What did you see tonight?

[Captain Scarlet]

Returning to Saturn later on its seeing was much better, being higher and having cleared the plume from some holiday-trailers on the hillside. Rhea was now obvious below the western rings; Tethys was clear, as was Dione plus of course Titan and far-out Iapetus. No hint of Enceladus, supposedly between Tethys and the planet. 

[bosun21]

Out tonight with the 10" dobsonian primarily to image Saturn and perhaps Jupiter and Mars. I was viewing a load of clusters while waiting for Saturn to get higher in the sky. Also a few PN's and several doubles. The Jetstream is directly overhead which was having an adverse effect on the seeing. Rattled off a load of 2 minute SER's of Saturn before switching over to Jupiter. It's really cold tonight and my fingers are numb. Too cold to wait for Jupiter to climb to a respectable altitude so I grabbed about a half dozen capture files while it was still low. Packed up at 2.30am due to the cold so Mars was abandoned. 

 

[josefk]

it isn't totally in the spirit of the friendly challenge @Nik271 threw down here last year: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/415229-extragallactic-nebula-ngc-604-with-small-scopes/#comment-4428656 but finally nearly one year later i successfully observed NGC 604 in M33 last night. This was with a "medium sized" 130mm refractor. Last year i couldn't do it on repeated attempts with 85mm and 95mm. i could see it well enough last night for a sketch too! 🙂 

Like cycling "it never gets easier, you just ride faster" i immediately started looking for NGC 595, 592 and 588 (without research i assume these are the next brightest regions in M33). No joy but i was already chuffed with 604. Very surprisingly once i'd seen it i wondered how i had not before and sometimes it was the first non stellar smudge  in the EP when i put my eye to it - detected before the main haze of M33 caught the eye.

Because they had been mentioned on here in recent days NGC 404 Mirach's Ghost, NGC 7789 Caroline's Rose and M76 The Little Dumbell Nebula were also on the tour. All fabulous. With Caroline's Rose i observed the strange effect that looking through the EP itself was degrading my dark adaptation. I was screening my observing eye 100% of the time so when i uncovered at the EP the whole 50' FOV was dense with castor sugar stars but in 15 to 20s the sparkling view "dissolved" leaving only the brightest stars behind. Still a glorious sight for those initial seconds.

It would have been an all nighter and "damn the office" this morning but i lost my objective to dew about 2am through not running a dew band hard enough 💦.

 

[Damo1965]

16 minutes ago, josefk said:

it isn't totally in the spirit of the friendly challenge @Nik271 threw down here last year: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/415229-extragallactic-nebula-ngc-604-with-small-scopes/#comment-4428656 but finally nearly one year later i successfully observed NGC 604 in M33 last night. This was with a "medium sized" 130mm refractor. Last year i couldn't do it on repeated attempts with 85mm and 95mm. i could see it well enough last night for a sketch too! 🙂 

Like cycling "it never gets easier, you just ride faster" i immediately started looking for NGC 595, 592 and 588 (without research i assume these are the next brightest regions in M33). No joy but i was already chuffed with 604. Very surprisingly once i'd seen it i wondered how i had not before and sometimes it was the first non stellar smudge  in the EP when i put my eye to it - detected before the main haze of M33 caught the eye.

Because they had been mentioned on here in recent days NGC 404 Mirach's Ghost, NGC 7789 Caroline's Rose and M76 The Little Dumbell Nebula were also on the tour. All fabulous. With Caroline's Rose i observed the strange effect that looking through the EP itself was degrading my dark adaptation. I was screening my observing eye 100% of the time so when i uncovered at the EP the whole 50' FOV was dense with castor sugar stars but in 15 to 20s the sparkling view "dissolved" leaving only the brightest stars behind. Still a glorious sight for those initial seconds.

It would have been an all nighter and "damn the office" this morning but i lost my objective to dew about 2am through not running a dew band hard enough 💦.

