This page is dedicated to observations made with a 8" Reflector. The observing reports shown below should give you a flavour of what you can see with this type of instrument.
| Observer: | Tom Campbell |
| Date and time of Observation: | June 7, 2002 10:15pm - 11:50pm CDT (03:15-04:50 UT) |
| Observing Location: | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95°24'W Lat: 37°55'N) |
| Object Observed: | Various |
| Viewing conditions: | Transparency: Clear (8/10) Stable (8/10) |
| Telescope | Simmons 10x50 binoculars, 60mm refractor, 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepiece | 1.25" Plössls - 25mm (49x), 15mm (81x), 10mm (122x), 6.5mm (188x), 4mm (305x) |
| Observing notes: |
I didn't really have a set observing plan tonight. I decided to take out all of my astro-gear and get a few comparison views. I started with Izar in Boötes. I remember it being difficult last year in my 60mm refractor. But since I had received my 1.25" Plössl eyepieces with my dob, I really hadn't played with my old telescope much. I put in my 10mm eyepiece (70x) and sure enough, the faint companion was easily detectable. Decent eyepieces can make all the difference in the world on small telescopes. If companies would supply a couple of these eyepieces with their "department-store" telescopes, I think there'd be a lot more amateur astronomers out there.
One thing that I'd forgotten about my old refractor was how narrow the field of view was. f/11.7 is a LOT different than f/6. The twilight sky was beginning to turn into night, so I took a seat at my dob and began.
NGC 6543 (Cat's Eye) | Draco | Planetary Nebula | 10:15pm CDT
At 305x, the nebula is aqua blue and is oval in shape. No real detail is visible, except for some hints of color variations. There wasn't any hint of the Cat's Eye details that I've seen in larger telescopes. Being in Draco, it more closely resembled a Dragon's Egg tonight.
M57 (Ring) | Lyra | Planetary Nebula | 10:30pm CDT
This nebula is oval, with a bright ring around the outer edges. Inside the ring it appears dark gray, with just a spot of black near the center. The central star wasn't detectable, but there was a faint star visible right outside the nebula.
The sky was pretty transparent, so I thought I'd try my hand at some binocular objects. There are a couple of binocular observing lists that I've fallen behind on, and tonight looked like a great opportunity to catch up. Binoculars are ideal for urban backyards, since they are so portable. I grabbed my 10x50s out of the case and started darting across the yard, trying to get the best view.
M13 (Great Hercules Cluster) | Hercules | Globular Cluster | 10:45pm CDT
The cluster looks like a round fuzzy patch, a little larger than stars. No individual stars could be resolved, of course, at a mere 10x, but it was obvious in the field of view.
M5 | Serpens | Globular Cluster | 10:50pm CDT
This cluster is also pretty obvious, but a bit smaller than M13. A bright star lies nearby, making M5 look like part of a lopsided double.
M39 | Cygnus | Open Cluster | 11:00pm CDT
This cluster is fairly easy to find. There's a wavy line of fairly bright stars that wind their way down towards M39. About a half dozen stars are visible in the cluster, in a rough V shape. With averted vision, a few more stars pop out.
M92 | Hercules | Globular Cluster | 11:15pm CDT
This globular is much smaller than M13, and in fact looks like a fuzzy star. You can tell it is a cluster, however, because the stars come to a sharp point, but this still looks like its out of focus.
M4 | Scorpius | Globular Cluster | 11:20pm CDT
This cluster is faint, but is definitely there. It is large, about the size of M13. The shape is difficult to discern because of its faintness. It did appear to be not quite round, but that may have been averted imagination, since I know what M4 really looks like.
M11 (Wild Duck) | Scutum | Open Cluster | 11:30pm CDT
This cluster is a somewhat faint patch of light. No individual stars are visible.
IC 4665 | Ophiuchus | Open Cluster | 11:35pm CDT
This open cluster is large, with several bright stars. It's shape is irregular, with about a dozen stars visible. This is a nice binocular object.
NGC 6633 | Ophiuchus | Open Cluster | 11:40pm CDT
This cluster is fairly faint, with a brighter star close by. With direct vision, only a couple of stars can be made out, nestled in a patch of haze. With averted vision about a half dozen stars are visible.
Cr399 (Coathanger) | Vulpecula | Asterism | 11:45pm CDT
This looks really nice in binoculars, fitting well in the field of view. A group of six stars are aligned in a row, making a hanger, and another group of four stars makes the hook.
It turned out to be a beautiful night. The Summer Triangle was greeting me in the low Eastern sky, making me long for the glorious views of the Milky Way. Still, I felt like turning in for the evening. It would be high in the sky soon enough.
|
| Observer: | Tom Campbell |
| E-mail address: | softech@iolaks.com |
| Web site: | www.iolaks.com/softech/astro |
| Observing Location: | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95°30'W Lat: 37°55'N) |
| Date and Time of observation: | February 16, 2002 8:00pm - 10:00pm CST |
| Object Observed: | Various |
| Viewing conditions: | Clear (8/10) Mostly Stable (7/10) |
| Telescope | 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepiece | 2" 51.5mm Modified Plössl, 1.25" Plössls - 25mm (49x), 15mm (81x), 10mm (122x), 6.5mm (188x), 4mm (305x) |
| Observing notes: |
Tonight's skies were a repeat of last night's, except for the absence of smoke from nearby fires. Tomorrow night was supposed to be cloudy, so I figured I better get in my observing time while I could.
