Observations with a small frac

[TakMan]

Apologies for the delay in posting. I'm getting back into astro and the recent emphasis has been to get images up onto SGL.
I got the Borg 90FL off here last year for a song - very lucky.
The intention was always as a travel scope.

I've used it at home occasionally to test things out both visually and with a camera (plus dedicated flattener - 1.08x DG field flattener, Part #7108 -  I picked up from FLO).
The flattener really helps tame the field curvature, pity it can't be used visually. This baby Great Tit was shot with an APS-C Nikon. The scope has a very narrow focus point (both visual and photographic), plus doesn't 'snap to focus' like my 'best' corrected scope - that's the TSA102s before you ask... rather than the TEC140ED.

The Ethos were a no-go for me, too much FOV and way too much of that showed out of focus stars for my liking. So I experimented with the other eyepieces I had and made up a travel pack - all in an old LowePro rucksack that was in the loft (not including the tripod or WO EzTouch mount of course!)

Below, my first 'proper' go with it, from a darkish site, as I intended when purchased - just what can you see with just 90mm..? 
(Taken from a WhatsApp entry)
And forget all that nonsense that Flourite is some sort of physics defying astro-wonder element!

*Observing notes: Amroth, South Wales, Tuesday 25 Aug - 10.50 to 11.40pm*
Last night down at the caravan. Good dark site. As predicted, an hour or so of clear skies with gale force winds (Storm Francis) and clouds racing through, so me tucked between mum’s and my little sister’s two large static caravans - it means I can make as much noise as I like and move around the patio to find the best spot to shield me from lights (and the weather!) not having to worry about neighbours!

First go at trying out the ‘travel scope’ (Borg 90FL fitted to a Manfrotto 058B and W.O. EZTouch alt/az Mount), from this location as have usually used cheapo Revelation 15x70 binos.
Thankfully this bigger tripod/head, fits down the back of the front seats of my diesel VW Polo and was definitely the better choice considering the weather. The scope is easy to carry and the doublet glass is quick to cool, also a bonus for fickle weather...

From earlier experiments at home, the Pentax 20mm XW is a good fit for the optics, stars keep their shape up to 80 odd % out, then the field curvature kicks in. As long as I don’t go looking for it, it’s not too off-putting and provides a comfortable viewing experience. This combination apart from being just a nice observing tool also has a wide enough FOV to act as a finder eyepiece. In conjunction with a simple red dot finder taken off the dob and a laser pen that I can take out of a warm pocket and rest on the indents of the two scope rings - this is simple but effective, gives me enough options to find what I want to observe (although not as accurate as my ‘proper’ encoder equipped observing mount, my Nova Hitch has spoilt me!)

Swept through the upper reaches of the Milky Way... so many stars and ‘clusters’ and little asterisms your brain conjures up and subtle colours...and even more stars set against an inky blackness... so much easier to take in the view than the binoculars, better optics, cleaner and brighter stars, more contrast.... lingered on and around Cygnus. Rocking Horse open cluster NGC 6910 next to Sadr and then down to Albireo - a clean split and lovely colours of yellow and blue. Dropped down to the Coathanger asterism that easily fits the FOV and then up to Lyra. Vega nicely under control, slight blue shimmer. Then to the Double Double. Both stars showing slight elongation - a hint to their own binary nature, but couldn’t say they were split as well....

Ring nebula easily seen unfiltered. Swapped to a cheap Meade 5 element 32mm 2” Plossl. Brought this along to carry my spare 2” Lumicon UHC filter. Enjoyed the filtered view of M57 before hunting out M27 in Vulpecula.

The main reason to bring the filter/eyepiece combination though was back in Cygnus - The Veil. Obvious. Large C shape. Both elements of the Witches’ Broom a tad more difficult due to the star it sits upon, but fairly easy. Spent plenty of time enjoying the view and waiting for the clouds to roll by to enjoy again and again.... Ran out of patience with the clouds to find the Crescent Nebula, so switched back to the unfiltered Pentax and found Andromeda. Once clouds had obscured that, I lingered around Delphinus (Jobs Coffin) and found the four globular clusters that surround nearby Equuleus; NGC 7006, NGC 6934, M15 and the lowest, M2. Beneath, I can just see the upper stars in Aquarius from my location, the rest obscured by the valley hillside that the caravan park is nestled in.

With the clear spells becoming few and far between, called it a night. Pleased this combo has worked out. Have a few things to tweak for the next outing, but a solid start. 90mm of aperture is not a lot, but the dark skies down here means it’s probably showing just as much as my TEC140 does from home....

*Observing notes #2: Amroth, South Wales, Wednesday morning 26 Aug - 4.15 to 5.15am*
Woke up, looked out the window... bloody hell... like the saying from the film Zulu, “stars, thousands of ‘em!”

