This was the first stop on my way to Lynx. It is a nice double star, reminiscent of Albireo. The bright yellow primary is slightly brighter than its pale blue companion. The pair is nicely separated at 100X.
This galaxy is pretty large and is nicknamed the UFO Galaxy. The best view is 100X. It appears as an edge-on spiral, thicker in the middle, but no stellar core is present, only a slight brightening that fades off at the end of the arms.
I was amazed that I could actually see a non-Messier galaxy from my backyard tonight. I think this was the best sky I've had since moving here.
At 100X, it fits nicely in the field of view. It is a compact, but large open cluster. Overall, it appears somewhat round. The two brightest stars are off to one side. In the middle of the cluster is a grouping of stars that resembles a Christmas tree, complete with a "star" on top made of 3-4 members.
This is a large, sparse, open cluster with about 3 dozen stars of varying magnitudes, with several pairs of stars. One pair right near the middle of the cluster looks like a little pair of headlights. The brightest two stars are off to one side. At 100X, the cluster fills the field of view.
This open cluster is very close to M 47. It is a few magnitudes fainter, but much richer. It nearly fills the field at 100X. It has tiny arcs of 3-4 stars going in several directions. Several dozen stars are visible, with even more right on the edge of being resolved.
Near one edge of M 46 is a faint puff of smoke that is actually a planetary nebula. With direct vision, it almost disappears, but with averted vision, it is distinct and large, and almost perfectly round. No other details could be seen.
Right next door to M 46, this cluster takes up about 1/3 of the field at 100X. It is sparser than M 46. If it was by itself in the sky, it would be a nice cluster, but sitting right next to M 46 and M 47, it isn't very exciting.
This is a planetary nebula in Puppis. The best view was at 250X. It is basically round, but there's a bright mottled core that has an unusual shape. It looks interesting, and I would love to see it with a larger telescope under dark skies.
This cluster is not very impressive. It is triangular shaped, with the brightest stars along the edges. One edge star appears orange, with a dimmer blue companion. Only about 10-12 stars are visible with direct vision, but averted vision reveals several more.
This is my first real view of Jupiter through my 12". Wow! Not only were several cloud bands visible, but festoons and swirling patterns could be detected as well. For an added treat, The Great Red Spot was transiting. Last year, it looked more like the Great Pink Spot, but tonight, it was a bright red. Also, as I continued watching, Io peeked out from behind the planet. A very pleasant end to a wonderful evening.