Finally it was clear.

[Sam]

I gave the 16" Lightbridge a thorough observing session last night - when it finally got dark at about 11:30pm. It's been a while since the last session so the sky had changed a fair bit with Cygnus, Hercules, Bootes, Ophiuchus and Lyra dominating the East and South East and revealing a number of sights I haven't yet observed.

I started observing while it was still quite bright and not properly dark - but it was after my bedtime so I didn't want to wait around too long. The first was a lovely star cluster I spotted while looking for M12 called IC4665, it's a big and bright open cluster that fills the 25mm eyepiece and some - it's just to the left of Cebalrai in Ophiuchus - I spent ages looking at that cluster and I would rate it up there with M45, M44 and Melotte 11 as a fine open cluster.

Rotating the dob in azimuth to the right towards the middle of Ophiuchus put M12 in the FOV, which is a nice bright Globular cluster - it has quite a bright core, though didn't seem to be very solid like some of the other globs, it also had a bunch of other stars in loose formation. M10 was not too far away from M12, it was a much tighter glob but still with a bunch of stragglers hanging around

M14 was next, it was closer to the horizon and through lots of atmosphere so it didn't show up very well at all - not individual stars visible - probably a bit of a tall order to expect too much when it was still not properly dark and so close to the horizon.

Then it was off to Sagitta to find M71 - this one was a very loose glob but very bright and easy to see - mind you, it was much darker by that point so things were getting easier to see. There is one problem with the 16", it sees too many stars so it's really hard to pick out the clusters in the milky way - it is quite nice to be able to complain about that!

Just above M71 and to the left a bit is the Dumbbell nebula, M27, Wow! that is a bright nebula and huge as well - I haven't seen this before and was pleasantly surprised by how big and bright - I could make out some of the stars shinning through the neb and it's distinctive shape was very well defined, I viewed it through both the 25mm and the 10mm - what a great object!

I then checked out ring nebula again - quite easy to find in the 16" as it is so bright - I cranked up the magnification with the 10mm and barlow and could just make out the central star with averted vision - quite tricky keeping the object centred at that magnification. Next was a little open cluster, NGC6811, it was quite hard to see because of the milky way shining through and flooding the FOV with stars!

I had tried looking for the Blinking Nebula, NGC 6826, in September last year without much success but this time with twice the aperture it was easy. It looks like a fuzzy star with a slightly greeny/blue tinge and under the 10mm with 2 X barlow it looks like a fuzzy ball with a bright centre - it's very small though.

M29 was the last object for the night and was quite easy to find being a bright open cluster though with all of the other background stars visible it was quite hard to pick out the cluster as the whole FOV just looked like one big massive cluster - but it was clear as M29 was a bit more clumpier than the rest of the background.

It was great to be out again after such a long cloudy spell!

Sam

[jgs001]

Nice report Sam, sounds like you had a great time. I tried to find some of those objects last night, but my view to the South and South East if blocked by houses.

[Talitha]

There is one problem with the 16", it sees too many stars so it's really hard to pick out the clusters in the milky way..

Yeah, we really feel sorry for you Sam. :laughing5:

What a fantastic night you had! :cheers:

Thanks for the heads-up on IC4665.. I love the huge open clusters.

[algol]

nice report sam.

sounds like a cracking night

[Andrew*]

You lucky thing, getting dark skies. I was also out last night and it was pants. 1am and it was still twilights.

Still, lovely report. I get aperture fever just reading it!

Andrew

[dogfish]

Hi Sam

Very nice report. I was looking at many of those targets a couple of weeks ago. Nice time of the year, objectwise, just wish it would be properly dark.

Cheers, Martin

[Plastic chicken]

Had a ggod night then Sam? :hello1: I had mine out last night, globs mostly actually picked up M4 from here first time ever!!! Still dim though must be the low altitude, never mangaged it with the 12"!!! The views through this scope are simlpy staggering, glad i kept mine now oh and my starhopping seems to be improving although M10 and M12 eluded me....

PC

[Sam]

Thanks for the comments! It certainly was a good night for getting out there.

[Roy]

Glad to hear you had a nice night Sam.

I was out last night with my dob also, first time in ages although I was concentrating more on making sure every thing was working OK for when the darker nights arrive.

Alan get yourelf an Argo Navis system, if your pants at finding your way around the night sky like I am then it's a god send.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Thanks Sam for an enjoyable observing write up.

Two months ago I purchased a 4" APO refractor and the last few nights have been a delight. In particular I agree with you on IC4665 a wonderful cluster in Ophiuchus. I decided to find it because it is no. 83 in Steve O'Meare's hidden treasurers. The view with Hyperion eyepieces was wonderful. I also picked up M4 and M19 although both were very low. Finally, I had a go at Draco and easily found Caldwell 6 (NGC 6543 - Cat's Eye Nebula) but nearby NGC 6503 (hidden treasurer 85) was at the limit of the 4" I needed your 16".

Mark

[Beyond_Vision]

A great night of firsts by the look of it Sam. I will have to have a look at some of these targets.

Regards

Kevin

[Sam]

Thanks Sam for an enjoyable observing write up.

Two months ago I purchased a 4" APO refractor and the last few nights have been a delight. In particular I agree with you on IC4665 a wonderful cluster in Ophiuchus. I decided to find it because it is no. 83 in Steve O'Meare's hidden treasurers. The view with Hyperion eyepieces was wonderful. I also picked up M4 and M19 although both were very low. Finally, I had a go at Draco and easily found Caldwell 6 (NGC 6543 - Cat's Eye Nebula) but nearby NGC 6503 (hidden treasurer 85) was at the limit of the 4" I needed your 16".

Mark

Thanks Mark - I'm going to have a look for No. 85 and Cat's Eye Nebula next time.

[Vega]

Nice report Sam, Cygnus and friends is my fav part of the sky. Will add IC4665 to my hit list too.

Matt