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.