The two nearest star clusters to Earth appear in the constellation Taurus, the bull. The Hyades forms the bull's V-shaped face, while the Pleiades forms a tiny dipper north of the Hyades. Look for them high in the east this evening.
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Gun Deer Season: What’s new for 2009
There are a number of changes for the 2009 gun deer season that hunters should be aware of as they prepare to visit Wisconsin’s woods and fields. Among these are:
* No Earn-A-Buck (EAB) requirements in deer management units outside of the chronic wasting disease-management zone (CWD-MZ). The only units that have EAB regulations in 2009 are those inside the CWD-MZ.
* Whole deer movement from the CWD-MZ to elsewhere in the state is restricted. (See page 30 of the 2009 Wisconsin Hunting Regulations pamphlet for more details)
* The import of whole deer, elk and moose carcasses into Wisconsin from areas within states or provinces that have CWD is also restricted. (See page 30 of the 2009 Wisconsin Hunting Regulations pamphlet for more details).
* A new Mentored Hunting Program permits a licensed hunter 18 years or older to take out anyone 10 years and older for a hunt.
* There will be a four-day antlerless only hunt, Dec. 10-13, for all units statewide except state park and non-quota units.
* There are 62 regular deer management units, 55 Herd Control Units, and 22 CWD-MZ Units in 2009.
* Thirteen deer management units are buck only for the gun deer season. They are: 7,29B,31,32,35,36,38,39,40,42,43,44, & 50.
source....
* No Earn-A-Buck (EAB) requirements in deer management units outside of the chronic wasting disease-management zone (CWD-MZ). The only units that have EAB regulations in 2009 are those inside the CWD-MZ.
* Whole deer movement from the CWD-MZ to elsewhere in the state is restricted. (See page 30 of the 2009 Wisconsin Hunting Regulations pamphlet for more details)
* The import of whole deer, elk and moose carcasses into Wisconsin from areas within states or provinces that have CWD is also restricted. (See page 30 of the 2009 Wisconsin Hunting Regulations pamphlet for more details).
* A new Mentored Hunting Program permits a licensed hunter 18 years or older to take out anyone 10 years and older for a hunt.
* There will be a four-day antlerless only hunt, Dec. 10-13, for all units statewide except state park and non-quota units.
* There are 62 regular deer management units, 55 Herd Control Units, and 22 CWD-MZ Units in 2009.
* Thirteen deer management units are buck only for the gun deer season. They are: 7,29B,31,32,35,36,38,39,40,42,43,44, & 50.
source....
earthshine
The Moon will peek into view in the southwest shortly after sunset this evening. It is a bare crescent, although most of its "dark" portion is illuminated by earthshine, which is sunlight reflected off of Earth.
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Cousin Jimmy
Portage man charged with 10th alcohol driving offense
A Portage man faces nearly 20 years in prison if he is convicted of a 10th alcohol-related driving offense.
James R. Zinke, 55, of Portage, was ordered held on $1,000 cash bail at an initial hearing Monday in Columbia County Circuit Court.
Zinke is charged with operating with prohibited alcohol concentration as a 10th offense and as a repeater, and with misdemeanor operating a motor vehicle after revocation and bail jumping, both as a repeater.
The charges carry a maximum possible initial prison sentence of 19 years and three months in prison.
It is illegal to drive in Wisconsin with an alcohol concentraion of 0.08 or more for anyone with three or fewer drunken-driving convictions, but the level is lowered to 0.02 for anyone convicted of four or more drunken-driving offenses.
A blood test revealed that Zinke had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.048 percent when he was stopped by a sheriff's deputy Oct. 23 on Highway 127 and Wolfgram Road in the town of Lewiston.
According to a report, Zinke admitted to the deputy that he had been drinking.
Zinke was convicted of eight drunken-driving offenses in the 1990s; he was convicted in April 2008 of felony drunken driving - his ninth conviction - from an incident in August 2007.
In Wisconsin, drunken driving becomes a felony after four convictions.
Zinke was charged in September with operating after revocation as a repeater.
Zinke is scheduled for a pretrial conference Dec. 18.
source....
A Portage man faces nearly 20 years in prison if he is convicted of a 10th alcohol-related driving offense.
James R. Zinke, 55, of Portage, was ordered held on $1,000 cash bail at an initial hearing Monday in Columbia County Circuit Court.
Zinke is charged with operating with prohibited alcohol concentration as a 10th offense and as a repeater, and with misdemeanor operating a motor vehicle after revocation and bail jumping, both as a repeater.
The charges carry a maximum possible initial prison sentence of 19 years and three months in prison.
It is illegal to drive in Wisconsin with an alcohol concentraion of 0.08 or more for anyone with three or fewer drunken-driving convictions, but the level is lowered to 0.02 for anyone convicted of four or more drunken-driving offenses.
A blood test revealed that Zinke had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.048 percent when he was stopped by a sheriff's deputy Oct. 23 on Highway 127 and Wolfgram Road in the town of Lewiston.
According to a report, Zinke admitted to the deputy that he had been drinking.
Zinke was convicted of eight drunken-driving offenses in the 1990s; he was convicted in April 2008 of felony drunken driving - his ninth conviction - from an incident in August 2007.
In Wisconsin, drunken driving becomes a felony after four convictions.
Zinke was charged in September with operating after revocation as a repeater.
Zinke is scheduled for a pretrial conference Dec. 18.
source....
watch the Milky Way
November evenings are good times to watch the Milky Way, which is the combined glow of millions of stars in the disk of our Milky Way galaxy. It arches from east to west, with a dip toward the northern horizon. You need a dark sky to see the Milky Way.
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
Chronology of Wisconsin Gun Deer Hunting: From closed seasons to antlerless permits
Wisconsin has a long and storied tradition of regulated gun deer hunting, going back to 1851. There have been many changes over the years, but none more dramatic as those experienced by hunters during the 1990’s and early twenty-first century.
* 1834 – Lafayette County, first reported crop damage by deer.
* 1851 – First closed season for deer, Feb. 1 – June 30; Indians permitted to hunt anytime.
* 1876 – Hunting with dogs prohibited statewide.
* 1887 – Two game wardens appointed by governor at a monthly salary of $50; night hunting prohibited statewide.
* 1888 – Game laws published in pamphlet form.
