Thanks for looking guy's! and for your comments and support through out 2005!

Hope you all had a fun and safe New Year!

After the conditions here were simply awesome once dark, I for goed partying
and spent the night observing under dark rural skies.

I was thinking of sending it in to the mags... but where would they put it? I
think it might be too big to fit nicely on a page without being shrunk to the
point of losing effectivness.

David, here's a lil challenge for you and your 8". Not sure what the light polution
is like for you. I have been scrutinising the Trap over the last few years and last
night for the first time I detected MT Ori (11.2) a variable star about 34" north of
component D of the Trap. I suspect this variable is currently peaking. The way
I was able to see it was looking directly between component B & D and use
averted vision. Once found, I couldn't detect it with direct vision, but looking
directly at it possy I thought I could also detect BM Ori which appeared to
sit roughly halfway between B & D and about 7" north. BM Ori peaks around
5.1 mag but I think it gets a lil washed out by the Trap.


regards,CS