This page is dedicated to observations made with a 4.5" reflector. The observing reports shown below should give you a flavour of what you can see with this type of instrument.
| Observer: | Stephen Gangi |
| E-mail address: | sgangi@hotmail.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | 31 March 2003 9:00PM PST |
| Observing Location: | Van Nuys CA |
| Object Observed: | Saturn |
| Viewing conditions: | excellent, despite light pollution |
| Telescope | Bushnell 4.5 inch f/8 reflector |
| Eyepiece | 12mm Plossl |
| Observing notes: |
Observed Saturn, at approx 45 degrees elevation, 270 degrees azimuth. View was sharp with no haze or "twinkle". Rings were very sharp but no moons were visible from this location. |
| Observer: | Stephen Gangi |
| E-mail address: | sgangi@hotmail.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | 30 March 2003, 8:00PM PST |
| Observing Location: | Los Angeles CA |
| Object Observed: | Jupiter and 4 moons |
| Viewing conditions: | clear and dry, but with light pollution |
| Telescope | Bushnell 4.5 inch f/8 reflector |
| Eyepiece | 25mm and 12.5mm Plossl |
| Observing notes: |
Local time was 8PM 30 March 2003. I had very good viewing of Jupiter and all 4 moons. Jupiter was high in the sky toward the southeast with no "twinkle". This was the first successful viewing after collimation, and installing and aligning a red dot finder and optical finder. |
| Observer: | Kyle Kennard |
| E-mail address: | pinsir00@aol.com |
| Web site: | www.angelfire.com/space/observations |
| Date and time of Observation: | Sunday, Sept 29 in the morning. |
| Observing Location: | Near Atlanta GA USA |
| Object Observed: | The Pleiades, Jupiter and Saturn |
| Viewing conditions: | Clear to partly Cloudy |
| Telescope | 114mm Celestron Reflector |
| Eyepiece | 32mm Plossl, 10mm SMA |
| Observing notes: |
Found the Pleiades (M45) with the naked
eye and could count about six stars total. Through Telescope M45 was
clearly visible, but No nebula behind it, even under high magnifications.
Viewed Jupiter for the first time, upset with views as Jupiter was
behind clouds, and no detail could be seen, did resolve as a big white
disk, also believed I might have picked up a moon. Viewed Saturn earlier
that morning With out the clouds, and it was just as cool as before.
Found Titan. No cassini division visible.
Clear Skies
|
| Observer: | Kyle Kennard |
| E-mail address: | pinsir00@aol.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | Sunday, September 01, 2002 at 9:45 P.M. |
| Observing Location: | Near Atlanta Georgia |
| Object Observed: | M31 |
| Viewing conditions: | Light Polluted, Clear Skys |
| Telescope | Celestron 114mm Reflector |
| Eyepiece | 25mm SMA |
| Observing notes: |
I finally found M31 and was very
impressed with the views. I could see the bright core and lots of gray fuzz
around it! I also believe that I picked up one of its companion Galaxies!
M31 was taking up about 1/4 of space in the eyepiece. The Companion
Galaxy was much smaller fainter and almost appeared as a star that
wouldn't focus with fuzz around it, I believe it was M110 but still have to
verify that. This was my first Galaxy find! I went back to Mirach, and
re-traced my steps in finding it several times so I can find it again
easily. I was very impressed with my scopes performance this time out. It
took me a few nights to find this! I didn't have any directions, so I
made some myself. I list them below for others in search of M31, these
help a lot.
In the Andromeda constellation, Locate Mirach (43-Beta
Andromedae), and then locate 37-Mu Andromedae these bright stars point exactly to
it, just scan up in the telescope until you run into M31.
Good Luck and Clear Skys.
|
| Observer: | Kyle Kennard |
| E-mail address: | pinsir00@aol.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | August 2002 |
| Observing Location: | Near Atlanta Georgia |
| Object Observed: | M31 |
| Viewing conditions: | Light Polluted, Clear Skys |
| Telescope | Celestron 114mm Reflector |
| Eyepiece | 25mm SMA and 10mm SMA |
| Observing notes: |
OK, this was my first time I tried to find the planet Saturn since I was about 6-7 years old and had my old refractor, which I knocked over and broke years back. I have really just again started to become interested in astronomy again recently, so I decided to purchase a New telescope, being 15 years old I couldn't choose from much. And my parents ended up getting me one. OKOK, onto the session. It was my first (real) attempt at Saturn, after checking the charts I roughly Identify where Saturn's position in the sky would be. A lot of trees were in the horizon so I couldn't see much, I checked about 3 stars in the sky hoping to see Saturn, no Saturn. I went in to check charts again. When I returned to my back yard I noticed a bright star rising above the trees, I quickly point my scope to that object, with the 25mm SMA eyepiece, I could see it! YAY! It looked liked a star pulled on each side, I jump up to the 10mm SMA, Rings were divided from planet!! I could not see the cassini division and really no cloud detail. But I was extremely happy. Saturn was not my first planet though. I also viewed Venus earlier that night. Venus was like a big white ball cut in half. No detail visible, but I didn't expect any. I still enjoyed the view and cant wait to see it in the other phases. I will hopefully be adding more reviews of other planets such as Jupiter. After Jupiter, I will try to find M31 (Andromeda galaxy) . I don't know if that's possible from my current location, but will be heading to darker sky's sometime soon. |
| Observer: | Shawn |
| E-mail address: | lscarter@hawaii.rr.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | 2100 - 2300 (+10W) 5 July 2002 |
| Observing Location: | Kalaeloa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii |
| Object Observed: | M4, M6, M7, M20 |
| Viewing conditions: | Almost perfect seeing, maybe one waiver in 10 minutes |
| Telescope | 4.5" Meade Reflector - f/8.8 |
| Eyepiece | 25mm and 10mm |
| Observing notes: |
This observing session was dedicated to the
Scorpius and Sagitarrius region.
