5th/6th November 2011 - Report

What seems like forever I am out again and on a proper clear night. Sure the night was a little spoiled with a fairly bright moon but that was going to set close to 3 am and I recently aquired a new SPC900N colour camera so I was egar to get imaging and get my first snap of Jupiter in true colour, so in an usual twist for me I started my session with imaging.

The night overall was fantastic and one of my best of the year with, without a doubt, my best observation of the year. Seeing and Trans was excellent when I arrived but got better and better as the night went on and once the moon finally set below the horizon the skies turned into an amazing sight with a strong presence of the Milky Way from horizon, zenith to horizon again. It was one of those nights you really hoped for and there wasn't a drop of dew on any of the equipment.

Equipment = Skywatcher 14", SPC900N and laptop

Location = Bragan

Seeing =3/4
Trans = 3/4

Start = 21:37

Moon = I completed a series of AVIs along the terminator to hopefully create a mosaic. The exposure setting weren't very good so the images were a little over exposed and I missed out a few areas of the terminator. The mosaic is below but I am far from happy with it.

Jupiter = The great seeing providing some stunning views of all the bands and zones, along with a great view of the GRS and a wonderful transit and shadow transit of Io. I also recorded several AVIs with and with out a barlow but only one of the AVIs turned out ot be useful. The problem I discovered is that when out observing out eyes were dark adapted so the image on the laptop screen looked perfect but it was, in fact, badly under exposed so Registax wasn't able to do much with them but the good result I got can be seen below. I've also added my image with the 3x Barlow but it is heavily photoshoped to cover up some of the terrible quality but Io can be easily seen near the GRS. I'm sure the next time I use the camera my results will be much better from the lessons learned on my first run through.

M67  = A lovely wide open and delicate looking cluster.

M50 = A pretty view of an overlooked object. Well worth the effort.

NGC 2392 = A striking green hue and lovely details through all of the nebula. The eskimo shape and details were clearly apparent.

NGC 6543 = A very nice view of a nebula that usually looks bland. The centeral star was clearly seen with strong structure and beautiful faint loop like strands.

M46 = Truly lovely with the PN jumping out at you, with it's wonderful ring like look and shape.

M47 = A decent view

M1 = This was actually very good later on in the night but detail was as elusvie as always.

M79 = A rare sight and delightfully detailed for its low position.

The Horsehead and Flame nebula = I couldn't believe it at first, I spent the first 15 minutes of my observing time with this in disbelieve. Checking and rechecking my star maps. Looking at photos in my magazine to check the stars to those in my eyepeices and I even use my GOTO and input the IC number and the scope never moved and beeped to say that the object was in view.
I've spent the last 10 years looking for this and never had any luck. The Flame nebula was surprisingly easy to see and the nebula containing the horses head had a mysitc ghostly appearence. At first the horses head was elusive but patience and averted vision revealed the spectical and I could feel tears building up in my eyes to the sheer beauty and amazing fact that I saw it in my very own telescope.
I never thought I would see this in anything less than 20 inches and unflitered.
With out a doubt the best observation of the year for me and also one of my best of all time. This moment has become perminantly burned into my memory and every time I close my eyes I can see that marvelous view.

NGC 891 = A beauitful crisp view with splended detail. A rare treat.

Finish = 04:05

Not many objects viewed on this session but a lot of time had been spent on Jupiter becuase of the fantastic details and the stunning Io transit and also my personal time soaking up every detail I could see of the Flame and Horsehead.
I certainly hope this won't be the last night out before the year ends. If the winter nights are going to be this good I will endure any temperature.

18th/19th August 2011 - Report

It has been a long, long time since I had a proper night out. I have been out quite a few nights since my last report - most with other club members - but with weather problems and being plagued with equipment problems I never felt it was note worthy.

