What did you see tonight?

[Davesellars]

Crikey it's cold...  Seeing was OK with the 4" refractor best at 142x on the Moon.

[Kon]

A few frames I put together on Mersenius that I observed earlier.

[Mr Spock]

3 minutes ago, Kon said:

A few frames I put together on Mersenius that I observed earlier.

Just been looking at that string of craters. 

[OK Apricot]

Currently out at an observing site I'm going to nickname The Barn trying to dial in the AZ GTi. Pleased to say I'm getting somewhere now! 

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm watching an actual sunrise in the basin of a crater! An hour or so has passed and the inner area, which was dark a while ago showing a distinct horseshoe shape, definitely illuminated now. Have to find out what that crater is when I get home. Its really quite something! 

[Mr Spock]

Just now, OK Apricot said:

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm watching an actual sunrise in the basin of a crater! An hour or so has passed and the inner area, which was dark a while ago showing a distinct horseshoe shape, definitely illuminated now. Have to find out what that crater is when I get home. Its really quite something! 

Are you looking at Schickard? 

[OK Apricot]

8 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Are you looking at Schickard? 

Could be, I don't know my way around the moon yet, not enough to know which crater this is anyway. This one that resembles a horse shoe. I left my moon map at home 😅

Edited March 14, 2022 by OK Apricot

[Davesellars]

Well, now that I've had the opportunity to use the 4" Starfield on the Moon I'm pretty impressed by the quality of the optics on this scope. Absolutely zero CA anywhere to be seen.  I could just about make out one craterlet on Plato but the seeing was definitely not steady enough for more.  Alnitak was split (just) at 142x and with obvious seperation at 178x

[Mr Spock]

8 minutes ago, OK Apricot said:

Could be, I don't know my way around the moon yet, not enough to know which crater this is anyway. This one that resembles a horse shoe.

Quite spectacular how the light has progressed across the surface.

[Kon]

2 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Quite spectacular how the light has progressed across the surface.

What app is that? It looks very neat. 

[Mr Spock]

Just having a coffee break  My legs are a bit strained due to the awkward position of looking though the Dob. I'm so used to sitting at the back of a scope 

Also a bit frustrated with the collimation issue. It's not quite there, but one of the screws has no effect on the mirror at all. I wish I'd fitted the new springs as soon as they came, but, unfortunately, I was working this afternoon.
Currently I can only pick up 5 Plato craterlets and the optics are much better than that 

[Mr Spock]

2 minutes ago, Kon said:

What app is that? It looks very neat. 

Not an app. It's the LROC Quick Map https://quickmap.lroc.asu.edu/?extent=-90,-31.1790332,90,27.1490189&proj=10&layers=NrBsFYBoAZIRnpEBmZcAsjYIHYFcAbAyAbwF8BdC0ypcOKbRFOOZRBXQ48qmqoA

[mdstuart]

Lovely and clear sky tonight.

My favorite view tonight was the double star 54 Leo. Fine close white dots, lovely in my 8 inch dob.

Trying to get my 8 inch to balance at all dec angles. The small ssue is weight of the eyepiece and finder out from the tube. So I added a small counterweight and bingo it balances at any angle now.

Yes it looks odd but hey it works.

[OK Apricot]

16 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Quite spectacular how the light has progressed across the surface.

It's amazing to be observing it in real time, considering the 29 day rotation period! 

[Mr Spock]

1 minute ago, mdstuart said:

Yes it looks odd but hey it works.

Actually a good idea. I may have to consider something similar.

[Mr Spock]

1 minute ago, OK Apricot said:

It's amazing to be observing it in real time, considering the 29 day rotation period! 

Yes. Who said the moon was boring! Amorphous grey fuzzy blobs - now they are boring 😜

[Pixies]

Here's a tip with the LROC quick map:

In the key section, under Overlays - select 'Sunlit region' - and it will set the phase of the moon. It won't alter the shadow direction appropriately, though:

However, under the LROC Basemaps section, have the following selected (and no others):

Click on the slider button for "WAC Nearside (big shadows)":

use the opacity slider to swap between the shadows for each later, and you effectively get to adjust the shadow direction (sort of):

You can also adjust the date and time (bottom right of the screen) to select different phases.

