Epick Crom

G'day bosun21! I decided to try #23a light red first incase #25 red was too dark. Well my fears have been allayed so I will also order #25 red now. #82a light blue is among the ones I ordered, nice to hear you are getting good results with it! Yeah it's impressive hey, can't wait to try them on the Moon and planets. Even though Mars is tiny currently at 4", the #23a improved that too!

Just came in after trying out my new Wratten 23a red colour filter on Venus using my APM 9mm eyepiece and 10 inch dob. Wow, I'm impressed! Subtle shadings in the Venusian clouds popped out better, and it's glare was cut nicely. Interesting seeing Venus in red light. This is my first foray into colour planetary filters, after this satisfactory performance from the red filter, I've gone ahead and ordered the green, yellow, blue and orange Wratten filters. I think I've been converted! Clear Skies Joe

Good job, it's the little observing victories that count!

Nice and clear currently, finally! Had a nice long look naked eye, through my 10x50mm binoculars and 10 inch dob at the beautiful conjunction between Mars and Regulus, 40' apart. Best view was naked eye, the close pair looking stunning as red Mars contrasts nicely against the blue of Regulus. Venus looks great in my 10 inch despite being 22° above the horizon. Tried unsuccessfully to locate NGC 5044 galaxy in Virgo. If it stays clear I'll be back out in the next few hours to tour Ophiuchus🤞

Very cloudy here, however I was able to get around 20min observing Venus through a big gap in the clouds. Venus is looking great at its current crescent phase, much larger then when I last observed it a week ago. I could clearly see dark markings deforming it's terminator. What a beaut! Also nice view naked eye of Venus, Mars and Regulus in a crooked line close together. Clear Skies All Joe

It's been two straight weeks of clouds and rain here in Perth, so it was great to finally get a clear night last night. I observed the waxing crescent Moon, Venus, Mars, M7, NGC 6388, IC 4651, NGC 6397 and NGC 6352. Also nabbed a new double star to me, 7 Leonis! It was great to be back out observing 🙂

Great job splitting Antares with 100mm of aperture John🎉 Especially as it's so low down for you guys.

Nice report John. This is what amateur astronomy is all about, enjoying ourselves and having fun! Wishing you clear skies Joe

That is fantastic! Congratulations, incredibly good.

I just finished viewing the conjunction between Venus and M44 this evening using my 10x50mm binos. Cloudy but caught then in a big sucker hole. Absolutely gorgeous view, with the beehive 57' above and to the right of Venus.

Wishing you a speedy recovery Mr Spock👍

Great work Kostas, excellent image 👏

I witnessed a breathtaking lunar occultation of Porrima (Gamma Virginis) last night. The double star became a single star for a split second as the lunar limb covered it. The reappearance was equally spectacular, one star peeked out from behind the bright limb followed by its companion a split second later. This was by far the most beautiful lunar occultation I have seen so far 😍

I had a pleasing observing session last night with my 10 inch dob, although the transparency wasn't the best. Observed Venus first, possible faint shady markings near the terminator? Almost exactly half phase. Mars tiny at 4.8" but maybe a vague dark spot seen? Waxing crescent moon lovely, Pyrenees Mts nice at high power, looked 3D! Vathorz Prior and HD 85233, two double stars in the same field of view in Carina. M68 at the zenith, globular cluster in Hydra. M3 globular in Canes Venatici nice, but try as I may not even one galaxy seen in that constellation. Mel 111, brought out my 10x50mm binos for this one. Nice sprawling cluster in Canes Venatici. Clear Skies! Joe

Hi Magnus, what a wonderful session! Double stars are mesmerising in excellent seeing conditions, sound like it was the perfect night👍

Wow Kostas, that is insane details of the Space Station 😮 And you tracked it manually! Very well done 👍👏👏

Thank you Kostas!

