Late-night stargazing before the moon takes over

 At 11 pm, about an hour after moonset, there were still patches of clouds in the southeast and a large cloud obscuring most of the Milky Way center, but the rest of the sky was clear.  Sky brightness was a disappointing sqml=21.3, possibly an effect of "lunar twilight", with the 5.5-day moon only 10° below the horizon.

The following images were taken with an Olympus E-M1iii camera, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens, and a Hoya Softon filter.

The Big Dipper sinking into the Bristol Head ridgeline.

Cassiopeia

 

Cepheus

Hercules

Saturn and Neptune (circled), below the Circlet of Pisces.

credit: SkySafariAstronomy.com

A closer look at Neptune and Saturn:

 

Saturn and Neptune (circled).

Neptune is at magnitude 7.8 and should be visible with moderately sized (7x50) binoculars.

Fomalhaut rising over the southern flank of Snowshoe Mtn.  Asteroid (06) Hebe is circled.

Fomalhaut (Alpha Piscis Austrini) is the 18th brightest star.  Asteroid (06) Hebe was the sixth asteroid discovered, in 1847.  Currently at magnitude 7.6, it should be visible with binoculars and an easy target for small telescopes.  This asteroid is believed to be the source of about 40% of the meteors that strike earth!

Here is a closer look: