What did you see tonight?

[Ratlet]

Got the dob out for a bit of a comparison from the other night.  Not sure you can really call either view superior, they're just different.

Will say that the gem28 goto is better than the starsense app on android.  The app is pretty pants is all.  Finding works well, but not if you open safari, when it just loses the will to live, which is bad because the starsense app is just dire and it's easier to search on skysafari.

I might try the skysafari integration on my daughter's apple phone see how that goes.

On the plus side I did get to see Messier 11.  That's a spectacular little cluster.  Almost like a glob there are so many stars.  Well worth swinging the scope at.

[Captain Scarlet]

Just out for a few minutes before early start tomorrow  (why are the clear nights always before early starts?!). No instruments just my eyes, rewarded with a couple of Delta Aquariids, one with an obliging ionization “smoke” trail. Happy with that.

Magnus

[scotty1]

A bit murky and a few clouds and 17C at 03.20.

The moon and friends were out above a haystack. 

( Jupiter Mars Taurus Pleiades) 

Took a shot with my phone 

 

Edited July 31 by scotty1

[Les Ewan]

My main targets were the Dumbell Nebula ,61 Cygni,Epsilon 1 and 2 Lyrae and later Saturn. The sky is getting darker now and the Milky Way through Cygnus was visible for the first time since  April and with Pegasus riding high theres a feeling that Autumn is just around the corner.

Edited July 31 by Les Ewan

[RobertI]

Super little session tonight with the 102ED, 17.5mm Morpheus and filters, guided by Starsense.

A quick view to the southern horizon saw M16 Swan Nebula and M17 Eagle Nebula, nicely revealed through the OIII filter, the Swan being particularly bright. A little way up Milky Way was M11 the fan shaped and densely packed Wild Duck cluster.  Over to some old favourites in Cygnus the Dumbell and the Veil, both again wonderful with the OIII. The Coathanger asterism fitted perfectly in the FOV. Swinging over to Cepheus revealed M52 with another cluster right next door making it look like the double cluster - need to consult Interstellarum to find out what the other cluster is. Lots of little clusters visible when sweeping around. The highlight was stumbling accross Delta Cephei, a beautiful Yellow and White double (I think this might be a line of sight double, not a genuine binary system). 
 

Edited August 1 by RobertI

[scotty1]

Whilst watching distant lightning, I turned my phone to the early morning planets again. 

Think I just picked up the Aurora too, but it was misty and looking through town lights. 

Edited August 1 by scotty1

[John]

Just the one target for my short session this evening with my Tak FC100 and that was Nova Vulpeculae 2024.

As reported here, I think I got it 🙂

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/424357-nova-vulpeculae-2024/?do=findComment&comment=4502952

 

[davidc135]

I too was out with my Tak FC100 looking first at Epsilon Lyrae and comparing full aperture with the scope stopped down to 50mm where I split Eps 2 successfully at x100, although I'm not sure about Eps 1. Fine seeing.

Later I pointed it at Saturn at x200. Crisp view showing the shadow of the rings against the planet but I needed the 8.5'' f7.5 Dob to reveal the fine sliver of darkness that was the inner gap. No sign of Cassini's division, not surprisingly.

David

[paulastro]

I had a great night last night - from before midnight to 4.30am - first  night with the return of astronomical darkness up here.  Using my Celestron Starsense Explorer 8 inch Dob.  Sky not great, so mostly observed brighter or familiar objects. 

Started off with using the Morpheus 17.5 but soon changed to the Baader Zoom to accommodate the varying size of the objects observed.  Particularly useful as it gives me x150 for getting in close and personal with objects like M13, M27 and M57 which show so many different aspects  at higher powers.

I observed Saturn with my binoviewer and Orth eyepieces. Spectacular views in one period with lovely views of the now approaching edge on rings.  They looked mostly blue along the edges to me with some variations and seemed to shimmer at times. Several times I saw what looked like variations in the width of the rings, as if I was seeing a satellite along the ring plane - though I think this explanation is unlikely.

