Yesterday evening I travelled over to the Derbyshire peaks, to Pyms Chair which is a local beauty spot above the Goyt Valley. This site is very exposed, but does have one advantage, it is high up and has a good horizon all around.
I arrived with a friend at 22:30 to find one of my Macc AS observing buddies waiting for me, and I was soon joined by another good friend from Macc AS, Paul C. We had arranged to meet at the Pyms chair site to observe comet C2009 R1 McNaught. This comet is now quite bright, m5.6 and was seen visually and imaged, by Paul last Wednesday morning. What a pity the comet isn't visible later in the year when the skies are darker. I am sure it would be an easy naked eye object.
We soon had all out gear set up. My Dob is so easy to assemble and to use, it only takes a minute before I have an eyepiece in the focuser and I am ready to observe.
Last night I was fortunate to get my first views of a wide gibbous Moon, together with Venus and Saturn. Despite a howling gale buffering the telescope, the Moon looked exquisite.
I was delighted to show one of the group her first ever look through a telescope, she had never seen the Moon before, until last night. To say that she was gob smacked is an understatement. Of cause she now wants a telescope so you can guess what hubby will be saving for.
By midnight the wind was getting worse and so was the cloud. As for the temperature, well that was ridiculous; is it really the beginning of Summer?
Despite the forecast of clear skies all night, the cloud was gathering in the North east alarmingly fast shortly after we began observing, and it wasn't too long before we had total obscuration.
We called it a night at 12:20am and thawed out on our way home.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Friday, 11 June 2010
To good to be true
I thought the arrival of my a new telescope, would bring forth rain. Which it did on Sunday and, since then, the weather has felt more like April than the start of Summer.
On the plus side; I made myself an off axis baader solar filter, using a spare dust cover. The filter is about 3inches diameter and increases the focal length of my 10" from f4.8 to about f16 this is ideal for comfortable solar viewing.
I was lucky enough to get my first views of the Sun on Friday June 5th. I've found the 35mm Celestron Ultima works best, and with my baader contrast boost filter the image is greatly enhanced.
The low magnification 34x, reduces atmospheric heat shimmer, and the contrast is better than through a higher power ep. So you get a nice steady image that is very sharp, allowing you to see plenty of detail in white light.
At the time of my observation (14:05ut) there was a very nice spot group visible, with plenty of limb darkening, and faculae.
I hope to begin drawing the Sun, when I get the chance, and I also want to start drawing DSO's. But I think this will prove tricky as I have not done any astronomical drawing before.
I've yet to view the Moon through the 10", and if the views I had of Saturn are anything to go by. I'll be in for a treat.
On the plus side; I made myself an off axis baader solar filter, using a spare dust cover. The filter is about 3inches diameter and increases the focal length of my 10" from f4.8 to about f16 this is ideal for comfortable solar viewing.
I was lucky enough to get my first views of the Sun on Friday June 5th. I've found the 35mm Celestron Ultima works best, and with my baader contrast boost filter the image is greatly enhanced.
The low magnification 34x, reduces atmospheric heat shimmer, and the contrast is better than through a higher power ep. So you get a nice steady image that is very sharp, allowing you to see plenty of detail in white light.
At the time of my observation (14:05ut) there was a very nice spot group visible, with plenty of limb darkening, and faculae.
I hope to begin drawing the Sun, when I get the chance, and I also want to start drawing DSO's. But I think this will prove tricky as I have not done any astronomical drawing before.
I've yet to view the Moon through the 10", and if the views I had of Saturn are anything to go by. I'll be in for a treat.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Clear skies and a new telescope
Can you believe my luck! I collected my new Orion OD250S deluxe dobsonian on Wednesday afternoon. And believe it or not, the skies have been clear. On Wednesday and Thursday, I have been using a small run off car park at Fernilee reservoir in Derbyshire, here the skies are considerably darker than where I live.
My new 10" is well made, and very easy to use. The mounting is very smooth, and unlike other dobsonian telescope's, you have the option to adjust the OTA in the cradle for comfort. I can stay seated with the scope which is very nice, and still reach the eyepiece.
Below is a round up of the last two night's.
June 2nd
24mm Panoptic (x55) 18mm Ortho (x66)35mm Celestron Ultima (x34) 6mm Vixen LV (x200) 10mm Orion plossl (x100))
Warm, and clear but with a slight haze. NLM +5 Seeing A3
Saturn.
At x150 I had a breath taking view. The planet is very sharp, steady and crisp, through this telescope. The contrast is also very good. I can see three moons.
