First impressions

[pajacek]

Hey!

I'm Jacek and I'm new here. I have bino for two days, I mean two nights.  I know that many of you have more esperience and your observations can be more proffesional and you can be no interested to read it but... I just want to try express my feelings connected with... stars? astronomy? existence?

---Localization---

I live in east Poland. It has much darker sky than west. At the moment I was stargazing only in my hometown. It's small town (about 25000 occupants) near Lublin. My house is close to city center. Light pollution map shows it's high. Additionally east part of sky is covered by apartment building. It is quite dark at night, most tenants sleep but proppably heated buildings affect to visual impressions.

I have to drive out of town some day. Light pollution map says there are a lot of huge areas without pollution around.

---Night no.1---

When I was waiting for dark incoming I was afraid about vision conditions - sky was pale like covered with milk. I don't know much about that so I downloaded android app - astro panel. It confirmed my worries - poor astro conditions. But when darkness fell ... and stars appeared ... I forgot about everyting and my low spirits went away. There were no clouds, any other conditions didn't matter for me. I was so excited.

First night I spent time learning how to use binoculars and just sniffing around the sky. I spent a lot of time looking at brightest objects:

• Arcturus
• Vega
• stars of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
• Capella - it was low in the sky and blinking red-green-white-red-green-white-... . I read that it is not blinking by itself but that's connected with refracting light coming tgrough atmosphere. That information was a bit disappointing for me. I prefer my vision that Capella just blinks to me

I was not satisfied because I couldn't find Lyra main stars with bino, I was able to see it without.

---Night no.2---

Now I think there were really poor conditions previous day. I didn't consult it wih Astro Panel app so my mood was perfect I started stargazing dozen minutes earlier cause I really wanted localize all main Lyra stars - they show up earlier so I didn't have to search them in the jungle of other stars. I was suprised. I underestimated zoom before and I was looking too close to Vega for other consellation stars. But it is good lesson. Now it is easier to estimate distance: unarmed eye -> binocular vision. 

I didn't prepare myself for my second astronomy session so mainly I was sniffing like before but... I fell in love with two little but clearly visible stars close to Lyra. There is a lot of two neighboring stars but this twins have something more! I would try to determine their names this night

At the end of my session I tried to find M31. I was without optimism because it is located above huge apartment building I mentioned at the beginning. I started my hunting from known to me, then I moved to Mirach and then scan part of sky where M31 shoud be located. I knew that from Night Walk 2 app (ohh I didn;t mentioned I got this one, huh?). I think I found it. I found a glow, it was very blurry like stars on the edge of binoculars when I don't adjust focus. But this one was in the middle of my bino sight view and I couldn't make sharp point by adjusting. I really need go out of this town light. Then I would without doubt I'm looking at Andromeda Galaxy.

Regards for those who reached the end of my post.

P.S. sorry for my english

[baggywrinkle]

Welcome to SGL Jacek, it is always good to read observation reports from other places and your English is fine. Good to see a binocular one!

You might be interested in this site

http://binocularsky.com/

Steve writes for Sky @ Night magazine and has published an excellent book on binocular astronomy. His website also allows you to get his free and excellent monthly news letter via email giving you even more targets to try for.

[laudropb]

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL.

Very nice report. It can be difficult at first to find your way round the night sky, but with a little practice it becomes much easier.

There is a free news letter called the Binocular Sky which gives you targets to view each month and useful finder charts to help to locate them. If you look under the binocular section of this site you will find a link to download. Good luck with your new bins.

[Paul73]

Nice report. Welcome.

Getting well out of town will be the key!

Paul

[ronl]

Good to hear you are enjoying your new bins, as others have said go to http://binocularsky.com/

there is lot's of information and guides to help you find your way around the night sky,

Steve is our resident expert and always gives excellent advice, keep enjoying the night sky.

Very good report by the way.

Clear Sky's 

[BinocularSky]

M31 (...) I think I found it. I found a glow, it was very blurry like stars on the edge of binoculars when I don't adjust focus.

Good description - yes, you have it!

    Regards for those who reached the end of my post.

Easily done when it's such a descriptive report!

   P.S. sorry for my english

No need to apologise: it's more understandable than that of some native English speakers (and certainly better than my Polish!)

[pajacek]

Thank you for your warm welcome. I'm glad you devoted me some time.

Nice arsenal @baggywrinkle. I mean both - your astronomical equipment and HMSm Conqueror!

@laudropb I took advantage of your proposal and signed up to newsletter. Thanks.

@Paul73 Yeah, I really have to get out of town, townsman like me doesn't see trully dark night so often

@ronl thanks for tips, cler sky's for you too!

@BinocularSky Great news for me I got M31, I really wasn't sure what I saw or maybe it seemed to me only.

Huh, I have just noticed all of you are from UK. Is it only UK community? I hope it's not problem I'm from abroad.

[BinocularSky]

We are a UK-<b>based</b> community. Not a problem you being from abroad - at least one of the moderators is "from abroad", and we even allow Merkins in here :-D. <grins, ducks, runs>

[pajacek]

Ok, I found that twins I was talking about are ε¹ and ε² Lyr called Double Double, so my Twins nickname was quite close. I think they are really interesting. They are very close and have similar luminosity - good target to hang eyes!

Merkins ??

<grins, ducks, runs> ??

Even with uncle google I don't get it But I bet it's not something to eat.

[BinocularSky]

Merkins ??

With an upper-case 'M' it's old Usenet slang for "Americans" (rumoured to derive from Lydon B. Johnson's 'swallowing' of the middle vowels of the word, so "I'm proud to be American" sounded like "I'm proud to be a Mercan" - and it went downhill from there).

<grins, ducks, runs> ??

Merely a set of reasonable precautions after having made a teasing comment. ("Ducks" in this context means something like "to lower the head to avoid a projectile", not the quacking bird )

[pajacek]

Ahhh, I see now. I guess I shouldn't call this way every American I meet