The evening started out mostly clear at around 7 PM. By the time I reached the DRAACO observation site, wispy clouds have taken over almost half of the sky. Visibility was on and off from clear, hazy, to cloudy. I used the September SkyMaps again but my intended targets were covered by clouds so I found these alternate targets instead. Sky conditions continued to deteriorate throughout the night. My finder scope did not dew up, thanks to my new dew shield.
Object #9: M33
Location: DRAACO, Orono, ON
Date/Time: Sep. 26, 2013 9:40 PM
Constellation: Andromeda
Seeing: Poor with 50% cloud cover
Telescope: D=305 mm F=1500 mm
Magnification: 62 x @ 82° AFOV
Notes: Difficult to resolve the structure. Star field was rich. It was a dark grey dim blob.
On September 17, 2013, I officially started the pursuit of my Messier 30 certificate. It is an exciting awards program for astronomy club members and a way for amateur astronomers to keep track of their observations. The Messier 30 is the first milestone in AstronomyForum.net‘s certificate program. The Durham Region Astronomy Association also has one.