My main goal tonight was to pick up a couple of stray Messiers and doubles I had missed the night before, and to make a dent in my Herschel-400 list. I decided to concentrate most of the evening on Monoceros, the Unicorn.
Beta | Monoceros | Double Star | 8:15pm CST
At 49x, this pair can be split, but it looks much nicer at 122x. Both stars are of similar brightness and appear blue-white in color. This is a pretty nice-looking double.
Epsilon | Monoceros | Double Star | 8:20pm CST
This is wide pair, easily split at low power. The primary star is a couple of magnitudes brighter than the companion. The brighter star is white and the fainter star is somewhat yellowish. 81x offers about the best view.
NGC 2232 | Monoceros | Open Cluster | 8:40pm CST
This is a very loose open cluster of bright stars. A couple dozen stars are visible, spread out in an oblong pattern. One end of the cluster has two lines of stars forming a V. At the tip of the V is a knot of stars, with a real bright star in the middle. The other end of the cluster has two little arcs of stars like a bug's antennae. There are a few other stars here and there, but the middle of the cluster is pretty empty. At 49x, the cluster doesn't quite fit into the field of view. It is too open and there are too few stars to be very impressive.
Christmas Tree Cluster | Monoceros | Open Cluster | 8:45pm CST
Sure enough, this cluster does resemble a Christmas tree. The brightest star in the cluster is the base of the trunk, and the next brightest star is where the tree top or star would be. A smattering of stars form the basic shape of an evergreen tree. If I'd seen this cluster before I heard its description, I probably wouldn't have noticed the Christmas tree shape, but with that image in my mind, it does bear a striking resemblance. On the bottom row of branches of the tree there are three double stars, one of which has about half the separation of the other two pairs. The rest of the cluster consists of single stars. I couldn't detect the accompanying nebulosity, but I really didn't expect to tonight. I'll have to look for it under darker skies.
Hubble's Variable Nebula | Monoceros | Bright Nebula | 8:55pm CST
This is the first time I ever viewed this object. It's fairly faint, but not too bad for a nebula. It is triangular in shape, like a comet with a short tail. 122x offers a decent view. It's easy to overlook when you're sweeping at low power. I had to sweep the area at 81x to find it. With averted vision, a couple of spots in the nebula look stellar. But looking directly at it only shows nebulosity.
NGC 2251 | Monoceros | Open Cluster | 9:00pm CST
This cluster of moderately faint stars has an interesting shape. It resembles a flattened out triangle, similar to the outline of Mt. Fuji. At 81x, it fits into the field of view nicely. A dozen stars or so are visible. The brightest ones form the baseline of the mountain, and a slightly fainter star serves as the mountain peak. The rest of the outline is filled in by even fainter stars. This open cluster is pretty decent for a Herschel object.
M 50 | Monoceros | Open Cluster | 9:10pm CST
This is quite a treat after some of the other clusters I viewed tonight. It is rich and large. It fits nicely into the field of view at 49x. It is difficult to tell where the cluster begins and ends, but it does have some spiral patterns of stars. It is richest toward the middle of the cluster, and very pretty. At 81x, the cluster barely fits into the field of view. The center is much more defined, with the spirals, arcs, and curves of stars reminding me of a spirograph. Most of the stars are white, but on one of the spiral arms is a yellow-orange star that sets itself apart from the rest.
NGC 2301 | Monoceros | Open Cluster | 9:20pm CST
This is a vaguely T-shaped open cluster, with a knot of stars at the intersection of the T. The T appears short and fat, because the crossbeam is much longer than the baseline. The cluster barely fits into the field of view at 81x. Right at the intersection of the T, there is a golden-yellow star with a blue companion of similar magnitude. The other stars are white or blue-white. On one end of the T is another knot of stars that appears as a fuzzy patch until you scrutinize it closer.
M 93 | Puppis | Open Cluster | 9:25pm CST
This is a fairly compact open cluster, with a butterfly shape. One wing of the butterfly has many more stars than the other. And the back part of that wing has a nice triangular wedge of stars clustered together. This is an impressive open cluster. Most of the stars appear white, with a few yellow-white stars mixed in. The longer I stare at this cluster, the more stars I can pick out. There must be around 100 stars, or at least several dozen.
Struve 747 | Orion | Double Star | 9:35pm CST
This is a wide double in the Sword of Orion, easily split at 49x. One star appears slightly brighter than the other. Both stars are white or blue-white in color. There really isn't anything remarkable about this pair except for its location.
Nairalsaif | Orion | Double Star | 9:40pm CST
This pair is in the same field of view as Struve 747. The primary component is really bright, and the much fainter companion can barely be detected at 49x. By increasing to 81x, the companion becomes obvious. Both stars are white, although the color of the second star is a bit difficult to determine because of the blinding glare of the primary.
