Who goes observing during full moon - and doesn’t look at the moon!

[Nicola Fletcher]

On Tuesday evening, myself, @Jasonb and @meredilw set up our scopes at my family farm. We met for some food and a catchup at the pub in my local village and then set up the scopes in a field recently vacated by a flock of ewes and an enthusiastic ram, at about 8.30pm.

Our scopes for the evening were a Skywatcher 150P with Astrohopper software push-to guidance, a Mewlon 180C on an AZ-EQ5 GoTo mount and a TSA-120 on an AZ75 manual mount. We began with Saturn, which was beautiful in all three scopes but I think we agreed that the Mewlon gave the most outstanding views with perfect, almost edge on rings, yet the division was still visible, as was the ring passing in front of the planet. I think it was the most outstanding view of Saturn that I have ever had. Next we moved on to Neptune which was close to Saturn, the the Andromeda galaxy and M81, both of which were washed out by the light of the moon as expected. We next moved to Uranus, and then on to the Owl cluster (NGC457) which showed lots of detail in the Mewlon (13mm Ethos) but was very pleasing in the 150PDS, being the ‘right way up’. We then moved on to the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) which was very pleasing in all three scopes, although very different due to the different apertures and EPs we were using. Next was the ring nebula (M57) and here the aperture and the Mewlon/13 Ethos combination was perfect on this target, showing the smoky ring on a background of pinpoint stars. We next tried M13, the great globular cluster in Hercules, which was disappointing in all three scopes, compared with the incredible views I had of it through the FC100DZ at new moon a few weeks ago. Next was the double cluster, and the TSA120 with a 22mm Nagler blew us away with the two beautiful clusters on a perfectly flat, dark sky. Next, Jason and Astrohopper found the open cluster, Graff’s cluster (IC4756), which was very pleasing through the 150P with a Baader Hyperion MKIV zoom at 24mm. Lastly, I tried the blinking planetary nebula (NGC6826) but either I was too tired, or the nebula wasn’t blinking that night. At the very end of our session, we all trained our scopes on Jupiter, just rising at the horizon. It was impossible to see any detail that low down, but we all agreed it was a very interesting view of the planet, which appeared as a large, orange disc with its moons visible. 

With work the next day, we packed up our scopes and headed for home, leaving the bemused sheep wondering what on earth the strange humans had spent the last few hours doing.

Here are a few photos of us lit up by the moon with Saturn to the right. It was a bit darker than this in real life!

Edited September 19 by Nicola Fletcher

[JeremyS]

Sounds like you all had a wonderful evening, @Nicola Fletcher 👍🏻

[Jasonb]

A great report of a great night, thanks Nicola! So much fun seeing so many targets and comparing them in the different scopes and EPs.

[globular]

Can I be in your gang @Nicola Fletcher? 😊

[Nicola Fletcher]

5 minutes ago, globular said:

Can I be in your gang @Nicola Fletcher? 😊

Yes definitely, the more astronomers and scopes, the better!

[Captain Scarlet]

We’ve had a good run of clear nights further west here too, thankfully with less wind. Have you had your 12” on M13 yet? That certainly will not be disappointing! I like your reference to Graff’s Cluster, a favourite of mine. It’s half of Tweedledum and Tweedledee, a match for the Double Cluster IMO.

Great read, Magnus

[josefk]

Looks and sounds great @Nicola Fletcher 👍

I don't compare views in two scopes on the same night as often as i thought i might but I very very often start a session with a quick reprise of key objects from the previous session (if i'm using a different scope) and though of course there are other variables at play (different sky, different moon) i nearly always find the comparison illuminating.

[Nicola Fletcher]

18 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

We’ve had a good run of clear nights further west here too, thankfully with less wind. Have you had your 12” on M13 yet? That certainly will not be disappointing! I like your reference to Graff’s Cluster, a favourite of mine. It’s half of Tweedledum and Tweedledee, a match for the Double Cluster IMO.

Great read, Magnus

Thanks Magnus!

