jumping with joy

[Bendeavour]

last night (3rd of feb) I was very happy with what I saw

I went out last night to try some astrophotography. I got all my equipment set up then to find my camera was dead. so I took the camera off and put I'm my 10mm, swung over to Jupiter and had a gaze (you cant not, once its gone you'll have to wait a while before it comes back up). I noticed everything was higher in the sky so I went to see if m42 was any different but it didn't. I remember watching eyesontheskysDOTcom and he was talking about how to find M36 and M38. I found 'the smiley face' in Auriga moved to the left then swept the sky with my 25mm EP. Eventually I found a star cluster but I couldn't tell which one it was. I took a guess that it was m38 and moved upward and found m36. I did a little joy dance (because I had been looking for a while and this was the my second attempt) and looked back again. I didn't know what to look for next and I was freezing so I packed up. I was very happy that I found some new objects.

I have a question though, how often should you collimate a dobsonian?

thanks,

[KevUU]

Well done with M36 and M38 I got my first look at them last night too. A little further down is M37, which I thought was nicer, and even further down is M35 which I thought was better still. Give them a try too next time

(sorry, can't help with the collimation quesiton)

Kev

[m_j_lyons]

I collimate every time I go out...with a laser collimator it only takes a minute or so. I do it because I have to transport the scope in the trunk and often carry it for multiple days there...so often it NEEDS it. If you can leave it setup I don't think you need to adjust it unless things just aren't looking right. I know my dob will NOT get close to focus of the collimation is out.

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[m_j_lyons]

BTW, this is what I use and LOVE it - http://www.telescope.com/Orion-LaserMate-Deluxe-II-Telescope-Laser-Collimator/p/102109.uts?keyword=collimator

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[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report. I think you must update your sig, you must have seen more Messiers now (don't forget M43, the little round cloud very close to M42).