The night chill was starting to eat through my gloves and my eyeglasses were practically useless because they kept fogging up, so I figured it was time to pack it in for the night.
|
| Observer: | Tom Campbell |
| E-mail address: | softech@iolaks.com |
| Web site: | www.iolaks.com/softech/astro |
| Observing Location: | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95°30'W Lat: 37°55'N) |
| Date and Time of observation: | February 15, 2002 8:30pm - 10:15pm CST |
| Object Observed: | Various |
| Viewing conditions: | Mostly Clear (7/10) Fairly Stable (6/10) |
| Telescope | 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepiece | 2" 51.5mm Modified Plössl, 1.25" Plössls - 25mm (49x), 15mm (81x), 10mm (122x), 6.5mm (188x), 4mm (305x) |
| Observing notes: |
The weather was beautiful all day today, with nary a cloud in the sky. After supper, the sky continued to look good. I was supposed to have barbershop quartet practice tonight, but the weather looked so great, I called and cancelled (sorry, guys). As I was finishing up my telescope setup outside, my aunt and uncle and their two kids pulled up. They immediately came over to me and asked if they could look through my telescope again. They noticed the crescent Moon hanging just above the trees, and wanted to see it first. I put in my 49x eyepiece, which allowed the entire moon to be visible in the field of view. I asked them if they could see the craters, and they both replied that they could. Next came the planets. The girls took turns viewing Jupiter, Saturn, and even tiny Mars. I quizzed them both on how many cloud bands they saw, how many moons, etc., and compared it with my own view. They didn't do too badly. At 49x, they both claimed to have seen at least one cloud belt on Jupiter, and several moons (they didn't know which "stars" were moons and which ones were actually stars, of course). I put in my 122x eyepiece before showing them Saturn, and the youngest one was able to see three of its moons. After a couple of open clusters, such as M35, the oldest girl was getting cold, so she went inside to warm up. The youngest one (age 8) was dressed in her winter coat, and was ready for action. She did so well on seeing the planets that I thought I'd give her eyesight a bit of a test. I swung over to the Andromeda Galaxy, and told her that she was going to look at a fuzzy patch of light that was a galaxy. She asked what a galaxy was, and was suitably impressed when I told her that it was a collection of millions and millions of stars. She then peered through the eyepiece, and said she saw it. I then told her that the galaxy we live in is called the Milky Way. She said she liked that name better than Andromeda because it reminded her of a candy bar. OK. Now that she basically knew what a fuzzy patch of light looked like, I was going to give her a good test. I swung the scope over to M82, and had her look through the eyepiece. At first, she didn't see anything. I told her to look for a really faint streak of light. After a few seconds, she said she found it. I asked her what direction the streak was going. She showed me the correct direction with her hands. This girl may become an astronomer yet! Since it was nearby, I gave her M81 as a final test. "I like galaxies," she giggled. Right away, she saw it and showed me the correct orientation with her hands. I was convinced. She hadn't brought any gloves and her hands were getting cold, so I suggested that we both go inside and warm up. She agreed, and she ran in to tell her mom and sister what she saw. I asked her what her favorite object was that she had looked at tonight, and she said the Moon. After they left, I went outside to start my official observing session. The images were getting a little steadier now that the mirror was cooling down, so it was a good time to start. There was a few times during the night when a lot of my vision was obscured by smoke overhead. I found out later that someone had been setting hay bales on fire throughout the county that night. It helped to explain why the seeing wasn't nearly as good as I had thought it would be.
M 79 | Lepus | Globular Cluster | 8:15pm CST
At 49x, this globular is obvious and fairly bright. It has a bright, almost stellar core, which fades out quickly to the edges. The best view seems to be at 88x. At the extreme edges of the cluster, a few stars could be resolved. This actually isn't a bad little globular. I only wish it were a bit farther North.
Because it is situated below the trees from my usual backyard observing spot, I had to move my telescope to a brighter location. This resulted in having to use my hands as a light shield while looking through the eyepiece, and probably hindered my viewing somewhat. Under darker skies I might be able to resolve this one a little better.
Gamma | Lepus | Double Star | 8:30pm CST
Since I had already moved my telescope, I decided to stick with the Southern sky tonight. This is a wide double, easily splittable at my lowest power. The brighter component is a yellowish-white, and the companion is light yellow. Even at 49x, the separation is almost too wide to appreciate the double as a pair. This won't make my favorite list, but it would make for a nice bright double to show off to beginners who want to see a binary star system.
NGC 2362 | Canis Major | Cluster+Nebula | 8:40pm CST
This cluster is nice. I couldn't detect the associated nebulosity tonight. In the middle of the cluster is a bright yellow star. The brightness of this star could be masking the nebulosity. The remaining members of the cluster are fainter. Some of the brighter stars of the cluster form an arc around either side of the bright central star, making an incomplete heart shape. At higher magnifications, a few more stars become apparent along the outer edges of the cluster and the heart shape is lost. 122x seems to be about the best magnification to show the cluster in its entirety. Overall, I'm fairly impressed with this open cluster, and will probably be visiting it again in the future.
NGC 2354 | Canis Major | Open Cluster | 8:45pm CST
This cluster is fairly faint, not having very many bright members. The brightest stars form a parallelogram. This isn't a very impressive-looking cluster, and the entire cluster can be seen within the field of view at 188x.
NGC 2360 | Canis Major | Open Cluster | 8:55pm CST
This is a nice and rich open cluster. Despite the star-rich region of the sky, this cluster still stands out. 88x offers a good view. It is defined by several small chains of 3-4 stars forming lines and arcs along the outer edges. The middle of the cluster is somewhat sparse. This is a neat-looking cluster and definitely worth a look-see.