I haven’t had the 12” on M13 yet - I’m really hoping for a clear sky as the moon wanes to have a look at some of these targets with it. 
I didn’t know Graff’s cluster doubled with NGC6633, nor that they were called Tweedledum and Tweedledee! I reckon they would be a nice binocular pair as well as through a small scope. Thanks for that 👍🏻
 

[Nicola Fletcher]

On 20/09/2024 at 08:04, josefk said:

Looks and sounds great @Nicola Fletcher 👍

I don't compare views in two scopes on the same night as often as i thought i might but I very very often start a session with a quick reprise of key objects from the previous session (if i'm using a different scope) and though of course there are other variables at play (different sky, different moon) i nearly always find the comparison illuminating.

I don’t usually compare scopes either @josefk, but I think the combination of having multiple observers and being in the lucky position of having two pretty new scopes means I am inclined to take both out as I want to use them! The TSA-120 and Mewlon 180C are very interesting to compare. I knew the TSA-120 would be an exceptional refractor, and it is. The Mewlon is also a really incredible scope - more straightforward to use than I expected, and the planetary views through it are even better than I thought they would be. I suppose I will go back to using one scope soon enough - it’s a bit of hassle to set up more than one!

[Jasonb]

Ah, but then how do you choose which one Nicola? Like picking a favourite child! 😊

[JeremyS]

2 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

I don’t usually compare scopes either @josefk, but I think the combination of having multiple observers and being in the lucky position of having two pretty new scopes means I am inclined to take both out as I want to use them! The TSA-120 and Mewlon 180C are very interesting to compare. I knew the TSA-120 would be an exceptional refractor, and it is. The Mewlon is also a really incredible scope - more straightforward to use than I expected, and the planetary views through it are even better than I thought they would be. I suppose I will go back to using one scope soon enough - it’s a bit of hassle to set up more than one!

I know the dilemma, Nicola. It’s great fun to do side by side comparisons but it can be a bit of a palaver.

I tend to get the Mewlon out if I’m going to focus on planetary observing (or occasionally globulars) and the rest of the time it’s one of the fracs.

[Nicola Fletcher]

28 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I know the dilemma, Nicola. It’s great fun to do side by side comparisons but it can be a bit of a palaver.

I tend to get the Mewlon out if I’m going to focus on planetary observing (or occasionally globulars) and the rest of the time it’s one of the fracs.

I imagine I will end up doing that too. At the moment, the Mewlon is getting a bit of favouritism because of Saturn. I think we have had some very good weather which helps, but I honestly didn’t think the Mewlon would be THAT good. Feels like looking at some of @mikeDnight’s sketches using it. It was also great on the Ring and some otherDSOs. 
I am looking forward to some solo sessions with the TSA as the long nights approach though.

[josefk]

9 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

I suppose I will go back to using one scope soon enough - it’s a bit of hassle to set up more than one!

Enjoy it while you have the motivation and opportunity. It’s managing dew in two scopes that puts the damper on it for me otherwise I would do it more often. I can imagine the TSA views very well and know how super you’ll find them. You have the best of two worlds with a fine fine refractor and a high contrast lovely larger aperture option with the Mewlon. Super. 

[JeremyS]

7 minutes ago, josefk said:

Enjoy it while you have the motivation and opportunity. It’s managing dew in two scopes that puts the damper on it for me otherwise I would do it more often. I can imagine the TSA views very well and know how super you’ll find them. You have the best of two worlds with a fine fine refractor and a high contrast lovely larger aperture option with the Mewlon. Super. 

Mewlons (and Cassegrainians in general) hold out against due much longer than refractors

[josefk]

57 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Mewlons (and Cassegrainians in general) hold out against due much longer than refractors

i don't even like dew on the metal parts of the OTA never mind the objectives and mirrors  😂 - just feels so wrong when water is running off the tubes. i'll take a gentle breeze any day. Point take though - my Cassegrain is the weapon of choice when i notice the RH% is predicted to be in the high nineties. 

[Nicola Fletcher]

i know what you mean @josefk. I hate soaking wet scopes too but I do tell myself they’re not ornaments, and dew is part and parcel of observing. I recently took five scopes to a public observing event and they were all soaking wet by the end of the night. It took a while to lay them all out to dry when I got home, together with EPs and all other bits, and I do get paranoid about residual damp on lenses or eyepieces.

As @JeremyS says, the Mewlons are very resistant to dew, and I don’t tend to have problems with the refractors either. I remember many nights cut short when I had my Maksutov - thankfully that’s not an issue anymore.

Edited Sunday at 06:27 by Nicola Fletcher