In Japan, "Tuyu", rainy season was over, and equatorial summer has come at last. It is heat wave at 35℃ or thereabout every day. Japan lies east of Asia continent and south of the Pacific. In summer the archipelago I live in is covered by stable the Pacific high pressure system, so it's clear and hot day every day, a special weeks to be able to watch the star at the beginning of August.

 I derived under the clear night sky, putting CPC1100 on my car, after a long separation yesterday. The wonderful night sky coming up to my expectations waited for me. First I directed CPC1100 to M57 and M13 which are famous spots in the summer nigh sky. I entered the number into the controller, and then the big tube moved to hit the target over the soft noise of motor. My eye chased the moving eyepiece. I waited as I held my breath at the brief time. I became to pulsate when I could notice the final stage which it hit by the noise turning to low. CPC1100 perfectly caught it and a beautiful view come into my sight. "Well, well, well" It's a great pleasure to search for the heavenly bodies.

 I always look at it directly, askance, and changing some eyepieces for some time. Then I observe its feature by degrees. It's a proper appearances by naked eye, differs widely than the photograph.

 

Look at my sketch of M13 belong the Hercules, it is not good. It is not a figure of simple globe; we can see some branches gathering many stars. But they cannot see on the photograph, probably are buried by innumerable stars exposing for a long time.

From astronomy sketches

In M57, belong the Lyre; one side of elliptic ring appears like a tulip's flower.

From astronomy sketches

A certain observatory in Japan took photographs with some filters which narrow wavelength only are gotten through, for catching only light which particular element radiates, helium, oxygen, and nitrogen. The figure which I saw looks like one of oxygen. Gunma observatory' web site (http://www.astron.pref.gunma.jp/gallery/m57.html) We see the patterns vary with wavelength. 

Bellows are my sketches of three planetary nebulas belong the Cygnus. Compare them with space telescopes.

NGC7027 sees a bright oval. It is magnified with CPC110 by 466 times.

 

From astronomy sketches

Refer Hubble Site. (http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/nebula/pr1998011d/）Like this it also  is a pleasure to compare between my sketches and the leading edge's spherical photograph.

NGC7026 is called The Cheeseburger Nebula. First it sees like mere white pale cloud with naked eye  by 466 times, looking at it for a time and it begins to be appeared a dark and narrow ditch.

From astronomy sketches

Refer Hubble Site. (http://www.astro.washington.edu/users/balick/PNeHST/NGC7026_7501.jpg)

NGC6826 is called The Blinking Nebula which is explain "It is so named because when viewed through a small telescope the nebula appears to blink or disappear as the observer scans the eyepiece."　 I clearly saw the simple circular nebula which there is the mother's star at the center at all times by 311 times.

From astronomy sketches

Refer Hubble Site, it see surprising shape.（http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/nebula/pr1997038d/）

Good-bye! for now.

Whoopee! My CPC1100 long-awaited came back, finish to repairing interval of eight months at last after. I'm very happy.

I spent a wonderful night with her last night. She guided me to the heavenly bodies which I hope to watch accurately. The sky condition was not too well. Pale galaxies didn't show clearly. But I enjoyed M51, M104, NGC4565 and so on. However globular cluster, M3 astoished me that it showed like the big ball of innumberable silver sand. I could discriminate a lot of star one by one on the ball. Like this our reunion passed without notice.

The sketches with CPC1100

Below is my sketches, M51 in Canes Venatici, NGC4565 in Coma Borealis and M3 in Canes Venatici.

The views in my aria.

June, it's the turn of the season to summer from spring just now in Japan. Paddy fields finished rice planting spread out around my aria. Green rice shoot keep ranks in water. This time, water is necessary for the growth of rice. There are always the reservoirs up them. Water is running down through ditches trenched skillfully. The sound of water sound "choro-choro" gently.

The Divine

People have thought the Divines govern the growth of crops, rain, sunshine, and the luxuriance. So there are the place enshrined them in every village. They are consecrate, prayed, and appreciated when the harvest finish. This heritage has come down since few thousand years. I hope that the inheritance will take over with nature, though the developments have advanced in the countryside too and destroyed beutifull nature.