M 47 | Puppis | Open Cluster | 9:00pm CST
If M46 was a little brighter, M46 and M47 could easily be known as the Southern Double Cluster. Both will almost fit into the field of view at 49x. M47 is larger than M46 and contains much brighter stars. The M47 cluster is elongated and has several chains of 3-5 stars of varying magnitudes.
M 46 | Puppis | Open Cluster | 9:00pm CST
M46 is more compact and rounded than M47. The stars are a little more even magnitude-wise. The brightest star of this cluster is just about in the center. There are a couple of noteworthy stars between the two clusters that seem to be acting somewhat as a bridge between them.
Rosette Nebula | Monoceros | Bright Nebula | 9:10pm CST
The Rosette Nebula can just barely be detected tonight by moving my eyepiece around and noticing the changes in the background sky. Just for fun, I tried my O-III filter on it, but it didn't help. This is one big nebula. Even with my 51.5mm eyepiece, the entire nebula wouldn't quite fit into the field of view.
NGC 2244 | Monoceros | Open Cluster | 9:15pm CST
The cluster is very obvious and bright. A few dozen stars were visible. Despite this, I couldn't detect any real patterns in the stars and it was somewhat unremarkable. There were a couple of pairs of stars at one side of the cluster, which drew my attention.
At this point, I was really wondering about how bad my seeing was. I turned to the Trapezium inside M42 and could only barely detect the E component at 305x. The other night, the E star was obvious, so I knew the fires had really degraded the sky.
The temperature was starting to fall rapidly now, so I decided to call it a night. Besides, my nose was getting cold. I should invest in a ski mask one of these days, but then I'd probably get turned in to the cops by somebody. I'm currently working on three different observing lists put out by the Astronomical League, and I was able to check off at least one object from each of the lists tonight, so it wasn't too bad.
|
| Observer: | Tom Campbell |
| E-mail address: | softech@iolaks.com |
| Web site: | www.iolaks.com/softech/astro |
| Observing Location: | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95°30'W Lat: 37°55'N) |
| Date and Time of observation: | February 13, 2002 8:30pm - 10:15pm CST |
| Object Observed: | Text here |
| Viewing conditions: | Clear (8/10) Mostly Stable (7/10) |
| Telescope | 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepiece | 2" 51.5mm Modified Plössl, 1.25" Plössls - 25mm (49x), 15mm (81x), 10mm (122x), 6.5mm (188x), 4mm (305x) |
| Observing notes: |
Tonight's forecast was for clear skies and wind gusts up to 20mph. We had the clear skies, but luckily missed out on the wind. I had to do some chores around the house, but finished up by about 8:00pm and decided to take advantage of the good weather.
NGC 2169 ("37" Cluster) | Orion | Open Cluster | 8:40pm CST
At 88x, the cluster shows up nicely and sure enough, it looks a lot like a sideways 37. The "3" is somewhat squared off, resembling more of a backwards Sigma. The end star at the top of the "7" is fairly faint, but the rest of the number is bright and clear. This cluster is fun to see, and definitely looks much better through my 8" than it ever did through my 60mm refractor.
About this time, my neighbor and his stepson came over and asked if they could look through my telescope. Of course, I can't refuse such an offer, so I let them view NGC2169. Both of them saw the "37" shape clearly and came away from the eyepiece smiling. The boy then
proceeded in with a series of questions. The conversation went something like this:
Boy: What's that yellow star over there?
And thus it went. I ended up giving them a quick tour of the heavens, showing them Jupiter and its moons and cloud bands, the Pleiades, the Beehive, the Orion Nebula, and Sirius (on this last one, they both thought that my cross-shaped diffraction spikes looked really neat and made
Sirius look like the Christmas Star. I briefly explained to them about how it was an effect of the four vanes holding my secondary mirror in place, and the father understood, but still thought it was neat looking.
About then, my aunt and uncle pulled into the driveway with their two girls (ages 9 and 7), and my sky tour started all over again. I could tell I wasn't going to be able to get through my entire observing list tonight, but such interruptions are a welcome treat for me. Finally, everybody left and I looked over my observing plan to see what I could still salvage.
Rigel | Orion | Double Star | 9:30pm CST
At 122x, the companion can be seen clearly, even though it rests right on a diffraction spike. It is much fainter than the bright primary component, but definitely visible. Both stars appear to be white. Because of the proximity of the stars to each other and the brightness difference, it reminds me a lot of a planet and moon. 181x didn't really improve the view.
Mintaka | Orion | Double Star | 9:35pm CST
This pair can easily be split at 49x. The white primary is much brighter than the blue-green secondary. When I defocused the stars, the secondary actually appeared a medium blue. This is a nice, fairly pretty double.
Meissa | Orion | Double Star | 9:40pm CST
This is the brightest "head" star of Orion. The stars are fairly close together. At 122x, I could separate them enough to see darkness between them. The primary is white and the secondary is yellow. 181x shows the split much better and provides a nicer view. The color contrast is obvious and beautiful.
