Observing report 2013 Sunday 13th

Yes the skies where I live were clear, and I mean, very clear.

Below is a short summery of objects I observed through my new observation binoculars. During the wee small hours of 2013 Sunday 13th.

I couldn't sleep. So I got up at 01:30hrs and, after putting on some warm clothes. And getting some coffee. I took my big 15 x 70 B's for a celestial tour. I was outside from 01:40 for one and a half hours under one of the best skies that I have seen from Macclesfield.

Here is my brief report.

Arcturus.

Is very nice seeing this familiar red giant again.

M3.

Through the 15 x 70's M03 looked distinctly granular. It is good to see the first of the spring skies, bright messier,

globular clusters again.

M51.

I tried to find this famous spiral galaxy but failed. (Must try harder next time)

M65 and M66.

M66 was understandably the brighter off the two. But M65 was seen with averted vision.

Through the B's. There is a nice star pattern visible which looks to my eye like a small snake.

M44.

The Beehive cluster looked superb at 15x. And is ideal for these large binoculars. The field was filled with bees!!

M13. 

This was very granular and appears as a pale silvery ball. I saw M13 at 02:30hrs above my neighbours house.

Cor-Caroli.

A very nice double through these B's.

Alkiad.

Very bright. I looked at this, whilst trying to find M51.

Algieba.

This double in Leo was easily split. And looked very nice at x15.

Mellotte 111.

I could see Mel III with out optical aid, and had a good look. The B's are a good tool for this bright magnitude+1 OC.

Whilst in the area I tried to find NGC 4565. But failed.

I did see 17 Comae Berenices. This is a fine double and looks like Mickey Mouse.

I also had a brief tour through Virgo. I saw Vindimatrix together with Porrima. But I didn't see anything of the realm, off the galaxies!

To rap up the night, and because of cloud. I had a look for, and found. Messier's 81 and 82.

These were the show-piece objects for the morning sky.

I thought they looked good through your Paul Canon's Celestron 15 x 70 B's at Kelling. 

But from Kelling these two bright messier galaxies were low, and not overhead.

Both were clearly visible with M 81 showing what I thought was a distinct spiral shape. M 82 looked like a small

grey cigar.

I also had a brief tour of the three bright messier object's star are ideally suited for big binoculars.

M36-M37-M38. All off them were very clearly resolved. But Auriga was already sinking towards the West when I was looking at them shortly after 03:00hrs.

I came in at 03:15hrs happy.  And I tried to get the best off a good night's sleep.

December's update.

It's been a while since I posted anything on here. This is mainly down to a lack of enthusiasm and the rubbish English weather.

Since my last posting I been busy doing this and that, during brief moments of clear sky. The new telescope is performing nicely and I still have my 10" F4.8 reflector for sale (e-mail me if you are interested) I've imaged the Crab nebula recently. Here is the image of Messier 1.

Messier 1 was one object that. I had been waiting for since buying my Canon 1000D in March. It was taken through the C9.25 SCT operating at 2.35mtr at F10. The exposures were all 600 seconds, and the over all time was just under two hours.

I think it has been well worth the wait.

Here is another image.

This is NGC 1501. As you can see it is a small round planetary nebular which, I have to say I didn't know. This was captured on the 1st December at 1.4 mtrs at F6.3.

This nebula is easily visible with medium aperture telescopes. And is now on view all night and is visible in the constellation of Camelopardalis the Giraffe.

Two weeks ago I was given a little gift from my boss. So. I went over to the Stockport Telescope and Binocular Centre http://www.telescopes-binoculars.co.uk/

They are extremely helpful. I bought a nice set of 15 x 70 Visionary binoculars for astronomical observing and Solar observing when I can see it!

I want to begin to get to know the sky better than I do now so I hope these will help me. I'm also starting to miss visual observing again. But I hope to rekindle my love of deep sky observing with both these and my SCT from Tegs Nose where I go observing with members from Macclesfield Astronomical Society http://maccastro.wikispaces.com/

I am sitting here typing this whilst it is once again raining  out side. I don't know when I will get out side again. It has been like this now for weeks and we are all getting very brassed off.

Happy New Year everyone.

Under a Autumn Moon

Last night, was another of Macclesfield Astronomical Society's observing night's.
We meet on a regular bases at a local country park, 3 miles out side Macclesfield.

Although we are close to this large town. The skies are very dark, often peaking at magnitude +5.2 on good night's.

Last night's observing session was under a Full Hunters Moon. And was organised to co-inside with the opposition of the planet Uranus.

I arrived shortly after 19:30hrs to find the car park busy, with various members setting up equipment or, already observing. The sky was very clear and steady, which came as a pleasant surprise to every body, after the week-long monsoon we've just had.

This was the second outing for my Celestron C9.25, and what a joy it is to use.

Once assembled and the mount aligned on the North-Celestial-Pole. I happily toured the sky using planetarium software.

Because it was full Moon. I decided that I would spend my time looking at some unfamiliar open star clusters. I can't remember which one's I looked at, however I do remember looking at Messier 39.

Through my 24mm Panoptic x61. M39 looked like a jewel in the early autumn sky.

I soon tired off these star clusters and moved onto the ice giant's of the outer solar system.

Neptune. x61. Tiny blue disk. x113 (13mm Baader Hyperion) a slighly larger but still, none de-script blue disk.

Uranus. x61. Larger than Neptune, and appears Green. x113 the planet looks slightly bigger and you can see a tiny green sphere.

Later on, and once the Moon was higher in the South-East. took some DSLR images.

