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Epick Crom

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Posts posted by Epick Crom

  1. 1 hour ago, John said:

    The cloud gods were vigilant tonight. They spotted my little scope and the clear holes have been small to say the least. The moon through clouds has been my staple diet so far tonight. Maybe it will get better later ? - probably not, looking at the forecast 🙄

    Yeah John, the cloud gods don't miss a thing unfortunately 😞

    • Haha 1
  2. 14 hours ago, MalcolmM said:

    Spent an evening looking at clusters in Canis Major and Pupis, also taking in Hind's Crimson Star which really is a beautiful sight in a scope. 

    I don't often look at this region as it's low, and also plagued by a bright sky glow from industrial lights!

    However, it's quite rich in some lovely clusters, and purely by chance, having accidentally kicked the tripod while looking at C64, discovered a beautiful double with a striking orange primary, and what looked like a grey/white secondary. A bit of research identified this to be 145 Canis Majoris or 'The Albireo of Winter'. A first for me, and one I'll keep going back to!

    Many of the clusters show lots of stars with that mottled haze in the background that hints of many more stars, just out of range. I would love to observe these objects from a darker site.

    Here's my crib sheet cobbled together from resources online plus my observation of Hind's Crimson Star. 

    FS60CB as a finder, dual mounted with a Mewlon 180C on a Giro Ercole on an Innorel tripod. 28mm Tak Erfle in the 60CB and a 32mm 85° Masuyama in the Mewlon.

    Malcolm 

    Capture.PNG.2cd4f84b99ff20ebf987eba038cbc961.PNG

    Nice report @MalcolmM! Canis Major and Puppis are favourite hunting grounds for me being in the southern hemisphere. 145 Canis Majoris is the "summer Albireo" for us ☺️. Next to that beautiful double is NGC 2362, the stunning Tau Canis Majoris cluster. Did you get a chance to see it?

    Funny you mentioned the "mottling" in Canis Major, this was the area I first noticed this phenomenon back in 2020 with my first scope. Puppis contains a lot of beautiful open clusters, I hope you continue to enjoy observing this rich region. 

     

    Clear Skies

    Joe

  3. 13 hours ago, Stu said:

    Another nice session for me, two in a row now! Main highlights were drinking in the view of the Double Cluster in the 31mm Nagler, that never gets old, and also seeing some of the Markarian’s Chain Galaxies from my garden. This is something I could only dream of when back near London so I must learn to appreciate and make the most of my skies.

     

    Nice one Stu. Drinking up the Double Cluster with a 31mm Nagler sure sounds like fun. I hope to see this sight one day..

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
  4. Nice one John!

    This globular has been a constant menace for me as I've tried several times in "good" conditions to spot it in my 10 inch dob but have always come up empty. My backyard light pollution as well as it's low elevation from Down Under have conspired against me I reckon. 

    It's great that you saw it with 4 inches.

    • Like 1
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  5. After a long day at work I just had enough energy left to haul out the 10 inch dob and have a quick 1hr session targeting Orion and Cancer.

    I was pleased to find open cluster NGC 2175 in Orion for the first time. It's a rather broad and scattered cluster. It's meant to have some nebulosity associated with it but I couldn't see it. A quick check up on Cancer revealed M44, M67, NGC 2775 and Tegmine.

    I also tried for one of my nemesis objects, NGC 2419 the Intergalactic Wanderer/ Tramp 😂 in Lynx but no luck yet again. 

    • Like 10
  6. G'day Darren and welcome to Stargazers Lounge!

    I assume you are a fellow Aussie because you're named Saxon and Bintel. 

    I think you won't go wrong with either three. I own a Saxon 10 inch dob which I believe is identical to Sky Watcher and possibly Bintel as well. It is my first and so far only telescope. I can highly vouch for the quality of Saxon, my 10 inch has surpassed my expectations. 

    Sky Watcher has a very good reputation. I've bought several items from Bintel and have always been happy with them. Like I said I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, which is a good thing! Good luck with your choices. 

