HR 7099	STF 2404	STF 2404		182	3.5	6.92	7.77	does NOT plot B star! error is chart text HR 709 3.5"
HR 7294	STF 2486	STF 2486	AB	204	7.1	6.54	6.67	OK
		STF 2486	AD	104	196	6.54	11.12	star plotted but shown as TYC 03550-1613 1
HR 7529	STF 2578	STF 2578	AB	125	14.9	6.37	7.04	OK
		STF 2578	AC	356	44.3	6.37	12.49	plotted but text error: shows as STF 2578 AB 14.9" no no no
		STF 2578	AD	70	95	6.37	12.39	star NOT plotted - unclear
		STF 2578	AF	251	144.5	6.37	9.22	plotted and shows as HD 225658 F 143.3"; Object Info does not show disc. code, 143.3" at 71.0° which is F to A angle!
61 Cyg	STF 2758	STF 2758	AB	153	31.8	5.2	6.05	OK; orbit plotted
		STF 2758	AC	219	839.8	5.35	10.23	star plotted but shown as TYC 03168-0638 1
		STF 2758	AD	250	748	5.35	10.45	star plotted but shown as TYC 03168-1028 1
		STF 2758	AE	267	340.8	5.35	9.63	star plotted but shown as TYC 03168-1986 1
		STF 2758	AF	240	371.2	5.35	11.3	star plotted but shown as TYC 03168-1076 1
		STF 2758	AG	236	260.4	5.35	11.3	star NOT plotted
		STF 2758	AH	268	117.5	5.35	9.97	star NOT plotted
		SMR 1	AI	239	28.3	5.35	10.74	star NOT plotted
		HZE 4	AJ	241	17.5	2.25	12.43	star NOT plotted ; two stars plotted N side, close - wrong
		SMR 40	AO	281	163.4	5.35	12.65	not plotted; aside - MLB 1019 labelled wrong
		SMR 40	AP	285	159.6	5.35	12.84	not plotted; aside - ES 2059 labelled wrong
HD 200392	BU 69	BU 69	AC	241	74.6	8.35	8.02	shows as HD 200392 A 0.3" - crikey - of course they don't plot the star; C is shown at 18" - that's to the D star! at mag 13.5! really bad
HD 183014	STF 2523	STF 2523	AB	148	6.4	7.95	8.05	OK
		STF 2523	AC	147	250.8	7.95	7.18	shows as HD 183057 A 10.5" - that's the CD split
		KRU 8	CD	139	10.5	7.18	12.8	star NOT plotted!
Theta Sge	STF 2637	STF 2637	AB	332	11.6	6.56	8.85	OK
		STF 2637	AC	222	91.3	6.56	7.52	plotted; shows as HD 191571 C 87.7"; Object Info shows C to A angle
		STF 2637	AD	226	172.8	6.56	11.94	star NOT plotted! not that dim!
HR 8281	BU 1143	STF 2816	AC	121	11.8	5.73	7.48	shows as HR 8281 A 1.7"; why?! silly to include a reference to mag 13.3 star / C plotted and shows as BD +56 2617 C 30.7" huh?! that's to D! overall, very confusing to the novice and to the expert
		STF 2816	AD	339	20.6	5.73	7.53	D plotted - shows as BD +56 2617 D 30.7" - wow
Alkurhah	STF 2863	STF 2863	AB	274	8.4	4.45	6.4	OK - orbit plotted
		STF 2863	AC	206	109.5	4.45	12.6	NOT shown
Delta Cep	STFA 58	STFA 58	AC	191	41	4.21	6.11	shows as delta Cep A 21.5" but that's the B star which is mag 13 and NOT plotted; C plotted; HD 213307 C 40.6"; Object Info angle is C to A!
Kappa Cep	STF 2675	STF 2675	AB	120	7.3	4.39	8.34	shows as kappa Cep A 7.2" but they DO NOT plot B! why?!
		STF 2675	AC	334	170.2	4.39	10.32	star plotted; shows as SAO 9662 C 173.0"; Object Info angle is C to A
Alpha 1 Cap	BU 295	HJ 607	AC	222	46.9	4.24	9.6	shows as 53.2" at 212.0° which is to mag 14.1 B star; useless information; C plotted but text shows SAO 163421 C 31.7" - that's to D mag 14.2" REALLY confusing, this is NOT helpful information for double star observers
U Cyg	BLL 49	BLL 49		231	65.4	7.97	8.98	Plotted OK. Obj Info does not show discoverer designation BLL 49.
Dabih	STFA 52	STFA 52	AB	267	205.4	3.15	6.08	OK for A; B shows as Dabih Minor B 396.5" also 111.0° - that's the BC!
		STFA 52	AC	133	226.1	3.15	8.83	shows as HD 193543 C 226.6"; Object Info angle is C to A!
HD 196411	STF 2703	STF 2703	AB	289	25	8.35	8.42	shows as SAO 106301 B 67.0" - that's the BC data
		STF 2703	AC	234	77.8	8.35	8.76	shows as SAO 106299 C 74.7" =- that's C to A data
		STF 2703	AD	347	84.7	8.35	12.78	NOT plotted
