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Comfortably numb 13/1/18

domstar

By domstar
in Observing - Reports

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domstar

domstar

Posted
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So many weeks without a window of clear sky and at last an opportunity on Saturday. My wife was out so firstly she made no demands on my sparkling conversation and secondly I could turn all the lights off. After an Autumn peering through the moist air, tonight's winter air was clear, crisp and beautiful. The few clouds just made the sky look all the blacker. I was on the balcony, of course, as it was too cold to have no shelter and the kids needed a presence at home but Orion was stretched out in front of me.

Actually, at first there were clouds in Orion so I pointed at M74 in Pisces. My fourth serious assault on this elusive target and YES. The sky was so clear I caught a fleeting glimpse, out of the corner of my eye. I cannot put my finger on it now. (apologies but that's what came to mind). So very very faint but a later check on stellarium confirmed it and I'm sure of it. I tried it again a couple of hours later and my lack of success made me sure that I had actually seen it.

Then to Orion. I split Alnitak for the first time but mostly I just took the well trodden path of the nebula, Sigma and M78. Four trapezium stars were clear at 30x and my Aero 30mm found M78 so easily. I think the star of the show was my new 20mm starguider. I'd never seen M 42 so beautiful before. It's the perfect object to show how taking your time allows objects to slowly reveal themselves. The longer I looked, the more detail I saw. Then a detour to Beta Monocerotis. Far superior to Sigma Orionis but still a challenge for me to find and then split.

I usually think it's best to finish before I'm completely gazed-out so I packed up with freezing feet and took a small glass of whisky on the balcony for ten minutes of naked eye. Is there a more spectacular naked eye sight than Orion?  The clarity of the sky and the peace of a cold dark night were amazing.

Thanks for reading.

 

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Stu

Stu

Posted
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52 minutes ago, domstar said:

I caught a fleeting glimpse, out of the corner of my eye.

I see what you did there, great song :)

Nice report, Orion is fab; Sigma Orionis one of my favourites. M74 is a tricky little so and so isn't it? ;)

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Knighty2112

Knighty2112

Posted
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1 hour ago, domstar said:

So many weeks without a window of clear sky and at last an opportunity on Saturday. My wife was out so firstly she made no demands on my sparkling conversation and secondly I could turn all the lights off. After an Autumn peering through the moist air, tonight's winter air was clear, crisp and beautiful. The few clouds just made the sky look all the blacker. I was on the balcony, of course, as it was too cold to have no shelter and the kids needed a presence at home but Orion was stretched out in front of me.

Actually, at first there were clouds in Orion so I pointed at M74 in Pisces. My fourth serious assault on this elusive target and YES. The sky was so clear I caught a fleeting glimpse, out of the corner of my eye. I cannot put my finger on it now. (apologies but that's what came to mind). So very very faint but a later check on stellarium confirmed it and I'm sure of it. I tried it again a couple of hours later and my lack of success made me sure that I had actually seen it.

Then to Orion. I split Alnitak for the first time but mostly I just took the well trodden path of the nebula, Sigma and M78. Four trapezium stars were clear at 30x and my Aero 30mm found M78 so easily. I think the star of the show was my new 20mm starguider. I'd never seen M 42 so beautiful before. It's the perfect object to show how taking your time allows objects to slowly reveal themselves. The longer I looked, the more detail I saw. Then a detour to Beta Monocerotis. Far superior to Sigma Orionis but still a challenge for me to find and then split.

I usually think it's best to finish before I'm completely gazed-out so I packed up with freezing feet and took a small glass of whisky on the balcony for ten minutes of naked eye. Is there a more spectacular naked eye sight than Orion?  The clarity of the sky and the peace of a cold dark night were amazing.

Thanks for reading.

 

Yeah, sometimes astronomy is like whacking your head against a ‘wall’ sometimes. Nice to be able to peer past the bricks sometimes with a cold, steel rail.....er, telescope! ;) 

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DHEB

DHEB

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Posted
On 2018-01-15 at 18:19, domstar said:

The sky was so clear I caught a fleeting glimpse, out of the corner of my eye. I cannot put my finger on it now. (apologies but that's what came to mind).

I know exactly what you mean, speaking of M74.


And a great song, too:happy11:
 

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DHEB

DHEB

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19 hours ago, Littleguy80 said:

Great report. I've been in the vicinity of M74 several times when star hopping my way to Uranus. I'll have to see if I can spot it next time I'm out.

You need a very dark sky, or a big scope. Preferably both.

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Stu

Stu

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8 minutes ago, Cinco Sauces said:

You need a very dark sky, or a big scope. Preferably both.

Dark sky being more important, I've spotted it in 15x50 binos at a dark site, quite few years ago now.

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DHEB

DHEB

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5 minutes ago, Stu said:

Dark sky being more important, I've spotted it in 15x50 binos at a dark site, quite few years ago now.

Very true. Mechain did indeed have a modest telescope by todays means but managed to see it anyway.

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domstar

domstar

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I hope I haven't jumped the gun on M74. I'm 95 percent sure. My balcony isn't the darkest site in the world but the transparency was something to behold and M74 was placed in the darkest part of the sky. Kullat Nunu- the star near it- was directly clear at 3.80 mag. I've spent well over an hour cumulatively since November trying to will it into existence- tougher than the Hamburger galaxy. It was even less there than M1 in my Skylux 70mm. I didn't think anything could be so invisible but just about visible- a bit like predator. 

Anyway, I hope I'm not deluded but I'm claiming it.

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Stu

Stu

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2 hours ago, domstar said:

Anyway, I hope I'm not deluded but I'm claiming it.

I'm sure you are right Dom. If you said it was in your face then I'd be doubtful, but the descriptions seem right so it's all good :) 

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