 

 

[PeterC65]

I spent most of this evenings session on the Moon with the Skymax 127. This is the first chance I've had to try the new WO Binoviewer with the Mak and it was amazing, really immersive views and much more detail apparent. It's so much more relaxing when using both eyes and I find myself gazing at targets for much longer with the Binoviewer. I added the x1.6 Barlow to see more detail, and then swapped to a Baader x2.25 Barlow for even more detail. I'd say the Binoviewer view of the Moon is better than any of my single eyepieces, both widefield and detailed.

Oddly though, I could see floaters with the x2.25 Barlow even though that should have given an exit pupil of 0.75mm and I don't normally see floaters above 0.5mm. And according to the Stellarium Ocular View I should easily see the whole Moon disc with no Barlow but I could not. It feels like I'm getting x2 of the magnification that I was expecting. I have quite a bit hanging off the visual back but that shouldn't have stretched the focal length of the Mak by that much!

I had a quick look at M35 which is quite a nice target for the Binoviewer too.

M42 was doing a last hurrah, quite low in the sky, but worth a final look.

Saw M3 for the first time. Just a fuzzy blob between three stars with the ES 14mm, but that's probably due to too much Moon light. I'll try again on a Moonless night.

 

[Pixies]

Sorry to bang on about LROC, but just discovered a feature I hadn't noticed before.

Under the experimental features section:

select 'shaded relief +WAC no shadows':

It will  try to render the moon with correct shadows according to a surface relief map.

 

And get a load of that relief map:

[Stu]

13 minutes ago, Pixies said:

Sorry to bang on about LROC, but just discovered a feature I hadn't noticed before.

Under the experimental features section:

select 'shaded relief +WAC no shadows':

It will  try to render the moon with correct shadows according to a surface relief map.

 

And get a load of that relief map:

The NASA simulator is much better I think, very accurate rendering of the terminator.

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4955

These two show the shadows at 22.00 and then 00.00…

Set the time and date the tap on the Moon and it opens up the image.

[OK Apricot]

Definite sunrise in the depths of Schickard 😎

And an hour and a bit later... 

More colour within the walls and the length of the shadows decreasing noticeably - pretty cool indeed. First time the 127 had really dewed up on me, must invest in some few control - probably prefer a strip as I'm a bit of a minimalist. 

Had the 200P out as well, though a bit beaten by the brightness of the moon, so will probably leave it for the cresent to moonless nights. Saying that, I did manage to pull out E from the trapezium for the first time, definitely there at 133x. Also peaked at what was left of M13 and M57 behind the moon's glare. 

Decent night out - full moon or not, there's always a night's worth of viewing to be had. 

[Davesellars]

Thanks Stu.  That's what I've been looking for!  SkySafari doesn't render the terminator very well hiding most of the detail which is actually visible...

I wasn't going to go out again but you lot are a bad influence...  I broke and spent a little whle out again but with the 80ED Nice to have seen the progression of light and illumination of Schickard during the evening!

[Mr Spock]

Brought everything inside. Seeing had deteriorated a little.

Just fitted my new springs - they work! Though one of the bolts is a little tight - I'll look at that another day.

[StephenRh]

Clearish night last night so after a hard day on grandpa duties I snuck out and had a good look at the Pleiades.  Attached quick snap with  OMD 5 (iii)  attached to the 130PDS.

[Epick Crom]

14 hours ago, Kon said:

I just managed to see the pup for the first time with my 8" Dob at x358 magnification. Seeing is extremely stable and it is the first time it was not a disco ball. Very excited! Off to the moon now 

Well done bagging the Pup Kostas 🎉

[Mr Spock]

We aught to have a pup club