Meade Lightbridge Observing report as of 6.12.2009

[Doc]

6.12.2009

Meade lightbridge 16" F4.5 FL1829mm

No moon until 22.30

Windy

Seeing Mag 4.2

Started observing at 19.00 after scope had about 2 hours to cool down.

First object was the planetary nebula Ngc1514 in Taurus, sitting just below Zeta Perseus and quite large at 2.0'x1.5' and mag 10.2 this should have been pretty easy, but it wasn't. Tried all eyepieces and scanned the skies with and without the O111 filter, tried blinking the O111 filter as well, but nothing came into view, strange as I have read this one is relatively easy.

Staying in Taurus I tracked the star T Tauri down, this was quite easy to do then according to CduC just to the west is Ngc1555 or Hind's Nebula, this nebula gets it's reflected light from it's parent star T Tauri and is approximately 500 light years away. I was quite surprised at the lack of stars in the vicinity and later found out that Hind's Nebula actually sits inside one of these darks that are around the sky namely Be84. I tried numerous eyepieces as well as the O111 filter and maybe got a very slight circular haze just near the star when using the 7 Uwan at x 261, but this may have been wishful thinking but then again it may not. All in all a very hard nebula to capture visually.

Staying in Taurus I went searching for the other double cluster that is Ngc1807 and Ngc1817, nowhere near as good as it's counterpart but still nice to observe. Ngc1807 is the smaller of the two at 17.0' in diameter and mag 7.0 and through the 28 Uwan at x65 I detected about 15 stars in a circular formation, some very dim but quite a few brighter ones, right next door to this is a larger more denser cluster known as Ngc1817, this consists of at least 40 stars maybe more. Through the 28 Uwan you get the sense of their being alot more but just outside your scopes visibility.

Over to Ursa Major next and onto M81 and M82, I spent the next 20 minutes sketching this fine pair of galaxies that fit perfectly into the 28 Uwan's fov at 1.26°.

Back over to Taurus as it was now slightly higher and easily found the Crab Nebula M1. This was very faint but unmistakable, an ill-defined hazy patch of light that through the 16 Uwan at x 114 looked great, by inserting the O111 filter the shape becomes a little more pronounced but only marginally, no inner filmament structure was seen, but I really enjoyed observing this one.

Over to Gemini next and one of my favourite open clusters the M35 this is a galactic cluster of around 200 stars. This cluster is 2,800 light-years from us and has a diameter of about 24 light-years. It is believed to be around 110 million years old, which makes it an intermediate-aged cluster. With an apparent diameter about the same as the full moon, M35 can easily be seen with the naked eye near the 3 "foot stars" of the constellation Gemini. Through the 28 Uwan this is just one hell of a sight, the William Optics Uwan really delivers on these open clusters, it's simply an amazing eyepiece and well the the money it cost.

Just 1/2° away from M35 is another very rich but much dimmer and smaller cluster Ngc2158, I counted at least 20 stars but it's very hard to discern where this cluster starts and finishes.

Moving further away from M35 you come across another open cluster namely IC2157, this turns out to be a bog standard open cluster of about 9' in diameter with maybe 20 stars.

Keep moving along and another open cluster comes into view, this one is Ngc2029, this turned out to be a little gem of a cluster. I would say it contained about 15 stars in a bowl shape asterism. Looked really fantastic in the 28 Uwan with it's 1.26° fov, very pretty and slight nublosity was detected as well.

Another open cluster in Gemini was Ngc2266 this was a very small cluster in a triangular formation with a base of very bright stars and above this alot of dimmer stars, pretty but nothing out of the norm.

The constellation Orion was by now getting higher in the sky and I headed for the top of the hunters head the open cluster CR69 that surrounds the star Lam Ori. This cluster is huge at 65' in diameter but is simply amazing to view. I was in heaven just sweeping the area with 28mm eyepiece.

Within Orion is a lovely open cluster called Ngc2169, it's very small at just 4' in diameter but is in a triangular formation and is simply lovely to observe, within the cluster I detected a few yellow stars.

Another open cluster in Orion is Ngc2194 a very nice, pretty large but very dim cluster, I observed this one for a while and the more I looked the more dim stars emerged, I must have counted about 100 stars, but this is a very dim cluster indeed and pretty hard to find as it's engulfed in a heavily populated star field.

According to CduC Ngc2022 is a planetary nebula in Orion and is 0.5'x 0.4' in size and has a magnitude of 9.2, in my 28 Uwan this little object is impossible to make out but by placing the 16 uwan and O111 filter in the focuser the planetary becomes visible, but is still a very hard object to see, no shape and be made out and no colour was seen. By removing the Baader O111 filter the object disappears, so in theory it is invisible without a O111 filter.

If you have ever looked through a 16" dob at the Orion nebula M42 you will know how fantastic this appears, well through the 28 Uwan at x65 I was blown away, the shape of the nebula is so clear, the gap seperating the M42 from the M43 is simply very well defined. By placing the O111 filter in front of the 28 Uwan the image appears even more defined but I still prefer the non filtered view. I could easily see the 'E' star in the trapezium and with maybe a hint of the 'F' star when using the 7 Uwan at x261.

