Widefield Evening

[asteria]

Hi there - managed to get out last night for an evening using the 80mm short tube refractor, very solidly mounted on the CG5. The evening's viewing was enhanced by a wide range of fireworks going off all around!

My main target was the comet in Perseus, 17P/Holmes. I was amazed to see that it was very visible, even in the light polluted sky over the city. I was able to view it at a range of magnifications, with around 6-15mm Plossls being best. The bright nucleus seemed quite visible, surrounded by a circular halo. Using averted vision it was very clear and well defined. A real treat.

Other objects - Gamma And double star (beautiful even in the 80mm), M31 Andromeda Galaxy (the bright bit in the middle!), M45 Pleiades (a nice clear view framed in the 25mm), Aldebaran, Hyades, Vega, the Double Double (but not split into its components), M29 open cluster, Albireo.

One of the highlights was Omicron Cyg, a beautiful coloured double star, with the primary being another pair. Well worth tracking down and it's easy!

Best wishes to all.

Ed

I tried for M1 Crab Nebula, but couldn't find it, but it was still quite low in the sky by packing up time. Maybe too much light pollution or small aperture.

[mik]

Nice report ED enjoyed the read glad you got out.

Mick.

[asteria]

Hi Mick - thanks for reading! I've got the 80mm on the CG5 mount now, bought some tube rings from FLO and a large finder from Russ on SGL. Very easy to use on the heavy mount with no shakes. I had this scope mounted on the Celestron go-to arm, but I think my option now will be for the manual mount.

It's more flexible in the sense that I can just explore what's up there rather than relying on a menu from the control handset. The go-to is still a good combination for the main stuff, but it got a bit frustrating pressing 'go' and the scope ends up pointing at black sky for anything a bit more elusive! The database might have thousands of objects in it, but in a small scope like this, most of them are not able to be seen!

Ed

[PaulR]

Nice one Ed, I was hoping to get out but there was a general murkiness hereabouts with lots of spent-gunpowder adding to the gloom

I think the Crab would need darker skies and more altitude - it's well within your scopes range theoretically at about mag 8.5 although some say you should add +2 for any nebula (so 10.5 is still do-able)

[mik]

Ed you have a good starting setup go-to is a good idea but ive never found the need

for it as my main interest is planets/moon and they stand out like a sore thumb even i

can find them.i assume you have the ST80 skywatcher if you have a good upgrade for

later would be the ST102 or 120 for deep sky clusters etc if you wish to do some imaging

at a later date you can mount your ST80 on top as a guide scope.

I got rid of my ST80 and regret it,i look forward to your next report.

Mick.

PS just a quick question i understand the CG-5 makes a bit of noise is this just in slewing whilst in

go-to mode or is it noisy tracking as well.

[asteria]

Hi Mick - the CG-5 I have is the manual version. The 80mm refractor in go-to mode sits on the single arm alt-az mount that Celestron favours for these smaller scopes. The go-to mount that I have - the original GT version - has the sleeve to hold the tube rather than the Vixen-type mounting of the current SLT range.

I considered getting the go-to version of the CG-5, and may do so in the future, but for the time being the manual mount is fine. It's much easier to use than I thought, and rock solid. A very nice package for both the 150mm MAK and the 80mm refrac. Hence I can't really comment on the noise levels of CG-5GT, but the single arm alt-az mount is a bit noisy, although I've never found it distracting. It's noisier in slew mode rather than track mode. In the latter it just burbles and hums along. I find it rather reassuring in the middle of the night!

The OTA itself is probably the same as the ST80. I think all these scopes are pretty much the same. Mine came with the single-arm go-to mount from Celestron a few years ago, when they retailed the 80GT. I think they've dropped the model now from the SLT range, replacing it with a 102mm model. I've been mulling on whether a 102mm or 120mm would be a good step, but I'll probably stay with the 80mm for the time being. It's such an easy thing to handle - lightweight and compact.

Paul - the wafting gunpowder was fun! Great clouds of it swirling above me. Didn't get too much in the way as they blew away pretty quickly, but the "real" clouds rolled in a bit later and put a stop to the viewing. Good to have your thoughts on the Crab Nebula. Sounds like it might be a realistic sight in a month perhaps, when it's risen out of the light pollution puddle in the east at a reasonable hour.

Best wishes to you both

Ed

[The Warthog]

I live in very LP surroundings too, but at Mag 2 point something, the comet is easy. I had a go at M1 last night, too, but was unable to comeup with it. I was using a fairly widefield ep, so should have seen it if it was available, but it seems to be too diffuse for these skies.

[asteria]

Thanks WH - I think I was probably being very optimistic about M1. The orange glow in the sky was a give-away! I think in a few weeks, when Taurus clears the murk, I might have a better chance.

Good luck with it.

Ed

[chuenmanc]

Hi there Ed

I seem to remember M1 being an easy target in the 150mm mak, but only when it was high in the sky. As Warthog said, it's pretty diffuse. I'm not surprised you couldn't see it in an 80mm when low in a light-polluted sky.

[The Warthog]

I just had a good idea! Maybe I'll put in my UHC filter next time I try for M1. :insects1:

[John]

Those short tube 80mm's are great scopes

I managed to find the Veil Nebula with one a while ago - and that one was branded Tasco !. I was cheating by using a UHC-S filter though - I don't recall being able to see any sign of the Veil "unfiltered". The UHC-S also helps a bit with M1 I've found.

John

[asteria]

Hi John - I agree about the 80mm short tube refractor. I've just been out for a short session with it again tonight to track down the comet. It's rock solid on the CG-5 and the optics are really very good. Quick set up too - just about 10 mins from packed away to viewing. The seeing was crisp tonight and there was hardly any sense of even looking through a telescope - incredible! I was seriously impressed by the little scope. I was thinking of trading up to a 102 or 120, but I think I'll stick with this little wonder for the time being.

I hope I can get the MAK out soon to have a look at the comet, but also to see if it helps with M1 (thanks for the tip Chuen!). A reasonable evening should see it get up higher enough in the sky to have another go.

Best wishes to all.

Ed