Lunar and Jovian Observing session 15/05/16

[johnfosteruk]

Who needs DSOs, I Just had a splendid 3 hours outside observing and (hopefully with some success) imaging Jupiter and the Moon.

I started with Jupiter, capturing (I hope) the best video yet, I'll see tomorrow when I process it for sure. Periods of steady seeing allowed me to observe the GRS, the NEB and SEB,  and faint wisps of detail above and below those belts, the best I've seen yet visually. On camera, the contrast and detail was good when seeing allowed and I think I'll end up with something pretty good - not to the standard of contributions I've seen here, but my best yet I hope.

Onto the Moon, the seeing was better than average, with periods where everything was quite crisp and steady on the moon's surface at 10mm with 2x Barlow, The terminator slicing directly through Copernicus was the stand out feature for me this evening. Just a glimmer of light shining off the top of the western wall, the slope away from the Copernicus on the light east side, draws the eye to Eratosthenes, appearing almost perfectly circular, it's steep slopes, central peak and a prominent nearby hefty looking wrinkle ridge. Then the eye is drawn along the impressive sweeping curve of the 600km long Montes Apennines range, the other end of which is the Apollo 15 landing site and the Hadley Rille. Plato, the Vallis Alpes, Montes Alpes and surrounding area where sharp too with a long shadow coming off Mons Pico. At the southern end Tycho and it's neighbours looking for all the world like Swiss cheese!

Again, plenty of video captured, then it was time to test the Bahtinov mask I made recently with Arcturus and it works a charm. It's very quick and dirty but works a treat and allowed me to achieve sharp focus. I went hopping to M3 while I was in the area, but although it had been astro dark for 30 mins, the moon and LP made that nigh on impossible, then the dreaded vertigo I've been suffering from lately decided to attack. 

That's cleared now though and the Moon is out of site below my local horizon so I'm off outside for a bash, I have a day off tomorrow and there's an hour of proper darkness (such as it is in the city) left. I might have a look for M53, and pootle around in Virgo. I don't hold out much hope apart from the faintest of fuzz with averted vision, if I'm very lucky but that's ok, we'll see what other interesting things I can spot along the way.

 

[ordeyo]

I had a similar successful session last night in inner city Melbourne. Io, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto were all putting on a show around Jupiter. The seeing was very good and I could clearly make out the red bands of the gas giant (which I thought was quite good coming from my Skywatcher Heritage 130P + 6.3mm plossl). Unfortunately I don't have any photography equipment as yet but I was still able to get a few sneaky (and shaky) pics through the lens with my iPhone 6.

 

Very interested to see your results when you've processed the footage

[alan potts]

Night report, there is no doubt that the Moon puts pay to anything that is really faint in the way of DSO's I tend to like to use these nights for doubles which are pretty much unaffected unless it it a really faint one of course. No chance of anything here 15 days of rain and thunderstorms and tomorrow don't look much better, my Dobsonian is learning to swim right now.

Alan.

[johnfosteruk]

Thanks chaps. Alan you best call Noah mate? As it goes that's what I did on my 2nd outing. Not a massive haul thanks to  the vertigo but I got 23, 24 and 35 Com. 24 which is yellow/orange and blue was easy to split in my small OTA at 20" separation  

Ordeyo you should know I'm only using a poor quality webcam so don't expect too much. My bar isn't high!!!

[alan potts]

My post should read Nice report, sorry for that, it was about 6.30 this morning that I typed it. BTW it's raining again.

Alan

[surfindogg]

Great report. I have had some really good views of Jupiter this past couple of weeks too.

[laudropb]

Very nice report. I too have spent the last couple of nights viewing the Moon and Jupiter. Always great favourites of mine.