 

Had exactly the same effect with 24mm on the Double Cluster - as I approached the EP it was like seeing jewels on velvet (welcome back darker skies). Liked it so much I moved to Trumpler 2 (Tr2) and had a lovely tome sketching. Spent some time on Saturn too, but she was above neighbourhood roofs so never really stable.

Lots of dew, but really steady seeing at zenith in E Yorks.

[wookie1965]

13 hours ago, globular said:

Clear(ish) forecast here too, amazingly.
Kit is out and I'm getting excited.

Only spanner in the works is the Jetstream, but I'm going to ignore it.

What app is that please 

[SwiMatt]

Hoping to see both your sketches later, @josefk (if you did sketch NGC 604) and @Damo1965!

[Damo1965]

5 minutes ago, SwiMatt said:

Hoping to see both your sketches later, @josefk (if you did sketch NGC 604) and @Damo1965!

 

Oh no - I'm very new to sketching and most of my work still looks like it's been done by a chimp on crack. The improvement is slow and I need to get more comfortable (balancing a pad on my knee while I work is just no good).

[SwiMatt]

1 minute ago, Damo1965 said:

Oh no - I'm very new to sketching and most of my work still looks like it's been done by a chimp on crack. The improvement is slow and I need to get more comfortable (balancing a pad on my knee while I work is just no good).

It's up to you of course, no obligations! But we all started somewhere and we would love to see your progress on the sketching forum keep sketching and hopefully some day you'll feel like sharing!

[Mr Spock]

Coming in for a warm is important despite losing your dark adaptation. 1.9° here last night 

[John]

1 hour ago, josefk said:

it isn't totally in the spirit of the friendly challenge @Nik271 threw down here last year: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/415229-extragallactic-nebula-ngc-604-with-small-scopes/#comment-4428656 but finally nearly one year later i successfully observed NGC 604 in M33 last night. This was with a "medium sized" 130mm refractor. Last year i couldn't do it on repeated attempts with 85mm and 95mm. i could see it well enough last night for a sketch too! 🙂 

 

 

I may have glimpsed NGC 604 a couple of times last night with my 85mm refractor. Nothing for sure though. I was thinking that 100mm would have shown it last night but I had resolved to stick with the 85 so that's what I did.

Once I had fully dark adapted I could see some contrast variations across the face of M33. Nothing I'd call "spiral structure" but more than just a vague patch of faint fuzziness.

 

 

[John]

3 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Coming in for a warm is important despite losing your dark adaptation. 1.9° here last night 

Very much agreed, even here in the "balmy" SW !

[josefk]

1 minute ago, John said:

I may have glimpsed NGC 604 a couple of times last night with my 85mm refractor. Nothing for sure though. I was thinking that 100mm would have shown it last night but I had resolved to stick with the 85 so that's what I did.

Once I had fully dark adapted I could see some contrast variations across the face of M33. Nothing I'd call "spiral structure" but more than just a vague patch of faint fuzziness.

 

 

M110 was quite large for me last night as a "pre-M33"  benchmark (it wasn't on any night last year when i was trying this) so maybe last night it may have gone in 85mm too. It wasn't dark exactly where i am (SQM 20.35 by this point in the night) but transparency felt superb i could see all 7 stars of UMi and could see the double cluster naked eye.

I can sometimes not tell if its the sky or my eye when i see the kind of patchiness you describe - i'm sure it is the sky most times. Last night for me M33 was quite "smooth" I'm afraid.

I bet you're loving that TV85mm. I love the friendly "manageableness" of my 85mm.

[Ratlet]

52 minutes ago, Damo1965 said:

Oh no - I'm very new to sketching and most of my work still looks like it's been done by a chimp on crack. The improvement is slow and I need to get more comfortable (balancing a pad on my knee while I work is just no good).

Sketching is a lot like DIY.  You will notice every imperfection where as everyone else just sees a laminate floor!

I'm being massivly hypocritical here of course because it has been an age since I last sketched.  But everyone here loves seeing sketches.  In fact it's about the only part of CN where there is an abundance of good vibes.

It sounds like quite a few people had the same night as me (down to the eyepiece even!) nice to squeeze in some DSO as the rest of the week is meant to be cloudy and next week sees the return of the devils flashlight.

