What did you see tonight?

[John]

Thin hazy cloud layer here. The moon is showing though it plus some brighter stars so some observing can be done. Pity about that cloud layer though because the seeing seems to be top notch. Just got the Tak 100mm out tonight which is practically grab and go. I've been running through various eyepieces from 8mm to 3mm seeing which does the best job of cutting through the cloud layer. I'm using fine lunar features such as Rima Birt and the Catena Davy plus Izar, Zeta Herculis and Delta Cygni as test targets. It's not quite an even playing field though because the cloud layer opacity varies constantly so do I blame the eyepiece or the cloud layer for any difference in resolution ? Blame the conditions, of course ! 😉

[lunator]

Of course John 😀.

I only had the Binos out tonight but the Moon did look very good. Many of the larger craters really stood out.

Cheers 

Ian

[paulastro]

I went out with the Celestron Starsense Explorer 8inch Dob last evening, set up quickly by 10.10pm because of increasing cloud .  In the event only had 35 mts with intermittent cloud but well worth it.  Good detail in Clavius and nearby Wilhelm, Montana, and Longomontanus on the terminator  with Tycho to the E. Using the SVBony 3-8, mostly at 5mm (×240)  there was some excellent sharp terminator features - also further to the N with features within Palus Epidemiarium which were very striking.  It was ideal for a Harold Hill drawing - if only that were possible.  

Clavius was well placed with the  E crater terraces wonderfully highlighted, also the fine detail of ejecta to the W of the crater and also Montes Carpatus to the N below Copernicus.  The seeing was extremely fine for 2/3 minutes while observing around Copernicus showing stunning steady detail.  It really was a treat- and some of the other features I observed weren't too far behind.  A wonderful worthwhile session before the Moon was overwhelmed by cloud.

[wookie1965]

Too much intermittent cloud to set up but all 3 of my apps says clear night tonight so hopefully be out tonight. 

[Mr Spock]

Don't jinx it, but, I have blue sky all round. Forecast is good too. Big lad and little lad out and waiting. Little'un currently on Tyco and Clavius 

[John]

Mixed clouds currently here (light and thundery) but forecast clear from around 2:00 am ! 

I'll keep an eye on things in case the clearance happens earlier 🤞

[Mr Spock]

Sadly, seeing is horrible. Through the 12" Regulus looks like a kaleidoscope 

Despite that I'm still getting more detail on the moon with the 12" even though the 4" is less wobbly. The four main craterlets in Plato are well visible in the 12" despite the image wobble and spikiness.  I'll have to keep it down to x185 (4", 4mm) and x190 (12", 8mm) to keep the image pleasing.

You wait all this time for a clear sky and... 😡

[John]

Can't even see the moon here ....... 😒

[Mr Spock]

I've put the 12" away. Even though it's more detailed in these conditions it's hard to focus. I'll spend the rest of the night just doing some sight-seeing with the 4".

I also need to change the battery on the EQ platform. Even turned up to max it was just loosing a little. The Dob base also needs a good clean it's... yuk! The winter hasn't been kind to it.

[IB20]

Can anyone help identify the two lunar beads on the terminator? Threw the 8” dob out whilst getting ready for the boxing. Nice and clear here, should be a good solar day tomorrow too. 
 

 

[Stu1smartcookie]

Got to make the most of nights like this. Out with the c8 on the skytee.. My first proper view of m13 which, despite a bright moon is resolving itself very nicely . The starsense unit is playing it's part tonight aiding location of targets . The seeing must be good as I have used the 3-8 zoom on the moon and had a great viewing experience , even at 3mm. All in all a happy night , just in to get a quick cup of tea then back outside .

Update.  Whilst more cloud infiltrated my clear sky I still had time to view m81 & m82 and M3. 

I must have used up the best conditions in my early viewing time as they quite quickly deteriorated, but, still an enjoyable evenning. Sunday night is also looking good. 

Edited May 19 by Stu1smartcookie

[wookie1965]

Seeing is terrible I packed up could not split the double double so watery, ring nebula was a blur and M13 was a cloud. 

