2024-08-14

11:30AM

Now that the RASCNGC challenge is complete I finally decided upon my next challenge to pursue, the Astro League's Open Cluster Observation challenge. I was able to pretty easily reformat the list of 125 targets into an org-mode list format with properties allowing my columned agenda view for "Upcoming Targets (Unobserved, Favorites, Revisits)" to now include this list as well (sorted by RA).

This challenge involves not just observing the open clusters, but assigning a "Trumpler classificiation system" to them as well. This classification system contains three parts:

• Degree of Concentration (strong to weak): I, II, III, or IV
• Range of Brightness (similar to diverse): 1, 2, or 3
• Number of Stars (poor to rich): p, m, or r

The challenge also states that most of the 125 targets are listed in less-popular catalogs. In prepping for this challenge, I had some trouble locating many of these in Stellarium. I may have to break out my old printed Deep Sky Hunter maps to help.

Sketching open clusters will give me lots of experience on how to draw stars as nice circular 'dots'.