My first report 30/01/2011 - long, rambling, please be gentle

[GazK]

Well at last the clouds broke - despite the BBC continuing to report "grey cloud", which seems increasingly to be their default position. Cause or effect? But I digress...

So I packed the car and headed up to Bratton Camp - for those of you not from round these parts, it's the hill behind the famous White Horse above Westbury in West Wilts. This is a new site for me, but is used by the SPOG group for observing nights. I was keen to see what it had to offer, being on the edge of MOD land on Salisbury Plain. It's easy to get to and has plenty of places to set up next to the car - in theory anyway. More of that anon...

Having got out the kit and set up, initial impressions were mixed. I set up well away from the public car park, which I guessed might see some traffic - this is an area I visited myself in my mis-spent youth on a couple of tent/fire/beer-type outings.

My daytime recce had confirmed that this site has excellent visibility, with a 360 flat horizon. Unfortunately darkness revealed the downside to this openness - loads of skyglow to the North (Melksham), North West (Trowbridge) and West (Westbury, natch). What was more surprising was some skyglow - much lower levels it has to be said - to the South. A subsequent mapcheck showed this must be coming from Warminster. Where IS that campaign for dark skys web site?

Anyway, I was left with some nice views to the South, which lets face it, is where the action is. I started with Jupiter, which is well past it's best but a useful way to spend a few cool-down minutes. Despite some horrid boiling air and yellow background, the SEB was intermittently seen in the 10mm stock plossl.

I'm still getting used to the skywatcher dob, having only got it in November and having had what seems like about an hour's clear skies since. It's increasingly easy to use, especially after I swapped the stock finder for a Telrad at Christmas.

Next up M42/43, lovely as ever and revealing more every time I look at it. The asterism above the sword was also very nice in the 15x70s - I've just been informed by the internet that this is NGC1981 - can someone confirm this?

Next up is M79 - I've seen some nice images of this, but I confess twas rather disappointing, being tiny compared to M42. But then what isn't?

I'm still chuffed to have finally found M1, so couldn't resist another look. I *think* I am starting to discern some structure there, but it might be wishful thinking. I also managed to pick it up in the 15x70s - odd how it takes you 6 attempts to find it with a 10" dob, then when you know what it looks like you can see it with an old milk bottle!

Moving East, I took in a slew of open clusters. M35 wonderful in my 25mm stock plossl, but seemingly dipped in a blue gel in the 10mm. Do open clusters have nebulosity? Moving through M36, M37 and M38 revealed the same stellar mystery, or more likely an optical shambles. I feel the urge to spend more money...

Around about this time my reverie was disturbed by some of the local wildlife arriving in their Vauxhall Novas. Over the next hour, to my chagrin, they proceeded to perform various donuts etc, resulting in my darkish site turning into a lighthouse convention. Later on it got worse - two of them came for a full-beam drive up to my site and asked me "if I had seen anything". Resisting the urge to shout "not any more!" I bit my tongue and answered politely - there being more of them than of me, and there being plenty of space at the site to lose a body.

Getting back to the point, I had a look at M81/M82, which surprisingly were easily visible despite the skyglow. There's definite structure in M82, I must try to get more from a darker site.

Then onto a new target for me - M41. The Telrad worked a treat and led me right to it, very nice. A quick look at M31/M110 followed, but by this point the sound of revving engines was getting on my ****, so I packed up. Before leaving I had a drive around, and found a spot where the donutting donuts were screened by trees, which also took out some of the skyglow. Now who's the donut? There's always next time.

The evening was nicely rounded off by the sight of a Barn Owl flying right across my field of view while driving home. And the 2 cans of 6X didn't hurt any either...

[GazK]

Correction - M79 should read M78. Doh!

[shaunster]

Sounds like a good night

I agree about seeing structure to M82, its one of the best galaxies for visual IMO!

[DarkerSky]

Super report. Sounds like you handled the local wildlife well! Great to see a barn owl too, brilliant way to top off the night