Epsilon Equ	STF 2737	STF 2737	AC	67	10.6	5.3	7.05	shows as epsilton Equ A 0.0" - What The Heck! micro-arc-second (mas) B star! totally useless information; not plotted of course; C plotted and shows as SAO 126429 C 10.5"; Object Info backwards as usual
8 Lac	STF 2922	STF 2922	AB	186	22.3	5.66	6.29	A is OK; B shows as HD 214167 B 28.3" - that must be to C
		A 1469	AC	168	48.8	5.66	10.38	plotted - WRONG text; shows as STF 2922 AB 22.3"
		A 1469	AD	145	81.6	5.66	9.08	plotted and shows as SAO 72512 D 42.4" huh? Object Info lists 42.4" at 296.0° - that's D to C!
		A 1469	AE	239	335.2	5.66	7.25	plotted and shown as HD 214112 E 336.6"
		COM 8	BF	175	127.6	6.29	10.97	NOT plotted - why? there are mag 12 stars in field
WZ Cas	STTA 254	STTA 254	AB	89	57.8	7.4	8.33	OK
		STTA 254	AC	324	155.4	7.4	9.56	shown as HD 240474 a 155.4"
		STTA 254	AD	118	181.4	7.4	10.35	star plotted but shown as TYC 04014-1435 1
HR 9094	STF 3053	STF 3053	AB	70	15	5.96	7.17	OK
		STF 3053	AC	291	98.5	5.96	10.99	star plotted but only shown as TYC 04026-0585 1
Achird	STF 60	STF 60	AB	326	13.4	3.52	7.36	OK for A; B orbit shown
		STF 60	AC	260	225	3.52	11.4	NOT plotted
		STF 60	AD	354	189.4	3.52	12.8	NOT plotted
		STF 60	AE	126	75.6	3.52	10.15	star plotted, shown as TYC 03663-1792 1
		STF 60	AF	276	378.3	3.52	11.53	plotted; shows as STF 60 FG 142.2" - that's the FG sep! but G is not noted per se
		STF 60	AG	259	419.7	3.52	9.53	plotted; shows as BD +56 129; NOT noted as a double - weird
		STF 60	AH	355	701.1	3.52	8.41	plotted; shows as HD 236533; a single star…
		SMR 2	AI	73	90.3	3.52	11.6	plotted but shows as TYC 03663-0284 1, single
		SMR 2	AJ	262	237.1	3.52	12.3	NOT plotted
56 And	STFA 4	STFA 4	AB	298	202.5	5.79	6.07	OK for A; but B shows as HR 556 B 204.4" - that's B to D
		BU 1368	AC	79	18.4	5.79	11.93	NOT shown
		BU 1368	BD	258	204.4	6.07	9.77	plotted but shows as single star TYC 02319-0648 1
Almaak	STF 205	STF 205	AB	63	9.4	2.31	5.02	messy, A shows as Almach A 9.4" which is good but B and C both show as 0.2"; amazingly these close stars are plotted WITH an orbit no less!
Zeta Psc	STF 100	STF 100	AB	63	23.2	5.22	6.26	OK - wow, A to B
		BU 1029	BC	75	2	6.26	12.2	OK - wow, B to C
HD 3125	STF 39	STF 39	AC	45	20.1	7.1	8.7	Meh, primary shows as HD 3125 A 0.3" - fine; do you plot B in the chart? NO!; Obj Info shows D 2 as WDS info, that's the sub-arc-second tight pair; does NOT show additional STF number; C star shows, label reads SAO 128832 C 19.6"; C to A angle in Object Info. Thankfully, C Obj Info shows STF 39.
		ALL 1	AD	159	200.8	7.1	10	plotted but shown as TYC 04675-0269 1
Nu Cet	STF 281	STF 281		80	8.4	4.97	9.08	B NOT plotted! why?!
66 Cet	STF 231	STF 231	AB	235	16.8	5.72	7.71	OK
		STF 231	AC	53	147	5.65	11.5	NOT plotted
Mesarthim	STF 180	STF 180	AB	2	7.4	4.52	4.58	A is OK but B shows as gam 1 Ari B 215.7"
		STF 180	AC	81	216.8	4.52	8.63	plotted by shows as HD 11557 CD 1.6"; but they don't plot D - lame
Zeta Per	STF 464	STF 464	AB	209	12.9	2.86	9.16	OK; sadly B star not plotted
		STF 464	AC	286	33.3	2.86	11.24	NOT plotted
		STF 464	AD	195	98.6	2.86	10.44	plotted; shows as STF 464 DE 28.1:; Object Info shows 28.1 at 149 which is the DE data
		STF 464	AE	186	120	2.86	9.96	plotted; shows as STF 464 DE 28.1: - THAT"S CONFUSING; exact same label
Miram	STF 307	STF 307	AB	301	28.7	3.76	8.5	OK for A; B shows as HD 237009 B 30.4"; Object Info shows 30.4" at 121.0° which is B to A angle
		STF 307	AC	269	64	3.76	11.61	NOT plotted
		SHJ 34	AE	297	242.9	3.76	9.24	plotted but shown as single HD 17465
		WAL 19	AF	25	57.7	3.76	11.44	NOT plotted
		WRD 1	CD	116	5.2	11.61	12.7	NOT plotted
xxxxxxxxxx	xxxxxx	xxxxxx	xxxx	xxxx	xxxxx	xxxxx	xxxxx

