What did you see tonight?

[Ratlet]

Managed to snag a quick 15 minutes whilst the tatties boiled for dinner.  Initially wanted to test the st80 so brought the az5.  The finder must have gotten knocked so gave up and put the 130pds on.

Jupiter and the moon mostly.  I'm going to have to invest in a decent lunar observing book.  The zoom makes it really fun to observe as you can go for zoomed in hunting fine detail or a longer focal length for more of a general vista.

Jupiter was good up to about 5 or 6mm but at 130x was whizzing through the FOV. 

I'm going to have to do some thinking on a solution.  The azgti is more stable, can track and can hunt down objects more easily I just don't like steering it.

I need something to give me a bit more leverage so I do t have to push the scope or use my phone for fine adjustment.  Something like the az4.  I need...

A handle.

Edited February 1, 2023 by Ratlet

[badhex]

19 hours ago, Ratlet said:

Managed to snag a quick 15 minutes whilst the tatties boiled for dinner.  Initially wanted to test the st80 so brought the az5.  The finder must have gotten knocked so gave up and put the 130pds on.

Jupiter and the moon mostly.  I'm going to have to invest in a decent lunar observing book.  The zoom makes it really fun to observe as you can go for zoomed in hunting fine detail or a longer focal length for more of a general vista.

Jupiter was good up to about 5 or 6mm but at 130x was whizzing through the FOV. 

I'm going to have to do some thinking on a solution.  The azgti is more stable, can track and can hunt down objects more easily I just don't like steering it.

I need something to give me a bit more leverage so I do t have to push the scope or use my phone for fine adjustment.  Something like the az4.  I need...

A handle.

You can actually use a synscan handset with the AZ-GTi, not sure if that is a suitable option for you? 

[Ratlet]

11 minutes ago, badhex said:

You can actually use a synscan handset with the AZ-GTi, not sure if that is a suitable option for you? 

That's... that's actually a very good shout.  I just need something to make manually steering the thing more pleasant.  I suspect if I didn't have to contend with the lack of physical buttons on the mobile I would get on better with using the gears to slew it about.

I think a lot of it is just getting used to it.  I had the sweet spot on the AZ5 and got very comfortable with swinging it about bodily and then using the slow mo controls to get it lined up.  I suspect once I get more time with the AZGTI I'll come to get used to it.  But aye, hand paddle would be a massive quality of life improvement.  I wonder if I could get my bluetooth pc game controller to interface with the phone and let me map commands through that?

[badhex]

4 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

That's... that's actually a very good shout.  I just need something to make manually steering the thing more pleasant.  I suspect if I didn't have to contend with the lack of physical buttons on the mobile I would get on better with using the gears to slew it about.

I think a lot of it is just getting used to it.  I had the sweet spot on the AZ5 and got very comfortable with swinging it about bodily and then using the slow mo controls to get it lined up.  I suspect once I get more time with the AZGTI I'll come to get used to it.  But aye, hand paddle would be a massive quality of life improvement.  I wonder if I could get my bluetooth pc game controller to interface with the phone and let me map commands through that?

Haha actually a long time ago I had planned to build an interface to meade style dual axis motors on a LXD-55 clone. I initially thought of using a Raspberry Pi, but since there is a lack of realtime clock for the sidereal tracking, I found plans for a DIY PIC-based controller which would be the brains driving the motors, with a Pi as the interface between any USB/Bluetooth/Wireless controller I fancied. Then I moved countries and it never got off the ground!

[Captain Scarlet]

Comet. Unforecast-until-last-minute clear skies. A chance to see the comet and compare it to a couple of weeks ago. My goodness what a difference! 2 weeks or so (moon down, 21.5 sky) ago it was bright and easy to find in all my binoculars. Tonight, full moon, it was BARELY discernible, you had to know you were in the right region and there was a very slight smudge. Like M33 on a hazy night. Very interesting difference.

[markse68]

oh that’s disappointing- I thought it was getting brighter!

Mark

[Captain Scarlet]

16 minutes ago, markse68 said:

oh that’s disappointing- I thought it was getting brighter!

Mark

It is, but unfortunately Luna is overwhelming it for the next few days.

[wesdon1]

8 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

Comet. Unforecast-until-last-minute clear skies. A chance to see the comet and compare it to a couple of weeks ago. My goodness what a difference! 2 weeks or so (moon down, 21.5 sky) ago it was bright and easy to find in all my binoculars. Tonight, full moon, it was BARELY discernible, you had to know you were in the right region and there was a very slight smudge. Like M33 on a hazy night. Very interesting difference.

