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Racing the devils light bulb

mapstar

By mapstar
in Observing - Reports

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mapstar

mapstar

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With the Moon (a.k.a. the devils light bulb) slated to rise at half past midnight it was a case of getting out early and enjoying the inky black before it spoiled play.

I arrived at our usual dark site around half 5 with the last glimpses of the suns glows fast mingling into the glow of light pollution from Manchester. All set up for 6 the scope ready for my intended targets for the night (errr anything really). Whilst in the Isle of Skye we'd been pouring over the star charts and discovered that close to Alpheratz is NGC 1 and 2 so I made these a priority as Andromeda/Pegasus is well placed high in the southern skies.

NGC 1 was an easy spot, face on and next to the point of a small triangle of lower magnitude stars. NGC 2 took some teasing out just above in the same field of view but half the size. It was not marked on my star chart but I'd seen it in Estwings Uranometria.

With these two under the belt I drifted slightly east onto NGC16 another galaxy which was easily acquired.  Easier to see than it's two neighbours it was larger and an elliptical.Back to heading south. NGC23 and 26 together were a nice pairing on the Pegasus/Andromeda border. Lovely view and noted quickly before moving further south.

Staying inside Andromeda I picked up a cluster of galaxies Which included NGC 80, 83 and 93. Although I could see others in the field of view and this is rich with several other NGC's not listed on the star chart I have. I suspect I caught NGC85 and IC1546 but without going back I cannot confirm it.

Eric arrived and sneaked into the car park with a new car as if I'd not notice. We exchanged welcomes and I had a coffee whilst watching him setting up. Discussing the sky quality it wasn't anywhere as good as I've seen it up there in the past with a milky appearance which seems to have blighted the UK skies for the last couple of years? The milkyway was there but the minor magnitude stars that make it like a silver ribbon were missing?I strolled back to the scope to continue quickly picking up where I'd left off which I will be revisiting at a later date. The scope was taking on a frosty sheen by this time around 8pm.

Setting off again I travelled east in the skies and NGC160 and 169 popped into the field of the 13E without too much trouble. 160 was a rough face on with 169 being edge on and quite close to a star so making it more of a challenge to pull detail out.

Clouds then closed play for about half an hour and due to laptop problems Eric had decided to pack up. We grabbed a look on stellarium over a coffee to check the galaxies around the NGC80 point. There are loads here which I'd already seen. Eric remarked on Uranus popping into View just below in Pisces.

When the clouds cleared and with Eric now grabbing views on my scope we agreed to have a look at the planet. So between stellarium on his phone and my star chart I hopped down to NGC488 and 524 (nearest galaxies) to find it making a triple of stars. A pale blue on its outer right maybe  a moon or two.Eric had never really seen the Orion Neb though my scope and the trapezium delighted him with the E and F stars coming through. In the outer nebulosity several very low magnitude stars were easy to see. Clouds where again drifting in the HH neb just visible to me but no use for Eric's inexperienced eye.Commenting on how orange Betelgeuse looked I showed Eric R Leporis or hinds crimson star. Lovely and bright orange not as red as what I have seen it in the past though. We also caught the planetary IC418 or Spiro graph neb. Nice and tight it I could see the central star.

Around 10:30 I was again on my own and the car park was beginning to feel like a skating rink. The scope was thick with frost although with all my heaters running the optics were at least clear.

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Back to the serious stuff.

Lepus still and I quickly mopped up some galaxies around here NGC1888, 1832, 1993. I tried for several minutes for NGC1954 but just couldn't make it out? I decided to have ten minutes with a coffee and chocolate bar to rest the eye.

Gemini was well placed so I recalled the Skye discussion and headed for that. Eskimo neb quickly under the belt (NGC2392) on my way to the Medusa nebula. I tried the UHC first and nothing but the O111 just made it pop about the same size as the crab. Half the field of view and ghostly hung there.

A couple of open clusters NGC2395 and 2355 led me to the galaxy NGC 2350 on the border of Canis minor. Small and quite difficult to pick out.Back in Gemini and  more galaxies NGC2339, 2492, 2449 and the twin 2342 and 2341 made for enjoyable views.

Near Wasat NGC2365 was also bagged and just north what proved to be the most challenging galaxy view of the night NGC2357 which took me a good 10mins with averted vision although I had been struggling for the past half hour?

I checked the optics and found the primary was fogging!! The devils light bulb was on the rise and with a quick view of the Leo triplet I packed up arriving home for 1:30am happy to have finally got out for a session.

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Damian

 

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estwing

estwing

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not speaking to you again!...knew you'd bag NGC 1 and 2 before me:wink:....so the Medusa and the OIII is the way to go.That NGC 2357 is mag 13.3 ish, conditions?...tired eye?...or just a toughie?!! Great read mate and thanks for posting,clear skies...

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mapstar

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12 minutes ago, estwing said:

not speaking to you again!...knew you'd bag NGC 1 and 2 before me:wink:....so the Medusa and the OIII is the way to go.That NGC 2357 is mag 13.3 ish, conditions?...tired eye?...or just a toughie?!! Great read mate and thanks for posting,clear skies...

Think the fogging primary tbh Calv 

Yeah 1and 2 great finds Medusa a lot easier than I thought ig would be 

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barkis

barkis

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Fortitude and Stickability are prime requirements for extended observing sessions and you Big Dob. Guys 
have it in Spades. That Skye trip must have been an enjoyable experience, even if the skies didn't exactly cooperate
That's  one quality bit of session reporting Damian, and credit to you indeed. 
The big fellow must bring you huge satisfaction after the trials and tribulations of battling that huge disc.
Well cone matey, and I'm sure your delivery here will only inspire others.

:icon_salut::icon_salut:.

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scarp15

scarp15

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Very good account and trip out, the Medusa nebula is on my list, though with less aperture, hope to also make it just 'pop' with an OIII filter. Really hoping for some good opportunities during next week, need to get through storm Barbara which is on the move in the coming hours.

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mapstar

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3 minutes ago, cotterless45 said:

Superb report, just reaching for the aperture fever pills.

Like observing through a milk bottle tonight, going to have to go North for some clear skies,

old Nick.

Cheers Nick

Yes the Milky Skies are something that I have noticed over the last couple of years. It was commented on at the last Galloway star camp by quite a few.

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alan potts

alan potts

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What a superb report Damian, I always like to sit and read something like this first thing before I go out in the cold to do the school run. I have not been able to go out now for a few nights due to weather, it moves very slowly here so we tend to get clear nights in runs as we do cloud, tonight is forecast to be better but as they always seem to lie I will wait and see. I will try the NGC 1 and 2, after I have found out exactly where they are.

Alan

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mapstar

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4 hours ago, alan potts said:

What a superb report Damian, I always like to sit and read something like this first thing before I go out in the cold to do the school run. I have not been able to go out now for a few nights due to weather, it moves very slowly here so we tend to get clear nights in runs as we do cloud, tonight is forecast to be better but as they always seem to lie I will wait and see. I will try the NGC 1 and 2, after I have found out exactly where they are.

Alan

Here they are Alan, just below Alpheratz

20161223_093257.jpg

Shown as just NGC1 on it's own. Must pick out NGC27 the next time I'm out 

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