Supernova in M82 (SN2014J): Bit brighter tonight ?

[Mark at Beaufort]

Nice and clear for about an hour last night before high cloud moved in. I first checked out the SN using my 4" APO frac and 8mm Ethos (89x - 1deg 07') and I thought that it was marginally brighter than the 10.6mag star nearby. I then switched over to the 6" Newt to compare the view - again, I felt that the SN was marginally brighter than 10.6 but not as bright as the very nearby mag 10.0 star.

My estimate for last night 10.3.

[hippie]

At last got my first clear night in weeks last night, Rushed in grabbed my  6" refractor & set up in the back yard Soon found M82,  Then my first look at the supernova, It sure is a  awesome sight to behold, 

I found the Best views using my 13 mm televue lens,

Jupiter, Orion, & the Pliedes, were all good last night before the clouds started rolling in again,

Forcast for the coming week is cloud rain gales Grrrrrr,  When is this Rubbish weather ever going to give up?.

Happier star gazer now I've got to see the supernova at last  ,

Ian.

[lunator]

I managed to get the dob out last night. My old 8" F6 Newt

Had a look at the SN and thought it was around Mag10.6.

It was an amazing sight

Not a bad target for the old scopes first light in it's new guise.

Cheers

Ian

[Hals]

First peek at SN2014J last night...wow, my first supernova (haven't had the scope out for a couple of months - so a lot to catch up on). Very good seeing last night managed to bump the mag up to x240, great structure in M82 and the SN stood out like a pale orange spotlight.

[cotterless45]

Managed a gap in the clouds for the fourth view of the SN. Lovely view at x48 with M81 and M82 in the fov. Then up to x150 for lovely view of the structure of the galaxy and the SN before clouds rolled,

Nick.

[hoops86]

Heres a couple of screen grabs i took from my live broadcasts last week. They are 2 days apart. Ive viewed it many times now and honestly i really cant see any difference lol

 

[John]

Nice and clear for about an hour last night before high cloud moved in. I first checked out the SN using my 4" APO frac and 8mm Ethos (89x - 1deg 07') and I thought that it was marginally brighter than the 10.6mag star nearby. I then switched over to the 6" Newt to compare the view - again, I felt that the SN was marginally brighter than 10.6 but not as bright as the very nearby mag 10.0 star.

My estimate for last night 10.3.

That was my estimate last night too Mark - 10.2-10.3 I thought 

I was using a borrowed 8" F/5 newtonian and the view was great just using standard 20mm and 10mm plossls and a Skywatcher barlow at 200x. Loads of detail on Jupiter too and a couple of tight doubles nicely split. When that happens you sometimes wonder why you have a box full of exotic glass 

[Mark at Beaufort]

John after I viewed the SN with the 6" Newt I used the 6mm and 9mm Hutech orthoscopic EPs to view two tight doubles. I viewed Eta Orionis and Xi Ursa Majoris both 1.7 arcseconds. The views were pin sharp right to the edge with a clear gap between the stars which I thought was good for a f5 Reflector.

I was going back to view the SN with these EPs but the clouds came over.

[John]

John after I viewed the SN with the 6" Newt I used the 6mm and 9mm Hutech orthoscopic EPs to view two tight doubles. I viewed Eta Orionis and Xi Ursa Majoris both 1.7 arcseconds. The views were pin sharp right to the edge with a clear gap between the stars which I thought was good for a f5 Reflector.

I was going back to view the SN with these EPs but the clouds came over.

Sounds like the Hutechs are getting some good use Mark 

I managed Eta Orionis myself last night with this 8" F/5, a standard Skywatcher plossl and the standard Skywatcher achromatic barlow lens. I guess a fine ortho would have given a slightly tidier split but I was surprised and pleased at what these modest pieces could do.

[alan potts]

Despite the snow I manged to set up in a different place and was able to get a scope on this and see it. Even though there was a bright very high first quarter it was an easy object in the 180mm Maksutov.

Alan

[chiltonstar]

Despite the snow I manged to set up in a different place and was able to get a scope on this and see it. Even though there was a bright very high first quarter it was an easy object in the 180mm Maksutov.