I know! Literally the last minute, we suddenly get all night clear skies!?? I have been itching for weeks to get out with my new apo refractor! That old saying, that "when you buy a new telescope/astrophotography gadget, it brings cloudy skies/bad weather!" is sooo true!! LOL. So you can blame ME for the awful weather the last couple weeks!! LOL.

[badhex]

Last night was absolutely clear as a bell, not seen it like that for months. Unfortunately all my gear was packed into a lorry and shipped to the UK on Friday 😵

[Ratlet]

Sky was looking pretty clear tonight, some interloping high wispy clouds but generally better than I’ve had for a while.  Suspected it might.  I’ve probably had more observing when Clearoutside has said it’s red because of high clouds than at any other time.

Given I had my recently acquired Nirvana 16mm (x40) to test I was going to make the most of it.  Given the moon was full I resolved to still do some testing/observing and also see how I got on with the AZ-Gti.  I would observe till the goto broke or I did.

M42 looked pretty good.  The sky was ferociously bright though.  The UHC filter helped somewhat although I noted that I with it I could only observe 3 stars in the Trapezium.  It just ceased to be with the filter in.

I had a look at M47 but between the moon and the elevation it was underwhelming.  I did however note KQ Puppis in the FOV.  The colour was fantastic.  Very pleasing orange colour.  I should probably have tested a different eyepiece on it, but the intensity was enough for me to stop and take it in.  Not done that before for a mere star!

I did a quick pit stop at the Rosette Nebula (no nebulosity) and stopped at the Esikmo Nebula.  It’s bright enough that with the UHC filter it was worth it.  Sporadically got some more of the nebulosity but not ideal conditions.  Thinking that tonight might be a night for clusters I tried the Beehive but it was too close to the moon and aside from the brightest stars there wasn’t much going on.

I decided to go north and stopped by chance on Cor Caroli  Delighted that I did.  I don’t often do doubles, but this one was really nice in the 16mm.  Nice separation and a definite orange colour on the secondary.  How good was it?  So good that I stopped writing this so I could order a copy of @Ags exceptional 'Discovering Double Stars' so I can find more.

I hopped along a few more DSO but couldn’t really see anything so decided to go to Polaris to check out the goto accuracy.  Sure enough it was largely within the FOV of the eyepiece.  Oddly I could see a fair white dot beside Polaris.  I’d split it before but needed 4-8mm.  There is no way that the Nirvana could split it at 16mm?  I dropped the 8mm Starguider in (x81) and sure enough, and with more effort than the Nirvana, there it was.  It was trying to hide behind a diffraction spike, but it was a split.  I can see why @Mr Spock likes these eyepieces.  Double splitting monsters!

This was also the point that I realised why people like the 82 field of view.  When I went down to Starguider with its 60 degree FOV it felt a lot more cramped.  I swapped back and forth a few times but the sensation was there.  Hmmm. I see a slippery slope just ahead…

I continued hopping my way around and got a good glimpse of the Double Cluster. (First time I’ve found it through the scope), M34, The Pleiades and finally Mars and despite having left the house 5 minutes ago to setup, somehow 2 hours had passed and I couldn’t feel my toes.

All in all, whilst the conditions weren’t great I had a good night.  The Nirvana is a great eyepiece.  It’s not flat out to the edge at F5, but time will tell if that’s an issues for me, but the wide FOV is very nice to observe with and the colours of the stars really pop.  It feels like it is very sharp on axis and is great at splitting, although I think my collimation is just better than when I started and I’m getting better at observing so the splitting efficiency is probably a combination of all these factors.

Stars of the show this evening is the AZ-Gti which nailed every target more or less on the head (or nudging distance away) and the double stars which looked amazing despite the moon.

Edited February 6, 2023 by Ratlet

[Ratlet]

Double post

Edited February 6, 2023 by Ratlet

[Nakedgun]

15 hours ago, badhex said:

Last night was absolutely clear as a bell, not seen it like that for months. Unfortunately all my gear was packed into a lorry and shipped to the UK on Friday 😵

~

Nothing like a missed opportunity!

 

.

[badhex]

7 hours ago, Ratlet said:

Sky was looking pretty clear tonight, some interloping high wispy clouds but generally better than I’ve had for a while.  Suspected it might.  I’ve probably had more observing when Clearoutside has said it’s red because of high clouds than at any other time.

Given I had my recently acquired Nirvana 16mm (x40) to test I was going to make the most of it.  Given the moon was full I resolved to still do some testing/observing and also see how I got on with the AZ-Gti.  I would observe till the goto broke or I did.

M42 looked pretty good.  The sky was ferociously bright though.  The UHC filter helped somewhat although I noted that I with it I could only observe 3 stars in the Trapezium.  It just ceased to be with the filter in.

