Quick session under unexpected clear sky

[ImmortalBee]

Having rained all evening, I had little hope for tonight. Nonetheless when I popped my head out at 10AM I found clear skies and decided to seize advantage. It was a very mundane observing session for the most part. I started with a quick scan with 10x50 binoculars, seeing M31, M15 and the Coathanger in Saggita/Vulpecula. 

The main task for tonight was to find M56 for the first time. I am surprised I have never seen this before given its quite easy location, but it was "hidden" in Stellarium until I zoomed in the other day and noticed it. I pointed the finder scope about midway between Albireo and Sulafat and put a 28mm eyepiece into my 200PDS and lo and behold a grainy patch! Switching to a higher power increased the grain effect but I could not resolve individual stars even with averted vision, but I am not sure if that should have been possible with a 200mm scope under relatively heavy light pollution anyway. 

I would have liked to stare at M56 for longer but a few patches of cloud were beginning to form and I decided to move on, in this case to M27. In the 28mm EP the "apple core" was clearly visible with averted vision and it hung majestically in a backdrop of stars. I then tried a few higher powers but struggled to attain focus with the 6mm EP but the 20mm made the apple core more prominent at the loss of the framing against the background of stars. I have not looked at M27 that many times (in part because I usually get distracted by the nearby M57, like M92 vs M13) so I had not yet decided what power suits it best but tonight the 28mm EP definitely won.

Unfortunately it was now getting cloudy and the finderscope had dewed up so I decided to revert to using binoculars, disappointed that I hadn't got to see more through the scope. I would not be disappointed for long though. The Pleiades were, as always, beautiful and made me very excited about Taurus and Orion in the coming months. After this I wanted to look for M33 but the cloud was obscuring Triangulum so instead I looked at M31 again. It was not particularly spectacular until I saw the sudden flash of a meteor going straight past the core. This was the first time I can recall seeing a meteor through binoculars and I couldn't have chosen a better backdrop for it. 

Concerned about a possible impending return of rain I decided this event was a good time to end my session and lug the scope back in. Obviously by the time I had finished that the clouds had all cleared again . 

[Red Dwarfer]

Good report . I often have a quick look with binoculars first when looking for new DSOs as well ... M56 is a relatively easy target to find as it`s lined up between the two stars you mentioned .

The people on here recommend looking at a cluster , or any DSO , for a few minutes as the longer you look at it the more detail starts to reveal itself as your eye adjusts 

[Alfian]

Nice report. It seems to be the way of the weather that the promise of a good sky often turns out not be the case and yet a lull between rain clouds gives a usable clear sky opportunity. Grab it if you can!

[alanjgreen]

Great report. A scope coat/cover is very useful on nights like these. You can just throw the waterproof cover over and see what the clouds do next.

if it does rain then the scope can be left outside and clear up in the morning.

keep the reports coming...

Alan

[Astro Imp]

Nice report, this weather is really not playing  nicely at the moment.

A while back I got frustrated with the finder dewing up so started putting the caps on between use. I don't find this much of a problem as I tend to spend some time on each object I view.

Hope you get some good scope time sometime soon.

 

[ImmortalBee]

Thanks for the advice all.

I have tried replacing the caps on the finder when it wasn't in use before but I ended up touching the glass (eyepiece end) and decided not to repeat it. I might just try capping the objective (and being more careful!) seeing as that is the one that always dews up. 

 

[Stu]

Nice report ImmortalBee, some good targets seen there. M27 is much larger than M57 so as you found, does not need such high power otherwise you risk it becoming too diffuse and dim.

[Special K]

That sounds like a lovely session!  M56 is certainly worth the effort. I struggled to find this when starting out with my 130P for no other reason than inexperience.

I find the smallest amount of cloud has a negative effect on viewing globs.  Many of the stars are so delicately dim they will begin to vanish at the first sniff of an obstruction.