Observing Pluto .....nearly

[mdstuart]

Had another go at observing Pluto last night with my 16 inch Dob.

Crystal clear sky....Moon not yet up...Just in to nautical darkness at 11.40pm.

My this thing is low....Just above the tree but still left of our extension...out with a Tesco bag to kneel on....Yes that low! Scope out of balance at such a low declination so out with a towel to rebalance the tube....must by some bigger weights.

Ok so it's cleared the tree...sketching dots ....sorry stars begins.....lovely star field...a nice crescent of mag 11/12 stars...averted vision applied....black towel over head applied..7mm William Optics engaged....more faint dots added too sketch...then....Yes you guessed.....cloud....in fact shower looking cloud...so rapid deconstruction of scope...then bed.....then on to the Dso planner android app.....boy is this app good.....compare sketch to chart......faintest dot....mag 13.2. So Pluto was still to faint for me at this low altitude by one magnitude.[emoji22]

Plan B is to wait a week...go to a darker site in the Cotswolds and try again.

So if you are planning to have a go....remember the Tesco bag to kneel on![emoji6]

Mark

[nightfisher]

good luck, 10 out of 10 for trying

[andrew63]

Sounds like a good reason for more aperture Mark  !

At opposition today, see Telescope House July Sky Guide. " an unobstructed telescope of around 100mm or 4-inchs should be enough to resolve Pluto"

Telescope House Monthly Sky Guide

andrew

[Grotemobile]

Sounds like a good reason for more aperture Mark  !

At opposition today, see Telescope House July Sky Guide. " an unobstructed telescope of around 100mm or 4-inchs should be enough to resolve Pluto"

Telescope House Monthly Sky Guide

andrew

Just signed up to that.Thanks

for posting. Very good.

Steve

[mdstuart]

I suspect Steve O Meara could resolve it on a volcano top in Hawaii with a 100mm scope!

[John]

Great report Mark - near miss !

If Pluto had been a bit higher in the sky and you had used a Sainsbury's bag I'm sure you would have spotted it

[damnut]

Great report, Thanks for posting, Pluto is on my mag limit, really beyond what I have. Good Luck with the hunt.

[xtreemchaos]

better luck nexttime mate.

[RT65CB-SWL]

...out with a Tesco bag to kneel on....

...remember the Tesco bag to kneel on![emoji6]

Mark

And to quote the aforementioned supermarket: "Every little helps!"

Congratulations Mark if you do get it, and a great report. With less than a week to go before New Horizons makes a historic piece of history so are you. I guess there not many amateurs with large 'scopes who have seen Pluto.

PS: I kneel on one of their competitors carrier bags. I ASDA to use 'em, 'coz them mud & grass stains ain't 'alf a pain to get rid of when I soaks and I doz me laundry washin'.

[mdstuart]

Might try again tonight..

Might up the power using my 4.7 ES eyepiece!

Come on big dobbers - join in...

Video astronomers - I bet you can spot it with a few seconds integration time.

Mark

[Paul73]

I like to read about a decent Astro quest. Good luck.

Given that so much of this one is governed by seeing conditions, can us little Dobbers join is too?

Yours rather optimistically

Paul

PS Did you ever catch that 5th Jovian moon?

[mdstuart]

Paul

No I have yet to get the 5th moon!

You can still identify the field with Pluto in it and see how many stars you can spot. If you go to Australia and up your mag you could see Pluto in your scope no doubt..

Mark

[Paul73]

I'm sure that I have got close to that mag before. Although that wouldn't have been in vertual twighlight and that low in the sky.

Time for some serious averted imagination!!! Err. And some clear sky.

Paul

[mdstuart]

Got it I think....P marks the spot but to be sure I need to check again to see which dot moves!

Funny...I cannot make out that heart shaped feature even with my newly re-coated mirrors.[emoji6]

Mark

[Davey-T]

Aimed the GOTO in the general direction and just running off a bunch of JPEGS, no idea if it's on there but if it's clear tomorrow I'll aim in the same place and take some more.

Dave

[Paul73]

Well done. There can't be many that have bagged Pluto.

Onto the minor planets!

Paul

[RT65CB-SWL]

Got it I think....P marks the spot but to be sure I need to check again to see which dot moves!

Funny...I cannot make out that heart shaped feature even with my newly re-coated mirrors.[emoji6]

Mark

Keep us updated if you did 'bag' it!

[mdstuart]

I have verified Pluto's position on CDC and my dot ties in to Pluto's position so I have now seen Pluto...

Sent from my Q102 using Tapatalk

[laudropb]

Congratulations. Fully deserved for all your hard work

[bish]

Nice report - makes me want to get out there (except I don't have my scope with me and it's cloudy)

[Martin Meredith]

Great thread, and very well done Mark! I'm inspired to get the big dob out before I sell it and give it a go myself (and you're right about picking it up with some electronic assistance in seconds, but that's cheating ;-)

Martin

[Syed Saif Alam]

Wow nice report ! I love the sketches ... sir i would suggest u to wait till the 15th of july ..new horizons will give u the detailed pics of pluto ... i think that is what initiated this hunt .. well great try .. tesco bag, i might give it a try sometime .

[xtreemchaos]

nice one mate i knew you would get it...charl.

[Davey-T]

Hi Mark, watched the TV program on new horizons last night and there was some discussion on the accuracy of Plutos orbit predictions as it had yet to complete one orbit since it's discovery.

Wondered if this was why my old never updated Goto failed to find it when it centred a nearby star with no problem, are the co-ords in Stellarium likely to be accurate using up to date info or is there a more accurate source.

Dave