10/21/2017-Dark Skies, New Equipment, Orionids!

[Hayduke27]

I finally got out for another night of viewing.  My last night out was almost 2 weeks ago, and was plagued by technical difficulties, resulting in a rather disappointing night compared to expectations. Since then work prevented me from getting out, then just as I had an opportunity with clear skies I threw my back out and was laid up for 2 days.  By the time I was on my feet again, the clouds had rolled in and I was left being a computer astronomer for several more days.  Last night the skies cleared so I loaded up the truck and headed to my dark site, roughly 5 minutes from my house.  Seeing conditions were excellent with clear, cold skies and dark site conditions.  I was able to see a magnitude 6.0 star with my naked eye, and Andromeda was clearly visible without optics.

 

I brought with me several new EPs and a new UHC filter.  I also brought with my my girlfriend, complete with a sleeping bag to bundle her in so we could try to spot some meteors between messing around with the telescope and camera.  We were set up and looking skyward by 20:15.  I had only peered through my new EPs twice before, and they hadn't had a night to do them justice, so I decided to start with some old familiar objects to give me some reference.  I looked at M13 and M31, then turned the scope up to M57.  I was using my Explore Scientific 18mm 82* EP with a new 2" dielectric diagonal.  This was an upgrade from the standard Celestron equipment that comes stock with the scope.  To say the views were amazing would be an understatement.  I was blown away. M13 especially stands out in my mind as a real surprise last night.  It totally filled the EP, and the stars so numerous it dazzled me and boggled my mind all at once.  M31 really stood out as well, totally filling the eyepiece.  Truly amazing.

 

Once I was content that the scope was cool and I had everything focused and tuned, I began searching the sky for a few new galaxies including M81 and M82.  I had hoped to spy M101 for my first time, but it was a touch low on the horizon to make out well. I turned the scope to M33 instead and was treated to an incredible sight.  It stood out strong in the dark sky, and I looked long and hard and could swear that I could just barely make out some spiral arms.

 

Now it was time for the next test.  I screwed the UHC filter onto the EP and went searching for nebulas, both familiar and new to me.  I'll put a list below of object I saw, but some highlights were as follow: The Dumbbell Nebula was quite a site.  I could clearly make out the shape (looks more like an apple core to me ).  I then swung around to the Little Dumbbell, my first time viewing it.  I was surprised how little it was, but could make it out very clearly. The Lagoon Nebula was nice, as was Omega Nebula.  However, in the south sky the Eagle Nebula really stole my attention last night.  I could make out a lot of nebulosity, and was pulled in and hypnotized by it.  I had trouble leaving that object.  I went on to view some diffuse nebulas that I had never seen, and had great luck finding them.  There were a few misses, but I think I found 75% or so of all the new objects I looked for.  It was a wonderful night.  Before taking a break I decided to take a look up toward Uranus, and it appeared as a beautiful little light blue disk, the first time I had seen it as such.  Neptune was more of just a tiny speck of light, but I found it as well.

 

After a break for hot cocoa I switched the EP over to a 30MM 82* and jumped around the sky looking at familiar objects.  I had intended to seek some new clusters and perhaps some double stars, but ended up getting totally caught up in just surfing around enjoying the views of what I knew.  I looked at the Pleiades for a long time, as well as the Hyades.  I spend quite a bit of time viewing Capella, Rigel, and Betelgeuse, and really enjoyed taking the time to make out the slight differences in magnitude and color.  I then swung the scope over to Cygnus and just surfed around through the billions of stars making the highway through the sky that the swan looks to be following.  It is still hard for me to believe the sheer number of stars out there.  I grew up under dark skies and am no stranger to the Milky Way and being able to see millions of stars with the naked eye.  However, when you turn that scope upward, you realize there are exponentially more all around, and it's humbling.  We are so small, and what we are taking in is so vast.  It seems impossible.

 

I ended the night viewing the Great Orion Nebula.  I didn't even bother putting the filter on, and through the 30MM EP it was absolutely stunning.  I had never seen it quite like that, and I spend a very long time taking it in, my jaw on the ground.  It was a really beautiful end to the evening.

 

While I had been messing about with the scope, my girlfriend had a camera set up on a tripod, and managed to capture some wonderful Milky Way and Constellation pictures.  When we finally put away all the toys, we both just laid back on the tarp and spend about 45 minutes watching for the Orionids.  By the end of the night we saw a combined total of between 20 and 30 meteors, most of which were relatively dim.  It was a nice bonus.  In the end we were viewing for over 4 hours, and had an incredible successful night!

 

List of object observed (items with asterisk were first lights for me!):

Nebulas: M1*; M8; M16; M17; M27; M42; M43; M57; M76*; NGC1491*; NGC6543*; NGC6781*; NGC6804*; NGC7008*

Galaxies and Clusters: M13; M31; M32; M81*; M82*; M110; 

Plants: Uranus; Neptune

 

 

[andrew63]

That's a wonderful record of your night under the stars - the photos really convey the sense of occasion.

 

andrew

[alanjgreen]

Hayduke27, great read!

Thats a good haul of objects there, I hope you let your girlfriend peek at some of them  

personally, I love nebulas so I am glad you got to see some new ones. With a dark site like that, I would start saving for an O3 filter - you will have good results from that location (as long as the moon is not there)

Alan

[Hayduke27]

1 hour ago, alanjgreen said:

Hayduke27, great read!

Thats a good haul of objects there, I hope you let your girlfriend peek at some of them  

personally, I love nebulas so I am glad you got to see some new ones. With a dark site like that, I would start saving for an O3 filter - you will have good results from that location (as long as the moon is not there)

Alan

@alanjgreen I definitely let her look through the scope whenever she wanted!  I have to keep her happy so she'll keep letting me wander out into nowhere in the middle of the night   She mainly just takes a peek at the highlights.  She's not one to really sit and stare for a long time, but she enjoys seeing what I make all the fuss about  

I have been looking at some OIII filters for sure, and that will be my next filter.  This UHC really impressed me, and I really enjoy sitting down at the scope and trying to really tease out the nuances in the nebulas.  They are something I had never seen before just recently (unless you count checking out the Great Orion Nebula with binoculars way back before I knew what I was looking at.  Even then I loved it!).

[alan potts]

A lovely report with some nice shots tp remember it by.