* 1890 – First chief warden appointed.
* 1892 – Lawful to kill any dog running or hunting deer.
* 1895 – Sheboygan first county closed to deer hunting; deer cannot be transported unless accompanied by hunter; last October deer season in state.
* 1897 – First bag limit for deer, two per season; resident license costs $1, nonresident license costs $30; estimated license sales total 12,000.
* 1900 – Twelve hunters killed by firearms.
* 19003 – Estimated 78,164 licenses sold.
* 1905 – Salt licks prohibited.
* 1909 – Season 20 days long, limit one deer; first civil service exam given on a competitive basis for prospective wardens.
* 1910 – Deer populations drop to record low numbers due to unregulated hunting and market shooting.
* 1914 – Twenty-four hunters killed, 26 injured; license sales at 155,000
* 1915 – First buck only season.
* 1917 – Shining deer illegal while possessing a firearm; Conservation Commission delegated some powers related to deer season, but legislature retains authority to set seasons; deer tags (paper) required for the first time…they cost 10 cents.
* 1919 – Estimated kill is 25,152.
* 1920 – First use of metal deer tags…they cost 10 cents.
* 1921 – Wardens are instructed that “all deer found in possession…with horns less than three inches in length, is a fawn and should be confiscated.”
* 1924 – Estimated kill is 7000.
* 1925 – Legislature passes law closing deer season in alternate years.
* 1927 – No open season.
* 1928 – Deer hunters required to wear official conservation button while hunting; Game Division formed with Conservation Department; estimated kill is 17,000 with 69,049 deer tags sold.
* 1929 – No open season.
* 1930 – Estimated kill is 23,000 with 70.284 deer tags sold.
* 1931 – No open season.
* 1932 – Deer tag price is raised to $1; estimated kill is 36,009 with 70,245 deer tags sold.
* 1933 – No open season; Conservation Congress, an advisory group representing public opinion registered at annual county hearings, begins to assist the Conservation Commission in establishing a deer management policy.
* 1934 – First bow deer season; estimated gun kill is 21,251 with 83,939 deer tags sold.
* 1935 – No open season.
* 1937 – Shortest deer season on record, three days.
* 1938 – Use of .22 rifle and .410 shotgun prohibited.
* 1939 – Licensed children between ages 12 and 16 must be accompanied by parent or guardian; buckshot prohibited statewide.
* 1941 – Deer predators rare, timber wolves nearing extinction; estimated gun kill is 40,403 with 124,305 deer tags sold.
* 1942 – Back tags required while deer hunting.
* 1943 – First doe and fawn season in 24 years.
* 1945 – First year of ‘shotgun only’ counties; wearing red clothing required while hunting deer.
* 1950 – First ‘any deer’ season since 1919; estimated gun kill is 167,911 with 312,570 deer tags sold.
* 1951 – Deer hunting license and tag cost $2.50; orange clothing now included under red clothing law; Wisconsin leads nation in whitetail deer kill for third consecutive year.
* 1953 – First season gun deer hunters required to register deer at checking station.
* 1954 – Two-thirds of bucks harvested are less than three years old; portions of Walworth and Waukesha Counties and all of Jefferson County open for the first time since 1906.
* 1956 – 100th established gun deer season; registered gun kill is 35,562 with 294,645 deer tags sold.
* 1957 – Legislature authorizes party permit.
* 1958 – Longest deer season since 1916, 16 days; Rock County open for the first time since 1906; first harvest by deer management unit (in northwest and northeast only); registered gun kill is 95,234, of which 44,987 taken by party permit; 335,866 deer tags and 58,348 party permits sold, respectively.
* 1959 – First statewide deer registration by unit; Game Management Division of Conservation Department assumes responsibility for coordinating the state’s deer program; first open season in Kenosha County since 1906.
* 1960 – Hunter not permitted to buy a license after opening day of gun season; Green and Racine Counties open for the first time since 1906; all counties now open except Milwaukee; registered gun kill is 61,005, of which 25,515 taken by party permit; 338,208 deer tags and 47,522 party permits sold, respectively.
* 1961 – Resident big game license increased from $4 to $5; first use of SAK – sex-age-kill population-reconstruction technique for estimating deer numbers; hunters required to transport deer openly while driving to registration station; legislation authorizing unit specific quotas for antlerless harvest established.
* 1962 – Deer population above 400,000; deer management unit specific population goals established.
* 1963 – First year of quota party permits in eight management units; assassination of President Kennedy lessens hunting pressure.
* 1964 – Party permit quota extended to 32 management units.
* 1967 – Hunter Safety Education Program begins.
* 1970 – Registered gun kill is 72,844 with 501,799 licenses sold; 13 hunters killed.
* 1973 – No deer season fatalities.
* 1978 – Record registered gun kill is 150,845 with 644,594 licenses sold.
* 1980 – Blaze orange clothing required; first season of Hunter’s Choice permit; new law prohibits shining wild animals from 10pm to 7pm, Sept. 15 – Dec. 31; coyote season closed in northern management units to protect nascent wolf population.
* 1981 – Record registered deer kill of 166,673 with 629,034 licenses sold.
* 1982 – Another record registered gun kill of 182,715 with 637,320 licenses sold; three deer season fatalities.
* 1983 – Harvest continues to rise with another record registered gun kill of 197,600 with 649,972 licenses sold; experimental antlerless deer shunt in six southern management units to relieve crop damage.
* 1984 – Big jump in registered kill, fourth record harvest in a row of 255,726 with license sales totaling 657,969; handgun deer hunting allowed in shotgun areas; group hunting legalized.
* 1985 – Fifth consecutive record kill of 274,302 with 670,329 licenses sold; deer season extended in 21 management units; legislature further strengthens road hunting restrictions.
* 1986 – Gun deer season now nine days statewide; landowner preference program begins for Hunter’s Choice permits.
* 1987 – First year of bonus antlerless permits; seven fatalities and 46 hunting accidents.
* 1988 – Handguns permitted statewide.
* 1989 – Record registered harvest of 310,192 with 662,280 licenses sold; pre-hunt herd estimate of 1.15 million deer; two fatalities and 37 hunting accidents.
* 1990 – Another record kill of 350,040, including 209,005 antlerless deer; record license sales of 699,275; pre-hunt herd estimate of 1.3 million deer; season extended for seven days in 67 management units.
