Observing report 01/04/10

[Phil73805]

As I was beginning to despair of ever seeing a clear sky, tonight I was fortunate to spend around forty five minutes outside with my Revelation 15x70 binoculars. It was a rare opportunity to visit some old friends in the night sky and it's hard to explain the great delight I experience when revisiting familiar heavenly sights...though I realise I am preaching to the choir

I spent some time contemplating the moon, which regardless of how many times I visit never ceases to impress. The crater Tycho always seems to stare out at me first and I enjoy squeezing what detail my eyes will allow from the sight in my binoculars.

After the moon I popped into the back garden to allow my eyes to achieve a small semblance of night vision. I say semblance because I am blessed with neighbours who, through carelessness rather than spite, like to light up the world. Tonight was one of those rare nights that they remembered to turn off the floodlight that lights up the garden like a spotlight during a prison break. Annoyingly just as my eyes were starting to adapt the floodlight came on for no apparent reason and then after two or three minutes turned off again...I continued undeterred.

I searched for and found my old friend the globular cluster M13 in Hercules and then much to my surprise and no small amount of joy found M13's dimmer cousin M92. I managed to squeeze a little detail from M92 and noticed that though smaller and dimmer than M13, M92 seems to have a denser core that with averted vision appeared almost star like. I've sketched M13 from my Binoculars, maybe I'll give M92 a try though I'll really need a darker site if I want to see any detail at all. Does anyone know of a reasonably dark site within an hours drive of NW London? I'm not expecting real darkness I'm just hoping for a site with no artificial spot lighting.

I also had a good look at Vega in Lyra and the double double though obviously I could only see a double with my binos. I love looking at the intense deep blue glow of Vega, call me an old sap if you will but it is a beautiful sight to see.

I also took the opportunity to have a glance at Mars and Saturn. I knew I would see nothing but a small red or yellow disc but they were there and I wanted to say hi

Optimist that I am I did try for some galaxies but in my part of the world and with no real dark adaptation nor a tripod for that matter it was a little too optimistic and I struck out.

It was really nice to be out there again looking heavenward and it has certainly got me thinking about a telescope again...here's hoping I have better luck this time...my last attempt is the subject of a lengthy saga that takes days to sing through

[Doc]

Lovely report Phil, it just goes to show what can be achieved from light polluted London. I also have one of those annoying neighbours with security lights, but they are always being set off by foxes.

I'm going to buy a pair of these binoculars you have to take abroad to Lanzarote hopefully to see all those globulars that we from this latitude cannot see.

Anyway great post and I've moved it as you required.

[Phil73805]

Thanks Doc

[DarkerSky]

Fantastic stuff Phil. That's a great report ! Would be great to see some of your sketches on here too.

You might want to try coming over to the chilterns for some dark sky. You could be there in half an hour from the M40 jct off the M25. Stonor Park just north of Henley on Thames I know is pretty dark

[JamesK]

Nice report. I should be going out with my Rev 15x70s tonight if the weather holds- definatly looking for M13, one of my favourite objects. Might look for some galaxies too, but I swear the LP is getting worse round here. I found getting detail from M92 hard going here in the suburban fringe of Wigan - you must have good observing skills to get details near London.

[Phil73805]

Thanks DarkerSky and JamesK

James, the details I saw speaks more for my determination to squeeze some use out of my back garden than any observing skills and yes, sadly, the LP is getting worse. I thought the new lamp posts would have an effect and in truth I think they have but for some reason the LP continues to worsen in and around London or any other city for that matter.

DarkerSky, I just had a quick look at Stonor Park on Google maps, looks doable. Is there any area in particular that you would recommend? Is there legal access or are we talking about climbing over gates and praying that angry, shotgun wielding farmers are in the land of nod? As for sketches there's only the one of M13 at the moment and I don't have a scanner. Having said that, I will buy one soon. I love sketching at the eyepiece!

Edit: Okay, I checked out Stonor Park on Google Maps and had a good look around the area. It seems that there are some openly accessible fields across the road from the gated entrance to the park. Is that where you go DarkerSky?

[DarkerSky]

Hi Phil. In the dim and distant past my mum used to do a craft fair event down at Stonor. Used to have the scope outside their caravan, which was parked on-site.

Couldn't say about access under normal circumstances, but anywhere round there will be pretty dark