I spent some time with my Baader Aspheric 36mm 72deg eyepiece scanning the Milky down from Cygnus to Aquila.  I also used it for some wide field objects including M31/32/110, Double Cluster, the Pleiades, the Coat Hanger.  Its a nice light eyepiece for its size with long eyer elief, x33/2.2deg with the Dob.

As Mars and Jupiter climbed into view in the early hours, I observed them with the 17.5 Morpheus, and also combined with both the x2 and x3 ES focal extenders. Nice to see them, but the seeing was pretty bad at the low altitude.  For the time I observed Jupiter, 3.45 to 4.20, it only appeared to have one satellite!  The nights entertainment was finished off by a very thin crescent Moon, following the path of the two planets.

While observing, I had the Seestar running in the background taking a few pics. Three of them are below. 

For a time, whilst observing M81/82,  the pic of them was being enhanced by the Seestar and was on my phone in the Starsense cradle on the scope. It seemed rather a strange thing and made me smile.

A very enjoyable night - and the return of astronomical darkness too! 🤩.

PS The pics wouldn't load, I'll try to add them later.  I kept on getting an error image for some reason.

It's worked!

 

 

 

Edited August 2 by paulastro
Pics added.

[Jim L]

I awoke to three very bright objects in the early morning sky arrayed in a beautiful isosceles triangle nestled within a hole in the high clouds. They were Jupiter, Mars, and Aldebaran.

Nothing else was visible in the south east, everything else was obstructed. I rousted my wife so that she could see the sight, and while she was initially disoriented from being awoken from a sound sleep at 0400, meaning she was annoyed, I think she will forgive me later after she’s had her coffee.

[paulastro]

You've got a very understanding wife 😊.

[bosun21]

23 hours ago, Jim L said:

I awoke to three very bright objects in the early morning sky arrayed in a beautiful isosceles triangle nestled within a hole in the high clouds. They were Jupiter, Mars, and Aldebaran.

Nothing else was visible in the south east, everything else was obstructed. I rousted my wife so that she could see the sight, and while she was initially disoriented from being awoken from a sound sleep at 0400, meaning she was annoyed, I think she will forgive me later after she’s had her coffee.

I'll say a prayer for you 🙏.

[Captain Scarlet]

Just in from a session I’d hoped to be with a scope but very tired so instead was with my 18x70 bins.

I saw M22, which is huge and I must get my 12” on to it before it disappears. Nearby a prominently orange star, 24 Sag. A competitor to the Double Cluster I find to be so-called Tweedledum and Tweedledee, aka NGC 6633 and IC4756, both looking fine tonight through the Astroluxes. They are supposedly naked eye but not for me tonight.

M31 was naked eye and M32 & M110 through the bins. I was glad to see M33 too for the first time this rotation, though still low and not easy.

I also took in M52 plus the Airplane Cluster nearby, and M11. I looked for the Veil without filters but it turned out I was on the wrong side of Cygnus’ wing!

And rewarded too with a couple of meteors, one short and fast from Cassiopeia with a lingering trail, and a slower but much longer one which must’ve been a bona fide delta aquariid, also leaving a trail.

A nice substitute session, just what these binoculars are for.

Magnus

Edited August 5 by Captain Scarlet

[Stu1smartcookie]

My first clear(ISH ) night since being home from holiday ... All levelled and already to go , 1 thing missing ... Darkness , oh well better get the kettle on whilst I wait for those stars .

[Mr Spock]

Clear sky, going for some doubles later. Both Taks are out. The finder and FS-60CB are the same size, almost same magnification - but amazing how much brighter the stars are in the FS-60CB.

[Mr Spock]

Just been looking at ζ Her with the FC-100. Using a 4mm Nirvana for x185 I was glimpsing the secondary. I put the x2.5 Powermate in for x463 and the secondary became really clear and well separated.