I enjoyed spring's galaxies with Celestron NexStar 102 SLT at last night. There was not a single cloud in the sky. I fell spring's constellations are quiet and graceful manner. The sky is a trade fair for much various galaxies.

The weather is a characteristic the sky is not clear by water vapors in Japan. Last night is same conditions.

I always control not to draw uncertain figures without I can see with my eye. So they are not at all brilliant or beautiful. But it is very happy for me because I have the sense of light which comes to our small earth all the way through my naked eye.

M104 in Virgo came to my eye for 460 million years at last night.M81 in Ursa Major did 11.8 million years and M105 in Leo was 38 million. So I have been crazy about an astronomical telescope.

M104 in Virgo with Celestron NexStar102SLT with 9mm eyepiece. 02, May, 2010

M81 in Ursa Major with Celestron NexStar102SLT with 9mm eyepiece. 02, May, 2010

M105(under) and NGC 3384 in Ursa Major with Celestron NexStar102SLT with 9mm eyepiece. 02, May, 2010

My CPC1100 has not come from the agency of Celestron in Japan yet. I called to press the person in charge of repair. He said I I'll send off the cpc1100 at the end of April but it has not reached me.

The heaviest cold wave of this winter has covered Japan.

The other day, my oldest daughter dressing in Kimono went to the grown-up ceremony for twenty years old people. It is a special custom in Japan. My wife had been very eager in her dressing Kimono since the night before as if she got on for twenty years old herself. She seemed to fill her heart for her mother especially.

Last night it was pretty cold and enough to freeze me. But the night sky was clear. I couldn't sit after seeing it and, wore very much clothing like in a space suit, go out with my Celestron NexStar 102 SLT. I sketched six objects with gloves on. So they were a little rough drawing.

Three open clusters in Auriga, M36, M37, and M38 could be distinguished the features by sketching carefully. M37 was the closest of them and innumerable little stars couldn't be plotted out on the sheet by looking at it out of the corner of my eye. Every cluster is an interesting object for small telescope. I recommend you to take pleasure in the difference of features when observing Auriga like a treasure ship freighted with open clusters.

M1, Crab Nebula was pale. I couldn't see the figure constricted in the middle like astronomy photos while taking extreme care. Can you see it?

The Eskimo Nebula, NGC 2392 could be distinguished from stars plainly. Its light was little spread out and had the clearer core. It was differed from a neighboring star.

 

M79 is a globular cluster. I couldn't distinguish any stars in it.

 

I haven't gotten the clear night sky without moon for a long time. At last it came over! I sketched some objects with Celestron NexStar 102 SLT as always.

I tried to shot M45 by small camera equipped my cellular phone. This is it. I e-mailed the poor photo to my friend. His answer returned to me by e-mailed. He wrote "Great!!" :) I wish CCD camera! ;)

Please, look at my photo by my naked eye camera.

H61-7 (NGC1528) in Per

Many small stars are sparkling. I cannot put them on a circle of a notebook one by one. Type; OC, M; 6.4, Size; 24′, Note; 14 Nov, 2009. Seeing; 3 Eyepiece; 25mm (×26) H60-7 NGC1513 > in Per

Type; OC, M; 8.7, Size; 9′ , Note; 14 Nov, 2009. Seeing; 3Eyepiece; 12mm (×55)
I can dot seven stars surely but the other stars are too small to draw. H100-1 NGC584>in Cet

Type; GX, M; 10.4, Size; 3′, Dis; 91million light-years Note; 14 Nov, 2009. Seeing; 3Eyepiece; 9mm (×73)
This galaxy seems like a star nearly with 12mm eyepiece and can be barely distinguished from the other small stars by my hunch. With 9mm eyepiece, it seems very small cloud including a core. NGC2068M78>in Ori

Type; NE, M; 8.5>, Size; 8′ × 6′>, Note; 14 Nov, 2009. Seeing; 3Eyepiece; 12mm (×55)
This nebula is like a pretty mascot with two small eyes and seems like a flatfish too.

