Cold but clear!!

[Paul73]

Just popped in for a cuppa and a warm up. It is pigging cold with ice all over the scope.

4 layers, electric hand warmer neoprene lined boots (with extra socks) and Marino long johns! Not to mention a hat that looks like I’ve got an Ewok squatting on my head. I should be warmer. What a great night.

Highlights so far:

M35 and  ngc2158 clusters - Bright razzmatazz M35 cluster with the understated little 2158 in attendance.

NGC2244 open cluster in the middle of the (invisible) Rosette nebula in Monoceros. Sparce but almost 3D. An eyepiece full of gems.

M64 - It really does have a black eye! Big, textured elongated.

NGC4565 - Needle Galaxy, long long and thin with a bright bulbous core (can’t see the dark eye of the needle though.

Back out for a final stint. Some globs and more galaxies ???. The Antenna galaxies and a Whale are top of the list.

Paul

[Paul73]

It has suddenly got damp. Finderscope objective iced over. A few mins with the camping hair drier sorted that out. Eyepiece misted over. Swapped that out. And admired the pleasing ice pattern on the Dob. Did a lightning raid on the Sombrero galaxies and the Leo triplet; and am now calling it a night!

You can’t beat a bit of aperture on a moonless night! 16” doesn’t seem very big nowadays, but the views are terrific.

Now for some sleep.

Paul

[niallk]

Great report + impressively iced up scope! I love the Needle and the Sombrero - haven't seen the Antennae though.  I haven't had the opportunity to get out in ages due to the weather - but ever hopeful

[Paul73]

I failed on the Antena galaxies. They had hidden behind an inconvenient tree and probably a bit low given the murky damp conditions.

My new diy Dob Trolley makes it easy to get out observing. I was using all sorts of excuses not to get out there when I was risking a hernia every time I got the scope out!

Paul

[John]

Great report Paul

I was out with my 12 inch dob as well last night. I packed in around 1:00 am but there was no ice here at that point. Heavy frost this morning though.

 

 

[alan potts]

Nice report Paul, it has to be cold to do that, here it is strangely warm but as for clear wise, it's been awful for ages. Zero clear skies in Jan, last year 18 and Feb 15. The mornings have been a clear a few times with some very still skies but in truth I have too much to do to bother with scopes at wakeup time.

 

[Eastman]

On ‎31‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 04:40, Paul73 said:

M35 and  ngc2158 clusters - Bright razzmatazz M35 cluster with the understated little 2158 in attendance.

Nice report, deep vrozen telescope!

I do like M35 and his companion, but a buddy had to tell me a couple of years ago, I never knew. Now I know I see them clearly.