Plane spotting

[Paz]

I haven't managed to do so much observing recently but this evening went out for a look at the moon at around 9.30.

I was having a good time checking out the terraces on the trailing wall of Theophilus.

Whilst taking a break from the eyepiece I looked up and saw a contrail and a plane passing very close by the moon. I see this often enough and usually they don't register with me but going back to the eyepiece I could see the contrail and decided to try and find and track the plane using it. This was with a Skytee 2, a 102mm f7 refractor, and a 4.5mm Delos so 159x and a 0.45° field of view. I also happened to have a ND0.9 filter in place at the time which didn't help.

With a mirror diagonal and my head at an angle it was like the Krypton Factor and I lost and regained the contrail a few times but eventually I caught up with the plane and tracked it for a few seconds before losing it.

It had a blue, yellow, and white colour scheme, 2 engines and filled the field of view!

It's probably not something I'll try again but it was quite exciting!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Go full geek & install Flightradar24 onto your phone.You could have identified the aircraft!

You're right though, through a telescope, tracking faster stuff takes some practice. Step back, position the finder just ahead of the target, then catch it in the eyepiece.

Last night I just about managed to track the ISS at 86x with a 102mm Skymax mounted on an AZ5. 

[Paz]

8 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

Go full geek & install Flightradar24 onto your phone.You could have identified the aircraft!

You're right though, through a telescope, tracking faster stuff takes some practice. Step back, position the finder just ahead of the target, then catch it in the eyepiece.

Last night I just about managed to track the ISS at 86x with a 102mm Skymax mounted on an AZ5. 

Nice to catch the ISS in a scope. I saw it that night but I only naked eye.

[Marvin Jenkins]

16 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

Go full geek & install Flightradar24 onto your phone.You could have identified the aircraft!

You're right though, through a telescope, tracking faster stuff takes some practice. Step back, position the finder just ahead of the target, then catch it in the eyepiece.

Last night I just about managed to track the ISS at 86x with a 102mm Skymax mounted on an AZ5. 

Tracked it! Wow. A week or so back the ISS came over and my reaction was ‘That thing is motoring’ well done. Next time I know it’s s due I am going for the mother of wed field photos. Should make one hell of a light trail.

Marvin

[Barry-W-Fenner]

Yesterday while waiting for the sky to darken I had fun chasing two apache choppers back and forward 3 times. I got them in the finder and followed them. They looked amazing, then it dawned on me that they might not realise its just a 200p that has them in its sights 😂

[JamesF]

4 minutes ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

Yesterday while waiting for the sky to darken I had fun chasing two apache choppers back and forward 3 times. I got them in the finder and followed them. They looked amazing, then it dawned on me that they might not realise its just a 200p that has them in its sights 😂

We've had a pair going back and forth perhaps as many as half a dozen times a day at this end of the country over the last few days, oddly enough.  Not in the evening though -- always during the daytime.

James

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

2 hours ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Tracked it! Wow. A week or so back the ISS came over and my reaction was ‘That thing is motoring’ well done. Next time I know it’s s due I am going for the mother of wed field photos. Should make one hell of a light trail.

Marvin

It's much easier in a short refractor with a uwa eyepiece, or imaging camera. If using a camera, track with a finderscope.

Wow, I would love to see an Apache close up. Years ago I had many hours fun flying an Apache sim online with a friend in the gunner seat 

Edited May 28, 2020 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[markse68]

I caught the ISS pass earlier this evening with the telementor. Then my boss walked out and of course wanted a look (it’s currently my work scope and I’m always there late- don’t ask lol) But with the reversed image and him not being used to it of course he struggled to keep it in view. But it’s got a sort of rifle sight on it so I stood behind the scope (lucky I had the diagonal in) and kept it on target so he got a good long look- he seemed quite happy 

[Stu]

I managed it again at x100 in the Vixen. Really quite amazing views, managed to get the focus spot on after a bit of fiddling around and saw plenty of detail. Great fun.