Sutton bank season starter

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It was friday and finishing work at 2 meant I was watching the weather reports to see what the night would bring.

A mixed bag from various sites but I took the plunge and packed the car up with all the dob stuff to make the hour long journey up to a little observing site I have used many times near to Sutton bank on the edge of the North Yorkshire moors.

I arrived in darkness having set off late at half 8 due to the devils light bulb being present until nearly 1am. The track was as deserted as usual so I set the dob up taking a leisurely hour which gave the mirror some more time to cool off. There was no breeze at all and that meant the dew point would be quite high as the track and surrounding fields were wet with the days rain. The dew kit was on the scope so fingers crossed. Just the occasional hint of a distant car engine and after midnight only the owl cries to break the silence thankfully Just me and my thoughts for the night so it was peaceful.   

A cuppa later and I viewed the eastern skies sat on the lip of the car boot. At 11pm I set off with centring the finder on Almach from where I would hop across to one of my favourites NGC891. I've looked at this quite a lot so don't really need the star chart and landed more or less straight on it. With the sky still a milky colour due to the DLB the extent of this huge galaxy just wasn't there. The huge central dust lane wasn't quite direct vision but it was still a wonderful sight and a good starter for the evening. 

Just south I came to NGC898. A small edge on which was quite an easy spot but difficult to discern a shape I marked it up. In the finder I could see M34 so I had a quick flit over to take it in, nice but I quickly moved on as I can view that from home and it's not what I travel to a dark site for.Heading north away from Almach are two small galaxies NGC 846 and 812.  At mag 12.3 and 11.3 they don't really push the scope hard but I was struggling with focus and I can only put this down to the amount of moisture in the air. NGC 846 was a face on galaxy and 812 an edge on smudge.

As I tracked across a red star caught my eye which was a little gem in the sea of blackness. HIP 9234 is brilliant red and a nice view being very close to the galaxy I was hunting for which was NGC746. Nice little view and a touch harder than the previous 2. Face on fuzzy with not much detail.

I wanted a quick look at M76 just to test out my newly acquired filters so was heading in that general direction. Along the way I picked up NGC562 another face on spiral galaxy which was a much more challenging proposition at mag 13.6. It was a difficult one. I checked the optics for dew as I was having trouble getting things to focus I can only assume it was the air that was full of moisture which I confirmed with the scope shroud being wet through.

M76 the little dumbbell (nod to mike ) was an easy target although I have seen it much better. The O111 and UHC filters revealed little more than the un-filtered views and again I was checking the optics for dew? Collimation checked but still the same as when I set up. With the moon heading for the western horizon the contrast would at least improve.

I headed south with the scope for a quick glance at M33. The NGC's and some of the IC's made tracing it's spiral arms easy viewing and most were much brighter than the galaxies I'd hopped over from.

Another  and obligatory chocolate bar and I headed over to the head of Draco centring the finder on Etamin for a start point. NGC6478 and 6515 were easy to make out before I dropped down to Lyra and NGC 6702 and 6703 two more face on galaxies.

The moon by this time was just disappearing below the horizon and the contrast was improving rapidly

On the star chart I spotted a PN in Draco that I'd not viewed before. NGC 6742 (Abell 50)was round, small and quite dim but an enjoyable view. With this I hopped over for a quick look at the blinking PN NGC 6826 on the western arm of Cygnus. A hint of blue/green was there and after five minutes viewing I returned to galaxy hunting so headed for the star chart again with not much of a hop up to NGC 6798. Just over Mag 13 and easy to locate.

Further north and still in Cygnus NGC 6824 had a bright star within the galaxies outer area which made it into my notes. Straying back over into Draco I collected NGC 6750, 6701, 6796, 6829 (not on star chart but edge on) and 6831.

Next galaxy was quite a surprise and one I've not viewed much. NGC 6946 or the firework galaxy was my most notable view of the night. The core was easy to see but there was more than a hint of the spiral arms there and if the transparency had been with me I'm sure it would've revealed them direct vision instead of averted hints. I will revisit this when I get chance and crisper skies.

It was by this time nearing 3am and I'd tried other targets through the night including quite a few nebulae most of which gave disappointing views. I could just tease out the horse head but it was a poor nag instead of the proud stallion that me and the rest of the mob had observed way back in the spring. Orion wasn't that far up in the sky so probably the main reason it was poor.

I finished off with a quick view of M31 and neighbours before packing up for the hours ride home. Dew was running off everything and I had to shake the ripstop nylon shroud to get rid of the pints worth on it!!!! 

I finally climbed in bed at half 4, tired but glad to have finally kicked off the seasons viewing. 

Clear skies until the next time  

[clarkpm4242]

I cycled up past the White Horse onto Sutton Bank on Saturday morning...nice report

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Just now, clarkpm4242 said:

I cycled up past the White Horse onto Sutton Bank on Saturday morning...nice report

You weren't far away from my viewing spot then 

[wookie1965]

Cracking report Damian targets there I could not see in my lowly 8 inch. I have never seen M33 may see it in November. 

