Discovered something last night ...
went out after dark and had to align the finderscope. Picked out a bright star in the direction I was pointing (just happened to be the further of the two pointers).
What do you know - turns out that star is alpha centari - which also happens to be my first binary!
Can I lay claim to this or has it already been discovered?
You mean you re-discovered it.
Dr John Robertson and family, Dr Smith and Don were on their way to visit it when they got Lost In Space a few decades ago.
Hey, you could always say to someone..."and do you see that little dot next to Alpha Centauri, that is the Jupiter 2, and it is almost there now!" I bet some would believe you!
I remember when I was a little younger during one of the Apollo missions at a time where there was a close alignment with Jupiter. Everyone was ringing the TV stations saying they could see the Apollo coming home! I remember looking into the sky (I can still "see it" even now), but didn't believe it for a second...I was about 11 or 12 at the time...damn it, now you won't believe it when I say I am 21.
next on your list should be rigel then sigma orionis.... if you havent seen these yet you will be pleasently suprised. rigel has 2 stars, one really bright one and one considerably dimmer. its quite pretty really sigma orionis has 4 stars! very pretty too!
sigma orionis has 4 stars! 
very pretty too!
