Andromeda and Triangulum from a better sky

[N3ptune]

Hello people

Last 2 weeks were very great for observation and I came up with these 2 news sketches of my latest observations.

First Triangulum, after maybe 5 attempt to actually see it (over 2 years) I could not find it with my previous experience. But It seems I leveled up and bagged the hard to see galaxy this time,  that a major object for me. Dark adaptation was a critical factor in the equation has well has the height of Triangulum galaxy in the sky. I don't remember exact height but it was at around 40 ~ 50 degrees from the ground. (The first time I see Triangulum constellation that high)

Started the star hop from Mothallah star (the point of Triangulum) then progressed to HIP 7906 (the closest bright star from the galaxy +-2 degrees away). Finally I looked for a parallelogram shape made out of stars, the galaxy is inside the shape. Then I swiped my eye around the FOV a bit to see the averted vision shape appearing. I am impressed at the size of Triangulum's galaxy, it's huge! smaller then Andromeda but still very large and it has a rounder shape and a rounder galactic core then Andromeda which is more elliptical.

All was done with the 200 x 1000 F5 newtonian and ES 34mm 68d eyepiece which is incredible for these large objects, very good performer. 6.8mm exit pupil.

I had to "digitally re master" some parts of the sketch in GIMP, the galaxy itself, the core was drawn at the eyepiece but I had to do the rest using a flashlight. it was too faint to do with the tiny red light.

Andromeda, I have to say WOW! 2 days ago I went to my darker spot and the galaxy was high in the sky (80d) and also very bright, naked eye visible easily. The sketch won't show it but the 2 other companions galaxy were stunning also. using the 34mm all 3 were visible in the same FOV.

Also with the 34mm, I could see Andromeda crossing the entire 2.2d FOV with averted vision,this was my greatest observation or Andromeda. It was bright like a spot light (;

The sketch was done using 111x and some parts visible in averted vision are not there (the galaxy was bigger then that). I liked the view at 111x with the galaxy positioned at the edge of the eyepiece, different then centered. There was 1 or 2 very faint stars visible in the core, 1 obvious.

2 great observations for me, I hope you like the sketch and report.  (I also saw Uranus but no sketch for the planet, I have some regrets..)

[johnfosteruk]

Lovely sketches

[Mr niall]

Awesome report, great read. Love you’re sketches, glad you said you’d struggled on the faint stuff with a red light I’m wrestling with that a bit lately. Love what you’ve done with andromeda you can really see the size. I was wondering though - are you sketching just what you can see head on or are you including the view using AV? I caught andromeda in my Mak (127) last week and at 50x with AV I was able to discern a clear cigar no problem. I was just thinking that your view should have been much clearer than mine but your drawing shows a much more delicate object (although I think I have a habit of “beefing up” my drawings...)

[N3ptune]

Hemm for Andromeda, usually I try to add the maximum with the averted vision. I know some material is missing galaxy was wider then my sketch but also it's not exactly at the illustrated position, it should be closer to the edge and even wider. There was no attempt to picture faint details inside the galaxy, If the shadings are not uniform that's because of me   It's possible that my scanner induced a few faint stars too, I can't verify that 100% sure. 

In my 2 sketches I prefer Triangulum over Andromeda, I think it's more accurate.

But I am satisfied, overall these sketches are strong memories for me, and there will be a next time!

Your sketches are nice too with the smaller galaxy M32, I saw it clearly very nice galaxy too.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr niall]

I think mine are a little more artistic than accurate! I’m fascinated at how people interpret things when they draw them, although like you, I think I mainly use them as a personal log more than anything else. So you scan yours? That’s interesting, I just take a photo of mine. I’ve not even bothered with Triangulum yet, don’t think my little scope and suburban backgarden could cope!

[N3ptune]

It's the memories that are important, I try to expose the memories here and to create a mix of art and technical. to capture the objects has they are if possible.

I find that it's a good thing to look at the pages of my log book often, it's a source of joy and good memories (plus it's full of questions to myself).  I had to wait 2 years to see Triangulum then I saw it 2 times in 2 weeks. That's so nice, maybe you could see it if you locate the parallelogram shape, it's 2 star hoping trips of approximately 2 degrees.

Once you are in the square, you can wait there for dark adaptation and moving the eye around, eventually it will appear. Has for me, even from home in light pollution it was directly there, the core was not too hard to spot, the rest is averted vision.

I used to take pictures of my sketches with my camera but the camera distorts the images too much, that's why I found a scanner, paid 10$ for it and it can scan at 1200dpi, I prefer the scanner, more precision.