Few more Messiers.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

This is my first report for quite a long while.

I decided to ditch the HEQ5 goto, and stick the 200p onto the manual EQ5. I knew this would be tricky as id come to rely on the goto so much for photography, but I wanted to find things by my own means.

I started off with M57 as it’s an easy object to locate, it didn’t look too great with the 12mm EP so I didn’t think the conditions were going to be great tonight, or it may be that at around 2215 it was a bit too light still. Sticking around Vega, I went in search for M13. Quite embarrassed to say that I couldn’t even find the keystone tonight, gave up in the end as I had look at it in the session before.

While waiting for it to get darker, I went in search of M71. Lining up the Telrad, I could just make it out ever so slightly, took a lot of averted vision, but pretty certain I saw it again.

At this point, I realised I could just about see Sagittarius, firstly I went in search for M28, being so low down and having to contend with viewing my guide star through a tree, I am glad to say I got it, and this kick started the search for new objects. M24 a little higher was up next, it was a nice sight in the EP. None of the views look particulary beautiful as they are so low down, and with a bit of LP in that direction, and the tree, I am lucky to be able to see them at all I feel.

Onto M22, which I found pretty easily, or I think I did, it is a globular but looked more like a dim open cluster to me, perhaps just my eyes, but im pretty certain I was indeed looking in the correct place.

After kicking my heels and eating an iced lolly (ice lolly at 2300, only in summer!), M72 and M73 were up next. I found M72 first, as a very dim patch, M73 was a lot trickier, I do think I found it, and when comparing it to Stellarium, and how far M72 and 73 were apart, Im pretty sure I got it.

Before packing up for the night, I swung upto M11, which I always call my late Mums cluster, as I found it for the first time when she fell ill. Its always a beautiful sight, I threw in the 7.5mm EP and looked it, so much magnification, but the view was breathtaking, everywhere you looked in the EP it was just shimmering beauty.

At this point it was 0015, and with working the next day, I called it a night.

All in all, another 5 messiers found, taking the grand total to 67. Feel like im really getting through them now, the ones remaining in Sagittarius are probably going to have to wait another year, unless I can get out to a dark site in the coming weeks, but even then, some of them are barely above the Horizon now. Also my total would be a lot higher if I counted all the ones in Virgo, but I wasn’t sure which I was looking at!

Thanks for reading,

Matt

New Object

Visited Before

Not found

[Mark at Beaufort]

Nice report Matt. You should have Sagittarius for a bit longer for you to grab a few more objects. I had great problems trying to view M69 and M70 from Hereford but I finally made it in an August night in 2010.

I am not sure about the latitude of Scunthorpe but I had to go to Spain to view M7.

Mark

[AndyWB]

Looked at M22 myself last night - for a globular stars on it's edges seemed pretty resolved - it did look a bit 'open'.

I managed to catch M7 in Berkshire last night. Does that remove an excuse for a holiday in Spain?

[andrew63]

Some good objects - also liberating cruising around manually ! I know what you mean about getting lost in the Virgo area - the same can happen in Sagittarius !

andrew

[VigdisVZ]

New messiers! Good job! Probably going for the seasons first bino session today. Weather is promising and the nights are getting darker up here now. Sometimes I wish I lived further south (dark nights all year, more southerly objects available in the skies).

[cotterless45]

Excellent ! M11 was stunning last night, even at higher magnifications. I keep a box of Asda cider lollies in the freezer, just have to ensure the seeing eye is closed before opening up the freezer .

Lovely to have such good skies this back end of summer and hopefully more

clear skies,

Nick.

[AlexB67]

That's a nice bag of Messiers

Skies for sure are getting darker and better, I spotted it straight away with the naked eye as I quickly popped outside at 1 am what should have been bedtime, but I had a quick 10 - 15 minute grab and go last night, I needed it. It must be getting on for 1 -2 weeks since I last observed. Spotted M33 for the first time, did not even need averted vision to see it this time. Andromeda showed a pronounced spreading of light, by far the best I have seen it since so far since May when I started, but then plooop, the clouds obscured everything in the space of 10 minutes.

The darker skies are on their way, either that, or the only alternative explanation I have is that my scope is growing aperture

[Mark at Beaufort]

I managed to catch M7 in Berkshire last night. Does that remove an excuse for a holiday in Spain?

It was pretty easy from Spain but I have never seen it from the UK. Perhaps I should book a few days away in the South West when the weather looks to be OK.

[AndyWB]

M7 was low: 2° or so. I think I got lucky!

5 new Messiers in an evening is a good catch, and I am glad in not the only one who finds M71 dim.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Thats what frustrates me the most about viewing from home. My skies are fairly dark, but with the limited view, your stuck looking at the same things, or waiting for things to rotate into view. Not good when you dont get much time outside anyway.