The Stars Were Bright, Fernando!

[dick_dangerous]

Hi All,

It's been a long time since I've been able to either post anything or to do any actual astronomy. Work, home life and getting involved in a play have all conspired to prevent me from getting out under the stars. Last week I was holiday in the deepest and very much darkest North of Spain, on a week's holiday in Asturias, and I managed to take the ST80 with me for a couple of rather memorable nights.

The climate in Spain's North is a little better than Britain's, but every bit as unpredictable - on the Monday we had a deluge of titanic proportions (The coastal resort of Llanes flooded apparently) and the combination of humid sea air and the Picos de Europa mountains conspired to bring in night cloud and thick morning fogs although, on the whole, the weather was very good to us.

On our arrival I had been unwell but we had a clear night and the pitch black skies blew my socks off; the Milky Way arched right overhead, just like when I was a child, and things like the Andromeda Galaxy and Perseus Double Cluster were easy naked eye objects. A scan with my binoculars gave such delights as my first ever view of the North America Nebula, the Eastern Veil (!) and even faint little M71 in Sagitta. Unfortunately I needed an early night, but only after a quick sweep through some highlights of the sky with the ST80 (The Ring, the Dumbbell, The Wild Ducks and Andromeda).

Thursday 25/09

I had to wait until Thursday for my first decent sky, but it was well worth the wait. I made it a long drawn out two hour session to give myself plenty of time on each object. What I found with the humble ST80 blew my socks off:

M55 - The skies were very murky as the fog came up over the mountains so I missed out on M55 again. At this point, having searched for a solid twenty minutes for it, I was convinced it didn't exist...

NGC7000 - The North America Nebula - It has long been my goal to find this, and finally I acheived the ambition, courtesy of my little UHC filter. An extended patch of nebulosity clearly visible, with the "California" region the most obvious part (Have I got it back to front though?!)

NGC6960 / 6992 - The Veil Nebula - I've managed to see this with the 150P in Bushy Park, but the view was nothing like the one I got here. The Eastern Veil appeared as a glowing crescent in the eyepiece, while the Western Veil extended either side of the bright star 52 Cygni. So big is the FoV that I found I could put the whole thing in the telecope field. A truly beautiful object and now a favourite under a dark sky!

Neptune - I thought I'd found it. A comparison with Stellarium and my sketch proved that I didn't. Darn it!

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy - Always better in the ST80. M32 was also very clear, as was M110, and all three galaxies fit in the field nicely.

M33 - Triangulum Galaxy - Firm favourite - it was low down and quite faint leading me to suspect a little horizon murk, but I got that faint fuzz with a slight concentration towards the middle.

NGC752 - Lovely, huge, open cluster in Andromeda. One to check out from Bushy Park with the larger scope!

M15 - Compact globular, almost stellar, in Pegasus.

NGC7293 - The Helix Nebula - This was my object of the evening. TL@O had lead me to believe it would be extremely hard to see with a 3'' scope but in reality, under these skies, it was a bit of a doddle. A faint round blob through the UHC filter with AV bringing out a hint of the annular shape. Lovely object and a great high to end on!

Saturday 27/09

The second night started very clear indeed, especially towards the horizon, so I concentrated on my favourite region of the sky in and around Sagittarius. Clouds encroached after about an hour but I had to pack the telescope away...

M55 - Finally bagged this elusive globular. It's a really lovely object - huge but diffuse, which is why it caused me so many problems. Many of the low Sag. globulars are a bit small and faint, but this one is truly lovely.

M17 - Omega Nebula - Elongated blur with more detail coaxed out in UHC.

M16 - Eagle Nebula - My first unequivocal clear sight of the Eagle Nebula itself, its open cluster sparkling away among a mist of nebula, the classic wing shape apparent through the UHC. Another new favourite!

M8 - Lagoon Nebula - Large lump of nebulosity with cluster inside and the dark lane between the two sections readily visible. I think this is the best view I've ever had of it.

M20 - Trifid Nebula - Fit in the same field as M8, but appears as little more than a round lump of nebula, even with the UHC.

M21 - Another blob of fluff in the same field as M8.

M23 - Top open cluster - really big fuzz with a few stars sparkling in the foreground.

M13 - Finished off with the classic Hercules globular. I did turn my attention to M31 after this but was surprised when I couldn't see either companion galaxy. The reason for this was a large amount of high cloud rolling in so I had to call it a night and turn in.

A great holiday with some brilliant opportunities for some proper dark sky astronomy. I thoroughly recommend the region for so many reasons and once again it proves that a small telescope under a dark sky can out-perform a telescope twice its size under the light pollution.

Dark and clear skies!

DD

[Stu]

Great report DD! Glad you got some decent skies. Totally agree regarding a small scope under dark skies. Take anything you can get on the plane with you and the views are well worth it.

All those Sagittarius gems are lovely aren't they?

Stu

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[dick_dangerous]

I'm very pleased with the new set-up for the ST80 - I intend to bring it along when I'm finally able to make it down to Esher. I'd have come to your first meeting but the director uttered the words that inject fear into any amateur actor: "Extra rehearsal." "Yes, I can make it," I said through clenched teeth...

DD

[Stu]

I'm very pleased with the new set-up for the ST80 - I intend to bring it along when I'm finally able to make it down to Esher. I'd have come to your first meeting but the director uttered the words that inject fear into any amateur actor: "Extra rehearsal." "Yes, I can make it," I said through clenched teeth...

DD

Good stuff DD.

We actually had a good session the other day in my back garden with the Vixen. Saw lots of the old favourites, and managed the Veil just about!

Look forward to seeing you soon.

Stu

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[Special K]

Excellent report and I have to admit a certain jealousy with that wonderful list of targets.............and it's been ages since I've had a decent part, as well! Enjoy the views back here in the UK, not been too bad as Sept closes, and of course enjoy the show!

[dick_dangerous]

Excellent report and I have to admit a certain jealousy with that wonderful list of targets.............and it's been ages since I've had a decent part, as well! Enjoy the views back here in the UK, not been too bad as Sept closes, and of course enjoy the show!

The most frustrating thing is my part is basically a cameo - I'll have time to do my scene, change, go home, have dinner and chat to my wife, then get back down to the theatre for the curtain-call! I'm doing a favour for a friend, but the Am Dram really eats up your time! Having said that, it's great fun so I mustn't grumble.

DD

[PeterW]

Good to hear you got some great views, Esher sounds like its worth a try!

Cheers

Peterw

[happy-kat]

Great report.

What is your new setup for the ST80, is it the photo tripod you mentioned previously?

and did you use a mid say 16mm or so eye peice for your observing please?

[dick_dangerous]

Great report.

What is your new setup for the ST80, is it the photo tripod you mentioned previously?

and did you use a mid say 16mm or so eye peice for your observing please?

Yup, it was the ST80 with the video tripod. I packed the 'scope in my day pack and the tripod in my check-in baggage. The ST80 is basically the same size as a large telefoto lens so fit in the bag along with all its accoutrements, my camera, two lenses, binoculars and a couple of books. It was a full pack, but I managed it!

I mostly used the 25mm lens as I spend a lot of time looking at large extended objects not visible from light polluted London. I did have the stock 10mm EP with me but it's not great so I didn't use it very much.

DD

[happy-kat]

Thank you, yes mine goes in a small rucksack as hand luggage I have yet to buy a decent 90 degree diagonal as mine came with the 45 degrees affair.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Lovely report. These little scopes can really pack a punch.