Old favourites but old frustrations!

[Fozzie]

Oh last night could have been so much better!

The plan was simple, meet the family early doors for a birthday meal for dad at my brothers, hopefully give them a first light with the evostar 90 I bought my bro as a birthday gift, head home, pack the car head out and enjoy the darkening clear skys.

My aim was to head through Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Sagitta skip over to andromeda and on to Perseus for the double cluster.... Maybe try for a few M's around Ursa Major to and then try for the veils around Cygnus.

Sounds simple right, indeed it was..... For a bit anyway..

Have to say I could make out the milky way from the outskirts of Ilkley so I know I was in for a good night, that's a first time sight that close to home.

After setting up the 8 checking and aligning finders, (which are vital to me, especially the Rigel, even more so than the ostara ra finder) as I don't have a go to function, I pointed the scope in the direction of m13, had to start somewhere I guess...

Gave myself around 5mins on each target, and limited myself to my two newest ep's the 18 & 14mm ES82, really wanted to give these two a good run out.

Picked up M13, M92, M57, M56... Then disaster struck, the Rigel QF failed on me... Batteries, and I didn't bring spares... Yes I had my 50mm finder but I get completely lost when the sky's are showing so much..

So after some self loathing commentary that startled a few ducks by the river, I decided to keep with the 18mm and just wonder around in general path of my targets taking in the star fields of the Milky Way.. Tried for some of the specifics like M29 which I'm sure I got (said unconfidently) but for the life of me couldn't contort to viewing M71 & M27 which I really wanted to bag..

Carried on my tour down towards lacerta, andromeda and Cassiopeia, m31 was a great sight, as was m32 and m110, carried over to Perseus and the double which was perfect in the 18mm...

All being said, it was a good night, but without the RQF I struggled and that frustrated me a bit...

Must say though the best view and buzz of the night was letting my dad, brother niece and sister in law see Saturn for the first time in the evostar... Even with the stock 10mm they were blown away... (Even better as the sister in law had said she never thought it would be that good! and had a go at me for buying it to clutter her house up.. :-D

Just goes to show, it's the simple things, the unexpected things that make a difference and in this hobby, wow moments are always just around the corner... Love it really!

Thanks for reading.

Fozzie