NGC 650 and 651 M76>in Per

Type;PN, M; 10.1>, Size; 6' x 4'>, Note; 14 Nov, 2009. Seeing; 3Eyepiece; 9mm (×73)
This planet nebula is very pale for Messier object. It is rectangle.

Thank you for your looking. English is difficult for me yet.

Fall, which is the best season for watching stars, is getting on. The night sky is sowed with large and small countless stars as if a panorama reversed the shining sandy beach.

Beyond Midnight the Orionids rised in the east. The Orion Nebula spreaded its wing wide. I expected meteoroids looking up the sky. It had been quiet momentarily. Then a sharp light with white gases slashed the dark sky suddenly. Again quietness came. It was done over. I counted 12 per a half hour. The meteor shower features fast and created a shining trail of gases.

By the way, it is the Herschel objects I want to talk this time. Last week I read "The Herschel objects and How to Observe Them" written by Mr. James Mullaney, F.R.A.S that is translated into Japanese. The revolutionary book for Japanese astronomers has deeply impressed me with the honorable achievement by William Herschel and observing Herschel objects. I learned for the first time that he had observed mostly with two 20ft telescopes equipped 30cm and 47cm mirror than a giant 40th, made his catalog of deep sky objects with them.

At Once I've tried to search and watch, sketch them with Celestron NexStar 102 SLT. It wasn't easy to recognize Herschel objects by my telescope first. I see there wasn't an object in the sight where it ought to be by low power, but looked about there for a minute, and appeared it vaguely, then saw by higher power, next found it surely. This time I tried open clusters. A lot of them were small, pale or sparse. But I was greatly touched by them, because all of them ware astronomical open clusters that ware different from superficial gathers rightly. I've amazed that he with his younger sister devoted his life to hunting the sky for them and accomplished to make his list of 2508 objects in the 18th century when Astrometry had been all and Astrophysics was not. I've realized so when I searched and watched sketched 18 open clusters in them.

I show all of my observation. They were not very good because I was insufficient and often interrupted clouds. From now on, I'll try the supplementary Herschel objects of the book. I would like to express to Mr. James Mullaney my gratitude for a lot of suggesting how to observe them.

Class 6

H 31-6 (NGC663), Cas, Type; OC, M;7.1, Size; 16′ Note; 17 Aug,2009. Seeing; 4　Eyepiece; 9mm (×89)

×89

H 30-6 (NGC7789), Cas, Type; OC, M; 6.7, Size; 16′ Note; 17 Aug,2009. S2　Eyepiece; 9mm (×89) View; It seems like cloud when looking in it. A lot of very small stars are twinkling when looking at it out from the corner of my eye.

×89

Class 7

H 45-7 (NGC436), Cas, Type; OC, M; 8.8, Size; 6′ Note; 17 Aug,2009. Seeing; 4 Eyepiece; 9mm (×89) View; A few stars seem in a small cloud. The cloud cannot is distinguished thoroughly.

×89

H 42-7 (NGC457), Cas, Type; OC, M; 6.4, Size; 13′Note; 17 Aug,2009. Seeing; 4 Eyepiece; 9mm (×89) View; Large and small stars gather round.

×89

H 48-7 (NGC559), Cas, Type; OC, M; 9.5, Size; 7′ Note; 17 Aug,2009. Seeing; 4 Eyepiece; 9mm (×89) View; It's very open as if doubtful. But it is an open cluster surely.

×89

H 49-7 (NGC637), Cas, Type; OC, M; 8.2, Size; 4′Note; 17 Aug,2009. Seeing; 4 Eyepiece; 9mm (×89) View; Some stars appear like a rough cloud when looking at it out from the corner of my eye.

×89

H 46-7 (NGC654), Cas, Type; OC, M; 6.5, Size; 5′ Note; 17 Aug,2009. Seeing; 4 Eyepiece; 9mm (×89) View; Many twinkle stars appear when looking at it out from the corner of my eye.

