A Deep Sky Tour with the Heritage 150p Virtuoso GTi

[Astro_Dad]

14/12/22 

22:00

Not an ASCOM driven automated tour using EQTOUR - something I’m keen to try at some point, but a semi automated, longer and more intensive session than I’ve enjoyed for a while - utilising the GOTO and tracking features of this ‘scope. 

I began with a brightest star alignment (2-star alignment) using Mars and Polaris as alignment targets. 

The first set of targets (in Auriga and Perseus)were taken from Deep-Sky tour, BBC S@N Dec 2022. Using the Plan file from S@N magazine’s extra online content loaded into Sky Safari Pro. 

NGC 1664 - the beautiful kite shaped open cluster seen again in Auriga - mostly 10th magnitude stars making up the kite shaped “core”. Impressive and distinctive trail of stars emanating from this region. 
 

NGC 1582 - very sparse open cluster in Perseus - low power worked well (32mm Plossl). 

NGC 1513 - another open cluster in Perseus. Very distinctive “hook” shape - very obvious feature and apparently represents the Greek hero’s knee. 

Finally from this list, NGC 1545 - not able to readily confirm I saw this properly but I think the GOTO slewed me to what must have been this particular open cluster.  

I then switched observing list in SS and started to work my way through the first few targets in the “20 BRIGHTEST OC’s IN CASSIOPEIA” - a plan file I downloaded from SGL - I can’t recall who posted the file in the thread but credit to the creator of it - will check. 

32mm used throughout. 

M52 - rich fairly concentrated cluster 

M103 - the last object Charles Messier added to his original catalogue. Difficult to know for certain I was looking at the right area as very loose and undefined. 

NGC 129 - loose somewhat “undefined” and attractive scattering of stars. 

NGC 225 - another very open, loose sprinkling. 

NGC 457 - the delightful ET (or Owl) cluster!

I then switched off the GOTO and manually centred on M42 for a good close look at the nebula. Stunning as always with the trapezium cleanly defined and impressive at 100x. Somewhat optimistically had a quick go at the Flame Nebula near Alnitak but I think just too much light due to the Moon over in the East. Maybe next time!  

This was the first time I’d used downloaded plan files and observing lists in SS to enable “touch of a button” skewing to targets, and this seemed to work well. It is not as intuitive or quick to set up as Celestron’s StarSense Explorer approach, but it brings its own advantages in terms of tracking and target list management and organisation- so fun to use but requires more patience and somewhat accurate alignment on initial set up. Definitely worth enduring the freezing conditions…

 

[RobertI]

Lovely report, some nice winter objects there well described, sounds like your setup was working well. I think I may have created the Cassiopeia SS list, but you can really thank the wonders of Sky Safari!! 🙂

[Sunshine]

Looks like you've worked your way through a load of targets, mostly NGC, great report and I'm intrigued about this Virtuoso GTi with tracking? I didn't know they had tracking.

[Astro_Dad]

47 minutes ago, RobertI said:

Lovely report, some nice winter objects there well described, sounds like your setup was working well. I think I may have created the Cassiopeia SS list, but you can really thank the wonders of Sky Safari!! 🙂

Thanks @RobertI, I did a quick search through various threads late last night but couldn’t find the specific share- appreciated. 

[Astro_Dad]

28 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

Looks like you've worked your way through a load of targets, mostly NGC, great report and I'm intrigued about this Virtuoso GTi with tracking? I didn't know they had tracking.

With the GOTO set up on the Virtuoso GTi the ‘scope does track - albeit in Alt-Az. There is also a simple “point and track”  feature within the Syn Scan software that can be used to quickly and roughly track objects that are pointed to using handset or phone. 

[wookie1965]

Some great objects there I wish I could align with planets with synscan make things much easier.