[Coen]

6 January to 16 January local time +10.5 to UT

Telescope is 70mm Skywatcher with the 25mm Plossl, 25mm basic, 15mm GSO, 10mm basic and 6mm Plossl.

If eyepiece unspecified it is 60x 15mm GSO.

Tour of Pictor

Due to daylight savings and changing weather objects viewed over a number of sessions with variable seeing/transparency.

Tri-Atlas Hybrid (M) 185,186,205

Observing list compiled from CNebulaX (CNX), Taki's double star list and consultation with the WDS database. Sometimes star found on map by telescope and attempted.

Post observation checking also incorporating StarCalc (SC) and Cartes du Ciel (CdC)

6 January, seeing not too bad, just after 1st quarter moon

HJ 3822 (2220)
Lovely! Unequal wide pair, beautiful yellow and orange red within a pleasant star field. Faint star located not far from the pair. Later consultation with an atlas gives the faint star (when recorded) as either 10.6 (CdC), 11.3 (CNX) (not in SC) but not classed as a variable.
Documented: Magnitudes 6.6 & 7.6 at 56"

Dun 20 (2225)
Nice wide pair of almost equal magnitudes. Hint of yellow on main, secondary white with hint of pale blue. A bright pair that dominates the FOV.
Documented: Magnitudes 6.3 & 6.7 at 38"

Dun 18 (2232)
Another beautiful almost equal pair about 1/2 magnitude difference. White perhaps pale yellow & soft orange, dominates somewhat sparse field.
Documented: Magnitudes 5.6 & 6.2 at 13"

Inn 342 in Dor (2235)
Faint double in same FOV as Dun 18. Can just split as reasonable seeing. Looks like pair of faint orange almost equal orbs split clear at 90x. Unexpected nice pair.
Documented: Magnitudes 8.3 & 8.8 at 2.9"

Inn 274 (2245)
Attempted. Faint star reasonable distance away which hints at being a double, perhaps or an artifact of seeing. Attractive "Eiffel Tower" type grouping nearby. Sketch made. Later consultation is did not split Inn 274 and the faint star is indeed a double. However the documented magnitudes are 11.5 and 11.8 so perhaps I saw them but most likely not. Inn 274 itself was not split.
Documented: Magnitudes 8.5 & 10.1 at 3.4"

There is an attractive star field around eta 1 and eta 2

HJ 3715 (2255)
Very unequal pale yellow and dark blue pair that are clearly separated but the secondary is a challenge due to the magnitude difference. Double located in an attractive area around eta 1 and eta 2.
Documented: Magnitudes 7.2 & 9.1 at 10"

Unknown (2315) later consultation is most likely HJ 3681
Very unequal and very wide.,
Documented: Magnitudes 6.8 & 10.6 at 49"

COO 23 (Inn 740) (2325)
Took effort to find and confirm. Unable to resolve.
Documented: Magnitudes 9.0 & 9.5 at 0.6"

HJ 3793 (2340)
No resolution, took a while to confirm. Tried 60,90 and 150
Documented: Magnitudes 7.1 & 10.3 at 13"

Dun 21 (2345)
Bright and very wide pair almost equal yellow and white. Brightish star nearby has a faint companion orientation indicates Inn 62.
Documented: Magnitudes 5.5 & 6.7 at 198"

Inn 62 (2345)
Wide very faint companion. Did not split Inn 62. Faint companion documented at 11.8 magnitude.
Documented: Magnitudes 8.8 & 9.3 at 0.8"

HJ 3784 (2350)
Nice close unequal double, yellow and blue green, at 2355ish a satellite crosses the FOV.
Documented: Magnitudes 7.6 & 9.4 at 5"

HJ 3797 (2355)
Easy wide unequal double on fainter side, initial impressions are orange and deep blue.
Documented: Magnitudes 8.2 & 9.4 at 55"

HJ 3803 (0000)
Unequal wide pair, can just see the faint secondary.
Documented: Magnitudes 7.9 & 10.0 at 20"

11 January attempted but large moon and windy conditions meant abandon after 1 star seen.

HJ 3763 (2145)
Star hopped across from Columba. Bright sky. Easily split with 25mm basic, seeing is bad. Initial impressions are yellow and green. Tried 15mm wide. Nice pair that needs darker skies to enjoy.
Documented: Magnitudes 8.3 & 9.0 at 12"

15 January seeing and transparency seem to be good.

Not in Pic, started in Dor with:
Dun 26 near eta Dor (2245)
Nice uneven double, not very strong colours, maybe yellow and green. Nice star field with eta Dor very close.
Documented: Magnitudes 6.9 & 8.7 at 20.6"

NGC 2257
Very faint motely background, something there but what? Very large taking up, it seems, around 30' with some brighter stars super-imposed over it.
Documented as a 13.5 magnitude globular cluster that is part of the LMC although there is some confusion as to its size and whether it is indeed a globular cluster. It is unlikely I saw it so what did I see?

Now in Pic:
HJ 3843 (2300)
Tough unequal pair seen at 60x just, whilst separation is wide, 2nd faint easier at 90x maybe orange and blue. Nice star field.
Documented: Magnitudes 8.7 & 9.7 at 12"

LPO 6 (2305)
Faint double almost same field as HJ 3843. Not quite equal components. Located at the head of a kite-type arrangement of stars. Hint of a 3rd star not far with averted vision is it real? Almost in line with the other 2.
Documented: Magnitudes 9.4 & 9.9 at 11"

Dun 27 (2310)
Attractive unequal pair bright and wide, not much colour perhaps pale yellow and orange, flanked by friends.
Documented: Magnitudes 6.5 & 7.6 at 34"

JSP 101
More of an arrangement of stars that is nice. There is a faint star nearby (9.5) but the designated faint secondary was not viewed.
Documented: Magnitudes 6.5 & 10.6 at 16"

HJ 3874 (mu Pic) (2320)
No chance
Documented: Magnitudes 5.6 & 9.3 at 2.5"

R69 (2330)
Too hard, as in too faint for the conditions.
Documented: Magnitudes 9.8 & 10.2 at 6"

HJ 3861 (2335)
Very tought not at 60 or 90x.
Documented: Magnitudes 9.3 & 9.5 at 1.6"

NGC 2132 (2345)
Not much to see, a few stars - documented as a collection of stars rather than a cluster.

HJ 3802
On way to HJ 3787 and HJ 3777. Attractive grouping around this star. Saw some 11th magnitude stars that are nearby but not the secondary. Mistook one of the 11th magnitude stars as the possible secondary.
Documented: Magnitudes 8.4 & 10.6 at 7.6"

HJ 3787 (2350)
Wide pair with faint secondary, reasonably clear with averted but not so with direct at 60x. Similiar for 90x.
Documented: Magnitudes 7.8 & 10.0 at 25"

HJ 3777 (2355)
As with HJ 3787, wide and unequal can only see secondary averted when it then jumps out. Primary is bright.
Documented: Magnitudes 6.5 & 10.6 at 16"

Moon up, stop viewing program to do some general viewing in Carina region.

16 January very bad seeing conditions

HJ 3789 (2150)
Unequal pair that can just be split due to the poor seeing. Located in an attractive string of stars.
Documented: Magnitudes 8.6 & 9.0 at 9"

Viewing abandoned due to poor seeing, suspect not easily noticed high cloud.