M42 (Orion Nebula) | Orion | Reflection Nebula | 9:45pm CST
At 49x, the nebula fits nicely into the field of view. The nebula is a vivid medium to dark green, with a lot of mottling and shades of color. A dark band separates M42 and M43. Coming off that band, almost perpendicular to it, is another dark cone-shaped band that ends just past the Trapezium. Even at this low power, all four of the main stars of the Trapezium can easily be seen. The many shades of this nebula give it a fluffy, 3-Dimensional effect. At 121x, the detail is even more pronounced. At 305x, it feels like I'm there.
Trapezium | Orion | Multiple Star | 9:50pm CST
Theta-1 and Theta-2 make up the Trapezium. Kicking up the power to 305x reveals the third member (E component) of Theta=1 in moments of good seeing.
NGC 1664 | Auriga | Open Cluster | 10:05pm CST
This cluster is fairly faint, but rich. At one edge of the cluster is a bright star, but I doubt that it is a member. Most of the members seem to be of uniform brightness. The shape of the cluster is two arcs that join at one end, similar to a cornucopia or wave. This cluster isn't particularly impressive, but I've seen a lot worse. The best view was at 88x.
I was starting to get a bit chilly now, so decided to call it a night. I was happy to get under the stars again, but would welcome evenings that were a bit warmer.
|
| Observer: | Tom Campbell |
| E-mail address: | softech@iolaks.com |
| Web site: | www.iolaks.com/softech/astro/astro.htm |
| Date and time of Observation: | January 11, 2002 7:15pm - 8:30pm CST |
| Observing Location: | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95°30'W Lat: 37°55'N) |
| Object Observed: | TEXT HERE |
| Viewing conditions: | Mostly clear, but with thin cloud banks moving through. (7/10) Seeing:Fair (6/10) |
| Telescope | 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepiece | 51.5mm Modified Plössl, 1.25" Plössls - 25mm (49x), 15mm
(81x), 10mm (122x), 6.5mm (188x), 4mm (305x) Filters:Lumicon O-III |
| Observing notes: |
I can't believe it has been over two months since my last observing session! Between sickness, cold weather, bright moonlight, and clouds, it doesn't take long for the time to pass by. I was anxious to get back into the observing habit again, and during Winter, you take your starry nights however you can get them, especially when the temperature is above freezing.
M 1 (Crab Nebula) | Taurus | Supernova Remnant | 7:15pm CST
At 49x, it's fairly faint, but definitely visible as a dim, blurry
smudge of
irregular shape. 122x makes it appear larger and noticeably oblong.
Next to
it lies the mag. 6.9 star TYC 1310-1195-1, which makes the job of
focusing
much easier. The nebulosity was fairly uniform, except for fading out a
bit
near the edges. At times, I thought I could start to make out tendrils
near
the edge of the nebula, but I'm sure it was my mind imagining it. At
times
like these, I wish I hadn't seen the object before I observed it.
M 35 | Gemini | Open Cluster | 7:30pm CST
At 49x, the cluster takes up the entire field of view. The most
noticeable
feature is an arc of stars on one side, dipping toward the center. At
either
end of the arc are brighter stars. Also, in the center of the cluster
is a
dark area which is mostly devoid of stars. All told, there are probably
in
the neighborhood of 50-60 stars visible in the cluster. I looked at
this
cluster last year when I first got my telescope, but Gemini was setting
rather early in the evening and the view wasn't nearly as spectacular.
Just for fun, I put in my 51.5mm eyepiece (24x) for a low-power view.
The
cluster fits nicely into the field of view, with plenty of space around
all
sides. The cluster is nearly round, with a triangular hole missing in
the
center. However, many of the stars are no longer visible because of the
smaller size, so the cluster doesn't look quite as impressive.
NGC 2158 | Gemini | Open Cluster | 7:40pm CST
This small cluster is visible as a faint smudge off to one side of M35.
At
49x, it resembles a nebula. The view is a bit better at 88x. There is a
nearby star much brighter than any of the stars in the cluster. It
seemed to
be right on the edge of resolving into individual stars, but couldn't
quite
make it. With averted vision, it had a roughly triangular shape.
A bank of clouds moved in, covering most of the sky. A few of the
brighter
stars still shone through, but I decided to go inside for a bit and try
to
wait it out. I was glad for the excuse to warm up a bit, as well. After
about half an hour, the skies had cleared somewhat. Clouds were still
rolling through, but they were much thinner and there was more clear
sky
between them.
M 42 (Orion Nebula) | Orion | Bright Nebula | 8:15pm CST
This is a beautiful green color in my telescope. At 49x, it fits nicely
in
the field of view. Two large "wings" of nebulosity emanate from the
Trapezium outward, like a great green bird. Below the Trapezium is a
brighter patch of nebulosity. At the "head" of the bird is a
cone-shaped
patch of darkness which ends at the Trapezium. The four main stars of
the
Trapezium can easily be detected, even at 49x. Intermittent clouds
caused
the nebulosity to fade in and out. In moments of transparency, the
nebula is
rich in both color and detail.
At 88x, in moments of clear skies, the Orion Nebula begins to take on
some
texture, with cloudlike billows appearing out of the midst of dark and
light
regions.
M 43 | Orion | Bright Nebula | 8:25pm CST
This appears rather faint and insignificant, compared to its larger
brother.
It is a puffy wisp around the mag. 6.9 star Nu Orionis. A large black
band
separates this nebula from M42.
