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A good fleecing

mapstar

By mapstar
in Observing - Reports

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mapstar

mapstar

Posted
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Hi all,

2017 brought in a new year and so eager to get going with the moon a waxing crescent at 17% and slated to set at 20:50hrs on the 2nd I planned a trip to my local dark site.

A quick word about the site itself before leaping into the viewing report.

The site is nearby to a reservoir and I have noticed over the last few time's visiting this that the skies have a milky hue to them? maybe something I've mentioned already somewhere else?. After discussing with my parents I was informed the local pipe works just over the hill had changed from sodium to LED lights so, with the moisture in the air, this might be the cause?

I was there and set up for 6pm so made a start under (dim) moon light.

I started off in Aries locating Hamal (Alpha Aries) quickly in the centre of the constellation and working from there. To the west was the first galaxy of the night NGC-776 a face on spiral, quite easy to make out and quite large moving North NGC-765 came into view again similar to the previous. Marked on my star chart was UGC-1551 NW of Hamal but try as I might I could not pull it out from the murk? I gave in planning to revisit it at a later date.

Onto Sheratan (Beta Aries) and a tricky one NGC-722 which took some seeing. A case of just settling Sheratan outside the field of view and there it was it took me a while but pleased to say it was there. Working my way South I found NGC-719 before finding the double star of Mesarthim.

A lovely pair of of galaxies in the same field of view (you've guessed it 13E at 168x) NGC-770+772 I studied for quite some time. SE of Mesarthim NGC-772 was about 10x the size of it's neighbour in the bottom of the view and I could see with an offset core. Later I found out this is also referred to as ARP-78. Continuing out along the same line NGC-794 hung in the eyepiece but was to me an elliptical and not much in the way of detail.

By this time (around 9pm) Ryan from our local society had arrived and we exchanged pleasantries and he set up his imaging rig as I moved onto my next targets. The moon had disappeared and so back to it.

NW of Sheratan is a superb galaxy cluster and this made for half an hours entertainment. NGC-691, 680, 678, 697/674 and 695. Lovely area and well worth teasing the detail out in these. NGC-697/674 is marked on my star chart as sharing the same space and it did look like one spiral much much larger than it's dwarf NGC-695 sibling. NGC 678 was a nice edge on.  In amongst these was STF-174 a double star which was blue and yel and must've been quite noteworthy as I don't normally jot down.

I took a break then as Adam also appeared (10pm) to do some widefield shot's and again then settled down heading south towards the top of Pisces. A small chain NGC-924, 932, 938 and out to one side NGC-935 and NGC-918 were quickly rattled off. I dotted about from this to pick out NGC-1030 and 1036.

Cloud's were by this time beginning to spoil things and I picked up another two Aries galaxies NGC-976 and 984 before calling it quits on the hunting for the night. Myself and Ryan then had a hop about looking at some of the usual suspects although NGC 2410 and 2415 I managed to pick out on my way to the globular cluster NGC-2419 (Intergalactic tramp/wanderer) which Ryan had never seen above Castor. It was there although at that it looked like an elliptical galaxy rather than a glob. Nearby NGC 2424 was a nice edge on galaxy and well worth finding out.

We finished the night with the Eskimo for Ryan and for a change in went the 8E for views at 274x. Blue and actually a nice stable image Ryan said he could make out the central core and lot's of detail in the surrounding structure. The clouds had by this time rolled in and I was home for just gone midnight.

I planned another session on Wednesday the 4th which was to the Yorkshire Dales near Tan Hill.

The weather men had given clear all night from 6pm and that was the time I arrived.

Wall to wall cloud was what I looked at with a few clear breaks developing I set up in anticipation of a long dark night ahead. I was joined by Mark from the local group but the clouds never really gave in with a break of about 5 minutes max. The trip wasn't a total waste of 200miles as the site looks to be a good one without a light in sight for miles and a small light dome under cloud from Kendal and Penrith. Also we gave a small bit of education to a local lad who was out trying to photograph the Aurora and complaining about the duff weather forecast (tell us about it :cussing:) He was impressed with a few moon view's and the Orion neb.

