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It just doesn't!

Tom2012

By Tom2012
in Observing - Planetary

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Tom2012

Tom2012

Posted
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Get any better than that. I'm telling you all that right now! Just doesn't get any better.....

Eventually got in from work at about 19:15. Train signals were down in lime street station so had to walk back home!

Anyway! Set scope up at about half past 7 and let it cool for an hour or so while I had my tea, had a quick go of F1 and just generally potted around.

Set sights upon Andromeda again just to see if anymore detail had become available since the last time I had a look.. No. No difference in detail or size just small smudge about 2-3 or 3-4cm in the EP!

After about 10 minutes on M31 I decided to go in, leave scope outside and go back on F1.

21:30 came around and I went back out!! This time having a look for the PacMan nebula in Cass! Absolutely no chance. Didn't even see anything of a resemblance towards the Neb! I gave up with it and moved on to splitting the double in Ursa Major!! (Is it Mizar and Alcor?) for something easy to find it doesn't half bring some satisfaction. I found myself looking at them for about 15 minutes! Amazing stuff.

By this time Capella had just appeared over the top of the house so position myself and the scope to view that. Half an hour later I was back in the house again. I was, at this time, debating wether to call it a night and pack everything away.

22:40 - Wow Time.

I decided to keep the scope setup and outside and waited for Jupiter and the Moon to come into view.

Started off with just the 25mm on Jupiter! Some nice detail! Few bands and 4 moons were easily visible. Decided to stick the 2x Barlow lens that my girlfriends dad kindly passed on to me, with the 10mm in. I actually found myself saying "oh my god" to myself!!! "Seriously doesn't get any better than this" I thought to myself!!!

I had Jupiter in there with North and South EBs in there, detail within the bands, even.. Are you all ready for this?! The GRS!! Couldn't believe it! Could see the swirl, what looked like turbulent clouds around it and leading towards it, the detail was amazing and not only that... Ganymede had just started its transit! There was a perfectly round sphere of dark shadow on Jupiter with a lightish brown type colour of the moon itself! I must've stood there watching it for a good half an hour! (If I didn't have work today I could've stayed out there for ages!) I turned the scope to the moon and the detail through the eyepiece was just mesmerising! It felt (this is going to sound stupid) like you could actually feel the texture through the EP! You could see craters within craters casting shadows on the crater they were in! It was a lovely sight!

There's me, standing in a small yard, with a £280 telescope, stock eps, a 2x Barlow lens, witnessing this act of pure astrological nature at its finest! It was amazing! Seeing the GRS was unbelievable and then seeing the transit just topped it all off! Absolutely superb. I didn't want to go back in!

Now that us something I'll never forget seeing! Absolutely brilliant. I'm actually gobsmacked at what I witnessed. Amazing stuff! Brilliant.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Tom.

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Tom2012

Tom2012

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That really sounds like one of those nights that make it all worth it. Thanks for sharing :)

Thanks for replying :) it definitely was! I've had a few "why did I bother" nights hah! But that was just unbelievable. Definitely, as you say, made it all worth it!

Thanks.

Tom.

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Daniel-K

Daniel-K

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M31 would have been ashed out with the moon but on a moonless night you will bag many DSO's when i was just visual observer i use to look for doubles and cluster when the moon was up. you should check out alberio under cygnus thats a very nice double if you havent seen it yet it has a nice blue star and a orange star :)

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Tom2012

Tom2012

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M31 would have been ashed out with the moon but on a moonless night you will bag many DSO's when i was just visual observer i use to look for doubles and cluster when the moon was up. you should check out alberio under cygnus thats a very nice double if you havent seen it yet it has a nice blue star and a orange star :)

I was wondering why it seemed to get fainter as the night went on! Didn't even cross my mind about the moon! Hah

I noticed Ganymede12 (if that's right - sorry if I'm wrong) put Alberio on his list. I haven't had a look at that one yet, I'll give it a go when I can! I love M45. Brilliant through binos!

