Journey to the Centre of the Galaxy - a new South Downs observing site & some summer Messier firsts

[SuburbanMak]

Having waited in vain for the clouds to clear on Tuesday night, it was great to get out and finally see some stars last night! 

I'd picked out a new spot to try on the South Downs just outside Winchester, on a well made farm track that runs due South just across the A272 from Cheesefoot Head viewpoint car-park.  In the daytime this is an airy downland spot filled with wild flowers and Skylark song, by night it  offers a super horizon from SE. round to NW. with the pretty but invasive lights of Southampton port and Fawley refinery 15 miles or so S - SW.     Lightpollutionmap.info says it has an SQM of spot on 21,  a worthwhile improvement for a ten minute drive over my rugby pitch site at 20.27 and only a fraction lighter than Farley Mount - and minus the third of a mile carry through slightly eerie Yew woodland! 

I got up there about 11.45 - just in time for an ISS pass which I caught to the NW along with my first definite noctilucent cloud sighting to the N. 

Seeing was quite steady and transparency good outside of bands of thin high cloud that cleared as the night wore on.  There was some haze that mingled with LP over the coast causing extinction below 10 degrees or so.  

I'd planned a recce session in the Sagittarius area using an ST80 and a couple of new filters - Baader O-III and ES UHC to try on the nebulae.   After aligning on Arcturus and Altair I toured the region finding the UHC really helpful in cutting through the low-down murk.   Many first views with the Lagoon Nebula M8, Eagle & Swan Nebulae M16/17 and Trifid Nebula M20 the standout highlights, the first of many visits I'm certain.   All observations were made with a Baader Hyperion 24mm (21x) and Baader Classic Ortho 18mm (28x) and interchanging filters and natural view to tease out the detail.   Later I switched to 2 inch mode and used a 31mm Hyperion Aspheric (16x) for some panoramic views. All stunning stuff! 

M16 elongated cluster, Hercules like shape, double upper L of “keystone”. UHC brought out dark lanes crossing.

M17  prominent orange star above, glowing nebulous area below right of faint trapezium asterism. Dark tendrils with AV.

M8 - epic. Bright clusters multiple dark areas and glowing patches. O-III enhanced the cloud to 20% width of fov in 18mm

M21- arrowhead cluster

M20 - stunning star spangled glowing nebula with dark lanes. Fuzzy cloud wider with O-III.

M22 - bright compact glob. Triangle with centre star asterism to L.  Diagonal pair to upper R. [RACI view]

M4, 6, 7, 19 too low in murk over Southampton to pick out.  

Widefield (31mm Hyperion, 2-inch) on M8, 20, 21 stunning field. 

M24 bright blue beehive like

M16/17 In same field. Wow.

M18 - rich field, pronounced "V" to R.

 

It was after 2 by this time, so I took a quick tour around M57, a squint at part of the Veil Nebula with the O-III filter (warrants much more time!) and grabbed a great view of M31 which was easily visible naked eye at this point.  With the 18mm I was for the first time able to pick out M32 & M110 - bonus! 

I resisted the temptation to switch to Jupiter & Saturn, by now quite high to the South,  packed away and enjoyed a last sweep of the Milky Way naked eye and with 10x50s -  vertical and almost visible to the horizon (barring those port lights!). 

Rolled back down the hill after a lovely shirtsleeves session in a super new spot. Mainly today I am drinking coffee...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by SuburbanMak

[Pixies]

Excellent report. I'm trying the same thing tonight - heading out with the ST80 and binos to a darkish site with a good Southerly horizon. Hopefully I get a fraction of your success!

[Kon]

Excellent report and session you had!

[SuburbanMak]

3 hours ago, Pixies said:

Excellent report. I'm trying the same thing tonight - heading out with the ST80 and binos to a darkish site with a good Southerly horizon. Hopefully I get a fraction of your success!

Thank you - it’s all quite close together in fact am sure you’ll have a great session. 

[Pixies]

3 hours ago, SuburbanMak said:

Thank you - it’s all quite close together in fact am sure you’ll have a great session. 

Nope. It was pretty poor. The northern skies were bright, as expected, but the view South was very murky. No stars visible naked-eye below 30° apart from the gas giants.

Basically, I was struggling to do some Messier bagging. Got a few, but not very satisfying. I'll have to try again another night. Swan nebula was the highlight.

[wookie1965]

Cracking report some great objects there.

[Stardaze]

Great report, I need to get out myself to see more of Sagittarius. Just an hour with the binos last couple of nights due to work but they both seemed excellent viewing conditions.

[SuburbanMak]

7 hours ago, Pixies said:

Nope. It was pretty poor. The northern skies were bright, as expected, but the view South was very murky. No stars visible naked-eye below 30° apart from the gas giants.

Basically, I was struggling to do some Messier bagging. Got a few, but not very satisfying. I'll have to try again another night. Swan nebula was the highlight.

Sorry to hear that but glad you got a couple. I guess when you look South there’s  whole lot of England down there to mess up the view!  Although Southampton & Portsmouth are bright it is at least then empty beyond.  

If the conditions look good later I plan to head down to the New Forest coast and put the port lights behind me - see if that buys me a few degrees lower…

Forecast looks good next few days so fingers crossed