domstar

@scarp15 I know what you mean about time line. The Eskimo, while unimpressive in my scope, was my first non-Messier dso and also an early target from TLAO.

Now that open clusters are around, thought I'd give double stars a rest. I started with the beautiful M35 and then to the superior M37- two of my favourite open clusters but they didn't seem to be doing it for me. I decided to try for some Gemini doubles and I was so glad I did. There are some beauties there. I loved Wasat, and as I moved across to look for the Eskimo Nebular, I stumbled on the exquisite HIP 35909- the next star along. 1.9'' separation. A real bonus. I moved on to Castor and Kappa Gem via the Eskimo. I like double stars more and more. After that, Leo was travelling across my view. Light pollution is noticeably worse this year but I tried for the galaxies M105 M95 and M96. The background was almost white but I just about found them right on the edge of vision. Very light grey on a light grey background. It felt like a different game altogether from double stars but I was excited about the spring challenges that lie ahead.

Galaxies in a small frac. Obstructed views. Fighting with the Hamburger.- welcome to my world.🙂 A great read. I didn't know about a third galaxy with M81 and M82. Can't wait to give it a try.

Thanks, yes it was a lovely session. The tripod legs were just a bit higher so viewing was more comfortable for that object. Thanks for the help. It makes a big difference if you're sure you're in the right place and it's possible. Otherwise I would've overlooked it.

A great image. I have lovely memories of finding and observing that galaxy.

Wanna tell you a story... What to do on a SSW facing balcony when Orion gets too low to enjoy those crisp tight doubles? The answer is always open clusters. Having failed at the Rosetta a couple of times now, this was my target for the evening. Thanks to @Littleguy80 I was sure of the hop from the unjustly neglected (tonight) Christmas Tree. I remember reading that it was the first open cluster to be aged by measuring which stars had turned into super-giants. (please correct me/ remind me of the details). I found the Rosetta easily, and screwed in the UHC to my rarely-used 32mm Badder plossl. It's got a narrrow field of view so I use my 2 inch 30mm Aero for widefield. At first I thought I was imagining the nebulosity but the longer I observed, the more convinced I became. It ain't exactly pretty (in a 4 inch) ain't exactly small..... But I definitely saw it. More like a donut slightly greyer than the background and more obvious on the left of my refractor view as a starless ring. Very satisfied, I moved to catch M47, with the beautiful twin stars in the middle. I saw the far superior M46 partially covered by tree branches. Then to Cancer and to M67, a lovely cluster- by far my favourite of the two Messiers in Cancer. As I increased magnification, the stars winked out until I noticed high clouds around. I packed up with enough time to spend the evening with my wife. Just before we turned in I looked again outside. Leo and a falling Gemini got me excited about the nights to come. Thanks for reading.

@Littleguy80 Thanks for that. I think I found the cluster (not the nebula), which is a start. Your picture is clearer than Stellarium. Where do you start your hop from? I kept getting lost round there- too many stars and not enough stand out ones.

Stuck at home with a bad back as schools, pubs, gyms and shops are all forcibly closed around me. My one outlet yesterday was a bit of observing. First the smallest hint of a sunspot then a beautiful Venus in the early evening. When it got dark, the Orion Nebula with a UHC looking magnificent despite the dim green Trapezium, but subtly more detailed than my usual unfiltered views. Then to the Crab Nebular, always dim but awe-inspiring. After that it was open cluster time (I hoped) M50 is nice enough but not as satisying as the Christmas tree. I'd love to see the Rosetta but I kept getting lost around there. No Hubble's variable nebular and a few candidates for open clusters as my back became worse and worse due to my odd sitting positions. So great to get out again. Not a wonderful session but written as a plea for others to put a report in and relieve the boredom of the many stuck inside. Also, any help with the Rosetta. Does it need a UHC? That would make star-hopping to it much more difficult. Is it even doable? Is the cluster recognisable? Any help would be appreciated. Take care people. Thanks for reading.

I know the Zodiac signs better than the others. If you know a few people's birthdays and their signs, you'll start to know which constellation follows which. Now I'd like to look at Leo with 5 Messier galaxies and the Hamburger plus the beautiful double Algeiba. Then to Virgo and galaxies galore plus the double Porrima and so on. It gives me something to look forward to. Of course Orion is also a must. You could also make a good case for Ursa Major and Cassiopeia as they are bright and always around.

