Mixed Fortunes Over Two Sessions

[cloudsweeper]

1. Tues. evening, 7.40 - 9.30, 10" Bresser Dob.  I wanted to crack Beta 265 Aql, a double, 1.4" separation.  From Okab, it was a successful hop to target, but twice, on raising the mag, I lost it - gentle nudging wasn't very easy, likewise tracking.

Frustrated, I decided to go for favourites by just aiming at the location rather than hopping.  Easy when they are not just stars.  Double Cluster - brilliant!  The Dob (cool, collimated) showed very good detail here - and it's a target you can just "get lost" in.  x64, with the 100 deg Myriad.  M13 Her likewise - good detail / resolution.  M92 Her (another glob) - took this up to x212 - smaller, denser than M13.

No new ground broken then, but still an enjoyable outing under clear skies.

2. Weds. morning, 6.00 - 6.30, ED80 frac on GoTo.  Moon, waning gibbous, high, and still away from trees in the west, so out came the little frac - cooling not really an issue.  There were a few stars still about, the Moon was not too bright, much detail evident, good conditions!  I concentrated on the close "big three" of Theophilus, Cyrillus, and Catharina, plus the smaller Maedler to the east, above M. Nectaris.  Going from x24 up to x160, Theophilus's central peaks and terraced walls were very clear, with only a little shadow.  I Barlowed up to x320 - still clear, quite stable, but better on dropping back to x240, with great detail in the terraces and five central peaks on show.  Also a distinct small pit in the crater floor to the SW.

So - nearly 2.5 hours of pleasure, despite failing to crack the primary target!

Doug.

[Trikeflyer]

Sounds like a good session even it didn’t quite turn out how you expected. I find it’s very easy for me to lose a couple of hours looking at the moon with a scope. Somehow it just seems to draw me in. 

Great report. Thanks for posting. 

Steve