H130/-33c

[jetstream]

One thing a polar vortex can do is give very good clear skies. Last night was no exception with the temp of -33c. As I write with my first coffee its -39c, as the sun drives the cold down just before sunrise, and then its stays this way for a bit.

Scope of choice? The Heritage 130, fast cooldown, focuser always works and fast to put away. A Pelican insulated case keeps the eyepieces warm so that when one frosts up, there is another to use. The 25mm Super plossl was the eyepiece of choice to start with and with a DGM NPB in the mix too.

The puppy was mad and vocal that he couldnt come out to observe and watched me in the window. Soon little buddy soon.

M42, always a goto target showed one wing but the the whole object was "draped with nebulosity and a really nice feature was its lower loop. The NPB enhanced a lot of this nebulosity but with the lower loop getting dimmer. Both views were really good.

Off with the filter for a quick ride up to M78, absolutely no problem seeing it. Down to the Flame and the glare of Alnitak washed it out...so... in goes a cheap 12.5mm Circle T and immediately the track like segments came into view. I should have organized my trip through Orion differently - out with the 12.5mm, in with the 25mm on goes the filter and up to the Crab.

The Crab was very easy to see..so, off with the filter and yes there it was.

Up to Auriga and the Flaming star, the boomerang shape showing nicely, the NPB works great.

Now the Pleiades...after sky surfing with no filter for half an hour I went to the Pleiades and bam! there was the Bubble feature with its lanes and Meropes nebula fan glowing away.

Filter back on for the Eskimo, Rosette and the Monkey head -vg views.But... I went back the the Pleiades and the Bubble wasn't there now? right after the filter use. Puzzled I went after galaxies for half an hour m108, M82,M82 etc and after all this back to the Pleiades and there it was!! The Bubble was back!

So, the filter use killed the Bubble feature. Interesting.

Btw, for those trying the Rosette no filter (H130 showed it) try finding the large rectangular feature of stars that was leaning to the right and with 6 stars. If found you are in the core.

Time to go get another coffee.

Edited February 13, 2021 by jetstream

[Kon]

Very nice report and loads of nice targets. I bet they looked awesome from your dark skies! Observing at -33C, OWO! 🥶

[domstar]

What a great session. The views have been great here with it being -12 degrees but, wow, your temperatures seem painful. How do you screw filters at that temperature? I have running gloves and then mittens and I am reluctant to change eyepieces too often. I was looking at a few of the same things last night. It was one of my best sessions for quite a while.

[jetstream]

21 minutes ago, domstar said:

How do you screw filters at that temperature

Thanks Dom, it was a fun session.

I try to plan to view all filtered objects in one swoop limiting the changes but as you see it always doesn't work. and...got to change filters/eps quickly! Its the aluminum that really hurts. It sucks the heat out of the fingers very fast and Ive had "pre frostbite" (hard, white, hurts) from it. That happened years ago on one of my dark site adventures in temps around -40c and about 60 miles north of here.

I miss those adventures.

Great that you had a vg session!

[Stu]

Amazing session Gerry! You are brave going out in that, but I guess you are used to it? The Heritage is good even under my skies, but with yours it must be cracking; amazing what you can see with simple kit and a proper dark sky.

[Barry-W-Fenner]

Great read that Gerry.

How on earth do you observe in those temperatures! 🙂 What bortle class is your sky and where about's in the world are you.

Cheers

Baz

[Deadlake]

17 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Thanks Dom, it was a fun session.

I try to plan to view all filtered objects in one swoop limiting the changes but as you see it always doesn't work. and...got to change filters/eps quickly! Its the aluminum that really hurts. It sucks the heat out of the fingers very fast and Ive had "pre frostbite" (hard, white, hurts) from it. That happened years ago on one of my dark site adventures in temps around -40c and about 60 miles north of here.

I miss those adventures.

Great that you had a vg session!

You need a filter wheel more then me...

[jetstream]

18 minutes ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

What bortle class is your sky and where about's in the world are you.

Thanks Barry. I'm in NW Ontario with the polar vortex nicely hovering over us. Ok, the Bortle scale... I dont use it. But Im in 21.8 mag skies with my best NELM of 7 but 6.8 is truly confirmed. Sky glow is an issue so my best obs is down below my ridge with the trees blocking this natural light.

https://blue-marble.de/nightlights/2019

Go to North America, find Duluth Mn zip up to the border- I'm near Mine Center.

[jetstream]

37 minutes ago, Stu said:

but I guess you are used to it?

I kind of like it?!

A mini adventure all on its own going out in this.