About this time, one of my neighbors turned on her porchlight, nearly
blinding me. I thought about moving my telescope behind my shed, but
the
unstable skies made me decide to give up for the night. Even though my
session was short, I had some quality time under the stars.
|
| Observer: | Robert of New Jersey |
| E-mail address: | enterprise@nac.net |
| Web site: | users.nac.net/enterprise/astronomy/ |
| Date and time of Observation: | May 29 - June 7 2001, Early Morning hours |
| Observing Location: | Sussex County New Jersey |
| Object Observed: | Mars |
| Viewing conditions: | Average to Good |
| Telescope | 8" Dobsonian - Orion XT8 |
| Eyepiece | 9mm, 6.3mm, and 2x Barlow |
| Observing notes: |
The first was not that spectacular, taking
place on May 29, Early
Tuesday Morning (probably about 1:30am). It was rather late when I
started, and conditions were
not that great. Was able to make out some darker areas, some below the
South Polar cap, some towards the Northern Region. Not much more for
that night I'm afraid.
Later that week, probably Thursday (May 31) morning (unfortunately did
not write down the date) I had another try at Mars, this time with much
better
results. I was able to make out the South Polar cap, what I think was
the Northern cap, and several dark areas. By comparing my
drawings to my maps and Mars Previewer 2 program, I am fairly confident
I have identified the features I saw. The Mare Erythraeum region was
plainly visible below (telescope view) the Southern Polar cap, with
Margaritifer Sinus and Aurorae Sinus sticking down from it. After a
gap, Niliacus and Mare Acidalmium reside in the Northern region near
what I think was the Northern polar cap.
I was using colored filters (mainly Medium blue and Red). These
definitely help with Mars being so low in the sky.
My next observations of Mars were in the Early morning hours of Friday (June 1st).
Conditions were very good that night. 190x with filter attached (blue)
delivered a clear and relatively stable image. It helped I was
observing Mars when it was up at its highest point in the sky. This
night, I was getting a slightly different view of the disk, with the
region I saw last night near the right edge of the disk (telescope
view). A dark patch stretched across the Southern region close to the
pole. It was when I was giving this area close scrutiny that I
realized I could see a lighter patch within the darker region towards
the
South Eastern section of the planet. At first I thought I may have
seen
a cloud, but upon checking the previewer program, I realized what I had
really seen was The region above (South in real view) Sinus Sabaeus,
and
below Mare Serpentis. Mare Acidalium was visible off to the North
West.
My next observations of the red planet came on the late night of June
3rd and the morning of June 4th (Monday). This time, due to the
slightly
slower rotation of Mars which causes the the view to fall behind by
about half an hour each night, I was seeing the features not quite as
far progressed as the previous night. I actually went out around 11, I
was starting to make out quite a bit, including Syrtis Major, but
unfortunately I did not get to look to long as a bunch of clouds came
through, dimming, and eventually hiding Mars from sight. In the early
morning hours however (probably around 1am), the clouds cleared and the
sky was free from clouds. When I went back to Mars, the seeing had
deteriorated. After sticking with Mars for a while longer however,
seeing improved again. I also found that the #58 green filter seemed
to
help quite a bit that night. I was able to clearly see the lighter
patch south of Sinus Sabaeus again. By this time, Syrtis Major was
just
visible on the very edge of the disk, about to disappear. The Mare
Acidalium region to the north was easily visible, along with the Mare
Erythraeum region. Northern cap appeared to be barely visible, and
southern one was also, though I may have been seeing some clouds are
fog
near by it to make it look a little bigger then it should have. I may
have seen the melts lines for the southern cap but I can't be sure of
this.
The final observation report in this post takes place June 7th (Thursday
morning). I had just gotten back from work (around 1:00am) and decided
to take the scope out. I let it cool for half and hour or so, then
went
out to observe with it. This night the planet was giving an unusually
steady image. Sytris Major was again visible near the edge of the
disk. The polar cap was visible along with Hellas, as it seemed much
to
large. I found that the medium blue filter was working best tonight.
This time, I decided to see how far I could push the limits. I went
above my usually 190x up to 266x(with 9mm and 2x barlow). While
nothing
new became visible, the image was not bad. Added the blue filter and
it
really was quite good, very impressive to see Mars look that large.
Even tried it with the 6.3mm and the 2x barlow for about 380x, this
time
the image quality had degraded, but at times, it was steady enough to
see some of the major detail. It really looked impressive, seeing Mars
that large and a little more then a fuzz ball.
Also would like to add that after just recently checking out some
drawings on some websites, I believe I may have seen some of the white
limb clouds. I first thought it was a optical illusion due to the
brightness or something, but after comparing, I believe I did see limb
clouds on more then one occasion.
Comment: As I see there are not yet a lot of reports from this size and
type of scope, I have decided to submit this batch to give an idea of
what can be seen when Mars is close and not covered by dust storms and
when the seeing is average to good.
|
| Observer: | Tom Campbell |
| Date and time of Observation: | July 2001 10:00pm - 11:30pm CDT |
| Observing Location: | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95 30' W Lat: 37 55' N) |
| Object Observed: | Various |
| Viewing conditions: | Clear |
| Telescope | 8" Discovery DHQ dob |
| Eyepiece | 1.25" Plössls (25mm, 15mm, 10mm, 6.5mm, 4mm) |
| Observing notes: |
For the last week or so, I have been chomping at the bit to get outside and
observe. But between clouds, haze, and the occasional thunderstorm, the
weather just wouldn't cooperate. Today, the temperature nearly reached 100
degrees, but the sky was relatively clear.
