Venus- got it!

[Swoop1]

After last nights attempt, I saw that skies were clear, moon was high and Venus was bright again on my ride home so, on arrival, tripod out, telescope mounted and cooling.

I sorted myself out and out I went. Heeding wise words on the thread re last nights not so successful observations, I lined up on the moon and dialled in the finder scope to the eyepieces, working through 25mm to 10mm then mounting the Barlow to refine the alignment. Having got it as tight as I could I adjusted direction for Venus and bingo! A nice truncated disc using the Barlow. Limited time tonight didn't allow me to spend time letting my eye settle but I had 5 minutes enjoyment of the disc before realigning the rig to Luna. 

Once again, the moon was stunning. Good definition and the shadows and demarcation along the terminator were beautiful.

Question- using a 150P 775mm with a 10mm/ X2 Barlow combination, are there mountain discernible on the edge of the disc. Location would have been at about 10 o'clock as viewed- not the terminator but the actual visible disc edge?

[johnfosteruk]

Great report Swoop.

There's no mountain (I mean there might be but not that we can see) what we're seeing is the thick soupy 'orrible atmosphere. I would guess it's either cloud features, or perhaps some false colour as I understand the colour variation of the cloud features is only ever visible with violet filters and the like. How well collimated is your scope and what kind of quality is your barlow?

[Stu]

Sounds like a good session swoop

This should be correct orientation for a Newt (I hope! I'm a frac man really  ), do you mean 10 o'clock on this orientation?

[laudropb]

Well done. Glad you were successful.

[Swoop1]

Stu, If the terminator is to the right side of the image then yes, 10 o'clock (ish).

[Swoop1]

11 minutes ago, johnfosteruk said:

Great report Swoop.

There's no mountain (I mean there might be but not that we can see) what we're seeing is the thick soupy 'orrible atmosphere. I would guess it's either cloud features, or perhaps some false colour as I understand the colour variation of the cloud features is only ever visible with violet filters and the like. How well collimated is your scope and what kind of quality is your barlow?

John,

I wondered about atmospheric distortion but, I held my view of the 'lump' I was looking at for a little while and there was no movement or wavering.

Mind you, I suppose a mountain would have to be a bit on the large size to be visible from here

I haven't yet collimated my scope. The optics are as supplied with it (Skywatcher explorer 150P).

[johnfosteruk]

1 minute ago, Swoop1 said:

John,

I wondered about atmospheric distortion but, I held my view of the 'lump' I was looking at for a little while and there was no movement or wavering.

Mind you, I suppose a mountain would have to be a bit on the large size to be visible from here

I haven't yet collimated my scope. The optics are as supplied with it (Skywatcher explorer 150P).

You've got me stumped then matey and I'll hand over to those more knowledgeable than I

 

[Stu]

12 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

Stu, If the terminator is to the right side of the image then yes, 10 o'clock (ish).

Terminator is on the left in this one. Newtonian view should be flipped both vertically and horizontally or as if you have turned the moon through 180 degrees so the top is at the bottom and left on the right.

[Swoop1]

In that case then, about home time- sorry, 4 o'clock.

[mikeDnight]

58 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

After last nights attempt, I saw that skies were clear, moon was high and Venus was bright again on my ride home so, on arrival, tripod out, telescope mounted and cooling.

I sorted myself out and out I went. Heeding wise words on the thread re last nights not so successful observations, I lined up on the moon and dialled in the finder scope to the eyepieces, working through 25mm to 10mm then mounting the Barlow to refine the alignment. Having got it as tight as I could I adjusted direction for Venus and bingo! A nice truncated disc using the Barlow. Limited time tonight didn't allow me to spend time letting my eye settle but I had 5 minutes enjoyment of the disc before realigning the rig to Luna. 

Once again, the moon was stunning. Good definition and the shadows and demarcation along the terminator were beautiful.

Question- using a 150P 775mm with a 10mm/ X2 Barlow combination, are there mountain discernible on the edge of the disc. Location would have been at about 10 o'clock as viewed- not the terminator but the actual visible disc edge?

Swoop, it sounds like youre asking if mountains are visible on the limb of the moon? If so, then the answer is yes! 

Mike

[Swoop1]

Wahey! The lump I saw might have been a mountain then. I know I'm new to this game but this is the sort of thing that made me want to do it. Planetary discs, extraterrestrial geographical features. Brilliant

[johnfosteruk]

5 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Swoop, it sounds like youre asking if mountains are visible on the limb of the moon? If so, then the answer is yes! 

Mike

I thought he meant Venus. Dumbo

 

[mikeDnight]

20 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

Wahey! The lump I saw might have been a mountain then. I know I'm new to this game but this is the sort of thing that made me want to do it. Planetary discs, extraterrestrial geographical features. Brilliant

The best is yet to come, with the spring moon high in the sky over the next few months and with better seeing, you'll have an exciting time! Jupiter too will amaze you as it becomes an evening object! 

Mike

[billyharris72]

There are absolutely tons of mountains, craters and other details to be seen on the Moon. It's not at its best when full (the angle of the Sun's light tends to wash out all the contrast). Get it as a crescent or half and you are in for a treat. I'd highky recommend Sky and Telescope's laminated Moon map (Philips also do one, and there's one in the front of the Cambridge Star Atlas), which has made my Lunar observing much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Billy.

[Astro Imp]

The moon is a great object for observing made even better when you know what you are seeing, a great free resource is the Virtual Moon Atlas:-  https://sourceforge.net/projects/virtualmoon/

When you have this downloaded you can flip it around to give the same view as you get at the eyepiece, makes naming features easy.

[Nyctimene]

Swoop,

your scope is capable of showing you lunar limb mountains, as mikeDnight pointed out above. Have a look at the limb features Montes Cordillera and Montes Rook, near crater Grimaldi. Both are part of the outer ring of the Mare Orientale, which is located mainly on the dark (invisible) side of the moon. October 16., at full moon, I spotted both mountains as clearly discernible irregularities of the moon`s limb profile with my little 80/400 frac at 110x mag.  So your scope should be able to show the same and better.

I like the way you trusted your own keen eyes, and posted your observation here for discussion.

Stephan

[Swoop1]

Last night I deployed the scope as soon as I got home as Venus was high and bright and it was still relatively light. Observing Venus in brighter conditions was a good shout as the disc was much easier to resolve and I swear I could almost make out faint detail. I could be talking out of my fundament about that however.

All was good until the view started getting very wavy. What's occurring thought I, reaching for the focusers etc. Nothing had any effect so I stopped and pondered. I then realised I could hear the flue for the gas boiler..........

Packed the scope away, had dinner, sorted out some chores then head out for a dark(ish) site session.