I had a look at M47 but between the moon and the elevation it was underwhelming.  I did however note KQ Puppis in the FOV.  The colour was fantastic.  Very pleasing orange colour.  I should probably have tested a different eyepiece on it, but the intensity was enough for me to stop and take it in.  Not done that before for a mere star!

I did a quick pit stop at the Rosette Nebula (no nebulosity) and stopped at the Esikmo Nebula.  It’s bright enough that with the UHC filter it was worth it.  Sporadically got some more of the nebulosity but not ideal conditions.  Thinking that tonight might be a night for clusters I tried the Beehive but it was too close to the moon and aside from the brightest stars there wasn’t much going on.

I decided to go north and stopped by chance on Cor Caroli  Delighted that I did.  I don’t often do doubles, but this one was really nice in the 16mm.  Nice separation and a definite orange colour on the secondary.  How good was it?  So good that I stopped writing this so I could order a copy of @Ags exceptional 'Discovering Double Stars' so I can find more.

I hopped along a few more DSO but couldn’t really see anything so decided to go to Polaris to check out the goto accuracy.  Sure enough it was largely within the FOV of the eyepiece.  Oddly I could see a fair white dot beside Polaris.  I’d split it before but needed 4-8mm.  There is no way that the Nirvana could split it at 16mm?  I dropped the 8mm Starguider in (x81) and sure enough, and with more effort than the Nirvana, there it was.  It was trying to hide behind a diffraction spike, but it was a split.  I can see why @Mr Spock likes these eyepieces.  Double splitting monsters!

This was also the point that I realised why people like the 82 field of view.  When I went down to Starguider with its 60 degree FOV it felt a lot more cramped.  I swapped back and forth a few times but the sensation was there.  Hmmm. I see a slippery slope just ahead…

I continued hopping my way around and got a good glimpse of the Double Cluster. (First time I’ve found it through the scope), M34, The Pleiades and finally Mars and despite having left the house 5 minutes ago to setup, somehow 2 hours had passed and I couldn’t feel my toes.

All in all, whilst the conditions weren’t great I had a good night.  The Nirvana is a great eyepiece.  It’s not flat out to the edge at F5, but time will tell if that’s an issues for me, but the wide FOV is very nice to observe with and the colours of the stars really pop.  It feels like it is very sharp on axis and is great at splitting, although I think my collimation is just better than when I started and I’m getting better at observing so the splitting efficiency is probably a combination of all these factors.

Stars of the show this evening is the AZ-Gti which nailed every target more or less on the head (or nudging distance away) and the double stars which looked amazing despite the moon.

Glad the AZ-GTi behaved! Sounds like a great session. 

[badhex]

6 hours ago, Nakedgun said:

Nothing like a missed opportunity!

Haha, I suspect there will be many more over the next three months or so! 

[SuburbanMak]

Two short sessions last evening. The first with Canon IS 10x42s as dusk fell. Some nice views of Jupiter & moons, watched the full moon rising and enjoyed the crater ray systems on display. Then watched as Orion, the Pleiades & Hyades emerged from the twilight.  The sky had been improving throughout and although there was still some high cloud about, I though it worth putting the ST80/Mak 127 combo out.   

Then spent a nice hour mostly on Orion, splitting some doubles in the Mak and enjoying the 5 degree field in the ST80 (the novelty of sitting to observe, having both scopes side by side and of the wide and FLAT field in the ST80 with the Stellalyra 30mm UFF will take a long time to wear off!). 

Seeing wasn't too bad - Rigel splitting easily and I was able to split Alnitak with a Baader zoom from about 10mm (150x) although much above that wasn't improving the view. Moonwashed views of the Orion Nebula and 5 of 6 stars in the Trapezium.  Finished up with last view of the now somewhat ghostly comet, like a smudged globular cluster, high overhead and with the ST80 in a beautiful field around Capella. 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by SuburbanMak

[Mr Spock]

Put the big lad out a while ago to cool down.

Just been out and Venus has just dropped below the rooftops. Grrr! Must try earlier tomorrow if it's clear.