Alan

I'm surprised how much brighter it looks now compared with two weeks back - a very easy object too in my 5" Mak at x100 the night before last, even with 60 mph winds, some rain and atrocious seeing....

Chris

[cotterless45]

Still waiting for a gap in the clouds to compare my views since late last month,

Nick.

[Stu]

I'm surprised how much brighter it looks now compared with two weeks back - a very easy object too in my 5" Mak at x100 the night before last, even with 60 mph winds, some rain and atrocious seeing....

Chris

Sounds like some extreme observing there Chris, quite exhilarating I should imagine :-)

Stu

[Stu]

I'm still waiting to have another look too. The forecast is for a clear spell tomorrow night but we'll see. Would love to get the newt out but if this wind keeps up there is little point!

[chiltonstar]

I'm still waiting to have another look too. The forecast is for a clear spell tomorrow night but we'll see. Would love to get the newt out but if this wind keeps up there is little point!

The wind was bad enough with my Mak (short tube) but it would have been impossible with my long-tube 4" 'frac, which is to long for the mount at the best of times - any gust might well have wrecked the gears because of the moment generated. 

Chris

[Stu]

The wind was bad enough with my Mak (short tube) but it would have been impossible with my long-tube 4" 'frac, which is to long for the mount at the best of times - any gust might well have wrecked the gears because of the moment generated.

Chris

I bet it was!

I remember trying to use my (ex) mak at PSP in far less windy conditions and it was hopeless, the stars were circles rather than points, it was bouncing all over the place even on the sphinx mount. :-)

[mjpfc]

Working until round 22:00 tonight but was intending getting the newt on to it as soon as I got home.

Not sure if the weather will play though, as a load of raid clouds are crossing now (through I suspect that they

have been sent by Zeus to stop my afternoon Solar watching) If I get away with it this eve I will put the newt out

in the wind shadow of the back wall and pop in a report on 2014J.

Mick

[bish]

Actually had a break in the clouds last night. Conditions not great with a bright moon and murky sky though. M82 not visible in my 10x50 bins or finder scope. With my 250px M82 was still very faint (and M81 only just visible). I had a bit of a rushed look but was surprised how bright the SN was. I didn't have time to make an accurate estimate but it seemed very similar in brightness to the close by mag 10 star

[andrew63]

It's clear tonight but clouds not far away.  The Supernova is still holding up very well - only a bit fainter than last week but still an easy spot at x89.  Also seen quite well at X35 - a sharp point in the mist of M82.

andrew

[John]

Yep, I reckon it's pretty much the same brightness as the nearby mag 10.6 star. I've yet to see it match the closer mag 10.0 one but I've been clouded out for a few nights so it might have sneakily brightened and dimmed when I could not see it 

M82 itself looking rather indistinct due to moonshine this evening though.

[Stu]

Newt is out now, under the clouds. Expecting them to break in an hour or so. Hopeful of a decent view of it then. I have my finder and Telrad aligned so should make a better job of finding M82 this time :-)

Stu

[John]

The clouds have spoiled things yet again here 

The usual story, scope nicely cooled, Jupiter and the Moon clearing the trees and central heating plumes of the neighbours houses, E & F Trapezium and the SN shining clearly, then ......... where did they all go ????

Big dollop of cloud coming in from the W now but I've left a scope out in the greenhouse in case it clears again.

[Marki]

Managed an hour or so as soon as I got home from work. Sky here seemed pretty milky to begin with, what with the bright moon and all. Anyway, even with an uncooled scope I had a look for m82. The supernova seemed a pretty easy spot at x150, even if the galaxy itself was a wee bit tricky initially. Still not much practiced at magnitude estimation, but its certainly less bright than the nearby 10th mag star. Pretty pleased - this is my first supernova .

[cotterless45]

Well found Mark ! Definately on the wane since last month,

Nick.

[crimpshrine]

Scope out, polar and star aligned and yep.. Have loads of cloud! First time I have properly polar aligned as I wanted to take some shots so spent quite a bit of time on set up.

It is all still outside in the hope of it clearing. Looks like it might be ok at 3am but I have work tomorrow.