quicky with binos

[Andrew*]

Absolutely amazing sky tonight, but I've been on the go since 7am and had a headache, so the scopes had to stay inside

Took the binos out and had a really quick whizz around. Absolutely stunning views - just loved it:

M35-8 - cracking experience to hop from one to the next.

Holmes, getting fainter still...

M31 - nice sight in binos - stands right out

double cluster- what can you say... 8)

cassiopeia - fantastic bino cruising grounds

Mars - bright and dominant

Ursa Major - tried for M51 and M81/2 but never showed themselves.

M42 - much more a-glow from a darker sight than in my previous report

and to finish off, I bagged two new opens, identified for me by starry night - M46 and M47 - very nice clusters. M46 actually appeared more as a cloud than a cluster in binos (at least from a quick, shaky glance) but was nice all the same. I hardly ever see this area of sky as it rises too late and is behind a line of tall trees, so it was wonderful to get to know something new there - something I'd been wanting to do for a while.

The moral: if your feeling too down (tired, ill, whatever) to get the scope out on one of those glorious nights, HAVE BINOS HANDY AND ENJOY THE SKY WIDEFIELD!! I was out for maybe 10 minutes and it made my evening. Otherwise it would have been "another fantastic night down the drain"

Cheers

Andrew

[Casus belli]

Great report! It just shows how much you can see with bino's. And 40 miles north of you I cant see a thing.

And as for the headache I can sympathise with you there, I'm a sufferer of cluster headaches and they are nightmarish.

[Andrew*]

thanks casus!

But you won't sympathise with me if i tell you that it's maybe the 3rd headache OF MY LIFE!! Honestly, i'm just not someone who gets headaches...

Hope the clear skies move up to you promptly - i'm not using them any more!

Andrew

[Astroman]

M46 is a nice target. Wait until you can get it in your scope! There's a planetary nebula near the northwest edge, Ngc 2488. It's fun to see the cluster as a whole, then zoom in on the PN, than back out again and wonder how you missed the PN the first time! 8)