got to use my new scope

[alxxx]

Well i managed to get some observing in , after spending far to long setting the polar alignment, i got a good look at Jupiter managed to see more than two belts and there was a hint of finer detail, when the sky had darkened enough i found M13 it was just a fuzzy blob most of the time but there was the odd moment of actually resolving some stars, when i looked away from the eyepiece i saw why, the sky had a faint orange haze all over :-( undetered i carried on and then viewed M27, could just mahe out the dumbell shape with averted vision, then on to M57 and because that was overhead i could make out the ring structure even on my highest power eyepiece (6mm+2x barlow=250x) no central star though, then i found M71 but by then the haze had worsened, all i saw was a fuzzy little blob, it was then i noticed the bright blue flashes on the horizon and the faint rumbles of distant thunder and the time 12.15, whoops gotta get up in the morning, so after quickly packing it all away i thought i'd just post this to let you all know how i got on.

AL

[AndyMac]

Interesting report AL. It looks athough the haze dampened things a bit if the dumbell shape could only be made out with averted vision.

Don't be disappointed at not seeing the central star in M57. It is very difficult to detect visually on any night.

Thanks again.

[alxxx]

Hi Andy,

I should have added that i didn't let my eyes get dark adapted, in fact i couldn't , i set the scope up right by the patio doors and was going back and forth between the scope and the computer, had redshift running on it, so that probably didn't help :roll:

[AndyMac]

Aha! Yes, non dark adaptation probably played a major role. Still there will be plenty of other nights for giving this big, bright planetary another shot.

[alxxx]

yes there's always tomorrow , i have seen it very clearly before that was a few years ago, around the same time as shoemaker-levy, i watched that through a orion optic's 6' F6 newt, that was a sight, i saw what i thought was IO on the side of jupiter until i saw the ITN news and they showed the same thing as i was looking at (although a much better image) and i'd thought i'd missed it.

al

[OXO]

Hi Al,

sounds like you had fun! there was a haze/mist here for most of the night this certainly makes life hard when observing DSO's and Planets. At least you managed to get out there and from what you have said you had a good view of jupiter.

Shoemaker-Levy now that was a great night! i had a Tasco 4.5" reflector then and viewed jupiter i remember seeing a flash when S-L hit jupiter, i went into the house and put a satalite channel on and viewed the other impacts live from hubble amazing to watch best thing on tv i have seen live ever.

James

[Rob]

Shame about the haze!. I know where your comming from on that. I live 2 miles from water!!!!.

There will be plenty of nights to come though.

Rob

[russ]

Same in Eastleigh. Didn't look too bad around 10.30. But by 11.30 it was really murky and the cloud was starting to roll in. Fortunately i didn't bother setting up.

Hopefully you'll get another chance to use the scope later this week.

Regards

Russ

[AndyMac]

I missed out on seeing SL9 through the scope. If I remember when it occured in July '94, Jupiter was in Virgo & was just slipping behind the rooftops by the time it was getting dark. As I had my scope permanently mounted in a fixed point, I missed out & had to rely on pics broadcast on the news/Sky at Night.

[alxxx]

i was lucky in one way, i'd just split up from the wife and was living in a bedsit, but i was on the top floor of a 3 storey victorian house which had a loft conversion which is where i was, in a south facing room with my scope poking through the window, won't ever forget that night and the view through the scope.

[AndyMac]

LOL! I guess that every cloud has a silver lining, Al!!

[alxxx]

yeah it was, and i was all ways told to make the best of a situation, so i did