Now, some were OK.

Target	Parent	WDS	Pair	PA	Sep	M1	M2	SkySafari observations
HD 21700	STFA 7	STFA 7	AB	234	44.1	7.4	7.8	OK
HR 2764	HJ 3945	HJ 3945	AB	50	26.8	5	5.84	OK
HR 4363	STF 1520	STF 1520		344	12.4	6.54	7.81	OK
HD 100054	STF 1544	STF 1544		91	12.2	7.33	8.02	OK
Algorab	SHJ 145	SHJ 145	AB	215	24	2.95	8.47	OK
2 CVn	STF 1622	STF 1622		260	12.1	5.86	8.71	OK
Cor Caroli	STF 1692	STF 1692	AB	230	19.5	2.85	5.52	OK
HR 4698	STF 1633	STF 1633		245	8.9	7.04	7.13	OK
24 Com	STF 1657	STF 1657		272	20.2	5.11	6.33	OK
HD 110932	STF 1678	STF 1678		170	37.5	7.16	7.68	OK
HD 112278	STF 1689	STF 1689		223	30.2	7.11	9.13	OK
Iota Boo	STFA 26	STFA 26	AB	33	38.9	4.76	7.39	OK
Delta Boo	STFA 27	STFA 27	AB	78	105	3.56	7.89	OK; orbit line, when zoomed out, is confusing at first glance
HR 5816	STF 1962	STF 1962		190	11.7	6.44	6.49	OK
17 Dra	STF 2078	STF 2078	AB	104	3.3	5.38	6.42	OK
		STFA 30	AC	193	90	5.38	5.5	OK
		STFA 30	CD	123	123.9	5.5	11.19	OK
15 Aql	SHJ 286	SHJ 286		211	39.6	5.52	6.98	OK
57 Aql	STF 2594	STF 2594		171	35.7	5.65	6.35	OK
HR 8101	STF 2769	STF 2769	AB	300	18.2	6.65	7.42	OK
V340 Sge	H N 84	H N 84		301	28.4	6.38	9.46	OK
HR 8357	STF 2840	STF 2840	AB	197	18.1	5.64	6.42	OK
Omicron Cap	SHJ 324	SHJ 324		239	21.9	5.91	6.68	OK
Gamma 2 Del	STF 2727	STF 2727	AB	266	8.9	4.36	5.03	OK
3 Peg	STFA 56	STFA 56	AB	348	38.8	6.18	7.5	OK
10 Lac	S 813	S 813	AB	47	62.6	4.84	10.3	OK
Pi And	H 5 17	H 5 17	AB	174	35.8	4.36	7.08	OK
59 And	STF 222	STF 222		36	16.5	6.05	6.71	OK
77 Psc	STF 90	STF 90	AB	84	32.7	6.39	7.26	OK
HD 13247	STF 219	STF 219		186	11.7	8.03	8.89	OK
15 Tri	AG 304	AG 304		16	142.4	5.57	6.75	OK
Polaris	STF 93	STF 93	AB	236	18.4	2.04	9.1	OK
HD 9336	HJ 2052	HJ 2052		114	80.8	6.86	7.47	shows fine
xxxxxxxxxx	xxxxxx	xxxxxx	xxxx	xxxx	xxxxx	xxxxx	xxxxx

