Camelopardalids from Bear Branch Natural center

At first: that was complete disappointment.Hundreds of meteors have being predicted, but I'm not sure if I sow one.

Nevertheless, that was perfect night for observations. Wind was very calm, no clouds, just a little of light pollution. Can easily see Milky Way.
Before starting meteor observations I spotted few Messier objects and Saturn.

Here are my pictures.

That is Mars above Bear Branch Natural Center

Big Dipper behind a light pole.

For two hours of time-lapsing captured only couple of flashes. That is one of them (left-top corner). Polaris is a bright star on the right side.

I've never seen flares from satellites before, so I can't say is it a flare or it is one of rare meteors (in the middle). On the left side ISS track is captured.

Here is the same one close up. Can anybody say if it a satellite or a meteor?

That night a lot of observers saw a lot of rotating satellites. They appear moving in the sky an disappear, then reappear again. That is one of them (middle-top above Polaris):

Here is another one. Barely can see another rotating one (on the upper left of Polaris)

Here is the second capture meteor splash (very top at the center)

Here is regular faint satellite (top center)

That was all. At about 4:30 A.M Moon rise and all stars disappeared.

That is Moon much later. After sunrise:

Amazingly bright Venus. Still could see it about 40 minutes after sunrise without binoculars.

Do not know. Is it bad focus or my camera actually captured the Venus shape.

Kile Knob Mini Star Party

At first, want to say thanks again to Tom Renn for his hospitality on his property and providing equipment for best star-gazing experience ever.

Mini Star party was three days long. My primary goal for it was to fill gaps in my Messier Object list and observe objects which I couldn't see during Messier Marathon week before.

First night was little bit cloudy, but I've made 20 objects in Virgo Cluster and surrounding areas. Fortunately enough I've finished right before clouds covered the skies.

Second night I did several objects around Ursa Major. I had less objects, but also less time to observe before clouds came.

On the third evening I had nothing to spot and my goal was to spot comet Panstarrs (C/2012 K1) and detect a location of planets Ceres and Vesta, which are supposed to be nearby.

Because my small telescope is not powerful enough I decided to spot the comet by picturing it.
Tom set me his camera-tracking device and here is the first good try of it.

That is or closest neighboring planet Mars.

During the comet search I've spotted M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy), which I recorded night before:

And here is the prize. M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) and greenish comet Panstarrs (C/2012 K1)

During the search of Ceres and Vesta I've made several pretty good other pictures.

That is Beta Ophicus - Cebalrai (yellowish). Nothing special, but pretty interesting new star formation (above it), which is very binocular-genic.

Here are some neighbors: Star Clusters M10 and M12.

Here is bunch of objects from the Virgo cluster. Unfortunately I did not get the very center, but that picture also includes a lot of galaxies, such as: M98, M99, M100, M84 and several others not from Messier list.

While I was picturing different objects some new ones in Saggitarius came up. So, I had an opportunity to document observing of additional seven objects.

That is one of them: M11 (Wild Duck Cluster) and surrounding dark and bright nebulaes.

Here is again M11 and open star cluster M26 (at the bottom)

 

By the time I was done with objects in Saggitarius beautiful Milki Way came to the sky

As of right now I have only six Messier objects not documented in my list.
I've tried to find M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula), but my small telescope couldn't spot 11th magnitude object on the horizon at the time of coming sunrise. I've tried to spot it by picturing it, but it was already too late.

However, I've got unexpected picture of Andromeda Galaxy (M31) - on the right.

Also will post here some other pictures I've captured during being on Kile Knob.

Current Sunspot formations:

Before sunset

Another sunset

Sunset in action

Very last light of the Sun

Halo after sunset

Phases of Moon between sunset-moonset

 Venus before sunrise.

Before the sunrise

Firs sunlight of the day.

Mirage on rising Sun.