2nd Sept, Nova Del 2013

[KevUU]

In my report the other day I mentioned that "I figured I'd try round delphinium since I like the constellation, even if there's little there for a DSO hunter". Then I read RikM's report and lo and behold there's a nova visible right there in Delphinium, news of which had totally passed me by. Felt like a bit of a numpty, to be honest!

So tonight it's clear and, despite getting home late, I figured I'd get out and have a go: if it clouds up for a few days it may have faded too much and then I'd be upset.

I had a look at the info here and marked up PSA, and off I went.

Well, it started off well from Sagitta but even in the finder I could see too many stars to find my way from PSA. I grabbed the iPad and, after a brief blinding, got the photo from the linked page and followed that in the eyepiece - et voila, Nova Del 2013.

At first I was a little under-whelmed - it's a point of light like all the others - but then thought about it and...

...

Cool! I've just been looking at a runaway H-bomb explosion that started over two weeks ago

Something went !boom! about 1500 years ago and tonight I observed it from my garden

It's the first time I've looked at this sort of transient thing, quite fun really. I might go back once it fades and look at the gap where it used to be, just to bring the temporary-ness of it home.

Since I was in the area and had a photo to help me find it, I wandered over to nearby planetary 6905 too. It's very faint, but not quite so small as I expected and actually in the 8mm it seemed oddly well defined and uniform. A UHC filter helps but the view feels nicer without it. It does hold up to 6mm too.

Quite a pleasing hit-and-run session then! It's a shame I stayed late at work, it would have been awesome from my local darker-site if I'd been home in time to get organised. Nevermind, time may wait for no man but the universe surely will.