Thank you for your recommendation and taking your time to read.

Tom.

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usher4566

usher4566

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Get any better than that. I'm telling you all that right now! Just doesn't get any better.....

Eventually got in from work at about 19:15. Train signals were down in lime street station so had to walk back home!

Anyway! Set scope up at about half past 7 and let it cool for an hour or so while I had my tea, had a quick go of F1 and just generally potted around.

Set sights upon Andromeda again just to see if anymore detail had become available since the last time I had a look.. No. No difference in detail or size just small smudge about 2-3 or 3-4cm in the EP!

After about 10 minutes on M31 I decided to go in, leave scope outside and go back on F1.

21:30 came around and I went back out!! This time having a look for the PacMan nebula in Cass! Absolutely no chance. Didn't even see anything of a resemblance towards the Neb! I gave up with it and moved on to splitting the double in Ursa Major!! (Is it Mizar and Alcor?) for something easy to find it doesn't half bring some satisfaction. I found myself looking at them for about 15 minutes! Amazing stuff.

By this time Capella had just appeared over the top of the house so position myself and the scope to view that. Half an hour later I was back in the house again. I was, at this time, debating wether to call it a night and pack everything away.

22:40 - Wow Time.

I decided to keep the scope setup and outside and waited for Jupiter and the Moon to come into view.

Started off with just the 25mm on Jupiter! Some nice detail! Few bands and 4 moons were easily visible. Decided to stick the 2x Barlow lens that my girlfriends dad kindly passed on to me, with the 10mm in. I actually found myself saying "oh my god" to myself!!! "Seriously doesn't get any better than this" I thought to myself!!!

I had Jupiter in there with North and South EBs in there, detail within the bands, even.. Are you all ready for this?! The GRS!! Couldn't believe it! Could see the swirl, what looked like turbulent clouds around it and leading towards it, the detail was amazing and not only that... Ganymede had just started its transit! There was a perfectly round sphere of dark shadow on Jupiter with a lightish brown type colour of the moon itself! I must've stood there watching it for a good half an hour! (If I didn't have work today I could've stayed out there for ages!) I turned the scope to the moon and the detail through the eyepiece was just mesmerising! It felt (this is going to sound stupid) like you could actually feel the texture through the EP! You could see craters within craters casting shadows on the crater they were in! It was a lovely sight!

There's me, standing in a small yard, with a £280 telescope, stock eps, a 2x Barlow lens, witnessing this act of pure astrological nature at its finest! It was amazing! Seeing the GRS was unbelievable and then seeing the transit just topped it all off! Absolutely superb. I didn't want to go back in!

Now that us something I'll never forget seeing! Absolutely brilliant. I'm actually gobsmacked at what I witnessed. Amazing stuff! Brilliant.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Tom.what scope are you useing tom ? Sounded amazing .

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Astro Imp

Astro Imp

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You had a great night, it's really good to hear others' enthusiasm coming through on these fora.

Like you I am amazed that we get to see these amazing sites sitting in our own back yard with quite basic equipment.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

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Tom2012

Tom2012

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Like you I am amazed that we get to see these amazing sites sitting in our own back yard with quite basic equipment.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Tell me about it! A tube, with mirrors, a little 10mm eyepiece and we can see tons! It really is amazing what you can see with just standard equipment!

Thank you for taking your time to reply!

Tom.

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Tom2012

Tom2012

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I think Usher is getting to grips with the quoting feature :p

Thats one amazing night though, which F1 was it you went inside for though? :D Its night like those that make you keep going though :)

Haha I think he is.

It was a good night, I really enjoyed it! It was F1 2012 on PS3! Hah I'm awful at it but I just can't stop having a go!

You're definitely right. It's only been out about 6-7 times since September due to weather and other commitments but that night was well worth the wait!

Thanks for replying.

Tom.

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