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Hello from Derbyshire

Scottie

By Scottie
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Scottie

Scottie

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Hello everyone, happy sky hunting.

Last night it was a very good clear sky from around 10.30pm until midnight. In some places between the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border we fight the glow from 24hr operating quarries, Manchester or Buxton.

This was not a problem last night though.

I hope it was good elsewhere.

The Orion Nebula M42 was a real treat. No surprise there as you know it is the brightest in the sky. The Andromeda spiral however is as vague as ever despite being high in the sky at this time of year.

I think I might need help to come down to earth though :rolleyes:

I should describe the scope as it may help. It is a classic 6.25" f12 reflector made twenty seven years ago by Charles Frank Co. of Glasgow. I restored it over the Autumn and had the mirrors re-aluminised by Galvoptics/Image Optics of Basildon with superb results. I custom made the secondary spider, a four curved vane job worked a treat.

A few things bug me though. The 40mm Swift eyepiece and the focusser which is not even 1.25" but a 16th smaller. Its downhill from here I'm afraid without some money thrown in its direction.

The other week I noticed Jupiter as that bright little lemon with three sharp major moons visible. Ganymede, Europa and Callisto if I'm not mistaken. No bands present on the disk. I agree that it may be just too low in the west to ideally present itself. There is always a nagging anxiety about the scope though. I do remember all those years ago when I first got the scope that I resolved the two major equatorail bands quite easily. It is somewhat frustrating not to beat that memory yet.

Is anyone else playing catchup with old memories of past nights successes?

Also does anyone or is anyone beating visually the dreary faint fuzzy description through their scope of Deep Sky objects?

Oh yeah, neck ache through contortions with the finder scope is a blast, and bumping your jasper conrans on the tube at the same time. (Specs that is.)

Heavy dew does loosen up the torque on the mount. Last night was the worse yet. I end up holding the scope from slipping downward. Grass viewing might be deep pile but is in opposition to deep sky. :)

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Scottie

Scottie

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Hi To you all,

Thanks for all the virtual handshakes.

Yesterday evenings viewing was brief, about 40 minutes from around 8pm. The sky was a bit mucky with thin a orange cloud veil but it cleared fast for the viewing window.

There wasn't as much dew around and the mount did not slip. I whacked it tight with a rubber mallet before venturing out. The steel axis rod threads have to bite into the alloy castings but not too much. I think despite the dew the cooler nights are shrinking the fit perceptively. After an hours viewing things can loosen.

Hah, have you ever felt like you own a strange unsophisticated scope

from the dark ages. No clock drives for me!

Now to the views. Jupiter nearly got away below the tree line on the ridge to the SW. I snared it for about 3 minutes. It was not as lemon coloured as before, and I might consider taking an oath that I did not imagine the grey equi bands this time.... Eh maybe not.

Cassiopeia draped herself comfortably on the zenith by around 8.30pm and was star clear. Perseus looked great too and the little clusters I really enjoyed this time. On to Lyra. I find crisp resolution on Vega compared with Betelgeuse in Orion. His shoulder star always has a sparkle or small tiny orange flares from the star. I expect that my old Swift eyepiece cannot resolve reds very well, whilst the blue of Vega excellent.

At some point I am aiming for a new focuser and some moderate, ok cheap eyepieces. Spending on the focuser a low profile 2" Crayford will benefit in the long run. One can always spend more on eyepieces later. What say you. Am I daft?

The Andromeda spiral refused to drop his reclusive ways and remained resolutely fuzzy, but I am determined. One must not bear a grudge though he sits in his remote heaven... what 2. something MLY.

It is amusing finding these things without any aid at all. One performs a sort of 1 degree pass real slow back and forth in the required region. Then one stands back and squints, check the direction and start again. Ok will anyone admit to talking to stars as one works. I will refrain form giving you a script I have rambled on enough already.

Bye for now... Oh yeah I am south of Buxton, but not far enough the North is always glaring. It rather spoiles Berenices.:rolleyes:

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