What a night for a beginner!

[Kon]

After a long long wait for the clouds and fog to clear, I finally managed to get a few hours of excellent viewing tonight with my SW 200P Dob from my back garden. I started with the familiar Orion Nebula to warm up. Nebulosity was amazing and the features were really popping out at both by 15mm and 8mm BST EPs. I think I managed to see both the E and F doubles of the trapezium but with the help of my barlow. I then moved to the Antitank and showed some nebulosity with some features. Pleiades  was next and always a nice site. My main target, as a beginner, was M1 for tonight. I spent ages looking for it. Using Stellarium I managed to get in the approximate area but i just could not get my head around it....while searching i managed to spot M35, NGC2175 and NGC2129; what beauty! So many stars. Even my wife was blown away with the amount of stars. It was pretty obvious that I was way away. Anyhow, i persevered and after some careful star hoping I managed to find my eluded M1! On my 15mm BST it looked amazing. A smudge but an amazing one! I tried the 8mm EP but it did not do it justice. Back on the 15mm EP and i felt a moment of overexcitement to see it as described in the 'Turn left at the Orion'. My final target was M101. I got in the area but i just could not find it. The clouds rolled in and the night was over.

 

So overall, an excellent night for a beginner with a few of my targets ticked off the list. Lets hope it will not be another 'wet foggy spell' but some clear skies.

[Kimboman]

Well described Ken you have just taken me on a journey,I can tell now that you are truly hooked'

There is to much high cloud here but I can see Orion and Sirius but the seeing is not good ,cheers 

[John]

What a nice report !

Lucky you to get a decent clear patch

Well done for getting M1 - it is not an easy thing to find by any means.

M101 is likewise, probably a bit harder again. A lot larger in extent than M1 as well.

 

 

[Epick Crom]

Congratulations Kon! Finding M1 is an achievement, I'm still trying to find it! Enjoy your new 8" it is a great scope

[Sunshine]

A great night! you have a very capable scope in the 200P, there will be no shortage of exciting nights in the future.

Clear skies!

[Kon]

8 hours ago, Epick Crom said:

Congratulations Kon! Finding M1 is an achievement, I'm still trying to find it! Enjoy your new 8" it is a great scope

Yes it was hard work but got there in the ned. I need to learn more about efficient star hoping. I suppose practice makes better!

[Kon]

8 hours ago, John said:

M101 is likewise, probably a bit harder again. A lot larger in extent than M1 as well.

Thank for the heads up! I think it will be on my to-see list in the next session.

[Kon]

9 hours ago, Kimboman said:

Well described Ken you have just taken me on a journey,I can tell now that you are truly hooked'

There is to much high cloud here but I can see Orion and Sirius but the seeing is not good ,cheers 

I am glad you enjoyed it. True, I am absolutely hooked! I wish you some clear skies soon!

[wookie1965]

Excellent report great you got out. 

[Pixies]

We'll done, that's a very successful first light. If you can see M1, you should be good for s lot of Messier objects.

Have a try and see if you can find M80 and M81. They are quite bright for galaxies. Don't leave them too late on the evening, as they get closer to the Zenith which is hard to navigate in the dob - as I'm sure you'll find out.

[Kon]

14 minutes ago, Pixies said:

We'll done, that's a very successful first light. If you can see M1, you should be good for s lot of Messier objects.

Have a try and see if you can find M80 and M81. They are quite bright for galaxies. Don't leave them too late on the evening, as they get closer to the Zenith which is hard to navigate in the dob - as I'm sure you'll find out.

Thanks. Not quite first light but I would say first proper searching. I am under Bortle 4 skies so viewing is pretty good. I think I will try combine M80/81 and M101 on my next outing.