Getting ready for galaxy season ...

[alanjgreen]

In preparation for the upcoming "galaxy season", I have been busy re-organising my eyepieces across my eyepiece boxes.

I am expecting to be using a mix of traditional and a-focal night vision observing. Therefore, I have put together a "mixed" case of eyepieces. There is a little space remaining just in case I need to swap in a couple more (but I don't tend to go outside will all my eyepieces in one go as they only get cold and unuseable, I prefer to leave a couple inside for a mid-session warm eyepiece swap-in!

I have also created a new Sky Safari "brightest galaxies" observing list so I can target these larger/brighter galaxies with the night vision to hopefully tease out some views of unseen spiral arms? (most likely with the 55mm TeleVus Plossl) as focal speed is key to getting the arms. I may need to swap in the TeleVue Panoptic 27mm for more scale (but we will see)...

[Here is the Sky Safari Observing List that I will be using  Galaxy High Brightness.skylist  should you wish to try it too…(you can import it into your Sky Safari - just email it to yourself then when you try to open the file in the email app it should offer you the chance to "open with Sky Safari") ]

Having learned last year that night vision is not much help on the smaller galaxies (they just get overpowered by the super bright galaxy cores), I have the TeleVue Ethos 21, 13, 10 ready for some "traditional viewing" (with the option of swapping in the Ethos 8 as needed) on the smaller galaxies. I am eagerly awaiting the heavenly widefield views of endless galaxies as seen in Leo with the Ethos21 and the big dob!

Last year turned out to be a "Supernova Marathon" with seemingly weekly supernovas occuring over the UK (and I managed to bag EIGHT of them with the Big Dob).

1. NGC 3941 - SN2018pv
2. UGC 5049 - SN2018pc
3. NGC2746  - SN2018iq
4. NGC3367 - SN2018kp
5. NGC6217 - SN2018gj
6. NGC3158 - SN2018aaz
7. NGC2146 - SN2018zd
8. NGC4151 - SN2018aoq

I can't see that happening two years running but I did bag SN AT2018ivc (in M77) on December 1st. Tonight I will be targeting SN2019np in NGC3254 so here's hoping...

Either way, I will need a good supply of clear sky, so lets hope our luck is in.

Wishing you the best for Galaxy season,

Alan

 

[niallk]

Nice 

My prep will be giving my mirror a wash,  giving the EPs a clean, then praying for the permacloud to shift on some other nights than those with a full moon!  It has been a desperately dissapointing last couple of months for getting the scope out here for me.

[Paul73]

You’ve certainly got the gear to go fuzzy hoovering!

Coma was chasing Leo high in the sky when I finally called it quits about 3am on Tues morning. That is when I realised that I need to go shopping big time. Whilst my attempt to get by with just a set of TV Plossls was financially a very good idea, taking a decent sized Dob to play in the spring galaxy fields without something big & wide in the focuser, just isn’t right.

Here is hoping that the weather plays ball. And, good luck with the Supernova in NGC3254. My attempt on Monday night was inconclusive as I forgot to take a decent image with me to compare against.

Paul

[alanjgreen]

10 hours ago, niallk said:

Nice 

My prep will be giving my mirror a wash,  giving the EPs a clean, then praying for the permacloud to shift on some other nights than those with a full moon!  It has been a desperately dissapointing last couple of months for getting the scope out here for me.

Beat you to it!

[alanjgreen]

8 hours ago, Paul73 said:

Here is hoping that the weather plays ball. And, good luck with the Supernova in NGC3254. My attempt on Monday night was inconclusive as I forgot to take a decent image with me to compare against.

Paul

Yep, I bagged it

 

[RobertI]

You’ve inspired me to get my EAA setup ready for galaxy season. The RC6@F4.5 + Lodestar gives a lovely FOV for brighter galaxies and fainter groups and clusters, and there’s a limitless supply of them. ?

[estwing]

Off to get some vodka for galaxy season....

[bish]

11 hours ago, estwing said:

Off to get some vodka for galaxy season....

Just don"t let any observing get in the way of a good drinking session?

[Paul73]

1 hour ago, bish said:

Just don"t let any observing get in the way of a good drinking session?

Got to keep the cold out somehow!