An evening out with Lyra

[Charlie_starz]

This evening the skies were pleasantly cloud free here, so I set up my scope to cool, got it aligned and patiently waited for it to get dark blue (being summer).

I did start a little early tonight just because of where Saturn would be. I wanted a good long view before it moved over next doors roof. I didn't want my neighbours thinking I was spying on them. Anyway, as usual I was captivated by the view. Not as good as I have had last week but beautiful nevertheless. 

So the other night I had printed out a star map of Lyra. Originally I planned to just search for M57 because I wanted to see another Messier object and I believed this would be one of the easier targets for me. However I came across a really good article (http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=436) which gave me a lot more to look for.

I could only see Vega with my naked eye as it was still pretty blue up there but I had a trick up my sleeve to help me out. The other night I had brought out my 10 year old son's binoculars (pretty cheap pair of Nikon Aculon T01 10x21). They are not serious as astro bins go. He got them for looking at animals in the garden. I was pleasantly surprised by how more much I could see with them though.

I used the bins to work my way around Lyra first. Then, thanks to a tip of comparing how much is in the FOV of the bins v the finder scope v the main scope I was able to move around Lyra and line up my scope for a proper viewing of each object. I did have to track back to Vega numerous times to start again but it was all really good fun and very successful for my first time attempting it this way.

First up Vega. I could clearly see I had coma issues on my scope (unsurprising as its an achromat) as Vega was not briliant white, but fringed with blue. Following the guide I moved onto Kappa Lyra (get me knowing some stars names!!!) which was not at all as bright but a lovely orange (like a mini mars).

Back to Vega and then I moved down to Delta Lyra and I could see there were really 2 stars in close proximity. Up to now I was just using the 18mm XCel eyepiece giving me 55x and a nice big FOV. I have to come back to these another night as I was interested but forgot to pump up the magnification to check if I could make out the companion of Delta 2 Lyra. I was eager to check out the double double I had read about and see if my scope could split them all.

So back up to Vega then over to Epsilon Lyra. At 55x I could see too nice small stars. I changed eyepieces to the XCel 12mm giving me 83x and played with the focus. I still couldn't quite split the pair to show their companions, although I believed I could notice them a bit with averted vision. Maybe it was just my imagination and my brain "helping" me see something I had read about. I decided to use my lowest eyepiece, a 5mm XCel giving me 200x. Here things got pretty dark (as the sky was not!!!) but I could easily split the stars into their companions. Hooray, I was looking at a double double. Two weeks ago I did not even know about doubles, one week ago I had never heard of Lyra - so many interesting things learnt since then, and here I was experiencing them. Why didn't I start this years ago........

Anyway, on we go. I made my way back to Delta Lrya and from there down to Sulfat. I spent a bit of time here making sure I could track back to it by moving my scope up / down / left and right and trying to memorise the pattern of stars. I expected to be moving between here and Sheliak for a good while hoping to glimpse M57. I didn't really expect to see it as the sky was dark blue rather than black. Also, of the stars that make up Lyra,  I could still only see Vega with my naked eye.

After locating Sheliak and knowing which way to move between it and Sulfat, I started the hunt using my 18mm ep. It only took about a minute before something caught my peripheral vision - what I can only describe as what looked like a small piece of dirt on the eyepiece. I stayed with it for a few minutes to make sure it wasn't a bit of wispy cloud. All still good I moved down to the 12mm ep. It was a little clearer although still like a smoke ring from afar, very grey and faint and still best seen when not looking directly at it. Getting excited I tried the 5mm. I could just make it out, but it was too faint so I went back to the 12mm. I think I need darker skies to get any success with the 5mm eyepiece. I spent about 30 minutes following it and it did seem to get a bit clearer the longer I looked "near" it in the eyepiece.

I was very excited to have definitely seen M57 for the first time. I can't wait to examine it under darker skies. By ow I was getting a bit cold (I know winter will be a lot worse, but will dress the part) and as it's a school night I went back for a quick look at the double Delta Lyra then the double double Epsilon, but i stayed with the 12mm eyepiece for both. I was going to take a look at Ursa Major to see Dubhe as well but it was starting to get cloudy so I decided to put everything away.

When everything was back in the house, I brought the cheap bins back outside for a quick tour of the sky. It was a bit darker than previous but not much. I had a constellation map I printed out earlier and used the bins to look for some I did not previously know. Again I was surprised by how much I could see, even though they are a small pair of cheapos. What they do have going for them is that they are very light though. I think they will be a great tool and could spend a lot of time getting to know the sky with these I think. Definitely will be a major advantage for learning how to star hop. I may even move onto a better pair but will stick with these for now and see how it goes.