M4 revealed itself as a uniform smudge. It was a lot fainter than I
had anticipated and I almost missed it thinking it was a cloud rolling
into my field of view. Once I figured it out, averted vision unveiled
it's shape, but none of it's constituent stars.
M6 and M7 were absolutely breathtaking. It is too bad that the name
Jewel Box is already used, because either Ptolomy's Cluster or the
Butterfly Cluster could easily be called jewel boxes. Truly, a stunning
collection of stars. Photographs I have seen have not done these clusters
justice.
M8. The Lagoon Nebula. This was a very tricky one, harder for me than
even M4. But once I used my averted vision, I could just make out the
faintest wisps of nebula materiel. I tried both 40X and 100X but the
40X gave me the best image. I think an intermediate E.P. of around
12-15mm will yield me the best result. Also, I believe I need a filter...
Comment: Thanks for developing a site for those of us without
multi-thousand dollar Light Buckets can use to exchange information and help
each other out. Good Job!
Clear Skies
|
| Observer: | Daniel Robinson |
| E-mail address: | alternatingcurrent@hotmail.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | May 2002 |
| Observing Location: | North London |
| Object Observed: | Moon |
| Viewing conditions: | A little light pollution, but high up and clear skies. |
| Telescope | 114mm Newtonian, Konusmotor at f/7.8 (900mm) |
| Eyepiece | 17mm Plossl |
| Observing notes: |
Reduced aperture to reduce glaring brightness of gibbous Moon. Through eyepiece I saw amazing views of highland, craters and mountainous features on the line of the shadow on the moon. |
| Observer: | The Astronomer |
| E-mail address: | theastronomer@webtv.net |
| Web site: | members.tripod.com/~theastronomer/index.html |
| Date and time of Observation: | March 13, 2002 - 01:00-01:45 UT |
| Observing Location: | north central Ohio, US |
| Object Observed: | Comet Ikeya/Zhang |
| Viewing conditions: | ULM5 - moonless |
| Telescope | Celestron 114mm newtonian reflector |
| Eyepiece | 26mm Meade (2X barlow) |
| Observing notes: |
This is my third observation of Ikeya/Zhang
with the 114mm... and I must say I am most impressed with this Comet!
Previous observations on February 23 and 24, 2002 showed great cometary
structure, but nothing like what can be seen on a moonless night!
Using the 26mm at approximately 35X shows with direct vision a fantastic
dust tail that spans more than 2 degrees of sky! Despite its' low sky
position, averted vision shows this tail to carry on much further! A
short, stubby blue ion tail breaks away from the main structure, giving
Ikeya/Zhang a great appearance that we haven't seen since Hale/Bopp and
Hyakutake.
By adding the barlow lens and increasing the magnification to 70X, the
nucleas can now be perceived as "white hot" stellar point. Without
any stars nearby in the field to reference to, I can only guess at its'
magnitude... roughly 4.5. The surrounding coma is also excellent and
carrying at least a magnitude 6. (Folks... that's right at unaided eye
threshold, so I encourage anyone with dark sky and a western horizon to
go look!)
After having examined it closely, I then returned to the 26mm just to
enjoy. This is one of the finest comets I have seen in a great while...
And I am looking very forward to Ikeya/Zhang's reappearance in the
April morning skies!
~the astronomer |
| Observer: | Mark Rennie |
| E-mail address: | mark.rennie@virgin.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | 15th August |
| Observing Location: | Dundee, Scotland |
| Object Observed: | M57 Ring Nebula, M27 Dumbell Nebula |
| Viewing conditions: | good |
| Telescope | Celestron 4.5inch F8 Reflector |
| Eyepiece | 20mm(45X), 10mm(90X) |
| Observing notes: |
The plan for this session was to find some objects that I have never seen before using my 4.5inch reflector. I started off by trying to find the Ring Nebula M27.
M57 Ring Nebula
Scanned the region of lyra with the 20mm. The transparency was quite
good tonight as the sky was quite black not so much orange as I live in a
city. I would estimate the limiting naked eye magnitude at about 4.5
I found the Ring Nebula quite easily between 2 bright stars in Lyra
using the 20mm (45X). Looked like a small grey/green coloured well defined
circle. Easily spotted using direct vision but containing relatively
little detail. Could just about make out the hole using direct vision but
it was easier using averted vision. Increased power to 90X, surprised
by the pretty high surface brightness of this object as it stood up
quite well. The hole is actually more obvious at this power. Possibly see a
hint of a central star but it could be my imagination. Very pleased at
having seen this, I look forward to visiting it regularly in the
future!
M27 Dumbell Nebula
To find this object, I looked at charts and memorised where it was in
relation to albiero in cygnus. Scanned the field with the 20mm (45X)
eyepiece and found it without too much problem. Wow! It is large! Easily
seen and obviously a nebula in the 20mm eyepiece. Large grey/green haze,
quite dense. Direct vision is able to see the dumbbell shape but it
becomes more obvious with averted vision. With averted vision, the lobes of
the nebula seem more concentrated than the central portions.
Increased power to 90X with the 10mm. Object stood up very well to
increased magnification due to good surface brightness. No extra details
seen at this magnification, but the object didn't seem to darken much.
Higher power seems to help contrast on deep sky objects against any light
pollution present.