Yes, new equipment problems. On a previous star party a few weeks ago my lovely 14" Skywatcher developed the dreaded encoder problems again, which I had when I first bought the scope. This instance is worse than last time with the motors trying to drive the telescope into the ground while slewing.
Why it broke down has eluded me because it was working well for almost an hour before it suddenly lost its mind.
Well, I've been in contact with the dealer and have suggested returning the faulty base for the non GOTO - manual - base and refund me the cost in difference. They seemed quite open to the idea so I will treat myself to new gear if I do decide to do that. My Orion Europa is in need of some upgrades.

Last night was a bit of a surprise, the clear skies were somewhat unexpected. I saw that Thursday held some promise when looking at a forecast a few days prior but the weather had turned for more cloud so it was great to see a large clear belt moving in from the Atlantic. I decided to take advantage and I was able to share the night with a good old friend from the club. Due to the woes with the Skywatcher I decided on taking the Orion out with the EQ6.

The moon really did spoil things and was actually brighter than when it was in full phase a few days ago because it's getting higher in the sky now. Apart from that the sky was lovely with average seeing and transparency, along with a hint of the milky way.

Equipment = EQ6 Pro, Orion Europa 10"

Location = Bragan

Seeing = 3
Trans = 3

Start Time = 22:30

M22 = Still not dark enough for a proper look but still a marvellous view and a rare treat to be able to observe this.

M10 = Great amount of detail and a wonderful variation in star brightness from the core out.

M12 = Equally as nice and more spread out than M10.

M9 = Wasn't expecting to see anything as there was a lot of cloud but I waited for a break to pass over and sure enough I could see it. Barely as the moon light was washing the view out but you could see the faint stars.

M14 = Really dense but again the moon light was preventing my scope from resolving any stars.

M11 = Completely stunning. Best object of the night for me and despite the conditions it was one of the finest views I've had of this great cluster. Excellent sense of depth an distance between the stars with beautiful variations in brightness and colour.

M26 = I forgot about the really fun asterism in this open cluster. I can't decide between it looking like a backwards 'J', a magic mushroom or an umbrella. A really fun object to observe.

M17 = Delicately nice with the UHC-S filter. The moon, again, washing out any detail that may have been there.

M16 = The star cluster itself was very prominent and for the first time I could easily see how it got its name. No hint of nebulosity sadly.

M18 =  A nice faint grouping of stars which looked like a  four legged/armed star fish to me.

M23 = Quite a large and widely dispersed open cluster, filling the FOV in the 17mm.

M25 = Even more dispersed than M23 but more pleasant to look at.

M57 = Magnificent. Loads of detail with hints of the central star using averted vision. I think this is the best view I've had in this scope for a long time.

NGC 6781 =  Barely visible, with just a vague impression of its presence.

NGC 6804 = Very much the same as 6781, unfortunately.

NGC 6891 = Not much to note. A faint fussy looking start. You wouldn't know it was there unless you were looking for it.

M71 = A delightful faint cluster with a lot to look at and take in, a fine sight.

M27 = Strong structure and easily seen but not details.

M15 = A decent view but being very close to the moon it was rather washed out looking.

Jupiter = A truly stunning sight and a very memorable one. The red spot was unmistakeable and obviously visible, details and colour variations between the bands and zones were excellent. I spent about 40 minutes observing the planet and watching stages of its rotation and seeing the red spot move along the disc. This will stay in my memory for a long time.

Delta Cepheus = A wide pair with the parent star being a pale yellow and the companion displaying an impressive ice blue colour.

Rasalgethi = What a gem! A great rich red colour of the star itself with a close and sharp blue companion. Not a double star to overlook.

Moon = I decided to finish my night on the moon. It was so prominent by this stage now anyway and I rarely observe the moon in phases after it has reached full so I took a short tour around the terminator to be treated to amazing views of craters, valleys and mountain ranges. There were some stunning details and the view was really crisp.

