Complete! IAS Novice/Urban Observing List for December 2013

Although we only had about 5 total nights of clear skies in all of December, I managed to get 6 objects off the list all in the same night! On December 27 I filled 3 rounds of my 4GB memory card - emptying it on the computer and heading back outside between each round. My new Camera (T5i) is 18MP instead of 8MP and only fits about 150 RAW images per batch. I just ordered a 64GB card that should last me about as long as the battery (hopefully).

I also got a ton of new equipment for Christmas and my birthday, and I hope to take my astrophotography to the next level in 2014! I still need to get around to writing a full equipment recap for all my new stuff.

• Alpha Piscium, double star in Pisces
• Stock 2, open cluster in Cassiopeia ✔
• Gamma Andromedae, double star in Andromeda
• Iota Trianguli, double star in Triangulum
• NGC 869 / NGC 884, the famed ”Double Cluster”, two open clusters in Perseus ✔
• Alpha Ursa Minoris, ”Polaris”, double star in Ursa Minor (Observed but couldn't resolve into two stars)
• M34, open cluster in Perseus ✔
• Beta Persei, ”Algol”, variable star in Perseus
• M45, the ”Pleiades” or ”Seven Sisters”, open cluster in Taurus ✔
• ”Kemble's Cascade”, nearly linear asterism in Camelopardalis ✔
• Challenge Object #1: M77, galaxy in Cetus ✔
• Challenge Object #2: Comet ISON, eastern sky before dawn (Broke up around the sun)