Titans and Titanides

[badhex]

Hello all,

Another very clear night earlier this week (and no moon!) meant I had the opportunity to test out the Powermate with my TS102 and do a bit more planetary work. 

First up was Jupiter which at this hour (~0030) is fairly well placed in the sky for me whilst Saturn is still hidden behind a tall building. 
I quickly switched up to the BCO 10mm + Powermate (179x). Seeing was pretty good, with excellent transparency. As with my ZS73 last week, I spent some time switching between the BCO 10mm and Pentax 10mm to see which plays best with the PM. I was really enjoying the FOV of the Pentax, and not really sure which is the cleaner image of the two. 

I have a suspicion that the high-end glass heavy EPs like the Pentax don't work as well with the cheaper GSO barlow I was using before due to cheaper barlows not being 'perfect', whereas the ortho is less affected by the barlow in terms of contrast because of the overall lower glass elements or surface count in the EP. Obviously the barlow also gives extra ER to the BCOs which makes them a bit more comfortable to use. Conversely, the PM is optically invisible, so it effectively turns a Pentax 10mm into an 'perfect' Pentax 4mm, and a BCO 10mm into a 'perfect' BCO 4mm, so it's not a huge surprise which ends up being the most comfortable to use. If nothing else the ER and eyecup of the Pentax really help. These were just my own musings in the dark, and might be nonsense!

Anyway, Both NEB and SEB were clearly visible and well defined, but sadly no  GRS transit at that moment which I think would have been very visible. The planet itself was super super bright! I think an ND filter might have been helpful here, so I'm going to make sure I take my ND3 with me next time. Thinking it might also take more mags, I tried the PM plus Morpheus 4.5mm (397x!) just for my own amusement; obviously it was too much, and too soft, but worth the test - I've been surprised before with over the top combinations!
As I had the Morpheus 4.5mm (159x) I took the PM out just for comparison. It turned out to be a really nice balance visually between magnification, brightness and definition, possibly helping to bring out even more detail than had been observed already. The ER on 4.5mm is a bit of a pain, feels like it's 2mm too little with eyecup and extension ring, 2mm too much with eyecup rolled down (I talk about this here). I opted for the eyecup rolled down and the blackouts that go with it,  but despite this the views were very, very nice.
 
Whilst in this bit of the sky I figured I might as well go for Mars, but like last time it was just a tiny red blurry potato (Desiree anyone?). It's still too low down and not worth bothering. 

Uranus was next door, so after a couple of minutes search it was found easily enough. With the 4.5mm there was just hint of blue but again, a bit low on the horizon for any more.

Saturn was now out from its hiding place, so I located it and switched this time to the Morpheus 4.5mm. Observing Saturn never gets old! It was really looking quite spectacular, with a ton of definition and detail visible both on the planet / cloud surface and the rings. The Cassini division was not even a challenge. Lots of cloud banding evident, a real treat to observe. Moving slightly out from the planet itself I was easily able to spot Titan and Rhea - only the second time I've observed this Titaness. An even more satisfying observation were two more of the Titanides; lurking on the other side and closer in were both Tethys and Dione! Visible at first only with averted vision, I was then able to located them - just - with direct vision. I am really enjoying spotting these great moons, and two firsts in one session is extra pleasing. I tried really hard to spot Enceladus - my favourite moon - but I think this tiny giant was perhaps too close to Saturn, or too small, to pick out.

I tried out the Pentax 10mm + PM combo for a bit more magnification. Everyone was still looking great, but I decided that possibly the 4.5mm just edged it out. Still tonnes of detail, but I suspect maybe I was able to get a bit tighter focus with the 4.5mm. I switched back for a final look at Tethys and Dione. Averted vision again to start, a little tweak of the fine focus and they popped back into view.

What a great few hours! At this point it was cold, and so I packed up and went off bed happy. 

Screengrab below from Stellarium - around the time I was observing.

Edited July 29, 2022 by badhex

[wookie1965]

Well you are certainly getting some clear skies there and you have some fine eyepieces, I'm not jealous at all 😁

Great read again I'm hoping I'm going to be able to write a review next Friday if the weather stays as it is I will be going with a friend to a bortle 2 sky I am really looking forward to it. 

Thank you Joe great report. 

Paul 

[badhex]

4 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

Well you are certainly getting some clear skies there and you have some fine eyepieces, I'm not jealous at all 😁

Great read again I'm hoping I'm going to be able to write a review next Friday if the weather stays as it is I will be going with a friend to a bortle 2 sky I am really looking forward to it. 

Thank you Joe great report. 

Paul 

Thanks Paul, I've been super lucky to have a few clear nights directly after picking up new kit which is all we can ask for! 

Always appreciate you reading and commenting, really happy to read that you will be away in dark skies soon. I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you that the weather plays nicely! 

[callisto]

Great report... can't wait to observe Jupiter in the coming months 

 

Mark 

[badhex]

@wookie1965 also, and importantly, I am aware that I'm incredibly privileged to have been in a decently paid - albeit stressful - job for the last few years which has enabled me to buy some expensive astro stuff, something that I am extremely grateful for and realise that not everyone has that luxury. I recently quit for various family and personal reasons, including the effect that the job has been having on my mental and physical health, and it has brought home just how important astronomy is for my mental health - so I'm making the most of it! 

