Observing during almost full/full moon

[Brushman]

I have my first ever scope and I'm incredibly excited - a 10" dob. 

I had my first viewing session last night, (which consisted mainly of collimation and finder scope alignment!) and I had my first practical lesson on the impact of a very bright moon...

Very basic question, but during these phases where the moon is so bright, what do you all typically look at? DSO's are impossible to reach I believe... is it mostly just the moon itself? 

I'm itching to get back out, despite the bright moon. 

[Stu]

The moon is actually not so interesting when full because there is no contrasty terminator to look at. If anything, doubles are a safe bet when the moon is full, and try to observe as far away from the moon as you can. Open clusters and globs tend to stand up better than the faint stuff like galaxies and nebulae which have very low surface brightness.

Enjoy your scope!

[Peter Drew]

Using your first ever telescope is going to give you years of exploring the Moon, so much detail, more than any other object and always changing in appearance due to variable illuminaton. Brighter double stars are still available and planets actually benefit from moonlight by the reduction of their glare. There is at least a week each month with no obvious Moon.    ?

[Nyctimene]

Learn to appreciate the moon on its own. It's the celestial body closest to us, and displays a wealth of beautiful views of geological formations. I'm mostly a DSO observer, but this evening I'll go out and have a look at the Aristarch region still close to the terminator (the light-shadow separation border). You may try to start with the Lunar 100 observation challenge, have a look here:

http://www.astrospider.com/Lunar100list.htm

Observing the Moon for me is complementary to DSO observing, so I can always make a good use of clear nights. And if you insist on DSO's - look at double  or multiple stars, coloured stars (R Leporis, the "Vampire star" is still in reach), open clusters, globular clusters, asterisms, brighter planetary nebulas (the "Eskimo nebula" in Gemini is high up now), planets, minor planets; Iridium flashes.... so much to discover!

Enjoy the journey, and - start an astro diary; very rewarding.

Stephan

[NGC 1502]

 

Some good advice already given. I’d like to add my own thoughts about observing double and multiple stars.

The whole sky is stuffed with doubles of many types. Some are colour contrast doubles, some easier or more difficult to split (getting a “split” is resolving the stars into their individual components).  Doubles can be well observed under light polluted skies or as already said with a bright moon around, even in summer when it never gets fully dark. 

Some doubles are line of sight, that is they just happen to be in almost the same location on the sky but at a very different distance - these are called optical doubles.

A lot of science can be learned when studying the subject of double stars.

Fully recommended ?, Ed.

 

[Tim]

I like star clusters when it is too bright for anything else, there are loads, catalogued as NGC xxxx in many cases.

[pjsmith_6198]

When the Moon is too bright for most DSO's, I like to observe asteroids.  For this I need a detailed star chart print from a planetarium program such as Starry Nights.   That will identify the asteroid in my EP FOV.   The are always asteroids magnitudes 8 to 10 to observe. 

 I was checking Starry Nights what is bright now and discovered that tonight (US) the  Moon will pass pass 0.6 degrees south of M44.   I'm sure that would be occulting stars and very cool to see.    Unfortunately, it's going to be cloudy where I am.    Here is  StarryNight  chart of that.     It's near the asteroid Julia.   

Here is a partial list of asteroids, their magnitudes, and constellation that are viewable now.

Juno - 8.16 - Taurus
Hebe - 8.64 - Orion
Eros - 8.61 - Orion
Eleonora - 10.11 - Orion
Sappho - 11.05 - Orion
Themis -10.71 -  Gemini
Hamburga - 11.5 - Gemini - near Kappa Gem
Bamberga - 10.32 - Gemini - 
Argentina - 12.42 - Gemini
Antigone -10.66 - Leo
Dembowska - 10.06
Herculina - 8.47 - Leo
Isis - 11.42 - Leo
Kreusa - 11.134 - Leo
Julia - 10.24 -  Cancer
Aemilia - 11.67 - Cancer
Niobe - 11.67 -Auriga 

 

Phil

 

Moon_M44_2_17_2019.pdf

[Marvin Jenkins]

I am relatively new to astronomy, just under a year and a half and looked back at the first entry in my diary. My first night I had it completely the other way with a new moon. I was ‘according to the entry’, bitterly disappointed as I was really looking forward to seeing the lunar surface.

Once in the waining phase the detail through your dob should be fantastic. The way I looked at was, it’s all new so seeing anything is exciting.