More Excellent Seeing

[John]

Early in the session this evening I thought that the views of Venus with my ED120 were pretty good 250x and 280x.

For the first time with this scope I've just been able to see Sirius B, the elusive "Pup" star. It's glimmering faintly and intermittently in just the right position at 257x and 300x. The glare around Sirius A is well controlled an the star is sporting a nicely defined set of diffraction rings.

This first for me with this scope after quite a few years trying on this tough target. Having seen the Pup star with my much larger 12 inch dob and my 130 triplet refractor I'm pretty confident now that I've got it with the ED120. It does help having seen the little so and so though other scopes !

Good start to the session. Looking forward to some double star and lunar observing later

[John]

The position of Sirius B corresponds to it's predicted position for 2020 on this chart:

The illustration below was made in February 2010 (by Harry Roberts, not myself, alas). Imagine the faint star to the E of Sirus A more to the NNE and with E & W reversed (refractor view) and that is a reasonable representation of the view that I'm getting during the best seeing moments:

[JeremyS]

Congrats John. Great result.

Ive been observing Venus with the Tak TSA 120. Seeing was excellent for a while when the planet was in blue sky. One of the few times I’ve ever seen the hint of dusky markings. Nice brilliant cusp caps. Was holding steady at x375 (Vixen HR 2.4mm). Also good at x 450 (HR 2.0 mm), but no more detail seen. HR 1.6 (x560) much too high.

Seeing deteriorated after 20.15 BST.

Also compared view with Vixen HR3.4 and TV Zoom set at similar FL. No doubt about it, the Vixen was clearer and sharper.

pretty pleased with the view. Nothing like what @mikeDnight would have made of it though, as I’m not much of a Venus observer 

[F15Rules]

That's a great result John!👍😀 - especially with an almost full Moon to contend with..

The very good diagram you include above shows just what I saw 3 years back through my ED103s.

Sadly, I've not seen it since, even with my FS128, due to our local micro climate. I've concluded that my best seeing here now comes in the early hours of the morning, which means I won't probably get a chance again til the autumn.

But at least I'm retired now so no worries about getting up for work the next morning!😎

Congratulations and enjoy your session tonight.

Dave

 

[John]

Thanks Jeremy and Dave,

I've just been observing Tegmine (Zeta Cancri) at 257x up to a stupid 450x - amazing with a clear split of the tighter 1.3 arc second pair all the way !

Just waiting for the Moon to clear the trees and rooftops. I'm keen to see what can be seen around that sliver of a terminator tonight.

 

 

 

[F15Rules]

16 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Also compared view with Vixen HR3.4 and TV Zoom set at similar FL. No doubt about it, the Vixen was clearer and sharper.

I only owned the Vixen HR 3.4mm for a short time Jeremy, but I honestly think it was the best high power eyepiece I've ever looked through.. it delivered 305x in the FS128, more when barlowed, and was a superb close doubles splitter👍

Dave

[John]

I'll have to try a Vixen HR sometime. For now though I'm very happy with my TV 2-4 zoom

The odd thing is that I have owned a couple of the 3-6 zooms in the past and not got on with them

 

 

[bomberbaz]

good result there, makes it all worthwhile when you get results like that. 

[Stu]

12 hours ago, John said:

Just waiting for the Moon to clear the trees and rooftops. I'm keen to see what can be seen around that sliver of a terminator tonight.

In for a treat John, it is looking good! Plenty to see, I’ve been enjoying Babbage on the southern terminator.

EDIT it was Pythagoras not Babbage! DOH!

[John]

Moon now in full view.

Fascinating detail in the thin area between the illuminated and dark surface. The Rimae Darwin and Rimae Sirsalis catch my eye where the former joins with the latter in a form of "T" junction. Rimae Sirsalis then sets off across the lunar surface for over 400 km.

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

Seeing this thread has confirmed I have picked a bad night to stay in 😔 glad you are all getting some excellent results at the eye piece. 👍

Edited April 6, 2020 by Barry-W-Fenner

[John]

Also now the Kraft Crater Chain (Catena Krafft) bridging the craters Kraft and Cardanus is showing up well. Out towards the Marius Hills is the strange bright feature, the Reiner Gamma looking like a bright tadpole with a long squiggly tail. 

 

[F15Rules]

Got the Pup!😀👍

After reading John's post about the good seeing, and his sighting of Sirius B, I decided, on impulse, to whip my FS128 out and aim it towards Sirius. I popped in my Carton 10.5mm, giving just about 99x, adjusted my fine focusing ep holder..and there it was!

The Pup was elusive, but definitely there. I knew the scope could show it, but the atmosphere had clearly settled down after yesterdays high winds, and tonight the air was very calm.

I was only outside for 10 minutes and looked only at  Sirius, low over my house roof!

Thanks, John, for the heads up!!

Dave

[Stu]

10 hours ago, John said:

Moon now in full view.

Fascinating detail in the thin area between the illuminated and dark surface. The Rimae Darwin and Rimae Sirsalis catch my eye where the former joins with the latter in a form of "T" junction. Rimae Sirsalis then sets off across the lunar surface for over 400 km.

 

Yes, those two Rimae were very nice, caught my eye too!

[markse68]

12 hours ago, John said:

Thanks Jeremy and Dave,

I've just been observing Tegmine (Zeta Cancri) at 257x up to a stupid 450x - amazing with a clear split of the tighter 1.3 arc second pair all the way !

