A good night out...

[DRT]

I haven't had many chances to get the scope out over the past two or three weeks so was looking forward to tonight's clear skies.

The seeing wasn't great but I did have the chance to spend a lot of time evaluating all of my recent EP purchases on a number of solar system targets. The moon obviously dominated the first half of the night but I was able to get some great close-up views of the craters around the edge of the shadow with my Baader Zoom and 31mm Hyperion Aspheric both barlowed-up with the Baader 2.25x. The Aspheric was superb and also gave a great view of Jupiter's GRS around 11pm.

Next was the Cigar Galaxy - I tried everything in the box on it and the Nagler 17mm won hands down. Great contrast compared to the others, although that is relatively speaking because the sky was quite bright, but definitely the best views I have had of that object.

I then popped inside for a couple of hours and then back out to see Mars and Saturn rising above the houses to the south west. The Nagler 17mm won again in terms of the combination of clarity and magnification but the Baader Scopos 35mm and Tele Vue Wide Field 40mm both gave crisp, clear views of Saturn set against a wide field of stars.

Tonight was the first night I have seen Mars as anything other than a red pin-head. The Nagler 17mm and the Baader Zoom both showing it as a proper planetary disk with some obvious but slightly blurred gradients of colour.

The only disappointment was that my Pentax SW 10mm still hasn't really shown me what it can do. It is great on the moon, but who needs to spend £250 on an EP just to look at the moon! I'm sure the day will come soon when the seeing will allow it to wow me with fabulous close-ups of Jupiter and Saturn so I will reserve judgement until then.

Overall a fun night and not even very cold

Enjoy the clear skies next week - I'm away with work for the next six nights so will have to just read about it here…

[cotterless45]

Lovely report. We went to the Calke Abbey astro night. Couple of hundred punters there. Really clear. Just after they went and we got ready for an all night session in dark skies, when the chief honcho told us to pack up as the gates would be locked at 11, wonderful,

Old Nick.

[Stu]

Nice report DRT. Glad the Nag is showing you what it can do :-). Lovely ep.

What's the problem with the 10mm? What scope are you using? Does it just give too much mag?

Stu

[Stu]

Lovely report. We went to the Calke Abbey astro night. Couple of hundred punters there. Really clear. Just after they went and we got ready for an all night session in dark skies, when the chief honcho told us to pack up as the gates would be locked at 11, wonderful,

Old Nick.

We had that at Egham Nick. Had looked at nothing but the moon and Jupiter all night, skies were fab but had to pack up and go home at 10.30

Stu

[DRT]

What's the problem with the 10mm? What scope are you using? Does it just give too much mag?

Stu

I'm using it in the CPC so mag is 280x. I think it just needs clearer skies and good seeing to reach a sharp focus. I have also decided that my next batch of available £££ are going on a new focuser so perhaps that will help.

[Stu]

x280 will be pushing it a bit on most night, except for maybe the moon and doubles. Will be great on very steady nights on Mars and Saturn though I should think

Stu

[DRT]

x280 will be pushing it a bit on most night, except for maybe the moon and doubles. Will be great on very steady nights on Mars and Saturn though I should think

Stu

It's fantastic on the moon and in my 200p Dob but I do hope to get some really good nights out of it a few times per year when the sky is at its best. I bought a 13mm T1 Nagler yesterday so am hoping that will be just right at 215x in the CPC

[Steve777]

Great, enthusiastic report.

[Qualia]

Great stuff, Derek. Glad you had a great night and thank you for the splendid report

[DRT]

A quick sequel to last night:

Today was bright and sunny and the moon was in the sky all afternoon. I set the scope up hoping to get an hour or two in before heading for London this evening but also went out to have a look at the Moon and Jupiter around 5-6pm before it was dark. The moon was stunning - very clear with just a hint of that heat haze effect you get at high mag. Jupiter in almost white light was fabulous in the Nagler 17mm - all four moons clearly visible, a very sharp black shadow from one of them on the planetary disk and the GRS standing out pink and proud from a multitude of bands of boiling cloud. I think that is the most detail I have ever seen on Jupiter and it wasn't dark!!

A fabulous end to the weekend

[Stu]

Sounds lovely!! Nice report DRT

Stu

[DRT]

Sounds lovely!! Nice report DRT

Stu

Cheers, Stu - best of all, when I went inside I picked up an email from someone responding to my wanted add for an Ethos 13mm - fingers crossed I'll be peering through it next weekend

[Marki]

Nice report Derek . Managed a quick look a Jupiter and the moon myself early eveing as it went dark. Jupiter looked great indeed, as you say. I was able to push the magnification to x200 and the image stayed reasonably sharp - one of the best views of the planet I've seen. The moon was simply stunning too.

[DRT]

Nice report Derek . Managed a quick look a Jupiter and the moon myself early eveing as it went dark. Jupiter looked great indeed, as you say. I was able to push the magnification to x200 and the image stayed reasonably sharp - one of the best views of the planet I've seen. The moon was simply stunning too.

They were directly south of you at that time, Marki. Must have been all that clean Derbyshire air you were looking through that made the difference