ISS and a meteorite

[DazC]

Hi all,

I managed to drag myself out of bed this morning at 02.00, quickly got set up and had a look for a few new M numbers to tick off my list.

First off i just had to take a look at the Ring nebula and the dumbell nebula, i've see both of them before but couldn't resist a quick peek.

After those i turned round to look for M81 and M82 which i found reletively easily with my 32mm ep. They were both very faint due to the sky not being totally dark (summer time and all that). By 0300 the sky was getting lighter by the minute. So i had to give up and pack away.

It was only when i'd packed away and come back inside that my ISS alarm went off on my phone so i went and stood in the garden and waited, looking south. As i watched and waited a fairly big meteorite shot across the sky from west to east leaving a long trail behind it..

Just after that the ISS came into view, not the brightest i've seen it but still the brightest thing in the sky. It was only while i was watching it cross my fov that i thought about a post i'd read here on SGL about someone tracking the ISS with their scope and seeing some detail, i didn't have time to get my scope back out but i'm determined to see it through my scope now and i'm pretty sure there is another visible pass tomorrow morning.

If there is, i'll be waiting!

D.C

[Double Kick Drum]

Getting up in the small hours is very dedicated, especially when there is not much darkness.

I have been up around 4am for a mid-winter morning session but that's as far as I would go.

The Dumbbell is a nice object, as is the Ring.

If you fancy one or two more planetary nebulae, why not try NGC 6826 - the Blinking planetary nebula in Cygnus and NGC 6210 in Hercules. Although both are smaller than the Ring nebula, they are also quite bright.

Happy hunting!

[Starlight 1]

I have seen something on tracking the ISS ,Was it in EQMOD site.Just look its in ascom.

[cotterless45]

Try a UHC filter on M27 and M57,they really stand out.

I was with LeeB when he manually tracked the ISS using an 8" Dob.He made a drawing.Welldone for keeping upwith darkness, not easy,roll on July!!

Nick.