Epsilon Lyrae.
x100 Easily resolved into two, separate components.
Alpha Canes or Cor Caroli.
This is a lovely colourful double. Using a 35mm Ultima Cor Caroli is a brilliant white, whilst the secondary is almost ice blue.
M94.
Through my 18mm Ortho (x66) M94 shows a bright stellar nucleus that fades into a nebulous haze.
M3.
WOW. x50 (24mm Panoptic) M3 is a dazzling mass of star light. Higher power x100 M3 is still very bright, and contrasty. I can resolve M3 to the core.
M13.
WOW x100 granular mass which is brighter towards the core, the proppella feature is almost visible. Increasing magnification, and M13 bursts forth in a mass of star light. It looks like white diamonds on black velvet.
M57.
Very clear open ring, in a very rich star field x50. x200 using baader UHC-S. M57 is bigger and clear. The smoke ring shape is now very clear, and I can begin to see braiding in the nebulosity. There is a m11 star clearly visible.
M56.
x50 M56 is clearly visible in a very rich milky way field, as a granular haze.
M10.
x150 is a bright, but granular circle of light. M10 is easy to resolve.
June 3rd
Very clear.
M51.
x50 two bright nuclei are visible, with just the hint of spiral structure visible. You can see these two are connected. On a night that is darker, I am sure M51 and NGC5195 will look better.
NGC4490.
I've not seen the "Cocoon Galaxy" before! x100 NGC4490 is a bright elongated fuzz. The fainter m12 NGC4485 (M12.5) is visible but only just when using averted vision.
Not bad for a 10"!
M81/82.
This galaxy group is best seen at low power. x50 both galaxies are clearly visible. M81 has a bright core, with spiral structure clearly visible. M82 is a distinct cigar shape, with a bright core.
M27.
x50 M27 is small and egg shaped. x66 Baader UHC-S M27 looks beautiful. It's large with a bright core, and fainter ansae. At this power M27 takes on it's dumbbell appearance.
My new 10" is well made, and very easy to use. The mounting is very smooth, and unlike other dobsonian telescope's, you have the option to adjust the OTA in the cradle for comfort. I can stay seated with the scope which is very nice, and still reach the eyepiece.
Below is a round up of the last two night's.
June 2nd
24mm Panoptic (x55) 18mm Ortho (x66)35mm Celestron Ultima (x34) 6mm Vixen LV (x200) 10mm Orion plossl (x100))
Warm, and clear but with a slight haze. NLM +5 Seeing A3
Saturn.
At x150 I had a breath taking view. The planet is very sharp, steady and crisp, through this telescope. The contrast is also very good. I can see three moons.
Epsilon Lyrae.
x100 Easily resolved into two, separate components.
Alpha Canes or Cor Caroli.
This is a lovely colourful double. Using a 35mm Ultima Cor Caroli is a brilliant white, whilst the secondary is almost ice blue.
M94.
Through my 18mm Ortho (x66) M94 shows a bright stellar nucleus that fades into a nebulous haze.
M3.
WOW. x50 (24mm Panoptic) M3 is a dazzling mass of star light. Higher power x100 M3 is still very bright, and contrasty. I can resolve M3 to the core.
M13.
WOW x100 granular mass which is brighter towards the core, the proppella feature is almost visible. Increasing magnification, and M13 bursts forth in a mass of star light. It looks like white diamonds on black velvet.
M57.
Very clear open ring, in a very rich star field x50. x200 using baader UHC-S. M57 is bigger and clear. The smoke ring shape is now very clear, and I can begin to see braiding in the nebulosity. There is a m11 star clearly visible.
M56.
x50 M56 is clearly visible in a very rich milky way field, as a granular haze.
M10.
x150 is a bright, but granular circle of light. M10 is easy to resolve.
June 3rd
Very clear.
M51.
x50 two bright nuclei are visible, with just the hint of spiral structure visible. You can see these two are connected. On a night that is darker, I am sure M51 and NGC5195 will look better.
NGC4490.
I've not seen the "Cocoon Galaxy" before! x100 NGC4490 is a bright elongated fuzz. The fainter m12 NGC4485 (M12.5) is visible but only just when using averted vision.
Not bad for a 10"!
M81/82.
This galaxy group is best seen at low power. x50 both galaxies are clearly visible. M81 has a bright core, with spiral structure clearly visible. M82 is a distinct cigar shape, with a bright core.
M27.
x50 M27 is small and egg shaped. x66 Baader UHC-S M27 looks beautiful. It's large with a bright core, and fainter ansae. At this power M27 takes on it's dumbbell appearance.
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