A quick ten minutes with the 10x50s - 14/11/09

[ashenlight]

Hello everyone,

Despite 5 nights on the trot of clear skies I haven't been able to have a decent session out there. I managed to haul the scope downstairs Sunday night and had a look at some familiar objects - I didn't have much time so went for the Messiers I already know. I just needed a fix, we all know what it is like!

So, this is where binoculars come into their own. They are truly 'grab and go' observing equipment. Putting the dog out to toilet last night I looked up and saw the most impressive meteor I've seen in a long while. It was distinctly orangey/yellow and left a blazing tail as it slowly streamed past the great square of pegasus. I am wondering if it was a Draconid....

Anyway, ran upstairs and grabbed my binoculars, put on my trainers and a big coat and went down to the bottom of the garden for a quick observing session. I had the most breathtaking view of the west-north-east horizon and it was such a pleasure to have a different perspective on the night sky - normally I concentrate my efforts on the southern horizon.

I started with Cassiopeia and just spent some time sweeping through taking in the myriad of stars. The Double cluster is such an easy object to find and looks very pretty in a wide FOV, mid way between Cassiopeia and Perseus. Just sweep the area using a star map to help you and you will pick it up soon enough. Very tight clusters with a distinct blue/white hue to a few of the stars. It times like this I wish I had a tripod so I could spend some time just gazing with less shake, but such is life!

Next I went over to M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. A very faint naked eye smudge from my location, putting the binoculars on it revealed a distinct smudged oval with some definite brightness at the centre. I can really see why this is a difficult object to locate using telescopes. The light is spread over a huge area so I imagine the wide FOV afforded with my 10x50s is why I find it one of the easiest objects in the night sky to locate.

I had a sweep within the great square of pegasus and was shocked to find that there are stars inside the square! and there was me thinking it was an urban myth! I've never seen more than two, and for that the conditions have to be superb.

Next onto Jupiter. The conditions were just superb tonight and I didn't have any of the bubbling atmosphere effects that have hindered resolving the disk of Jupiter in the past. It was a lovely squat circle with a regimented line of moons - I was very pleased. I had a little look for Neptune, it isn't far away from Jupiter at all close by to a line of the stars (just go left from Jupiter and you can't miss them) but my binoculars couldn't pick it out.... saying that I don't know if any binoculars could pick it out at all! Might need the telescope for that.

Anyway, there we are, my meager offering for today. Sometimes, with the aperture fever that is an inevitable consequence of a love for astronomy, we - and I - forget how much pleasure can be found in using a humble pair of cheap 10x50s. It was the best night I've had for ages

[narrowbandpaul]

sounds like a good time amanda

[jgs001]

Very nice session Amanda, gotta love the easy setup of a pair of bins. I was wondering the same thing about Neptune... can it be seen in bins ?

[ashenlight]

Thank you NBP and John glad you enjoyed it. the constellations that are rising in the East this time of year are fairly unknown ground for me so the binoculars are an excellent way for me to get familiar before I point my telescope at them.

I couldn't make out anything remotely star like in the region Neptune was suposed to be in.... give it a go with your 15x70s John and see what happens? Jupiter is in Capricorn now, a little to the left of him you'll come across the stars

File:Capricornus constellation map.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

11 o'clock from gamma in this map you'll see the stars, Neptune is a little way out from the middle of that line. I'd be really interested in what you manage to see

[George Jones]

Nice report Amanda, the meteor sounded amazing; observing is such great fun.

Couldn't agree more with "They are truly 'grab and go' observing equipment." I slipped out with my bins (without tripod) before work yesterday morning for a few minutes. Saw the Pleiades, the Hyades, M42, the Beehive Cluster, and the Double Cluster.

Very nice session Amanda, gotta love the easy setup of a pair of bins. I was wondering the same thing about Neptune... can it be seen in bins ?

I couldn't make out anything remotely star like in the region Neptune was suposed to be in.... give it a go with your 15x70s John and see what happens?

A few months ago, I saw Neptune with my 15x70s steadied on a tripod. Haven't tried lately.

[ashenlight]

Nice one George, now all I need is some 15x70s great that you managed to see it. Tripod is so important for that, I think the shake with binos would be detrimental when trying to observe a faint object. Particularly a star, some of them looked like they were dancing around up there last night

[jgs001]

Thanks for the info... if the clouds let me... I'll take a look see. There's a few M's around there I've yet to see also... cool

[ashenlight]

excellent stuff

[mdstuart]

Telescope Planet 15 x 70 Astronomy Binoculars Bak-4 on eBay (end time 18-Oct-09 13:09:25 BST)

Like these yes...Mind you this is nearly full new price!

Mark

[Darren B]

I manage to see Neptune in a pair of 12x50 binoculars on Tuesday night. I had printed off a star map to help me locate it. Neptune is circle and I apologised if it looks crinkled. It got damp.

[ashenlight]

Thanks Darren, that'll be really helpful for anyone who wants to try and spot the planet. How did it look to you? Like a blue-ish point of light?

[hurfords]

Amanda - interesting notes & couldn't agree more (about the shake). Best time to take in a little viewing when letting dogs out last thing. 10X 50s me dad gave me work just fine. Steve

[Taff]

Hi Amanda' That's a nice report of your night out with your bins.My self i use my 10x50s or 20x80s bins to have a change from the scope to have a look around at some DSO.Mark

[Darren B]

Thanks Darren, that'll be really helpful for anyone who wants to try and spot the planet. How did it look to you? Like a blue-ish point of light?

Just about, the sky was a bit hazy hazy from where I was viewing. It looked better when viewing through a telescope at low power. It had a hint of turquoise, but because of it's distance and faintness, it still appeared star like. I pushed the power upto x111 but it was a point of light.

[ashenlight]

point of light is better than nothing though, you can say you've seen it now be brilliant to get a look through a large dob at a starparty, though. Might be a plan for SGL5