The second table, the one immediately above, portends another class of error, perhaps? Anything that's not a pure double, anything that's a triple or more likely will have errors.

Wow. My gut feeling is about 80% or 85% of the data is wrong, misleading, and inconsistent. Some downright confusing. And if I'm confused, how are novice double star observers feeling?

Not to be negative but that was dizzying. I was surprised by the sheer number of problems. I think I started to fade at the end. I might have missed some... I'm sure I missed some.

a great day this

Heard great news from the Toronto Centre team. Awesome news. It is a great day! And a long time coming... Let the reconcilation begin.

locked in more training

Set out new dates for Stellarium training courses, level 1 and level 2. Hopefully we'll get a third level 1 schedule in August. We might, just might, get ahead of the curve!

proposed meeting dates and times

Sent out some suggested dates and times near the end of the month for the proposed RASC national Observing Committee meeting. Had to use email because the forum tool is still not completely reliable.

updated another ST card

Updated the "working with lists" quick reference card for SkyTools 4 Visual. Huh. Suddenly, it seems, I might have training materials...

updated a SkyTools card

Updated my old SkyTools quick reference card from 2013. I wrote this with training courses in mind. That training never happened. With Melody diving into the deep end with ST4V, I offered to dust off and send her my QRC. Finished the update to the "setup" QRC.

learned HST is back

Read the SpaceFlightNow article on the Hubble Space Telescope. So glad to hear it is up and running. Last weekend, NASA got the Payload computer operating using backup components. Need to eek out a bit more from the orbital instrument...

imaged Vulpecula region - not

I wanted to image the Vulpecula region with a completely different system... For my research. When I saw it was clear out east, I programmed Mini Ralph to centre on HD 183013.

Boom. Was notified of the data capture about an hour later. Quiet queue.

§

There was no alert the morning after...

There was no new row in the completed queue...

Pictures or it didn't happen...

Oh. Wait a sec. I recall not seeing anything in the tweetie thread... Maybe it really didn't happen!

§

Used BGO in the meantime.

And then retrieved the captured image, after a computer was coaxed.

devil in the details

The A/V team lead sent a note to the prez and the speaker coordinators regarding the future return to in-person meetings. 

And he relayed that it is proving to be massively complicated...

answered SkyTools questions

Helped Melody with SkyTools 4 Visual. She asked if you can search within a list. Curiously, no. But you can sort. Assuming the Generate Plan option is not on. We checked the Messier list. Column sets. Filters, etc. A different kettle of fish... It got me thinking about my old plans to teach a course...

sent brief bug report

During our viddy call, Chris and I chatted about the issues in SkySafari with double stars. I sent him a sampler of the bugs and problems. He had offered to check things against Starry Night. That might reveal where the issues lie...

updated forms

Updated the Stellarium course evaluation forms (in Google) for the instructor name. Now that I have a big team!

remotely reviewed app

Had a video call with Chris V. Astro-geek-out, battery talk, routers, etc. But I needed some help with my next Journal article, to feature an iOS iPhone app. He graciously gave me some of him valuable time and acted as my eyes and ears.

posted Jul '21 doubles list

Prepared my double star "bulletin." It is a short list of suggested targets. I shared this on the RASC Toronto Centre forum. I post here for all.

§ 

When the Moon phase is around full, you might think you can only clean dirty eyepieces. In fact, you can do lots of astronomy. Double stars, for example, punch through bright skies. Assuming you can find stars to star hop or align, you can have a ton of fun.

