First GoTo Viewing Session 22/07/12 - Amazing!

[Sirius Bizness]

Last night was the first time I managed to polar align my mount and then try a star alignment using the SynScan handset. I finally worked out how to roughly polar align my mount . After getting hung up with trying to do it accurately I just roughly pointed it north and then lined up the Plough in the polar scope. I then chose to do a 2 star alignment. Something about the way I set the scope up in the mount wasn't right as when it slewed to Alberio it was totally wrong. I just released the clutches and lined up on Alberio. I then went for Vega which was a bit nearer.

I was itching to have a look at M13 so went straight for it and to my total amazement there it was bang in the middle of the FOV. I was totally blown away and this is my first ever galaxy ! I was using my 12mm Nagler and could resolve stars towards the center and see a nice pattern to the galaxy. I had a go trying to increase the mag but it got worse in the 8mm BST and was a total blur in the 5mm BGO. I don't actually know what I am doing so was just trying things out. I also tried my 32mm Panaview which was disappointing. I am not getting on with this EP at all but it may just be the time of year/objects I am looking at. After it got a bit darker ~12pm I had another look in the 12mm and wow! How good is M13!

After getting really hyped up about M13 I stuck with the 12mm and used the GoTo to take a look at M5. All looked very blurry so tried my BST 25mm and it looked fine but a bit small. Put the 12mm back in and again very blurred. After about 10 minutes I noticed that I had left the clear end cap on the 1.25” adaptor of the EP . After realising how stupid I am I was totally blown away by M5, it looked amazing. Not quite as big as M13 but it was great to see another galaxy. I then realised I hadn't planned to see anything else so started frantically reading posts on SGL and punching numbers into Stellarium. This ruined my eyes and took a while to readapt to the dark.

Next I went for M57 and again I couldn't believe my eyes...it was incredible. I always imagined it being tiny but the view in the 12mm was stunning. After viewing M42 last year (my only other nebula) I thought nebulas would not be my cup of tea but after seeing M57 last night I am hooked.

I then tried to get cleaver and use the polar realignment function on the Synscan. I must have done it wrong as I didn't find anything else I tried. I whizzed through some of the Synscan tour objects and couldn't see anything. Not sure if my alignment was off or the objects were not right for the seeing conditions. One was the Whirlpool galaxy which I know I probably couldn't see. I decided to realign on Mizar and try the double. Not quite what I was expecting as it was two stars relatively far apart. I went for Alberio next and again it split nicely. The two colours were very nice to see.

Went back and absorbed more of M13 and M57 then called it a night. I am totally blown away by the objects I saw and now need to plan what to try next. Please recommend some more ‘easy’ targets! I never could have managed without the GoTo as I am only just learning the sky and how to find objects.

In all the excitement I rushed the packing up of my gear and decided to put the tripod legs down with the tripod upside down. Why would I do this? As I released the bolt the leg shot down into the wider tube, off flew the end cap and the leg disappeared ! I quickly turned the tripod over only to be presented with a small bar that the screw clamps against the leg. I now have two pieces to fix back together but I don’t care after that viewing experience.

From posts last night I have added M11, M27, the Veil nebula and Epsilon Lyrae to my list of next targets.

[username]

Good report. M13 is indeed a great sight . I must have looked at it for hours when I first saw it. M13 and M5 are globular clusters and not galaxies though. Although they do look like they could be galaxies within our galaxy. I think that's why I like M13 so much.

[Double Kick Drum]

A great report.

M13 is a globular cluster in our own galaxy but still a very distant object. M31 in Andromeda is the brightest galaxy in the sky and large too, very large!

Some the galaxies you look at will need time at the eyepiece to come through. A little persistence and averted vision will reap dividends.

I must add that the Veil nebula is difficult and requires a dark and transparent sky. I have seen about 200 DSOs and the Veil is still not among them. M11 and M27 are good choices though.

Other nice things to see in the summer sky are M52 in Casseopeia, M39 in Cygnus (both open clusters) and M92 (a globular cluster in Hercules).

Happy hunting!

[rory]

thanks for your report. just got to love globular's eh.

[Sirius Bizness]

Oh...thanks for the info re globular clusters. To think they exist in our own galaxy! Guess I still have to view my first galaxy then. I will have a look at M31 next.

Thanks for the other recommendations.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report. M13 is brilliant. Some nice targets you have selected for a next go. Note that the Veil is very hard, low surface brightness, very extended. It needs dark skies, very wide FOV, and preferably a UHC filter. My best view to date was with my 80mm F/6 with 40mm Paragon EP (6.7mm exit pupil, so a bit large) with UHC filter. This gets me 5.67 deg FOV. The 22mm Nagler also gave outstanding views, at an exit pupil of 3.7mm and FOV of 3.76 deg). Stunning object ones found.