Great stuff John! It's always fun investigating mysteries in the night sky 👍

Hi Magnus To get to a dark site is a 1 hr drive! I do do it, but rather infrequently due to work and family commitments. My work regularly takes me into the outback though, where I bring along my 10x50mm binoculars. This is hundreds of kilometres inland and the skies there are pristine pitch black bortle 1! There is no lights for hundreds of kilometres around and it is completely flat in the outback. I see magnitude 6 stars rising on the horizon! It's an observers paradise 😯 When I'm out there naked eye and binocular viewing is incredible, thought I will take my 10 inch dob out there one day. I think that would blow my mind😂 Cheers Joe

Thanks @RobertI👍 I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

G'Day Mr Spock! I saw definite faint dark markings in the clouds of Venus near the terminator last year. No filters were used. I haven't been able to see any so far this year.

Hello fellow stargazers! Last night was a clear night after a week of clouds. I targeted the constellations of Circinus and Virgo for observations. Circinus is a quaint and small constellation with some interesting deep sky objects and Virgo is the queen of galaxies. Conditions: Sky: Bortle 6/7 backyard Transparency: Good Seeing: Good Instrument: Saxon 10 inch dobsonian. Since it's been a week since my last session, I decided to warm up with some eye candy. Omega Centauri NGC 5319 globular cluster was chosen. It looked more wonderful than usual in my new Sky Rover XWA 100° eyepiece, the huge AFOV framing it nicely and giving the sensation of floating in space. It's elliptical shape was pronounced and I noticed a grouping of around 5 stars near its southern edge for the first time. The "eye of omega" was visible. Great start! It was now time to dive into my targeted constellations. CIRCINUS Alpha Circini: A fine double star of magnitudes 3 and 8 seperated by 15 ". Pismis 20: A delightful tiny open cluster shaped like a little box. Charming! NGC 5315: A tiny but reasonably bright planetary nebula. I could not detect any colour in this one, but it looked great at 534x. I must come back to it on a night of excellent seeing. Gamma Circini: A tight double of almost equal 4th magnitude components seperated by 0.8". Alas, I was unable to split it. Loden 1409: A large, sprawling open cluster not far from Alpha Centauri. Looks more like a moderately rich starfield than an open cluster! CO Circini: A fine double star at the end of a line of stars. I like to call this asterism "The Rocket". A beautiful sight at low power. NGC 5823: A nice scattering of stars. This open cluster is located right by the border with Lupus. VIRGO M87: My favourite elliptical galaxy! Seen a bright hazy spot, it's massive size of 120,000 light years always gets me. NGC 4753: I observed this galaxy for the first time. Barely visible as a slight brightening of the background sky. NGC 5634: Virgo's lone globular cluster, and another first sighting for me. Picked it up rather easily next to a 7th mag field star. I tried 534x on this globular but could not resolve any stars. Porrima: Gamma Virginia is a beautiful double star with white or very pale yellowish equally matched components. A stunner! M90: I saw this Messier galaxy for the first time. Seen as a hazy faint smudge, getting slightly brighter with averted vision. I stopped at M90 and called it a night as I had spent considerable time enjoying each object. Thoroughly satisfying observing session which recharged my batteries after a week of clouds. I will be back at Virgo tonight if it stays clear as there is so much too see there. Thanks for making it this far and wishing you all clear skies and happy observing! Joe

Miyamori Valley is very interesting visually. I first saw it last year and this post helped me identify what is was. Thanks Peter! Clear Skies Joe

Geez, and I thought we had it bad here in Western Australia! It's been a week since we got clear skies and I'm getting anxious, but it's finally looking clear tonight. Hang in there fellow astronomers, the clouds will part eventually! Clear Skies Joe

Hi John, yeah it always amazes me to think as I'm looking at those stars grazing the northern horizon here, they are culminating for you in the other side of the world! Astronomy sure is amazing! M81 and M82 sound like amazing galaxies, I would love to observe them one day. I hope you get more clear skies over there John🙂