Planning Late Summer/Autumn Observing

[kerrylewis]

Not felt too well for the last week  - so to keep me occupied I am planning for the nights ahead. My favourite planets will be a bit scarce in the near future so it's DSO and doubles time.

I have far too many star atlases and reference books, so it's time to put them to good use. I have listed the main constellations that will be visible, and am taking each one in turn with copies of the relevant star atlas pages, lists of Messiers, doubles and Herschel objects. I'm putting them in a file by constellation and plan to study each one in turn starting with binoculars and then homing in with the scopes: SCT or refractors firstly, and then the 350 Dob for the fainter objects and for a grandstand view on the good nights.

Well, thats the plan..... 

[scarp15]

The planning looks good, so hope you make a quick recovery and get to indulge in some clear sky observing soon. Planning and reading reports, such as those provided by Gerry (Jetstream), has been a primary preoccupation for the past two months, therefore for myself, I wish to focus attention on nebula hunting within Cygnus, Cepheus and Cassiopeia. 

[kerrylewis]

Hello Iain

Perhaps this thread can be used to summarise people's plans for the coming months? What are your plans for the coming darker (and hopefully clear) nights? 

[scarp15]

Hi Kerry, much of my referencing is now taking regard to interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas, which is also a good indicator for applicable aperture. My plans are most certainly to drive to a dark sky location with my 14" scope and potentially on occasion with my 8" scope. I also plan on taking my 76mm refractor to a trip to Mull. I hope to be able to get to Kielder Starcamp in October. I would also like to go backpacking, wild camping in the Cheviots with my binoculars / monopod. So all my plans centre upon getting to dark sky locations with all of my equipment to be used in different circumstances. 

Edit: To 'plan your work and work your plan' is a motivator, yet planning for the weather and for when opportunities are available may keep some intentions as aspirations. 

[iPeace]

On 08/02/2016 at 19:48, kerrylewis said:

Not felt too well for the last week  - so to keep me occupied I am planning for the nights ahead. My favourite planets will be a bit scarce in the near future so it's DSO and doubles time.

I have far too many star atlases and reference books, so it's time to put them to good use. I have listed the main constellations that will be visible, and am taking each one in turn with copies of the relevant star atlas pages, lists of Messiers, doubles and Herschel objects. I'm putting them in a file by constellation and plan to study each one in turn starting with binoculars and then homing in with the scopes: SCT or refractors firstly, and then the 350 Dob for the fainter objects and for a grandstand view on the good nights.

Well, thats the plan..... 

I'm grateful for every minute of planning and study I've ever done in preparation for observing. Knowing what will be up and what is of interest really makes a difference when making the most of gaps between the clouds when they finally occur and for as long as they last.

Get well soon, Kerry.

[DHEB]

3 hours ago, iPeace said:

I'm grateful for every minute of planning and study I've ever done in preparation for observing. Knowing what will be up and what is of interest really makes a difference when making the most of gaps between the clouds when they finally occur and for as long as they last.

Exactly! Well put. I think it was @cotterless45who wrote in another thread ""fail to plan, plan to fail". True words that one should never forget.

[Size9Hex]

Hope you're feeling better soon Kerry and good luck with plans for the coming months. I'll miss your excellent reports of the planets now they're on the way into the sunset.

For Summer/Autumn, I'm looking forwards to the constellations slowing down again! They seem to whizz past way too fast in the Spring when the sun starts setting later too...

Hoping to finish the Messier objects in the next couple of months, although I'll no doubt keep returning to them, and also the Astro League double stars. Looking forwards to plenty of summer Milky Way action, and loads of faint nebulae too!

My planning is based on having loaded Sky Safari with all sorts of observing lists and then I can always find something to look at depending on conditions and what kit I find myself using. I'll see whether I can figure out a way of sharing them on the forum!

[Davesellars]

Always have a plan for the night...  Tonight's plan (should the clouds depart in a timely fashion like it says on the forecast...) is hitting the globular clusters and some various other Herschel 400 objects in Ophiuchus and Sagittarius.   Only a few nights have I gone out without some idea of what I'm going to be aiming for and I've just used as a relaxing session mainly re-visiting the great objects and taking my time.

Further on and slightly longer term I'm currently compiling a list of nebulae of all types but mostly emission and reflection that should be all theoretically visible with 5" for study and possibly sketching.

During all that at the moment just selecting the optimal constellations to observe the Herschel 400 list objects so that keeps in me in some kind of direction without having to compile a list as such.