     

    Clear Skies

    Joe

    • Like 1
  7. A nice clear night here in Perth last night. On my hitlist:

    Jupiter with Io's shadow sitting right on the South Equatorial Belt!

    NGC 2301 open cluster in Monoceros. Fantastic shape

    Uranus with asteroid 21 Lutetia sitting near by

    Open cluster NGC 2244 and the Rosette Nebula. This was the clearest view of the Rosette I've seen so far in my observing career. The nebulosity was obvious

    I also observed two new to me objects, NGC 1966, an emission nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud and Collinder 110, an open cluster in Monoceros.

    A fun, relaxing and soul enriching session!

     

    Clear Skies

    Joe

    • Like 15
  8. 4 hours ago, johnturley said:

    Got my first glimpse of Comet Pons-Brooks at around 18.45 tonight through my Esprit 150, I was just about to take the mirror cover off my 14in Newtonian, to see whether it gave a better view, when it started spotting with rain, so I closed the roof of my observatory shed very rapidly!

    This comet has previously eluded me despite a predicted magnitude of around +8, but had very few clear evenings recently to search for it. I usually find that in my fairly light polluted Bortle 5 skies, and with my poor eyesight, the limiting magnitude for diffuse objects is around +9. Not surprisingly therefore I've been unable to spot Comet P Kushida with a predicated magnitude of around + 10, but for some reason the Sky at Night magazine seem to have been hyping this comet, despite it being too faint to spot visually at least, through most amateur telescopes.

    I hoping that it might be possible to see Comet Pons-Brooks during the total eclipse of the sun on 8 April (which we are viewing from Mexico), especially if it does according to some predictions, reach magnitude +2. 

    John 

    Yep, Comet Kushida tell me about it John.. Ive tried to spot it for the past week with my 10 inch dob but no luck! No doubt my bortle 6 backyard it too bright for it.

    • Like 4
  9. Ok, I know most of the astronomers on here can't see this but let me describe my observing session in Carina last night. This is an incredibly rich southern constellation which contains some real heavy hitters! Last night I observed:

    1. NGC 2516 "The Diamond Cluster"

    Rich and bright open cluster, visible naked eye even from my bortle 6 backyard. Also know as the running man. Beautiful.

    2. NGC 3114

    Another bright and audacious open cluster, many 6th magnitude stars arranged in a whirlpool shape.

    3. NGC 3372 " Eta Carina Nebula"

    A wonderful bright nebula. A massive dark lane cuts right across it. It is studded with several bright open clusters and the star Eta Carinae lies almost at its centre. Eta Carinae itself is surrounded by an outburst of vivid orange gas known as the Homunculus Nebula. The whole region is stunning visually.

    4. NGC 3293 " Gem Cluster"

    A beautiful, small and compact open cluster, bright. Red and yellow stars at its centre surrounded by a swarm of blue white stars. 

    5. NGC 3532 " The Football Cluster"

    Also known as the Wishing Well cluster. Think M7 on steroids! This is a very bright, naked eye open cluster, very rich. The finest open cluster in the entire night sky in my opinion.

     

    I hope my brief descriptions help you visualise these objects in your minds eye, same as I do when you guys describe the northern showpiece objects that can't be seen from here ( such as the Double Cluster)

     

    Clear Skies

    Joe

    • Like 20
  10. Hi @Sunshine. I agree with you! On nights of good seeing, one of my favourite things it to ply on the magnification on a tight double star and enjoy seeing the airy disks with the two stars close together. I love observing tight double stars of equal brightness as well as those that have a fainter companion nestled in close by. 

    As you say, it's a treat to observe at high magnifications.

     

    Clear Skies

    Joe

    • Like 1
  11. 1 hour ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

    It wasn't looking too promising earlier but I had a quick ten minutes with my 70ED.  Didn't see much but was trying out a new eyepiece - which I will find a use for, probably for Solar projections or limilar later in the year.  It's a 40mm Plossl.  Need to learn how to use it properly as it's got incredibly long eye relief.  Switched back to my usual 20mm WO Swan for the rest of my viewing.

