Winston-Salem Astronomical League

Updated: Tuesday, 27 January 2004 12:31 -0500

Calendar

Observing Clubs

Member Pages

Articles

FAQs

Links

Pathfinder Club

The Pathfinder Club is designed to be an introduction to the night sky. It is intended primarily for inexperienced members, or those without recent observing experience, although any WSAL member is eligible for this club. To receive your WSAL Pathfinder Club certificate, you must locate, observe, and log sixty of the objects listed below, including twenty-five Messier Objects, fifteen double/multiple stars, and twenty Lunar craters. Some of these objects can be observed naked eye, most are visible with binoculars, and all are visible from a dark site in nearly any astronomical telescope. We selected objects that allow completing the requirements for the Pathfinder Certificate over a reasonably short period at any time of year.

The Pathfinder Club is a WSAL exclusive. It is not approved or endorsed by the national Astronomical League, although all of the objects you find while pursuing your Pathfinder Club certificate also count towards one or more official AL observing clubs.

You must be a member of WSAL to receive the Pathfinder Certificate, although you may submit observations made prior to becoming a WSAL member as long as you logged the necessary data for those observations. Once you have completed the necessary observations, submit your logs to an officer of WSAL. That officer will review your logs to verify that you have met the requirements for the Pathfinder Certificate. After your logs are approved, you will receive your Pathfinder Certificate at the next regularly-scheduled WSAL meeting.

Objects located using a go-to scope or digital setting circles (DSCs) cannot be counted towards the required total. You may use an optical finder, unit-power finder (e.g., Telrad), printed charts, computerized planetarium software, and manual setting circles to locate objects. If you use a go-to scope or a scope equipped with DSCs, you must disable those features when locating objects that you want to count toward the Pathfinder Club requirements.

Messier Objects

Locate, observe, and log any twenty-five (25) of the following Messier Objects, logging your observations using the WSAL Observing Log or a similar form that captures the same data. Objects are sorted by season, then by Messier number.

The Season column specifies the time of year when the object is most conveniently located for viewing. Many of these objects can be observed outside the listed seasons, although they may not be ideally placed. Some are visible year-round, although you may have to stay up late or get up early to see them, depending on the time of year.

• Objects with a bullet in the BM (Binocular Messier) column also count toward the AL Binocular Messier Club. Note that you must observe them naked-eye or with your binocular for them to count toward that club's requirements; telescopic observations don't count for the Binocular Messier Club. You may observe these objects from any location and receive credit toward the Binocular Messier Club.
• Objects with a bullet in the M (Messier) column also count toward the AL Messier Club, whether observed naked-eye, with a binocular, or with a telescope. You may observe these objects from any location and receive credit toward the Messier Club.
• Objects with a bullet in the UO (Urban Observing) column also count toward the AL Urban Observing Club. Note, however, that if you want these observations to count toward your Urban Observing Certificate, you must make those observations from a site that meets the requirements of the Urban Observing Club.

If you intend to pursue any of these official AL certificates, make sure to read and understand the rules of each Club. Some have special requirements.

Double/Multiple Stars

Locate, observe, and log any fifteen (15) of the following multiple stars, logging your observations using the AL Double Star Club Log or a similar form that captures the same data. Note that if you want these observations to count toward the AL Double Star Club, you must sketch each of your observations. Sketches are not required for the WSAL Pathfinder Club or the AL Urban Observing Club.

We have selected objects that will allow you to log the required fifteen objects at any time of the year.

The RA (Right Ascension) and Dec (Declination) columns specify the celestial co-ordinates of the object. This list is sorted by increasing RA, which allows you to observe objects sequentially as they rise in the east. The Magnitudes column lists the visual magnitudes of the primary and companion star(s) to the nearest tenth. The Separation column lists the apparent distance between the components in arcseconds. The P.A. (Position Angle) column lists the orientation of the companion(s) relative to the primary. For example, a P.A. of 90° indicates that the companion is directly east (in celestial co-ordinates) of the primary.

All other things being equal, double stars that are close in magnitude are easier to split than those that differ significantly. Similarly, double stars with large separations are easier than those with small separations. Note that seeing (the amount of atmospheric turbulence) can have a large effect on splitting doubles, particularly close ones, as can the elevation of the star at the time you attempt to split it. The higher the star is, the easier it will be to split (although it may be inconvenient to view if it is at a very high altitude (Alt-Az and Dobsonian) mounts, or if it is near Polaris (equatorial mounts). Those stars with small separations may require relatively high magnification to split. For example, splitting the components of the Double Double may require 125X or more, depending on your scope and the seeing conditions.

• Objects with a bullet in the DS (Double Star) column also count toward the AL Double Star Club. Note that this club requires that you sketch your observations and submit those sketches with your request for a certificate.
• Objects with a bullet in the UO (Urban Observing) column also count toward the AL Urban Observing Club. Note, however, that if you want these observations to count toward your Urban Observing Certificate, you must make those observations from a site that meets the requirements of the Urban Observing Club. This club does not require sketches.

If you intend to pursue either of these official AL certificates, make sure to read and understand the rules of each Club. Both have special requirements.

Lunar Craters

Locate, observe, and log any twenty (20) of the following Lunar craters, logging your observations using the AL Lunar Club Log or a similar form that captures the same data. You may use any combination of craters observed with a binocular and/or telescope. All of these features are visible with a binocular or small telescope. All observations count toward the AL Lunar Club requirements.

The Lon and Lat columns give the Lunar longitude and latitude, respectively. The craters are sorted from most easterly to most westerly, which corresponds to the Lunar phase when the crater is on or near the terminator. The Area column describes the general area in which the crater is found. The Diff column represents the relative difficulty. All craters with one or two bullets in this column are listed by the Astronomical League as binocular objects. However, Virtual Moon Atlas lists those with one bullet as requiring a 10X50 binocular and those with two bullets as requiring a 50mm or larger scope. Those craters with three bullets are listed by AL as telescopic objects.

The Best Phase column lists the optimum time to view the crater, when it is on or near the terminator. NM means New Moon, FM Full Moon, FQ First Quarter, and LQ Last Quarter. If a plus symbol and a number follows, that means the crater is optimally placed for viewing that number of days after the phase shown. For example, a crater listed as "NM+3; FM+2" is best viewed either three days after the New Moon or two days after the Full Moon.