What did you see tonight?

[John]

I've just managed to get a scope out but I'm wondering why I bothered. The seeing is really not very good and the wind blustery. Can't see this being a long session unless things improve rapidly 🙄

[Stu]

Clear again, another Quick Look. The seeing remains very average so detail wasn’t amazing. There appears to be a nice barge on the SEB (assuming I got that right, not used to upside down newt views so much 🤪)

[Mr Spock]

I can't wait to get out again. Have some lovely new kit to try. Patience though - I need to be 100% fit.

[John]

10 minutes ago, Stu said:

Clear again, another Quick Look. The seeing remains very average so detail wasn’t amazing. There appears to be a nice barge on the SEB (assuming I got that right, not used to upside down newt views so much 🤪)

I'm clouded out now but I think I could just about make out that dark, elongated feature before I gave up the unequal struggle with seeing, wind gusts and clouds. 

Edited December 8, 2023 by John

[Epick Crom]

13 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

No observing for me. I was in hospital all last week and I'm spending this week and next week recovering. It's forecast cloudy anyway 

Still, I have a few exciting items arriving today from FLO to cheer me up. More in the what did the postman bring thread later 

Get well soon Mr Spock!🙏

[SuburbanMak]

 Spent a happy hour chasing sucker holes from Winchester just now.  Too much cloud drifting around to warrant setting up a ‘scope so elected for the 10x42 IS bins.

They lend themselves beautifully to views of wider open clusters. I swept around  a few objects including the Double Cluster, M35 & the Auriga clusters but, with slightly ropey sky conditions tonight, it’s the views of the Hyades, Pleiades, Alpha Persei cluster and Orion’s Belt regions that will still be there when I close my eyes. 
 

 

[lunator]

I popped out for a short session with the new spotting scope. There was a reasonable gap in the clouds between Cygnus and through Pegasus. Split albireo and then swept the Mikky Way. The clouds then rolled in after 20mins. 

 

Cheers

Ian

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Had another go at Jupiter with the 9mm Omni and a 2x Barlow down my new 70ED.  Reverted to my 20mm WO Swan instead because although the magnification is lower, it's a crisper view with better eye relief (and I appear to have issues with eye relief).  Lovely view, really clear.  All four moons, clear banding and a little bit of detail in the bands with some lovely contrast.  For about 15 minutes.  Then it got a bit dim.

Went to look at M42 and couldn't see a thing.  I'd only done a quick one-star alignment on Jupiter anyway so thought I'd re-align on Betelguese.  Couldn't see that either.  Thick cloud...

Went outside again ten minutes later just to see Jupiter clear and bright again but thought better of playing that game.  I'm just glad to have a setup I can have up and running in under 60 seconds.

Edited December 9, 2023 by GrumpiusMaximus

[Ouroboros]

I went out just now to see if it’s worth setting up for imaging when I saw a line of bright lights in the sky towards the west. What the bloomin’ heck is that? Then the penny dropped. Starlink! First time I’ve seen it. What an abomination! Anyway came in to get the bins and by the time I got out they’d gone.  
 

…… oh, and I’m not convinced it’s clear enough for imaging. Misty. 

[Mr Spock]

Rain is pounding down here with 50 mph winds. And my patio is flooded again...

[lunator]

It is supposed to be completely clear here. I have had a fairly decent view of Jupiter. But it is 95% cloud and raining at the mo....

[bosun21]

Partially clear here but I am still waiting for a couple of bits for my new scope before I give it first light. Still to collimate it after fitting bobs knobs and removing the mirror to fit (not needed) new springs. I have two other scopes here but they are waiting to be collected.

Edited December 9, 2023 by bosun21

[PeterC65]

There's been a lot of patchy cloud here but it's started to clear and is forecast to be gone by 10pm. I'm out with the new AZ-EQ5 mount loaded up with the new Explorer 200PDS and the existing 72mm refractor, both with Uranus-C cameras. I'm warmish inside but with so much new kit I've been in and out.

The new mount is very impressive. It's handling the two scopes without any problems, even though the wind is gusting which probably isn't helping with 200PDS. It seems much more precise than my old one, just going to the right spot. The two saddles are out of alignment in azimuth by 1.2 degrees and there's no adjustment for that so I'll need to give it some thought in daylight.

The Explorer 200PDS is doing a better job than the 150PDS and it has about 10mm more in focus which is useful, but the weather conditions are probably not good enough to make a fair comparison.

Just looking at NGC1491 as I type, which to be fair is looking much better than it did with the 150PDS under the same settings (but less cloud and wind).

 

 

[John]

It is clear here but there is a blustery wind around and the sky transparency can best be described as milky. The Jetstream seems to be having an influence on the seeing as well and it's not a good influence 🙄

I am under the red/orange bit. Jupiter is not great although there is a pleasant arrangement of the planet and galilean moons currently. 