    Went out at about 9PM and it was absolutely clear with decent seeing.  Took out the 70ED and had a scan through the Milky Way.  Then got my C5 out (just because) but it was 'grainy' and disappointing.  On reflection, this is probably a function of it not cooling enough as the collimation is fine but I haven't been getting good views from it lately - but I have just been 'grabbing' it out and whacking it on the mount so I'll leave it outside for an hour next time.

    Thought I'd get the 'other' scope out, which is a Heritage 100p, just for a comparison.  Really quite decent, with a nice 'snap' focus.  Better than I expected.

    Finally decided to actually settle down and stop messing about and put the 70ED with my 20mm back on the mount.  Found M81/M82 and had one of the best low-power views I've ever had of the famous duo.  Absolutely breathtaking and they were really clear and obvious.  The duo is probably my favourite view and gets me every time but it's the first time I've seen it through my refractor and the contrast and clarity was beautiful.  Something inexplicably magical.

    Unfortunately for my future bank balance, I think I'm slowly turning into a 'refractor guy'.  Oh dear.

    To get a little bit personal here, I've struggled with depression and anxiety since I was ten (that's 25 years now) and my brain is a constant churn of thoughts - most of which are unhelpful.  I done a lot of things to try and 'calm' my brain, like reading articles, watching videos, etc. and seeking professional assistance.  The only thing that truly 'clears' my brain is observing.  It's the only time my inner monologue stops and even ten minutes can make a terrible day into a better day.  I crave it.  But there you are.

    Astronomical observing is the best therapy in my opinion. I'm glad that it is helping you out 👍

    • Like 5
    • Thanks 1
  12. A clear night last night, but temperatures were hovering around 33° most of the night, so hot and sweaty conditions, with hoards of mosquitoes!

    I observed Jupiter and Uranus with my 10 inch dob, seeing not the best due to the shimmering hot air. Uranus close by a faint field star. 

    Shortly after I put the dob back in the house, succumbing to the sweltering conditions. I whipped out my 5x25 VisionKing binos to observe the Head of Hydra then retreated back to the airconditioning inside. I hate "wasting" a clear night, but it's hard to observe when you have sweat constantly dripping on your eyepieces 😄

     

    Clear Skies

    Joe

    • Like 12
    • Haha 2
  13. Got up at 4:30am this morning observe the close conjunction between Mercury and Mars, seperated by 16'. Got some great views through my 10x50mm binoculars as they were only 4° above the horizon so too low for my dob.

    Looked beautiful naked eye as well. A great start to the day 👍

    • Like 15
  14. I toured Auriga last night, a January tradition as it's gone by February over here. Took in M36, M37 and M38, a wonderful trio of Messier open clusters. 

    I discovered a new combination there last night, the double star HD 38583 close to the interestingly named carbon star FU Aurigae. Who says astronomical objects don't have attitude 😂

    • Like 4
    • Haha 2
  15. 14 hours ago, Stu said:

    Sounds fabulous! I just simulated it on SkySafari, but it was really good to see.

    I’m always amazed by the parallax differences between various locations. From here it missed completely, but for you it was a direct pass over.

    IMG_5832.png

    IMG_5831.png

    Nice simulation Stu👍

    It was a fantastic sight to behold!

    • Like 1
  16. Another night, another big event! Still buzzing from viewing the Europa egress eclipse the night before, last night it was the turn of the moon and M45 to take centre stage.

    From my location, the waxing gibbous moon passed right over the Pleiades, resulting in multiple occultations and reappearances. 

    Among the highlights were watching Electra reappear on the moon's bright limb close to Mare Crisium and seeing Alcyone and the triangle of stars close to it slowly get blotted out by the moon's dark limb. Sensational! 

    • Like 13
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