[badhex]

2 minutes ago, callisto said:

Great report... can't wait to observe Jupiter in the coming months 

 

Mark 

Thanks Mark. Easy to forget how exciting our planetary neighbours are to observe when they aren't around! 

[wookie1965]

On 29/07/2022 at 20:32, badhex said:

@wookie1965 also, and importantly, I am aware that I'm incredibly privileged to have been in a decently paid - albeit stressful - job for the last few years which has enabled me to buy some expensive astro stuff, something that I am extremely grateful for and realise that not everyone has that luxury. I recently quit for various family and personal reasons, including the effect that the job has been having on my mental and physical health, and it has brought home just how important astronomy is for my mental health - so I'm making the most of it! 

I did all heavy lifting low paid jobs, flagging, fencing delivering various garden aggregate. This is how I did my back in 3 popped discs. was off sick but decided put myself through college went and did electrical installation 3 yrs passed everything, started working for a firm only there 6 months woke up couldn't see out my left eye, went a specialist hospital (St. Pauls eye hospital) I was told it was either a tumour or idiopathic intracranial hypotension.

Luckily it was not a tumour although having 17 lumber punctures up to now to drain cervical spinal fluid is no fun but if I dont have them I can go blind.

Needless to say I have no top end equipment but what I do have I get the best out of it and have seen many objects mostly double and multiple stars, you never know I may win the lottery and buy my dream set up.

I do hope your health is getting better I too suffer with depression being in pain 24hrs a day so I know what it is like.

Best wishes

Paul 

Edited July 31, 2022 by wookie1965

[badhex]

28 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

I did all heavy lifting low paid jobs, flagging, fencing delivering various garden aggregate. This is how I did my back in 3 popped discs. was off sick but decided put myself through college went and did electrical installation 3 yrs passed everything, started working for a firm only there 6 months woke up couldn't see out my left eye, went a specialist hospital (St. Pauls eye hospital) I was told it was either a tumour or idiopathic intracranial hypotension.

Luckily it was not a tumour although having 17 lumber punctures up to now to drain cervical spinal fluid is no fun but if I dont have them I can go blind.

Needless to say I have no top end equipment but what I do have I get the best out of it and have seen many objects mostly double and multiple stars you never know I may win the lottery and buy my dream set up.

I do hope your health is getting better I too suffer with depression being in pain 24hrs a day so I know what it is like.

Best wishes

Paul 

Thanks Paul. Sorry that you have suffered so much. I was saying to my partner earlier today that my particular struggles are nothing in comparison to what many have to deal with, but I think one thing that rings true is that regardless of what we have its important to make the best of it. Astronomy certainly helps there as no matter what our status we all look at the same stars, and it's something that I try to remember to keep myself in check 🙂

 

[ED Splitter]

Great write up. Thanks for sharing. 

[badhex]

8 hours ago, ED Splitter said:

Great write up. Thanks for sharing. 

Thanks ED, looking forward to more planetary observing in the months to come! 

[Paul M]

On 29/07/2022 at 20:32, badhex said:

@wookie1965 also, and importantly, I am aware that I'm incredibly privileged to have been in a decently paid - albeit stressful - job for the last few years which has enabled me to buy some expensive astro stuff, something that I am extremely grateful for and realise that not everyone has that luxury. I recently quit for various family and personal reasons, including the effect that the job has been having on my mental and physical health, and it has brought home just how important astronomy is for my mental health - so I'm making the most of it! 

Wow, some post!

I've also been lucky in recent years. Relatively well paid but draining job. 

I got a good bonus in June and am doing some overtime just now so I decided to invest in my future now. I very recently had the scope and mount of my dreams in my FLO basket but the scope sold before I hit the buy button.

It was a relatively silly amount of money but I'm alive now. Why wait until I'm to decrepit to enjoy what I can afford now?

It's not a dress rehearsal. So I'm still on the lookout for my dream scope!

[badhex]

47 minutes ago, Paul M said:

Wow, some post!

I've also been lucky in recent years. Relatively well paid but draining job. 

I got a good bonus in June and am doing some overtime just now so I decided to invest in my future now. I very recently had the scope and mount of my dreams in my FLO basket but the scope sold before I hit the buy button.

It was a relatively silly amount of money but I'm alive now. Why wait until I'm to decrepit to enjoy what I can afford now?

It's not a dress rehearsal. So I'm still on the lookout for my dream scope!

100% agreement. You can't take it with you as they say! I know I won't be able to buy much astro stuff in the coming months so getting a few things in now while I can.

What was the scope BTW? 

[Paul M]

6 hours ago, badhex said:

What was the scope BTW?

It was a Stella Lyra 12in RC on FLO offer but the required mount would have put the spend up considerably.

Anyway. I'm waiting to see who beat me to it in the "What did the postman bring" thread 😄