Observing from holiday in Mauritius 21-24 Sept 2011

[m.tweedy]

Equipment used

Carbon fibre tripod with astrotrac wedge set to 20 degrees

Astrotrac-used as a means of tracking

Astrotrac head

WO SD66 with WO inch and quarter carbon fibre diagonal

Kelner 40 mm, 12.5 plossl, 9 mm TV nagler, 6 and 3 mm WO SPL eyepieces.

Sky and Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas (the best atlas I have bought for portability and ease of use)

I was on the south coast of Mauritius at a place called Belle Ombre at the Tamassa Hotel (Idyllic) with my apartment set about 50 paces away from the shoreline. There was low level light pollution from all of the hotel lights but they were all at below waist height. Moon-rise was not until 1.30 a.m.

I set up on the grass just before the beach between some coconut trees the shield the lights. The skies were FANTASTIC .

The firsts for me were seeing the Southern cross (was not really impressed with it), Lupus, Centaurus, Antares, Rigel Kent and a host of other bright stars and constellations.

I have seen Scorpius and Sagittarius before from Southern Spain but these were overhead and so bright. The sight of the milky way running through them was fantastic-it looked like a bright cloud.

AS the sky was black the little 66 thought it was an 8 inch with the views it gave me. I used a combination of all of the eyepieces however the TV 9mm was the most used.

M4, M80 (Tiny but bright), M6, M7 M9, M62, M19, M22, M54, m69, M70, M8 and NGC 6231

Various open clusters, small globulars and bright nebula around Scorpius and Sagittarius (too many to name individually) I identified where the galactic centre was.

Jupiter was excellent through the 3mm

Later when I had packed things away it was an amazing sight to see Orion upside down! however I could see the nebula in the sword clearly and also around Alnitak.

All told probably the most thrilling observing I have done in a long long time.

A couple who were from the Hotel joined me and were amazed at what they saw. Despite being retired they had never looked through a telescope. I feel a couple of converts joining our ranks shortly:)

[Ags]

Interesting report. I'll definitely be taking my ST80 with me on holidays.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report! Brings back memories of my stay down-under, though my skies were not nearly as dark as you report, and I only had the 15x70 bins. Next time I will pack the 80mm travel scope, and get to a really dark site.

[m.tweedy]

Nice report! Brings back memories of my stay down-under, though my skies were not nearly as dark as you report, and I only had the 15x70 bins. Next time I will pack the 80mm travel scope, and get to a really dark site.

It was worth all the effort. Even getting stopped at Mauritius Airport by security querying what the strange objects were in our cases especially the counterweight bar and weight for the astrotrac head

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

It was worth all the effort. Even getting stopped at Mauritius Airport by security querying what the strange objects were in our cases especially the counterweight bar and weight for the astrotrac head

I once too a small newt on an EQ1 mount. The counterweight raised some eyebrows, especially because no matter what the X-ray level, nothing showed within. Nowadays it would get you in trouble, I guess.

[m.tweedy]

I once too a small newt on an EQ1 mount. The counterweight raised some eyebrows, especially because no matter what the X-ray level, nothing showed within. Nowadays it would get you in trouble, I guess.

They just gave us a strange look and said it was ok to go through.

[jarralad]

not as good as derwent on sat night .

[Andrew]

Nice report - sounds spectacular

Must have been great to get all those objects up away from the Horizon for once - I'm very envious!

[yeti monster]

Observing in the Tropics is wonderful isn't it?

Sorry the Cross didn't thrill you, it's one of my favourite sights. Did you take a look at the Jewel Box though? That must surely have raised the pulse rate a little...

[m.tweedy]

Observing in the Tropics is wonderful isn't it?

Sorry the Cross didn't thrill you, it's one of my favourite sights. Did you take a look at the Jewel Box though? That must surely have raised the pulse rate a little...

sadly despite the wonderful skies there was a lot of heat haze around the Crux area:D. That is probably why it did not impress. The Jewel box was just not visible through the murk. It makes a change from light pollution obscuring the seeing though.

[ScubaMike]

The sight of the milky way running through them was fantastic-it looked like a bright cloud.

the milky way being described in terms of the usual UK weather!

Sounds fabulous.

[m.tweedy]

the milky way being described in terms of the usual UK weather!

Sounds fabulous.

You are right there. The only place I have seen the milky way as clear was at Kielder which is where I hope to be in a months time at the star party (doesn't time fly)