* 1991 – Third consecutive year of record harvest, 352,330; hunters allowed to buy more than one antlerless permit; season extended to 72 management units, mostly in the north; first year of separate, seven-day muzzleloader season.
* 1992 – Though kill fourth highest on record, 288,820, many hunters voice discontent over lack of success and claim DNR raised expectations by pre-hunt harvest prediction of around 370,000; hunters allowed to apply for bonus antlerless permits in more than one unit; Natural Resources Board approves Secretary’s recommendation to keep the gun season at nine days; new metro management units established around La Crosse, Madison and Milwaukee.
* 1993 – Harvest drops to 217,584, including 100,977 antlerless deer; pre-hunt herd population at 1 million with many units well below prescribed goals; 34 units, mainly in the north, designated as buck-only units; one fatality, 17 hunting accidents.
* 1994 – Hunters Choice permit availability jumps to 177,340 from 103,140 in 1993; six northwest management units remain buck only; herd beginning to build-up in southern agricultural range.
* 1995 – Harvest totals 398,002, a new state record; 32 accidents, one fatal; over 577,000 antlerless permits available with 414,000 plus applicants with 163,000 bonus permits offered to hunters; for the first time hunters can use their bonus or Hunter’s Choice permits in either the gun, bow or muzzleloader seasons.
* 1996 – ‘Earn a Buck” requirement placed on hunters in 19 deer management units situated in agricultural range where existing deer seasons and permit systems aren’t controlling herd growth; special four-day antlerless only season, state’s first October hunt since 1897, takes place in 19 ‘Earn a Buck’ units, resulting in a kill of 24,954 deer.
* 1997 – ‘Earn a Buck’ provision scuttled; early Zone T season in seven management units and three state parks results in over 7000 deer killed; the safest gun season even with one fatality and 10 accidents.
* 1998 – An early October gun season for third year in a row held in one management unit, 67A; harvest of 332,254 is fifth highest; accidents total 19 with two fatalities; most units in all regions of the state estimated to be above prescribed goals due to the mild winter of 1997-98.
* 1999 – Early antlerless Zone T deer season held in seven mainly east-central management units and one state park; early archery season is extended through Nov. 18 in Zone T units; pre-hunt herd estimate is 1.5 to 1.6 million deer; 33 management units in the central and southern part of the state are designated ‘watch unit’s that are above population goals and may be designated as Zone T units next year if quota numbers aren’t filled; resident deer license costs $20; non-resident license costs $135; record harvest of 402,204 deer.
* 2000 – Early four-day Zone T antlerless hunts produces kill of 66,417 deer; 97 of the state’s 132 deer management units listed as Zone T; two free antlerless permits given to all hunters buying deer-related licenses; hunters kill a record 528,494 deer during the early antlerless only, nine-day, muzzleloader and late antlerless only gun seasons; nine-day gun harvest totals a record 442,581 (170,865 antlered, 271,573 antlerless); 694,957 licensed gun hunters.
* 2001 – Wisconsin’s pre-hunt population estimated at 1.5 million deer; free antlerless permit given to all hunters buying deer-related licenses; 67 deer management units and nine state parks designated as Zone T; October and December four-day, Zone T antlerless hunts results in kill of 58,107 deer; nine-day gun harvest is the state’s fifth largest, totaling 361,264 (141,942 antlered, 219,260 antlerless); chronic wasting disease (CWD) later identified in three deer harvested in the Dane County Town of Vermont.
* 2002 – Herd estimate at 1.34 million deer; DNR samples about 41,000 deer during the early Zone T antlerless hunt (Oct. 24-27) and opening weekend (Nov. 23-24) of the nine-day gun season to determine if CWD is present anywhere else in the state besides the Disease Eradication Zone in southwest Wisconsin; expanded hunting opportunities set-up in the CWD Management Zone and a gun deer season slated for Oct. 24 to Jan. 31 in the CWD Eradication Zone; October and November four-day, Zone T antlerless hunts in 25 deer management units produce a harvest of 36,228 deer; hunters register 277,755 deer during the traditional, nine-day season; number of licensed gun hunters drops about 10 percent with much of the decrease attributed to concerns about CWD.
* 2003 – Fall deer population estimated at 1.4 million; landowners in CWD Disease Eradication Zone (DEZ) can request free permits to harvest deer without a license and receive two buck tags per permit; earn-a-buck (EAB) rules in effect and no bag limits on deer in the CWD management zones; deer hunting license sales up 14 percent over 2002, but down 13 percent when compared to 2001; overall, DNR collects 15,025 samples for disease surveillance with 115 wild deer testing positive for CWD; all but two positives are from the Disease Eradication zones (DEZ) of southwest Wisconsin and Rock County; hunters killed 388,344 deer during the early antlerless only, nine-day gun, muzzleloader and land antlerless only deer seasons.
* 2004 – Many deer management units (DMU’s) in all regions of the state estimated to be above prescribed management goals with 48 DMU’s designated as Zone T and 26 units as EAB; fall deer population estimated at 1.7 million deer; hunters issued one free antlerless permit for each license type (archery or gun) up to a maximum of two; during all seasons, hunters in the CWD DEZ and much larger Herd Reduction Zone (HRZ) are required to kill an antlerless deer before harvesting a buck; hunters kill 413,794 deer during the early antlerless only, nine-day gun, muzzle loader, late antlerless only and CWD zone deer seasons; eight gun deer hunting accidents documented with two fatalities; all accidents are either self-inflicted or shooter and victim were in the same party; hunters set a new record of venison donations by giving 10,938 deer yielding nearly 500,000 pounds of venison for food pantries to feed needy people across the state.
* 2005 – Forty-five DMU’s designated as Zone T units with unlimited antlerless permits and expanded gun hunting opportunities; hunters issued free antlerless permits for both archery and gun licenses; permits valid in any Zone T and CWD units; hunters in CWD units could get an unlimited number of antlerless permits at the rate of four per day; hunters harvest 387,310 deer during the early October, regular gun, late December and muzzleloader seasons combined, the eighth highest kill on record; 195,735 deer harvested during the opening weekend (Nov. 19-20) of the nine-day gun season; gun deer sales total 643,676, down one percent from 2004; DNR conducts CWD surveillance survey in the agency’s Northeast Region where 4500 deer are tested and CWD not detected; 14 accidents, including three fatals, during the nine-day season (Nov. 19-27); top five gun deer harvest counties – all located in central Wisconsin – are Marathon (15,871), Clark (13,918), Waupaca (12,260), Shawano (11,748) and Jackson (11,461).
