Telescope Tip – Easily Slide a Bulky Telescope

I love my Orion SkyQuest 8XT Dobsonian, but it’s a bit bulky and hard to move. I found using the “moving men” or “amazing sliders” work wonders. Put one under each of the legs and slide the telescope. It’s now easy to get my telescope to a better view. Also, the legs don’t get caught on any of the gaps between the boards of my deck.

2008-01-07 Starlog

January 7, 2008
8:30 pm - 9:15 pm

Equipment
Orion Dobsonians XT8, 32mm, 25mm, 12mm, 10x50 Bushnell binoculars

Observed:
Mars


Pleiades

Gemini

• M34
• Castor
• Pollux
• Alhena

Auriga

• v Aur
• l Aur
  
• M37

Orion

• Orion Nebula
• 
  
• Betelgeuse
• 
  
• Bellatrix
• Mintaka
• Alnilam
• Alnitak
• Rigel
• Saiph

Cool Lights - ISS and 2 satellites together in the sky

Look up in the sky early 1/2/2008 around 6:50am to the west to see ISS and 2 other satellite together. They will start in the west near the Pyxis constellation and end northeast in the Cygnus constellation.

What to watch in January 2008

Early evening (6:30pm)
Planets

• Mars - sitting close to the constellations Taurus
• Neptune - in Capricornus
• Uranus - in Aquarius

Mercury will start to peek over the western horizon in the Capricornus constellation early evening on January 11 and will peek on around January 20th.

Here are a few objects to keep an eye out for:

Close to Mars:

• M35 Open Cluster in Gemini
• M37 Open Cluster in Auriga

Comets
Tuttle - East near the constellation Aries.

Looking East
Pleiades (m45) - open cluster near Orion. Beautiful object to view in a binoculars.
Andromeda Galaxy (m31) - galaxy in Andromeda constellation


Looking West
NGC700 - Diffuse Nebula in Cygnus


Early Morning (6:30am)
Planets

• Venus - sitting between Scorpius and Libra
• Saturn - in Leo
• Mars - sitting close to the constellations Taurus

Jupiter will start to rise in the Sagittarius constellation around January 20 in the east. Also, Pluto will make an appearance around January 10.