[Barry-W-Fenner]

40 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Thanks Barry. I'm in NW Ontario with the polar vortex nicely hovering over us. Ok, the Bortle scale... I dont use it. But Im in 21.8 mag skies with my best NELM of 7 but 6.8 is truly confirmed. Sky glow is an issue so my best obs is down below my ridge with the trees blocking this natural light.

https://blue-marble.de/nightlights/2019

Go to North America, find Duluth Mn zip up to the border- I'm near Mine Center.

Thanks for the Link Gerry, I will definitely check the link out shortly. I would say you are in a bortle 1 or "high" 2 location. I can only imagine what the views are like from there! 

[PeterW]

I though you were on the other side of the state.... no wonder your skies are so good.... can’t see any city of any concern for miles/km!

Peter

[wookie1965]

My feet where freezing with - 4 no chance getting out in - 33 good report great objects there. 

[jetstream]

27 minutes ago, PeterW said:

I though you were on the other side of the state.... no wonder your skies are so good.... can’t see any city of any concern for miles/km!

Peter

I really want to try NV but want to buy a good set up. GSCI here in Canada- any good? and...dont want to get ripped off where ever I buy.. We are surrounded by Provincial/State parks here. Voyageurs NP in Mn was just declared a "dark sky" area as was Quetico here. I think there might be protective measures that comes with it.

[PeterW]

refer to the CN group, there might be some Canadians in there. There are always secondhand options, through you’ll not get a spec sheet, any fairly modern recent omni spec unit should work just fine. Find what you can, but waiting for unicorns can be a time consuming and expensive business. I wonder if you can make use of the EU sources that now exist, I would have hoped export to Canada would be possible?

Peter

[jetstream]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

refer to the CN group, there might be some Canadians in there. There are always secondhand options, through you’ll not get a spec sheet, any fairly modern recent omni spec unit should work just fine. Find what you can, but waiting for unicorns can be a time consuming and expensive business. I wonder if you can make use of the EU sources that now exist, I would have hoped export to Canada would be possible?

Peter

It is , but... shipping is challenging and now escp that there was a C19 outbreak at the main Canada Post center in Mississauga. I'll need confirmation from customs too and they are closed to the public. I want paperwork saying all is well before dropping that kind of cash. Its too bad USA purchase and export is a no no for non USA citizens, much cheaper over there.

Hey, I like unicorns!😀

[Deadlake]

33 minutes ago, jetstream said:

It is , but... shipping is challenging and now escp that there was a C19 outbreak at the main Canada Post center in Mississauga. I'll need confirmation from customs too and they are closed to the public. I want paperwork saying all is well before dropping that kind of cash. Its too bad USA purchase and export is a no no for non USA citizens, much cheaper over there.

Hey, I like unicorns!😀

Gavstar has the latest OVNI unit, not seen a full review but the phone pictures look amazing.

[jetstream]

1 minute ago, Deadlake said:

Gavstar has the latest OVNI unit, not seen a full review but the phone pictures look amazing.

You know between the Tecs, Taks and NV I've dreamed up spending $20,000! Twenty grand? I better just use what I have lol!

Yes, Gavin has very good equipment.

[Deadlake]

10 hours ago, jetstream said:

You know between the Tecs, Taks and NV I've dreamed up spending $20,000! Twenty grand? I better just use what I have lol!

Yes, Gavin has very good equipment.

If you stuck NV on your DOB I t would be like having a 50”, how much would one of those cost?

Good thing you bought the Bosch appliances and not the Maytag. 😀

Edited February 15, 2021 by Deadlake

[John]

33 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

If you stuck NV on your DOB I t would be like having a 50”, how much would one of those cost?

One of our members does use NV with his 20 inch dob under dark skies:

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/369957-supernova-snat2021j-in-ngc4414-mag132/?tab=comments#comment-4018381

 

[faulksy]

nice session Gerry. that is cold Gerry but transparent just cloudy here. 12 months left and i will be in bortle 2/3 skies

[PeterW]

NV is about speed, not so much aperture, depends the size of objects you are looking for. Have two NV uses to feed both eyes is a good deal better than one eye..:. Just saying 😉

Peter

[Deadlake]

16 minutes ago, PeterW said:

NV is about speed, not so much aperture, depends the size of objects you are looking for. Have two NV uses to feed both eyes is a good deal better than one eye..:. Just saying 😉

Peter

@jetstream Dob is around F4 I think so plenty fast enough, point being using NV doubles effective aperture to put in some context. 

Edited February 17, 2021 by Deadlake

[PeterW]

F4 using the “67mm” afocal system will get you plenty fast enough. “Aperture doubling” depends on objects, can be more can be less.

Peter

[joko]

On 14/02/2021 at 21:51, PeterW said:

refer to the CN group, there might be some Canadians in there.

Yes there are, i confirm. 😀

Edited April 3, 2021 by joko