My all-nighter at SGL4 - 25th February report

[Andrew*]

This is my observing report for Saturday night at SGL4. As I didn't bring my own telescope, I freely roamed amongst fellow astronomers and asked to share their eyepiece. Selfish as this was, I had an absolutely fantastic night saying hi to everyone, seeing what they're up to... As I dressed up so warmly and enjoyed the sights and company so much, I didn't tire or get cold all night. I saw the first objects to emerge from the evening sky and saw the last ones being swallowed by the approaching dawn. Was my first all-nighter. Would definitely do this more often if my life would allow it...

I will list the objects I saw in rough order of time, mention who's scope I was visiting and something about the object.

Mercury

Jamie's 25x100 binoculars and Mark at Beaufort's 4" apo w/ 13mm Ethos.

Was quite high but in between clouds - easily visible naked eye. Too low mag to discern phase

Double cluster (NGC 894 and 886)

Mark's 4" apo.

Too early to truly sparkle, but pleasing anyway

M35

Mark's 4" apo.

Too early to truly sparkle or see nearby NGC 2158.

Eskimo Nebula

Greg's 10" SNT.

Bright core (central star?)

NGC 4361

Greg's 10" SNT

planetary nebula in Corvus. Requested by TJ.

Saturn

Lunator's 10" Mak, MrEd's 12" newt, RobH's 14" SCT et al.

Stunning sight. 5 moons visible, cassini, shadow on rings, two bands and an imagined moon shadow.

M3

Lunator's 10" Mak (I think)

Beautiful glob.

M92

MikeP's 12" dob (I think)

Glob-smacking cluster in these conditions (aperture, transparency).

M81/2/NGC 3077 - Bodes and Cigar galaxies

FLO's 12" Flextube Auto et al.

Simply stunning. Saw the diagonal line through M82, and distinct mottled texture. M81 was huge and aglow.

M51 - The Whirlpool galaxy

FLO's 12 Flextube Auto, MrEd's 12" newt

What can I say - stupendously beautiful galaxy and when you see it like this it's obvious why it was the first to show spiral structure. Bridge was visible too

M101 et al.

MrEd's 12" newt

Low surface brightness but two clear spiral arms seen. Friends NGCs 5473, 5474 and 5422

M13 - Hercules Cluster

Rob Hodgkinson's 14" SCT

Incredible with this aperture. Shone out from the eyepieces with a million pinpricks. Propeller clearly visible dead centre. Was visible naked eye too

M83 - The Southern Pinwheel

I'm think I saw this in one scope but I can't remember for the life of me whose... Possibly I only discussed it with someone...

M65, M66 and NGC 3628 - the Leo Triplet

One of the many 12" dobs around...

Three lovely galaxies. I love comparing them. M66 is fatter but shorter than M65. NGC 3628 is long and rectangular. Definite line of the dust lane going through it off centre

NGC 4085/8 and Supernova 2009dd

M110's (Alex) 12" dob

Was difficult to locate the supernova galaxy for the wealth of galaxies in the vicinity, but I enjoyed this so much when I finally found it. As you look at it you see a long mottled smudge, but as soon as you glance away, a diamond star sparks out from off centre. Definitely didn't look like a very small/"stellar" core as is sometimes seen on galaxies - was definitely pinpoint, which made the sight rather special.

M109

Alex's 12" dob

Nice nearby galaxy to NGC 4088. Another new Messier

M97 - The Owl nebula and M108

MrEd's 12" newt, Alex's 12" dob

What a lovely pairing. Did the "Owl's Eyes game" with a UHC filter with John (Jahmanson) and Alex (M110). First can we all see the eyes? If yes, which orientation are they in? On first sight I got the orientation wrong by 90° but in the end we agreed on my final answer. The eyes weren't obvious as circles, but the darkening was readily apparent.

M27 - The Dumbbell Nebula

Alex's 12" dob

Best PN out there hands down. Stunning apple core, but with the ghost of the apple doubling it's size in the opposite orientation when it pops into view.

M57 - The Ring Nebula

Alex's 12" dob and Rob's 14" SCT

Another nice one. So obviously glowing in the centre, and elongated.

Veil Nebula

Alex's 12" dob and John's 4" Vixen apo; with UHC filter

Almost invisible without filter, but simply stunning with. Pickering's triangle was just visible, but the main components were stunningly detailed. Very large nebula for a great explore. The western portion like a river runnning to 51 cygni then deltaing off beyond. Eastern portion in a beautiful mottled, streaming curve.

M95/6/105

Alex's 12" dob

The "second Leo Triplet". Almost couldn't find them in the swarm of nearby galaxies, but a nice find and firsts for me.

