Small telescope manual session

[Dantooine]

July 30/31st 2115-2300

Set up out the back near my car with the back gate open so I could get a lower view.

 

Got Jupiter as usual with the ethos 13 first as I like to start at 55x and step up from that magnification. Moons visible were 2 to the left and 2 to the right. As time went by the one on the far left drifted out very wide. It move a long way in the 2 hours we were observing. 2 bands were visible. 

 

Saturn as always was crisp showing 1 moon to the left. No bands were visible tonight but was still good to see. The “spectators” were amazed at seeing Saturn’s rings as everyone is first time. 

 

The moon was amazing tonight and I stepped right up to 204x. I could see what I know as “the bay cliff’s” very nicely. It was getting a little wobbly at high magnification so I started dropping back. Good views as always with the ethos 13 but my favourite tonight was at low power with the panoptic 27. This showed the whole moon with a couple of stars around it but the most amazing contrast. The mares looked very dark and the whole thing looked like a 3D model. 

 

Managed to get in front of the ISSfor the second night running, this time at 89x with the ethos 8. It’s a visible craft at this magnification and I tracked it with difficulty. I could see the shape of it and the solar panels each side of it. 

 

The star Arcturus was glowing bright orange with a ferocious flicker. 

 

The star Capella was a nice sight showing colours, red, purple & yellow. This is the first time I’ve looked at it properly and it’s strange to see it change colours like that. It’s actually made up of 4 stars that look like one. 

 

Went back out front of house 0030-0200 Mars at 204x with Delos. More than 3/4 phase now and looked much more like a planet. Could just make out some dark patches and think I got a glimpse of polar ice cap as there was a bright top to the disc. Managed to get Saturn at 204x also. Could not see any ring division but could just make out a few bands. Jupiter was clearer than earlier and the moon that was wide to the left had moved behind the planet and not visible. Had a look at Pleiades with the panoptic 27 and they all fit in the field of view quite nicely. Finished off looking at them with the ethos 13, the brighter stars really glow. 

 

All in all, not a bad session.

[RobertI]

Nice report, good catch of the ISS. Did you really mean Capella is made up for four stars?! 

[RobertI]

By the way I can’t read your report on my mobile (uses ‘simple’ theme) as the text is white on white. 

[Dantooine]

3 minutes ago, RobertI said:

Nice report, good catch of the ISS. Did you really mean Capella is made up for four stars?! 

Well, I’m very probably wrong. I was told. Maybe I need to check it it 

[Dantooine]

3 minutes ago, RobertI said:

By the way I can’t read your report on my mobile (uses ‘simple’ theme) as the text is white on white. 

To be fair I really don’t know what I’m doing 😂

[Dantooine]

Just now, Dantooine said:

To be fair I really don’t know what I’m doing 😂

...and thanks for reading even if it was in a coded format. 

[Kyle Allen]

Nice report. Jupiter is definitely my favourite planet to observe - it’s so dynamic and amazing to watch it change over the course of a night. 

Looking at SkySafari, the Moon will occult the globular cluster M28 tonight. Has anyone observed the Moon occult a deep sky object before? I know it frequently passes through the Beehive Cluster. Would globular clusters stand out against the bright moonlight?