E & F Stars

[Saganite]

Took my Vixen ED 103  out at 1.30 am and so far, two hours of really good seeing.  With Orion having cleared  my neighbours Silver Birch , the first target was  the  Trapezium and at 139x  six stars were  easily seen.  I have seen the F star brighter but it was there and visible with direct vision.  A high magnification star test on  Betelgeuse, just prior, showed a near perfect diffraction pattern so I knew it was going to be good.  Just below Alnitak is the beautiful multiple star system Sigma Orionis , and the tiny C star was clearly visible.  Just waiting now for Sirius and a crack at the Pup Star.

Update

By 3.45 am Sirius was clear of the tree though the seeing was not quite as good.  Sirius  presented an Airy disc but with almost constant fluctuations, like 3 on the Antoniadi Scale, and I sat patiently until almost 4.30 am willing Sirius B to show itself.  I am certain that it did, fleetingly,  on several occasions  and always in the same spot.  I last saw it maybe 5 or 6 years ago, on the same night that Dave ( f15 Rules ) saw it, in fact we conferred by email at the time to confirm what we were both seeing.  That night I was using Andromeda and I wished that I had the 5"  out this morning, because I would have got it for sure.  I know it is difficult  but possible in a 4" scope, however, as close as I got , no cigar !

Edited November 2, 2021 by Saganite

[Stu]

Great stuff Steve. Hoping you stayed awake for the Pup? Any luck?

I’m looking forward to giving these a go soon too.

[Saganite]

1 minute ago, Stu said:

Great stuff Steve. Hoping you stayed awake for the Pup? Any luck?

I’m looking forward to giving these a go soon too.

So close Stu, so close.........

[Stu]

Just now, Saganite said:

So close Stu, so close.........

Ahh shame. Next time….

[wookie1965]

I have seen E and F a few times once in my 6" reflector on a night of crystal clear skies and couple of times  in my 5" refractor and also a couple of times in my 4" refractor when I had two really clear nights which are rare now.

[Alan White]

Nice one Steve, so pleased you are finding the Vixen as good as I do my one.
That was quite a night exercise, out at 1.30am, I was tucked up in the land of nod, 
but had come home from an evening at our club dark site.

We got clouded out and dewed over at 11pm, so obviously Cambridgeshire fared better on the cloud front.

It was for a time last night very transparent and made so many targets pop.

Edited November 2, 2021 by Alan White

[Mr Spock]

I'll have another go at the pup this year. It's so difficult here as anything that low is badly affected by seeing conditions.