Overall a very enjoyable session!
|
| Observer: | the astronomer |
| E-mail address: | theastronomer@webtv.net |
| Web site: | members.tripod.com/~theastronomer/index.html |
| Date and time of Observation: | July 9, 2001 - 10:30 pm onwards... |
| Observing Location: | Northern Ohio |
| Object Observed: | Epsilon Lyrae, M57, Albireo, Scorpius and Ophiuchus globulars, Mars and the Saggitarius region..., Mars |
| Viewing conditions: | excellent! high pressure system and no moon makes for stable, dark sky |
| Telescope | 4.5" Celestron Newtonian |
| Eyepiece | 26mm, 9mm Meade Series 4000 plossls, 17mm Sirus plossl |
| Observing notes: |
A rogue high-pressure system pushed away the
summer storm clouds and left outstanding viewing conditions! Bright
summer targets make for excellent observations with the 4.5...
Starting in Lyra, take the time to split Epsilon Lyrae and head for the
M57. The "Ring" nebula is small, but very well defined. Averted
vision brings the dark center out clearly, and you will find that this
planetary lives up to its' name! Then drop east to Cygnus and catch one of
the finest double stars for the small scope, Albireo. This orange/blue
pairing of bright stars will become a summer favorite!
The southern constellations of Scorpius, Ophiuchus and Saggitarius are
an open "jewel box" of deep sky objects. Starting with Antares, the M4
globular cluster is an easy "hop" away to the southwest. Relatively
faint, it has terrific grainy texture in the 26mm, and begins to resolve
with a 17mm!
Mars will be your guide through the globular country of Ophiuchus for
the next few days. Using the 26mm, put the "Red Planet" in the center
of the field of view, and allow it to drift toward the 10 o'clock
position... as it moves out of sight, the M19 moves in from 4 o'clock! This
is a very bright globular, and is well met in any range of
magnification. As Mars moves each night, it is well worth your time to simply
"sweep" the field around it. The M62 is easily attainable by hopping
south... and going north/northeast will find you on one of the most
spectacular of the Opiuchus globulars, M9! Its' outer regions resolve very
well upon magnification, and the "flattened" core region is most
impressive...
Mars will amaze you during moments of atmospheric stability... so be
sure to have patience with it! Many of the larger features are readily
apparent, such as the soft indications of the polar regions, the bright
expanse of Arabia, and the dark contrast of Meridiani Sinus. (By
observing at approximately the same time each night, the best of the surface
markings will come into view naturally, and Syrtis Major is fantastic!)
Now for Saggitarius... simply the best! Using the "teapot" asterism
as a reference, the Messier objects are an easy catch. Starting with
the "spout", simply drift along the "steam" of the Milky Way where you
will encounter the M8. The "Lagoon" nebula is superb at any
magnification! It's bright open cluster surrounded by an equally bright nebula is
one of the finest of deep sky objects. Continuing on in a northerly
trajectory, the M20 comes next... The "Trifid" nebula is an easily
definable "ball of light". Dark, clear sky results in being able to see the
dark dust lanes that divide this nebula, and give rise to its' name...
but even less than perfect sky conditions still reveal this great
Messier!
By going back to the dome of the "teapot", the point star is Kaus
Borealis, and a great place to start a star hop. A bump to the north picks
up globular cluster M28. Grainy and diffuse, it bears a strong
resemblance to the M4 with the 4.5. Now hop to the east and pick up the
wonderful globular cluster M22. This one resolves very well! Keep moving
north, and you will catch the open cluster M25... very "rich" in stars,
and marvelous in the eyepiece! Continue on and you will find the M17,
"Swan" nebula... This is an excellent small scope target. Possessing
distinctly different areas of brightness contained in the same diffuse
nebula, the "check mark" configuration is truly a pleasure to behold!
Of course, you cannot leave without visiting the M27. With a bit of
practice, the "Dumbbell" nebula becomes easy to find. It is an excellent
bright planetary... and a great place to visit on a warm summer night!
If you're into getting up early, Venus and Saturn are putting on a
great show! Venus is a nice fat 50% phase right now, and Saturn's ring
system and moons are quite a welcome visitor!
|
| Observer: | the astronomer |
| E-mail address: | theastronomer@webtv.net |
| Web site: | members.tripod.com/~theastronomer/index.html |
| Date and time of Observation: | April 27, 2001 |
| Observing Location: | Northern Ohio |
| Object Observed: | Moon Occults Eta Geminorium |
| Viewing conditions: | steady |
| Telescope | 4.5" Celestron Newtonian |
| Eyepiece | 17mm plossl |
| Observing notes: |
April 27, 2001 - The Sun, Saturn, Jupiter
and the Moon...
Comments: Checked out the local hotspot on the Sun again today,
AR9393... over the last two days the dispersion field has gradually widened
but the central spots remain very dark and intense. Very soon it will
slide out of view again, a perhaps (?) makes its' third go around the
Sun!
Saturn still walks on the horizon, with tiny Titan holding on for dear
life! Jupiter jumps and jitters in the atmospheric turbulence, but all
four moons are visible tonight, three to one side (nice pairing at the
top!) and one (duh) to the other! (I'm going to miss peeking in on the
"neighbors", but it will be something to look forward to in the morning
sky in the very near future!)
Tonight's show stealer was the Moon... started off sketching along the
terminator, at the edge of Mare Serenitatis... and dreaming of all the
Apollo missions that had been there. As I watched, I noticed the Moon
gaining on a red star. Then... Oh my STARZ!! We've an occultation
about to happen!!! (and wouldn't you know it... I totally wasted the last
seven shots on my roll of film "doing" the Moon...) No matter. No
picture can take away what I saw...