[Nik271]

1 hour ago, wookie1965 said:

What app is that please 

Looks like meteoblue, the Jet stream map in the synoptic charts. I use that one as well, very detailed.

[globular]

2 hours ago, wookie1965 said:

What app is that please 

It's meteoblue.
I think they have an app too, but I use the web page on my pc.
The free version gives me all I need - there is a paid version that gives a lot more if you're so inclined.

https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/maps/liverpool_united-kingdom_2644210#coords=4/53.41/-2.98&map=jetstream~hourly~auto~250 mb~none

 

edit: oops, I see @Nik271 already said that

Edited September 13 by globular

[Vroobel]

I saw a rain-soaked setup.

😞

 

[TiffsAndAstro]

24 minutes ago, Vroobel said:

I saw a rain-soaked setup.

😞

 

didn't want to risk my new rh 200 F3

 

 

 

Edited September 13 by TiffsAndAstro

[Damo1965]

2 hours ago, Ratlet said:

Sketching is a lot like DIY.  You will notice every imperfection where as everyone else just sees a laminate floor!

I'm being massivly hypocritical here of course because it has been an age since I last sketched.  But everyone here loves seeing sketches.  In fact it's about the only part of CN where there is an abundance of good vibes.

It sounds like quite a few people had the same night as me (down to the eyepiece even!) nice to squeeze in some DSO as the rest of the week is meant to be cloudy and next week sees the return of the devils flashlight.

While I'm not a fan of laminate flooring I do love good vibes - I'll keep going and see how I feel about sharing my doodles/ fine art.

[Damo1965]

20 minutes ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

didn't want to risk my new rh 200 F3

 

 

 

Despite the  bag for life I can still see stars!

[TiffsAndAstro]

19 minutes ago, Damo1965 said:

Despite the  bag for life I can still see stars!

I got 60 mins on veil nebula, could be worse.

Rain started just as I carried last bit in luckily

Also first time my subs were under 1"

Also, also, I prefer the phrase "non premium b&m telescope cover"

Edited September 13 by TiffsAndAstro

[PeterC65]

Another EAA session last night, my third in a row! I’m sure normal service will be resumed after all of the new equipment purchases at IAS tomorrow.

Last night it was narrow field for a closer look at the Pillars of Creation in M16 and a better view of M27. M33 was too big really for the Explorer 200 but I was fascinated by the detail I could see, including its embedded star clusters.

The surprise of the night was what I could see with the IR pass filter, which is usually out of focus and so doesn’t get much use.

Here are the Pillars of Creation again, closer up this time.

M16 Hb.OIII.Ha 15.0s x400 2x2 44frames

The full report is here.

 

[IB20]

From having never seen them to twice in a year! Not quite as epic as the May event but I’ll take it.

[John]

Some nice views this evening with my 250mm dob. Basically looking at the same targets that I observed with an 85mm refractor last night. Interesting to see the differences in the view between the 3.3 inch and 10 inch apertures under broadly similar conditions. Not always as much as you might expect !

 

 

[Jim Franklin]

Got everything set up earlier, up at 03:00hrs as I needed to go to Exeter then Taunton, got back home about 16:30, had clear sky, had to do it. 
 

Waited for darkness to fall with a thud - went outside - blooming clouds rolled in - managed to align on Polaris, Mizar and Arcturus - but apart from the bright stars - nadda. 
Put it all away - going to bed, if I wake in time, will drive south to catch the Sunrise if its worth it. 
Still, supposed to be clear the next few nights 🫣🥴🥴

[GasGiant]

Last season was the first with my then new telescope. I didnt get to see Saturn very well last year but tonight shes out !  First time ive seen it properly. How long before discs start 'coming back' ? 

I found the sweet spot with a 8mm starguider and the tracking platform I made   ( 10" Dob )

Anyway, here is a doodle. 

 

Going to get up at around 3 for Jupiter and Mars. Apparently its going to be clear all night !

 

 

Edited September 14 by GasGiant