Here's a short selection of doubles from my life list, ones I find interesting and impressive. 

star	also known as	alternate catalogue(s)
ζ CrB	7 CrB, Σ1965	SAO 64834, HIP 76669
PPM 20621	BRD 3 in Dracro	TYC 04212-0419 1
100 Her	Σ2280	SAO 85753, HIP 88818
61 Oph	Σ2202	SAO 122690, HIP 86831
β Sco	Graffias, Acrab, H 3 7	SAO 159682, HIP 78820

For PPM 20621 I couldn't find SAO or HIP catalogue references so use the J2000 RA/Dec coordinates 17°52.8 and +67°00.

Blake Nancarrow 
astronomy at computer-ease dot com

Notable double star designations:
Σ = F. Struve, STF

learned of new liaison

Learned from Charles E that the RASC national board met last night. He went on to say that one of the new directors, Malhar of the Prince George Centre, became the new Board Liaison.

received confirmation from baader

Oh no. It's true.

Yesterday I sent a message to the Baader Planetarium people in Germany inquiring about the Micro Guide eyepiece with reticule. I asked for the status of this excellent eyepiece for measuring. I had heard it was discontinued!

Hello Mr. Nancarrow,

Your fellow astronomer was right.  We are not producing it any more.

Best regards
Carlo Orlandi
BAADER PLANETARIUM GMBH

This is a sad day.

How will people visually measure doubles?

clear blue

Clear blue skies as I walked to and from the blood donor clinic. No forest fire smoke. First time in days! Looking like it'll be clear tonight. Except that it's a nearly full Moon! Grrr.

the developer reached out

What? The developer for RASC national office sent me a message asking for my input. They are getting ready to deploy digest mode for the forums. They want a general outline for out information should be laid out in the digest email. They want my opinion? Well, that's crazy.

Blue Origin completes first official flight

Bezos and crew, of Blue Origin aboard New Shepard, went to space (or close to space). Following SpaceX's event by a few days. The Billionaires club. To be blunt, this is not space traveller for the masses. We're a loooong way from that. Still, it was cool that he invited Wally Funk.

learned of backlog

The Executive Director replied. Late at night. At least he's prompt.

He started, "For what it’s worth I haven’t received mine yet, either." I believe that was an attempt to make me feel better. It did not make me feel better. It told me the problem was wide-spread.

He explained, "We didn’t order enough pins with our first order." Understood. Don't want to have a surplus.

But as soon as they ran out, a quick email should have gone out to the others standing in line. Members regularly complain of being in the dark (no pun intended). A courtesy note would have been assuring. Tell us. We can take it, bad news. We just wanna know.

And then it hit me. Knowing of an order for pins, as the Observing Committee chair, would have been especially helpful. Might have been able to dovetail an order of our own...

Another example of poor communication, operating in crisis mode, myopic perspective, not thinking outwardly, silos. Ugh. An opportunity missed. We could have realised some economies.

Finally, he said "the packages were just sent out." and intimated they should arrived in a few days.

In a few days, I'll be hounding again.

asked about GA package

Messaged RASC national office. Reminded them I ordered my General Assembly "package" in mid-June, 17 June, to be exact.

It's been over one month.

I said that I had received nothing in the mail, no package.

Nor an email notification as to the status.

helped astronomers

Bruce and Melody phoned. We talked about the best fit for them regarding SkyTools. I also asked about an update on reticule eyepieces...

proofed piece

Proofed my next article for the Canadian astronomy magazine. It looked good!

tore down toaster

Tore down the found toaster. KitchenWorks T39. Lots of parts I can harvest, like springs and cages, AC cord.

Oh. A little bit of electronics on board (that's probably what failed). Can get those parts too.

That board has resistors, bimetallic strips, a transistor, an electrolytic, and an IC! What?!

I have never seen nichrome in a flat ribbon. This might be useful in low-profile applications.

Testing time!

Tested the horizontal strips, which were on the outside. Around 3 ohms.

Tested the diagonal strips, the central heater. Around 6 ohms.

All photos with the motorola e6.

received August Journal notification

Member Services sent out the notification for the latest Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. This is the August 2021 issue.

Great photo on the cover, with the eclipsed Sun beyond the CN Tower of downtown Toronto. This alludes to all the amazing imagery within. 