At 10:34, red star Eta Geminorum winked out...
|
| Observer: | Matt Prescott |
| E-mail address: | jangofett1@yahoo.co.uk |
| Date and time of Observation: | January/February 2001 |
| Observing Location: | Bolton. United Kingdom |
| Object Observed: | Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, M36, M37, M38, Beehive cluster, Double cluster, Orion Nebula |
| Viewing conditions: | quite good |
| Telescope | 4.5" Meade Telescope |
| Eyepiece | 12mm, 25mm, 4mm |
| Observing notes: |
Saturn:
Jupiter:
Venus:
M36,37,38:
Double Cluster:
Beehive Cluster:
Orion Nebula:
|
| Observer: | Sidney Strangmann |
| E-mail address: | strangmann1@zonnet.nl |
| Web site: | www.home.zonnet.nl/strangmann1 |
| Date and time of Observation: | 13-04-2001 22.30 to 00.30 |
| Observing Location: | Neede close to German border |
| Object Observed: | several |
| Viewing conditions: | perfect |
| Telescope | 4.5 inch F8 |
| Eyepiece | Kellner 18mm |
| Observing notes: |
I live in a village called Oostzaan at the north side of Amsterdam
with a lot of light pollution, but i also own a trailerhome in Neede
close to the German border, thats one of the darkest places in Holland,
thats the place I made these observations.
I have seen M65, M66, Jupiter, Saturn, M104, M44 (visable with the naked
eye), M13, M51, M97 and some Aurora Borealis, all observations were made
with an 18mm Kellner oculair.
|
| Observer: | Neale Monks |
| E-mail address: | N.Monks@appleonline.net |
| Web site: | www.appleonline.net/n.monks/_mainsite/main4.html |
| Date and time of Observation: | April 10/11 2001, 10 pm - Midnight |
| Observing Location: | Hertfordshire, England |
| Object Observed: | Some nice springtime doubles and NGC 6543 (Cat's Eye Nebula) |
| Viewing conditions: | Bortle Dark-Sky Scale Class 5 (Suburban sky) |
| Telescope: | Celestron Firstscope 114 Premium |
| Eyepiece: | 20 mm Plossl, 10 mm SMA, x2 Barlow |
| Observing notes: |
Started off in Cancer, to see one of the
treasures of the early spring skies, Iota Cancri. This is a lot like
Albireo, consisting of a blue star and an orange star. Then, stepped back
along the ecliptic to Leo. Gamma Leonis ( Algeiba) and 54 Leonis are two
nice double stars. Even at low (x 45) power Gamma Leonis splits easily
to reveal one yellow and one orange star, while 54 Leonis may need
medium power (x 90) to be separated into its blue-white and steel coloured
components. Although subtle, this is a very attractive double star.
North of Leo is the constellation Lynx, a string of faint stars easily
overlooked. This is a shame, as it contains some really nice objects,
including some lovely multiple stars. 38 Lyncis is the not very far from
the sickle of Leo, and quite tricky in very small telescopes, but a
well collimated 114 mm reflector should have no problems. At the other end
of the constellation, near Capella, are 12 and 19 Lyncis. These are
triple stars, 19 Lyncis being the more open of the two, but otherwise quite
similar. Each has two bright stars close together and one fainter and
more distant companion. Stacking the 10 mm SMA on the Barlow to get a
high power (x 180) is needed to split these two triple stars.
Adjacent to Lynx is Ursa Major, which has one of the most famous double
stars, Alcor and Mizar. Its a naked eye double, and a good check not
only on your eyesight but also on how well dark adapted you are. Through
the telescope, Mizar is revealed to have yet another companion. Ursa
Major adjoins two fainter constellations which contain some double star
treasures: Ursa Minor and Draco. At the tip of the Little Bear's tail is
Polaris, which is a not an easy split for a 114 mm telescope. Although
the companion to the primary is 17 arc seconds away, it is very much
fainter. The trick is to use high power (x 180), and in reasonably steady
skies and dark adapted eyes, the 8th magnitude companion is clear
enough. At the other end of the Little Bear is Gamma Ursae Minoris, an easy
blue and orange double star. The lowest power is needed here, and in
fact the finderscope or binoculars give better views! 16 and 17 Draconis,
near the edge of Draco and not far from Hercules, are another ea!
sy double for binoculars. My 'double star trek' in this part of the sky
finished off with 39 Draconis. Its a triple star which needs a well
collimated telescope and quite steady skies to split all three stars
(though A and C can be seen in binoculars).
While in this neck of the woods, I tracked down NGC 6543, the Cat's Eye
Nebula. Through a 114 mm reflector this is obviously a planetary nebula
-- a large and rather bright disk. As itt happens it is very close to
another star, and at low powers (x 45) the two fit easily in the field of
view. Focus on the neighbouring star to get the best view of the
nebula. There isn't much to be see. The fun is in tracking it down, it is
much more difficult to find than the Ring Nebula (M57) but to me at least
seems brighter and bigger.
|
| Observer: | the astronomer |
| Date and time of Observation: | February 18 - 12:00 a.m. thru 9:00 p.m. |
| Observing Location: | Northern Ohio |
| Object Observed: | marathon time! |
| Viewing conditions: | outstanding! |
| Telescope: | 4.5 Celestron reflector & 12.5 Meade Starfinder dob |
| Eyepiece: | 26mm Meade, 32mm 2" televue |
| Observing notes: |
The following session was held over roughly
a 24 hour period... it's not often that it stays this clear!!
February 18, 2001: Jupiter, M42, M41, M67, M65, M66, M81, M82, M51,
Cor Caroli and M3 (and more as the day progresses!)