By sunset, there were no signs of clouds. My telescope was screaming at me
to take it outside. Who am I to argue? After all, it's nearly as big as I
am. ;^)
It had been a few weeks since I had the opportunity to sit under the stars,
so while my telescope's mirror was adjusting to the outside temperature, I
looked up a few favorites. First I viewed M57 (the Ring Nebula). The
familiar smoke ring is always a pleasure to view. I didn't worry about
trying to squeeze subtle details out of it tonight. I just wanted to
stop by and say "Hello."
Even with my low-power 25mm eyepiece, the number of stars in this region of
the sky was amazing. Hundreds of faint pinpricks dotted the field of view
everywhere I pointed along this arm of the Milky Way. I was starting to get
excited about the viewing conditions.
High overhead, the Keystone asterism of Hercules was beckoning to me. One of
the most difficult spots for a dob to view is directly overhead. In order to
aim the telescope, you can't simply point the telescope, but have to swing
the azimuth axis large amounts to get just the right angle. Then, the
eyepiece is slightly higher than what is comfortable for viewing from a
seated position with my collapsible fishing chair.
I felt like a submarine captain, moving my periscope around in search of my
prey. Finally, M13 swung into view. It was in full glory tonight, with stars
leaping into view even at 49X. I could just barely make out nearby NGC-6207.
I had seen it look better, but the seeing must be halfway decent, at least.
My sightseeing tour over, I now settled down to begin my observations in earnest.
NGC 7510
| Open Cluster | Cepheus | 10:25pm CDT
This cluster is small, but fairly easy to locate. At low power, you can
slowly sweep the general area and it will stand out when it gets in the
field of view. At 49X, the brightest few stars can be resolved along with a
bit of nebulosity.
Increasing the magnification to 122X, much of the nebulosity disappears. The
brighter stars are in the shape of a lowercase "y" or an inverted
Lambda (l), depending on how you look at it.
At my maximum magnification, 305X, the cluster still easily fits within the
field of view. The nebulosity has been completely replaced by a few dim
stars. In all, about 15-20 are visible within the cluster.
While debating over my next target, I swung the telescope around again to
the area of Cygnus. On a whim, I decided to try my luck at the Veil Nebula.
To my surprise, I was barely able to detect some of the brighter wisps with
averted vision. Nothing definite, just little patches where the background
became slightly lighter in color. I've been considering buying a
good-quality barlow as my next purchase. I may have to change that to an
O-III filter instead.
Gamma | Double Star
| Delphinus | 10:55pm CDT
This is a pretty double, with a good separation. Even at 49X, the pair can
be split, but it looks much nicer at 81X. The primary component of this pair
is yellow. The white color of the second star makes it appear to be a little
brighter than it really is. It is a nice "headlight" double, with both
stars appearing as eyes staring back at you.
M 71
Globular Cluster Sagitta 11:00pm CDT
This is a pretty faint globular, and it appears to be fairly sparse. At
188X, about a dozen individual stars are resolved across the cluster. The
rest of the cluster is a dim fuzzy circle, more reminiscent of a planetary
nebula than anything else. At 305X, the view didn't improve to any
noticeable degree.
Dumbbell (M 27)
| Planetary Nebula | Vulpecula | 11:05pm CDT
Every time I aim my telescope at this planetary, I'm surprised at how large
it is! At 49X, it is fairly bright grey, and has an irregular shape similar
to an hourglass or an apple core. Off to the sides are fainter, dark
gray smudges.
At 81X, the contrast between the nebula and the background sky is improved.
The outer edges of the hourglass appear to be only slightly curved, and
aren't quite parallel with each other. One end of the nebula is noticeably
brighter. With averted vision, little patches of fainter and darker gray are
strewn throughout the core of the nebula, with the center being the
faintest.
NGC 7789
| Open Cluster | Cassiopeia | 11:30pm CDT
This cluster is faint, but extremely rich. Even at 49X, dozens of stars are
visible. 81X seems to offer the best view. The entire cluster nicely fits
within the field, and the contrast is increased so that even more stars are
visible. The open cluster is roughly round in shape, with the brightest
members distributed randomly throughout. The most intriguing part of this
cluster is a cigar-shaped knot of stars a little offset from center.
M 15
| Globular Cluster | Pegasus | 11:40pm CDT
This is a bright, but small globular. At 188X, it starts to resolve. The
central core is extremely bright and almost stellar, similar to many
galaxies. Indeed, the cluster looks a lot like a slightly elliptical galaxy
with an open cluster superimposed in front of it.
