The "Spring Square" - a new constellation!

I overslept, so when I got up just before 5 am I knew there wan't too much to be gained by setting up a scope. Still, as I headed downstairs I glanced out through the door to the upstairs deck and was shocked to see a new constellation rising in the east!

Yes, it's been a while since I've seen these late winter – well, spring almost – constellations which is what you get at this hour in the fall, but how could there be this perfect square in the east? That's what it was, a wonderful square, like the square of Pegasus, now long gone to the northwest. Actually abit smaller and easier to point out.

I wracked my brain as I headed for the bathroom. Four bright stars – what follows Gemni? Well, Leo, I think – some dim stuff, of course, but the next bright constellation is Leo and it doesn't present a square. Maybe it's just the process of a slow dawn – and slow awakening – but by the time I had brushed my teeth I had it figured out. I went downstairs, grabbed a couple eyepieces, then headed for the upstairs deck with the little Orion 4.5-inch DOB.

Sure enough. One look through the scope at real low power confirmed – there was Saturn! Always a beautiful sight, it has now joined Regulus and a few other of Leo's brighter stars to form a near perfect square. It's fascinating. Seems like only yesterday – well, I think it was two years ago – Saturn was making the heavenly Twins look like Triplets. Now it has wandered on down into Leo to give us the "Spring Square."

Take the familiar sickle of Leo:

Add Saturn – and Voila – I give you the Spring Square! Of course by Spring it may be distorted some, since it depends on that pesky wandering habit of Saturn. ;-)

BTW – the little Dob did fine in revealing the rings nicely with a 10mm Plossl eyepiece (81X). It also split Castor – though it was not clean. Using a 32 mm Plossl eyepiece (28X) it gave a wonderful wide-field view of the Orion Nebula, nicely splitting the Trapezium, but also giving a real sense of context. And the same eyepiece grabbed a handful of Pleiades – well, about 45-50, for a beautiful display even though the pre-dawn light was really interfering by then.

I got this scope for kids, but when it's not being used that way, it sits in my bedroom, ready to do quick duty on the upstairs deck. It's light, convenient, and simple - though I think it would have performed alittle better this morning if it had had a little cool-down time. Maybe I should find a way to store it on the deck so it's always ready for use on short notice. The advanatage of the deck, btw, is that it's give me a clear eastern horizon - great for getting a jump on the constellations of the next season in the early morning hours. As many reviewers have said - it's also a darned nice little scope, thugh I still need to find the most comfortable way to use it. I had put it on a small table, but I'm going to try putting it right on the deck and using cushions for my creaky old body - when it's on the lawn kids take to it fine, though they sometimes make me a bit nervous with their entusiasm, running over to it and coming to a sliding stop on their knees just before a collision. ;-)