3 clear nights very dark skies

[Dave scutt]

3 clear nights from my garden bortle 2-3,  12"skywatcher  ES 82 , 14mm ,11mm ,8.8mm,6.7 and 2x barlow.

I could see so much with the naked eye could make out Andromeda M31,Persei open cluster,  beehive cluster,  and coma star cluster. 

Started off trying to see the pup though I could see it and then would disappear around 1 -2 o clock,  moved on to M51 whirlpool galaxy could actually see the spiral arms for the first time, stayed there mesmerised for a long time, moved up to M97 Owl Nebula could see it with no filter but the UHC filter made it stand out better, found a faint galaxy close to M97 doesn't mention it in my books or on stellarium🤔. Lots more open clusters, next time I'm going on a fuzzy hunt.

Dave

Edited March 31, 2022 by Dave scutt
Missed the 5 out in M51

[Kon]

Nice report. Seeing clusters by eyes only is great (I have bortle 3 skies and see them often). The galaxy you saw is M108; you can frame it with the Owl in a lower mag EP.  In your Dob, the pup  should be around 4-5 o'clock.

[Captain Scarlet]

Very nice Dave and jealous! I’m in the UK at the moment in Bortle 8 so have missed the run of moon-down fine weather in Ireland grrrr. Back in a few days bringing the cloud with me no doubt! 😄

Magnus

[Another Drizzle Dweller]

Hi Magnus,

You missed nothing. Set up the C9.25 for two nights in a row, but very bad seeing, despite cloud less forecasts. M82 was visible, but could not see M81 in the C9.25

Another Drizzle Dweller

Sunny South East!