* 2006 – Statewide harvest quota totals 469,385 antlerless deer; over 1 million antlerless deer permits issued to reach this quota; all hunters issued one free antlerless permit for each license type (bow and gun) with permits valid in any Herd Control, EAB and CWD units; hunters kill the fifth highest gun total (393,306) during the youth, regular gun, late December and muzzleloader seasons combined; 10 accidents, one fatal, with five self-inflicted and five with shooter and victim in the same party.
* 2007 – Again, over 1 million antlerless deer permits issued and all hunters again get one free antlerless permit for each license type valid in any Herd Control, EAB and CWD units; nine-day gun season (Nov. 17-25) earliest possible opening day under the current season structure; 402,563 deer killed during all gun seasons is the third highest total on record, surpassed only by 2000 (528,494) and 2004 (413,794).
* 2008 – 57 DMU’s under EAB regulations and hunters must “earn” a buck sticker authorizing them to shoot a buck by first killing an antlerless deer; 51 DMU’s are on the EAB “watch list” meaning they could be designated as EAB units in 2009 if a sufficient number of antlerless deer aren’t harvested; most of southern Wisconsin lies within the new CWD-Management Zone (CWD-MZ) boundary and rifles can be used to hunt deer in previously shotgun only areas of the CWD Zone; traditional gun season runs from Nov. 22-30, the second latest possible opening day under the current nine-day season; hunting conditions considered above average throughout the state for most of the nine-day season; over 642,000 licensed hunters kill 352,601 deer during all gun seasons (103,845 antlered & 248,756 antlerless); nine accidents, one fatal, all either self inflicted or shooter and victim in the same party, during the nine-day season.
* 2009 – The 158th deer season: no EAB except in CWD-MZ; 13 DMU’s in northern Wisconsin will have an old fashioned buck only gun season due to units being below overwinter goal; all deer baiting & feeding banned in 28 counties; wildlife officials predicting a lower deer harvest than in 2008; movement of whole deer carcasses and certain parts of carcasses restricted from the CWD-MZ to elsewhere in the state; new Mentored Hunting Program permits a licensed hunter 18 years or older to take out anyone 10 years and older for a hunt.
source....
* 1834 – Lafayette County, first reported crop damage by deer.
* 1851 – First closed season for deer, Feb. 1 – June 30; Indians permitted to hunt anytime.
* 1876 – Hunting with dogs prohibited statewide.
* 1887 – Two game wardens appointed by governor at a monthly salary of $50; night hunting prohibited statewide.
* 1888 – Game laws published in pamphlet form.
* 1890 – First chief warden appointed.
* 1892 – Lawful to kill any dog running or hunting deer.
* 1895 – Sheboygan first county closed to deer hunting; deer cannot be transported unless accompanied by hunter; last October deer season in state.
* 1897 – First bag limit for deer, two per season; resident license costs $1, nonresident license costs $30; estimated license sales total 12,000.
* 1900 – Twelve hunters killed by firearms.
* 19003 – Estimated 78,164 licenses sold.
* 1905 – Salt licks prohibited.
* 1909 – Season 20 days long, limit one deer; first civil service exam given on a competitive basis for prospective wardens.
* 1910 – Deer populations drop to record low numbers due to unregulated hunting and market shooting.
* 1914 – Twenty-four hunters killed, 26 injured; license sales at 155,000
* 1915 – First buck only season.
* 1917 – Shining deer illegal while possessing a firearm; Conservation Commission delegated some powers related to deer season, but legislature retains authority to set seasons; deer tags (paper) required for the first time…they cost 10 cents.
* 1919 – Estimated kill is 25,152.
* 1920 – First use of metal deer tags…they cost 10 cents.
* 1921 – Wardens are instructed that “all deer found in possession…with horns less than three inches in length, is a fawn and should be confiscated.”
* 1924 – Estimated kill is 7000.
* 1925 – Legislature passes law closing deer season in alternate years.
* 1927 – No open season.
* 1928 – Deer hunters required to wear official conservation button while hunting; Game Division formed with Conservation Department; estimated kill is 17,000 with 69,049 deer tags sold.
* 1929 – No open season.
* 1930 – Estimated kill is 23,000 with 70.284 deer tags sold.
* 1931 – No open season.
* 1932 – Deer tag price is raised to $1; estimated kill is 36,009 with 70,245 deer tags sold.
* 1933 – No open season; Conservation Congress, an advisory group representing public opinion registered at annual county hearings, begins to assist the Conservation Commission in establishing a deer management policy.
* 1934 – First bow deer season; estimated gun kill is 21,251 with 83,939 deer tags sold.
* 1935 – No open season.
* 1937 – Shortest deer season on record, three days.
* 1938 – Use of .22 rifle and .410 shotgun prohibited.
* 1939 – Licensed children between ages 12 and 16 must be accompanied by parent or guardian; buckshot prohibited statewide.
* 1941 – Deer predators rare, timber wolves nearing extinction; estimated gun kill is 40,403 with 124,305 deer tags sold.
* 1942 – Back tags required while deer hunting.
* 1943 – First doe and fawn season in 24 years.
* 1945 – First year of ‘shotgun only’ counties; wearing red clothing required while hunting deer.
* 1950 – First ‘any deer’ season since 1919; estimated gun kill is 167,911 with 312,570 deer tags sold.
* 1951 – Deer hunting license and tag cost $2.50; orange clothing now included under red clothing law; Wisconsin leads nation in whitetail deer kill for third consecutive year.
* 1953 – First season gun deer hunters required to register deer at checking station.
* 1954 – Two-thirds of bucks harvested are less than three years old; portions of Walworth and Waukesha Counties and all of Jefferson County open for the first time since 1906.
* 1956 – 100th established gun deer season; registered gun kill is 35,562 with 294,645 deer tags sold.
* 1957 – Legislature authorizes party permit.
* 1958 – Longest deer season since 1916, 16 days; Rock County open for the first time since 1906; first harvest by deer management unit (in northwest and northeast only); registered gun kill is 95,234, of which 44,987 taken by party permit; 335,866 deer tags and 58,348 party permits sold, respectively.