M4

Alex's 12" dob

I noticed a brand new constellation rising in the south - Scorpius, glowing with Antares in the centre. I think this was the first time John, Alex or I had ever seen this very southerly constellation. It's certainly too low for me to spot in Aberdeen. Picked M4 from Scorpio at dec -26°! Nice large open globular cluster.

Then Stef(ski) and I had some time with his set up - An 11" SCT at f/3.3 with a Watec astro-video camera. Fantastic bit of fun punching objects into the program and seconds later seeing them pop up on screen. Brilliant fun although it was just instant gratification. In this manner we saw, in addition to some of the aforementioned:

- the crescent nebula - quite faint but nevertheless a nice nebula

- M86 - with its small FOV, we didn't bother trying to navigate the Virgo cluster in the Watec.

- M64 - beautiful galaxy with the black eye so clear

- M63 - nice mottling in this very tight spiral

- M16 - M16 with it's "pillars of creation" - just fantastic to see this live, although it was quite faint.

- M17 - Huge amounts of detail in the Swan or Omega nebula

- M10 & M12 - nice pair of globs.

- two Abell numbers - quite extraordinary - almost every object on screen a galaxy. A very humbling sight.

- NGC 4565 - Absolute smacker of a galaxy - almost perfectly edge on with a delicate needle shape, a long dark lane through the middle and the glowing central bulge - without doubt my favourite galaxy.

I'm sure we saw more objects, but I've forgotten them - can you remind me, Stef or anyone else who was there?

All in all I saw over 45 objects that night, including 21 objects I'd never seen (12 new Messiers). Excluding the on-screen objects that's 35 new and 5 new Ms!

What an absolutely stonking night - I'll remember it for some time.

Thank you sooo much to all the scope owners for your company and sharing your fine instruments. If you remember something I've forgotten or have a correction to make, pray tell!!

Cheers

Andrew

[Greg]

Fantastic report Andrew..well done mate!!

[centroid]

That's a marathon and a half Andrew!!

Nice work

Dave

[Mark at Beaufort]

That is a brilliant report Andrew. It was great starting the night viewing Mercury with you. Later I placed a Hyperion 5mm to view Mercury and the phase was quite visible. I also enjoyed our joint viewing of NGC3077? in Ursa Major with Steve's 12" flex dob and my 13mm Ethos. Great to meet you Andrew hope we meet again at SGL5.

Mark

[lunator]

Andrew

Very nice report,

I spent alot of time looking through MikeP's and Steve's (Kai) 12" dobs.

It was great wondering through the coma/virgo constellations just galaxy hopping

Cheers

Ian

[Whippy]

I bet your notebook has now got a few extra pages hasn't it Andrew? Great report mate.

Tony..

[Doc]

Wow Andrew what a night......

[John]

Fantastic report Andrew and it was a great pleasure for me to spend some of it with yourself and Alex and his 12" dob. Thanks for finding the supernova - I certainly would not have tried for that - right on the edge of what was possible but definately there when the 13mm Ethos went into Alex's drawtube.

Great stuff !.

John

[barkis]

Most observers would be delighted to have seen that list in a week, so you broke some record I would think Andrew:D.

An experience you will remember forever I'm sure mate.

Well done mate, and a pleasure seeing you at SGL4.

Ron.

[Talitha]

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, wish I'd have been there..

Fantabulous, Andrew!!! I'm definitely jealous and absolutely 'gobsmacked' (as you say on that side of the big pond;)), lol.

Makes me want to schedule my next trip to the UK in time for next years' SGL-5 but I'd probably jinx the weather, lol.

[M110]

Nice report Andrew - you certainly got quite a list that night!

Glad I had the oppertunity to observe quite a few of those objects with you

See you at SGL5!!

regards,

Alex

[FLO]

Excellent report, it was clear for all of us that you really enjoyed your all-nighter. I bet the supernovae was a highlight

[Andrew*]

Thanks for all your comments people.

It was great wondering through the coma/virgo constellations just galaxy hopping

Fantastic. I did that at Kielder last year, but somehow I strangely avoided Virgo entirely this year.

I bet your notebook has now got a few extra pages hasn't it Andrew?

Actually I didn't use the observing journal at all - it's all from memory.

I bet the supernovae was a highlight

It was probably THE highlight TBH. Like many sights, it's not the view that blows you over, it's the understanding of what you're looking at. In this case, a single star almost as bright as its entire home galaxy.

Cheers

Andrew

P.S. I don't know when I'll finally learn the NGC numbers of the double cluster. 884 and 869. 884 and 869. 884 and 869. 884 and 869 ......

[Psychobilly]

Nice report Andrew...

Peter...

[Robert Anstruther]

Fantasttic report Andrew, it was an absolute amazing night! Not bad for my first proper dark site and star party, it has certainly flared my enthusiasm!