I hated to call it a night, but the necessity of going to work early the
next morning forced my hand. All in all, it was a fantastic viewing
experience. I was pleasantly surprised to have a completely dew-free night,
and even the mosquitoes stayed away. You can't ask for more than that!
|
| Observer: | Ken Brandt |
| E-mail address: | brandtk@gru.net |
| Web site: | www.highwired.com/buchholz/esh |
| Date and time of Observation: | 6/25/01, 2200 edt-2345 edt |
| Observing Location: | Gainesville, FL |
| Object Observed: | Mars |
| Viewing conditions: | stable, sl. hazy |
| Telescope | 8 inch Celestron, w/o motor drive |
| Eyepiece | 20 mm Kellner, 4 mm. also with 2x barlow and plain color filters |
| Observing notes: |
Mars presented the South polar cap, along
with 3 surface features...
When I used the yellow filter, I achieved best contrast.
|
| Observer: | Robert |
| E-mail address: | enterprise@nac.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | Feb 10th(11:00pm-12am) and evening and night of Feb 11, 2001 |
| Observing Location: | Sussex County New Jersey USA |
| Object Observed: | Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, M1, M31, M35, M36, M37, M38, M42 and 42, and M103 |
| Viewing conditions: | clear skies, appeared to be very transparent, though there is some artificial light pollution in the area |
| Telescope | 8" Dobsonian (Orion XT8) |
| Eyepiece | 25mm(for the most part) 9mm, and 6.3mm Plossl, 2x Barlow |
| Observing notes: |
This report is mainly for Sunday, but I did do some
observing on Saturday so I guess I will put that in. I put my telescope
outside at around 6:00pm on Saturday, though I did not really get a
chance to use it until much later as I had people over until 11pm that
night. Before I left I did show them the moon, and M42, which was able
to fight its way through the blinding light of the moon. Well, after
they left, I moved the scope around front and decided to take a look at
Jupiter and Saturn. They were at this time getting lower in the sky,
though they did not look to bad at mid range magnifications. Some
detail was visible in the cloud belts of Jupiter.
Decided to take a
look to see about seeing the clusters in Auriga. I was able to find
M37(though with the moon out it didn't look as good as I had seen it
before on previous nights). I also found M36, although I had seen it
before when looking for M37, so I really just confirmed M36. With
scattered clouds and a moon getting higher in the sky, I called it quits
around midnight.
Sunday night would prove to be much more interesting.
I took the scope out around 3:30pm, though didn't get out until closer
to 7pm. The first object I looked at was Venus, which was still high
enough to look good. It was a crescent of about maybe 25% at most.
Darker regions were definitely visible towards the terminator. It was a very
dark night, though the neighbors had there porch
light on at times and there were the ever present street lights. Well, I
decided that I should really try to find the Andromeda Galaxy. I would
have to do it soon, as the constellation was about to go down behind the
trees. I decided I would try what somebody else had suggested, and that
was follow two of the stars in the constellation Cassiopeia that form a
straight line to the galaxy. First I did the trip with my eyes (with
glasses on). Was able to see the faint stars in the area it was
supposed to be in. Then, made the trip with my crappy binoculars,
definitely thought I saw something. Then, I pointed in the area with
the XT8's finder scope, I could definitely see something that looked
fuzzy, and I new in my heart what it had to be. I centered it in the
finder, looked into my 25mm eyepiece, and there it was! From that
moment on, I would no longer have to admit that I had not found one of
the supposedly easiest DS objects in the sky. I am quite certain
however that from a darker site I could have seen more of it. I was
able to make out a very bright halo and at the very center appeared to
be a bright spot, almost star like. I also think I may have been able
to see a faint glow extending out from the halo, though I will need a
darker sky, or perhaps more experience to see it. This has got to be
the Great Galaxy of Andromeda, as what else in the area would match that
description?
Well, after having that success, I decided to try to find
M103, which is described as looking like a Christmas tree at hometown.aol.com/billferris/deepsky.html
I looked around the
star it was supposed to be and indeed found what looked like a Christmas
tree with a brighter star at the top. Also, I noticed through the finder
and the scope there appeared to be many clusters in that area around
Cassipeia.
At around 7:30pm I came in to eat and when I went back out,
Andromeda had dropped below the trees but Cassiopeia was still up, so I
was able to get another look at the tree and show it to some relatives.
Also looked at the planets quickly, though I was more interested in
doing some DS hunting tonight anyway. Note: Jupiter's moons were all
grouped together and formed a rectangle.
Also looked at M42, and wow,
the sky this night is indeed darker then normal, as M42 had more detail
then I had ever seen before. I was still only able to see the four main
trapazimum stars, though I may have seen another but it easily could
have been my imagination.
Also went back to M37, very impressive
tonight. Also went to M36, and decided I would use this as a stepping
stone to see if I could find M38. I positioned M36 in the 25mm, and
then moved off in the direction it was supposed to be, and I came upon
it rather quickly. It was rather easy to go back and forth between the
two without using the finder. I was also able to make out a dark cross
like shape in the M38, which further confirmed that I was indeed looking
at the right object.
Also during the night, I went to get a look at M35
in Gemini, and while I had seen this object before, it had been a little
while, and I was having trouble finding it. After some time I realized
that I was looking at the wrong star that I was using as a reference!
After moving the scope to the right star I was quickly able to find it.
It is very impressive, but I was not able to see the NGC cluster that is
supposed to be right next to it.
Also observed M1 that night, the
shape was barely visible. At around 10pm I came back in for the night (it was 14F and windy at times!) Anyway, I would say I had a very
successful evening.
Comment: Love your site, very well done.
|
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