This evening's participants

[Nakedgun]

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Clear conditions with decent seeing predicted for tonight only, then cloudy for the next week.

 

C-Nine-Two-Five w/ Denkmeier bino-viewer on GM-8/Berlebach combo (non-goto) for the Moon/planets

 

 

Borg 90FL on Vixen Porta for quick panning around

 

Waiting for darkness

 

Report to follow...

 

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[Nakedgun]

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Had everything set up by 1800hrs, which is when the photos above were taken (floating ISO makes it appear much brighter than it really was) and I took a peek through the SCT at the Moon to check on conditions where they showed fair to good (but not excellent) seeing. Called my neighbor over to have a look and he was impressed with his first use of a bino-viewer. He does not own a telescope of any kind, but does enjoy an occasional look through mine. He went home, and I went inside for evening meal and to await darker skies.

Returned to the SCT at 1915 and immediately went for Saturn only to discover the seeing had slid down to average/poor, evenly mixed. Titan and Rhea were easily held, Dione appeared on occasion, but no Tethys, and Enceladus was not seen, either. I can't remember the last time I saw Enceladus, probably because I've not trekked to a dark sky site for a number of years, now, or maybe it's just poor luck. I stayed at the eyepieces a full 20 minutes, but no improvement came forth.

Moved on to Jupiter, as the GRS was crossing the meridian at 1940. I must say, my impression of last night's image made it appear to have shrunken tremendously of late, almost as if were an afterthought. I wonder if it will last through my lifetime, and I ain't young! I gave up on Jupiter, due to seeing, near 2000hrs.

Moved over to the Moon, and perhaps because of the larger canvas and/or greater light throughput found the seeing was not such a hindrance, here. The day-short-of-first-quarter phase was pleasing to view; Aristoteles and Eudoxus both having portions of their floors still shadowed; rills and wrinkles winding across Lacus Somniorum and Mare Serenitatis; further sough along the terminator the oh-so-battered highlands.

My neighbor returned near 2030, so we retraced my earlier steps, beginning with Saturn. By now, it was a complete mess, as if a jet engine were sending its exhaust across the scene. We quickly moved on to Jupiter, and found the seeing beginning to improve considerably in this portion of the sky. We did spend some time examining the cloud patterns displayed, and as the seeing continued to improve into the fair/good rating, more was revealed while the GRS moved closer to the limb.

Next on to the Moon, as Mars was not yet at the altitude I wanted to begin with. My neighbor was floored with the lunar view, and spent considerable time exploring the scenery.

Finally, it was time for the red planet. Ten days earlier my neighbor had come over to have his first look at Mars during the current apparition and it was not a terribly impressive one. This night was far different, with Syrtis Major prominent at about three-quarters of the way across the face, moving toward the limb, and the North Polar Hood becoming more prominent as the globe climbed higher. this was my most favorable view of Mars since the 2003 close approach, seen then through my C-14 which has been passed on to another owner. We swapped positions and compared our views for some time, on Mars.

By now, it was 2300, and everything was soaked with dew, my neighbor had reached the limits of his clothing's insulation, and I was getting a bit tired, so I bid him adieu, and began carting everything except the SCT's mount back into the garage, finally retiring by midnight.

Primary magnifications for this evening were 195x and 261x, with 335x proving too much.

The Borg was never used this evening.

 

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