Night of the still air and stunning views.

[Cjg]

I cannot remember when a weather forecast improved so much from being not-a-chance to "clear as" but last night was a welcome opportunity to get out and look up.  Was first light for my new Nagler 9mm and did that deliver!

Started on Venus, as much to check the finder alignment, and saw approx 3/4 phase. Mars was above and a very small red dot, yielding no detail in my Tak; I didn't linger though. 

M77 in Cetus I found, it's going to be a challenge finding that at the start of the Messier Marathon in March, but not as tough as M74, which is barely there with direct vision and just little more than a faintly lighter patch against a darker sky.  

Not often that I can see M31 naked eye, but last night there it was, leaving the 9mm in place a reposition of the scope and not quite "dead centre" was a super view of Andromeda. A nudge of the scope downwards, and there was M33, a huge grey cloud. 

I've yet to see M79 in Lepus, it's always in the trees from Seething, but at about 9pm, it was above the clubhouse, and with the 9mm iI found it, it's not dim, but very small compared to other globulars I've looked at; think that's 88 of them found and seen manually.

My eyepieces were dewing up, so another trip into the clubhouse to give them the hairdryer treatment, leaving my outer gloves at home was a HUGE mistake, Marigold rubber gloves aren't great at keeping the finger tips warm are they! 

By 11pm, my finder was frozen, eyepieces dewed and I'd had enough fun for one night, a quick look at the Beehive and M67 in Cancer, before a quick look at the Leo Doublet ( no sign of NGC 3628).

Keep your eyes on the weather forecast, I'd dismissed the latter half of this week earlier, but what a night!

Chris

[alan potts]

A very nice report Chris, it's nice when that sort of thing happens, all to often it is the other way around. The forecast would really have to go to 11 for me to get out, I have a clear sky tonight but 3 feet of snow sort of stops me getting a scope out and the runners on the obsey are thick ice.

alan

[Mr Spock]

Sounds like a great night. Our weather certainly can be challenging at times though!

[StarryEyed]

I was out last night but came in as its a work night. Tonite metcheck gives my area 8 seeing 8 transparency 8 pickering from 17:00 to 06:00. Jan. is my favorite month it always delivers good skies.

Edited January 20, 2017 by StarryEyed

[laudropb]

Very nice report. Still not had a clear night here this year.

[Swoop1]

Nice report. Sounds like you were colder than I was last night.

[Cjg]

2 hours ago, laudropb said:

Very nice report. Still not had a clear night here this year.

Oh that's grim @laudropb, I hope you get the clear skies soon.. Good luck @StarryEyed, hopeful for tonight, but forecast is "iffy". I hope your snow and ice goes soon @alan potts Was minus 4.5 @Swoop1, but felt colder, ice on the cases and red dot finder by 11pm..Lets hope for more clear skies soon.

Chris