Mizar!! . . .and a few hundred billion companions

What a wonder a new pair of glasses are. Of course, you can't see anything if you don't look and I haven't been doing enough looking lately.

Last night I went out to the observatory about 7. It was around 22 with gusty winds. I fiddled with the GEM mount on the 80mm ED, and in the process knocked over my tea - but didn't know it. Then when I went o to get a sip I discovered a large puddle on my counter top, frozen already into a miniature lake. Not a drop left in the insulated mug. So yes, I got a glimpse of M42 and spent some time with the seven maidens - but basically, I never settled down and I was as cold as the frozen tea, tired and cranky, so I came in and went to bed before 10.

Up at 3 am, I could have been out by 4 pm after puppy duty - but I checked temperature and wind speed - 14 degrees, wind 10 mph and gusting to 24 mph - seeing poor - transparency OK. Uh uh. I meditated for 30 minutes instead.

But when I finished meditating in the library, my eyes were dark adapted and I opened the sliding glass doors and peaked out. Gorgeous. Yes, cold. And windy. But beautiful. There was Jupiter, low in the southeast, pealeping through the bare trees. And Vega and Deneb were well up in the east - warm weather friends for a cold winter's morning. I closed the doors, got my coat and gloves, grabbed the 15X45 IS Canons, and my relatively new bifocals. Glasses are a nuisance, but I hadn't really given these a try on the sky.

Oh my - sharp, pinpoint stars - how mnice! But my real surprise was when I looked at familiar Mizar high over head. For the first time in my life I could see it's companion! To make sure I had it right, I raised the binoculars and checked the position angle - yep - just where I saw it with nothing but the bifocals. I've always been jealous when I point Mizar out to others with younger, better eyes and they immediately pick up the "rider." So there - a first!

I took off my glasses and raised the binoculars - I was cold already. but I took a quick tour. First I walked the line between Arcturus and Cor Caroli - I knew the beautiful globular M3 should be roughly 12 degrees along that line - a little more than two glasses - bingo! I then scooted over and up until I felt I found both M51 - the Whitrlpool galaxy, and M101, though I admit the latter was very ghost-like and could have been more in my imagination than my eye. Switching to Albireo, I fine-tuned the focus and easily picked up the fainter, blue companion star to this golden sun.

Next stop the Ring Nebula - yep, a little out-of-focus "star" right where it should be. Hey, M27 should be easy! It was . And from it I skidded on down to the familiar old Coathanger cluster (or non-cluster) which nearly filled the field of view with its handful of bright stars in their perfect asterism. That was enough. It was cold - no wait. I got to check out M13 - simple - and M92 – a little harder. Oh - and certainly I should be able to see M81 and M82! Yep.

So - score for the morning peek - two double stars, three ancient star cities (globular clusters) and three - possibly four - galaxies. In just a few, brief, chilly moments, I had renewed acquaintance with several hundred billion stars in various arrangements, a neighboring planet, and a couple of stars that had blown off smoke rings. I had journeyed back millions of years in time, and captured the light energy that had been coming my way across several million light years of space. Not the most extensive of observing sessions - but very satisfying and certainly whetting my appetite for warmer nights to come.