* 1959 – First statewide deer registration by unit; Game Management Division of Conservation Department assumes responsibility for coordinating the state’s deer program; first open season in Kenosha County since 1906.
* 1960 – Hunter not permitted to buy a license after opening day of gun season; Green and Racine Counties open for the first time since 1906; all counties now open except Milwaukee; registered gun kill is 61,005, of which 25,515 taken by party permit; 338,208 deer tags and 47,522 party permits sold, respectively.
* 1961 – Resident big game license increased from $4 to $5; first use of SAK – sex-age-kill population-reconstruction technique for estimating deer numbers; hunters required to transport deer openly while driving to registration station; legislation authorizing unit specific quotas for antlerless harvest established.
* 1962 – Deer population above 400,000; deer management unit specific population goals established.
* 1963 – First year of quota party permits in eight management units; assassination of President Kennedy lessens hunting pressure.
* 1964 – Party permit quota extended to 32 management units.
* 1967 – Hunter Safety Education Program begins.
* 1970 – Registered gun kill is 72,844 with 501,799 licenses sold; 13 hunters killed.
* 1973 – No deer season fatalities.
* 1978 – Record registered gun kill is 150,845 with 644,594 licenses sold.
* 1980 – Blaze orange clothing required; first season of Hunter’s Choice permit; new law prohibits shining wild animals from 10pm to 7pm, Sept. 15 – Dec. 31; coyote season closed in northern management units to protect nascent wolf population.
* 1981 – Record registered deer kill of 166,673 with 629,034 licenses sold.
* 1982 – Another record registered gun kill of 182,715 with 637,320 licenses sold; three deer season fatalities.
* 1983 – Harvest continues to rise with another record registered gun kill of 197,600 with 649,972 licenses sold; experimental antlerless deer shunt in six southern management units to relieve crop damage.
* 1984 – Big jump in registered kill, fourth record harvest in a row of 255,726 with license sales totaling 657,969; handgun deer hunting allowed in shotgun areas; group hunting legalized.
* 1985 – Fifth consecutive record kill of 274,302 with 670,329 licenses sold; deer season extended in 21 management units; legislature further strengthens road hunting restrictions.
* 1986 – Gun deer season now nine days statewide; landowner preference program begins for Hunter’s Choice permits.
* 1987 – First year of bonus antlerless permits; seven fatalities and 46 hunting accidents.
* 1988 – Handguns permitted statewide.
* 1989 – Record registered harvest of 310,192 with 662,280 licenses sold; pre-hunt herd estimate of 1.15 million deer; two fatalities and 37 hunting accidents.
* 1990 – Another record kill of 350,040, including 209,005 antlerless deer; record license sales of 699,275; pre-hunt herd estimate of 1.3 million deer; season extended for seven days in 67 management units.
* 1991 – Third consecutive year of record harvest, 352,330; hunters allowed to buy more than one antlerless permit; season extended to 72 management units, mostly in the north; first year of separate, seven-day muzzleloader season.
* 1992 – Though kill fourth highest on record, 288,820, many hunters voice discontent over lack of success and claim DNR raised expectations by pre-hunt harvest prediction of around 370,000; hunters allowed to apply for bonus antlerless permits in more than one unit; Natural Resources Board approves Secretary’s recommendation to keep the gun season at nine days; new metro management units established around La Crosse, Madison and Milwaukee.
* 1993 – Harvest drops to 217,584, including 100,977 antlerless deer; pre-hunt herd population at 1 million with many units well below prescribed goals; 34 units, mainly in the north, designated as buck-only units; one fatality, 17 hunting accidents.
* 1994 – Hunters Choice permit availability jumps to 177,340 from 103,140 in 1993; six northwest management units remain buck only; herd beginning to build-up in southern agricultural range.
* 1995 – Harvest totals 398,002, a new state record; 32 accidents, one fatal; over 577,000 antlerless permits available with 414,000 plus applicants with 163,000 bonus permits offered to hunters; for the first time hunters can use their bonus or Hunter’s Choice permits in either the gun, bow or muzzleloader seasons.
* 1996 – ‘Earn a Buck” requirement placed on hunters in 19 deer management units situated in agricultural range where existing deer seasons and permit systems aren’t controlling herd growth; special four-day antlerless only season, state’s first October hunt since 1897, takes place in 19 ‘Earn a Buck’ units, resulting in a kill of 24,954 deer.
* 1997 – ‘Earn a Buck’ provision scuttled; early Zone T season in seven management units and three state parks results in over 7000 deer killed; the safest gun season even with one fatality and 10 accidents.
* 1998 – An early October gun season for third year in a row held in one management unit, 67A; harvest of 332,254 is fifth highest; accidents total 19 with two fatalities; most units in all regions of the state estimated to be above prescribed goals due to the mild winter of 1997-98.
* 1999 – Early antlerless Zone T deer season held in seven mainly east-central management units and one state park; early archery season is extended through Nov. 18 in Zone T units; pre-hunt herd estimate is 1.5 to 1.6 million deer; 33 management units in the central and southern part of the state are designated ‘watch unit’s that are above population goals and may be designated as Zone T units next year if quota numbers aren’t filled; resident deer license costs $20; non-resident license costs $135; record harvest of 402,204 deer.
* 2000 – Early four-day Zone T antlerless hunts produces kill of 66,417 deer; 97 of the state’s 132 deer management units listed as Zone T; two free antlerless permits given to all hunters buying deer-related licenses; hunters kill a record 528,494 deer during the early antlerless only, nine-day, muzzleloader and late antlerless only gun seasons; nine-day gun harvest totals a record 442,581 (170,865 antlered, 271,573 antlerless); 694,957 licensed gun hunters.
* 2001 – Wisconsin’s pre-hunt population estimated at 1.5 million deer; free antlerless permit given to all hunters buying deer-related licenses; 67 deer management units and nine state parks designated as Zone T; October and December four-day, Zone T antlerless hunts results in kill of 58,107 deer; nine-day gun harvest is the state’s fifth largest, totaling 361,264 (141,942 antlered, 219,260 antlerless); chronic wasting disease (CWD) later identified in three deer harvested in the Dane County Town of Vermont.
