Giants, Doubles, and Zoom

[cloudsweeper]

Thursday, 6.30pm: cold, still, clear, 8SE on GoTo. A good start to the year – my 7^th session.

Mira (Cetus) – a variable Red Giant with a period of 332 days. The name means wonderful, and it is unusual in being named while it is (generally) not naked-eye visible. It appeared a lovely orange in the eyepiece, with a 9^th mag field star nearby.

Uranus – an Ice Giant. Always a delight to look at a close neighbour, about 1.8 billion miles away. To the north (and in the same FOV) lay 29 Ari, a double star of uncertain status with a large Δm and a separation of 1.4”. (Not split.) The planet appeared a very pale blue, and being non-stellar, magnified noticeably when viewed through the zoom eyepiece, staying fairly sharp right up to x254.

I always try for new doubles, and in this short session took in two more:

Σ323 Cet – matched 7^th mag pair, 2.7” apart. This was the brightish star at the junction of a Y shape, and was split using zoom at x169 – well matched, close, but very clear, 4 o'clock orientation.

Σ330 Cet - 7^th & 9^th mags, 8.6”. Easily split at the “search magnification” of x48. Faint secondary, close, clear split, 7 o'clock orientation.

Thanks for reading!

Doug.

 

[wookie1965]

Another great session Doug thank you for posting. 

[Epick Crom]

Nice haul of targets Doug👍

[spacegalaxy]

On 21/01/2022 at 14:13, cloudsweeper said:

staying fairly sharp right up to x254.

Ohh, I wonder what scope you were using, and what does the fairly sharp mean? Also, thanks for the great article, I will certainly try to find Uranus in my next session!

Clear nights!

[cloudsweeper]

16 minutes ago, spacegalaxy said:

Ohh, I wonder what scope you were using, and what does the fairly sharp mean? Also, thanks for the great article, I will certainly try to find Uranus in my next session!

Clear nights!

Thanks!  See top line - 8SE telescope, a Schmitt-Cassegrain.  Sharp means the object looks small, tight, and well-defined, as opposed to being a bit blurred.

Doug.

[spacegalaxy]

7 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

Thanks!  See top line - 8SE telescope, a Schmitt-Cassegrain.  Sharp means the object looks small, tight, and well-defined, as opposed to being a bit blurred.

Doug.

So, fairly sharp = a bit blurred, am I right?

[cloudsweeper]

12 minutes ago, spacegalaxy said:

So, fairly sharp = a bit blurred, am I right?

Just a bit.  Stars get blurred at higher magnification because (amongst other things) of seeing effects.