What did you see tonight?

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Yesterday as expected, a clear evening coincided with full moon and so for the first time in several weeks a scope came out. During daylight I set up the 127mm Mak on the AZ5 for a few snatched Venus observations in-between washing dishes and cooking the tea. Grilled gammon steaks topped with fried eggs and a side of baked beans accompanied by a mug of tea each. Yes, call me Cinders...

I digress... Venus showed a distinct phase but unfortunately due to the latter domestic commitments I missed the opportunity to observe during early dusk so the disk was too brilliant in the darkening sky to notice much else... 🙄

Edited March 8 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[Ratlet]

Broke in the dob.  First light for the 10" Stellalyra dob.  But of a cluster all told, the wife is away so trying to squeeze stuff in whilst the kids watch bluey.

Productive though.  Observed Venus for the first time and accidently split a double (zeta piscium).  Jupiter was just barely visible above the rooftops, but looked very nice. 

Popped in to get the kids clean and back out whilst they had snack.  Orion was up and the moon was only just above the horizon, but still a distance away.  Looked brilliant. I've never seen the Trapezium resolved to cleanly.  There was more detail in the nebulosity and it clearly extended further.

Going to get the sack barrow sorted for it tomorrow.  Removing the tube to move the base then moving the tube is a hassle I can do without.  Early indications are good.  Nudging is an absolute dawdle (I sometime just pushed it with my eyebrow).  Even if it gave the exact same view as the 130pds the fact I have to sit to observe makes it winner.  Sitting is the way forward.  Just need rvo to tell me the geoptik is in stock!

Happy so far with my purchase.  Hopefully clear skies and wife here on Friday and no moon so more detailed writeup then.

[Mr Spock]

Just cleared a foot of snow off the patio ready for tonight. Glad I did. The sun is spectacular right now. 9 main sunspots with half a dozen smaller groupings. Everything in the 4" and 7mm Nirvana is nicely framed. In steady moments of seeing really fine detail is on view; granulation, faculae and the main 'large' sunspot is packed full of stuff.

[IB20]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

Just cleared a foot of snow off the patio ready for tonight. Glad I did. The sun is spectacular right now. 9 main sunspots with half a dozen smaller groupings. Everything in the 4" and 7mm Nirvana is nicely framed. In steady moments of seeing really fine detail is on view; granulation, faculae and the main 'large' sunspot is packed full of stuff.

Thanks for this, just dropped the scope outside for a quick view. Quite windy and seeing is sub-optimal but the sunspot formation is very nice. I could make out some granulation centrally and faculae were quite prominent towards the solar limbs. 👍🏻

Might keep the scope out for a crack at Venus and twilight Sirius. 

[markse68]

Got out a bit earlier tonight while Venus was quite high but the Jetstream seems to be mushing everything up  Typical!

Mark

[Ratlet]

Just in for a cup of tea and a warm up.  The Dob is an absolute beast.  The digital inclinometer is absolutely brilliant.  Did some clusters in auriga.  Going to get some to the east before the devil's flashlight gets up. 

[cloudsweeper]

Got off to a good start with new Orion doubles:

Sigma 708 - 7th and 8th mags, 2.7 arcsec - not in handset, so went via Psi 1 Ori (the brightest in the field) - close but clear split at x191.

Sigma 750 - 6th and 8th mags, 4.2 arcsec - busy field at x36,  just above M42 - close but clear split again, now at x160.

Just warming up, then......well, you know what.  Drat!

Doug.

[saac]

1 hour ago, Ratlet said:

Just in for a cup of tea and a warm up.  The Dob is an absolute beast.  The digital inclinometer is absolutely brilliant.  Did some clusters in auriga.  Going to get some to the east before the devil's flashlight gets up. 

Those inclinometers are really easy to use and work really well, especially with a low power eyepiece to get a first acquisition on  a target. I've got one (Wixi style) which uses a remote sender unit mounted permanently on the mirror box - the display is then mounted up on the OTA  connected to the sender via a ethernet type cable.  Hey congrats on your clear sky, it's rubbish across here in Fife   

ps - edited 

scratch that - started to clear, only patchy cloud. Time to roll roof off for quick visual session, brrr it's ccccold. 