* 2002 – Herd estimate at 1.34 million deer; DNR samples about 41,000 deer during the early Zone T antlerless hunt (Oct. 24-27) and opening weekend (Nov. 23-24) of the nine-day gun season to determine if CWD is present anywhere else in the state besides the Disease Eradication Zone in southwest Wisconsin; expanded hunting opportunities set-up in the CWD Management Zone and a gun deer season slated for Oct. 24 to Jan. 31 in the CWD Eradication Zone; October and November four-day, Zone T antlerless hunts in 25 deer management units produce a harvest of 36,228 deer; hunters register 277,755 deer during the traditional, nine-day season; number of licensed gun hunters drops about 10 percent with much of the decrease attributed to concerns about CWD.
* 2003 – Fall deer population estimated at 1.4 million; landowners in CWD Disease Eradication Zone (DEZ) can request free permits to harvest deer without a license and receive two buck tags per permit; earn-a-buck (EAB) rules in effect and no bag limits on deer in the CWD management zones; deer hunting license sales up 14 percent over 2002, but down 13 percent when compared to 2001; overall, DNR collects 15,025 samples for disease surveillance with 115 wild deer testing positive for CWD; all but two positives are from the Disease Eradication zones (DEZ) of southwest Wisconsin and Rock County; hunters killed 388,344 deer during the early antlerless only, nine-day gun, muzzleloader and land antlerless only deer seasons.
* 2004 – Many deer management units (DMU’s) in all regions of the state estimated to be above prescribed management goals with 48 DMU’s designated as Zone T and 26 units as EAB; fall deer population estimated at 1.7 million deer; hunters issued one free antlerless permit for each license type (archery or gun) up to a maximum of two; during all seasons, hunters in the CWD DEZ and much larger Herd Reduction Zone (HRZ) are required to kill an antlerless deer before harvesting a buck; hunters kill 413,794 deer during the early antlerless only, nine-day gun, muzzle loader, late antlerless only and CWD zone deer seasons; eight gun deer hunting accidents documented with two fatalities; all accidents are either self-inflicted or shooter and victim were in the same party; hunters set a new record of venison donations by giving 10,938 deer yielding nearly 500,000 pounds of venison for food pantries to feed needy people across the state.
* 2005 – Forty-five DMU’s designated as Zone T units with unlimited antlerless permits and expanded gun hunting opportunities; hunters issued free antlerless permits for both archery and gun licenses; permits valid in any Zone T and CWD units; hunters in CWD units could get an unlimited number of antlerless permits at the rate of four per day; hunters harvest 387,310 deer during the early October, regular gun, late December and muzzleloader seasons combined, the eighth highest kill on record; 195,735 deer harvested during the opening weekend (Nov. 19-20) of the nine-day gun season; gun deer sales total 643,676, down one percent from 2004; DNR conducts CWD surveillance survey in the agency’s Northeast Region where 4500 deer are tested and CWD not detected; 14 accidents, including three fatals, during the nine-day season (Nov. 19-27); top five gun deer harvest counties – all located in central Wisconsin – are Marathon (15,871), Clark (13,918), Waupaca (12,260), Shawano (11,748) and Jackson (11,461).
* 2006 – Statewide harvest quota totals 469,385 antlerless deer; over 1 million antlerless deer permits issued to reach this quota; all hunters issued one free antlerless permit for each license type (bow and gun) with permits valid in any Herd Control, EAB and CWD units; hunters kill the fifth highest gun total (393,306) during the youth, regular gun, late December and muzzleloader seasons combined; 10 accidents, one fatal, with five self-inflicted and five with shooter and victim in the same party.
* 2007 – Again, over 1 million antlerless deer permits issued and all hunters again get one free antlerless permit for each license type valid in any Herd Control, EAB and CWD units; nine-day gun season (Nov. 17-25) earliest possible opening day under the current season structure; 402,563 deer killed during all gun seasons is the third highest total on record, surpassed only by 2000 (528,494) and 2004 (413,794).
* 2008 – 57 DMU’s under EAB regulations and hunters must “earn” a buck sticker authorizing them to shoot a buck by first killing an antlerless deer; 51 DMU’s are on the EAB “watch list” meaning they could be designated as EAB units in 2009 if a sufficient number of antlerless deer aren’t harvested; most of southern Wisconsin lies within the new CWD-Management Zone (CWD-MZ) boundary and rifles can be used to hunt deer in previously shotgun only areas of the CWD Zone; traditional gun season runs from Nov. 22-30, the second latest possible opening day under the current nine-day season; hunting conditions considered above average throughout the state for most of the nine-day season; over 642,000 licensed hunters kill 352,601 deer during all gun seasons (103,845 antlered & 248,756 antlerless); nine accidents, one fatal, all either self inflicted or shooter and victim in the same party, during the nine-day season.
* 2009 – The 158th deer season: no EAB except in CWD-MZ; 13 DMU’s in northern Wisconsin will have an old fashioned buck only gun season due to units being below overwinter goal; all deer baiting & feeding banned in 28 counties; wildlife officials predicting a lower deer harvest than in 2008; movement of whole deer carcasses and certain parts of carcasses restricted from the CWD-MZ to elsewhere in the state; new Mentored Hunting Program permits a licensed hunter 18 years or older to take out anyone 10 years and older for a hunt.
source....
Monday, November 16, 2009
Feeling grumpy 'is good for you'
Here's one for the SOBs that think I'm grumpy! Hee hee.
In a bad mood? Don't worry - according to research, it's good for you.
An Australian psychology expert who has been studying emotions has found being grumpy makes us think more clearly.
In contrast to those annoying happy types, miserable people are better at decision-making and less gullible, his experiments showed.
While cheerfulness fosters creativity, gloominess breeds attentiveness and careful thinking, Professor Joe Forgas told Australian Science Magazine.
'Eeyore days'
The University of New South Wales researcher says a grumpy person can cope with more demanding situations than a happy one because of the way the brain "promotes information processing strategies".
He asked volunteers to watch different films and dwell on positive or negative events in their life, designed to put them in either a good or bad mood.
Next he asked them to take part in a series of tasks, including judging the truth of urban myths and providing eyewitness accounts of events.
Those in a bad mood outperformed those who were jolly - they made fewer mistakes and were better communicators.
Professor Forgas said: "Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, co-operation and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking, paying greater attention to the external world."