Judy and Jay Anderson shared their experiences with the auroral curiosity STEVE. Mark Zalcik submitted a paper on noctilucent clouds. There's an update on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Once again, we're joined by John Percy as he talks about the preservation of angular motion. Rosenfeld takes an unflinching look at human rights in astronomy (or lack thereof) in the past.

My Binary Universe column is about the mesmerising app Skywheel. It looks simple but it is deceptively rich.

§

The Journal is available to the public. Download it now. Enjoy!

jumped into the A/V meeting

Attended the A/V committee team meeting. We talked about the multitude of issues in resuming in-person meetings. Devil in the details...

installed new keyboard

Treated myself to a Red Dragon RGB keyboard for my desktop computer, John Max. The specific model is the Mitra, K551.

Surprisingly heavy. Clearly not made of plastic only. Mechanical keys, clack, clack, clack—which I love.

Of course, the main reason for this was to have an easy-to-use keyboard in low-light. And during astronomy sessions, one that I could operate in red light mode.

There's a Fn (fun) key on it. It allows control of lighting modes. But documentation was a little lacking and I could not figure out how to get one colour to be on and remain at steady brightness. Downloaded the app, but it didn't work...

§

Sunday, I did another search, found the software on a Thailand web page. Technically for the Vara keyboard, but compatible. Lots of controls, including brightness. I set up a profile to run the keyboard in red colour, steady, no pulsing. Perfect.

§

Learning to touch-type was an amazing thing. I was so surprised to discover that I could type in complete darkness. Still, an illuminated keyboard is very useful.

§

Is my error rate going down?! It feels like I'm making less typos as I go... I dunno. But maybe the mechanical keys have something to do with that!

picked up SU

Retrieved the repair computer system unit, with new SSD disk, from Canada Computers (thank you extended warranty). The tower computer for controlling the Paramount ME at the Geoff Brown Observatory. Forgot to check if they put the OS back on. I will assume they did. I'll need to reload the software, TheSkyX, for operating the robotic mount... Haul it up there as soon as I can.

helped with Stellarium course again

Helped Al as he taught the Stellarium level 1 course. His first go, like Kersti the night before. Now we're 4 veteran trainers!

helped with Stellarium course

Helped Kersti as she taught the Stellarium level 1 course. Managed the lobby. Answered some technical questions. Sent out the eval.

watched the flight

Watched the flight of Unity today, from and back to New Mexico. Another fascinating moment in human spaceflight. That was kinda cool, Chris Hadfield giving out The Wings.

back cover spotting

Received a "congrats" message from Jeff B. He noted my eclipse photo in "colour [on the] back cover the upcoming RASC Journal."

two or three stars

Popped outside. I was so curious to check the sky conditions. Cloudy or really bad transparency. Or both. I could only see a couple of stars to the north and no stars to the south. On looking straight up, I noted Vega was fuzzy. Sheesh. Looks like I made the right weather call for the weekend. But I'm still not happy.

chatted with Melody

Had a good long chat with Melody on the Double Stars observing program. Lots o' learning, both ways.

learned of end dates

Received a formal note from Skyhound. Subject: Support for SkyTools 3 is Ending. Technical support will end on August 31. And by the end of year, regular updates of current comets, minor planets, and novae/supernovae for SkyTools 3 will cease.

scratched

Don and I chatted. He felt the weekend was likely going to be a washout. I agreed. We stared at our calendars... What a rotten run of weather.

buoyed by a member

Heard from a RASC member while I was discussing the RASC national observing programs, including our newest one. They said,

I was excited to see the new Double Star Program, and I started on it this spring as I love doubles too.  Nothing beats a great night at a dark site but those opportunities are much too infrequent (for most of us), so to be able to observe many other interesting objects from the convenience of my back yard, and virtually all month long, and learn about them while doing it, it’s absolutely fantastic.

Wow. That's a boost.

pitched by aerospace co.

Bit of a strange ad, eh? This popped up on a communications web site I regularly use. I suspect it was placed there because I use SpaceFlightNow often and visit NASA frequently.

But I'm not likely going to be hiring or paying Lockheed any time soon. I don't have a nano-sat I need to get into orbit, thank you. I don't think there are any services of theirs that I need at the moment. Or could afford!

And the image... That's maybe not the best choice of image to show right now. Am I right?

started an audit

Initiated an audit of observing certificates today, so to ensure people are receiving "the hardware." Well, the certificate paper proper. And maybe the pins.