Observing reports - 130mm Reflector

Here are observing reports made with 5.1" Newtonian Reflector telescopes. The reports below give a flavour of what can be seen with this type of telescope.

Observer: Nick Howes

E-mail address: nick@yamaha.co.uk

Web site: www.yamaha.co.uk

Date and time of Observation: Over the past few months

Observing Location: London UK

Object Observed: Saturn, Jupiter, M42

Viewing conditions: Poor/Fair

Telescope Atlas Explorer 130 and ETX90RA

Eyepiece 26mm down to 5mm ED

Observing notes:
Winter time through to around March I had several really good nights with both scopes. Saturn on one night Cassini was clear, Titan also very bright. M42 green and wispy, Jupiter though was superb, connected up with Creative Webcam (modified) and took some nice shots of all of them. Moon is always a joy (when it isn't light polluting the night for other things). Atlas scope is the same as the Helios 130, and I can recommend it as a great first scope to buy. The ETX90RA is a great travel scope, which was its primary purchase reason.

Observer: Theodore Xanthopoulos

E-mail address: teoxan@hotmail.com

Date and time of Observation: May 30th, 2003

Observing Location: Athens, Greece

Object Observed: Globular Clusters M13, M92, M3, M5

Viewing conditions: clear sky, dry weather with large light pollution

Telescope Skywatcher 130EQ , 5".1 newtonian reflector

Eyepiece Kelner 20mm, 10mm

Observing notes:
I live in Athens which is a giant city of five million people. So, you understand the amount of light spreading over the sky at night, which has more a dark blue colour instead of black. Despite that, the skies on spring and summer are mostly crystal clear and I have a good view at south.
I am a novice in the hobby, but I managed to find easily M13 using the 20mm kelner eyepiece.. Although it is a large globular cluster, I didn't see any detail of stars around the core which was bright. Probably due to the light pollution and the small size of my telescope. The 10mm eyepiece didn't help much either.. But it was overall a good view.. The M92 on the other hand is smaller but with a much brighter core than M13,and I even managed to see stars spreading using averted vision.. I found M92 easily too, and I liked the view more than M13..
The M3 and the M5 were kind of disappointment, maybe because of light pollution and because they were low on the horizon.. I will try next time when they are higher on the sky.. For those who want to see M3, they should try hard.. It's a tricky object to find, and not so bright as the M13 or M92.You can find M5 easier, just follow a line from the start a of Serpens Caput (mag.2.65) until you reach the start 10 of the same constellation. Just 2 degrees SW you can see M5..It's a big globular.. I also tried to find M10 and M12 in Ophiuchus, but no luck..
What I realized though, is that all of us who use small telescopes need to be in really dark skies.. I believe that there is a great difference in viewing.. And most important.. It's not actually what we see.. It's what we know to be what we see.. Watching a small white fuzzy point on the sky doesn't tell you much if you don't know about the celestial object you look.
btw.. This a great site!!..Keep up the good work. One last thing.. If you want the best free planetarium software, try Cartes du Ciel.. It's an amazing program, that prints also excellent maps.. I wouldn't find any of these objects without so accurate maps.. Thanks for your hospitality.. Wish all of you clear and dark skies.!! Comment: Great site.!!

Observer: Chris Long

E-mail address: chris.a.long@btinternet.com

Observing Location: Warwick

Object Observed: Saturn

Viewing conditions: Good, very clear and still

Telescope Helios Explorer 130P

Eyepiece 6.3mm

Observing notes:
Clearest night I have seen Saturn on having had my telescope for only 6 weeks. After reading your observations of Saturn regarding the detail level, I'm surprised that I can see so much with a smaller (5.1") reflector. The cassini division is clear as a bell, as well as a cloud band round the equator. I'm not sure, but I also think I can see darker regions at the pole.

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Observer:	Nick Howes
E-mail address:	nick@yamaha.co.uk
Web site:	www.yamaha.co.uk
Date and time of Observation:	Over the past few months
Observing Location:	London UK
Object Observed:	Saturn, Jupiter, M42
Viewing conditions:	Poor/Fair
Telescope	Atlas Explorer 130 and ETX90RA
Eyepiece	26mm down to 5mm ED
Observing notes:	Winter time through to around March I had several really good nights with both scopes. Saturn on one night Cassini was clear, Titan also very bright. M42 green and wispy, Jupiter though was superb, connected up with Creative Webcam (modified) and took some nice shots of all of them. Moon is always a joy (when it isn't light polluting the night for other things). Atlas scope is the same as the Helios 130, and I can recommend it as a great first scope to buy. The ETX90RA is a great travel scope, which was its primary purchase reason.

Observer:	Theodore Xanthopoulos
E-mail address:	teoxan@hotmail.com
Date and time of Observation:	May 30th, 2003
Observing Location:	Athens, Greece
Object Observed:	Globular Clusters M13, M92, M3, M5
Viewing conditions:	clear sky, dry weather with large light pollution
Telescope	Skywatcher 130EQ , 5".1 newtonian reflector
Eyepiece	Kelner 20mm, 10mm
Observing notes:	I live in Athens which is a giant city of five million people. So, you understand the amount of light spreading over the sky at night, which has more a dark blue colour instead of black. Despite that, the skies on spring and summer are mostly crystal clear and I have a good view at south. I am a novice in the hobby, but I managed to find easily M13 using the 20mm kelner eyepiece.. Although it is a large globular cluster, I didn't see any detail of stars around the core which was bright. Probably due to the light pollution and the small size of my telescope. The 10mm eyepiece didn't help much either.. But it was overall a good view.. The M92 on the other hand is smaller but with a much brighter core than M13,and I even managed to see stars spreading using averted vision.. I found M92 easily too, and I liked the view more than M13.. The M3 and the M5 were kind of disappointment, maybe because of light pollution and because they were low on the horizon.. I will try next time when they are higher on the sky.. For those who want to see M3, they should try hard.. It's a tricky object to find, and not so bright as the M13 or M92.You can find M5 easier, just follow a line from the start a of Serpens Caput (mag.2.65) until you reach the start 10 of the same constellation. Just 2 degrees SW you can see M5..It's a big globular.. I also tried to find M10 and M12 in Ophiuchus, but no luck.. What I realized though, is that all of us who use small telescopes need to be in really dark skies.. I believe that there is a great difference in viewing.. And most important.. It's not actually what we see.. It's what we know to be what we see.. Watching a small white fuzzy point on the sky doesn't tell you much if you don't know about the celestial object you look. btw.. This a great site!!..Keep up the good work. One last thing.. If you want the best free planetarium software, try Cartes du Ciel.. It's an amazing program, that prints also excellent maps.. I wouldn't find any of these objects without so accurate maps.. Thanks for your hospitality.. Wish all of you clear and dark skies.!! Comment: Great site.!!

Observer:	Chris Long
E-mail address:	chris.a.long@btinternet.com
Observing Location:	Warwick
Object Observed:	Saturn
Viewing conditions:	Good, very clear and still
Telescope	Helios Explorer 130P
Eyepiece	6.3mm
Observing notes:	Clearest night I have seen Saturn on having had my telescope for only 6 weeks. After reading your observations of Saturn regarding the detail level, I'm surprised that I can see so much with a smaller (5.1") reflector. The cassini division is clear as a bell, as well as a cloud band round the equator. I'm not sure, but I also think I can see darker regions at the pole.