Happiness is a Warm Dob

[dick_dangerous]

Hi All,

Having got to the end of the run of a play (It was a triumph Daaarling...) and with a clear sky forecast for the evening it was high time I indulged in the other hobby I have that tends to take over my life and get out under the stars.

I remembered when I got down to the park with my freshly collimated Dob why I don't like autumnal astronomy. Bushy Park is basically an enormous fog trap, and even when I arrived there was a thin layer of tenuous fog which came and went throughout the session. It also coated everything, and I mean everything in dew. Having said that, the larger aperture does bring to life the sparse autumn sky a bit more and there were some triumphs tonight, amongst the cursing at the fog...

• Neptune - the last planet on my list, and being next to Sigma Aquarii makes it very easy to find. Little more than a faint blue full-stop to be seen, even at x150, but it feels amazing to see this most distant planet from a London park.
• M77 - quite a bright little galaxy, it makes a good target under the LP, although there isn't that much to see of it. I also realised that trying to see anything this low down was going to be a headache, so I had a look a little higher in the sky...
• The Blue Snowball (NGC 7662) - Planetary Nebulae stand out well and this one really lives up to its name; a fairly obvious blue round smudge on the night sky, clearer with averted vision. The UHC didn't really do much to enhance the view with this one though.
• The Little Dumbbell (M76) - Surprisingly easy from Bushy and the UHC did much to enhance my enjoyment, giving away a little of the structure. In some ways I prefer this to its bigger cousin.
• M74 - Something nick-named, "The Phantom Galaxy" is not an obvious choice for the dark sky disadvantaged, however in terms of finding its position in the sky it's really very easy to get your telescope on it. I've never seen M74 before and tonight I... saw something where it should be. I cross-referenced with Stellarium and the faint blur is certainly in the correct position, but I need to have another look the next time I get a clear night. Maybe I should attempt M33 next time too?
• Uranus - I'd seen this from PeterW's garden through his larger 'scope, but it's always nice to bag something for yourself - it's a blue disc, maybe a little larger than Neptune but even at x150 it's hard to see that.

And then bad dew stopped play - I also attempted a planetary in Cetus (NGC246 I think) and a little open cluster in Cassiopeia (NGC553) but drew a blank on both - I blame the fog!

Hopefully we'll be getting a few more of these clear nights soon. I just hope there'll be a little breeze to blow the fog away!

DD

[cotterless45]

Superb. I call M74 more than difficult ! Well done in getting observations in not the best of conditions. Hoping for clear dry crisp winter nights,

Nick.

[John]

Great session DD and a nice write up too

I've just come in from 6 hours under the stars myself. Best night for quite some time.

Amongst my bag I did manage to get NGC 246 (the Skull Nebula). I probably have darker skies than you had but it was not that easy even with my 12" dob and I needed my O-III filter to spot the thing.

You picked up quite a few that I didn't though

I spent quite a chunk of my time after 1:00 am trying to spot the dreaded Horsehead Nebula. No joy on this occasion although I felt darn close at times !

M42 was superb though - it's so nice to see it back in the sky

[dick_dangerous]

Superb. I call M74 more than difficult ! Well done in getting observations in not the best of conditions. Hoping for clear dry crisp winter nights,

Nick.

I'm not entirely convinced I could see it. I am convinced I was in the right part of the sky though - I need to get out into some proper darkness with the Dob and give it a go!

Great session DD and a nice write up too

I've just come in from 6 hours under the stars myself. Best night for quite some time.

Amongst my bag I did manage to get NGC 246 (the Skull Nebula). I probably have darker skies than you had but it was not that easy even with my 12" dob and I needed my O-III filter to spot the thing.

You picked up quite a few that I didn't though

I spent quite a chunk of my time after 1:00 am trying to spot the dreaded Horsehead Nebula. No joy on this occasion although I felt darn close at times !

M42 was superb though - it's so nice to see it back in the sky

I tried to find NGC246 and failed - it was getting too foggy down there anyway, but it sounds like it's a tricky one anyway. The Horsehead is probably not going to happen with my 'scope on the outskirts of London...

DD