[IB20]

Just had a wonderful impromptu binocular session. Popped out for early perseids and ended up seeing M11, M10, M12, M29, M39, faint nebulosity around Rho Ophiuchi, and firsts in M24, M25, M22 and M16. Some of these targets I thought I’d never see in my garden but the transparency seems excellent. It’s also amazing what standing on a chair can achieve, thanks to the image stabilisation! The nebulosity around M16 was surprisingly bright in the 12x36 bins. Saw a couple of red giants in 24 Sag and V450 Scuti too. 

I could look at the shimmering Milky Way in bins all night except for the fact I have work and now a bit of neck ache. 😅 Great to be back observing after lots and lots of cloud!

Edited August 6 by IB20

[Mr Spock]

It's still very clear with great seeing. Called it a night though as my back is aching quite a bit and I don't want to upset it 

[bosun21]

Just came indoors just now. Out until this hour to capture Saturn. I also spent a couple of hours on a variety of targets with both the dobsonian and my 80ED. Jupiter and Mars hanging out together in Taurus as i was breaking things down. It's now 3.35am.

[scotty1]

Apart from a moderately bright meteor, probably a Perseid. I had another look at the planets and stars in the east, just naked eye. A smudge of white moving slowly north overhead was I think a starlink train, but close together, it looked about the same size and brightness as Pleiades This short timelapse  picked up the satellites. The solid line tracking upwards are  starlink.

Edited August 7 by scotty1

[Ludd]

I had a lie down on a sun lounger as darkness fell over Buckinghamshire.   Lovely to watch the Milky Way emerge from the blue twilight and to see four meteors, two of which were probably perseids.  Wish I had been able to stay out longer, but had to be up for work before 6am.  

[paulastro]

Well, more of a case of what I didn't see tonight ( this mornings occultation of Titan at just gone 4.45am).

Up at 3.45, all ready to get the Dob into action.  Winds were 19 mph, gusting around 35 mph. Heavy cloud, rain squalls.  At one time I had to steady myself against being blown over.

It always was a long shot given the weather forecast.  But you know what, I still enjoyed myself.  For me, it's not just actually seeing astronomical events, it's also the excitement of the chase.    Next time.....😊

I hope someone else had some success, but looking at the cloud cover at the time (below), it really was a long shot 🙂.

 

[Stu1smartcookie]

1 hour ago, paulastro said:

Well, more of a case of what I didn't see tonight ( this mornings occultation of Titan at just gone 4.45am).

Up at 3.45, all ready to get the Dob into action.  Winds were 19 mph, gusting around 35 mph. Heavy cloud, rain squalls.  At one time I had to steady myself against being blown over.

It always was a long shot given the weather forecast.  But you know what, I still enjoyed myself.  For me, it's not just actually seeing astronomical events, it's also the excitement of the chase.    Next time.....😊

I hope someone else had some success, but looking at the cloud cover at the time (below), it really was a long shot 🙂.

 

Well done for trying mate 

[Bivanus]

Short but sweet: Jupiter - clearly visible, full four bands in the 3.5mm 110deg , Saturn - like a children drawing of a circle cut by a stick 😄 with only a smidge of shadow from the rings and a small but red and well formed Mars. Sadly the Pleiades were exactly behind the street lamps and Ursa Major behind the block of flats so...nap time 😔 

[Mircea]

Wednesday, August 7, I was rambling through Capricornus where I revisited M30.

In Aquarius I saw M72 and M73. In Sagittarius I observed M75.

The instrument used was my home-made ''Ugly Duckling'' Dobsonian D = 125mm F/ 6.9 with Svbony zoom model 135.

M72 was quite dim and of M73  only three stars were visible.

I spent most of the time, at the start of the session, trying to split again the double star 23 Aql, at the suggestion of one of my friends.

I used on 23 Aql the powers of 173x/ TMB Planetary 5mm and 270x/ TS Planetary 3.2mm to no avail. Even if Pi Aql of 1.43'' and Lambda Oph of 1.4'' were beautifully split.

This is my raw sketch of M72 in my logbook and the digital version of it. The magnitudes in the electronic version are referring only to stars.

 

Clear sky, Mircea

Edited August 9 by Mircea