A night of firsts, good and not so..

[Stardaze]

Last night was one of those impromptu, unplanned sessions. The clear outside app had suggested 80-90% cloud earlier but whilst sat in the brother-in-laws garden approaching dusk, it suddenly looked clear. Only problem was, I'd drank more than I should have for a late night! Managed to get back in time to get the dob out to cool and collimated for around 10.

I left it until around 11.15 and had to get to grips with the movement of the south facing constellations as it's been 3 weeks since my last jaunt. It's my first summer of proper observing and so Hercules and Lyra have been really fascinating so far, both are much higher in the sky than I had suspected. This led me straight to M13 as a starters for ten. Always incredible and a good early test. 115x seemed to be the sweet spot which suggested the conditions were reasonable. I let it get a little later until I tried the double double, which split at 186x. I tried 230x and could see that I had over-stepped the limit of resolution.

I have been really looking forward to seeing Cygnus properly for the first time and it took me a while to determine exactly what was what. Again, I had assumed a different orientation and so it took a different position than I had imagined. The binoculars revealed so many stars and when I looked into my lowest powered EP at 52x it was a revelation to see so much going on. Alberieo was the obvious first port of call but I really wanted to have a nose around the region of the veil. I'm hoping the postman should bring an O-III filter later today and so I wasn't expecting to see any of it, which turned out the case. But it was good to try to make a start of familiarising myself around the area. M29 wasn't so obvious either but I had a good look around Sadr too.

By this time I noted a problem beginning to happen - dew! I could see the effect in the eye piece and my 9x50 finder was getting quite murky. Unfortunately to access the S & SE from my garden I need to be on the grass, which clearly isn't ideal. Within 10 minutes I was taking my finder, Telrad and EP inside in search of the wife's hairdryer 😂 I wanted to see the dumbbell for the first time. I had also taken out my atlas which was also starting to get 'limp'. I felt that I probably had 20 minutes to nail it. Time was ticking when I got back out, it seemed as good as it was going to get. All was still now and the sky was very clear. Armed with the atlas, I didn't hop to the right spot first time off Albireo, but once I'd acclimatised to the finder again I got it second time. So that's M27! Another one of the Messier targets to knock off, job done. I just happened to look between my house and next door when I saw Jupiter covered in light cloud quite low in the sky. Saturn was also just creeping into view. Why not, I thought. Not ideal being so low., but what the hell,  I  was still to see Saturn in a telescope and hadn't seen Jupiter in my dob either yet (quite underwhelming in my first 6" newt!) I passed 10 minutes by swinging back high to M13. The dob was almost vertical. Luckily, the cloud cleared and Jupiter looked awesome at 186x. I could make out 5 of her moons, which again, was a first. I''ve read many times about the spectacle that is Saturn for the first time. Of course, she really does look like the thing of science fiction. It's much easier to be wowed when you know a little about your subject and I have been swatting up recently in readiness for the middle of next month when Jupiter will be at opposition and both will be in more favourable positions. I tried a little more magnification, which didn't really resolve much more detail, but it's all part of the learning process. I was, and am, quite a happy chap, some things are coming together.

I need to now get my head around the dew situation. I was thinking that I may not need some heating bands etc until the colder weather, but 3 hours in summer, suggests otherwise. I'll have a read around and post something separately. When I looked into the OTA upon placing it in the garage overnight, I could see that even the primary had began to take on some moisture too, so not great. I also need to work out a better 'system' with my eyepieces. Again, something for another thread, but even though I replaced the caps each time I put them down, I've had to clean two this morning, which shouldn't be the case every viewing. 

 

And as I finish typing, the postman has just turned up with an APM 13 EP and an O-III filter.😆

Edited June 20, 2020 by Stardaze

[Mr Flibble]

Great stuff. Really enjoyed reading through your observing session. Good luck with your dew issues, you'll get it sorted in no time 👍

[Stardaze]

26 minutes ago, Mr Flibble said:

Great stuff. Really enjoyed reading through your observing session. Good luck with your dew issues, you'll get it sorted in no time 👍

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Reigniting my interest and getting out there during these difficult times has certainly helped me to escape from the ‘four walls.’ It’s dented my wallet a bit but I am thoroughly the enjoyment of learning about this subject.

[Ags]

I find dew is a problem in warmer weather usually - humidity is higher in the summer, and then the temperature plummets on a clear night...

Edited June 20, 2020 by Ags

[Tenor Viol]

Yes - yesterday morning the air was supersaturated. I went for a run at 6am... it was 13C and I noticed I was sometimes creating 'steam' when exhaling. Now you expect that in winter when temperature is below 10C, not in June and not at 13C. I concluded that the air must be supersaturated and that was the cause. So, any slightly cooler surface is going to get wet very quickly. 

I think I will make it a priority together dew bands as well for the scope - 6 or more weeks away yet...

[Stardaze]

As each constellation rises, and the months pass, I am finding my way around many new wonders. I have really wanted to explore the northern cross and parts of the general area that seems to be stacked full of Milky Way delights. 

Last night was hot. I found irony setting up the dob just prior to dusk next to my daughters paddling pool that had seen a good water fight only a few hours before. Sat under the slowly emerging stars, I hoped that my newly acquired O-III filter and APM 13 EP would show me a couple of new targets, the main one being the elusive veil nebula.

