chiltonstar
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Posts posted by chiltonstar
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On 22/04/2020 at 09:33, robhatherton said:
Did anyone find Izar an easy split last night? With my 120 achro I couldn’t manage it except fo a second or two when they seemed to wobble apart. Tried an 8mm then 12mm Barlowed but no luck. It was a clear night: do you think it was the seeing or do I need a better scope!
With my 100mm achro, it is an easy split, so keep trying! Seeing is everything for doubles - wait for a good warm hazy evening with the stars barely twinkling visually.
Chris
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Small scopes can give a lot of pleasure, particularly on bright easy targets like Izar.
This is a simulation of how Izar appears with aperture (refractor) using Aberrator:-
Chris
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Last night although the seeing was poor here it was easily split in my 180 Mak at x 190 which showed very nicely the fantastic colour contrast of the pair, even though they were dancing around a bit. It has surely got to be one of the most beautiful doubles! An image using my 180 Mak with an ASI224 Colour camera from last year:-
Chris
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I had a look last night "on the way past" using my 180 Mak. I was surprised at how bright it was cpd with Y4 (barely visible) and Panstarrs (compact and bright). With long focal length EPs (40mm and 56mm) to increase the exit pupil (and brighten the background), there was a hint of a tail pointing nearly due N. Good to have three comets up in the same part of the sky! Just a pity that north is my worst direction from the point of view of LP.
Chris
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Certainly, with my 127 Mak - almost 5" (actually 119mm), it is visible on occasion, and shows up on an image when the seeing is excellent++, eg:-
Chris
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Good stuff Paul! What aperture scope are you using - I normally get the secondary of Zeta Her almost on the first diff ring, so presumably you are larger than my 'umble 180 mm??
Chris
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Tegmine is a jewel in good seeing! Last night, although slightly hazy the seeing was good to excellent and at x270 (180 Mak and 10mm Baader Ortho) the close pair AB (1.1 arcsec) were well split with a dark line between them and well-defined diffraction rings. Going up to x350 was too much for the conditions. I always get the impression that the third star (C) is slightly elongated, but that is probably wishful imagining!
The seeing to the E was nowhere near as good, even Epsilon Lyrae was a shuddering mess.....
Chris
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Last night's glorious Moon - 127 Mak with a Nikon D750, two images stacked in PS and reduced.
Chris
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A, B and C+D tonight with the 180 Mak, plus a hint of W?
Chris
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I had a look last night and could only see 1 or 2 craters - not the best phase of the Moon I think. I recently captured this image of Plato & The Craterlets when the lighting was better. I could see most visible in the image.
Chris
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Very nice indeed!
Chris
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5 hours ago, wookie1965 said:
M51 is my nemesis I have been trying to see this for over 4 years from home and never caught it. With a 6" and 8" newt and now with the Tal 100rs and the Meade 127 achromatic refractors still I am at a loss.
I did see it Friday In cotterless45`s 8" dob from a dark site.
I usually only look if I can see M51 in the RACI, otherwise it means the viewing is too poor.
Chris
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At last, a glorious night, no moon, no con trails, excellent transparency and only a nearby vixen for company! The Plough was in a good position for me, so I had a good look at Bode's galaxies before moving to Atlas c/2019 Y4. I only get to see UMa's beauties when it is nearly overhead, as my northern view is heavily LP'd.
M81: both M81 and M82 were in the same field of view, (180 Mak with 38mm Panaview EP). The spiral arms at the extremities of M81 were just visible, with the centre of the galaxy very clearly mottled.
M82: a beautiful silver streak, with the central bright area very clearly offset, giving the impression of a sharp edge on that side.
c/2019 Y4: very clear and formless "splodge", no visible tail. Much easier to see than on previous occasions I've looked at it, but it has to be said, not very exciting!
M51: always a gem and in a good position for observing with such good transparency. With direct vision, the spiral structure was just about visible, but with averted vision, it was clear and (unusually for my site) the brightness of both parts extended well out from the centres, so that Whirlpool and NGC 5194 almost touched.
Roll on better weather while we all have time on our hands at home!
Chris
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On a night when cloud detail was already obvious w/out a filter to me and an experienced observer colleague, an 80A did improve the visibility of the detail a little I believe (102mm f13 frac). I've probably used it more these days to improve contrast when there is a slight haze, and some NaD lighting is scattered back (a blue filter removes yellow from the visible image).
Chris
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3 minutes ago, Piero said:
That's a stunning image! I was observing that area too a couple of days ago.
Thanks. Not the sharpest as the Moon was grazing a neighbour's roof, and the rising hot air disturbed things a bit. A beautiful area visually though - I love the crater-within-a crater Catharina P, and the small double crater B.
Chris
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Struggling with the seeing a bit two nights ago - a lovely area of the Moon where I often wander (visually) with my 180 Mak.
Chris
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A superb sketch indeed Mike! The best view I've ever had of the cloud patterns was some years ago with my 102mm f13 refractor at x200 ( a £20 EP!) with a Wratten 80A. I was hosting a "mini-star party" for colleagues, and Venus was a nice crescent at that time. All those present could see the cloud patterns very clearly. Since then, I've had intermittent views, but never as good.
Chris
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I have an old Norton's too, but it's not really appropriate for outside use IMO because of the damp, and the relatively fiddly scale of the charts. My S&T pocket atlas is better.
Chris
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Nice! I was a little earlier, and had a plane (unplanned) passing through as well!
Chris
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I also prefer a tablet outside with SkySafari, and to gaze in awe at paper inside!
Chris
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It is the combination of Flat Earther and steam rocket that amazes me - very much in the Victorian or Edwardian tradition. I am thinking of "Those magnificent men....". Why didn't he use a hot air balloon - I am sure the curvature of the Earth was obvious last time I went up in one, and no windows to curve reality.
Chris
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9 minutes ago, Gina said:
He had it right on the previous attempt so I guess it was an equipment failure. Unless he changed something. Guess we will never know.
One account indicated that the parachute system opened too soon......
Chris
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Just as well he didn't prove the Earth was flat though, as our EQ mounts would clearly have stopped working!
Chris
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Has to be read to be believed. At least he didn't get to prove the Earth was flat....
Chris
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The Peashooter and the Light Thimble
in Observing - Reports
Posted
I suspect that, with small apertures the separation often looks better than it really is because the pair of stars are much dimmer, whereas larger apertures sometimes appear to "fill the space" between a pair of stars with light. I've certainly found that a pair appears to be visually better separated with my 180 Mak if I use a ND filter.
As you say, it is all seeing dependent!
Chris