Dabbling with doubles 27/04/16

[johnfosteruk]

A clear night list night, metcheck predicting good seeing and transparency so I setup in the back garden. I wasn't expecting much due to city LP but I do have a tall wall between me and the main light side and after some rearranging I setup closer to that than I had previously.

I was pleasantly surprised. I recently flocked and while I was poorly and not able to get out I'd collimated the scope for the first time since getting it at Christmas. I didn't check the collimation before dismantling for flocking so I couldn't say if it was off before, but I think it must have been, what a difference. 

With no moon to ruin things until after midnight I wanted to go star hopping around some doubles and then go deeper. So it was off to Bootes, which has plenty to offer. Having not yet acquired anything special in the EP department I was delighted to find I could split some doubles, discern some small amount of colour at the 36x and 90x offered by the stock Skywatcher EPs and Barlow.

First was δ Boo at the herdsman's shoulder,  split clearly at 90x, good contrast and clearly saw the blue colour of the secondary.

On to μ Boo, Alkalurops. No real discernible colour difference for me but easily split.

ι Boo, Iota Bootis just about split at 36x but fine focus is difficult to achieve sometimes with the EQ2 mount thanks to all the wobble. At 72x with the barlow they're split nicely and focus is a little easier. Blue secondary clearly discernible.

I spent 20 minutes with ε Boo, Izar at all magnifications and I couldn't split it solidly. Probably need to head to darker skies. the secondary popped out once or twice I think, in amongst all the wobble!

After a good hour with the doubles I decided to try and get my first view of a GC, M13 is easy to find (I hoped) and wasn't too far away from where I was pointed so I pointed at Zeta using the RDF and then still looking through the RDF (which I'd recently taken time to align as accurately as I could) eyeballed it towards Eta to where M13 should be. After uncrumpling my back (I need a RACI I think) I popped the 25mm into the eyepiece and there was M13 towards the right hand side of the view. Totally impressed with my skills luck. 

Anyway, what a sight it is to see for the first time. At 36x with the 25mm it was a grey blur, but took on a grainy texture with averted vision. At 90x with the 10mm and a bit of time it's something else. I was very pleased and spent a good 30 minutes observing and sketching.

Averted vision really is your friend with this object, the glowing centre with just a hint of structure, what appeared to be broken rings of stars around the core and glimpses of 'rays' reaching out from the centre. It clearly outshines the stars in the surrounding field and when you really give it the time screams out that there's more delights to be seen under darker skies. All in all I'm absolutely delighted with my second Messier/DSO.

To finish I spent 10 minutes with my mate Jove, the 4 Galilean moons twinkling away nicely and the NEB/SEB resolving nicely (having a reference to observations pre flocking I'm certain of a detectable difference), no GRS obviously but definitely hints of structure on the disc. I really do love Jupiter, it's the first object I observed beyond our marvellous moon and I just love how that twinkling orange star becomes something so much more under magnification like a gateway to the universe. I could have sat there until the wee small hours drinking in the view....  But I was now feeling the cold  so it was off to bed.

Obviously I'm still very new to this hobby and although thanks to the extensive literature, the internet, this place etc you can learn a lot, quickly, it's so rewarding to actually execute what you've learnt. My key takeouts from last night are:

• What a difference a well collimated scope makes
• Flocking is worthwhile
• Align your finder as accurately as you can, then even more accurately than that (and get a RACI, my back is going to snap otherwise)
• Sketching is great, it doesn't just give you a record, but it forces you to look away from the eyepiece, relax your eyes extending your observation time, and it really does help you pick out the details.
• M13, Wow
• Even under LP there's lots to see.
• Need more nights like last night. Think I might invest in Chinese cloud busting rockets.
• Doubles are fascinating, I will be doing more of that
• Did I mention M13.
• I need to use the tools plan ahead for seeing the GRS/shadow transits etc.
• I'm glad there's nights when there's no moon.
• I need to stay out later, go out earlier to catch Mars & Saturn
• I really do need to save for a better mount.

There's more but I'm getting boring now I'm sure.

 

Thanks for reading

Clear Skies

[Starwiz]

Nice one!  Sounds like you have an enjoyable night. 

John

[laudropb]

Lovely report. One word of warning. Observing doubles can become addictive. The main thing that shone through from your report is that you really enjoyed yourself and that's what it's all about.

[johnfosteruk]

Yeah because nothing else in this hobby is addictive - better watch out for that eh? 

[rockystar]

nice report and i can vouch for the RACI

[Size9Hex]

Nice one John. That sounds a lovely session, and was a great read too.

I've not as much experience with doubles as others on the forum, but I've found collimation is critical (which it sounds like you've got under control) and the seeing conditions too. Sometimes the atmosphere cooperates, and other times it's just so turbulent, so don't give up on Izar. It might fall in place on another night. I often hit the tricky ones with as much magnification as I've got!

[johnfosteruk]

Cheers Paul. I won't be giving up mate, I reckon when I get under a dark sky with good conditions she'll submit to me.

[cotterless45]

Lovely report, wait a bit until you are absorbed by M11 !

Nick.

[johnfosteruk]

That will be my next night out I reckon, I'm going to see how many GCs and OCs I can get into one session. Won't be tonight though, not a patch of clear sky.

[t0nedude]

Really nice report, congrats, it's great when a night like that comes together, makes up for all the bad weather.

Couple of pointers from when I used to observe planets and double stars years ago. Jupiter is a bright orange star? You sure you weren't confusing that with Mars? IIRC Jupiter always looked bright white to me.  Also double star splitting is not affected by light pollution, the effect of magnification naturally darkens the sky.  The seeing conditions will determine your success on a marginal double, keep trying! 

Tony.

[johnfosteruk]

Maybe it's a bias/preconception and it looks like that to me because that's what I think/expect it to look like but yes, naked eye, I see what looks like an Orange star, and it definitely was Jupiter I was looking at, it had bands and moons and everything

Makes sense about splitting doubles though, thanks for setting me right.

 

Clear Skies

[t0nedude]

1 hour ago, johnfosteruk said:

Maybe it's a bias/preconception and it looks like that to me because that's what I think/expect it to look like but yes, naked eye, I see what looks like an Orange star, and it definitely was Jupiter I was looking at, it had bands and moons and everything

Makes sense about splitting doubles though, thanks for setting me right.

 

Clear Skies

You see? That's what the passage of time and too many liquid lunches has done.  My mind's eye has always recalled Jupiter as being more white than any other colour, so you're probably right. It's been too long...

[alan potts]

Very nice report, I do enjoy a bit of doubles. The good thing is you can also look for them whilst the Moon is large as long as the secondary star is not really faint.

Alan

[johnfosteruk]

On 29/04/2016 at 02:55, t0nedude said:

You see? That's what the passage of time and too many liquid lunches has done.  My mind's eye has always recalled Jupiter as being more white than any other colour, so you're probably right. It's been too long...

Mate my mind's eye is gin addled too so we could both be wrong and it'll be green. We should ask someone who doesn't have a drink problem