Widefield session with Genesis and Terminagler

[Stu]

I spent tonight just reacquainting myself with the lovely widefield views visible through my Genesis and newly acquired 31mm Nagler, and can’t wait to try the combination out under dark skies again. Tonight though, I viewed Mel 111 and 20, both of which filled the view with stars and looking surprisingly nice given the bright background from the LP.

The lovely run of stars from 14, 16 and 19 Aurigae up to and including M38 all fitted in easily. M38 showed faintly even at this low power. I skipped across to M36 and 37, no need for a finder with such a wide fov, before heading over to M35.

Navi and Ruchbah fitted into the same field as a tiny, but still distinguishable NGC457. Whist around Cassiopeia I caught the Nova, which was interesting to see in a wider context; tiny but still easily visible and shining at the same brightness it has been doing from soon after discovery.

Another gem, much better under dark skies is Kemble’s Cascade. A sizeable object, normally best seen in binoculars but easily fitting into the five degree field that the Genesis/31mm combination gives.

Earlier on I viewed the 2.6% illuminated Moon, which showed beautiful earthshine, and good detail in the crescent, despite the CA visible in this scope. I finished the session with the 2 to 4mm Nagler zoom in the diagonal, pointing at Izar. A beautiful and clear split at x100, clearer still at x150, although the seeing was not the best when I reach x200 at the 2mm setting. It is a pretty impressive capability to go from a full 5 degree field up to credible double splitting at x200, although its strength will always be those lovely wide, flat fields.

I’ve added some images, including Kemble’s Cascade, the clusters and also the field of view including the Nova; see if you can find it!

[John]

Lovely stuff Stu !

I've just finished on Izar as well