Jim 

Edited March 10 by saac

[Pixies]

First 'spring' fuzzy session tonight with the dob. managed some old favourites, starting in Leo

2/3 of the Leo Triplet - M65 and M66 easy with direct vision but NGC 3628(Hamburger) is rarely seen from my back garden. I should try earlier in the evening, as there's some murk low down to the SSW

2/3 of the other Leo triple. M105 and NGC 3384 were faint but just visible with direct vision. NGC 3389 was not.

Part of the same group: M96 was just barely visible but I couldn't find M95 - just too far down in the murk.

 

I shifted east and up, to get to darker sky - Canes Venatici:

M51 - both lobes visible but no structure

M63 (Sunflower) - bright centre with direct vision. Using AV, I could make our much more width, all the way out to the nearby star HD115270

M94 - nice and bright, even visible in the finder 

NGC 4490 (Cocoon) - main part visible with DV.

 

By now it was -2°C and with no gloves on (duh) it was getting too cold to carry on.

 

Nice to start seeing the old faves again. I need to hit a dark site soon.

 

[SuburbanMak]

Just in from a fab couple of hours in the local park & my first test of the Tak FC100 DC in grab & go mode - and boy it went! 
A lovely night, quite transparent here until the last half hour, seeing quite good. 
 
Did a 360 tour of favourites checking out how familiar objects of various types look in the new to me Tak.
I’ll do an observing report tomorrow but highlights included M3, M13, lovely split of Izar, Double double, M81 & M82, Double cluster, NGC 457, M44, 2/3 in the Leo Trio and finished with a tantalising field of smudges in Markarian’s chain just as the sheets of high cloud thickened, probably just as well as it’s a school night! 
The level of contrast, colour rendition and star presentation in this ‘scope is truly amazing. 
A successful gear-packing & field setup test and a memorable couple of hours! 

[Stu1smartcookie]

Wow , my first clear evening in about 2 weeks . As I am having a bit of bother with my Mak I decided to put it on the AZ5 and show it to the masses  out the front of the house ( which I hate doing ) because Venus and a very low Jupiter were around . Of course the Mak required cooling but 35 minutes later and with cloud menacingly building we were all set to go . A low power EP was used and Venus showed it's phase ... Nothing too interesting of course as it was brighter than 10 Stephen Hawkings put together , bit Jupiter was surprisingly sharp considering it was very low in the west . I switch to Sirius and was pleasantly surprised with the lack of disco ball colours , whereas Betleguese showed it's lovely orange colour . I did a star test and collimation is definitely off a smidge , the rings are concentric but twisting the focuser the other way showed the mirror needs a bit of adjustment . Still it's not far off and a lot of what I saw was very pleasing . Orion Nebula was as usual a fine watch . Mars is laughingly small now but I didn't push the mag tonight as I was just happy to be outside and looking at stars . It's actually still clear outside now ... Unless it's a mirage ! A surprisingly impromptu early evening . 

Edited March 17 by Stu1smartcookie

[Captain Scarlet]

Finally! A clear night beckons. Out and acclimatizing for the new toy. A quick cruise around looking at terrestrial daytime high-contrast objects and edges at (an amazingly perfectly usable) 586x showed no fringing whatsoever (for the benefit of those familiar with a certain other thread 🙃). Northerly targets tonight.

Edited March 18 by Captain Scarlet

[markse68]

clouds have cleared, it’s early and Venus is high

 

[cloudsweeper]

45 minutes ago, Captain Scarlet said:

Finally! A clear night beckons. Out and acclimatizing for the new toy. A quick cruise around looking at terrestrial daytime high-contrast objects and edges at (an amazingly perfectly usable) 586x showed no fringing whatsoever (for the benefit of those familiar with a certain other thread 🙃). Northerly targets tonight.

Never mind the stars Magnus, I'd just like to enjoy the landscape!

Doug.

[markse68]

Our society meet was cancelled this evening because of the forecast- shame as it’s a beautifully clear night now. The seeing and transparency are really good- e and f of the trapezium easily seen at 150x, Venus earlier was very crisp with a uhc. Mars still showing albedo markings and I saw the pup! Confirmed with several different eps and mags- it was definitely there intermittently  Rigel was a beautiful split with a perfectly sharp pinpoint secondary. Fab

Mark

 

Edited March 18 by markse68

[Ratlet]

I think everyone else's clouds have been funneled to Angus.  Practically had to swim home from work.  Worry not I like reading other people having great seeing almost as much as I like having it myself!