The study also found that sad people were better at stating their case through written arguments, which Forgas said showed that a "mildly negative mood may actually promote a more concrete, accommodative and ultimately more successful communication style".
His earlier work shows the weather has a similar impact on us - wet, dreary days sharpened memory, while bright sunny spells make people forgetful.
source....
In a bad mood? Don't worry - according to research, it's good for you.
An Australian psychology expert who has been studying emotions has found being grumpy makes us think more clearly.
In contrast to those annoying happy types, miserable people are better at decision-making and less gullible, his experiments showed.
While cheerfulness fosters creativity, gloominess breeds attentiveness and careful thinking, Professor Joe Forgas told Australian Science Magazine.
'Eeyore days'
The University of New South Wales researcher says a grumpy person can cope with more demanding situations than a happy one because of the way the brain "promotes information processing strategies".
He asked volunteers to watch different films and dwell on positive or negative events in their life, designed to put them in either a good or bad mood.
Next he asked them to take part in a series of tasks, including judging the truth of urban myths and providing eyewitness accounts of events.
Those in a bad mood outperformed those who were jolly - they made fewer mistakes and were better communicators.
Professor Forgas said: "Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, co-operation and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking, paying greater attention to the external world."
The study also found that sad people were better at stating their case through written arguments, which Forgas said showed that a "mildly negative mood may actually promote a more concrete, accommodative and ultimately more successful communication style".
His earlier work shows the weather has a similar impact on us - wet, dreary days sharpened memory, while bright sunny spells make people forgetful.
source....
Sunday, November 15, 2009
ISS Tonight
15 Nov -2.5 16:41:32 W 40
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill
Return of the Leonids
Astronomers from Caltech and NASA say a strong shower of Leonid meteors is coming in 2009. Their prediction follows an outburst on Nov. 17, 2008, that broke several years of "Leonid quiet" and heralds even more intense activity next November.
"On Nov. 17, 2009, we expect the Leonids to produce upwards of 500 meteors per hour," says Bill Cooke of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. "That's a very strong display."
Forecasters define a meteor storm as 1000 or more meteors per hour. That would make the 2009 Leonids "a half-storm," says Jeremie Vaubaillon of Caltech, who successfully predicted a related outburst just a few weeks ago.
On Nov. 17, 2008, Earth passed through a stream of debris from comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The gritty, dusty debris stream was laid down by the Leonids' parent comet more than five hundred years ago in 1466. Almost no one expected the old stream to produce a very strong shower, but it did. Observers in Asia and Europe counted as many as 100 meteors per hour.
Vaubaillon predicted the crossing with one-hour precision. "I have a computer program that calculates the orbits of Leonid debris streams," he explains. "It does a good job anticipating encounters even with very old streams like this one."
The Nov. 17, 2008 outburst proved that the 1466 stream is rich in meteor-producing debris, setting the stage for an even better display in 2009.
On Nov. 17, 2009, Earth will pass through the 1466 stream again, but this time closer to the center. Based on the number of meteors observed in 2008, Vaubaillon can estimate the strength of the coming display: five hundred or more Leonids per hour during a few-hour peak centered on 21:43 UT.
"Our own independent model of the debris stream agrees," says Cooke. "We predict a sub-storm level outburst on Nov. 17, 2009, peaking sometime between 21:34 and 21:44 UT."
The timing favors observers in Asia, although Cooke won't rule out a nice show over North America when darkness falls hours after the peak. "I hope so," he says. "It's a long way to Mongolia."
Many readers will remember the great Leonid showers of 1998-2002. The best years (1999 and 2001) produced storms of up to 3000 Leonids per hour. The 2009 display won’t be so intense. Instead, if predictions are correct, next year's shower could resemble the 1998 Leonids, a "half-storm"-level event caused by a stream dating from 1333. That old stream turned out to be rich in nugget-sized debris that produced an abundance of fireballs. Many observers consider the 1998 Leonids to be the best they've ever seen.
Could 2009 be the same? Vaubaillon expects a similar number of meteors but fewer fireballs. If the models are correct, the 1466 stream in Earth’s path contains plenty of dust but not so many nuggets, thus reducing the fireball count. On the bright side, the Moon will be new this Nov. 17th so nothing will stand in the way of the shower reaching its full potential.
source....
Astronomers from Caltech and NASA say a strong shower of Leonid meteors is coming in 2009. Their prediction follows an outburst on Nov. 17, 2008, that broke several years of "Leonid quiet" and heralds even more intense activity next November.
"On Nov. 17, 2009, we expect the Leonids to produce upwards of 500 meteors per hour," says Bill Cooke of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. "That's a very strong display."
Forecasters define a meteor storm as 1000 or more meteors per hour. That would make the 2009 Leonids "a half-storm," says Jeremie Vaubaillon of Caltech, who successfully predicted a related outburst just a few weeks ago.
On Nov. 17, 2008, Earth passed through a stream of debris from comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The gritty, dusty debris stream was laid down by the Leonids' parent comet more than five hundred years ago in 1466. Almost no one expected the old stream to produce a very strong shower, but it did. Observers in Asia and Europe counted as many as 100 meteors per hour.
Vaubaillon predicted the crossing with one-hour precision. "I have a computer program that calculates the orbits of Leonid debris streams," he explains. "It does a good job anticipating encounters even with very old streams like this one."
The Nov. 17, 2008 outburst proved that the 1466 stream is rich in meteor-producing debris, setting the stage for an even better display in 2009.
On Nov. 17, 2009, Earth will pass through the 1466 stream again, but this time closer to the center. Based on the number of meteors observed in 2008, Vaubaillon can estimate the strength of the coming display: five hundred or more Leonids per hour during a few-hour peak centered on 21:43 UT.
"Our own independent model of the debris stream agrees," says Cooke. "We predict a sub-storm level outburst on Nov. 17, 2009, peaking sometime between 21:34 and 21:44 UT."
The timing favors observers in Asia, although Cooke won't rule out a nice show over North America when darkness falls hours after the peak. "I hope so," he says. "It's a long way to Mongolia."
