What did you see tonight?

[Nakedgun]

~

Went out 0330hrs with 10x50s to see the new comet for the first time. Was impressed enough to get out and assemble the parallelogram binocular mount for the 16x70s, and then decided to set up the 90mm scope on alt-az, as well. 

Unlike some others I'm not yet detecting a tail, though it could be just poor eyesight. By now, I'm out there 90 minutes, and the wife was getting ready for work so she came out for a look through both instruments, and may brag to co-workers what she'd seen this morning.

Thought I might try to capture an image, too, so here is my crude effort:

 

(DSLR shot on tripod)

 

.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Nakedgun

[Froeng]

Just looking at Mars again. Very good view, although now very small. Seeing is about 4/5 I would say. The air has been pretty still all day…

[Stu]

Beautiful crescent Moon, with Venus, Jupiter and Mars all very bright. I managed to persuade my 87 year old mum to brave the cold for a couple of minutes to enjoy the view 😊.

Later I had a look at the Moon through the FS-60C I’ve got with me. Earthshine very clear and two equally lovely bright specks where the Sun was catching mountain peaks beyond the end of the terminator. Managed a half decent smartphone capture showing these features.

[Froeng]

58 minutes ago, Froeng said:

Just looking at Mars again. Very good view, although now very small. Seeing is about 4/5 I would say. The air has been pretty still all day…

Sketch from earlier

[Saganite]

Had my first sighting of the new comet just now,  with my 7 X 50's initially, and then with my 4" Vixen, which I had to dismount , along with the AZ100 from my Obsy, and set up on the tripod along the side of my house to be able to see it.  Pretty impressive sight I must say and very pleasing to have seen it.  I can continue now with what I was doing, but will plonk the tripod on the grass and do so from there. Not up for another dismantle and reassemble tonight...

Edited January 24, 2023 by Saganite

[Stu]

I just decided to have a go at the comet with the 60mm. Would have been quite easy except the transparency is really poor. I could only just see mag 3.7 Thuban as a starting point for a star hop, and the closer mag 3.3 Edasich was invisible in the murk.

With a 24mm Panoptic giving me a 4.6 degree fov at x15 it was a relatively easy task to get in the right place, but the comet was only just visible. Quite pleased to get it given the conditions, but hopefully there is better to come as it gets brighter.

[josefk]

Another short icy blast last night - shorter than Monday as the session was somewhat curtailed by a low freezing mist thickening to the point of impracticability. 

Starting a westwards star hop at M35 i couldn't see NGC 2158, IC 2157, IC 444, IC 443, & NGC 2174. So far so good!

In this area I could see Collinder 89 and NGC 2189. NGC 2189 i don't think i saw very well but it's Herschel 400 (H VIII-26) and it's now "ticked".

The highlight of the short session was Struve 742 and M1 the Crab Nebula in the same FOV. Struve 742 is a pretty little even magnitude pair at 4.1" with a hint of gold in the primary. M1 was "just" a dark grey to mid grey elongated circular smudge to the west but hey its the remains of an exploding star the Anglo Saxons and Vikings could see! M1 diminished after using a red light to sketch then grew and lightened again with extended viewing. I do love the multiple object associations such a low magnification (70x again) FOV facilitates.

Clear extended outlook tonight so maybe the bigger kit get's an airing for a few hours and i go again at the "misses" collected so far this week 🙂

[IB20]

Great looking moon right now, the clouds have parted and conditions looking ok for the night. Mare Crisium and surrounding areas looking fantastic.

[Captain Scarlet]

On 22/01/2023 at 09:14, Mr Spock said:

Here's when you start to feel really stupid....

You know my EQ platform not tracking... Well, when I switched it on the other night and it didn't work at all, I actually flipped the N/S switch instead of the On/Off switch. Doh!!!

So did you get to see Tuc 47 and the Southern Cross 😄 ?

[Captain Scarlet]

The first properly forecast clear night tonight for months. So I spent late afternoon setting up not one but two scopes, my 300 newt and its smaller sibling the 200 newt, with First Light for the 200’s newly-installed 50mm secondary.