Took a couple of pictures of the Moon they are not that good. 

[John]

Glad some of you are getting some sort of viewing in 🙂

Here a small gap has opened up in the clouds and one star is showing, just the one !

It's Vega 😉

 

 

[Mr Spock]

Despite the poor seeing, took a couple of hand held phone snaps. FC-100 & 4mm TOE.

[davhei]

7 hours ago, IB20 said:

Can anyone help identify the two lunar beads on the terminator? Threw the 8” dob out whilst getting ready for the boxing. Nice and clear here, should be a good solar day tomorrow too. 
 

 

Had a look in my moon atlas and I think the beads are the peaks of the lunar mountains Montes Harbinger. Great image!

[jock1958]

Went out about 09.30ish and spent an enjoyable hour on the moon using the 'Wee Fella', TV 3-6 zoom and Duplex Moon Atlas before it was totally clouded out. 

For those that haven't tried the Duplex Moon Atlas all I can say it makes life so much easier identifying objects for refractor & reflector users, the coated plastic pages ooze quality and durability essential in damp outdoor conditions.

[wookie1965]

21 minutes ago, jock1958 said:

Went out about 09.30ish and spent an enjoyable hour on the moon using the 'Wee Fella', TV 3-6 zoom and Duplex Moon Atlas before it was totally clouded out. 

For those that haven't tried the Duplex Moon Atlas all I can say it makes life so much easier identifying objects for refractor & reflector users, the coated plastic pages ooze quality and durability essential in damp outdoor conditions.

What is that moon map please.

 

[John]

34 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

What is that moon map please.

 

I think it is this one. I'm intending to purchase one myself in the near future 🙂

Duplex Moon Atlas - The Next Generation Lunar Atlas by Ronald Stoyan | First Light Optics

Edited May 19 by John

[jock1958]

1 hour ago, wookie1965 said:

What is that moon map please.

 

@John beat me to it, pics below of the first couple of pages. 

[wookie1965]

Thank you. 

[lunator]

It looks  a very interesting atlas.

The Moon did look good tonight but the hsze and moonlight was washing most things out. I did see  M44 but not much else in the binos.

Cheers

Ian

[John]

13 minutes ago, lunator said:

It looks  a very interesting atlas.

The Moon did look good tonight but the hsze and moonlight was washing most things out. I did see  M44 but not much else in the binos.

Cheers

Ian

There was just a slight haze over the moon this evening from here as well. Very subtle but I fancy it was taking the edge off the views just a little.

I think the crater Gassendi was my favourite tonight - the rilles that criss cross it's rugged floor were very well defined 🙂

[Ags]

Trying to keep myself awake while imaging M106, I decided to set up the ZS66 to view some easy targets. It involved stalking about a darkened house hunting for bits and pieces but I eventually got out the back door with a scope and no awake and annoyed housemates. Sadly the finder rings are on the RC6, so the little session was sans finderscope. The only eyepieces I could retrieve quietly were my two solar eyepieces, an SLV 25 and SLV 6, but they did very well. I managed to find a few doubles in Lyra, including of course the Double Double - just barely split with the 6 mm - but the highlight was the first viewing this year of my favorite double, 61 Cygni. I also picked out the Ring Nebula, but it was a bit indistinct tonight, I could see fuzz but no ring. Tried to resolve Polaris but failed again - theZS66 can split it, but it doesn’t have the aperture to pull the B component out of the haze of Amsterdam.

Edited May 19 by Ags

[bosun21]

Went out with the,180 tonight to do a bit of lunar observing. I was also going to capture a few videos of it and produce a couple of images. Unfortunately the sky didn't play along with my plan. The seeing was really poor here and the surface had the underwater effect at anything above 130x. The rest of the sky was the same with the added detriment of the moon washing everything out. I just had a quick tour of the clusters and a few doubles and called it a night much earlier than I had initially planned.

 

[Ags]

A quick M106 from last night... Only got an hour before cloud rolled in. To be continued!