Location: Arizona desert, USA

Session duration: 2 nights

Sky conditions: Moderate turbulence, seeing ~6/10

Instruments:

• 100mm apochromatic refractor
• 200mm Newtonian reflector
• 300mm Dobsonian reflector

Targets:

• M42 (Orion Nebula)
• Albireo
• Double Cluster (NGC 869/884)
• Polaris

Observation notes:

Planetary and deep-sky observation proceeded under calm conditions, with most of the session devoted to visual comparison between the larger reflector and the refractor.

Several members made sketches in the field notebook and compared the apparent brightness of bright stars against previous entries.

Members present: Maxime Dallois, Adama Traoré, Ayoub Berrabeh, Lucille Godefert, Marc Lefèvre, Sophie Martin

Location: Pic du Midi foothills, France

Session duration: 2 nights

Sky conditions: Very dark sky (Bortle 2–3), light wind

Instruments:

• 200mm Newtonian reflector
• 250mm Dobsonian telescope
• 300mm Dobsonian reflector

Targets:

• M42 (Orion Nebula)
• M13 (Hercules Cluster)
• Jupiter
• The Moon

Observation notes:

Planetary and deep-sky observation proceeded under calm conditions, with most of the session devoted to visual comparison between the larger reflector and the refractor.

Several members made sketches in the field notebook and compared the apparent brightness of bright stars against previous entries.

Members present: Ayoub Berrabeh, Maxime Dallois, Paul Garnier