2024 Visual Observing Olympics:
The Hidden Gems of Stellafane

Includes both Telescope & Binocular Observing Lists

Telescopic Observing at Stellafane: Larry Mitchell is an avid, experienced visual observer. He is the owner of "too many telescopes," the largest being a 36-inch reflector and a 7-inch refractor. The 36-inch reflector is no longer used, and currently a research grade 30-inch f/3.3 reflector is the telescope of choice. Larry has observed all of William Herschel's discoveries, and he is the author of the "MAC” Galaxy Catalog, which is the “Mitchell Anonymous Catalog" containing 117,300 new galaxies, and is included in the MegaStar planetarium software database. He is the discoverer of Supernova 1994S, a Type 1a supernova in NGC 4495, a galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenice. Larry has authored several articles for Sky & Telescope, Astronomy Magazine, and The Reflector Magazine – the quarterly magazine published by the Astronomical League. Larry has a book being published, Advanced Observing: Visual Mysteries of the Universe, which includes information about 200 little known, somewhat visually easy objects, and how to find them without resorting to a computer. Larry has an asteroid named for him - 126293 Larrymitchell, a permanent piece of the Solar system that now bears his name. Pretty neat!

Larry is the Chairman of the Texas Star Party Advanced Observing Program. Its goal is to encourage people to visually observe objects they may have never heard of, or thought they could not see, and to successfully make their observations with modest-sized telescopes. For seven years Larry has put together a wonderful observing program for us here at Stellafane. This year the “Hidden Gems of Stellafane” are Open Clusters and Asterisms. The 2024 Stellafane Telescope Observing Olympics list consists of only Open Clusters and Asterisms, and Larry will tell us about them Saturday at 4:00pm in the Pavilion.

Anyone who successfully finds 15 or more of these Open Clusters and Asterisms during Convention is eligible to receive a pin commemorating that accomplishment. Based on the popularity of the program at Stellafane since its start in 2016, we predict that these Stellafane Observing Olympics pins will be much in demand!

Binocular Observing at Stellafane: Phil Harrington is a familiar writer to most amateur astronomers for his books and articles on astronomy. He has spent countless hours observing objects in the sky using telescopes and binoculars, and frequently writes reviews about the astronomical equipment he used. Phil will be presenting “Introduction to Binoculars, including how to check collimation, how to store and care for binoculars" on Saturday at 2:00pm in the Pavilion.

Starting in 2018, each year Phil has created a Stellafane Binocular Observing Olympics (BOO) list, along with descriptions of each object. Find 15 objects out of the 20 on the list and you will be given a commemorative pin for your achievement.

Awards: You can hand in your checked off observing lists at the Observing Olympics table set up in the field below the McGregor Observatory. Pins will be awarded Friday and Saturday evenings during observing hours, and Sunday morning at 10:30 AM. Copies of “The Hidden Gems of Stellafane” telescope Observing Olympics list, and the Binocular Observing Olympics list, will be available there, as well as in the Pavilion, the McGregor, and the Clubhouse.

The 2024 Observing Rules: The 2024 Observing Rules: The Open Stellar Clusters and Asterisms listed are visible from the 2024 Stellafane Convention in Vermont. All telescope objects should be visible in 8 inch and above telescopes under a sky with fairly good seeing and transparency. Deep Sky Binocular Objects include Galaxies, Globular Clusters, Bright Nebulae, Dark Nebulae, Open Clusters, Asterisms, and Double Stars.

1. Any telescope or combination of scopes may be used, but the observations must be completed during the 2024 Stellafane Convention. The same rule applies to Binoculars.

2. Objects may be found by star hopping or by go-to.

3. To qualify for the observing pin, simply check off the objects on the Observing List below.

4. The first 100 people successfully observing 15 or more of the listed objects will receive a Stellafane Observing Pin. Successful observers can obtain their pin at the Observing Olympics table located on the hill below the McGregor Observatory, on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, or Sunday morning at 10:30 AM.

5. For questions during Convention, please see Larry Mitchell regarding the Observing Olympics list, Phil Harrington regarding the Binocular Observing list, or Springfield Telescope Makers Eileen Myers.

6. Download the Observing List and other materials below.

A big thank you from the Springfield Telescope Makers
to Larry Mitchell and Phil Harrington!

Click for the printable Telescope Observing Olympics Check List in pdf

Click for the printable Binocular Observing Olympics Object Check List in pdf

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