Observing report 18-04-2018

[Chefgage]

Checked the clear skies app yesterday morning and it was showing zero cloud for my location from about 7pm onwards.  Decided as i had not been out observing for a good couple of months i decided to get the 8" dob ready for action.  I had been told by my daughter that according to twitter aliens would be visiting earth that night.  So it seemed a good time as any to go out with a telescope and see if i could see any.  Well i did not see any aliens but at around 11pm i definetly heard them.  I can now confirm to the astronomy and scientific community that the visiting aliens sounded like snuffling hedgehogs

In the light of day i now realise that it probable WAS snuffling hedgehogs

Now to be serious.

I had planned on viewing the leo triplet and M13 in Hercules.  I have really bad light pollution, so much so that often i cannot even make out the main stars of many constillations which makes star hopping very difficult.  With a few mods to the dob such as an inclimoniter, digital rotary encoder and using sky safari i have been able to overcome this.

But last night i wanted to go back to using my rigel quick finder and finderscope to actually do some star hopping rather than relying on the push to method. 

After getting my eyes used to the dark (as it was) i could just make out Zosma and Chertan in leo.  I could then move the finderscope so that Chertan and l Leo were in the field of view.  I knew that the leo triplet lies beteen these two stars so by then using a low magnification eye piece I could just make out M65 and M66. I could not make out NGC3628.  But I was very happy that i had managed to see both the others in the FOV.

I then moved onto M13 but this proved almost impossible as i could hardly make out any stars in Hercules.  The north east direction from my location has a light glow in the sky pretty much all year round.  I have manged to see M13 before using the push to method but tonight was not about that.

So i finished up with a quick look at the M3 globular cluster which was fairly difficult to locate as well.

After packing up i noticed jupitor had risen enough that i could have observed it (i thought it would not be visible at that hour due to a house and fence in the way) but at that point i didnt feel like getting the scope back out again.

So overall i am happy that i located the leo triplet (or at least two of them) by star hopping.

[Littleguy80]

Very entertaining report. I think I’ve got a couple of Aliens in my garden too  The Leo triplet with light pollution that bad is a great achievement! I really enjoy the challenge of finding objects too. I enjoy that almost as much as seeing the objects themselves.

[Demonperformer]

Well done on both finding and seeing these. Star-hopping is a skill that does get easier with practice, although I still prefer to let the computer do it for me and spend time observing/imaging rather than finding.

But, if "the hunt" is all part of the fun for you, that's great too.

[Chefgage]

7 minutes ago, Demonperformer said:

Well done on both finding and seeing these. Star-hopping is a skill that does get easier with practice, although I still prefer to let the computer do it for me and spend time observing/imaging rather than finding.

But, if "the hunt" is all part of the fun for you, that's great too.

I am basically trying to do a bit of both.  I try to star hop wherever possible but sometimes this cannot be done.  This is where i let the technology take over and use my push to system.

[MarsG76]

52 minutes ago, Chefgage said:

just make out M65 and M66. I could not make out NGC3628.

Nice quickie session... M65 & M66 are objects that do need a relatively dark sky to see, especially N3628. By your report, it sounds like there might have been a bit of LP perhaps.

[MarsG76]

55 minutes ago, Chefgage said:

Well i did not see any aliens

Perhaps magnification was too low? ha ha... I had an "alien" from the FES (Feline Explotaroty System) jump on my guiding scope while exposing and totally stuffed a 15minute sub.... and set PHD to go a bit crazy fora while...

[Chefgage]

19 minutes ago, MarsG76 said:

Nice quickie session... M65 & M66 are objects that do need a relatively dark sky to see, especially N3628. By your report, it sounds like there might have been a bit of LP perhaps.

M65 and M6 were definetly there, very faint mind even when using averted vision.  There is quite alot of light pollution in my area.  I keep telling myself to be not too ambitious and be happy with what i can actually see.

[Chefgage]

23 minutes ago, MarsG76 said:

Perhaps magnification was too low? ha ha... I had an "alien" from the FES (Feline Explotaroty System) jump on my guiding scope while exposing and totally stuffed a 15minute sub.... and set PHD to go a bit crazy fora while...

I have had one of them FES's I was looking through the eye piece when the FES came around the back of the garage and onto the driveway where i was observing.  This must of been its usually patrol route and did not expect to see someone at that hour  and at that point shot off bouncing of the fence it sounded like.

[MarsG76]

5 minutes ago, Chefgage said:

M65 and M6 were definetly there, very faint mind even when using averted vision.  There is quite alot of light pollution in my area.  I keep telling myself to be not too ambitious and be happy with what i can actually see.

The thing with observing is that the sky darkness does change time to time within reason. There are times where the sky is so bright that I can barely make out the constellations, but other times where the milky way is bright and obvious with direct vision, the time when DSO observation is amazing. and I'm not talking Full vs New moon either.

What Im saying is, stick with it, and see how dark the sky can get in your locations, even if its a rare occurrence.

 

[MarsG76]

3 minutes ago, Chefgage said:

I have had one of them FES's I was looking through the eye piece when the FES came around the back of the garage and onto the driveway where i was observing.  This must of been its usually patrol route and did not expect to see someone at that hour  and at that point shot off bouncing of the fence it sounded like.

BUA HAHAHA... sounds like the FES invasion squad blew their cover.. the element of surprise back fired.. or bounced of the fence... HAHA

 

[Chefgage]

3 minutes ago, MarsG76 said:

The thing with observing is that the sky darkness does change time to time within reason. There are times where the sky is so bright that I can barely make out the constellations, but other times where the milky way is bright and obvious with direct vision, the time when DSO observation is amazing. and I'm not talking Full vs New moon either.

What Im saying is, stick with it, and see how dark the sky can get in your locations, even if its a rare occurrence.

 

It wont put me off i can guarantee that.  As you have said i have observed a varying sky from my location.  To be honest last night wasnt as bad as i have seen it in the past.  I have also seen alot better  

[MarsG76]

7 minutes ago, Chefgage said:

It wont put me off i can guarantee that.  As you have said i have observed a varying sky from my location.  To be honest last night wasnt as bad as i have seen it in the past.  I have also seen alot better  

Thats like 90% of us.. there will always be better and worse conditions.