Refractor Night (below) Carter Pike

[scarp15]

Lying close to the Scottish border, there is an upland nature reserve of blanket bog and heather heaths. Noted for its wildlife, it is remote and void of people, walking underfoot can be rough going. A perfect place for an adventure stargazing trip.

Establishing camp amongst a grouping of glacial boulders, a Merlin hovered overhead. Eagerly awaiting the sky to darken, I aligned the finder with Venus.

The effort required to haul my refractor to this remote spot was looking like it might be worth it and the evening commenced with a look at the Pleiades, Double Cluster, Stock 2, before aligning onto M37. A little west is the dark nebula Barnard34, barely discernible, it is small in scale and is more a thin veil, not quite blotting out background stars that other typical dark nebulae characteristically imply. Not much to look at but framed at low power in the field of view with M37 is interesting. I was concerned that the prevailing wind that was blowing from the east seemed to be bringing with it some mist. therefore aligned in the south and south west, attaching a H-beta filter and 41mm Panoptic, I was able with certainty to follow the curvature of Barnard's Loop as far as Alnitak. Afterwards looking at the California Nebula, by comparison appeared quite bright and fulsome.  

Following on from this and with no filter and a 21 Ethos, I skimmed through a number of open clusters in Perseus such as NGC 1528. Attaching an OIII filter focused on M42 and then went in search for the Fossil Footprint Nebula NGC 1491 and this is when everything started to go wrong. I had seen this object before, but not in my refractor, however I could see no trace of it. Nor could I find M97 the Owl Nebula or M1 the Crab Nebula. Whilst the core stars were bright (based on my dark sky location) a mist had spread across and a quick glance at the Beehive cluster confirmed this.

I retired to the tent for a hot chocolate and after which it looked like conditions had improved. The truth is transparency conditions remained variable and finally a thin film of ice had started to form on my refractor and misting the lens. With no heater facility, at 10.30pm - that was it. However when circumstances were good, I took some SQM-L readings averaging at 21.53. Had I been able to continue with the session later and had transparency conditions stabilised it would not surprise to perhaps gain to 21.7mag.  

It was quite a trip, not sure that I would take a refractor again, binoculars are much easier.

Here are some pictures of my story.

Take care everyone.

 Home for the night

 

 

 

[Ciaran Meier]

Hiking, camping and astronomy: Sorted. 

[Ships and Stars]

That looks excellent! Remote and high up. 21.53 is pretty good too. Kudos for taking your scope 'offroad' wild camping. The tripod looks to be the heaviest/bulkiest bit, but perhaps the scope edges it in the weight department?

You've a goose down bag I take it? I've an Alpkit down bag, my second one, had really good luck with them.

I really want to try for Barnard's Loop with Hb filter and my 42mm Revelation or 31mm Baader after reading your reports.

Nice one!

 

[Craney]

Good kit all round.   That looks like a Tarptent from the States. Quality.

Any issues with condensation ??       (  even the prospect of lugging a car battery up there would finish many of us !!!! )

 

Well done.

 

[scarp15]

6 hours ago, Ships and Stars said:

That looks excellent! Remote and high up. 21.53 is pretty good too. Kudos for taking your scope 'offroad' wild camping. The tripod looks to be the heaviest/bulkiest bit, but perhaps the scope edges it in the weight department?

You've a goose down bag I take it? I've an Alpkit down bag, my second one, had really good luck with them.

I really want to try for Barnard's Loop with Hb filter and my 42mm Revelation or 31mm Baader after reading your reports.

Nice one!

 

The tripod is a Berlebach Report 327 model, it is one of the lighter versions and very suited at damping vibration for the smaller refractor. I have a Berlebach shoulder, carry bag which was just fine along with my rucksack. Basically using what I have, at one time I would carry the refractor equipment to an allotment space to observe, a short walk from home, this was quite a bit more of a commitment certainly. After exploring the area last summer, I knew where I was going to camp and where to access water, so it was just a case of pacing the distance with a fairly heavy pack load. 

Sleeping bags, crikey, I was trying to tally up the other day how many are still in the house. My daughter had taken two with her when she started Uni to use at her pad and leave elsewhere, two or three had been sold, I think there are still about eight or nine. Rab and PHD are my favourite sleeping bag makers. I still have good condition down bags with polycotton inners, that were used decades ago in the Alps. Yes goose down constitute the most used ones, I have a core of three; summer weight, two plus season and three plus season, then there are a plethora of liners to bolster the temp rating further. The bag I took on this trip is a Rab 600, combined with a liner, It  did OK as the temp dropped away sharply during the night with ice formed on the tent in the morning and a frozen water bottle to contend with.

Barnard's Loop, you will get it Robert with that equipment you mention and your observing conditions, its a difficult subject, but like many of these things gets to be easier with practice and familiarity.

Edited March 24, 2020 by scarp15
Correction

[scarp15]

2 hours ago, Craney said:

Good kit all round.   That looks like a Tarptent from the States. Quality.

Any issues with condensation ??       (  even the prospect of lugging a car battery up there would finish many of us !!!! )

 

Well done.

 

Cheers, Yes Henry Shires; Tarptent, ordered direct from the company in the states a good few years ago. I have used many single hoop tent designs, this is my favourite, it had replaced a Hilleberg Akto. Its a Scarp 1 (no relation), I have a Scarp 2 version so far unused and is palatial internally, meant as a replacement to a very old Bob Saunders Spacepacker Plus also a two person tent. Innovative designs in silnylon and condensation is effectively managed, venting is excellent, I had no inner condensation issues this morning despite a hard frost and ice forming everywhere else. The prices are reasonable despite the UK import duty, communication with enquiry's, questions and advice with Henry is excellent. 

Yep car battery would require a pack mule.

[Littleguy80]

Great report and pictures, Iain. Excellent result with Barnard’s loop in your refractor. I’m yet to try for this in mine although I did get some great views of it in my dob.
Looks like you times your trip perfectly with tonight’s news. A lovely escape from the real world. 

[scarp15]

37 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

Great report and pictures, Iain. Excellent result with Barnard’s loop in your refractor. I’m yet to try for this in mine although I did get some great views of it in my dob.
Looks like you times your trip perfectly with tonight’s news. A lovely escape from the real world. 

Thanks Neil and yes back to reality with a thud, it will be certainly something to cherish. 

4 hours ago, Ciaran Meier said:

Hiking, camping and astronomy: Sorted. 

Cheers definitely, concerning the severe implications in the news, could be into autumn before this combination is realised once more.

[Captain Scarlet]

A Merlin (which I’ve only ever seen once), camping out in the field, and 21.6++ skies at night. What could be better for the soul?

Really enjoyed reading.

Magnus

[scarp15]

1 hour ago, Captain Magenta said:

A Merlin (which I’ve only ever seen once), camping out in the field, and 21.6++ skies at night. What could be better for the soul?

Really enjoyed reading.

Magnus

Thanks Magnus, the incentive for astronomy was the motivation for getting out there, the spiritual connection, being still, aware of the wildlife and breathing in the pure air makes it whole.

The reserve, Whitelee Moor is noted for Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Hen harrier.

 

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by scarp15