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Observing session with 15x70 Binos and Heritage 130P


Mark at Beaufort

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Really clear last night so decided to have a session with my Apollo 15x70 Binos. Set up a recliner chair and used my Observing Hood to remove any stray light although it was really dark at the end of the garden and all the neighbours were out.

Following the challenge by Gerry (Jetstream) I first viewed M45 and hopefully the Merope Nebula. Well the view of M45 was fantastic but I could not detect the Nebula. I decided to place a H.Beta filter in one side and a Lumicon UHC on the other and viewed the California Nebula. The Neb was quite clear and the FOV of the Binos allowed me to cover the whole area.

Filters removed so I viewed the following - M33, M1, M36, M37, M38 and 35. Replaced the filters using UHC filters and viewed IC405 Flaming Star Neb and NGC1893. Replaced one UHC with an Astronomik O-III filter and had a good view of the Rosette  Neb.

Really pleased with the sky quality so grabbed my new AZ5/Celestron mount and the Heritage 130P and started with M45. Eyepiece was an ES68 24mm giving a nice FOV. Again studied the area around Merope having looked in detail at Interstellarum atlas. Well I could see something, very subtle and convinced myself it was not wishful thinking. California Neb again with H.Beta filter from Skies the Limit. I could see the outline of the Neb quite well. 

Viewed M36, M37, M38, M35 and M1 using an ES82 11mm EP and back with the 24mm to view M31, M32 and M110.

I never put on the home made shroud and noticed that the secondary had misted over. Unfortunately unable to clear so the observing session ended.

 

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It was a very transparent night.  It seemed where ever you pointed the binoculars there were fuzzy patches all over the sky !  Should have tried the Pleiades also given your description Mark, as M42 and trapezium was stunning  in the telescope.  

 

andrew

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Nice session Mark! We are certainly getting a few nights with decent transparency this winter aren't we? Seeing has t been great but at least the transparency is making up for it.

Had the Tak out having a little meander around myself. I tried M45 but no convincing sign of the Nebula, just not dark enough and I'm always more convinced that anything I see is slight misting of the optics!

Must have a try for the California Neb too at some point soon, perhaps when we go to our dark site. The Hb is ready and waiting for its first outing!

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2 hours ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Well I could see something,

Congrats for a great beginning on the Merope nebula!

2 questions: can you see the center of the Pleiades as darker than the immediate outer area? Do you have a 1.25" eyepiece in the 14mm-18mm range?

Sometimes when looking at the Merope specifically a bit more mag defines it better.

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5 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Congrats for a great beginning on the Merope nebula!

2 questions: can you see the center of the Pleiades as darker than the immediate outer area? Do you have a 1.25" eyepiece in the 14mm-18mm range?

Sometimes when looking at the Merope specifically a bit more mag defines it better.

Gerry to answer your 1st question 'I don't know because I have not studied M45 as much as I should have done'. To be honest you have motivated me to view this area some more. With regard to EPs the answer is 'No' unless I consider the TeleVue 8-24 zoom. My EP collection has been based on my 8" Orion VX8 and my 12" Dob . I use in these scope a 20mm Myraid and 13mm Ethos. Since buying the Heritage I have thought about getting something around the 15/16mm range. I have thought about the ES68 16mm EP.

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Yes I'm considering something too- I'm going to try a hvy 12.5mm widefield to see how it is- at 18 oz it de collimated the scope enough to prevent Epsilon Lyrae from splitting though. With other scopes I have used surprising mag on the Merope.

The interior of the Pleiades is jet black, beautiful really, intermixed with the glow of the other stars nebs and then the finger like glows subtly interrupting the blackness . The Merope itself will extend into the outer neb glow.

Eagerly waiting further reports on the Merope as well as the Pleiades and its "bubble"!

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