Meade Lightbridge Observing report as of 17.4.2009

[Doc]

Meade Lightbridge 16" Dob 1829mm FL F4.5

17.4.2009

Seeing 4.0 mag

No Moon

Started observations 21.00

Started off in Leo and looked at one of my favourites the Leo Triplets. Easily saw M65 and M66 but once again failed on NGC 3628. Both galaxies were very bright and the cores were easily seen. in my 21mm Baader Hyperion at x87 they a mottled grey eliptical smudge against the black background.

While in Leo I turned the scope to NGC 2903 a spiral galaxy of mag 13.6 and 12 x 5.6' in size. A little hard to detect but it has 2 dim stars TYC 1409-974-1 & TYC 1409-889-1 on the edge to guide you. When I found it I saw a round grey spiral shape blob with a medium bright core and with averted vision and good seeing could make out hint of the spiral arms at the end of the galaxy.

I then went up to Ursa Major to find this Supernova SN2009a in NGC4088 I tried really hard to find this, but could not. It was at a high altitude and it meant me standing on a box but try as I might I could not detect it. Shame as I really wanted to see my first exploded star.

While I was in the area I looked at M51. I am now able to find the spiral galaxy first time everytime, strange because I use to struggle big time with this one. Looked awesome, saw a hint of the spiral arms but the cores were really bright. No bridge detected though.

Dropped down to Coma Berenices and seeked out the M64 the Black Eye Galaxy. I found it by star hopping from M53, it was a fantastic sight, alot more visible then I imagined. What I saw was a bright oval elongated shape with some structure visible. Even though this galaxy is 19 million light years away is shines at mag 12.7, I even saw the bright core within the galaxy. I was really pleased with myself as I have wanted to see this for a while and it is another Messier object off the list.

I stayed in Coma Berenices and seeked out the globular cluster NGC4147. This turned out to be a pretty hard task at only 4'x4' and mag 10.3 it took me a while to find. When I did eventually find it I was quite dissapointed it looked like a out of focus star and even in the 8mm hyperion at x228 I could not resolve any stars.

While in the area had to visit a proper Globular Cluster so picked M3. This one really amazes me, in the 8mm it resolves to the core, so many stars it's impossible to count them.

After this I dropped down a few degrees to find NGC5466 in Bootes, another globular cluster. Cartes du Ceil says it's mag 9.1 but does not give a surface brightness, now I know why. I could not find this at all, this cluster is dim or sparse. Either way I struggled.

As it was globular cluster night and Hercules was getting higher I turned the scope to M13. This is one awsome sight, it is very concentrated with a bright condensed core that is easily resolved into hundreds of stars in the 8mm Hyperion. Simply the best sight of the night. What surprised me as well was the view I got from the ortho's the 12.5mm one especially.

Throughout the night I kept my eye on Saturn and easily saw banding on the planet and could even make out the rings crossing Saturns disk. But what was really surprising was how far of axis Lapetus was. I thought all saturns moons were nearly on the same path around Saturn, Lapetus was way off.

A very enjoyable night and decided to finish about 00.30.

[Sam]

Great report Doc. I wonder why you are not having much success with NGC3628? It is certainly harder to see the other two in the triplet - do you have quite a bit of light pollution?

Sam

[Doc]

Great report Doc. I wonder why you are not having much success with NGC3628? It is certainly harder to see the other two in the triplet - do you have quite a bit of light pollution?

Sam

I do suffer from alot of light pollution and found 13.2 mag about my limit.

M65 & 66 are mag 12.8 and NGC3628 is 13.4 so maybe just on the edge of being able to see it if I either had better eyepieces or better skies.

[ZOG]

Nice report Mick, I'm run off my feet at the mo with moving the business to a new location, so I haven't been able to do any observing. I understand the LP bit. At Kielder, M81 - 82 came screaming out of the EP. At home, I struggle to see them as very faint fuzzies.

Reports like this keep the fires burning.

Bill

[Talitha]

Another nicely detailed report.. thanks! I wonder if the supernova's fading already. And congrats on getting M64, how many does that bring your total up to?

Geeze Mick, I sure hope you can get out from under the LP soon.. I had the 120 achro out on the 15th and ngc 3628 was no problem (00:15 local). Telescopic limiting mag was 13.3 but the galaxy was clearly seen with averted vision... details, too. I can't claim to have seen the dust lane, but definitely saw the brighter streak running parallel to it.

[Doc]

Thanks Zog and Carol.

Carol the total is in my sig. Thats 42 Messiers now.

As you both say I must get those 16 inches under dark skies as I bet I can get as low as mag 16 maybe.

[albedo0.39]

Hi Mick -it seems like you have had yet another good session. I'm interested to know how you personally find your targets. Are you using the electronics on the scope (push to) or are you perhaps using the wide angle of the eyepiece and a red dot finder ?

What Eyepiece(s) do you reach for first / last ?

Thanks

[Doc]

Hi Mick -it seems like you have had yet another good session. I'm interested to know how you personally find your targets. Are you using the electronics on the scope (push to) or are you perhaps using the wide angle of the eyepiece and a red dot finder ?

What Eyepiece(s) do you reach for first / last ?

Thanks

Well Steve I use cartes du Ceil to look for targets that I think my scope and seeing conditions can manage and make a list of them.

Then I take laptop outside and go through them noting Alt/Az co-ords.

Then I use my altitude and Azimuth digital gauges to set the co-ords and i would say 90% of the time the object is in the fov of my widefield eyepiece.

Main eyepiece is my Baader hyperion 21mm or my 25mm TAL. For high mag work my 8mm hyperion is used.

Btw I also sometimes don't bother with the electronics and use a Telrad finder and star hop to desired object.

[albedo0.39]

Main eyepiece is my Baader hyperion 21mm or my 25mm TAL. For high mag work my 8mm hyperion is used.

.

Thanks Mick - seems to make sense. Already on the list for the LB:-

• Wixey
  
• Azuimth setting circles (or encoder - not sure which)
  
• I've got "Stellarium" on the PC already and that shows ALT/AZ.
  

Regarding those EP's of yours, do you notice much coma @ the edge of the FOV ? Is your 'scope coma corrected ? (e.g. Paracorr or similar).

Thanks for advice.

PS - wonder what the southern hemisphere looks like in a large scope.. talk about "wow"

[GazOC]

Using my 14" I fail to spot NGC 3628 on all but the best nights, same with the bridge on M51.

I was out tonight under clear but average seeing and those were the two things I noted not seeing (if that makes sense).

NCG 2903 was easily seen but with no details and I rounded the night off with M3 at x315 using a 5mm Hyperion, the detail was in and out but when it was "in" it was amazing.

Sorry if this has turned into a mini-observing report...

[Doc]

Don't be sorry Gaz it's great to have your input. Don't take it the wrong way but I'm glad you cannot see NGC 3628 or M51's bridge as that would make me ponder why my scope can't see them. But saying that those extra 2" should pull them out.

Steve the hyperion range are good eyepieces for the price, but they do suffer from coma and curvature at the edge. I don't use a coma corrector as I haven't the funds to buy one yet and basically I have just learned to live with the coma it's not that bad and only really effects the very edge.

The idea is to save for some premium eyepieces such as naglers and the 28UWAN then I'll get a MPCC as well.

Btw Stellarium is good but Cartes du Ceil is also free and shows you a hell of alot more.

[Andrew*]

Liked this report very much. Shame you didn't manage to bag the supernova - must ahve a go of this before it fades. Andrew

[jgs001]

Good session Mick, nicely written report too.