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My first proper observation with my new binos,the Orion Nebula & the Pleiades

Paul Riley

By Paul Riley
in Observing - Deep Sky

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

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Hope this is the right section to post this observation report,sadly without images.

Last night became just another night dominated by thick cloud and rain,so I finally gave up on any remote chance of seeing anything up there in the sky,so,I went to bed around 11pm.After a few hours I had the strangest compelling feeling to wake up and look out of my window,the time was around 2am.As soon as I did so I was greeted with a fantastic clear view of the night sky,there wasnt a cloud to be seen anywhere and Orion was riding high in the south bang outside my window just calling to me to grab my binos.This was an opportunity NOT to be missed!,so I leapt out of bed and prepared my new 15 x 70 binos for their first proper assignment,and I already had a few targets in mind.

As soon as I stepped outside in my dressing gown and slippers (brr!) the sky was literally full of activity,more stars than I had ever noticed before,these conditions were perfect!.

First off I locked in on Orion and the view was simply magnificent!,particularly towards the centre of the constellation.To my naked eyes there was a faint line of stars that sort of ran vertically through the centre of the constellation,so I trained my binos on that area and instantly saw a greyish cloudy area with losts of apparent material within it,surely this had to be the Orion Nebula?! if only I had a telescope at this point.This really was a great moment for me,and using only binos!.

Second up was a tight cluster of stars that was easily visible to the naked eye at this time,and it was high over my head and I was facing approx 220 degrees,this HAD to be the Pleiades! an area that has dominated my mind for a long time now.I frantically trained my binos on the area and the initial view caused me to gasp quite sharply,for the stars in this area were so large and bright they really DID look like diamonds inset into a black velvet cloth.Seven of them in particular were really obvious in this area indicating this must have been the Pleiades...I hope.I imagined clearly the prospect of intelligent beings also staring out at me here,a magical moment :)

Another object caught my eye too last night,a very large bright star somewhere out to the SE,not too high up,somewhere out on the equatorial line I guessed.I immediately concluded this to be Sirius due to the tell flicker of blue and red light appearing to pulse from it.Again I trained the binos on it and the view was beautiful,the star was so large and clear and the colours just jumped out at me even more!

After all this action flooding into my eyes I just kept pointing my binos at random objects eagerly trying to find any DSOs I may have missed but there really wasnt much more to look at from here.I looked at my watch and it was almost 3am! an hour had already elapsed!,and so I went back to bed,satisfied in my mind that I had just had quite a rewarding first experience through my new binos.

Sorry there are no pictures attached to this report other than the ones in my mind,I just felt I had to share it :D

Conclusion? - a telescope (almost certainly a reflector) and camera of some sort is surely needed now,just to get basic pictures will be good enough for me to start out with.I can clearly understand now the obsession that quickly sweeps over you from this hobby,and the devastating effect it has on your pocket!.

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

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Sounds like you had some good views through your new binos. Sounds like you were observing from inside? The view outside would be a lot clearer.

I was outside,I mentioned that somewhere :)

You think I would have stayed in for that?,man I was even in my dressing gown! LOL

I really need to mount the binos though,I still cant properly counter the shakes I get from them,even the smallest shakes affect the overall potential of the view.

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

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oops my mistake. I think binos give some great views, especially with their wide field of view. I`m sure you will find loads of things to observe with them.

Dressing gown outside at 3am. The neighbours will think you mad!:p

They were all in bed LMAO

Hey,we are the elite in society dont forget,they never get to appreciate even a fraction of this like we do,and madness does seem to be a factor involved with the hobby :D

NOTE - The binos really are an important introduction it seems,the wide field of view as you mentioned is critical for learning large areas of the sky in one sweep.Two eyes are always better than one eh?

I can just imagine having 2 very large telescopes mounted,one for each eye,surely someone somewhere has done/is doing that.

Thanks :)

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oldfruit

oldfruit

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I have often wondered about binoviewers for telescopes. Whilst it is not top of my "to buy" list i have read that they give a whole new dimension to observing through a scope. Like you said 2 eyes are better than one. Not sure my wife would agree to 2 eyepieces being better than 1 though :).

Madness is staying out till stupid oclock in the morning, freezing cold, looking at some faint fuzzies that the neighbours could not even comprehend the size or distance of. And when the wife does eventually venture out for a look, remarks "is that it??".

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

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I have often wondered about binoviewers for telescopes. Whilst it is not top of my "to buy" list i have read that they give a whole new dimension to observing through a scope. Like you said 2 eyes are better than one. Not sure my wife would agree to 2 eyepieces being better than 1 though :).

Madness is staying out till stupid oclock in the morning, freezing cold, looking at some faint fuzzies that the neighbours could not even comprehend the size or distance of. And when the wife does eventually venture out for a look, remarks "is that it??".

But when its done in a dressing gown and slippers during sub zero temperatures in the early hours of the morning still half asleep it makes it all the more worth while,AND hilarious to a neighbour! now THATS dedication,and i'm only a relative newcomer to the hobby! god knows what i'll be like when I manage to get some REAL equipment someday! :D

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oldfruit

oldfruit

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Trust me it gets better and better, and i`m reletively new also. Earlier in the year Jupiter was only observable here in the uk very early in the morning, so i would be getting up at 1am, putting the scope out to cool, go out to observe at about 2am until dawn then shower, breakfast and off to work. Needless to say the wife thought i was barking mad, but so what.

I will say though that i draw the line at the dressing gown and slippers idea :).

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Paul Riley

Paul Riley

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Trust me it gets better and better, and i`m reletively new also. Earlier in the year Jupiter was only observable here in the uk very early in the morning, so i would be getting up at 1am, putting the scope out to cool, go out to observe at about 2am until dawn then shower, breakfast and off to work. Needless to say the wife thought i was barking mad, but so what.

I will say though that i draw the line at the dressing gown and slippers idea :D.

Yep Jupiter has been very clear and bright for a while now hasnt it,it often hangs right outside my backyard door facing south.I had a peek a few nights ago with the binos (still a fair bit of cloud around too) and managed to see 2 of its moons,albeit quite faintly.A stabilized view could have allowed me to detect even more I reckon.

And my preferred observing attire? yes,very practical isnt it :)

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