mdstuart

I am up for that, count me in

Kev Look forward to meeting you. I am planning on bringing an 8 inch with a dob platform. Leo, coma, Virgo and Bootes are well placed. Should get a good view of the Sombrero galaxy if we get a break in the clouds. Mark

Very enjoyable report and read. I can relate to the steps limit point! I must get some new steps with different heights! Mark

After what seems like weeks of cloud, gaps appeared and the moon was out of the way so I decided to get out the 20 inch dob. The stars were nice and sharp during collimation, a good sign. The session was cut short but cloud moving in again but I did manage to observe another Markarian galaxy Mrk207/ngc 4384. It is 130 million light years away and is a visual mag 13 object. Here is my record. The galaxy was obvious with averted vision. Small but made a pleasing triangle with the two stars nearby. Here is a couple of images from the Internet. The first is from the hubble space telescope archives. Lots going on ! This is an image that roughly aligns with my drawing. So why not try for yourself using this chart as a guide and report back. Go on, add this to your target list visually, eaa or to image, would love to hear how you get on. Mark

The image was taken with an image source camera through my 8 inch dob using an equatorial platform. I think I can see a few features. I did the bratinof mask focus first then align stack and the wavelet thing but no stretching is that right?

Booked for Friday and Saturday...Will bring my 8 inch dob. Mark

My effort taken with my phone at the eyepiece.

Beautiful

Just look for the map on skyhound on line copy attached.2022_E3.pdf mark

I waited and waited for it to rise in the North last night. Finally I could just see it in 15 x 70 binoculars but it was very faint. About mag 7/8. Got the 8 inch dob on it. Now I could see it. No sign of a tail but good to have a good view of it. I am sure it was tough partly due to the low 7% altitude and it will get easier as it gets higher and you won't have to wait until after midnight to see it! Mark

Many of the galaxies I have observed would have remained invisible without averted vision! Mark

Welcome back to stargazers lounge...Good news as I love reading your posts. Mark

Good one seen earlier here near Bristol. Slow and bright. Mark

I had a look at this comet with my dob tonight. Not far from Polaris now. Large and bright with a hint of a tail visually but that might be my imagination. I went back an hour and a half later and it's movement is was obvious. Mark

I wonder what an Apple telescope would look like. An iscope. Any suggestions? Mark

Finally a clear night with no moon. Set up the 20 inch dob. Quick laser collimation and I was off. Tonight the key target was a couple of galaxies in Camelopardalis. Nicely placed towards the North. Markarian 11 and 12 are both about 170 million light years away. I like to try Markarian objects as they tend have active/bright cores and these two lived up to expectation. Markarian 11 was the brightest. I could see this galaxy in the 10mm eyepiece with direct vision. Markarian 12 needed averted vision but was not difficult to pick out. What is special is to find such a great pair of galaxies (Mrk 11 is mag 12 so pretty bright) that are not even on the ngc database. Even Owen at the Webb Society has not included them in his galaxy of the month column...yet. Here is the DSS image. Mrk12 is on the left. I had to search long and hard to find anything online about this pair so now I am raising their profile. I think that Mrk 12 should be possible in a 6 inch dob so let me know if you can spot it. You need a chart? OK here you go.

On holiday in Madeira with my trusty 8x30 binoculars. Scanning the southern extremes as you do. Looking at Grus. Spotted an awesome field of view. A double double. Here they are on a map. Of course I am trying to spot the silver coin galaxy as well but the full moon and light pollution are not helping. I can only get to mag 7 at the moment with the bins but will try again tonight. Mark

My effort this morning with my 130mm dob afocal....and luck!

Fascinating. I observed ngc 4250 visually with my 16 inch scope in 2017. Definitely looks like a ring galaxy in your image. Maybe ask hubble or jwst to look at it! Mark

Yes that 147 is very tough unless conditions are perfect. Enjoyed reading your post. Mark

Stunning sky this evening after the clouds cleared. Sat down using my orion 8 inch dob. Crisp views as always. Started with ngc 7332 in Pegasus. Easy object tonight but could not pick out its friend ngc 7339. Managed to see both of the eyes staring at me (ngc 7619 / 7626). Had a look at ngc 7814 which was a lovely oval. Then moved left to Aries. ngc 772 was obvious as a wisp in amongst the stars. Now let's try ngc 891. This can be tough even in my large dob. Well blow me away it was fairly obvious even though very low in surface brightness. Finished off with a look at Jupiter. Four cloud bands visible with some band markings coming and going. Enjoyable few hours. Mark

Loving my new toy. Enjoyed night 1 being able to line up before observing using the laser beam as a guide but night 2 was boring as it was still all in line without further adjustment.

I saw that chuck. Apparently there is a supernova in the jwst image but it's not that blob. It was found by comparing the image with an earlier hubble image. Mark

I tried with my 15 x 70s bit could not pick it out. I could see M10 easily but the comet eluded me today. Mark

I think we should call it the butterfly cluster..