Night of highs and lows

[wookie1965]

Set up just after twelve both dew bands on. First port of call Gemini M35 beautiful cluster of blue stars down a bit and NGC 2158 much more compact with red and yellow stars. Moved to Orion few things not seen here obviously viewed M42 15mm with UHC filter stunning could only see 4 stars in the trapezium.   NGC 1662 sparse open cluster dominated couple yellow stars with white stars branching off. NGC 1981 20/30 stars here in two arcs of blue stars some nebulosity managed split struve 750   with a 5mm thought this was going to be good night for doubles. SAO 1322.20 (Mintaka) no matter what eyepiece had in could not tease out anything other than two stars silver white with blue companion. SAO 1324.06 lovely triple yellow with white and blue companions. SAO 1125.28 if this is a double i could not split it could only see red/orange star. SAO 1319.07 (Rigel) lovely bright white and blue double. SAO 1129.21 small yellow companion in this double. M34 cracking cluster with lots of blue stars with a sprinkling of orange stars the brighter orange bigger orange stars on the outskirts. NGC 457 cannot get enough of this visit this every time just to see if can squeeze out any more stars. Now the lows M94 whether due to dew or scope not quite in right place could not see anything and as it was 3.30am Leo was up tried for the Leo trio again first time with goto M66 and M65 being the brightest went for them nothing not a hint no smudge anything so ended the night on a low.

[Paz]

Nice report - it's good to have a mix of dso's and doubles on the observing list. Those galaxies are a tough ask at the best of times and more so if they're a bit low.

[alan potts]

Very nice report and well done on some of those galaxies with the moon so bright.

Alan

[estwing]

I really struggled bagging the main triplet in Leo for ages from home. Well done for grabbing what you did as it looks as if the weathers turning rubbish again 

[cloudsweeper]

Good report of a lot of pleasing observing.  The ones you can't spot are all part of the overall experience, I feel - I've not been able to see M33, M51, or M101, although I recently managed M1 (Crab Nebula) with its very slightly lower Surface Brightness figure.  I'm gonna have to drive out to a more rural location!

Doug.

[wookie1965]

5 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

Good report of a lot of pleasing observing.  The ones you can't spot are all part of the overall experience, I feel - I've not been able to see M33, M51, or M101, although I recently managed M1 (Crab Nebula) with its very slightly lower Surface Brightness figure.  I'm gonna have to drive out to a more rural location!

Doug.

I have not seen M51, M101, M1 or M33 I'm with you need a more rural setting darker skies. 

Paul 

[cloudsweeper]

Reassuring to hear you've had no better luck with those particular galaxies.  But we'll get there!  And do have another go at The Crab - just a small, faint, fuzzy patch, but hey - it's a supernova remnant!

Doug.

[cotterless45]

Bravo for getting out there ! The fainter targets just amaze at dark locations, even with small aperture the contrast is there . It's typical that the forecast tonight is clear with a huge supermoon on the way,

old Nick.

[Mark62]

Wow what a read. It's taken me 2 hours to read and what a read it is. Glad you all got some clear sky's and saw so much. 

I'm going to note a few things down and try to find some of them my self if I get away in February some were dark. 

[mapstar]

Nice report write up Paul.

Finding the faint stuff is a challege from suburbian locations with the amount of light pollution about.

Its also as much about transparency as the moisture in the atmosphere scatters the light from the galaxy and light pollution blotting out faint stuff even for larger apertures. 

Take a drive out on a moonless night and get setup early. You can be viewing by 6pm at this time of year and picking up the faint fuzzies.

M51 is a bit low at present and M33 and 101 are better in binos as they are face on, huge and so low in surface brightness

A better target may be galaxies at the top right of Pegasus above Scheat in particular NGC7331 which is nice and bright and high up. It should be doable 

Happy hunting 

[wookie1965]

1 hour ago, mapstar said:

Nice report write up Paul.

Finding the faint stuff is a challege from suburbian locations with the amount of light pollution about.

Its also as much about transparency as the moisture in the atmosphere scatters the light from the galaxy and light pollution blotting out faint stuff even for larger apertures. 

Take a drive out on a moonless night and get setup early. You can be viewing by 6pm at this time of year and picking up the faint fuzzies.

M51 is a bit low at present and M33 and 101 are better in binos as they are face on, huge and so low in surface brightness

A better target may be galaxies at the top right of Pegasus above Scheat in particular NGC7331 which is nice and bright and high up. It should be doable 

Happy hunting 

I'm lucky at the momens the street lighting behind me has been turned off by some miraculous miracle say no more. the transparency was brilliant just struggled with dew, two dew bands but they don't get that warm my note book was ringing wet. Got some lovely sights I've missed a few off as could not read notes after they got wet. Cheers Damian.

[alan potts]

I got onto M51 last week which is even lower for me here being about 11 degrees further south of anywhere in the UK. I was able to see it in the 60mm finder, just, but even in the bigger scope it was nothing to write home about and easy to over look dare I say. This is one for after Christmas when it is on the rising side as at the moment the Great Bear is about as low as it gets from here. You can beat a dark site though, looking north there is nothing until Romania and even then that part is rural.

Alan