Binocular Observing from south of Sydney - 7th November 2015

[MarsG76]

7th November 2015

Equipment: Olympus 10x50mm DPS-I on tripod (6 degree FOV)

Time: 02:40-04:00

 

Orion's Sword: Orion Nebula was glowing quite brightly. There was hints of nebulosity around the Running Man and the stars very crisp points of light.

 

Rosette central cluster was obvious, I thought I saw a very faint haze around it, but it was so dim that it was most likely wishful thinking.

 

Pleiades very crisp and looked great. Through the crispness there was a very slight shimmer/twinkle to the stars. It was a great view, something that definitely needs the stability of a tripod to see.

 

Jewel Box cluster was quite small but about 6 individual stars and a V shape was clearly visible.

Alpha Cruxis was visible as double star. The bright primary was not resolvable as two.

 

Cluster at the other side of Crux from the Jewel Box, easterly from the Carina Nebula there was a dense star field, definitely worth putting a camera on it to see if there is any nebulosity there.

There was a distinct orange star among the star field, much brighter and orange than any of the other stars around. Initially I thought it looked out of place and reminded me of the supernova spotted in Sagittarius through the binoculars on 20 March 2015 @ 3:42am AEDT (16:42UT).

The dense star field was approximately 1 degree in size so will most likely need to be imaged at 500mm f6.25 to get whole object into frame.

 

Carina Nebula was nicely visible, the dark V shape dust lane... or A as it was orientated tonight, was clearly visible among shimmering stars and nebulous haze.

 

As a note there was a star cluster in or near Canis Major to look into.

 

The Olympus DPS-I 10x50mm binoculars are great, clear and sharp for astronomical observing, there is slight distortion to the extreme edges of the FOV but nothing that bothered me at all.

 

It was a great night of binocular observing.

 

MG

[baggywrinkle]

Nice report. I lived in WA for 5 years and I miss those southern skies. The Jewel Box was always a favourite.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report. I had a load of fun with cheap 15x70 binoculars from Sidney and Cape Town a few years back. The southern skies are hard to beat. In December I remember spotted the Magellanic Clouds and 47 Tucanae naked eye. With bins they are mind-blowing. Your bins should also frame the Coal Sack nicely

[MarsG76]

Nice report. I had a load of fun with cheap 15x70 binoculars from Sidney and Cape Town a few years back. The southern skies are hard to beat. In December I remember spotted the Magellanic Clouds and 47 Tucanae naked eye. With bins they are mind-blowing. Your bins should also frame the Coal Sack nicely

I think that I live in a too bright skies area to see the coal sack, but there's only one way to find out... I'll give it a shot from the mountains when Crux is at its highest point in the sky.

Unfortunately, this is laughable, but I'm still to see 47Tuc!!! I thought I had it, but it was way too dim for it to be it... I know, I know, it's a naked eye object... Next time I'll get you gadget.

[MarsG76]

Nice report. I lived in WA for 5 years and I miss those southern skies. The Jewel Box was always a favourite.

The southern sky sure has some marvels but so does the north... There are plenty of northern objects I'd like to see or image.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I think that I live in a too bright skies area to see the coal sack, but there's only one way to find out... I'll give it a shot from the mountains when Crux is at its highest point in the sky.

Unfortunately, this is laughable, but I'm still to see 47Tuc!!! I thought I had it, but it was way too dim for it to be it... I know, I know, it's a naked eye object... Next time I'll get you gadget.

I spotted the Coal Sack from within Sydney (although locally it was fairly dark. It is simply a big void in the star field.

[baggywrinkle]

I was luck enought to be in Kaikoura on South Island NZ and the skies there were very dark and very spectacular. Never seen a naked eye MW like it.

[laudropb]

Very nice write up of a productive session. Always nice to read reports from down under.

[MarsG76]

I spotted the Coal Sack from within Sydney (although locally it was fairly dark. It is simply a big void in the star field.

My location is darker than Sydney so I think I have a chance of seeing the void also... I think I'll be doing quite a bit of observing next year.

[MarsG76]

I was luck enought to be in Kaikoura on South Island NZ and the skies there were very dark and very spectacular. Never seen a naked eye MW like it.

I know what you're writing about, I remember the time I went to coonabarabran in 2001... Literally the whole area in the Warrumbungles was so dark that at night time I couldn't see the ground under my feet... And that sky... WOW.