Big Mak returns...

[Stu]

Hi

Skies looked clear and the Mrs was out with a friend so I set up the Sphinx mount and the Mak which I haven't used for probably 6 months.

The skies have been great, Andromeda visible naked eye and limiting magnitude around 5 which is good for home.

Very rough polar alignment but the mount was generally functioning well. It's always challenging finding objects with a maximum fov around 0.7° but it was getting pretty close.

Lovely views of a number of familiar objects, using 22t4, 17t4 and 13mm Ethos mainly.

Globs, M13 beautifully resolved and filling the fov. M92 and M15 also looking very nice.

The ring nebula looked superb both unfiltered and with OIII. Very bright, and lovely image scale in the 17t4. The ring was bright, and the inner area obviously brighter than the background sky.

M27 looked huge, lovely shape and some texture coming through.

Little dumbbell was in a less good area of sky but still well observed.

My favourite open cluster NGC457 looked great, filling the field very nicely.

I found the Blue Snowball which

Stu

[Stu]

Apologies, hit submit before I had finished, will complete it in a while, just looking at Jupiter

Stu

[Stu]

Right, where was I.... found the Blue Snowball which was a new object for me. Surprisingly bright, and could detect the blue colour which is unusual for me so it must be distinct.

Next up, Blinking Planetary. I must say, this didn't blink so much this time as I could see the nebula with direct vision but, again, distinct green colour to it.

Next I tried for Uranus, and got it pretty quickly. Quite distinct disk, pale blue colour to my eye. Small and featureless but another first for me. I tried for Neptune next, but couldn't conclusively identify it. I was in the right area and saw a few likely candidates but nothing which clearly showed a disk, will try again another night.

Bimbled around a few other objects, including the double cluster but not much cop in the mak as you can only get one cluster in the fov at low power.

Jupiter cleared the hedge and I spent a good 45 mins looking at it. Seeing was a bit unsteady as it was low down, and I was getting some colour fringing around the limb, but it got better, just wish I could have stayed out longer. I switched between 17, 22 and 25mm, settling on the 25mm Celestron XCel-LX which gave about the best magnification and contrast for the conditions. GRS was coming round, heading towards the meridian looking large, and extremely pale. One moon, haven't checked which, was appearing from behind the limb when I first observed, and gradually pulled away. Given the low altitude, plenty to see in the two main bands and glimpses of other subtle detail.

I could have stayed out for hours, the sky is fabulous, double cluster visible naked eye and I could just make out the Milky Way which is a first from here. Wife's birthday tomorrow though, so bed calls.

Two new objects for me, and a nice reunion with the mak after a long break. Seeing such detail on Jupiter, and resolving globulars in a stunning manner, plus splitting the double double even though not very well collimated reminds me that it is a fabulous scope, and I should make the effort to use it far more frequently.

Enjoy if you are still out there.

Cheers

Stu

[rory]

a good evenings work stu. ive not seen jupiter this year yet. my favourite planet and im looking foward to trying some eyepieces i havnt used on her before .

thanks for the report.

[Stu]

Thanks Rory. It's the first time for me this year apart from in the binos. It was looking very good for this early on, and given how low down it was.

I was using x160 and x171 mainly which was giving reasonably crisp views, am sure it would have taken more later on but I couldn't stay up unfortunately.

Looking forward to opposition.

Stu

[nightfisher]

Great report Stu, good to hear the 200 gathered some photons rather than dust I found my old 140 pretty easy to collimate, did the daytime job and got it near spot on.

I loaded up the car, on the promise of the skies clearing, drove to a dark site, and waited and waited, i waited some more, ended up going home about 00.30, the sky started to clear, by then i was ready for bed

P.S, happy birthday to mrs Stu

[JohnC]

Hi Stu

Nice report pleased that you have managed to get out with the Mak again.

When colimated and cooled they really do deliver the goods.

Roll on those crisp clear winter nights.

John

[Stu]

Thanks both.

Jules, that sounds a real shame, having made the effort to get out to your dark site. Hope you get some better, luck soon. I shall pass on your birthday wishes to mrs stu, thank you

John, I agree on the maks. When they are on song they are fabulous scopes. Mine can be a petulant little so and so at times, but when cooled and collimated properly it is amazing. I do particularly like viewing globs in it, they resolve beautifully, filling the fov with tiny stars. Quite amazing, and very different to through my refractors.

My observing always seems to be a complex compromise between time, weather, family commitments and energy/motivation! I have kept myself going using my refractors over the summer and had some stunning views of objects they excel on, but having seen the difference on say Jupiter, M13 and M57 last night, there is no doubt that the aperture and resolution makes a world of difference and is worth the effort.

My mount is setup semi permanently at the moment and aligned reasonably well so I shall make sure I use it more often. Although I'm quite happy finding stuff on a manual alt az mount, having Jupiter remain stable in the centre of the fov, even at over x200 makes it much easier to concentrate on viewing, and making the most of moments of good seeing. Who knows, might even stick my SPC880 on it and see what happens

Cheers

Stu

[nightfisher]

Stu, get the webcam going for some lunar craters, should be superb

last night was same pattern as last friday, forcast was for skies clearing..................never happened

[Stu]

Will probably give it a go sometime......Shane will never speak to me again.......I won't tell if you don't

Seriously, will try, I just struggle to give up good observing time letting the webcam have all the fun.

Stu

[Double Kick Drum]

Great report.

Interesting to see the Blinking Planetary nebula didn't blink for you either. I found it bright and quite condensed.

Looking forward to Jupiter as it has been a while since I last spent time with it.

Thanks for sharing.

[swamp thing]

Nice report Stu. Globs sure look good through a big Mak I had a look at M13 through a 180 Mak a while back, pretty impressive if I say so myself.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Sounds like a great session! Thanks for sharing

[Moonshane]

Will probably give it a go sometime......Shane will never speak to me again.......I won't tell if you don't

Seriously, will try, I just struggle to give up good observing time letting the webcam have all the fun.

Stu

too late I've sussed you!!

[Moonshane]

but seriously, great report mate. I think that having a couple (or three) scope options keeps it all fresh and you almost start to see things anew. looking forward to better views of Jupiter too later in the year - will be pretty smart at PSP I reckon.

[Stu]

Totally agree with that Shane. Objects look very different in my scopes, and particularly between the 106mm and the mak, both give great views at x150 to x200, but with very different feeling to the images. Outside this, the frac gives wonderful low mag/widefield views, and the mak will go to x300 or more with great resolution for planets and globs.

I really need to complete the set by getting my SX250 sorted for better galaxy and nebula views then I will have most areas covered for the moment, until I can justify more aperture

Stu

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

You mean, you need to justify more aperture? I thought it was a basic human right!!

[Stu]

:D

If it's not, I think we have a valid case to put to the UN

Stu