Comments: 12:00-1:00 a.m. Early a.m. here! (and darn
cold, too!) All four moons visible for Jupiter (three on the south,
one to the north). Took a quick look at the M42 and M41 before they head
west for the year... then off to chase those galaxies! Started with
the M67 (yes... it's a cluster, but it's a favourite, ok?) then shifted
to the M65 and M66... magnificent! Then off to the north for the M81
and M82! (I don't think, with the possible exception of the M31, that
there are any galaxies brighter than this pair!) While is was in the
area, I picked up the M51... not as impressive in the 4.5, but a worthy
target! Thoroughly cold now, (low temperatures and windy!) I almost
called it in, but Arcturus was so bright, I knew I had to catch at least
one more Messier object! Sneaked a look at Cor Caroli, then began my
search grid... didn't take very long (thank goodness!) before I located
the M3!! Terrific globular.... reminds me of Hercules!
Would have loved to have stayed out longer, but duty calls. Let's hope
those skies stay clear for later tonight!!
4:30 p.m. - Weather still holding, so I enjoyed the Sun! (as
always...) Sort of at a boring phase right now... just a couple of groups of
small sunspots, but it was enough to finish off my current roll of film!
Keep those fingers crossed for later....
7:15 - 9:00 p.m. - Plieades, Hyades, M1, Cassiopiean Clusters - Ngc
457, 663, 129, 225, 7789, 426, 637, 654, 659, M52, M103, Ariguran
Clusters - M36, M37, M38, Perseus Clusters - M34, Ngc 869 and 864, Orion -
M42, M43, Rosette, Flame and Horsehead Nebulae(!), Ngc 2392, M44, M35,
M41, M50, Puppis Clusters, M46, M47, M93, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.
Time to break out "The Great White 'Scope"...
Comments: WOW! The sky remain absolutely perfect!! I
feel humbled by my incredible luck! (Well... almost... ;-) The
Ariguran
Clusters (as well as the "Double Cluster" and "Beehive" were naked eye
objects! Venus has shrunken even more... perhaps at a 40%! All the
moons of Jupiter were still visible, as well as two in Saturn. And, oh
my! Those beautiful clusters!! All of the tiny little points of light
are incredible! I was totally delighted to catch all the nebulae
before they ducked away for the year... it's not often I catch the "Clown
Face", the "Crab", the "Horsehead", the "Flame", and the "Rosette"! I am
truly at a loss for words as to the transparency of the sky tonight...
even the winter Milky Way was out walking and talking!!
Ended the session by re-visiting with the M81 and M82. Leo is cruising
up over in the east... time to call it a day!
--the astronomer
|
| Observer: | Joe Martin |
| E-mail address: | mrbungle@snet.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | Jan 12th, 12:45 AM |
| Observing Location: | My backyard, Cromwell, CT. USA |
| Object Observed: | Saturn |
| Viewing conditions: | Very clear |
| Telescope | Meade Infinity 4.5" equatorial reflector f/8 |
| Eyepiece | 25mm (36x), 12.5mm (73x), 4mm (228x) |
| Observing notes: |
I have a large back yard pretty far from
the street which provides me with adequate darkness. Unfortunately the
moon was out and was pretty bright, but didn’t seem to have an effect on
my view of Saturn at all. I roughly aligned my scope to North. I don’t
usually take too much care in setting it up accurately because I pretty
much point and shoot with the scope. For now, coordinates don’t
interest me as much as they will when I start looking for smaller, harder to
find objects.
I started the session with my 25mm (36x), which gives me a very clear
(but small) image of Saturn with a pretty wide field of view. Once in
focus and centered, I switched to my 12.5mm (73x) lens which allows me to
view Saturn at a reasonable size and shows the gap between the planet
and it’s rings pretty clearly (still not much detail though). The view
with this eyepiece is very sharp and crisp. I then moved to my 4mm
(228x) lens, which for some reason tonight, gave me my best view of the
planet so far. Although the view wasn’t as crisp as I’d like, while staring
at the planet, I could see Cassini’s Division for the first time
(probably due to my recent collimation) and also for the first time saw
detail in the actual planet itself. The bands on the planet itself snapped
in and out of focus throughout the session.
I was amazed that I could see such great detail that night. This was
definitely a session that proved that small scopes could allow you to
see more than most people think. My scope performed above and beyond what
I had in mind when purchasing it and I would recommend it to anyone
interested in jumping into astronomy but apprehensive about spending a lot
of money for a larger scope right from the start.
I also have had great views of Jupiter, the Moon and the Orion Nebula
with this scope and will add a later report after another session or
two.
Clear Skies!!!
|
| Observer: | theastronomer |
| E-mail address: | theastronomer@webtv.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | December 25, 2000 - 10:30 am-2:00 pm |
| Observing Location: | northwest ohio, united states |
| Object Observed: | 60% partial solar eclipse |
| Viewing conditions: | excellent! |
| Telescope | 4.5 celestron reflector |
| Eyepiece | 25mm and 17mm plossl |
| Observing notes: |
Christmas day brought one of the best
presents of all... a partial solar eclipse!
despite temperatures that barely reached the teens in Fahrenheit, the
result was perfectly clear skies for the event. set up area was under
about four inches of snow, but who cares?
the full surface of the sun was visible with the 25mm, including
several dark and diffuse sunspots. what an incredible event to watch as the
moon passed over the surface of the sun... hiding the sunspots as it
marched along the way! observance with the 17mm enabled me to see that
the "edge" of the moon was also littered with it's own detail. when the
ripples of heat weren't obscuring it, indications of mountain tops
appear to be visible along the rim of the moon's shadow!
one of the most amazing parts of the event was how the quality of the
light changed during the eclipse. it's hard to imagine "sunset quality"
shadows at high noon!
there are literally no words to describe the silent passage of the
eclipse... even the wildlife was still for the duration!
a fascinating experience! and one i feel honored to have both
witnessed and shared....
-- the astronomer |
| Observer: | the astronomer |
| E-mail address: | theastronomer@webtv.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | Observations from 10-12 to 11-12 |
| Observing Location: | North eastern united states |
| Object Observed: | Saturn |
| Viewing conditions: | varied |
| Telescope | 4.5 Celestron |
| Eyepiece | 17mm sirus plossl |
| Observing notes: |
Although I observe all objects on a regular
basis, the
only that has been my major point of interest for the
last month has been the planet Saturn.
