Noob lucks out on nice evening

[Zermelo]

My second report, quite different from the first. In fact, I almost didn’t bother writing it up, then I thought it might be some comfort to any other beginners who luck out on a nice evening!

I didn’t venture outside until 23.30 (small refractor, minimal setup time) as clearoutside.com was showing astro twilight after midnight now. ISS drifts over at 23.44 as I check the eastern half of the sky, where I have been concentrating. Cygnus is already above the haze, and I’m guessing I can now see bits of Libra and Aquila above the horizon; and Scorpius? Maybe.

I’ve made another list of objects I’ve not yet seen – doubles and clusters. I start with delta Herculis, which I found previously but failed to split. And it’s the same result tonight. However I’m not so surprised this time, as in the interim I’ve noted that while the separation (12.4”) is comfortably within the capacity of my 70mm, the companion in this case is only mag 8.3, so the combination may be asking too much of my £29.99 LIDL special.

Onwards and upwards – literally, to psi Draconis high overhead (if I consider anything other than a Newtonian for my next buy, please shoot me). Earlier, in the comfort of the living room, it had looked easy to navigate to this 4.6/5.6 pair from the nearby, slightly brighter, chi Draconis, which has about the same declination. After an extended period of crouching, squinting and fumbling, I decide it is perhaps not so easy, and have to give up and stretch my joints. At least this target is circumpolar and will probably succumb on some other night.

Perhaps kappa Bootis will oblige? Another escapee from a previous evening, it lies close to another double, iota (which I have split before). Bootes is now high and working southwards. Slewing the scope to its northern end, I find it resisting my push, and realize it’s a problem I encounter now and again – the tube fouls on one of the slow-mo controls, which means there is a patch of sky I can’t access – just the patch where I want to be right now. I have never gotten around to investigating whether there is a way around this (assuming that I want to stay polar aligned of course) – is this what is called “crossing the meridian” or is that something else? Anyway, Bootes is out of bounds until the sky has rotated a bit. So, not good so far – 0/3 !

I feel I now need a bit of encouragement, so I drop the list for a while. Cygnus is high enough that it’s worth another look at Albireo. I try it with a range of eyepieces: a 26mm plossl, a 15.8mm orthoscopic, then both of these with a 2x barlow, and finally with a 6.3mm plossl (the last giving slightly over 100x which adds nothing and loses much). It’s interesting that the orthoscopic shows a tight ring around both components (which I assume are diffraction rings?) and a bit of a faint ‘haze’ around both, which it does with all stars and I assume is an aberration. The 26mm (with or without the barlow) shows no rings and no haze, having a nice, black field making a pleasing frame for the yellow and blue stars. OK, back to the list.

M5 Rose Cluster in Serpens Caput. I have some brief starhopping instructions jotted down and had printed off a new chart earlier in the day. Unfortunately, it is rather small and difficult to read in the garden. From memory, I identify the relevant stars in Serpens and track across, but without success. Also on the list as possibles are M10 and M12 in Ophiuchus – I try scanning for those with binoculars instead, in the absence of any obvious guide stars. No joy.

Time to switch to something I can find a bit more easily. M29 is an open cluster near gamma Cygni, which is a pretty site in my widest eyepiece (and seen for the first time), perhaps diminished only by being set against the milky way rather than an empty sky.

While Looking at Cygnus, I notice that the milky way is visible tonight. I couldn’t see it at all on the 14^th, which I thought was as good a night as we were ever going to get here (neither had a moon). The seeing also seems to be better than it was on the 14^th – the images in the scope seem to be rock steady.

Another cluster on the list, also not seen before, is M92 in Hercules. Again, apparently an easy navigation from the armchair, but not so twelve hours later. My plan had been to find iota Herculis, then track across towards eta in the keystone, which (almost) passes through M92. I do find iota OK, but never find the cluster. Starting to doubt my vision by this point, I see if I can find M13 – and do so immediately. Although I have seen this before, it has only been a fuzzy patch in my modest 70 mil. This time, I try glancing at it with averted vision and I’m pleased to detect the tiniest speckles in the fuzz which, to retrieve a depressing evening, I decide are individual stars rather than artefacts of failing eyesight.

It’s now nearly 1 a.m. and I’m wondering if Bootes has moved far enough for me to attempt kappa again, but as I glance southwards I see a massive bank of cloud has swallowed up a quarter of the sky. To the northwest there are also wisps and before long it’s time to pack up.

So, not a productive evening, but some valuable lessons. Planning needs to be better. Printed charts need to be clearer, and annotated for every target. I think I’ll laminate them, then I can draw on them and re-use them. Think more clearly in advance about how you’re going to get around the sky. Some of the manoeuvres are either too vaguely specified or too ambitious for the stars visible/scope capabilities. I need to investigate starhopping techniques!

 

[Whistlin Bob]

Thanks for sharing!

I have always struggled to star hop from charts. Then, a few years ago, I purchased Sky Safari which allows me to precisely simulate both the eyepiece and finder views on my phone. When using it I can confidently hop to anything my scope will show me. Without it I'm pretty much lost!!!!

Would very much recommend it...

[Waddensky]

I'm glad that you posted this, it's an experience all beginners have to deal with and they might get discouraged reading all the 'hopped to this, hopped to that' reports on the forums. Star hopping, getting the right expectations based on magnitude (and magnitude differences) and navigating around the sky are all crafts that need to be mastered! A great report.

I second @Whistlin Bob's advice to get an app to help you locate objects. If you set the correct date/time and location, these apps will show you the correct altitude above the horizon and current direction, so you don't have to 'convert' the (equatorial) charts to the sky as it is at that moment - making the hop a lot easier and more intuitive (at least for alt/azi mounts like dobsons).

[Zermelo]

Thanks for that steer on Sky Safari, I'll certainly check that out. I am currently using a combination of a planisphere and Stellarium to orient myself, and printed charts for detail. I have just ordered a Telrad though, which seems a great idea in principle.
Sky Safari appears to come in three versions for different prices - would I need at least the "plus" version to get the star hopping capability?

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

1 hour ago, Zermelo said:

Thanks for that steer on Sky Safari, I'll certainly check that out. I am currently using a combination of a planisphere and Stellarium to orient myself, and printed charts for detail. I have just ordered a Telrad though, which seems a great idea in principle.
Sky Safari appears to come in three versions for different prices - would I need at least the "plus" version to get the star hopping capability?

Sky Safari free is all you really need. Try before you buy... You may end up prefering Stellarium.

Crack on with the observing, with no astro darkness and 70mm aperture the odds are stacked against you a bit, but seeing conditions change and there's those lucky moments.

I'd suggest not bothering with globulars. Even if you find them, which is an achievement itself, the view will be rather uninspiring. Stick with open clusters and doubles.

Also, the moon is making an appearance this week. There's plenty to see and learn about our celestial cousin. It's a nice easy, no stress but nonetheless interesting target to view during the lighter nights. Have a go at taking some photos, you may impress yourself. 😀

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet