December 20-21, 2014: brief bash with bins

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

As I was heading for bed last night, I spotted that the skies were crystal clear, so hooked out the 15x70 bins. M81 and M82 were riding high, and looking good. M45 and the Double Cluster were looking brilliant, as was M42. I ended the mini session with a quick tour of M35, M36, M37 and M38. Lovely clusters in these bins.

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

Nice list there Michael. I must check out M81 and M 82,and see if thy are visible from my Light polluted urban spot!

[AndyWB]

Nice list there Michael. I must check out M81 and M 82,and see if thy are visible from my Light polluted urban spot!

 They certainly should be with your 130mm; I can spot them from a badly light polluted town centre!

[Qualia]

The last few days have been playing around with a similar Sod's Law, Michael. Just before going to bed.....wait for it....the sky suddenly clears. Friday after 2am, Saturday after 2am and last night after 1am I refused to play game, so it's great to see that you enjoyed a little session of some really gorgeous sights. Good on you. Hopefully tonight after work, things will be a little kinder this end.

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

 They certainly should be with your 130mm; I can spot them from a badly light polluted town centre!

Cheers Andy.I was wondering about the view through my 70mm bins,but I will try through the 130p too.   I've already made an early resolution (no pun intended!) that I'll try and use the scope more in 2015!

[mjpfc]

When I first looked at the title of your thread I thought you were complaining about Badgers in the Garden.

    I had the Binos out on Friday (last clear night) and thought I would have a look up at Draco as both asterisms

Kemble 2 and the H106112 group are supposed to be quite bright.

    I found the H-group straght away, and with a little effort located what I though to be Kemble 2, I was intrigued

by the glipses the Binos gave me and once the scope was set up I looked at these first.

Only the Big-bang knows why I have not looked at these two before...............

Kemble 2 is a tiny little dead-ringer for Casseopia, with a sprinkling of fainter stars around it. A really cracking little

Line up, which is exactly what the W of Cass is (Only with the font set to size 24).

H106112 Group was just.....stunning.......and I could not tell you exacly why.

There are only 7 stars of real brightness and their Magnitudes vary. It does not have any particular shape

as a group, maybe a distorted L shape with a little square at one side, but the overrall effect of the Group sitting

high above is remarkable, I must have gawped at it for 25 minutes.

It was a great start to a session and a salutary lesson, Bins are not just for Badgers, they are not only great to look through

in themselves, but they are also the best stereo finder-scope you could wish for (Apart from sticking the LBT on top of the OLT-

Obviously).

Hope this sky clears soon

Mick