By 1am and after an excellent session. The sky turned gradually to solid cloud.  And the few of us who were left, called it a night.

It was an very good start to my 2012/13 observing/imaging season.

Deep Sky Wanderings

Since writing my last blog, I've been busy with holiday's and buying new equipment.
The equipment is probably why the weather here in England has been so wet lately.

Sorry about that.

During the middle half of September. I was very lucky to get the opportunity to visit, one of the countries premier star gazing event's. The Equinox Star Party at Kelling Heath, North-Norfolk.

My self and a imaging buddy, from Macclesfield Astronomical Society travelled down to Kelling on 2012 September 13 and stayed their until September 17.

During this time we were blessed with not one, but four of the clearest and darkest skies that I have ever seen, from this country.
Every night from 21:00, the Milky Way was seen. Not as a feint hazy patch of ghostly ancient light, when viewed from my home.

But as a brilliant white cloud arching overhead from Cassiopeia and Cygnus down through Aquila and on into Sagittarius.

The views we enjoyed with out optical aid were magnificent. NGC 7000 (North-America Nebula) was very clear every night. Together with. IC1396 in Cepheus. This is another huge region of hydrogen similar to the NAN, and it was very clear with out optical aid every night.

The unaided eye limiting magnitude, I estimated each night was magnitude +6.2. And to prove just how dark the skies actually were.
I found NGC7293 The Helix nebula, an easy object through 10x50 glasses and 15x70 Celestron Skymaster Binoculars.

NGC7293 is one of the largest planetary nebulae in the sky. But because the light is so spread out. You need very dark skies to see it visually. Through both sets of binoculars. NGC7293 was a ghostly oval shaped patch of pale light.

There was certainly plenty to see whilst we were their. The site was full to the rafter's with telescope's off all shapes and sizes.

It was interesting to see some of the big DOBs that I have read about, and seen advertised, but never had a close look at. I had the opportunity to look through a 18” and saw M92. Not as a misty granular ball. But as a glitter ball visible right to the core.

That was a wow moment. 

I took with me to Kelling my portable imaging setup. This comprises off the following.

T: William Optics Zenith Star 66SD

M: Losmandy G11

C: Canon 1000D modified

 My main interest is astro imaging. With this little portable set up I was able to  image,a load of stuff under those dark Norfolk skies.

Most night's we didn't turn in until well after 2am. But it was well worth every effort.

I imaged the following. 

M33,M45,NGC891,NGC1499.
Here they are.

M33



M45



NGC891



NGC1499



Since returning home from Kelling Heath. I have bought myself a new telescope.

I am now the proud owner of. A Celestron C9.25 XLT-CGE Schmitt Cassegrain. This telescope will be my work horse instrument from now on, and it will also be for keeps.

It will be used for visual observing and DSLR imaging. And I hope to begin re-acquainting my self with the Planets and the Moon.

I hope to try my hand also at web cam imaging of these worlds. But I think it will be a long time before I am as good as Damien Peach.

Watch out...

Recent Solar observations

It's been a while since I was able to update my blogg. The reason. Our lousy Summer weather.

I wish I could say balmy, but June, July and now August look like being a wash out. I hope we begin to get some decent weather come September, and perhaps we will have an Indian Summer!

When the weather as been more co-operative. I have been able to make some observation's of our nearest star. The Sun.

This huge nuclear furnace lying at 93 million miles is getting very active. With almost something new, rotating onto the white light visible surface every day.

I don't image the Sun, but prefer to draw what I see. I use a nice 65mm ED Nikon birding scope fitted with a BAADER WHITE LIGHT FILTER.

Using this equipment. I am able to get out and look at the Sun, at a moments notice. This is far better than dragging the big scopes out side, and spending valuable time setting up.

You will see here a small selection of drawings made over the past couple off week's. And they show you how active our Sun is.

August 04th

 July 30th

 July 29th

 July 24th

Solar observing July 7th 212.

I had another clear break in the clouds, and weather. So I was lucky enough to get out again, with my Nikon RA65 spotting scope.

The Sun is still very active, with many groups still visible.

We have a new group visible that is slowly rotating, onto the earth facing disk. This is AR 1519 and looks quite big.

AR's 1515 and 1513 are slowly disappearing of the Southern limb. There is considerable limb darkening visible, together with visible faculae.

The drawing was made as I say, in white light. I use a home made Baader solar filter attached to this little ED APO. And it works very well. This little set up is now my dedicated grab and go solar telescope.

I made this drawing under reasonable skies, between 1600 and 1605UT.

North is upper most, with East to the left. 

The Sun in White light.

This evening I have been very lucky to get out and look at the active Sun. I'm using a Nikon RA65 birding scope fitted with a white light Baader solar filter.

The Sun is once again, very active, with five AR's or active regions visible.

Sunspot AR1515 has grown into a behemoth. and it is now more than 10 times wider than Earth. Can you imagine that!
The active region is crackling with M-class solar flares and seems poised to produce even stronger X-flares in the days ahead.  At least one CME is en route to Earth, and ham radio operators are reporting shortwave solar radio bursts, roaring from the loudspeakers of their receivers. For more information. Stay tuned to http://spaceweather.com for updates.

There could very well be, an increase in auroral activity this week-end, and is it possible. That more NLC will be visible? Their still isn't evidence for a link between an increase in NLC and higher than normal Solar activity. And the jury is still out.

The drawing's I made. Were made between 1800 and 1810UT under very good skies, with excellent seeing.
As I am typing this. It is now pouring with rain. So I was very, very, lucky.