On the morning of 10-12, we were blessed with wickedly
clear skies...I took in all my favorite targets, then
ended the session with the planets. When I came to
Saturn, I was astounded to perceive five moons! My initial thought was that it had strayed across a star
field, but what "star field" would comply with three
of the moons circling tightly against the ring system!?
Over the period of the next thirty days, I continued to
re-visit Saturn at every opportunity. As its' moons
changed position in orbit, they continued to remain
visible. During this period of time, they have revolved approximately
90 degrees around the planet.
Despite the cold or the seeing conditions...they remain
the same. Fascinating!
Thanks to the addition of a detailed observing map of
Saturn...giving correct reference to the placement of
the moons on the given date...I humbly submit this report.
|
| Observer: | Thomas Moosey |
| E-mail address: | mooseytc@htcomp.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | 06 Sept 2000 - 08:28 UT |
| Observing Location: | 32' 02' 03'N 97' 30' 32'W |
| Object Observed: | Jupiter, Saturn, Seven Sisters (M45) |
| Viewing conditions: | darks skies. |
| Telescope | 4.5 inch Newtonian, Meade DS-114 |
| Eyepiece | 15mm, 9mm, 6.5mm plossls |
| Observing notes: |
The Milky Way is very bright in the summer, even tonight you can still see it in
the Northeastern Sky. I just got done setting up my telescope (4.5 inch
Newtonian, Meade DS-114, it is a good little scope, I don't like the
Autostar, I like hunting for it myself.).
My mission for tonight is to test some of my astronomy programs. I
will be tracking the major moons of Jupiter. Right now Jupiter is still a
little to low for me. I looked at the Seven Sisters and Saturn, testing my scope
and getting my eyes use to the scope again. I haven't used it in a about
two months, I have been using my bino 10x50s. Then it got really hot down
here, even at 2300Hrs LOCAL you feel the heat coming off the ground it made
the sky very hazily. It was just better to stay inside, plus the after 15
minutes the bugs will drive you away.
I looked at the Seven Sisters and Saturn using 15mm Plossl Seven
Sisters was nice but I still like it at a lower power. The Sisters look great in
bino. Saturn looked great, very crisp until I dropped down to a 9mm Plossl,
than there was a fuzz around the Ring Planet, I think the heat is making the
viewing fair - poor tonight.
I went back out around 0302Hrs LOCAL, Jupiter's moons were in the right
places, I couldn't see Io it was in front of the Great Planet. I think
I need to get a filter, Jupiter was very bright. I was able to clearly
see the major cloud bands using 6.5mm Plossl, don't get me wrong it was far
from crisp, but enjoyable.
The weather needs to cool down before I can start seeing a clearer sky.
Thomas
|
| Observer: | theastronomer |
| E-mail address: | theastronomer@webtv.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | 08/27/00 - 08/31/00 @ approx. 10:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. est |
| Observing Location: | North Central Ohio, United States |
| Object Observed: | M15, M92, M54, M55, M23, M25, M21, M22, M28, M20, M8, M17, M4, M80, M19, M62, M57, M56, M27, M11, M51, M81, M82, "wild ducks in scutum", countless open clusters in cassieopia |
| Viewing conditions: | Very good at horizon and excellent at zenith! no moon and very little haze on the horizon. |
| Telescope | 4.5 celestron relflector and 12.5 meade starfinder dob |
| Eyepiece | 25mm for celestron, 32mm for meade |
| Observing notes: |
Oh my! where do i start? from where i
live, it is
imperative that you run each observing session like a
messier marathon, because moonless, clear nights are a
rarity! the clouds forever threaten to obscure the
heavens! i begin each session by starting with the
objects that will fade into the horizon, or be obscured
by tree lines first...in my case, i start with the
constellation of scorpius. by aiming at antares, it is
only a short hop to the impressive globular, M4, then off to it's other
globular, M80. while in the neighborhood, i move to the east into
ophiucus for the
globulars, M19 and M62 (a most impressive site with the
12.5 because its' center is so "concentrated"!) now,
while ursa major is still in prime viewing position, i
move on to the galaxy M51...very washed out in the 4.5,
but 2 days later when I use the 12.5, shows a semblance of structure.
then a quick check of the M81
and M82 galaxies. they appear almost like glowing "cat
eyes" in the small scope, both in the same field. but
when I use the dob with a 25mm lens, they no longer share the same
space and show dynamic structure! very
bright and very, very beautiful! by this time, Sagittarius has risen
to prime position, and it's time
to explore the nebulae and clusters that abound toward
the center of our galaxy. starting around the "handle"
area of the "teapot" are the easy globulars, M54 and M55. now, up to the
"lid" star kaus borealis, the anchor point to search for open clusters
M23 (outstanding!), M25 and M21, also a short hop away is
the delightful globular M22 and the M28. now for the
really fun stuff, nebulae! starting with the "spout"
of the "teapot", follow the galactic "steam" (milky
way, baby!) right up for some of the most heavenly
views on our planet! the M20 "trifid", M8 "lagoon",
and the M17 "swan" nebulae. now personally, I prefer
to use the 4.5 when observing nebulae...the 12.5 has
unbeatable resolution when it comes to clusters and
galaxies, but it resolves diffuse nebula to the point
where it is not as enjoyable! by now I'm lost in the
milky way, and my eyes are so filled with stars that i
can only continue upwards! the next target I drift
across is the "wild ducks" in scutum (M11). this open
cluster is very bright and a most excellent target for
any size scope! the upwards (ever upwards) to vulpecula, and the most
fascinating nebula (in my opinion) in the sky, the M27 "dumbbell".