Many readers will remember the great Leonid showers of 1998-2002. The best years (1999 and 2001) produced storms of up to 3000 Leonids per hour. The 2009 display won’t be so intense. Instead, if predictions are correct, next year's shower could resemble the 1998 Leonids, a "half-storm"-level event caused by a stream dating from 1333. That old stream turned out to be rich in nugget-sized debris that produced an abundance of fireballs. Many observers consider the 1998 Leonids to be the best they've ever seen.
Could 2009 be the same? Vaubaillon expects a similar number of meteors but fewer fireballs. If the models are correct, the 1466 stream in Earth’s path contains plenty of dust but not so many nuggets, thus reducing the fireball count. On the bright side, the Moon will be new this Nov. 17th so nothing will stand in the way of the shower reaching its full potential.
source....
Saturday, November 14, 2009
3 Clusters in Cassiopeia
For northern observers, November and December are the best months to explore the lovely constellation Cassiopeia. High overhead this time of year, this W-shaped constellation is situated in the plane of the Milky Way, so it’s full of bright stars and enough open star clusters to fill many nights of pleasant observation, either with binoculars or a small telescope.
In Greek mythology, Cassiopeia was the wife of King Cepheus of Ethiopia. She was beautiful but vain, and boasted she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than all the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. Poseidon, the main sea god, did not take kindly to this boast and threatened to flood the kingdom of Ethiopia.
An oracle advised Cepheus and Cassiopeia to appease Poseidon by sacrificing their daughter Andromeda. The beautiful princess was chained to a rock at the edge of the sea, and left to be mangled and eaten by the dreaded sea monster Cetus. But the hero Perseus, flying back on the winged horse Pegasus, and after slaying the Gorgon Medusa, arrived in time to save Andromeda and turn Cetus to stone with Medusa’s severed head. Soon after, Perseus and Andromeda married. But Poseidon still punished Cassiopeia by casting her and Cepheus into the heavens, where they circle the celestial pole, never rising or setting (at least not from the latitude of Mt. Olympus).
Let’s have a look at three of the finest open clusters in Cassiopeia, all of which are worthy of a little examination through the chilly fall air.
M52. Messier 52 is easy to find… just continue a line from beta Cass (Shedir) to alpha Cass (Caph) a little more than the same distance. It’s visible in binoculars as a hazy patch of magnitude 7. A 3-4 inch telescope will reveal a few dozen mostly blue-white stars, and a couple of yellow giants which evolved off the main sequence. The cluster is fairly tightly packed and hard to resolve. It looks small because it’s far away… about 5,000 light years. In the 1800’s John Herschel saw the cluster as round, while the redoubtable amateur Admiral Smyth saw it as triangular or fan-shaped. What do you see?
M103. This is the last object in Messier’s original catalog (it was later padded to include 6 more objects). It’s also easy to find, about 1 degree northeast of Ruchbah (or delta Cass). At 8,500 light years away, it’s one of the most distant open clusters in Messier’s catalog. In a small scope, the cluster is unmistakably triangular and displays perhaps two dozen stars. The star triple star Struve 131 is the bright star at the north vertex of the cluster; you can easily resolve all three stars in Struve 131 in a scope, even at low power.
NGC 7789. This open cluster is old (> 1 billion years), far (>8,000 light years), and faint (most stars are magnitude 11 or 12). Because it’s so old, many blue-white stars have turned into red giants, so the cluster is quite colorful in photographs. It was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783. You can’t resolve this cluster in binoculars, but a 3-inch scope resolves a spray of tiny pinpoints of light on a hazy background. This open cluster, unlike many, looks better with higher magnification. Find NGC 7789 at one vertex of the right-angled triangle it forms with Shedir and Caph.
A bonus object: Another cluster in Cassiopeia is NGC 457, named after a famous character in a Steven Spielberg classic, ET.
source....
In Greek mythology, Cassiopeia was the wife of King Cepheus of Ethiopia. She was beautiful but vain, and boasted she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than all the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. Poseidon, the main sea god, did not take kindly to this boast and threatened to flood the kingdom of Ethiopia.
An oracle advised Cepheus and Cassiopeia to appease Poseidon by sacrificing their daughter Andromeda. The beautiful princess was chained to a rock at the edge of the sea, and left to be mangled and eaten by the dreaded sea monster Cetus. But the hero Perseus, flying back on the winged horse Pegasus, and after slaying the Gorgon Medusa, arrived in time to save Andromeda and turn Cetus to stone with Medusa’s severed head. Soon after, Perseus and Andromeda married. But Poseidon still punished Cassiopeia by casting her and Cepheus into the heavens, where they circle the celestial pole, never rising or setting (at least not from the latitude of Mt. Olympus).
Let’s have a look at three of the finest open clusters in Cassiopeia, all of which are worthy of a little examination through the chilly fall air.
M52. Messier 52 is easy to find… just continue a line from beta Cass (Shedir) to alpha Cass (Caph) a little more than the same distance. It’s visible in binoculars as a hazy patch of magnitude 7. A 3-4 inch telescope will reveal a few dozen mostly blue-white stars, and a couple of yellow giants which evolved off the main sequence. The cluster is fairly tightly packed and hard to resolve. It looks small because it’s far away… about 5,000 light years. In the 1800’s John Herschel saw the cluster as round, while the redoubtable amateur Admiral Smyth saw it as triangular or fan-shaped. What do you see?
M103. This is the last object in Messier’s original catalog (it was later padded to include 6 more objects). It’s also easy to find, about 1 degree northeast of Ruchbah (or delta Cass). At 8,500 light years away, it’s one of the most distant open clusters in Messier’s catalog. In a small scope, the cluster is unmistakably triangular and displays perhaps two dozen stars. The star triple star Struve 131 is the bright star at the north vertex of the cluster; you can easily resolve all three stars in Struve 131 in a scope, even at low power.
NGC 7789. This open cluster is old (> 1 billion years), far (>8,000 light years), and faint (most stars are magnitude 11 or 12). Because it’s so old, many blue-white stars have turned into red giants, so the cluster is quite colorful in photographs. It was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783. You can’t resolve this cluster in binoculars, but a 3-inch scope resolves a spray of tiny pinpoints of light on a hazy background. This open cluster, unlike many, looks better with higher magnification. Find NGC 7789 at one vertex of the right-angled triangle it forms with Shedir and Caph.
A bonus object: Another cluster in Cassiopeia is NGC 457, named after a famous character in a Steven Spielberg classic, ET.
source....
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