First light with SW80ED report

[Red Dwarfer]

Last night the conditions were very good and I tried out a new scope the SW 80 ED with 3 BST Starguider lenses 25 , 12 and 5mm - I also used the RDF from the 130P to keep the weight down as it was mounted on a simple AZ Celestron mount - a SW AZ4 is high up on the to-do list . 

I spent about 3 hours in the back garden last night and tried to stick to well known , easy to find targets . 

The Double Cluster in Perseus was first and everything was bright and sharp at low magnification . 

Bode's Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy were bright and clear in the same FOV at low magnification - it might have been conditions , but the last time I tried these two targets in a Meade 90 refractor the former was faint and the latter close to invisible . 

The Triangulum Galaxy was next en route to M31 and the Andromeda Galaxy was the best I've seen it in a refractor . The central core was bright and with averted vision "the wings" were clear as well . M32 was visible in the FOV as well at low magnification . 

Continuing the theme of wings , the Wild Duck Cluster was next and it too was the best I've seen it ... Looking at M11 this afternoon in Turn Left At Orion they mention a V formation of stars and that's when it dawned on me the origin of the name : ducks fly in a V formation .

The Ring Nebula was small but bright in averted vision and Epsilon Lyrae was attempted next but to no avail - have to try the 200P to finally split that double double . 

Several Clusters in Cassiopeia were next and several more Clusters in Auriga were also attempted , but the brighter M36 was the only one found ... That nearby M37 has been hunted in many scopes ( including GOTO ) and binoculars but with no luck on that front .

Saturn Nebula was tracked down in binoculars , but unfortunately I could not find it in the scope afterwards - probably just tiredness at that stage . 

 Finally , had a look at M13 and it too looked surprisingly well in a 80mm refractor . The longer the time spent on that Cluster the more detail started to reveal itself - still haven't a clue what that propeller is that people talk about , will have to try that one in the 200P another night . 

I would give the SW 80 ED an easy 10 out of 10 . 

[Chris]

The ED80 is a little scope that can....I also think the same of the little Mak's but you do get the extra field of view with the ED80. 

Glad you're enjoying the new scope, nice report.

[John]

Very nice list of sucesses with your lovely new ED80

M33 is a pretty tough one with 80mm unless the sky is really dark and transparent !.

You should be able to split Epsilon Lyrae with the scope but will need around 130-150x to do it.

The "propeller" in M13 is a shape created by slightly darker or less dense areas of the cluster. Again not an easy target with a smaller aperture. Sara Wager (Swag on SGL) has captured it well here:

 

[Stu]

35 minutes ago, John said:

The "propeller" in M13 is a shape created by slightly darker or less dense areas of the cluster. Again not an easy target with a smaller aperture. Sara Wager (Swag on SGL) has captured it well here:

Unless I'm going crazy John, that's a different propeller to the one I have seen. I can see the one I know opposite the highlighted one. Interesting.

The ED80 should easily split the Double Double so give it another go.

[John]

1 minute ago, Stu said:

Unless I'm going crazy John, that's a different propeller to the one I have seen. I can see the one I know opposite the highlighted one. Interesting.

The ED80 should easily split the Double Double so give it another go.

Actually, now you mention it, there appears to be 2 "propellers" in the image - the one highlighted and a larger but less distonct one on the opposite side of the cluster 

A "twin prop" globular ?

 

[Stu]

Just now, John said:

Actually, now you mention it, there appears to be 2 "propellers" in the image - the one highlighted and a larger but less distonct one on the opposite side of the cluster 

A "twin prop" globular ?

 

Yes, that's the one I'm talking about. I had heard that there were more than one, possible multiple ones forming the sides of a polygon. I'll see if I can find something on it.

[Stu]

This image shows the one I think is more commonly seen. The second shows them both more clearly. I guess it is down to processing?

[Chris]

It's been a while but I'm sure when I last imaged M13 the propeller spanned more of M13, I could be wrong though. Anyway I had no idea there was two or more!

Yes, like the one in the last pic Stu posted.

[Stu]

Back to the OP, aperture makes a big difference on globs, I've seen the propeller in an 8", can recall if I've managed in a 4" though. 

[John]

The more you look, the more you see

It's a bit like those "magic eye" pictures !

[wookie1965]

I have split very easily the double double in my Tal 100rs the 80ed should do it with a bit more mag.

[Red Dwarfer]

Thanks for all the responses . Epsilon Lyrae "might" have been split last night because I could detect faint doubles and panned down to Vega to make sure focus was as sharp as possible and not a fraction off that could cause slight distortion , then tried again with the same result , faint but not sure - it is definitely top of the to-do list at higher power on the next clear night . 

The uploads of the propeller are very useful because they give a region of the cluster to focus on . I thought as well the propeller spanned the whole cluster and the first shape I seen in it was a capital H from the magic eye effect . 

[Red Dwarfer]

5 hours ago, Stu said:

Back to the OP, aperture makes a big difference on globs, I've seen the propeller in an 8", can recall if I've managed in a 4" though. 

That`s the plan for next time ... to use the 8" Dob on Epsilon Lyrae and M13 ... also looking to try a couple of 2" eps in that scope for the first time , so that`s an added incentive to use it next time .

[John]

Epsilon Lyra is not particularly faint - the pairs are around magnitude 5. If you got a near split the two stars would appear elongated rather than round dots.

 

[harrym]

My best memory of Epsilon Lyrae is actually a naked-eye one. I was at a party a couple of years ago on a beautiful June evening and remember seeing the stars gradually come out as the sky got darker and I got tipsier. I knew I was drunk when I couldn't resolve the wide pair of Epsilon Lyrae anymore

[rockystar]

On ‎26‎/‎08‎/‎2017 at 19:12, John said:

Very nice list of sucesses with your lovely new ED80

M33 is a pretty tough one with 80mm unless the sky is really dark and transparent !.

You should be able to split Epsilon Lyrae with the scope but will need around 130-150x to do it.

The "propeller" in M13 is a shape created by slightly darker or less dense areas of the cluster. Again not an easy target with a smaller aperture. Sara Wager (Swag on SGL) has captured it well here:

 

Always helps to know what you're looking for when it comes to things like this - I'll look out for it next time