I started out double star hoping. It still wasn't that dark approaching 11pm and so that may have contributed to a miserable failure to split zeta herc at 187x. I had already had a quick look at Mizar and Polaris during set up, but zeta Herc remained, a complete flop. I jumped to M13, as I inevitably do, which again, wasn't really popping out just yet. Maybe a touch too early still? I swung the dob across to Vega and headed over to Episilon Lyrae. A nice split, again at 187x. The double double is becoming a doddle 😆 Time to drop down to M57. Always an easy soft target and one to try the new O-III with. Having played around with a couple of EP's I settled on 115x and wasn't bowled over with the filtered view over filter-less. Again, I didn't feel that it was the best of viewing nights, it is still too light at this time of year!

Anyway, enough faffing around. It was time to get to the point. I had the APM 13 in the focuser and felt confident that my star-hoping has much improved over these last few months. Especially since I equipped myself with my little S&T pocket atlas (no more printed A4 sheets falling all over the place!)The 9x50 finder scope has also become second nature too and so I cheekily - rather cockily even - set out on the hunt for the veil. I had scanned the area last weekend 'filterless' and had found nothing. Zero. Ziltch. [removed word] all! I was relatively sure of where the eastern veil was, but I couldn't find anything around the little triangle that was etched into my minds eye. Maybe it's not dark enough? Maybe I haven't 'learnt to see' properly yet? Maybe the 13 isn't wide enough.... Ah yes, let's try the widest 24 and also brighten things up a bit! Hmmmm.... the new filter didn't screw so well onto the EP - but that wasn't going to dent my enthusiasm! I scanned the area with the finder; went back and forth, questioning myself each time. Back to the atlas. Another look. Still, nothing. Back and forth, It certainly wasn't jumping out at me. My eye felt like it had acclimatised to the ES 24 (the APM 13 certainly had a very different placement than any of my other EP's which I will need to adapt to) Then... at last... is that it?! Is that really it? Hallelujah! But surely that's not a full 'arm'? I now think that I stumbled across the western veil initially. I thought that once one was found, the other side would be simple enough, but it didn't quite pan out like that. I did have to train my eye to see them, but like many things, once you do acclimatise, I could see them both. Time was ticking now and I realised that I had been out a bit longer than planned. I also clocked Jupiter rising, with Saturn to the East. I very quickly had a sneaky peak at them both, but could really see atmospheric effects around them both. They will have to wait another 4 weeks yet. Either way, another 'first' ticked off, but it's only a start. The veil should stand out far better against a darker sky, and so we shall have to hope for some clear nights are forecast in the weeks ahead. 

[John]

At least you saw something of the Veil so you know where to find it now.

The transparency here last night was poor so I didn't bother with faint fuzzies and stuck to double stars.

 

[Stardaze]

33 minutes ago, John said:

At least you saw something of the Veil so you know where to find it now.

The transparency here last night was poor so I didn't bother with faint fuzzies and stuck to double stars.

 

It wasn't the best John, for sure. So I'll take that in the hope that it can only improve. 

I didn't add that I had a look around Aquila too briefly. That's all new to me too and a little low really, but couldn't miss Altair. I also forgot to have a look at Albireo too in my enthusiastic drive to see the veil.

 

Just looking at the separation of zeta herc compared with epsilon lyrae and it's significantly tighter at 1.4" (EL is 2.4") so that does seem a good one to go at? Is it a difficult prospect with my dob?

Edited June 25, 2020 by Stardaze

[John]

2 hours ago, Stardaze said:

Just looking at the separation of zeta herc compared with epsilon lyrae and it's significantly tighter at 1.4" (EL is 2.4") so that does seem a good one to go at? Is it a difficult prospect with my dob?

It is a pretty difficult and tight double star to split. The component stars are uneven brightness which makes the already challenging 1.4 arc second split even harder to discern. It should be doable in your scope provided that the collimation is good, the scope is cooled and that the seeing is steady. Epsilon Lyrae is much easier. You could try Delta Cygni and Pi Aquilae to hone your skills - they are more challenging than Epsilon Lyrae but not quite as challenging as Zeta Herculis. Once you have cracked all those try Lambda Cygni - that's a 1 arc second split currently !

I have to say that I find refractors make splitting these challenging doubles stars easier because of the "clean" star images they present. Newtonians can do it though, you just need to look past the scatter from the secondary and it's supports.

 

[Stardaze]

2 hours ago, John said:

It is a pretty difficult and tight double star to split. The component stars are uneven brightness which makes the already challenging 1.4 arc second split even harder to discern. It should be doable in your scope provided that the collimation is good, the scope is cooled and that the seeing is steady. Epsilon Lyrae is much easier. You could try Delta Cygni and Pi Aquilae to hone your skills - they are more challenging than Epsilon Lyrae but not quite as challenging as Zeta Herculis. Once you have cracked all those try Lambda Cygni - that's a 1 arc second split currently !

I have to say that I find refractors make splitting these challenging doubles stars easier because of the "clean" star images they present. Newtonians can do it though, you just need to look past the scatter from the secondary and it's supports.

 

If I’m still ultra keen next year, I’ll add a frac to the mix. Not too fussed with lunar, but for definitely interested in double stars and planetary. 

[John]

28 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

If I’m still ultra keen next year, I’ll add a frac to the mix. Not too fussed with lunar, but for definitely interested in double stars and planetary. 

Or a mak-cassegrain - they are pretty good at double stars and planetary as well.

[Stardaze]

16 minutes ago, John said:

Or a mak-cassegrain - they are pretty good at double stars and planetary as well.

Yup, that’s definitely the option, but I think on balance, there’s something about a nice frac.

The mak is probably a better all rounder though. Depends how my pockets feel come the time. Want to get my EP collection somewhere like this year.

Did crave an 8SE before the dob, but they kind of money would buy a decent 80ED maybe.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Stardaze