Tonights planned Observing

[Dave1]

Well as Orion is so well placed in the night sky for me at the moment, I will be attempting to view both Stars E and F in the trapezium in the Orion nebular with my 80mm F15. Any other suggestions as what to view in the direction of Orion? Or that part of the sky? I will pull out my planisphere and see if there is any planets for me to view  

Dave

[Hayduke27]

If you are going to be spending time at Orion, I'd suggest trying to split Rigel (the companion star is much fainter but the spacing is pretty good.  I could see it very clearly on my last attempt).  Also, if you go up above Orion's head, toward the closest tip of Taurus' horns, there is the carbon star 119 Tau which has been a recent favorite of mine.  If you are able to slip down below Orion toward Sirius, I would highly recommend NGC 2362 and close to that is HR 2764 (or h3945), a really beautiful binary (called the Winter Albireo).  Enjoy the skies!!

[Dave1]

Thanks I will check out Rigel, I probably have in the past anyway I have just looked up Tau, and NGC 2362. I have added them to my plan. Hopefully I find them. I am old school though. I have a azimuth manual mount, so I either navigate the night sky by memory or my planisphere. 

[Stu]

Have a look at Sigma Orionis too Dave. Lovely quadruplet of stars in a wiggly row. The fourth star is quite faint and can be harder to spot. Nice test of the scope though.

[Dave1]

Will do thanks for the hint

[Hayduke27]

2 hours ago, Dave1 said:

Thanks I will check out Rigel, I probably have in the past anyway I have just looked up Tau, and NGC 2362. I have added them to my plan. Hopefully I find them. I am old school though. I have a azimuth manual mount, so I either navigate the night sky by memory or my planisphere. 

When you find NGC 2362, look just north of it and there is another star (29CMa) just about equal magnitude to the central star in the NGC making a very wide double.  If you draw a line through these stars and follow it up (north) and just a little to the right (west), they pretty much point right up to h3945, not very far away.  If you're already in that piece of sky, take a look.  It's a beauty!

[Dave1]

Right guys, here's my report. My most used eyepieces were my GSO Plossl 32mm, Kellner 25mm, Ortho 12.5mm, and Ortho 9mm. I could not see E and F in Orion trapezium. I did split Rigel, so that's one chalked up. I believe I may of seen 119 Tau, although I do believe I need to view it again to be sure. The light pollution and the placement of Canis Major, put NGC 2362 out of reach. Although I may still give it ago on another night.

I didn't get the chance, became too cold, and couldn't commit all the rest you guys mentioned to memory. So I will try to find them in another session.

Cheers

Dave

[Hayduke27]

Sounds like a pretty good night of sky exploring.  Way to go Dave.

[Saganite]

16 hours ago, Dave1 said:

Right guys, here's my report. My most used eyepieces were my GSO Plossl 32mm, Kellner 25mm, Ortho 12.5mm, and Ortho 9mm. I could not see E and F in Orion trapezium. I did split Rigel, so that's one chalked up. I believe I may of seen 119 Tau, although I do believe I need to view it again to be sure. The light pollution and the placement of Canis Major, put NGC 2362 out of reach. Although I may still give it ago on another night.

I didn't get the chance, became too cold, and couldn't commit all the rest you guys mentioned to memory. So I will try to find them in another session.

Cheers

Dave

Hi Dave,

You had a good enough session, and don't worry about the trap. stars E&F, they need pretty good 'seeing', particularly the F star. Another night you will bag them easily.

You have some very fine scopes BTW ! 

[Dave1]

Hi thanks for the compliments. Yes I like my telescopes. When the Vixen Polaris 80mm F15 arrives. I will put it to the test on Orion's trapezium, and compare the Towa side by side. The telescope that hopefully shows E and F, will chalk up a point.

You have one of my dream telescopes, the D & G 5" F15! That most put up really good views of the planets, how does it compare with your OO VX 12L?

Dave

[Dave1]

Well guys tonight i have got outside, with my Skylight 60mm, So far I have viewed Orion nebular trapezium, alas I still can't see E and F. I have also definitely split regal. I definitely viewed Sigma Orionis, in Sigma Orionis I viewed A D and E, I could not as much as I scrutinised view C in Sigma Orionis. I did split all the stars in Struve 761 A, B , and C. Best viewed in my Edmund Optics RKE 15mm.

On the Pickering scale I'd rate view between 6-7.