Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b83b14cd4142fe10848741bb2a14c66b.jpg

WADAS (Wakefield and District Astronomical Society)

stonemonkeylives

Recommended Posts

Matt Scunthorpe

Matt Scunthorpe

Posted
Posted

I've not seen Saturn for a couple of years, so hopefully when it climbs a little bit higher in the mornings can catch a glimpse, tried this morning but it wasn't clearing the fence.

So much easier with the dob compared to the 200p on the EQ5 I had for years, no rotating the tube in the rings or anything. Need to loosen the base plate a little as the swivel is a bit tight at the moment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 12.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Ryan P

Ryan P

Posted
Posted

Had a cracking little session in the garden last night! Focusing mainly on Comet Catalina. It looked great through my 8.8 ES eyepiece!

Also the obvious ones Orion neb etc.

Managed the eskimo nebula too. That also looked fantastic in the 8.8.

Hope your enjoying your dob Matt. I absolutely love mine!

Can't wait to see what Vicky and Gain captured last night!! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
2STAR

2STAR

Posted
Posted

Where abouts is Comet Catalina, near bottom end of Ursa Major if I remember? I tried looking for it last night but couldn't see it, think it was just hidden in the tops of the trees.

Hi Matt, I had trouble spotting it through my 9x50 finder last night , so having seen it a couple of times already knew where it was, bottom star of plough handle (alkaid), (just slight left)  do a quick check on Stellarium before you go out as Catalina is moving away and getting fainter I noticed over the last few week. Last night I just drifted around alkaid with my 25mm eyepiece and spotted it within a few minutes. 

Eric

Link to comment
Share on other sites
2STAR

2STAR

Posted
Posted

Saturn is definitely a big wow and by far my favourite

I was really lucky when I bought my 8" dob , Saturn was high and at a good angle , it was actually my first visual of any planet !!! through a scope, it just happened to be there high over the rooftop of my house, couldn't believe my luck, an amazing sight and quite awe inspiring at first sighting.

Eric

ps: cant wait to see it again :home:  :home:  :icon_biggrin:  :icon_biggrin:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
2STAR

2STAR

Posted
Posted

I was really lucky when I bought my 8" dob , Saturn was high and at a good angle , it was actually my first visual of any planet !!! through a scope, it just happened to be there high over the rooftop of my house, couldn't believe my luck, an amazing sight and quite awe inspiring at first sighting.

Eric

ps: cant wait to see it again :home:  :home:  :icon_biggrin:  :icon_biggrin:

ooops just noticed I am now classified as advanced member!!, better start learning which is pollux and which is castor lol :help:  :help:  :help:  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
astrotyke

astrotyke

Posted
Posted

Well, seen as im in charge of my own work here I took the time to do some stellarium research :)

Here is where the comet will be tonight at 9:40 tonight. should be easy to find if you have a good eastern horizon with it just been up and to the left of Alkaid, thats the bottom star of the handle of the pan, or big dipper, or whjat ever you want to call it :)

Chris

Edit, heres a screen shot with some deep sky objects on it. theres a line from Alkaid to the pinwheel galaxy m101. the comet is halfway between them. I hope stellarium is correct. I checked stellarium with some photos taken last night and the position was correct in stellarium, so I hope that helps some of you if you manage to get out tonight.

Tonight is the better forecast now, with some cloud then clearing later on, also the same at dunford bridge. Tomorrow night (saturday) there is cloud and light snow forecast

post-13088-0-78277000-1452851127_thumb.p

post-13088-0-16442800-1452851409_thumb.p

Link to comment
Share on other sites
astrotyke

astrotyke

Posted
Posted

ooops just noticed I am now classified as advanced member!!, better start learning which is pollux and which is castor lol :help:  :help:  :help:  

its ok, there are other people who dont know there castor to there pollux, i wont mention names, they know who they are :) :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rockystar

rockystar

Posted
Posted

I've not seen Saturn for a couple of years, so hopefully when it climbs a little bit higher in the mornings can catch a glimpse, tried this morning but it wasn't clearing the fence.

 

So much easier with the dob compared to the 200p on the EQ5 I had for years, no rotating the tube in the rings or anything. Need to loosen the base plate a little as the swivel is a bit tight at the moment.

I'm a little bit jealous, as I have exactly the 200p on an EQ5, and now wish I'd gone for the 250 on a dob, for exactly those reasons.

I have put mine into Alt-Az mode and it has made it much easier with no tube ring rotation required.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mapstar

mapstar

Posted
Posted

Well, it is just gone 4am and I have just walked back in the door after a brilliant evening in The Dales, near Hawes, with Gain and Tony from HAPS.

Wow! Stunning skies and we have been busy capturing Catalina, as well as Orion constellation, M42 and M45 The Pleiades.

Hopefully, I'll get some images sorted out tomorrow evening, but for now it is time for a couple of hours in bed before that alarm goes off!

This won't seem such a good idea in the morning........

Catch you all later :)

Have you been to some proper dark skies then Vicky. Wonder if it was that lane that G was telling me about?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Vicky050373

Vicky050373

Posted
Posted

Castor and Pollux? I thought that was Regulus.......never trust a tipsy Ursula lol

Of course I'm up! I've got work to go to - reel a bit rough, but I've no plans to go out tonight, so I can catch up with some sleep later.

Got some lovely images, but I cannot stack until I get a new lap top, might just upload a couple of "straight off the camera" images shortly.

Catalina was stunning as viewed from a really dark site - you can see structure even in one single image.

Easy spot just off Alkaid - it almost looked as big as M31 in the binos lol

Gain got a belter with Catalina, Alkaid and M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy in the same image - can't wait to see that once he's worked his magic on it, although to be fair, it didn't need any working on! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Vicky050373

Vicky050373

Posted
Posted

Comet Catalina (C/2013 US10) taken last night from some dark lane on the way to Hawes in The Dales (the things that Gain gets me doing)

Single unprocessed image - 2 minute exposure, 250mm lens at ISO1600

Going to try a bit of processing, but that will be later when I've done a bit of reading up on it, as that is where the hard work it.

Got a couple of nice Orion constellation, M42 and M45 The Pleiades, but I'll look at those later this evening :)

post-39306-0-17958500-1452863767_thumb.j

Link to comment
Share on other sites
astrotyke

astrotyke

Posted
Posted

I dont, the roads are open at the momment, i dont think theres too much snow forecast, ill just turn round if its too much. depends if my winter tyres will grip, im sure it wont be that bad (famous last words) snow showers this afternoon are forecast for there

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.