Big skies before the storm

[Size9Hex]

Last night was calm and warm after the heat of the day and nearly silent ahead of the approaching storm. From west through to south, the distant clouds exploded with lightening every couple of seconds, bright enough to reveal the fields of crops sweeping over the hillsides. Except for the armageddon low on the horizon, the whole sky was beautifully dark, clear and full of stars. Jupiter and Saturn wallowed slowly across the scene while I took it in. A faint shooting star. Then the more leisurely space station, usually an early evening sight, betraying that the sun never strays far below the northern horizon at this time of year. The Milky Way too, with its dark streamers and star clouds. The whole sky was bursting with energy. It was a spectacle to remember.

Anyway, I was out with the low power wide field binos to see the Milky Way. Despite the not-quite-astro-darkness, M13 was naked eye. The Coma B cluster a charming sparkle.

In Cygnus, I spent some time studying the star clouds and the dark nebulae that separate them. The dark funnel cloud, the northern coalsack, the rift and B144. This area was low in the sky but already looking good!

Passing the faint splash of light (naked eye) of the Coathanger, the rift widened into Aquila and around Altair I caught a few glimpses of Barnard's E (binos) although to me the shape was indistinct.

The Scutum star cloud was bright to the naked eye, with binos revealing a sharper edge as it stacked up against the dark B111. The Wild Duck cluster also in view in the bins.

Further south, the small Sagittarius star cloud was also naked eye, despite the light dome in that direction. A glimpse of a more distant spiral arm across the galaxy. The binos pulled in the Swan, Triffid, Lagoon and Eagle.

A couple of nice clusters popped out while trawling in Ophiuchus too. IC 4665 and NGC 6633.

With such views and such freedom to swoosh around the sky, I didn't regret leaving the scope at home. A nice faff-free astro fix for when the nights are short! 

[scarp15]

Wow lovely descriptions and very nice captures with the binoculars Paul. Very much a flavour of Summer. I look forward to much of this myself a bit later in the year, when my Northerly skies begin to get dark again and much of this is at altitude. 

[Piero]

Super report!

I like IC 4665 and NGC 6633 very much!

[Size9Hex]

39 minutes ago, scarp15 said:

Wow lovely descriptions and very nice captures with the binoculars Paul. Very much a flavour of Summer. I look forward to much of this myself a bit later in the year, when my Northerly skies begin to get dark again and much of this is at altitude. 

Aye, sorry. I've been having a look at how far the sun dips even at 1am round here and I can see that even being a few degrees further north would be a huge difference at this time of year. It was a bit early in the year for Cygnus really, but I was hoping to see a bit more of Scorpio and Sagittarius (which were placed as good as they ever will be but didn't offer much through the light pollution).

[FenlandPaul]

Great report, Paul - the skies must have been near-pristine!  Faff-free has a lot going for it on these Summer nights.

[F15Rules]

Lovely report and I do agree that a dark, quiet sky through binoculars is an awesome sight☺...and so simple, and "faff" free!

Dave

 

[alan potts]

Don't mention storms, I have had them up to here. Nice report BTW.