Once week late but as they say better late than never. Weather here has been abysmal for stargazing. The only place with a semblance of good clear skies is at Mount Pinos and even there the weather report has been for mostly clear. Too tired to think of driving there on this clear moon free weekend so its me and my blogs...stay tuned...heaps more coming up...
13/14th of August 2004
Viewing
conditions: Superb transparency magnitude
7 skies (or better) ; Telescope:
C6, 10x50mm Binoculars, Orion 80ST on photo tripod, a 10" DOB, 4” ST
Refractor
Observing notes:
It has been a while since I have updated this
page. The main reasons for this is that I have been doing most of my observing
from home in suburbia. Have had a very productive observing schedule of small
and brighter than magnitude 13 planetaries (via blinking) and globulars to keep
me very busy. But every now and then, you get the call of the wild, to be one
with the great spectacle of our own galaxy blazing from horizon to horizon…and
what better time to do that then during the southern austral winter? In the
past I have been very hesitant about going due to the extremely cold
temperatures that my tropical body is not used to. But constant prodding from
my good observing buddy Andrew (thanks Andrew) and David made me cave in. This
plus the fact that that it was going to be milder this weekend, clear (and I
mean clear..this is the first time we have ever gone up to Leyburn with ultra
clear skies all the way…no clouds at all until…well read on) and quiet (only
the 4 of us there Andrew, David, Ray and me. The rest were all at Camp
Duckadang for the Astrofest!).
Anyway the journey began after lunch on Friday
afternoon. Having my usual ration of fish and chips, I drove home to gather my
gear (some new gear to test out!). We had it all packed and ready to go at
about 1.35pm. Packing the C6 and the EQ into Andrew’s already heavily packed
white Charade was a challenge which Andrew surmounted marvellously! And away we
went, off into the blue yonder. We arrived earlier than usual as well this time
round (about 4.15pm) so we had plenty of time to setup, eat our dinners and
chat (or so we though). Most time was fritted away by collimation of both the
C6 and the 10” DOB. By the time we sat down to relax and have our dinner, the
sun had started to go down. It still amazes me how dark the skies here are even
before astronomical twilight decends. And this time we had zodiacal light to
deal with. This is the first time I think I have ever see zodiacal light. Just
goes to show how nice and dark this spot is.
Well before it got really dark, we started to
see the milky way and of course I went for Jupiter. Last chance to get a look
at the gas giant before it disappears for another ½ year before coming up at
godly hours of the night. The views were anything but good as Jupiter was very
low in the murk to begin with. I next turned the scope (C6 and the 80ST) on
some old fave’s that were going to disappear under the horizon later in the
night. Since I was in the vicinity of Corvus, I gave M104, the Sombrero Galaxy
a look. Nice dark lane bisecting the galaxy (nice views in the 10” as
well…david’s new DSC’s were not fully setup yet). Next came some nice wide
filed views of the glorious carina region in the 80ST with the 20 Expanse. All
were very nicely framed in the 80ST (also nice in the C6). Clusters looked at
included 3293 near Eta carina, 3532 (this one blows me away everytime I see it
but it really needs a wide FOV to be fully appreciated), 3766 and 4755, the
jewel box (this ones loks better at 166x!). Also had a prolonged look at Eta
carina at 47x with the UHC in the C6. Its amazing how the UHC brights out the
loops and swilrls. And while I was in the region, I had a very good look at
5139 Omega Centauri (which already looks very good from suburbia). It was an
amazing ball of resolved stars at 166x in the C6 (resolved even at 47x…actually
looks better at low mag because at high mag, the cluster looks more like an
open cluster due to its looseness). Also looked at some of the celestial
splendours in Centaurus like 5128 (Centaurus A…again visible to the naked eye
and the dust lane was just sticking out like a sore thumb in the eyepiece),
4945 (nice fat streak of light that was just as well seen in the 80ST…dark
skies do make a difference on extended objects like that), 4976, that small
galaxy near 4945. from there it was a short hop to the blue planetary 3918 and
M83, the face on spiral at the head of Centaurus. From suburbia only the core
and hints of the spiral fuzz is visible. From Leyburn the core was bright and
the fuzz that was the spiral arms were just as bright! I though I could see it
with my naked eye even! Next I moved onto the spiral planetary in Musca (5189).
Again the views were pleasing without the UHC but better with the UHC. I
briefly also had a look at both globs in Ara with the 80ST (4833 and 4372).