Finish = 02:15

Not a perfect night - condition wise - but I enjoyed it immensely and it was also a welcome break not to be bothered by equipment problems and just get stuck into observing for a change. I hope this will be a start and sign of a good observing season a head and I can't wait to get out again under moonless skies.
The weather doesn't look so good for the next week so it looks like my next night out will be at the Burren star party in just under two weeks time, which I am really looking forward to.

23rd March 2011 - Report

With an amazing week of weather to kick start spring, today was the best day with beautiful blue skies and excellent viability so of course I felt excited after waking up and seeing this kind of weather. Observing was the first thought that came into my mind and the buzz of excitement soon followed.
I finished work early so I could get some gardening done and cook early so I could leave on a good time so I could spent as long as I could before moon rise.
My father came with me as he never saw through my 14" yet. He enjoyed a lot of the view I showed him but Saturn was clearly the favourite of the night for him.
The night was wonderfully mild and no wind. It's the most comfortable I have been up at Bragan since the end of last summer.

Equipment = 14" Skywatcher

Location = Bragan

Seeing = 5
Trans = 3

Start Time = 20:42

Rigel = I forgot that Rigel is a double star but I choose it as my last star in aligning the scope and looking in the eyepiece soon made me remember how pretty this double is.

M51 = It's not even dark yet nor are my eyes fully dark adapted but this was already striking out it's spiral arms.

NGC 4244 = Lovely needle like shape, though oddly faint.

M46 = Truely stunning looking tonight. The best view I've had this year. The stars rich and wondrous along with the planetary nebula sitting there like a glorious painting with fantastic contrasts through the nebula.

NGC 2392 = No doubt again, the best I've ever seen the Eskimo. Jaw dropping detail in and around the nebula. It was so close to being picture like and the pin point sharpness of the central star added a dramatic effect. This will stay in my memory forever.

Saturn = Well what can I say. She was still low on the horizon at this time but what a beautiful sight. The excellent seeing of the night kept atmospheric aberration to a minimum, giving me some stunning moments of clarity and detail. I looked at this again before leaving and was almost at prime position for viewing, the rock solid image - even at 323x magnification - showing super details in the cloud structure of the planets atmosphere and the rings were full of details too. For moons were visible.

M3 = Amazing depth of field among the sheer amount of stars visible. Globular clusters like this really do have that kick in the ass WOW! factor.

M105 & NGC 3384 = Decent details and bright. The third unknown galaxy was very obvious and nice.

M96 = Quite fuzzy to look at but the core and disc were seen well.

M95 = Barely visible. Disappointing this time.

Leo Triplet = Excellent view to say the least. M66 being the star of the show. Nice delicate details.

M53 = An amazing globular cluster, highly underrated. The core is so dense yet beautiful and the scope was splitting and resolving the stars magnificently in the 8mm, giving me a very memorable view indeed.

M64 =  The finest view I've every had after spending 10 years of looking at this galaxy on and off. The black eye feature was really prominent.

NGC4631 = The whale shape wasn't as prominent as it usually has been form previous observations. Still very nice though with it's satellite companion easy to see.

NGC 4656 = The hockey shape was very easy to make out and the was also lovely star cluster like feature scattered through the length of this irregular galaxy.

M94 = Bright with a decent detail around the core.

NGC 3190 & 3193 = Small but  a pretty pair, with a fainter third galaxy in the field of view that is not listed on my maps.

NGC 4565 = One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen! Words are too pale to describe what I was looking at and the detail that was there. It really was just like looking at the image of it you see in magazines.
A small bright bulb shaped core with a gorgeous needle shaped edge on disc with an even more prominent dust lane running along the whole length with remarkable detail of knotted shapes and bumps like features along the edges of the dust plane. I will never forget this sight, truly moving and an emotional one for me.

Finish = 22:46

 

1st March 2011 - Report

My first proper night out with the new base for the 14". Tests in the back garden were excellent but now it was time for some proper observing with it.
The scope preformed really well during the session, getting all targets into the field of view, requiring only minor manual adjustments.