[Stu1smartcookie]

So , the 8”Dob was out nice and early … I had a glance at Orion and then found the comet … took a crude but nonetheless decent shot of it with the phone hovering over my 30mm EP 

[kev100]

Just had a look at the comet (meh), Mars (ditto) and then this fat boy came out to play and it was game over 🤣

[fozzybear]

3 minutes ago, kev100 said:

Just had a look at the comet (meh), Mars (ditto) and then this fat boy came out to play and it was game over 🤣

that reminds me cover my car windscreen up at 4am UK time freezing time. cheers for the great image.:) 

[SuburbanMak]

Sneaked another bino session while number three son at swim training.  Moonwashed but atmospheric out of town by the river.  M35-8, M41, M42, M44, M46 & 47, Double Cluster.  
The big clusters are mesmerising in the 6.5 degree field of the Canon IS 10x42 - M45, a whole new appreciation for the Hyades, Collinder 70 (Orions Belt & environs). 
Highlights were watching a plane fly in front of a dim but expansive M31 and craning overhead to catch C 2022 E3 ZTF in among the Auriga kids - lovely field. 
Can’t wait to get these out somewhere dark on a moonless night! 

 

 

[Mr Spock]

Didn't do much, too much cloud. Got a view of Mars through the cloud. Plenty of surface detail at x380.

[Ags]

One thing I haven't seen tonight is the USB cable for my camera....

[Epick Crom]

The Green Comet ZTF is finally above the horizon here in Australia. I had a go using my 10x50mm binos last night ( it is still to low down for my dob). I saw the "kids" asterism in Auriga but no comet to be seen 😭

Will try again tonight, this time using my dob🤞

[bosun21]

I was intending giving my new 12” dobsonian it’s first light tonight after completing several mods, but due to the moon washing out the sky I opted for my Nexstar 8SE. After a quick 3 star alignment I slewed to M42 and selected my Morpheus 17.5mm with an Astronomik UHC filter. The amount of nebulosity visible was contributing to an image that was very pleasing to my eye at 114x. I then swapped the filter onto my 9mm Morpheus for 222x which ensured that M42 completely filled my FOV. No loss of detail and I could make out 5 stars of the trapezium despite using the filter. I then decided to head upwards to Mars as the moon was now well up which put the brakes on observing a night of fuzzies. I started off with the 9mm Morpheus again minus the filter of course for 222x. I could discern several dark areas so I upped it to 307x with a 6.5mm Morpheus and settled down to give it the time it deserves. I could clearly make out Syrtis Major and Terra Sabaea but no ice cap tonight. I spent a considerable amount of time on Mars as my previous session had terrible seeing and produced a red disc that appeared underwater. I then went back to Orion and Rigel being an easy split at 222x despite the moons attempt to hinder me. Then up to Alnitak and another split. I then slewed to the pinwheel cluster with a 32mm plossl for 62.5x and was pleased with the sharpness of the stars despite the moon. I now list the Pinwheel cluster as one of my favorites. I then slewed to M35 in Gemini with a 40mm plossl this time for 50x. I used a Baader Neodymium for this one as I was getting nearer the moon. Again I was greeted with a pleasant vista. Time to pack up as the temperature was plummeting in Oxford. All in all an enjoyable session. I am saving the first light for the 12”until the conditions are more favorable ie: no moon. Time for a hot cuppa.

Edited February 7, 2023 by bosun21
Typo

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

I was intending giving my new 12” dobsonian it’s first light tonight after completing several mods, but due to the moon washing out the sky I opted for my Nexstar 8SE. After a quick 3 star alignment I slewed to M42 and selected my Morpheus 17.5mm with an Astronomik UHC filter. The amount of nebulosity visible was contributing to an image that was very pleasing to my eye at 114x. I then swapped the filter onto my 9mm Morpheus for 222x which ensured that M42 completely filled my FOV. No loss of detail and I could make out 5 stars of the trapezium despite using the filter. I then decided to head upwards to Mars as the moon was now well up which put the brakes on observing a night of fuzzies. I started off with the 9mm Morpheus again minus the filter of course for 222x. I could discern several dark areas so I upped it to 307x with a 6.5mm Morpheus and settled down to give it the time it deserves. I could clearly make out Syrtis Major and Terra Sabaea but no ice cap tonight. I spent a considerable amount of time on Mars as my previous session had terrible seeing and produced a red disc that appeared underwater. I then went back to Orion and Rigel being an easy split at 222x despite the moons attempt to hinder me. Then up to Alnitak and another split. I then slewed to the pinwheel cluster with a 32mm plossl for 62.5x and was pleased with the sharpness of the stars despite the moon. I now list the Pinwheel cluster as one of my favorites. I then slewed to M35 in Gemini with a 40mm plossl this time for 50x. I use a Baader Neodymium for this one as I was getting nearer the moon. Again I was greeted with a pleasant vista. Time to pack up as the temperature was plummeting in Oxford. All in all an enjoyable session. I am saving the first light for the 12”until the conditions are more favorable ie: no moon. Time for a hot cuppa.

At least someone has skies that isnt solid clouds