It was then that I decided to do a tour of some
of the better globulars (as well as some of the lesser known ones). With the
added clarity and sharpness of the C6, I have had good resolution on the
brighter and more well known Messier globs. What better way to start the tour
(especially after Omega Centauri) than M5 in Serpens and M13 in Hercules. Again
both look very well resolved at 166x (and even better at 250x). M13 seemed to
resolve better but M5 was right up there, with brighter stars to boot. The
chain of stars effect was again seen in M13. I also had a look at the other
glob in Hercules, M92. Also very nice resolution. This one has the dubious
honor of being overlooked due to its more well known contemporary (same case
for 362, it being overshadowed by 47 Tucana). Also had a look at the loosely
arranged M10 and M12 in Ophiuchus. Again very nice resolution all across the
disc. Now onto the bigger and even brighter globs….47 Tucana (the LMC was
higher now and the SMC was just hovering above the horizon…damn the seeing and
transparency is perfect!) and M22. Both were brilliantly resolved in the C6 at
166x. Again the loosely arranged M22 looked more pleasing at 47x as with Omega
Centauri. Its lopsided shape showed a lot better at low magnification and it
was very nicely resolved as well. 47 Tucana looked brilliant at both low and
high magnifications. The core is really intensly bright and I liked the views
in the 80ST at a mere 12.5x! And since I was in the region, I decide to explore
the Tarantula which was now higher in the sky. Nice compact nebula with heaps
of swirling arms. I then had a look at two other very bright and easily
resolved globs, 6397 in Ara and 6752 in Pavo. Both these globs have very bright
members and a very readily resolved even from my suburban skies. The were
utterly brilliant at Leyburn. Both were very easily resolved with 6397 showing
a fuzzy but resolved center (fuzzy from suburbia) but 6752, the Starfish in Pavo was its brilliant self. Looking good
at 47x (starfish effect more apparent) and looking even better with its outstretched
arms and chain of stars effect at 166x. I then remembered that galaxy in Pavo
(6744) which I had seen but had not yet sketched). I decided there and then to
sketch the galaxy. Nice bright core (easily visible from suburbia) and fuzzy
arms. Done! Swinging my scope around, I then went for M57 (Ring nebula) and M27
(Dumbbel Nebula), two of my faves. The Ring was amazingly brighter at 166x and
250x even without the UHC. The 13 magnitude star next to it was ridiculously
easy. M27 looked better with the UHC in at 47x. The applecore shape was almost
non apparent as the nebula and its outer bits were so bright!
It was then that Andrew decided to look up the
Helix Nebula (7293). He had its position memorized by heart and found it
readily in the 10”. The ghostly doughnut looked incredible with the UHC in the
10”. Screwing the UHC onto the 32mm Plossl, I first had a look at it in the
80ST. Looked like a larger M57! Boy was it bright at 12.5x. I then had it in
the C6 at 47x and made a sketch again. And it did look like a celestial smoky
lips blowing a kiss to whoever was observing. Looking up, I realized that
Cygnus was in prime position. Time to get a look at the Veil Nebula (6992-95),
the North American Nebula (7000) which I had seen once but never sketched and
the Blinking Planetary (6826). First up 6826. Ridiculously easy to find blue
green orb. Blinking effect was not that apparent in the C6. Sketched that one
and I think I noticed the boxy center at 250x. The onto the larger objects with
the richest field 80ST and the UHC at 12.5x. The Veil revealed both its wreaths
at that magnification with the UHC. Andrew had it in the 10” with the UHC and
the views we had that night would remain with me for the rest of my life!!!!
Now I had seen the Veil before in the 10” but it must have been the
transparency or something because it was just plain spectacular. We followed
the eastern portion of the Veil to the western portion. The sharp tip at 52
Cygni was especially apparent and the Veil itself looked filamentous or
“fibrous” as Andrew so eloquently put it (like a photo’s minus the color).
Definitely the highlight of the night (and possibly my observing career until I
look at it through a much larger scope)! And did I mention the North American
Nebula? It was there in the 80ST with the UHC at 12.5x. The brightest portions
to me was southern California and Mexico. Was too wrapped up in the moment to
remember to look for the Pelican Nebula next to it. By the way we looked up
later and could see the North American Nebula with the naked eye. The skies
were that good!
Next up was the brilliant constellations of Scorpius and
Sagittarius. Andrew noticed some clouds gathering on the south-west horizon and
they seemed to be approaching. It was close to 11.15pm when that happened. Not
wanting to miss out on all the goodies at the center of our galaxy, I quickly
turned to the above mentioned constellations….M4 in Scorpiusin particular. Again the row of 10 magnitude
stars down the middle stood out at 166x (even at 47X). While I was looking at
this, Andrew interrupted me and asked me to find both the Bug (6302) and the
faint ring (6337) at the heart of Scorpius. Both looked excellent. The bug was
its usual brilliant blue green streak with a very bright center while the
Scorpius ring looked much better with the UHC from dark skies. Note that the
ring did look like M57, only much thinner. I then looked at M6, M7 and 6231
(the False Comet) before the clouds started to interfere with observing. All
these were best seen at low magnification in the C6 (better seen in the 80ST at
20x). Deciding that it was best to use to 80ST at 12.5x with the UHC, I had a
brief look at M8/M20 (the Lagoon and
Trifid), M17 (the Swan) and M16 (the Eagle) nebula. All there were amazingly
bright with extended nebulosity in the 80ST. It was then that I wished I had
taken my break a little later as I wasted about 20 minutes of clear sky. The
clouds now covered most of the sky apart from the very northern horizon. The
final looks we had that night was of a rising M31/M32. The central core of
Andromeda Galaxy was amazingly bright and its spiral arms seemed to go on
forever. Both satellite galaxy’s were easily visible. I would have liked to
hunt down some planetaries in Aquila (had already started when the clouds
claimed that part of the sky) as well as some galaxies in Andromeda, Phoenix,
Pisces and Sculptor but alas it was not to be. We went to bed at about 1.30am
when the whole sky clouded over…..well we did have a very good night that
night. In Andrew’s words “We had an excellent winter sky without the winter
temperatures”. I went home grinning from ear to ear as I had finally seen the
milky way stretch from horizon to horizon. Till the next time…..
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