A fabulous shooting star through light cloud radiating from Gemini and falling through Orion was the only other notable thing at around 10pm. It was extremely bright and approx 3-4seconds

I shall be back up there though :grin:

Here's to the next clear skies

Damian

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astrotyke

astrotyke

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A super report Damian as always, did you know that the pipe works there actually show up on the light pollution maps, the amount of light that goes up into the sky is amazingly stupid!!!!

Shame the Dales didnt work out for you. Ive got a site in the dales that i keep meaning to go to with the scope, its south of Hawes on the other side of the valley to where you where and near to where my gran used to live, so ive been past it a few times, just never taken the scope!!!

Real shame about the weather though, i dont think ive seen it change that quickly before, or the weather forecasters get it so wrong as regards cloud cover. Most of the weather forecasts that i could see were still telling me that it was clear outside when i couldn't even see one star!!!  Ill have to show you the sire on a map, you might have even been there before to it.

Chris

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cotterless45

cotterless45

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Superb once again ! NGC 2419 is a favourite , we caught it at sgl one year with an 8" Newt. We had an extraordinaire morning here, galaxies popped out everywhere. Lots of non light activity in the early hours !

All the best for 2017, now where are the aperture fever pills ?

old Nick.

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mapstar

mapstar

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18 minutes ago, astrotyke said:

A super report Damian as always, did you know that the pipe works there actually show up on the light pollution maps, the amount of light that goes up into the sky is amazingly stupid!!!!

Shame the Dales didnt work out for you. Ive got a site in the dales that i keep meaning to go to with the scope, its south of Hawes on the other side of the valley to where you where and near to where my gran used to live, so ive been past it a few times, just never taken the scope!!!

Real shame about the weather though, i dont think ive seen it change that quickly before, or the weather forecasters get it so wrong as regards cloud cover. Most of the weather forecasts that i could see were still telling me that it was clear outside when i couldn't even see one star!!!  Ill have to show you the sire on a map, you might have even been there before to it.

Chris

I think I know the one you are talking about Chris as I discussed it with G. High up and looking south away from Hawes. I was going to go there last night but the other spot was easier to get to for both me and Mark.

I've seen the pollution maps but they are a little out of date now. The pipe works gives out more light than Meltham not too far away. A real shocker and one Richard Darn commented on during his talk.

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mapstar

mapstar

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14 minutes ago, cotterless45 said:

Superb once again ! NGC 2419 is a favourite , we caught it at sgl one year with an 8" Newt. We had an extraordinaire morning here, galaxies popped out everywhere. Lots of non light activity in the early hours !

All the best for 2017, now where are the aperture fever pills ?

old Nick.

Cheers Nick. I've seen the tramp a few time's. From light polluted skies its nigh on impossible to pull out 

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astrotyke

astrotyke

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41 minutes ago, mapstar said:

I think I know the one you are talking about Chris as I discussed it with G. High up and looking south away from Hawes. I was going to go there last night but the other spot was easier to get to for both me and Mark.

I've seen the pollution maps but they are a little out of date now. The pipe works gives out more light than Meltham not too far away. A real shocker and one Richard Darn commented on during his talk.

If it's the same site Damian, is on a bend and also has a nice large area in which to park up in away from the road as long as the gate isn't blocked

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estwing

estwing

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The rate your ticking off galaxies there won't be any left to look at!...we've lost count how many blanks we've had at Elan but if you don't go you'll never know!...keep 'em coming Damian never tire of reading your reports,clear skies!

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mapstar

mapstar

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38 minutes ago, estwing said:

The rate your ticking off galaxies there won't be any left to look at!...we've lost count how many blanks we've had at Elan but if you don't go you'll never know!...keep 'em coming Damian never tire of reading your reports,clear skies!

If only Calv :thumbsup:

Last night would've been cracking the site is very good by the looks of it and I'm itching to get back for a full night. 

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