Pre-dinner session with the 200 to get Jupiter and Luna was frustrating. Seeing absolutely terrible. Let’s see how after dinner with the 300 goes. I shall be trying to get my first proper view this season of M42 and region.

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Captain Scarlet

[Ratlet]

Driving home the moon and Jupiter made a very nice paring and gave me palpitations as they periodically ducked behind clouds however it was clear enough to get the scope on them when I got home.

Unfortunately Jupiter was perched above the neighbours roof and I struggled to even see the moons at x80

Mars was a bit better, but the seeing isn't great, or maybe the scope not cool enough so I struggled to get much above x110.  I did try the moonglow + yellow filter (baargain contrast booster) and it still managed some improved contrast.  Looked noticeably darker on the western limb stretching east.  I'll need to try it with the BST at some point.  The extra eye relief would be nice.

The wrap up the evening I lined up c/2022 E3.  Not as good as the other morning, but still an impressive sight.  I liked the framing at x20 but the background sky was too bright.  I settled on x54 based on the previous nights experience.  The nucleus was quite bright and the nebulosity was apparent out to maybe 0.3-0.5°.

[Telescope40]

Just had a quick 20 min session with my Canon IS 10x30’s. Other duties got ahead of me today. 
Main target comet C/2022 E3 ZTF. 
After a little panning around under a line between Mizar and Pherkad (y Ursa Minor), I’m chuffed to say - I got im, sir. 
Looked rather good. 
 

John. 👍👍
 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Telescope40

[Space Hopper]

Me too, but with big brother 15x50 Canons.

Quite easy to find, close to the red star RR Ursa Minor. (From Kochab, go down a bit, then right a bit 😀)

Its currently mag +5.8

 

[Pixies]

yep - easy to find in 10x50s.

Even with little dark-adaption and the house lights on, I can make out the fan-shaped tail.

I'll be getting the dob out shortly, but will need it to rise a little higher.

[Kon]

Unexpected session after the heavy fog and rain we had today. Around 9 pristine skies and excellent transparency, that deteriorated by 1030. Started in Auriga with M37, M36 , followed by M38 and NGC1907 at the same FOV. I tried to spot the local nebulas with my OIII filter. I am not sure I got NGC1931 but excellent view of nebulosity around the NGC1893 cluster.

I quick look at M42 and although nice nebulosity, it was underwhelming for what I am used to when transparency is excellent. M78 and NGC2071 were also washed out in the murky southern horizon.

I then had a nice view of M31/32/110. Some dust lanes were present. Transparency was getting a bit off and M33 was no show tonight.

Then into Cassiopeia and on the way a look at double Persei. Always mesmerised by the stars. A few clusters, NGC457 and 436, NGC654 and with the OII spotted the Pacman nebula.

Finished the session by having a look at C/2022 E3 comet. Transparency was getting bad and it was just very fuzzy not as good as my previous observation of ii. I called my wife since she wanted to take a look and although impressed because of its history I was greeted by 'just this fuzzy thing?'🤣.

A very fulfilling 1.5hrs of observing before transparency got too bad to continue.

[Pixies]

3 hours ago, Pixies said:

yep - easy to find in 10x50s.

Even with little dark-adaption and the house lights on, I can make out the fan-shaped tail.

I'll be getting the dob out shortly, but will need it to rise a little higher.

Of course, the moment it was high enough for the dob, the cloud arrived! I'm waiting to see if it clears up at all!

 

[Captain Scarlet]

Just in from session no2 tonight. Seeing was much better than earlier in the evening but still prob only 6/10. Transparency was poor, MW not evident when it normally is stark.

Trap E and F were seen, as clearly was the C in sigma Ori. Alnitak just about split, but no Pup despite trying hard.

Comet was the main goal, and was easily found just next to rr Umi through my 15x56s, in the 300 newt at 59x with Nag31, and best of all funnily enough through the 8x56 bins: distinctly green and comet-shaped. But perhaps even better, by the time I was packing up at 1am just now, it was naked eye (with sky measured at 21.4). But transparency having been hazy all night had suddenly improved.