Edited December 9, 2023 by John

[lunator]

John I am not that far from you and seeing is going from average to poor. Jupiter is showing some detail but nowhere near as good as the last session.

Cheers

Ian

[GrumpiusMaximus]

1 hour ago, John said:

It is clear here but there is a blustery wind around and the sky transparency can best be described as milky. The Jetstream seems to be having an influence on the seeing as well and it's not a good influence 🙄

I am under the red/orange bit. Jupiter is not great although there is a pleasant arrangement of the planet and galilean moons currently. 

I'm near Canterbury, so we're right on the verge of the yellow/orange.  I've just been out for 20 minutes.  It's supposed to be getting better at around 11PM so I'll go back out again but I've had a good look at M42 and a general look at a few other bits and pieces.  A bit cloudy and it's clearing but the seeing is not great so my 70ED is struggling a bit.  However, when there's a good patch, it's decent.

[John]

13 minutes ago, lunator said:

John I am not that far from you and seeing is going from average to poor. Jupiter is showing some detail but nowhere near as good as the last session.

Cheers

Ian

Thanks Ian. Although that is not great news for us it is oddly re-assuring that someone else, not too far away, is having a similar experience.

The transparency has got a little better here but the seeing is, as you say, possibly got worse. I can see the two main bands on Jupiter but that's about all. I've just had another look and it is just possible to guess that the GRS has started to transit the disk but it is terribly vague. 

I'll give it another 30 minutes and see if there is any improvement but I suspect it's going the other way.

 

[John]

45 minutes ago, John said:

Thanks Ian. Although that is not great news for us it is oddly re-assuring that someone else, not too far away, is having a similar experience.

The transparency has got a little better here but the seeing is, as you say, possibly got worse. I can see the two main bands on Jupiter but that's about all. I've just had another look and it is just possible to guess that the GRS has started to transit the disk but it is terribly vague. 

I'll give it another 30 minutes and see if there is any improvement but I suspect it's going the other way.

 

"whump"................ is the sound of a towel being thrown in 🙄

It is still clear but the seeing is rubbish and the transparency not up to much either. There will be other nights ......

[Mr Spock]

I'm in the dark red bit at the tip of the red arrow. According to the legend that's gusts of 70 mph! Oh, and it's still raining. Rain gauge says 27.3mm.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

My garden is quite well sheltered due to having 6-foot fencing and being quite small but we're on the top of a hill here.  I found a slightly more sheltered spot, re-aligned and pointed the scope at Andromeda and had a good look for about 15 minutes, which was great.  Clear but lots of atmosphere going on and the rate the stars were twinkling said it all.  I'm making a point of going out every night there's even a vague chance of seeing anything to get myself into the habit.

At least I wasn't being ambitious tonight.  Still great to get a telescope out although I may have to invest in slightly warmer socks and not venture out in Amazon-bought knock-off pink Crocs...

[John]

36 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

..... I'm making a point of going out every night there's even a vague chance of seeing anything to get myself into the habit.

....  Still great to get a telescope out ......

That is a great attitude to take 👍

[johnturley]

13 hours ago, PeterC65 said:

The two saddles are out of alignment in azimuth by 1.2 degrees and there's no adjustment for that so I'll need to give it some thought in daylight.

 

 

 

That's what I found when I mounted both my Tak 100 DZ and ES 127 Refractors on this mount, there is fine adjustment in altitude not not in azimuth, please let me know if you come up with a solution.

Also I couldn't get the mount to track very well in AZ mode, I tried one star alignment using Jupiter (while looking at Jupiter), but it still didn't work very well. Which tracking mode did you use, after I have sold my ES 127, I think that I will put the mount back into EQ mode. 

John 

Edited December 10, 2023 by johnturley

[Mr Spock]

Next Thu, Fri & Sat are looking good on CO. I should be fully recovered by then so planning some Jupiter and doubles sessions 👍

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I'm in Devon seeing family at the weekend.  I'm a member of an astro society down there (based at an observatory) so I think I'll pop along next Saturday and take my small setup with me as the skies are much, much better than I get here and the horizon is good.  I'm actually quite excited about it.

Edited December 10, 2023 by GrumpiusMaximus

[PeterC65]

3 hours ago, johnturley said:

Also I couldn't get the mount to track very well in AZ mode, I tried one star alignment using Jupiter (while looking at Jupiter), but it still didn't work very well. Which tracking mode did you use, after I have sold my ES 127, I think that I will put the mount back into EQ mode. 

I was using AZ mode last night after doing a 2 star alignment. The tracking and GOTO performed really well. I was doing EAA and so plate solved for every target and the mount was always within 0.1 degrees right across the sky. When I centred on the target it brought it right into the centre of the field of view and kept it there.