Waterproof trousers hastily put on over pyjamas, then two fleeces (well, holidaying in Wales, in August, you know!) grabbed gear and was set up under 10 minutes...

Crikey, that’s Cygnus.... no, Cygnus setting over in the SE, what is that...? aahh, Triangulum..., faint patch above... must be M33 naked eye... red dot finder zoned in, 20mm Pentax... beautiful open cluster - NGC752!

Load up SkySafari (SF) on the iPad... wrong side, M33 to the right... smudge visible naked eye... re-align... bang, M33... nearly half the FOV... say a third, always over egg it when excited!

Bright core, perhaps as bright as Andromeda from home... fainter extremities, at least one curving ‘C’ arm above  and perhaps a backwards one below.... can’t be... check SF and the ‘C’ is  backwards. Check the view again. God damn it, flip view in SF to ‘Horz’ to match optics (refractor with diagonal) and bingo, confirmed... at least one spiral arm, perhaps two and then again perhaps a second in the upper region.

Up to Andromeda. Nearly vertical, extends through the FOV. M110 as clear as day to the left above at the 9 o’clock position. Darker flattened ‘(‘ shape between it and the main core... the main dust lane - “wow” as Andy (observing buddy) would say! M32 more difficult to trace, embedded within the right extended region of the galaxy, matching the flipped SF image.

Back to the Triangulum Galaxy, just to check that I can see ‘structure’! Feeling over confident, spot some galaxies below M33, well, below the pointy end star of Triangulum, ‘Metallah’.... NGC684/672/IC1727.... Can’t make out any of them (mag 10.8 - 12.3 ) On closer study, perhaps the larger, brightest on, NGC 672, but can’t confirm that. Instead, in the same FOV, open cluster Cr21, a small bright ‘C’ of 7-8 stars, very nice...

Another brighter region catches my eye between Triangulum and Perseus, used red dot finder and M34 open cluster is sparkling in the eyepiece, the stars mirror perfectly the image on the iPad.... all the bright outer stars surrounding the dimmer central ones - superb.

Take in the splendours of Mirfak and surroundings in the centre of Perseus and then drop down to attempt the California Nebula. A distinct lack of stars in the correct area. Is it vertical..? The astro images (including my own), always show it on it’s side...? Grab the Meade plossl still with the UHC filter attached from the previous session.... yes, think it’s there, but the view is no better. Swap back to the unfiltered Pentax 20mm. Check SF, it is vertical. Check stars, confirm.... faint grey patches, especially along the right side ‘shoulder/elbow’ region (where the kink is anyway). Another visual first for me....

Pleiades rising, fills the FOV.... well, the best bit of it fills the most corrected bit of the FOV, the rest spills out and we try not to look there to see the field curvature.
Can see ‘nebulosity’ around some bright stars.... ‘some’ being the operative word. Without thinking, pop on red head torch and check for fogging of the eyepiece, then pull scope down and check objective - none. Have to re-align of course - what a **** - idiot I say to myself!

Nebulosity..... study... not ‘even’ and not the same around different stars... check SF, sort of matches outlined areas of nebulosity, wow, seriously(?), bloody hell!

Sky starting to lighten. Over to Venus in the East. Very bright, some false colour, half crescent and to it’s left, star HD55919, pretty. Try out the old Takahashi Erfles I’ve brought with me (I think they are anyway), LE 7.5 (66x) and 5mm (100x) eyepieces I picked up years ago. Nice and light - hence why packed in the first place as an 8th the size of the equivalent TV Ethos sitting at home. Solid rubber eye guards, no safety undercut so easy to swap without disturbing the alignment. Perhaps a ‘warmer’ view than either the Pentax or Teles...?

Finish with Mars, riding high due a South, just crossed the Meridian. Perhaps still some false colour.... from the eyepieces or the Borg fast doublet objective? Don’t think this scope takes high magnification anywhere near my Tak although that is a different beast and is not here tonight because it is a 'different beast' (big and heavy for a 4”!)

Need to check folks’ images on SGL when I get home and have an internet connection to confirm features seen.... two bright (polar?) regions @ 11 and 5 o’clock and a darker inverted ‘y’ across the front.

Driving home later tonight so the brightening skies call a natural halt to proceedings... pity the clear sky didn’t come a few hours earlier!
Damian

Edited November 8, 2020 by TakMan

[Paz]

Great report - it reminds me of being on holiday - sneaking out for some observing when everyone else is asleep or watching TV in the evening. The detail you describe in galaxies is a good reminder of what is possible with dark skies.

[RobertI]

Very enjoyable report, those dark skies must be something else. I’m especially impressed with you getting the spiral structure in M33 and bagging the California Nebula. Well done. 👍