Just waiting for the Moon to clear the trees and rooftops. I'm keen to see what can be seen around that sliver of a terminator tonight.

 

 

 

I tried Tegmine a couple of days ago with no luck but last night I too got a perfect clear split. Ditto for a few doubles in Orion- Sigma, ETA, 32 and 52😊 And I saw the pup again! Still couldn’t find the comet though. Moon was beautiful too. Perfect seeing somewhat tainted by news stories.😞

Not sure why but I can’t see a few of your images on my phone John 🤷‍♂️ 

[Stu]

Hope this seeing lasts, I can’t star hop when on my EQ Mount so will set the AZ100 up and have a crack and some other targets tonight if it’s clear.

[John]

Thanks for the comments folks. It was a cracking night last night and I ended it with a superb view of the lovely Izar as Bootes rose above my conifer line

@markse68 - I don't know why the images don't show in a mobile. I don't use a mobile for this sort of thing - maybe others will know ?

@F15Rules - well done on the Pup at 99x mate - I can seem to get it below 200x.

Anyway, Izar by Richard Orr about a year ago:

 

[John]

4 minutes ago, Stu said:

Hope this seeing lasts, I can’t star hop when on my EQ Mount so will set the AZ100 up and have a crack and some other targets tonight if it’s clear.

I hope it lasts too Stu.

My observing is all about star hopping so my dalliance with the Vixen GP the other night didn't last long I'm afraid. Within an hour I had the Tak back on the Skytee II and was much more comfortable that way. Like putting on an old pair of slippers !

I'm not an "eq man" these days I fear, despite how well they look

[JTEC]

Similarly impressive seeing here, with the Vixen HR 3.4 and Tak TOE 4 incredible on my little AstroSystems, by Rob Miller, 6” f6 Newt.  I’ve never had a chance to use the famed ZAOs but don’t see how they could be better than these - unless they had the capacity to reach out and switch off the seeing.  

Dropping the mag considerably, the 11mm TV Plössl was also outstanding in terms of contrast and sharpness, preferable,  to my eye - and I know this is heresy - to the 10mm Delos. Increasingly unfashionable with so many spectacular new arrivals to the eyepiece scene, it would be a pity if the ‘umble TV Plössl slipped into obscurity.  

If only 1) the Vixen HR and Tak TOE could be replicated at longer focal lengths - we’re told that they can’t be; 2) the TV Plössl could be more comfortable at shorter focal lengths but that can’t be either.  In the end though, we are hugely spoilt by the range of quality options that we do have.

I wonder to what extent reduced human activity is a factor in the improved seeing.  In my part of the SE the Sky is typically full of aircraft and turbulent with con trails that disturb and spread a veil over the sky; on clear days a heavy pall of muck hangs over the motorways that will dissipate and later on enable the scattering of waste light.

But, for now, we have something of a glimpse into the way the sky used to be. 

 

 

[Stu]

1 minute ago, John said:

I hope it lasts too Stu.

My observing is all about star hopping so my dalliance with the Vixen GP the other night didn't last long I'm afraid. Within an hour I had the back Tak on the Skytee II and was much more comfortable that way.

I'm not an "eq man" these days I fear, despite how well they look

I do agree! I just settled on a lunar session last night and really enjoy the tracking and stable view I get on the GP but can’t get my head around star hopping with an EQ, too awkward. The Tak has been almost permanently on the GP for the last two weeks tracking the Sun in the day and more recently the Moon and Venus at night. A bit limited but still very enjoyable.

Might chuck the Mewlon on the AZ100 tonight if it stays clear.

[John]

I have to say last night that I did wonder how much better the views of the double stars could actually be ?

On a number of close double stars I was able to use a crazy 450x with the ED120 (Nagler 2-4 zoom on the 2mm setting) and the star images and gaps between them seemed absolutely textbook.

Of course observers such as Herschel used really immense magnifications to observe with (over 1000x) with far less sophisticated optics so I do wonder if the gradual degredation of our skies over the intervening years has got us where we, usually, are today. Because of the exceptional circumstances in effect currently across the world perhaps we are getting a glimpse into the past ?

 

[F15Rules]

32 minutes ago, John said:

I'm not an "eq man" these days I fear, despite how well they look

Well, John, you seem to do pretty well with your Altaz setup, so why change what works for you?

I remember the old Vixen SP, forerunner of the GP, and that could be used in both Altaz and eq modes, very clever. So could the Zeiss Telementor mount 😊.

Dave

Edited April 7, 2020 by F15Rules

[jock1958]

14 hours ago, John said:

The position of Sirius B corresponds to it's predicted position for 2020 on this chart:

The illustration below was made in February 2010 (by Harry Roberts, not myself, alas). Imagine the faint star to the E of Sirus A more to the NNE and with E & W reversed (refractor view) and that is a reasonable representation of the view that I'm getting during the best seeing moments:

Thanks John. Looking at your description and attached image I realise conditions have to be spot on to have  half a chance with my Tak 100!

[Jiggy 67]

14 hours ago, John said:

The position of Sirius B corresponds to it's predicted position for 2020 on this chart:

Nice job on The Pup John, though from the illustration above I don’t think I’d want to be trying it in 2044!

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

Some good stuff on this thread, Looks like you all managed to get out and enjoy the sky. I will definitely be out tonight! After all the positive results on the Pup I want to have a go later!

 

Baz