×89

H 47-7 (NGC1502), Cam, Type; OC, M; 5.7, Size; 8′ Note; 20 Aug,2009. Seeing; 5 Eyepiece; 12mm (×67) View; It's very beautiful. Golden two stars are bright and small stars spread out in four directions evenly.

×67

H 56-7 (NGC7790), Cas, Type; OC, M; 8.5, Size; 17′ Note; 17 Aug,2009. Seeing; 2 Eyepiece; 9mm (×89) View; Small cloud appears around three stars.

×89

Class 8

H 59-8 (NGC129), Cas, Type; OC, M; 6.5, Size; 21′ Note; 20 Aug,2009. Seeing; 5 Eyepiece; 12mm (×67) View; Small stars dot sparsely a equilateral.

×67

H 78-8 (NGC225), Cas, Type; OC, M; 7, Size; 12′ 　 Note; 20 Aug,2009. Seeing; 5 Eyepiece; 12mm (×67) and 9mm (×89) View; By a 67-power, A group of Twinkle small stars appears near a stars which is five magnitude star next to γstar. By a 67-power, they are clear.

×67

×89

H 85-8 (NGC1545), Per, Type; OC, M; 6.2, Size; 18′ Note; 20 Aug,2009. Seeing; 2 Eyepiece; 12mm (×67) and 9mm (×89) View; There is the b1, which is a variable star belong ELL-type, in the field. This object is close to it. A concourse of a few small stars appears through slight cloud.

×67

×89

H 70-8 (NGC1582), Per, Type; OC, M; 7p, Size; 37′ Note; 20 Aug,2009. Seeing; 2 Eyepiece;12mm (×67) View; A round arch, which traced with six bright stars, is prominent. There are small stars along it but very few in the inside.

×67

H 67-8 (NGC7160), Cep, Type; OC, M; 6.1, Size; 7′ Note; 18 Aug,2009. Seeing; 2 Eyepiece; 9mm (×89) View; A slender cross shapes from four brighter stars. Small stars dot sparsely around the star, which is the top of the cross.

×89

H 77-8 (NGC7380), Cep, Type; OC, M; 7.2, Size; 12′ Note; 18 Aug,2009. Seeing; 4 Eyepiece;12mm (×67) and 9mm (×89) View; By a 67-power, the shape of T seem like cloud. By 89-power, Seven stars has pointed like a shape of a spoon. Small stars are studded sparsely.

×67

×89

H 69-8 (NGC7686), And, Type; OC, M; 5.6, Size; 15′ Note; 20 Aug,2009. Seeing; 4 Eyepiece; 12mm (×67) View; Four stars, which include the brightest red star, form trapezoid and small stars dot sparsely.

×67

Excuse me, I cannot write well in English.

I've not gotten much opportunity of clear night sky lately. It's often cloudy at the main night for me, even so fair in the daytime when I care about the skies to work in my office. I've been just disappointed in the evening.

I show my sketches of objects to draw at the limited chances with Celestron NexStar 102 SLT.

M17 in Sagittarius NGC253（HⅤ-1） in Sculptor

M103 in Cassiopeia NGC659 in Cassiopeia

M31 and NGC205 in Andromeda M33 in Triangulum

How do you see them with your telescope? I saw thus.

At next morning, the grass glistened with dew. Little wildflowers came out around rice fields. There are stars at night and wildflowers at morning in my area.

It will be fair at tonight, probably, maybe, perhaps or possibly. Sky! Give me clear night, please.

My family did "Tsukimi" last night. We arranged "Tsukimi dango" and pampas grass on a table and keep the east window open. How do I explain "Tsukimi" of Japanese custom?. Well, well...Full moon last night is just Harvest moon. We've done "Tsukimi" at the night every year. "Tsukimi" spells "月見" in Chinese characters. "月(tsuki)" means "Moon". "見(mi)" means "Look". So "Tsukimi" is the happy custom to look at moon one time in a year. "Tsukimi dango" is Japanese cake. It is a rice dumpling and spherical form like full moon. The taste is the faintly sweet.