now, I'm not
positive i understand why this particular nebula seems
to have a "life of its' own", but you owe it to yourself to track down
this target. it defies any sort
of resolution (well, you can't because it is a planetary after all, and
the white dwarf that fuels it
is obscured by its' ejecta!) but it is fascinating that
regardless of which scope I use, its' very "thickness"
is absolutely fascinating! ok astronomer, the night's
wasting away, and there's more to see! now at slightly
west of the zenith lies the constellation of lyra, where the "double
double" and the "ring" (M57) nebula
await my scrutiny. the M57 is also a planetary, seen
from a different vantage point. (what is it about
planetaries? both have the same general chemistry...
maybe they give off different spectra? a topic for
those of you who are under cloud cover to study!) also
in lyra is the tiny globular M56, not all that great,
but a worthy target. then, although i reserve doubles
for more "moony" nights, i had to stop by albeiro on
my sweep to the north. by now I suppose I should pack
it in for the night, (early wake up call for work) but
how can I leave when the queen Cassiopeia is sitting
straight up in her chair, begging me to come explore!
very well then, (who needs sleep :) anyway?) I'm off
to all the beautiful, and sometimes almost galaxy-like
open clusters she has to offer! by the time I finish, I'm half tempted to stay up a bit longer to catch the
M33 and M31 galaxies, or just to view Saturn and Jupiter! but, soon
enough, the planets will be quite
accessible at a more reasonable hour! now...please be
aware that all of these objects were found in the span
of about two and a half to three hours (depending on
how long I stare at M27!) the first two nights, 8/27
and 8/28, I used the 4.5. the nights of 8/29 and 8/30
were spent with the 12.5 dob. and I returned to the
4.5 on the night of 8/31 because I appreciate its'
nebular views more! my style of "surfing" the skies
is somewhat unconventional, but it is most comfortable
and allows me to capture deep sky objects in a matter
of minutes! i hope you have enjoyed reading about my
observing session as much as I have enjoyed sharing it
with you! there's lots more "space" to write on in
here than in my diary! wishing clear, dark skies to all!!! ---"at
night I stand upon the hill, and stare
into the skies until....my eyes are filled with stars.
then I, still stand and stare into the sky!"
humbly yours, the astronomer
Comment: hello to my new friends! hope i haven't bored you
to tears with my lengthy report! as you can tell,
i was very excited to have five days in a row to
explore the heavens. now we are once again under
cloud cover and i retreat to the web to see how
other's are faring around the world! i am so
delighted to find a site dedicated to observation
and not to "intellectual discussion"! you don't
need years of college to enjoy astronomy! as long
as you have the desire to learn and the resources
to learn from...all you need is experience! hope
i didn't make too many typos...i find myself unable to return to
proofread! looking forward to
enjoying the stars with you! |
| Observer: | Adrian Stanley |
| E-mail address: | adrian@adrians.demon.co.uk |
| Web site: | www.adrians,demon.co.uk/astro |
| Date and time of Observation: | 27/08/2000 22:00 |
| Observing Location: | Cheltenham UK (Lat 53.5, Long 2.5) |
| Object Observed: | M31 - Andromeda Galaxy |
| Viewing conditions: | Clear with some cloud |
| Telescope | 114mm Newtonian & binoculars |
| Eyepiece | 25mm |
| Observing notes: |
After being assured that M31 is an easy
binocular object, I went hunting for it. I located beta And (Mirach) first
in the binoculars, then shifted the field of view so that beta was at
the bottom, and mu And (and fainter star) was at the top. Shifting the
field of view up again, with mu And at the bottom, revealed a blur of
light near the top of the view - M31. This forms a triangle with two
stars; once it has been located, it is difficult to miss, and can even be
seen with the naked eye and averted vision.
Using the telescope did not reveal anymore detail, but the blur was
larger and brigher, forming a distinct oval shape covering about a tenth
of the field of view. I understand that this just the core of the
galaxy, and that most of the galaxy was too faint to see properly, but
certainly extended well beyond the field of view (which covered 0.5 degree).
Locating M31 first in binoculars aided greatly in finding it again in
the telescope. However, once it has been found, it is difficult to miss
again, as it now appears very obvious and easy to find.
|
| Observer: | Adrian Stanley |
| E-mail address: | adrian@adrians.demon.co.uk |
| Web site: | www.adrians,demon.co.uk/astro |
| Date and time of Observation: | 14:00 16/08/2000 |
| Observing Location: | Back garden |
| Object Observed: | Sun |
| Viewing conditions: | Sunny with some cloud |
| Telescope | 115mm Newtonian |
| Eyepiece | 25mm/9mm |
| Observing notes: |
NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN, WHETHER
WITH THE NAKED EYE, BUT ESPECIALLY NOT THROUGH A TELESCOPE OR BINOCULARS.
Now that's over - I used the standard technique of projecting the sun's
image through the eyepiece and onto a piece of card. In my case, I
actually used the back of an envelope. The sun is so powerful, pretty much
anything flat will do to reflect the image. By varying the distance the
card is held from the eyepiece, and adjusting the focus, the image can
be made larger (but fainter), or smaller (but brighter).
With the 25mm eyepiece, the whole of the sun's image could be seen,
with several sun spot groups - which appeared as smallish dots.
Under higher magnification with the 9mm eyepiece, about a quarter of
the sun's disk is visible. Sun spots appear in much more detail, and it
is possible to make out the "crinkly" edges around the spots.
