Lovely session with my eyes, small binoculars and a 10cm refractor

[John]

Really good skies here for the past couple of hours - dark, transparent AND steady 

Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and the asteroid Pallas gave me some fine solar system viewing. 225x suited Saturn well, 150x Jupiter and 250x showed Neptune's little marble-like disk. Pallas is in the circlet of Pisces this evening at around 9th magnitude.

Much further afield galaxies were showing nicely. Messier 31 to the naked eye, Messier's 32, 33, 81 and 82 with 8x30 binoculars (pleased to see a trace of M33 with these). M33 showed indications of some shape / form through the 100mm scope at 64x. The scope added Messiers 110 and NGC 404 (Mirach's Ghost) to the galactic haul.

The Milky Way was showing quite strongly through Cygnus and towards Cassiopeia to the naked eye.

Rounded off with the magnificent "Sword Handle" double cluster in Perseus and the Pleiades rising heralding the Autumn / Winter constellations.

All in all a very nice 90 minutes of observing

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by John

[lunator]

Hi John

Nice report M33 is always tricky. I have never an it from home. 

It was cloudy here unfortunately.

Cheers

Ian

[Mark at Beaufort]

Great report John. When M33 is mentioned it takes me back to Lucksall when Admin requested that I visit to access the sky quality before the first SGL star party. I took a pair of 15x70 binos and saw M1 and M33.

Reading your report tells me I should get out an undertake some observing.

 

[wookie1965]

Only ever seen M33 from Galloway can never see it from home it's the same with M51, I have seen M1 from here in my 8" when I had it. 

Smashing report John you must have lovely skies there much much better than mine. 

According to Clear outside I have Bortle 6🥺

Paul 

[Ags]

5 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

I have Bortle 6

I have Bortle 11 😆

[wookie1965]

24 minutes ago, Ags said:

I have Bortle 11 😆

I am really sorry about that, I wish governments around the world would do something about the light pollution its not conducive to health or wildlife. 

[Captain Scarlet]

Nice read John thanks. I had a similarly clear night last night and gave my OO 12” and Helmerichs tube its first proper light, which I’ll  write up a little later. I turned in around 3am.

A little tired, Magnus

[jetstream]

5 hours ago, Captain Magenta said:

 which I’ll  write up a little later.

Eagerly waiting the report.

[Franklin]

12 hours ago, Ags said:

I have Bortle 11 😆

I thought it only went up to 9?

[Ags]

Bortle 11 is when night is indistinguishable from day. 🤣

[badhex]

12 hours ago, Ags said:

I have Bortle 11 😆

Perfect conditions for hunting Spiral Tap galaxies

[Kimboman]

 Hi nice report ,I had a similar session on the 12th August, this to me is the best way to observe.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

"Messier 31 to the naked eye..." If only...

Last week I joined extended family for a few nights in West Wales... The one good hour of clear skies was fantastic.  On the 11th, leaving the pub I shielded my eyes from a street lamp and looked up. The Milky Way! Of course like an astronomical evangelical nut case I stopped the merry group and had them all looking up. "Block that light with yer left hand and look up. Do youse see it?! The Milky Way!". Followed by a succession of, "Ooohs", "Oh yeah", "Great", "Smashin'" etc... A couple of meteors spotted immediately and the sky filled with stars. I could see the whole of Hercules!

Back at the Caravan the 10x50s and a camping chair were hastily grabbed and I sat out. Half a dozen more meteors, the whole of M31 showing great, wow M13 is massive and so on! The best hour's astronomy I've had for a while despite being a bit erm... merry...

Nice report John I'm tad envious. 😀

 

(Do you need a quaint northern butler?) 😉

Edited August 17, 2021 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[badhex]

Lovely report John. I must join the ranks of the envious with my Bortle 8+ skies!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

2 minutes ago, badhex said:

Lovely report John. I must join the ranks of the envious with my Bortle 8+ skies!

Pants aint it? According to CO I've apparently recently been upgraded to Bortle 7! (SQM still 18.84 though... 🙄)

[Whistlin Bob]

1 hour ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

like an astronomical evangelical nut case

Yep- been there! 😂

[badhex]

1 hour ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

Pants aint it? According to CO I've apparently recently been upgraded to Bortle 7! (SQM still 18.84 though... 🙄)

Indeed! Although I try to stay positive - I guess we just have to take advantage of opportunities to visit darker skies when they come up!

[Barry-W-Fenner]

1 hour ago, badhex said:

Indeed! Although I try to stay positive - I guess we just have to take advantage of opportunities to visit darker skies when they come up!

The trouble is its a bit disheartining coming back to poor conditions once you have enjoyed a dark sky.

I recently came back from a botle 3 - 21.86 sky to my Bortle 6 - 19.25 sky and it was shocking, I would love to move to a rural dark locaion!

Can imagine what a bortle 1 sky is like!

Baz