planning for clear skies ! - Virgo + Corvus

[nytecam]

Been poor of late weatherwise but planning for later in the week when the near full moon rises later in SE.  Used Megastar + Cartes du Ciel planetarium progs to locate some targets in eastern Virgo and lowly Corvus, including a few 'bright' quasars, as they emerge from my neighbour's giant willow after dusk.  

I need to go deeper on some targets with the mono Lodestar-Mx2 so I'll use the regular SX s/ware with its auto-stack option with auto dark + flat subtraction to avoid saturating exposures here in London suburbs. 

Last night at dusk saved some flats to cure one weak dust bunny and some corner vignetting so the camera won't move until the skies clear!   Will do darks on the observing night after the camera temp has settled down - say 10min. 

Pic of domes from this morning - I'm planning the imminent demise of the unused 10 footer [=garage] with some acquired joists + roofing sheets

[Martin Meredith]

Good luck in Corvus! Are you planning to try for the Antennae? I see that they culminate at a healthy 15+ deg in London although it will not yet be dark at that point... Looking forward to seeing the results as ever 

Martin

[nytecam]

Good luck in Corvus! Are you planning to try for the Antennae? I see that they culminate at a healthy 15+ deg in London although it will not yet be dark at that point... Looking forward to seeing the results as ever 

Martin

Yes Martin - I've checked the framing of the Antennae via Megastar

[nytecam]

It cleared, sort of, about 11pm last night and despite the near full moon, I had a brief session in the obsy on lowly Antennae gx duo in SW but drifting cloud made it near impossible. Used the Lodestar-Mx2 in both fast 2x2 binned mode and 2x1 binned mode with standard SX s/ware - shame LodestsrLive doesn't have these options:-)

Recorded Ant gx star field to mag 15 (amazing in the circumstances) in 5s exp with hint of the two gxs then moved on to N4565 Needle gx in Coma high up clear of cloud - aiming for the faint and distant (2BLY!) Gxs off southern tip. Used super fast 2x2 binned mode in 15s exp and will check results after breakfast :-) I

In summary I go rusty absent from obsy after a week or so and relearning SX s/ware fun :-)

[nytecam]

Antennae gx pic pretty useless - 14 deg above SW horizon / moonlight / scudding cloud. 

Gx cluster @ 2BLYS nr Needle gx pretty fair in 2m exp [6x15s stack] @ Lodestar 2x2 binned mode - no darks/flats, cropped/  enlarged and annotated - gx in mag 17.5 - 17.8 range and one? on extreme lower edge [inset] m18.6 so doubtful - may post on DSO viewing forum - someone may like a challenge

[Martin Meredith]

Impressive. I just checked my NGC4565 pics and have absolutely nothing (as expected!) in that region apart from the triangle of stars enclosing the galaxies. For my kit, mag 16 is already pushing it.

Martin

[shirva]

Gardens looking good

[nytecam]

Impressive. I just checked my NGC4565 pics and have absolutely nothing (as expected!) in that region apart from the triangle of stars enclosing the galaxies. For my kit, mag 16 is already pushing it.

Martin

Hi Martin - did a check on visual for this v faint gx cluster and got "via Jimi Lowrey's 48-inch in the Davis mountains of West Texas..." where the gxs were apparently barely detectable so won't post on deepsky observing. 

Glad I've got my little camera to 'see' things with 1/16th the aperture at nr sealevel under LP   

[laser_jock99]

Got em! Just visible in my 25s single hi-res mode sub. 10" F4 scope under last nights FULL MOON

Well I'm amazed anyway! Imaging such faint objects in such a short exposure, from a light polluted Midlands back garden AND with a full moon nearby.

[nytecam]

Well done LJ - couldn't see them at first but could with shaded laptop as pretty faint! ps: sometimes a negative version helps

Tuesday/Wednesday pretty useless here due to drifting cloud then haze but ok on Thursday with bright moon largely absent. 

Apart from Vesta/Ceres shots [other post] here's the Antennae duo NGC 4038/9 very low in SSW @ 19 deg alt in Corvus in montage below - data on image.  Was hoping to catch the streamers and there's just a hint of the upper one if you use your imagination! 

Also nearby PN NGC 4361 [i miss the PN colour!] and the double quasar but it's not.  Megastar shows two close quasars with similar mags and z values but SAME NAME eg QSO 1158-187 - here's the real southerly one that Sloan DSS shows as faint blue object and massive 11BLY distance [=Megastar] - my most southerly quasar capture. 

In eastern Virgo is first-timer GC NGC 5634.  No flats used on these very southerly objects and it shows but enjoy

[laser_jock99]

Must get on to the quasars on day- is there a list of easy to find ones?

[Martin Meredith]

That's an impressive shot of the Antennae from your location. Who'd have thought it possible? 

These deep southern objects are a lot of fun. After getting back from the S of Spain I worked out that Omega Centauri does rise above my local horizon even here in the north -- culminating at a magnificent 8 arc minutes!!! What do you think? Worth a shot?   I think I'd have to find a convenient mountain.

Martin

[nytecam]

Martin - don't forget to add ~1/2 degree for atmospheric refraction on the horizon to your 8' at culmination !