What a lovely evening!

[F15Rules]

After a few days of really low cloud, tonight was a bonus and one of the best evenings here for a long while.

Got the ED100 Apo and my new (to me) vintage Pentax j80 frac out and just cruised around. Mars was very bright, but seeing in and out. Syrtis Major very clear in both scopes in moments of steady seeing.

Thought I'd check out the Trap in Orion as it was so clear, and to my amazement I could see the 5th star (E). Wasn't sure at first, but as my eyes adapted there was no doubt about it. Could only see it in the ED100 though, not the Pentax which is obviously dimmer at only 80mm. I could not see the F star, although I knew where it should be, and this was puzzling as I believe both E and F are very similar at c mag 10.2/10.3. Both scopes showed just fabulous star images with nice diffraction rings around a very tight airy disk.

I also turned to Alnitak, lowest star in the Belt of Orion. Not the easiest of doubles, but got a lovely split in the ED100 at x100 with my 9mm Baader Ortho. At x180 with the 5mm Baader it was superb. Again, couldn't split it with the Pentax but by then Orion was passing another nearby house and that might have limited the resolution of the Pentax scope.

Finally, Polaris, one of my favourites - not least because it stays in the field of view for such a long time with a rough polar alignment!.

Both scopes showed the mag9 companion with ease, and with direct vision. No colour at all through the Celestron ED, a pure white star, through the Pentax achro the slightest blue-white tinge, but very pleasing.

Just a short 80 minute session, but great fun. Hope lots of you got out too!

cheers

Dave

[AndyH]

Good stuff !!

Clouded in, up here.

Andy.

[Doc]

Great report but not out tonight as astrofest tomorrow.