Racing the devils light bulb

[alan potts]

7 minutes ago, mapstar said:

Here they are Alan, just below Alpheratz

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

Thanks for that Damian, I have looked it up in my Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas which actually shows it as 1 and 2 on top of each other so to speak. This is a superb Atlas and from the 6 I have as books and 9 on the computer this is by far the best. Dare I suggest you have a look at one with a mind to buying one, I am sure you will find it more than useful. It has a colour coded system showing what can be seen in steps with 4, 8, and 12 inch scopes, though they don't go to 22 inch telescopes but it does give some targets beyond the reach of a 12 inch. I have to say what it shows as visible in a 12 inch may well be form the Namibian desert as some I have failed to see with the 18 inch.

Still 2 days to go and it would be a great Christmas gift.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you Damian and the inner magic circle of the Dob Mod AKA, Calvin, Mike and Steve.

Alan

[mapstar]

13 hours ago, alan potts said:

Thanks for that Damian, I have looked it up in my Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas which actually shows it as 1 and 2 on top of each other so to speak. This is a superb Atlas and from the 6 I have as books and 9 on the computer this is by far the best. Dare I suggest you have a look at one with a mind to buying one, I am sure you will find it more than useful. It has a colour coded system showing what can be seen in steps with 4, 8, and 12 inch scopes, though they don't go to 22 inch telescopes but it does give some targets beyond the reach of a 12 inch. I have to say what it shows as visible in a 12 inch may well be form the Namibian desert as some I have failed to see with the 18 inch.

Still 2 days to go and it would be a great Christmas gift.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you Damian and the inner magic circle of the Dob Mod AKA, Calvin, Mike and Steve.

Alan

My atlas has some glaring omissions like that one but I guess they were only going down to a certain magnitide being a field guide. Its seen many dew filled nights and is still showing me plenty of sights.

I'll check out the atlas you've mentioned Alan and wonder if it is of similar ilk to Uranometria, which I had a brief glance at when Calvin brought his to Skye. It goes deep into the PGC's and I was impressed although no good for field use.

Ultimately Sky Safari on a tablet would be best although I just hate electronic gadgets when out observing and I doubt the battery life would cope with 10hour sessions and minus temps.

See what the future holds.

 

 

[Soupy]

You'll have to build in a USB charging point into your power pack Damian... I feel another DIY post in the offing!

[YKSE]

A great read Damian

I got Ngc 1 with C8 last winter after Mark's heads up, Ngc 2 was under threshold for C8, or my eye wasn't good enough.

[mapstar]

2 minutes ago, Soupy said:

You'll have to build in a USB charging point into your power pack Damian... I feel another DIY post in the offing!

Yeah could be just the thing to power a heater for the star chart 

[alan potts]

3 hours ago, mapstar said:

My atlas has some glaring omissions like that one but I guess they were only going down to a certain magnitide being a field guide. Its seen many dew filled nights and is still showing me plenty of sights.

I'll check out the atlas you've mentioned Alan and wonder if it is of similar ilk to Uranometria, which I had a brief glance at when Calvin brought his to Skye. It goes deep into the PGC's and I was impressed although no good for field use.

Ultimately Sky Safari on a tablet would be best although I just hate electronic gadgets when out observing amd I doubt the battery life would cope with 10hour sessions and monus temps.

See what the future holds.

 

 

Damian,

I feel this atlas is squarely aimed at people like yourself with DSO as it's main focus. If you search Astro lounge Stu posted a number of pictures from his which made me want one, it goes back over a year ago though so it's buried deep but there.

I have all the main ones by one means or another living out here and whilst there may well be deeper atlases I gererally feel this has been put together with us lot in mind, a good few on site have bought it since it came out.

Alan

[mapstar]

6 minutes ago, alan potts said:

Damian,

I feel this atlas is squarely aimed at people like yourself with DSO as it's main focus. If you search Astro lounge Stu posted a number of pictures from his which made me want one, it goes back over a year ago though so it's buried deep but there.

I have all the main ones by one means or another living out here and whilst there may well be deeper atlases I gererally feel this has been put together with us lot in mind, a good few on site have bought it since it came out.

Alan

I have read about the atlas before and I was put off by the pages of the field atlas not being up to the job? 

Did the op ever get it replaced or sorted? My atlas has been soaking wet with dew and then closed. The pages are still like new.

[estwing]

yes my urano sucks outdoors but inside its fantastic for planning the night ahead...then put marks or notes on your cheap sky&telescope!.....oh and a very merry Christmas to you and all your loved ones Alan, Calvin.

[alan potts]

Damian,

Yes I recall the issues with the field atlas and I don't know what happened, I bought the desk copy. I don't much like taking things out side even though I have a red light system in the obsey. The other annoying thing is even though I still have dam good eyes beyond about 2 feet I need glasses for reading and I still don't like wearing them, also this book's print is small, being senile I also don't remember where I put them half the time.

I can see the advantage of having an atlas outside. I got into the group of galaxies with NGC 80, 83 and IC 1543, now I could make out some others but without a reference book I don't really know which. The same was true of the small area around NGC 76. I found NGC 1 and 16 but was not totoally sure of seeing NGC 2, I was still rather pleased with what I saw though before it was getting too cold for me, the temperature dropped like a stone last night. I was staggered by how many galaxies there are in this area and not far away with NGC 507 though some of these are very faint and may well need your scope to pull them out.

Alan.

[mapstar]

6 minutes ago, alan potts said:

I can see the advantage of having an atlas outside. I got into the group of galaxies with NGC 80, 83 and IC 1543, now I could make out some others but without a reference book I don't really know which. The same was true of the small area around NGC 76. I found NGC 1 and 16 but was not totoally sure of seeing NGC 2, I was still rather pleased with what I saw though before it was getting too cold for me, the temperature dropped like a stone last night. I was staggered by how many galaxies there are in this area and not far away with NGC 507 though some of these are very faint and may well need your scope to pull them out.

Alan.

Hi Alan

Sounds like you observed quite a bit last night and took in some of the superb galaxy clusters around the Andromeda/pisces area. Some very faint stuff in there and NGC2 does take some pulling out. The NGC80/83 group I will revisit.

I'd have to check my notes but I think the 507 area I've skirted around before but never delved deep into it. I remember going the other way into the NGC403/380 cluster which is well stacked with a nice chain running through it.

I'm hopeful of getting out Tuesday but the weather is that changable over here that I can't say it's a definite. If I do it will be a full 12hour session. That'll be a good cuppa read as I'll try for the century again  

Damian

[alan potts]

Good luck with the weather! We are set for a mild Christmas, it's sort of changing as I type forcast is for 15 degrees but clear nights. I may try again tonight on NGC 2 now I know where it is, though with all this faint stuff I can't sometimes help but wish my Dob was driven on a goto system but I guess talk like that will ban me from Dob Mob memebership.

Alan.

[estwing]

No I won't Alan,push to/go to/driven dobs are still Dobs!!!...it's the hunt for me, failures just add to the thirst for the next hunt and becomes sheer determination....i kinda get a kick from this as a lot of "chart only" guys may agree with me ....each to there own 

[Pig]

Nice one Damien..... I have not had much luck with the weather playing ball at a reasonable time  but now I have a few days off work I might be able to get a trip over to the dark site regardless of the time