I also soaked up the views of Ngc1973, Ngc1977, Ngc1980, even though the nebulas were a little harder to detect and sometimes very hard. Ngc1981 was a really lovely open cluster and well worth looking for.

Up to Sigma Orion next, Sigma Orionis is one of the few orbiting binaries found in Orion. Component B has an orbit of 158 years and is one of the few components that traces a not-quite-perfect circle. That's to say, we see it nearly face on, as a wheel spinning around its hub. The separation never changes much from its current distance of only 0.2". Its 2000.0 position angle is 132º. Much easier to resolve is component E, with a visual magnitude of 6.7, this is a binocular object at a position angle of 61º and separtion of 42". I love looking at this system of stars and imagine planets orbiting these stars it must be a breathtaking place.

Over to Mars now and my first observation this year of the planet, it was still low down only 15° in altitude but it was unmistakable in the 16 Uwan but put the 7 Uwan in at x 261 the view was really nice I could detect the ice cap and the 'V' formation. Cannot wait for this to get higher at a reasonable time.

Back over to Gemini and Ngc2304 this turned out to be a barely recognisable open cluster of very dim stars, no shape or colour detected.

The round the evening off I went in search for one of my favourite nebulas the Eskimo or Clownface Nebula Ngc2392, this one is so easy to spot and even in a 28 Uwan is unmistakeably a planetary nebula, it is quite large at 0.8' in diameter and is clearly blue in colour. Best eyepiece used was the 7 uwan with O111 filter, this showed detail in the outer structute, a very nice sight indeed and one I will always remember.

Finished at 00.20 hours.

Added 3 Hidden Treaures and 6 Herschel 400 objects

[russ]

Wow, superb report Mick. Awesome read, really enjoyed it.

Glad you got to see Mars at last. Sounds like you enjoyed the view, despite the low elevation. I think despite it's size, it's still going to be a worthwhile opposition.

That's an impressive deepsky haul

Regards

[mdstuart]

"within Orion is a lovely open cluster called Ngc2169, it's very small at just 4' in diameter but is in a triangular formation and is simply lovely to observe, within the cluster I detected a few yellow stars."

This is the cluster that looks like the number 37..

I was out but I was just comparing galaxies to see which ones are brighter /dimmer. I was looking at NGC 7331 and NGC 1023 in Pegasus and Perseus. Both are high up and so bright you can almost pick them out with the 15 x 70 binos..

My view is they are equal in visual brightnesss but NGC 1023 is a little smaller in my view.

They should both be fine targets for you Doc, certainly as good as that Eskimo thing and very much brighter than NGC2158. Try about a 10mm lens after you have picked them up in the 28mm..

Mark

[pvaz]

Another great report and a great observing night! I'm a bit jealous! I'm adding the eskimo nebula on top of my priorities list.

Last night it was so clear when I got home from dinner at my parents.

I lingered 30min on M42/43 and sow green for the 1st time (unfiltered) and a lot of nebula structure and contrast near the trapezium using the 5mm ortho. Then I was going to do a long session chasing after some more Herschel objects and a couple of Messier's under Ursa Major but the clouds came out of nowhere and filled the sky ruining what promised to be a perfect night.

At least M42/43 was spectacular.

[DarkerSky]

A quality observing session there....you do get around the sky a bit. I'm a bit of a slow plodder in comparison. Was looking at M1 Crab Nebula last night too. From a dark location I think it would yield some filament structures. Hope to take my LB up to Wales at some point soon. The sky is so much darker than here. Could be a real treat

[Talitha]

Wonderful report as always, and i'm glad you finally got to see Mars.. haven't seen it yet, myself.

[Ibbo!]

Good report

just you wait till Mars gets some height

Looking forward to meeting up and comparing views

I missed out on the majority of last night but I did manage to get out and look at 42 with the O111 and it did help after the moon had poked its head above the horizon

Steve

[albedo0.39]

Nice one Mick - really good bag of objects (as usual)

Dead Jealous... I'd love to be observing but the rubbish weather has left my garden somewhat wet. If I wheeled my Lard-bridge out to the grass (to see all those DSO's) I'd need a fire engine to haul me out.

Hope you bag that F star - it's a nice view if you can get it

[Doc]

"within Orion is a lovely open cluster called Ngc2169, it's very small at just 4' in diameter but is in a triangular formation and is simply lovely to observe, within the cluster I detected a few yellow stars."

This is the cluster that looks like the number 37..

I was out but I was just comparing galaxies to see which ones are brighter /dimmer. I was looking at NGC 7331 and NGC 1023 in Pegasus and Perseus. Both are high up and so bright you can almost pick them out with the 15 x 70 binos..

My view is they are equal in visual brightnesss but NGC 1023 is a little smaller in my view.

They should both be fine targets for you Doc, certainly as good as that Eskimo thing and very much brighter than NGC2158. Try about a 10mm lens after you have picked them up in the 28mm..

Mark

I've seen Ngc7331 quite a few times, have never looked for Ngc1023 so will give this a go next time.

I must admit ngc2169 didn't look like a number 37 to me, more like a arrowhead shape will have another look later