Target acquired

[SwiMatt]

According to the weather forecast, I had two opportunities to observe this month: either earlier this morning after 6am, or later this evening. Because I have a dinner I need to attend, my only chance was to set my alarm at 5.30am on a Saturday morning after a tough week at work. I... love this hobby I guess.

The cat wakes me up at 4.30. The sky is completely covered. The forecast now says that by 5am it will start opening up. Still, I'm crossing my fingers that this was a good idea. I put out the Mak to cool down, and get ready to get out in the cold - but first, a coffee.

At 5.15am I'm sitting on my observing stool on my balcony facing West, looking at the clouds that are running across the sky; in between the clouds I can see all the main stars in Leo. Transparency seems good. The skies open up, and I thank the astronomy gods. First stop: Algieba. Because I started my adventure in astronomy only last April with binoculars, I haven't had the time to study all the spring constellations then, and Gamma Leonis is a novelty for me. At 60x, it's a bright yellow star, at 100x it starts looking like a little "8". At 150x I split the star, but the seeing isn't amazing and I need to look for a good minute before I can detect the empty space between the two components. It's a beautiful double, two tight yellow components looking one slightly smaller than the other. I'm not used to notice differences in size in the few doubles I've observed so far: this effect might be enhanced by the poor seeing, but it's nonetheless a pleasing sight.

Next, finding myself in Leo, I try to go for the Leo Triplet. I often put a near-impossible object in my list, hoping to get surprised. It rarely happens, but when it does I start jumping up and down from excitement... but this isn't one of those times, unfortunately! But it's still a good exercise, and I don't loose enough time on it to get frustrated. By now, Canes Venatici is visible under the end of my roof, and Arcturus is visible if I lean out. I point the Mak between the Guardian of the Bear and Cor Caroli, and look around; after a few seconds a bright reflex attracts my eye and I have M3 in my field of view. At this point I am very excited: M3 was a globular cluster that I looked for ever since I got binoculars back in April. Because of inexperience and seasons I had never managed to see it. Now it is dead center in my eyepiece. I think I spent 20 or 30 minutes on this globular cluster. While my 5 inches are not enough to resolve stars, I notice that the center of the cluster is less concentrated than say M15, and to my eye the diffusion looks almost asymmetric, more round one side than the other. I am fascinated by this object.

Following this excitement, I want to try something a bit harder: M51 comes to mind, but I know it's one of those difficult targets that does not take light pollution well. But I had read somewhere that M94 should not be impossible, so that's what I go for. I star hop using Stellarium, starting from Cor Caroli: surprise of surprises, Cor Caroli is a double star of which I had no idea. The field of Canes Venatici is not too rich in stars, so I find a fainter star to its right (mag 6 or so) that should lead me directly to M94 by going vertical from there. I find two points of light that look like stars: at 60x, in the field of view I manage to focus one of the two, but that other point of light never reaches focus. The same happens at 100x: I manage to focus one star, but not the other. The more I observe, also with averted vision, the more I have the impression that this object is diffuse with a bright center. I really think I got M94 - but very difficult to be sure.

At this point, the sky starts getting lighter. I see new shadows on my balcony. Time to get back inside and warm up with a well deserved hot coffee. Contrary to my expectations, this was a really great session. I might try to get out again after my dinner tonight - but I suspect that I will be quite tired.

One last note: I love this hobby

[Stu]

Nice report @SwiMatt. Often with globs like M3 it is possible to resolve stars around the edges using averted vision. I often look at the object, then flick my eye away and you see a sparkling mass of stars briefly. Well worth a go. Careful focus also helps of course.

[SwiMatt]

Thanks for the tip @Stu! I extensively alternated between direct and averted vision, but haven't tried flicking away in that way. Will try it for sure next time. Of course, with high light pollution stars might just not have enough contrast to actually be resolved? Just a thought.

I have been wondering a lot about exit pupil recently - after the thread about small APOs: with my machinery and my best eyepiece (100x), exit pupil is 1.27mm. I wonder if that further decreases details that can picked up?

[Stu]

1 hour ago, SwiMatt said:

Thanks for the tip @Stu! I extensively alternated between direct and averted vision, but haven't tried flicking away in that way. Will try it for sure next time. Of course, with high light pollution stars might just not have enough contrast to actually be resolved? Just a thought.

I have been wondering a lot about exit pupil recently - after the thread about small APOs: with my machinery and my best eyepiece (100x), exit pupil is 1.27mm. I wonder if that further decreases details that can picked up?

I see stars resolved with a 4” refractor so would think it possible in the Mak, even with some light pollution. Have you tried an observing hood? That can really help cut out glare and improve contrast. Even just a towel over your head helps.

I would think the x100/1.27mm should be fine for globs. It is said that 2mm is optimum for contrast on DSOs but globs are a little different I find because they are basically a bunch of faint stellar objects so to a degree respond better under LP than galaxies.

Keep at it and just see what works best for you.

[SwiMatt]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

I see stars resolved with a 4” refractor so would think it possible in the Mak, even with some light pollution. Have you tried an observing hood? That can really help cut out glare and improve contrast. Even just a towel over your head helps.

I would think the x100/1.27mm should be fine for globs. It is said that 2mm is optimum for contrast on DSOs but globs are a little different I find because they are basically a bunch of faint stellar objects so to a degree respond better under LP than galaxies.

Keep at it and just see what works best for you.

Thanks for the precious suggestions! I will try the hood for sure, glare is indeed an issue on my balcony. To be honest, I also did not expect to resolve any stars, which in turn did not make me look for it...