[estwing]

Nice one bud...new there would be a choccy bar in there somewhere!...the fireworks is one that has has eluded me also,strange as the skies full of them at this time of year!!

Still a nice haul in dewed conditions mate...clear skies!

[Demon Barber]

Damian,great report  as is customery,i don`t know where you find the time to write it all up,never mind remember all your targets, looking forward to some clear skies in November at Galloway.

Regards

Mike

[Stu]

Nicely written report Damian, sounds like the skies and/or dew weren't fully on your side, but an impressive haul none the less.

Good to be out there again.

[scarp15]

Good read and informative selection of targets, NGC 6946 Fireworks galaxy is favourably positioned, is on my list for a revisit, a prompt for later in the month. Sorry to learn you encountered fairly heavy dewy conditions, hopefully clear skies and a breeze next time.  

[gtis]

Great report as ever Damian 

[mapstar]

1 hour ago, Demon Barber said:

Damian,great report  as is customery,i don`t know where you find the time to write it all up,never mind remember all your targets, looking forward to some clear skies in November at Galloway.

Regards

Mike

I started writing it up yesterday Mike but after over an hour I threw the towel in did some machining .

Another hour today finished it off and thanks for reading. 

Galloway has got to have some of the best transparency I've experienced. Can't wait 

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1 hour ago, estwing said:

Nice one bud...new there would be a choccy bar in there somewhere!...the fireworks is one that has has eluded me also,strange as the skies full of them at this time of year!!

Still a nice haul in dewed conditions mate...clear skies!

Just one, although I may be under quoting there 

The fireworks was the view of the night and with proper dark transparent skies the views will be as good as M101. 

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45 minutes ago, gtis said:

Great report as ever Damian 

Thanks Neil.

It's looking good for thursday night but it will be a 2am on session 

[alanjgreen]

Great report Damien.

The fireworks galaxy has been a favourite of mine ever since I tried and tried with the C11 from my old home in Cheshire night after night with very little reward.

I too am hoping for better things once I get the 20" and a new moon to coincide  

I've only managed some moon affected attempts so far !

Alan

[gtis]

40 minutes ago, mapstar said:

Thanks Neil.

It's looking good for thursday night but it will be a 2am on session 

Did you get a lathe sorted out

i got a air compressor from lidl

[alan potts]

Nice report and always a pleasure to read about your observations, last time I was up there I was doing a walk called the White Rose, me a 14 other nutters. Just trying to imagine what you would have thought hearing a different mob moving in from the south, albeit a peaceful one.

Alan

[mapstar]

1 hour ago, alan potts said:

Nice report and always a pleasure to read about your observations, last time I was up there I was doing a walk called the White Rose, me a 14 other nutters. Just trying to imagine what you would have thought hearing a different mob moving in from the south, albeit a peaceful one.

Alan

The usual mob are a rowdy bunch but soon settle down when the skies are good,  so a peaceful lot would be easy to contend with 

[mapstar]

10 hours ago, gtis said:

Did you get a lathe sorted out

i got a air compressor from lidl

I managed to source a 'modern' boxford which is still imperial on all the dials.

Here it is when me and Soupy picked it up a rather sorry looking abused blue.

After a couple of months of hard stripping down, fettling and rebuilding it's now in it's place in the garage already earning it's keep.

It's taken a lot but finally there.

Air compressor sounds a worth while investment. I'll have a look if their still available.

 

 

[wookie1965]

6 minutes ago, mapstar said:

I managed to source a 'modern' boxford which is still imperial on all the dials.

Here it is when me and Soupy picked it up a rather sorry looking abused blue.

After a couple of months of hard stripping down, fettling and rebuilding it's now in it's place in the garage already earning it's keep.

It's taken a lot but finally there.

Air compressor sounds a worth while investment. I'll have a look if their still available.

 

 

That is a cracking job you have done with that wish I could use one of them and have enough room put one in.

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10 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

That is a cracking job you have done with that wish I could use one of them and have enough room put one in.

Cheers Paul. Lot of effort 

[gtis]

Hi Damian that looks brilliant and settled in you big garage is it in the original colour now

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34 minutes ago, gtis said:

Hi Damian that looks brilliant and settled in you big garage is it in the original colour now

I chose the RAL fern green colour for it as that is what I was led to believe was the exact colour but it's slightly off the original more Kawasaki green than fern green. Oh and it's not quite as pristine now having had quite a few bit's of metal in the new chuck  (the original chuck was creme crackered)

[Special K]

Fantastic report!   It's great to read about a plan which all comes together!  Very nice list of objects viewed  

[faulksy]

brilliant report damo, and what a nice start to the season. the little dumbell is ace but like its dad more. glad your still eating chocolate 

[niallk]

Great report (+ lovely job on the lathe!).

I've gone through a string of nights confounded by dew and humidity like that - it can certainly be frustrating!! We really do require so many things to simultaneously come together to give a good night's observing .

[mapstar]

Typical clear night ahead and moons out all of it