Observing with the moon up

[abodee2]

Hi

It's meant to be very clear sky for a good few hours tonight - we dont get many nights like this. The usual thing I like doing is go DSO hunting and look at some clusters and double stars. But with the moon up at 85% waxing gibbous, do you think this will wash out everything else in the sky? I dont mind doing some lunar observing for a while but I dont think i'll be doing that from 8pm - 3am. 

Thanks,

Ali

[kev100]

Hiya.

I usually only take my binoculars out when the moon's about and tend to stick to stars and star clusters. In fact, I was out the night before last (first quarter moon) and had a lovely hour or so. M34 (spiral cluster), M13, Owl cluster and the double cluster were all lovely and clear, and a variety of coloured stars (Capella, Arcturus, MIrach, etc) were nice too. Best of all was Alberio. I think it was the best I've ever seen it, with the blue and yellow stars very clear. I lay on my back on a bench and scanned down through the washed out Milky way from Cassiopeia through Cygnus, and the bins picked up loads of stars.

Did see M81 & M82, but they were way too washed out to give up any detail. I was going to wait for the clusters in Auriga to clear the hills, but gave up in the end and went to bed.

Still, a really nice session.

The moon was nice too!

Kev.

[Floater]

"Best of all was Alberio. I think it was the best I've ever seen it ..."

Hi, Kev. Have a look at this thread?

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/253115-will-albireo-change/

[kev100]

Ooops ... 

[laudropb]

The combination of a bright Moon and LP means that DSO hunting is not worth my while. I will look at doubles and try a few sketches of the Moon.

[nytecam]

Unfortunately autumn's Harvest and Hunters Moon dominate the late evening and morning sky after fist quarter moon which make deep sky observing a trial. Best to restrict faint DSOs from last quarter through new moon to first quarter fortnight for darker skies assuming you're clear of LP :-)

As London LP is a major issue for me to the point that moonlight (except a day or so around full moon) is of no consequence as I use my Lodestar camera to capture in near real time the faintest DSO:s or comets etc in a few seconds exposure. I've dumped the EP and the frumpy eye that does with it :-) Check my gallery.

Nytecam

[spike95609]

I like looking at DSOs too, but the moon washes out anything that's faint (which where I am is just about everything). Star clusters are still an option but even they don't look anywhere near as rich as they do on a dark and clear night. So for me the only real option is planets, the moon itself, and finding a few double stars to split. Saturn's out the way at the moment thanks to trees, which leaves me with Uranus and Neptune. Sadly when the moon's up I can't even see the stars from which I'd star hop to them! I think I'll wait until the moon's disappeared, and hope that it's just paranoia that makes me think you only get clear skies when there's a full moon.

[Paul73]

I hibernate at full moon.

If the Astro cold turkey is biting, planets and Solar. For some reason, a bit of moon often helps with the contrast.

I don't have the gear for serious double chasing.

Paul

[philj]

Double stars. I was out last night and bagged about 20 despite lunar lighting the sky up.

Mag 10 secondaries were off the menu due to the bright skies but it was a successful time.

[philj]

I hibernate at full moon.

If the Astro cold turkey is biting, planets and Solar. For some reason, a bit of moon often helps with the contrast.

I don't have the gear for serious double chasing.

Paul

From your sig Paul your kit is fine for doubles, I often use an ed80 for doubles

[Paul73]

From your sig Paul your kit is fine for doubles, I often use an ed80 for doubles

Maybe I need to persevere. I use it for wide field and Big Targets and solar. It eats the NA nebula for breakfast!

Paul