Quite a long session with many more observations and the first such in three months, so look to the Obs Reports for a full write-up tomorrow hopefully.

Magnus

Edited January 26, 2023 by Captain Scarlet
Alnitak not Alnilam

[josefk]

Unexpected cloud precluded the proper session i had planned for but squeezing in an hour GnG secured C/2022 E3 at least.

It was relatively early evening so the angle was low and the sky terrible (thick and bright) at this low angle looking slightly backwards over the eastern side of Stamford (not a great direction to look in if it's damp). Still i've got two observations of C/2022 E3 to put on a plot now so...😉

Ropey sketch here: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/405661-c2022-e3-ztf/#comment-4341868

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by josefk

[PeterC65]

Tuesday night started with a light show from next doors and then the fog came rolling in ... all very frustrating, but last night the lights were off and the sky clear from 8pm. I managed 2.5 hours before starting to freeze (even with the new thermal base layer), using the Explorer 150PDS with my full range of eyepieces, and even the Binoviewer.

The highlights were ...

M45 Good with the ES68 24mm but it filled the field of view, so better with the BHA 36mm which gave a sense of context. Nice to see some obvious nebulosity, more so with the UHC filter, which I struggle to see with EEVA.

M42 What a great target this is at all magnifications. The BHA 36mm gave a great view of the whole area, including the Running Man and the Lost Jewel. At this scale I spotted de Mairan's Nebula as a separate object for the first time. The main nebula was framed best with the ES82 14mm, then with the ES82 6.7mm and beyond I was really looking at the stars rather than the nebula, and finally I got to try the Binoviewer with the 150PDS for the first time on M42 - Wow!

Mars Continues to be a disappointment. Just a bright disc, maybe brighter on one side than on the other!

M35 / NGC2158 A good target for the ES68 24mm. NGC2158 was hard to locate but visible, just, once I was familiar with the locale (there's a bright star, 5 Gem, on the opposite side of M35 to NGC2158).

M1 The triumph of the night, appearing right in the centre of the field of view of the ES68 24mm, just a small smudge, but definitely there.

The full report is here.

 

[Nakedgun]

On 25/01/2023 at 12:29, Captain Scarlet said:

The first properly forecast clear night tonight for months. So I spent late afternoon setting up not one but two scopes, my 300 newt and its smaller sibling the 200 newt, with First Light for the 200’s newly-installed 50mm secondary.

Pre-dinner session with the 200 to get Jupiter and Luna was frustrating. Seeing absolutely terrible. Let’s see how after dinner with the 300 goes. I shall be trying to get my first proper view this season of M42 and region.

 

~

Looks like an invasion by three-legged cyclopses!

 

 

.

[Nakedgun]

~

Tuesday and Wednesday night and continuing tonight (Thursday) we've had clear skies, but, high winds, rendering the seeing for the toilet. So, my neighbor and I have been contenting ourselves with deep sky targets within the range of binoculars in our suburban skies, including identifying lunar features along the terminator as well as we can make out.

Great fun.

 

 

(Just ignore the two homeless creatures who wandered into this scene, uninvited)

 

 

.

[Pixies]

A surprise clear night! The forecast is/was for cloud - but it's beautifully clear and transparent too. Perfect for comet - hunting...

Well, 'hunting' isn't really the right word. It's pretty easy to find now. A triangle formed with Kochab and Pherkad in Ursa Minor. It's much brighter in binos and finder now. It surely must be naked-eye in dark skies.

The 8" dob is cooling. But even now, with no dark-adaptation, the nucleus is visible and the coma spreads out into a fan.  Will be back out there in 30 minutes...

[Captain Scarlet]

10 minutes ago, Pixies said:

.... It surely must be naked-eye in dark skies. ...

Yes indeed it was, just about, for me last night in SW Ireland

[Pixies]

 

 

[Xilman]

A fair few bloated stars.  The seeing is terrible but the images are likely good enough for photometry.  Currently tracking (1956) Artek, a 16th-magnitude asteroid on the BAA-ARPS program.  It is slowly drifting westwards past TYC 1393-459-1 which is mag 11.1