Looks great to me. I love the delicate detail and the wispiness of M81.

Ha. yes 22 degrees radius not diameter. Never seen it before. Amazing.

Thanks. If 22 degrees is your open hand at arms length then either I have very small hands, very long arms or it's a 46 degree halo. Could that be possible? I'm awestruck. Edit- obviously not 46 degrees as it's not centred on the sun.

Hi everyone, I've just popped out on the freezing balcony and there are high clouds around. When I looked at the moon, there was a huge circle of cloud all the way past Procyon and centred on the moon. It's like a giant smoke ring. It looks amazing. Have you seen this effect before and what causes it. It must be something to do with the light of the moon cutting through the high cloud but why such a defined border? Can anyone shed some light as it were.

Sounds like a great session- beautiful doubles and galaxies. The Hamburger has been a real challenge for me and I'm looking forward to renewing the battle. Never tried a carbon star. I have to get onto it.

Funnily enough I've just been looking a Venus. It was a horrible mess and when I stopped the aperture down it improved significantly. Unlike the moon there was no detail to miss out on, so I think it worked well. (Shame about the snow storm that sent me inside).

Great report. I have a 100mm f9 refractor on the balcony and I'm squeezed, or treading on crocs or scraping my chair to get into a good position. Maybe a Mak is the answer. I never go above 150x and prefer around 100x on all but the closest doubles. 1mm exit pupil should be good. Your problems with Sigma Ori isn't down to lack of magnification. It's an easy split at 90x. It must be the conditions or light pollution. It is fairly faint so less mag can help with that. Anyway, I enjoyed the report.

Wow. Mind-blowing. A great reminder to get to know about the objects we observe.

Very nice. 2 more for my list. I'm looking forward to the galaxy season too.

A great report. It sounds like my idea of a perfect evening. It's amazing how much one can achieve in an evening (he says while tapping away on the keyboard). I was surprised by how excited I was to see Mercury with my son on Saturday even though it was binoculars and naked eye. Anyway, you've motivated me to stand up and do the washing-up then hang up the washing.

What are the Trapezium E and F stars if not a challenge? Actually seeing a galaxy with my own eyes is awe-inspiring but there is no such intrinsic magnificence in spotting two more stars in a cluster. Don't get me wrong, I've spent a good while on them and am very pleased if I manage to bag them (the F star only on one or two occasions). I still give Rigel a look but now I can see the secondary without problem, I rarely linger on it. In fact, the Cambridge Double Star Atlas has been my main motivator since November. I've loved tracking down, star-hopping, splitting and seeing faint companions. We've all been enthused by Nick Cotterless' descriptions of doubles and others' too. In my case, though, it's the challenge rather than the aesthetics that are my motivation. I hardly look at Albireo now, especially after I read here that the pair are no longer considered gravity bound. As for the moon- volcanic domes give me a buzz closely followed by difficult rilles and tiny craters. For me, the wow factor is still there but you can only see Jupiter for the first time once. We could give up or develop how we enjoy the hobby. When I started out, I never could have imagined what I would be able to see or especially what I would spend my time doing in the name of entertainment and how much I would enjoy it.

I bought a solar filter that looked like the one you mentioned @Domcia I was very satisfied as I was sure it was better than any I could make myself. I had to stick something to the plastic housing to make sure it fitted snugly enough that it couldn't be blown out by the wind. I was a little nervous at first and I always held the filter in my hands and looked through it at the sun before I put it on the telescope to make sure it wasn't damaged.

Hi welcome and good luck. http://binocularsky.com could be interesting for you. Hope you have fun.

I agree with the book Turn Left at Orion. That really took me forward and opened up a whole range of things to see and how to find them. Before that I didn't really know what I was doing. I would also suggest an eyepatch and some extra warm socks.

Stunning image. I called my son over to show him. Big respect.

Great report. Leo galaxies always get me excited about the Virgo galaxies to come. My eyes always need a bit of spring training after a winter of easier to spot open clusters and Orion's in-your-face beauties. You've whetted my appetite.