Jump to content

SkySurveyBanner.jpg.21855908fce40597655603b6c9af720d.jpg

First proper night out

gazaddy

By gazaddy
in Getting Started With Observing

Recommended Posts

gazaddy

gazaddy

Posted
Posted

Well finally managed to get the dob out for the first time tonight...left it out to cool for a bit then had a mooch about....

WOW.....it was awesome, my first target was M31 , used telrad to get me in the right place , quick look in finder scope ,bang on target then viewed it with the 25mm it came with . Loved the big fuzzy beauty.. So then got my 'sky at night ' mag out at the star chart and as Cassiopeia was overhead found M52 and M103 also found the double cluster nearby.....I was like a dog with 2 willies at this point constantly grinning trying not to cheer out loud as everyone in bed..oops.... Then my 22 yr old son came home from pub knowing I was outside left all the lights off and joined me. He was impressed and amazed as I was this being our first telescope. I showed him what I had seen and he was gobsmacked.

Now a question .... When I showed him M31 Andromeda galaxy I noticed another smaller faint fuzzy object in the FOV , it would not focus like the other stars so I think I may have found M32 , not sure but I hope I did . Any ideas?

All I can say is what a brilliant couple of hours, can't wait for next session , and what a fantastic scope my 10inch dob is..... I love it

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gazaddy

gazaddy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Very likely to be M32, M110 would have been outside your field of view if centred on M31.

Nice one :)8c1bab4dfba5c25932eb0ca1b9160294.jpg

Wow thanks for that , the way I was viewing it was that If you turned your picture 45degrees anti clockwise I had M31 in the bottom left and M32 in top right . If that makes sense.

If it is then I'm buzzing....it was just great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gazaddy

gazaddy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

"A quick check in Stellarium would/could have answered your question. If you don't have a copy, let us know and someone will be happy to show you where to pick it up on the web - FREE:"

Thanks Dave, I'm on I-pad so will look for download

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Stu

Stu

Posted
Posted

"A quick check in Stellarium would/could have answered your question. If you don't have a copy, let us know and someone will be happy to show you where to pick it up on the web - FREE:"

Thanks Dave, I'm on I-pad so will look for download

On iPad you can buy SkySafari which is the app I used for that screenshot. Stellarium is nice (and free!!) but I think SkySafari is better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Stu

Stu

Posted
Posted

Wow thanks for that , the way I was viewing it was that If you turned your picture 45degrees anti clockwise I had M31 in the bottom left and M32 in top right . If that makes sense.

If it is then I'm buzzing....it was just great.

Yes, the orientation of the view in a newt would be different, upside down normally but can also be at angles depending upon how you have your tube rotated.

Great stuff!! Next time pan a little way the other way and you should get M110 too :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Charic

Charic

Posted
Posted

........mobile Stellarium has a small price for Android devices, but FREE and my choice on the PC.

I like the Trees image in the PC, shows about as much sky as is visible from my back yard obsy,  and as yet I've not yet tried to stitch any images together of my real surroundings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bomberbaz

bomberbaz

Posted
Posted

Cheers Astro Imp,I'm so glad I went with the 250px its amazing.I normally go out with the binoculars but this is something else.

I totally know where you are at with this jump. And loved reading your enthusiastic report. You cant buy that side of this, or indeed any hobby.

Next thing will soon be more kit, take yourtime young padawan, the force (read wallet and experience) will guide you. Enjoy and good hunting

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gazaddy

gazaddy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I totally know where you are at with this jump. And loved reading your enthusiastic report. You cant buy that side of this, or indeed any hobby.

Next thing will soon be more kit, take yourtime young padawan, the force (read wallet and experience) will guide you. Enjoy and good hunting

Haha never been called " young Palawan " before , the wife said "young, your 48" to rapturous laughter.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
samgray128a

samgray128a

Posted
Posted

Loved reading your report Gazaddy. You summed it up well with the term 'buzzing.' What a great hobby this is! Well done finding those objects on your first proper outing as that is very good going! Hope to read many more of your future reports as you find more and more. :-D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gazaddy

gazaddy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well I managed an hour before the clouds moved in.............OMG...WOW....I'm like a kid at Christmas and I'm 48..

Whilst the scope was cooling I got the bins out as M45 Pleiades was poking out from behind the chimney stack, I love looking at it with the bins but when I hit it with the finder scope and then viewed it with the 25mm I nearly did a giddy wee....it wouldn't all fit in view it was AWESOME...

So I got the starchart out and picked my targets for the session. M81 Bode's galaxy and M82 the Cigar galaxy, the Plough had cleared the rooftops so used that as my guide. Pointed telrad in area they should be then very,very slowly scanned sky through EP. After about 10 mins the small fuzzy blur of M81 appeared...JACKPOT...fist pump in the air...in my excitement I nudged the dob and had to find it again but this time I found it in top left of EP ....then I cheered..(sorry neighbours) in bottom right of EP was M82 a long thin fuzzy blur...double jackpot....it felt like I'd won the lottery.

Next target was M33 Triangulum Galaxy ....no luck after ages scanning but did come across an open cluster , looking at where it was positioned I think I stumbled upon NGC752..how cool.

Then the clouds came so I came in...I can't believe how much I am enjoying what I am finding. I wish I had bought a scope sooner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
bomberbaz

bomberbaz

Posted
Posted

Well I managed an hour before the clouds moved in.............OMG...WOW....I'm like a kid at Christmas and I'm 48..

Whilst the scope was cooling I got the bins out as M45 Pleiades was poking out from behind the chimney stack, I love looking at it with the bins but when I hit it with the finder scope and then viewed it with the 25mm I nearly did a giddy wee....it wouldn't all fit in view it was AWESOME...

So I got the starchart out and picked my targets for the session. M81 Bode's galaxy and M82 the Cigar galaxy, the Plough had cleared the rooftops so used that as my guide. Pointed telrad in area they should be then very,very slowly scanned sky through EP. After about 10 mins the small fuzzy blur of M81 appeared...JACKPOT...fist pump in the air...in my excitement I nudged the dob and had to find it again but this time I found it in top left of EP ....then I cheered..(sorry neighbours) in bottom right of EP was M82 a long thin fuzzy blur...double jackpot....it felt like I'd won the lottery.

Next target was M33 Triangulum Galaxy ....no luck after ages scanning but did come across an open cluster , looking at where it was positioned I think I stumbled upon NGC752..how cool.

Then the clouds came so I came in...I can't believe how much I am enjoying what I am finding. I wish I had bought a scope sooner.

Dark skies for M33, darker the better. When I bagged it for the first time I was under pure black skies and it was truly amazing, l actually thought my eyes were playing tricks when l saw it as the features were so prominent. Waited 2 years to get it but very worth the wait.

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gazaddy

gazaddy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Yes, the orientation of the view in a newt would be different, upside down normally but can also be at angles depending upon how you have your tube rotated.

Great stuff!! Next time pan a little way the other way and you should get M110 too :)

Managed M110 tonight , the moon was on other side of house so I was in the shadows....lurking....the views tonight were not that great due to brightness of the moon but hey I found it ..then had a mooch around Cassiopeia which was overhead. I'm starting to learn my way around a bit now ,knowing the names of the stars nearby , Capella,Mirfak,Algol and Almach....So I was scanning around the area within the triangle of the 3 latter stars when I came across some nice double stars. Went inside to look at ' turn left at orion ' (all with red light) and I'm sure I found M34 open cluster , not quite as described but I put that down to the LP of the moon., but I was happy with it.

Then it got cloudy.....time to pack up ...still it was 45 minutes of sheer enjoyment

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.