[Captain Scarlet]

Just in from a moderately satisfying night with the new Stellarvue 140, curtailed in the end by creeping haze, everything suddenly seemed to have developed nebulosity.

Highlight was a new object for me, Ceres, the brightest of the dwarf planets, currently a bit north of M88 which is how I managed to pin it down.

Only third light for the new scope, full report tomorrow in that section.

Magnus

 

[Stu1smartcookie]

5 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

Just in from a moderately satisfying night with the new Stellarvue 140, curtailed in the end by creeping haze, everything suddenly seemed to have developed nebulosity.

Highlight was a new object for me, Ceres, the brightest of the dwarf planets, currently a bit north of M88 which is how I managed to pin it down.

Only third light for the new scope, full report tomorrow in that section.

Magnus

 

I "looked " at Ceres on stellarium early evening and really wanted to get the chance to see it through my 150 frac ... Alas clouds and rain prevailed . So glad you were able to see it Magnus . Nice one  

Stu 

[Ratlet]

Pretty cloudy and wet up here, but there was a break in the sky driving home and managed to see a nice view of the moon and Venus.  The moon was an absolute razorblade of pure white.  Not seen anything like it.

[Mr Spock]

Too cloudy and wet here. Did get a brief solar session earlier with the Tak and the Starfield. Some lovely spots on view at the moment. If you are thinking about getting into solar then now's the time!

[bosun21]

Been cloudy here for weeks now and I now have two first lights to look forward to. I have only had a few stolen minutes between clouds with my 12” dobsonian. My new Starfield 102 hasn’t even seen the outside yet. I’m patiently waiting ☁️☁️

[Stu1smartcookie]

Early evening near Ely , Cambs looks promising. So I set up my az5 out front where Venus and our moon are making a fine pairing . Moon looks great in the 127 Mak but despite a counterweight keeping the tripod weighed down the wind is at its menacingly at its worst . I persevered for about 30 mins before giving up … that’s the problem , the first proper clear night for ages and the wretched wind spoils it . Zzzzzz  But it’s such a quick set up , I’m ready for the next opportunity. 

Edited March 25 by Stu1smartcookie

[SuburbanMak]

Windy here tonight but a biggish gap in the cloud as I was about to turn in. Nipped outside with the Canon 10x42 IS and had a nice half hour or so - M3, M13, M81 & M82, Alpha Persei cluster, Double Cluster & Stock 2, M39, Alberio, Coma Berenices star cluster & general sweeping around. 
Lovely to see some stars! 

[Mr Spock]

Just had a good session on the moon with the 4" duo - until the cloud rolled in. Just when I was enjoying myself!

I compared the Starfield at x179 and the Tak at x185 and views were similar. I decided to focus my efforts on observing with the Tak as that's what I bought it for. Tried the 2.5mm SLV for x296 - it was sharp but the seeing wasn't perfect. Went to my trusty ortho collection with the x2.5 Powermate. Petavius was lovely and crisp at x206 with the 9mm. I didn't get to try the 7mm (x264) as the cloud came in - shame.

In between clouds I managed a few minutes on Venus. It was very wobbly though, especially at x296, but I could make out some cloud detail.

[Paul M]

I've been hoping for a clear sky tonight. The forecast had been for the sky to clear from the north by late vening giving a clear, crisp night. As the day has progressed the forecast has worsened to the point that all hope was lost.

Anyway, I took the dogs for their evening walk and, as usual we ended up on the seafront. The air to the northwest was very clear but still overcast. I could see the peaks of the Isle of Man, some 65 miles away, sat on the horizon like the humps of a huge sea serpent, a well known local test of air clarity.

Then as the Sun was setting there was a break in the clouds and I saw the second half of sunset. Which got me thinking, with the air being so steady and clear, would there be a Green Flash. And indeed there was. The last 5 seconds or so of the Sun saw it turn a definite emerald green.  Perhaps not as intense green as the first time I saw it, maybe 4 years ago.

So, not a wasted day; I saw my second Green Flash!