Got you, you sneaky owl!

[Ags]

Since I was a kid in South Africa I was fascinated by the Owl Nebula and since I came north and acquired a telescope I tried and tried to spot this nebula but no luck from 12 years of trying. Easy to find, but not easy to see from a city.

I remembered this elusive target tonight when @Laurin Dave posted a great widefield of M97 with M108, another DSO with impenetrable stealth technology. I decided to try once more as it is a dark and clear night here in La Palma. Although the sky was good, and most lights are switched off at midnight, the lights in the hotel that remained on were north of any likely observing spots, so my efforts were complicated by beams lancing into the corners of my eyes.

Despite the issues, you can imagine my delight when I found the arc of three brightish stars separating two fuzzies, the fuzzy nearest Merak being elongated M108 and the other rounder fuzzy being - FINALLY - M97. I could not glimpse the owl's eyes, I guess that needs less local light annoyances and a little more aperture. By the way, M97 is an inclined open ended tube, and the eyes are the open ends.

M97 was easier to spot than M108.

@juno16 posted a great widefield of M106 and I realized for the first time tonight that M106, Phecda, Dubhe, and M81/M82 are equally spaced along a line, so I thought I would go for M106 which I can't recall having spotted previously. Maybe in my goto era, where things were quickly found and quickly forgotten.

M106 was really easy to locate and relatively bright and definitely elliptical. Of course I went to the other end of the line and took in M81 and M82, very bright with well defined shapes.

All observing with a 66 mm refractor, 20 mm plossl, AZT6 head and travel tripod. 

Edited March 31, 2022 by Ags

[Nik271]

Congratulations, Ags! First few times I looked for the Owl I couldnt see it, but eventually I managed it. The overall light pollution is the key. La Palma must be terrific. Shame about the local lights, try a thick bathroom towel over you head for some dark adaptation! 

[Ags]

I will give the towel trick a try. I tried keeping my eyes shut, but that dimmed the stars too much 😀

[Dave scutt]

23 minutes ago, Ags said:

I will give the towel trick a try. I tried keeping my eyes shut, but that dimmed the stars too much 😀

Hi Ags are you using any filters I find the UHC one works well

[Ags]

I have a cheap uhc filter at home, but I have never seen it improve a view unfortunately...

Edited March 31, 2022 by Ags

[wookie1965]

That is another object I have not seen from home I do need to get to a dark sky to tick these objects off. 

Thanks for posting great session. 

[Ags]

I have learned from this trip that local glare is annoying but it is the wide area sky glow that makes a real difference.

[Ags]

I found a new observing spot this lunchtime, possibly shielded from all glaring lights and with a couple of convenient seats. Fingers crossed for clear skies!

Edited March 31, 2022 by Ags

[GordonD]

I also find a UHC helps make the owl stand out a lot more under my suburban skies.

[Ags]

Looking around Cancer tonight. 

Beehive is a naked eye object tonight, and a fine sight in the 20 mm plossl. It would have been awesome in the 20 mm 68° eyepiece that I left at home? Why? Why???

Moved a few degrees to the left for M67. So sparkly!

Oggled M46 and M47 (and NGC 2423) in the 20 mm for a while, such a rich sight all together in one view. While locating this triple cluster I spotted what looks like a fourth in the finderscope, identified in Stellarium as NGC 2422).

I switched to the 9 mm, and studied the M46 star pattern carefully using averted vision. Eventually I located NGC 2438, two of the brighter stars of the cluster point to it. This planetary was the stretch goal for the trip - success!

Moving on to Leo now.

Spent some time trying to spot Leo 1 near Regulus, but it's not happening.

More targets I can't spot from a city: M65, M66, and NGC 3628 - the Leo Triplet. M65/66 are easy tonight, but I can see why 3628 was missed from the Messier list, barely detectable with direct vision for me tonight.All three together in the 9 mm - lovely!

Edited April 1, 2022 by Ags

[Ags]

On 31/03/2022 at 08:31, Nik271 said:

La Palma must be terrific.

It is kind of like Astronomy Disneyland 😀

(but with more magic and less lights)

Edited April 1, 2022 by Ags