Tonight was a very successful evening. It is the first time I have gone out with a target list and actually worked my way through it finding each target on the list. Next time I get out to check on Lyra I will have to try and locate M56 as well - not as easy but something I would like to attempt nonetheless.

I hope you all had as successful a night as I did.

Signing off as a very happy bunny tonight.    

[John]

What a great report 

I really enjoyed reading about your discoveries in Lyra. It's a really interesting constellation with the lovely Ring Nebula (M57) as the cherry on the cake.

Once we are past Summer Solstice the dark part of nights will start to lengthen again so you can return to these objects and see them even better.

[Pondus]

A good report and very interesting to see how much you can make out of a single constellation.

Summer sky is far to bright up here now, so I`ll have to wait till end of august before bringing the telescope out again.

Nice to read reports like this meanwhile.  .

Rune

[Seafury]

I have the same trouble with neighbors bedroom and bathroom windows I'm sure from their view it looks as though the scope is pointing straight at them, I am expecting the police at any moment

[Stu]

Very nice report Charlie, sounds like you had a fun and successful night.

It can be about frustrating without it becoming properly dark at the moment, Managed to spot M57 last night through my 4", but it was really just to see if I could with such light skies, it is much better in full darkness.

As John says, this will return soon enough, I really enjoy August nights, nice a warm but proper darkness and some lovely summer targets to spot.

Stu

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Charlie_starz]

I forgot to mention, for some reason planes kept flying through my FOV. I think they were doing it on purpose

I also believe I saw a meteorite flash through that part of the sky and I have definitely seen loads of satellites whizz past when I have been looking for objects over the last few nights. Too fast to track with a scope but nice to experience.

[goranmagdic]

I think Lyra and M57 will be my next targets to explore once I get a clear night! My Telrad has arrived, so looking forward to trying it out to see how different aiming is compared to my standard 6x30 finderscope. Hopefully far easier!

[cotterless45]

Lovely report, certainly Lyra is a fantastic constellation for discovery,

Nick.

[Charlie_starz]

Was out again tonight to revisit Lyra and go back through everything I had seen the other night. It was higher in the sky tonight and harder to navigate due to the bright sky.

While setting up I caught a glimpse of Saturn. It was a lot lower in the sky tonight and about to disappear behind some trees so I went straight for a look. Still my favourite sight through an eyepiece to date.

So back to Lyra and after starting on Vega, I checked out epsilon lyra again to see that beautiful double double. It took the 5mm eyepiece to split them into the four component stars, no hint of more than 2 under the 18mm. I then moved onto looking for M57 again. I found it a lot easier this time, probably within a minute of starting, I was quite impressed. I tried to pump up the magnification using the 5mm eyepiece but it was too dark. The bright background in the sky was cramping my evening. I watched it for a while with the 12mm, muttering to myself how good it would be if the sky was properly dark.

Next, I visited Dubhe and Ablireo, which was very easy to split even with the 18mm eyepiece, both lovely to look at.

Next I sat back with my binocs for a while looking around the constellations that I could make out. I wanted to try and find M13 in Hercules. I could easily make out Arcturus and Vega but the sky was so bright it took me quite a while of looking straight up finally spot Hercules. I knew whereabouts roughly where it was in the square, and in a line from Arcturus to Vega. It was near the zenith of the scope so hard to move but after 2 minutes I had it in the 18mm. Very faint, wispy, but definitely what I was looking for. I tried out the 5mm but it was again too dark, given how bright the sky was in the background, so I plumped for the 12mm and watched for about 15 minutes. It did seem to get better with averted vision and once again has me wishing for darker night skies. 

Another great night out with my scope, all done by midnight though as work beckons in the morning. Hope you all had great success tonight.

[Paul73]

Lucky man. I came out just after midnight to catch the best of the dark.

Just as the clouds rolled in...

They seem to be here to stay. I'm going to bed,

Enjoyed reading your report though and I found two hedgehogs and a confused cat!!

Paul

[JulianFR]

I've just come back in after a couple of hours outside with the ST 120... It didn't get properly dark till after 11.30 so no real point, for me at least, in taking out the Dob.

I also love looking at Lyra and especially M57, even though it's just a tiny grey Cheerio for me in the 120. Nearby Cygnus is a lovely target too, with the Milky Way running through it and Albireo.

Pity it's a work day (later) this morning.

[Charlie_starz]

I must look for Cygnus next time I am out. Too bright here in London to see the Milky Way unfortunately.

[bingevader]

Super report, thanks! I like a night out with Lyra too, she just keeps me up too late at the mo.