"It is beautiful full moon, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Let's eat dango early. I am very hungry."

After Tsukimi, I went out with Celestron NexStar 102 SLT telescope. The moon vividly showed through a rift in the clouds sometimes. I directed the telescope to the full moon and shot it by my simple camera of cellular phone looked into a 40mm eyepiece directly. Then I e-mailed the photo my older daughter who is at university and lives alone in Nara.

Meanwhile she sent a photo me. It was a sight of a classic and magnificent Tsukimi festival the ancient capital.

I realized that my family always has been connected each other under the sky. Full moon shed over the shrine near my house.

I imagine with seeing the member's profile photo. What situation does everybody watch and take a photo the night sky in? Are you in a prairie or a vast plain stretching as far as you can see? Or are you in a favorite observatory of your own composition or a balcony of your house? I've stretched my imagination and given my heart to amateur astronomers in the world with friendship.

I show you my watching situation. Fukuyama city I live is in Hiroshima Prefecture. My city has about a 426,000 population and the large scale iron foundry. I live on the west outskirts of the urban district. The east sky is covered with the light of the city at night. But I have a passable starry sky at midnight and enjoy astronomy.

When it will be clear night sky, I am going ot walk to my fahavorite poin with my telescope.

This is Japanese shrine in my path.

I'll walk in five minuites on this way.

Then I'll arrived at a children's field. Here is my point to object night sky.

This is a view near my house.

The rice paddy fields are spread over.

Amaryllidaceous flowers blossom in the shore of ditches tending to rice paddy fields.

I often commute to my office on National route2 by my bicycle. There is my office at Kasumi shopping arcade.

By the way, Look at my new sketches, please. The following is my sketch with Celestron Next Star 102 SLT.

M39 in Cygnus；×20 M15 in Pegasus;×88

NGC 7331 in Pegasus;×88 The Pleiades（M45)in Taurus ;×20

How beautiful the Pleiades is! Blule stars gather around. I was gazing at the open cluster . It was very difficult to dot the position of star one by one exactly. I mistaked the positions of some stas and erased the pencil marks with an eraser to put right. But some pale erased marks seem in the circle.

The book is "The stargazing year" written by Mr.Charles Laird Calia, translated in Japanese as the title "I had always gazed a starry sky, observatory in the backyard".

I chanced to see the title at the astronomy corner in the municipal library where I've often visited a day January this year. I awaked old memories of my childhood when I took the book without intention and turned over some pages, read here and there. I was taken my breath away. "Why, the man is going to realize his dreams of youth. I might be able to do as he had done." In those days I had putted myself into my work day and night entirely and I had taken more important post in an organization. I had only looked up the night sky in return road, though I have kept astronomy which was the first dream in my childhood all the time. Then I selected Celestron from among many established company of telescope. I am very happy now. My job and astronomy have been consistent with myself, only I only occasionally become sleepy. ;-)

Now it is good season for observing in Japan. Night sky is clear. Mosquitoes don't be fling. It breezes comfortably. Bellow is my sketch at last night.

M75 is a globular cluster in Sagittarius. I think it is smaller in globular clusters messier number. The central part was small and a little rough, the periphery was very pale

Messier 30 is a globular cluster in Capricornus. The body was larger and the bright part was wider than M75.Especialy, the bright part seemed close stars ball.

The Double Cluster (NGC 884 and NGC 869) is open clusters in the Perseus. It's very difficult to dot many stars in the field one by one with patience. I abandoned to write all of stars.

M 52 is an open cluster in Cassiopeia. It showed like pale cloud by 20diamaeters and seemed small many stars to crowd by 88diamaeters, but couldn't separate all stars.

Messier 77 is a galaxy in Cetus. It is about 47 million light-years away. Wow! I seemed small and pale circular cloud with the central core near to a star. However keeping my eye fixed, I couldn't see more than it.

By the way, I've studied English hard of late.