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NGC891


jetstream

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Dec 27 offered a much different level of transparency than today with the 18" of snow that fell (is falling). The 27'th was a super night of dark transparent skies so out went the 24". I finally received the 8mm Delos and also a Baader pushfix and the TV in travel adapter. Both work very well.

I had a good view of NGC 891 a while back so I figured to try again with it at zenith. This galaxy gives up a massive central lane and the 17.3 Delos gives a great bright view in the dob, with the central large "core" showing well. As the mag was upped a truly unique view appeared and with the 8 Delos @360x  the outer galaxy was dimmed but the inner core split into 2 large bright sections, very very similar to the Cheeseburger Pn, NGC 7026.  This is quite a sight.

The Delos series perform so well, so comfortably on these DSO, their transmission is apparent as is the contrast.

Over to M42 and I can say this is the first time that I definitively see blue around the core, intermixed with green and also faint pink at the edges as well as under the wings. The 17.3 Delos gives such a bright,clear, pure view on this object- but boy did it wreck my dark adaptation...

M33 is showing more and more spirals now, much different than the skewed "S" of before. The Docter and 10 Delos really worked here.

As far as sky conditions rating- I could see the HH unfiltered in the dob, no more needs to be said really.

Thanks for reading, Ger

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7 hours ago, alan potts said:

Nice report Gerry, have you tried the extended alphabet on the the trapezium yet H G etc.

Alan

Thanks Alan, yes I've seen the extra 2 inner stars at times and another session revealed a star just outside the trap which I think to be H1 or H2. I find these stars to be seeing and mag sensitive and the odd time that great seeing and transparency coincide sure helps on these stars. The 17.3 Delos with the Paracor II is a big asset in this telescope on the trap under avg conditions and under better ones the Docter 12.5mm/10 Delos/orthos are the ticket.

I'm puzzled why there is not more consistent views of these fainter stars, it must be seeing and or cooling issues. Have you noticed this Alan?

Edited by jetstream
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2 hours ago, jetstream said:

Thanks Alan, yes I've seen the extra 2 inner stars at times and another session revealed a star just outside the trap which I think to be H1 or H2. I find these stars to be seeing and mag sensitive and the odd time that great seeing and transparency coincide sure helps on these stars. The 17.3 Delos with the Paracor II is a big asset in this telescope on the trap under avg conditions and under better ones the Docter 12.5mm/10 Delos/orthos are the ticket.

I'm puzzled why there is not more consistent views of these fainter stars, it must be seeing and or cooling issues. Have you noticed this Alan?

Great to hear, never seen them myself even though I tried a good few times, there is H1 and 2 and I believe, I 1 & 2, though I am sure these are very difficult but worth trying for. I firmly feel all of these E&F are Mag and seeing sensitive, though on the brighter ones more mag I feel. Personally I have always found E and F fairly straight forward, even with my 115mm APO. Few people seem to have seen G and H even though they are within the compass of my 18 inch. This I must get out again, I stopped using it completely due to firstly not being able to go out in the very cold because of a prostate problem and I just got out of using it in favour of photography. Now I have had an operation and recovered the cold is not an issue, must get it out, seems a shame and waste not to.

Alan

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1 hour ago, alan potts said:

Few people seem to have seen G and H even though they are within the compass of my 18 inch

Glad you are feeling better Alan and I eagerly wait reports.

I see G and H at times but honestly I don't focus my efforts on this kind of thing. I get so mesmerized by the core of M42 that much is overlooked. Another great object is the Running Man figure, out in full stride the other night. The 24" does really well on PN so this has now become a favorite set to obs and bright galaxies.

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An excellent target if conditions are good. It can seem as if a black marker pen has been dragged across the centre!

I have looked at the trap a few times tbh there's more interesting things to focus on with a big dob...clear skies!

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Great report Gerry! :)

I was out with my dob on the 30th Dec. Really pleased with the views of M42 and other targets.

Also glad to hear that the pushfix adapter is working well with you.

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5 hours ago, Piero said:

Great report Gerry! :)

I was out with my dob on the 30th Dec. Really pleased with the views of M42 and other targets.

Also glad to hear that the pushfix adapter is working well with you.

Thanks Piero!

The Pushfix works VG and so does the Docter at f4.1 now, excellent actually. Also, the TV intravel adapter is perfect for the 17.3mm Delos. All in all a 6-7 week wait to get them lol!

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Good report! I'll have to live vicariously through observation reports for some time,  virtually no chance of me getting to a dark site for a while, maybe February. Argh! Just got a pair of new low magnification eyepieces at last for the binoviewer and a proper dew control system as well. Hey ho...

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NGC891 has to be up there as one of the best to view. One of my personal favourites and I think the star hop from almach is burnt into my brain. 

Had some excellent views over the years, transparency is a must as it really gives up loads of fine detail when the conditions are right. Our skies over here are rarely that good though. 

The 22" picks up all the faint outer regions, I imagine the 24" and better skies is mind blowing. 

Nice read Gerry thanks.

 

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52 minutes ago, mapstar said:

NGC891 has to be up there as one of the best to view. One of my personal favourites and I think the star hop from almach is burnt into my brain. 

Had some excellent views over the years, transparency is a must as it really gives up loads of fine detail when the conditions are right. Our skies over here are rarely that good though. 

The 22" picks up all the faint outer regions, I imagine the 24" and better skies is mind blowing. 

Nice read Gerry thanks.

 

Thanks Damian, these larger dobs do show a lot more in a lot of objects for sure and I eagerly wait for your reports!

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15 hours ago, jetstream said:

Thanks Damian, these larger dobs do show a lot more in a lot of objects for sure and I eagerly wait for your reports!

 Me too, due to work and other commitments I'm struggling to get out. Looking at the coming forecast we have a week of cloud!! But I'm surprised it's not clear being near full moon.

  I've not even wrote a report for the Galloway Autumn star party I attended, although the transparency wasn't anything like what I've seen it in the past up there.  

 Eternal cloud and barmy high temperatures for January? Weather is a bit odd at present?

 Hopefully the end of the month will show some clear skies for the new moon 😉

 

 

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3 hours ago, mapstar said:

Eternal cloud and barmy high temperatures for January? Weather is a bit odd at present?

Here too, my weather has been cloudy/rainy/snow etc for over a year... I used to observe for weeks at a time in the fall and winter. Clouds again today and the forecast is the same for 10 days. That'l teach me to buy a big dob lol!

Unusually there will be an odd unforecast very clear night here and there and I then go running to wheel the scope out. Astronomy has been forced to the backburner for me, but nothing will take my passion to "look up" away.

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It was an interesting and welcome read Gerry. I think that we are all in the same boat. The best part of two weeks off, beginning with the new moon period when only at the start of new year did I gain one hour lunar observing, which I was thankful for, until the cloud moved back in. Had been cold and clear new years eve but also a lot of moisture. Look forward to your next deep sky report, hopefully later this month.   

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