Binocular bash

[Walshie79]

First clear night for ages, and the first moonless one for who knows how long. So out f or a quick bash with the 25*70s. M77 showed itself well earlier, looking like a globular as it always does, but M74 was its elusive self and only barely there with averted vision. Managed to spot Albireo, M57,56 and 27 before they set, summer objects still there in December.

Back out just now and found Orion was due south. Last time I had a clear moonless night I think Aries was there arat midnight, thats how long it is. M42 impressive as ever, but my main target was one that eluded me last year, M78. Now I have decent charts it was easy to find the right area. Alnitak, up and left a bit to find a triangle of faint stars, then right. It popped out very clearly, similar in magnitude and appearance to M1 despite being a different kind of object. What surprised me was how empty the area around it was, considering it is in the middle of Orion.

Then a quick look at M41 and M44, old friends returned.

[cotterless45]

Lovely report, super night,

Nick.

[FenlandPaul]

Nice report. I caught M78 for the first time in 20x80s last weekend. Hopped there the same way as you. I'd never seen it when I had the 8" so it was nice to bag a messier-first with bins. Here's to clear skies over the Christmas break!!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report. M74 can be tricky, even in an 8" scope, as I observed a few days ago

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

Nice report. It seems that good bins around the 70mm mark 'punch above their weight' when it comes to DSO's.It is surprising how many people here have reported seeing things for the first time,using bins, that have previously eluded them when using medium sized scopes!