Equipment = 14" Skywatcher

Location = Farmyard

Start Time = 20:26

NGC 2300 & 2276 = An interesting pair to say the least. 2300 has a very bright core, 2276 looked more like a faint irregular nebula.

NGC 3403 = A beautiful sight indeed... A large bright disk with lovely detail. Averted vision showed lovely groups of stars.

M109 = A fair view. The barred spiral structure was visible but a fair amount of averted vision was needed.

NGC 2460 = Faint with no discernible shape.

NGC 2805 = Barely visible but just off on a 2 oclock position is a very small and pretty edge on galaxy that isn't listed on my star map.

NGC 2768 = Very pretty! Appearing as a a semi edge on galaxy with a lovely disc.

NGC 2683 = Average

NGC 2681 = Average

NGC 2841 = Quite nice. A bright core and a large disc.

NGC 3310 = Looks more like a planetary nebula than a galaxy and an attractive red star shares the field of view.

NGC 3359 = Quite faint but has an interesting irregular shape.

M51 - A truly stunning sight, in full glory with the spiral arms showing strongly with good details and bands of dust running along and through this beautiful galaxy.

NGC 3190 & 3193 = A nice group with a third galaxy in the field of view but, again, is not listed on my star map.

M65 & M66 = A stunning sight. Details all over with both having large discs on display with superb looking shape and structure.

Finish = 21:48

2nd February 2011 - Replacement Base.

After months of waiting for my new, replacement, base to be sent to me for my 14" Skywatcher it finally arrived on the 31st of January. 

As you can imagine I was very eager to get out and test it to make sure it was working as expected. There was a lovely clear spell last night - 1st February - but just as I was ready to turn on the power button the sky was completely covered in cloud and it was only a few moments before that when I looked up and saw stars everywhere. Very annoying but rather than just pack up I decided to test the parking mode as this was terribly inaccurate on the faulty base. I was thrilled to see that it was parking properly so this was promising. 

Today was a real chance to get out with clear skies forecast for most of the evening. I go set up very quickly and was amazed to see that collimation was very close to being spot on. Of course when I was ready to turn on the mount and test it was cloudy again but I waited it out and patiences prevailed. I got enough clear skies to get a really good test and I am delighted to say that all is working well. 

All that is left now are some great clear nights this spring and lots of time up at Bragan to do some serious galaxy hunting!

I feel good times ahead...

26th January 2011 - Report

At long last, my first proper observing session of the year and thank goodness, it has been too long thanks to a deadly long, cold and icy winter.
I've recently started observing at a farm yard just up the lane of my house and am very impressed with the conditions. Light pollution is low and quite a bit of the horizon can be seen and there is also quite good shelter from the wind. This is also where I observed for this session.
I wasn't out very long but that was because work was extremely busy so I had to be in bed for a resonable time.

Equipment = Orion 10" and EQ6 Pro

Start Time = 20:04

NGC 891 = Not much detail but the structure was solid and well seen with averted vision.

M31 & 32 = Very bright and nice.

NGC 2403 = A very nice sight. Strong structure and averted vision revealing some nice spiral arm and cluster like details.

M1 = Superb structure but little detail.

M78 = Really good nebulosity to be seen with some faint details around the edges of the stars.

M42 = Mind blowing. I thought I saw al in the 14" a few months back but this really was a view that topped them all. The FOV in the 17mm Hyperion was just a feast from edge to edge with gorgeous dark lanes and details running all through the nebula.

NGC 1662 = A nice small grouping of stars and a first time seeing this.

NGC 3194 = A bit faint but still a beautiful small cluster to observe and for the fist time too.

NGC 2169 = Another beautiful small cluster that is really worth looking at. The stars are very bright and grouped in a lovely pattern. To me part of the group looked like a butterfly spreading its wings out.

Finish = 21:17