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Can it be true?

Stu

By Stu
in Observing - Planetary

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Stu

Stu

Posted
Posted

Wife and daughter away for the night - check

Clear forecast from 9pm - check

GRS transiting at 10.03pm - check

 

So, ok, I'm completely exhausted and just want an early night but I can't complain about the weather all the time and then pass up an opportunity like this, can I?

It would be rude not to give the Tak a long overdue run out on Jupiter, making sure my dew kit is all sorted too!

Good hunting if you are out too!

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Star101

Star101

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I've just set up ready. Waiting for some stars to come out in a couple of hours time to get focus sorted and I will be set.

Thanks for the info on the GRS. I may give that a shot before I move over to Hyperstar. The Virgo cluster will be around then :)

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GavStar

GavStar

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Just put my daughters to bed, and your post has prompted me to set my scope up for the transit. Hopefully seeing will be ok. After the last few years, its a bit of a shock to see Jupiter so low in the sky though.

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Stu

Stu

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Nice one Gavin, Tec or Tak? What a choice to have to make :) 

The Tak is out on the Vixen GP so I have a nice stable view. Lovely views of M42 just now but am saving myself for a bit later. Tea now :) 

I have dew heaters on so am fully prepared for once!

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GavStar

GavStar

Posted
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30 minutes ago, Stu said:

Nice one Gavin, Tec or Tak? What a choice to have to make :) 

The Tak is out on the Vixen GP so I have a nice stable view. Lovely views of M42 just now but am saving myself for a bit later. Tea now :) 

I have dew heaters on so am fully prepared for once!

TEC tonight - it's still a novelty. M42 looking great through the binoviewers and I think the scope is virtually cooled now. 

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John

John

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1 hour ago, Stu said:

Not holding back then John! :) 

Well it's been out 4 hours and I've still to look through it. Lots of clouds earlier got in the way and I've just had to do some impromtu taxi driving for my Son because his car's broken down :rolleyes2:

It's looking a bit clearer now so there's some hope yet. I think the scope is fully cooled at least !

I'd love to have a go with a TEC 140 someday :grin:

TEC 180 anyone ???:

http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=943283

Must be hard to get fluorite blanks that big !

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Stu

Stu

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Some nice views here. Typically, some patchy cloud started coming through just as Jupiter cleared the trees! Seeing not the best but some steadier spells. GRS looking quite orange I thought. Not so much detail as I have had in the past but I guess it is still quite low. Cloudy just now, might give it a little while longer and then have one last shot at it.

In the context of this year's observing, it has been a good session!!

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GavStar

GavStar

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I normally stay under 200x for Jupiter but decided to use my 3.5mm Pentax xw for a change - can't remember the last time I used this eyepiece. The magnification was 280x and Jupiter looked amazing - seeing must be very decent tonight. Really surprised. GRS showing as dark orange, almost red.

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Stu

Stu

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5 minutes ago, Gavster said:

I normally stay under 200x for Jupiter but decided to use my 3.5mm Pentax xw for a change - can't remember the last time I used this eyepiece. The magnification was 280x and Jupiter looked amazing - seeing must be very decent tonight. Really surprised. GRS showing as dark orange, almost red.

Very nice! I'm sure the fact that I was observing over the neighbour's roof didn't help my seeing, and likewise I'm sure Jupiter often does look amazing in a TEC140 :)

GRS has been almost brick red in the recent past opposition but it seemed more orange tonight.

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GavStar

GavStar

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Interesting point about observing over a roof Stu. I moved house 3 years ago and in my back garden I'm often observing away from neighbours roofs unlike my previous place. I've had much better views of Jupiter in the last couple of years so possibly this is the reason. (I guess the TEC 140 may have also helped tonight ?)

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Chris

Chris

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Finished work at 9pm, last of the kids in bed late at 10:30 and was going to go bed until I read this post. Inspired I grabbed the 20x80 bins and ventured out to the field near our house where there is relatively open sky. Had a quick look at Jup and moons, gave myself stretch marks on my neck trying to look for M51 near zenith, then returned to the postage stamp skies of my back garden. Noticed Jup was skimming the neighbours house I grabbed my 150p Dob for a closer look. Some nice fleeting detail mostly turbulence from the seeing plus neighbours roof. colour wise Jup was pretty much cream. 

I really should get my ED100/heq5 out more, my bins and the Dob are getting all the action! I'm lazy though and can't muster the energy for anything that I can't just quickly grab. Anyone else know that feeling? :grin:

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Stu

Stu

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10 minutes ago, Chris Lock said:

Anyone else know that feeling? :grin:

Only too well Chris!!

Made the effort tonight and on balance it was worth it. Not the best views, but a long way from the worst too. Not often a GRS transit is quite so conveniently timed.

Grabbed a few more minutes just now before packing up. GRS nearly gone, but better detail on the rest of the disk with the higher altitude. Some turbulence following the GRS on the SEB which was nice to see.

Packed up and heading bedwards now. Glad the dew largely stayed away tonight, not so much sorting out to do!

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John

John

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After bringing my 130 triplet in due to drizzle, guess what ? - clearish skies. Fortunately the Tak 100 takes no time to cool so thats been out for the last 20 mins on Jupiter. Very nice detail IMHO. Reminds me of the ED120 views in terms of details. Waving goodbye to the GRS and saying hello Io as it came out from behind the disk. Nice structure and detail in the main belts and a couple of festoons visible draped across the pale eq zone. 150x seems very good at the moment. Don't know how long it will last but at least I've had some Jovian views to add to the Mercurian and Venusian ones earlier :smiley:

 

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