The sun is such an obvious and easy target for observation, but it is
often overlooked. By viewing it several days in succession it is easy to
see the rotation, as sun spots move across the disk.
|
| Observer: | John Davis |
| E-mail address: | JohnFromNebo@webtv.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | 2/3/2000 5:30-6:30 am EST United States |
| Observing Location: | Nebo, North Carolina, USA Lat. 35.702658 Long. 81.913157 |
| Object Observed: | (W) Centaurus Globular Cluster |
| Viewing conditions: | 70-80% visibility; hazy near horizon, light pollution near object |
| Telescope | 4.5" Newtonian reflector |
| Eyepiece | 20mm w/2xBarlow |
| Observing notes: |
I routinely awoke very early that morning to
check the logs in my "Pappa Bear" woodstove (we have an efficient
monitor heating system, but I enjoy a good fire burning on a cold winter
night). I had not planned on observing
until it occurred to me that there may be some good objects this early
that I normally don't see this time of the year, and I was right!
Fortunately, a favorite target of mine (which I had never seen before this
session), was arising into view from the southeast: the "Omega" globular
cluster in the constellation of Centaurus. This massive cluster is the
second largest globular cluster that can be seen anywhere in the sky
and is given a Greek letter designating that out of all the stars in this
constellation, it is considered the 24th brightest one, though it is
tremendously more than just a single star.
I scanned low in the south with my binoculars and walked to where
I could get the best view of the general area. I fought through some
neighboring light pollution, but there it was! No mistake about it, it
looked like a typical globular cluster except that it covered a good
15-20% of the width of my 10x50 binocular's view. Incredible! They say it
is an easy naked-eye object in the south, and I believe it! Even with
some considerable light pollution, I could resolve a little bit of the
loose stars around it.
In my excitement, I dashed back into the house and got my
reflector telescope out and toted it down to the spot I marked with a stick
that I put in the ground. I hastily aligned and aimed my 'scope toward the
south, hoping that I was not too late, nor allowed the cluster to
drift into some obstructing trees nearby. I joyfully found it and LOCKED IT
IN VIEW (it was NOT going to escape!). At using a 20mm eyepiece, it
covered roughly 50-65% of view! The loose stars were not quite as
resolved, but I could make out a fuzzy edge around it with a few glinting
ones. Adding the 2xBarlow lense made the image swell into a faint snowball,
almost covering the entire field of view. Stars around the edge were
hard to resolve. I believe that seeing the image through the binoculars
was probably the most enjoyable, though, since I could make out the condensing of the stars as they got closer to the cluster. How I wish I
could spend a night observing in the S.Hemisphere!
Comment: I do not burn wood on nights that I observe, for obvious
reasons. But even though I did that night, the smoke arose well enough away
to not affect the conditions close to the horizon. Email me if you have
seen this particular cluster for yourself.
|
| Observer: | John Davis |
| E-mail address: | JohnFromNebo@webtv.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | 9/12/99 11:00-11:45 pm EDT United States |
| Observing Location: | Nebo, North Carolina, USA (Latitude: 35.702658 Longtitude: -81.913157 |
| Object Observed: | M27 Dumbell Nebula |
| Viewing conditions: | 85-90% visibility; Clear w/haze near horizon; Temp 58 deg f and slightly humid |
| Telescope | 4.5" Newtonian reflector; 10x50 binoculars |
| Eyepiece | 20mm |
| Observing notes: |
With the intentions of trying to find
the Dumbell Nebula, I swept the field with my binoculars and located
some primary stars that were near the vicinity of the nebula's location.
At the point of almost giving up, I noticed an area that appeared to be
a bit hazy, almost like a small smudge spot on the binocular lense or a
small globular cluster that couldn't be resolved. I cleaned the
binocular lense, thinking that the humidity was blame but it was still there.
I almost dismissed this as being a small open cluster but saw none on
the chart. I intently stared at it and couldn't discern any detail.
After some 10-15 minutes of aligning my reflector to the general area of
the Nebula, I swept the area by turning the scope slightly about until
it was view. It was extremely faint and all I could discern was the top
and bottom arc and "bar" that connected the two, forming sort of a
"Z" shape. It wasn't very spectacular, but the satisfaction of
finding it at last was joy enough for me! The only disappointment was that
I thought that it would cover more area than it did. I thought it was
rather small in relation to all the hype of it's grand size
Comment: I made these notes a few months ago and wanted to post them as
a ray of hope to those who may think that the Dumbell Nebula is off
limits to binoculars and small scopes...
|
| Observer: | Ian |
| E-mail address: | Soze99@aol.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | June 4, 2000 |
| Object Observed: | M13 |
| Viewing conditions: | Terrible Light Pollution |
| Telescope | Celestron 4.5" Newtonian on a GEM |
| Eyepiece | 25mm Kellner |
| Observing notes: |
Seeing is so terrible in Chicago that I can only make out two of the four trapeziod stars in Hercules (naked eye). It was about 40° above the horizon. Looked like a little fuzzy cotton ball that didn't belong (at 25mm - 36x). Tried higher power (10mm - 91x), but that just smudged everything out even more. Stared at it for a long time and tried averted vision. I couldn't see any detail. I was then about 60 miles due west of Chicago a week later under clear skies. What a difference a 1 1/2 hour drive can make. I didn't have my scope with me, but I did pull over to the side of the road, got out and just stared up. What a glorious sight. Still quite poor, I'm sure, compared to other locations, but a good view for me. Next time I'm out that way, I'll be taking the scope. |
| Observer: | Ivor Barker |
| E-mail address: | ibarer@cisco.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | 6/17/00 |
| Object Observed: | M57, M27 |
| Viewing conditions: | Poor/Moonlight |
| Telescope | Celestron 4.5-inch reflector |
| Eyepiece | 32mm Plossl, 20mm SMA, 10mm SMA |
| Observing notes: |
I bought a broadband filter and decided to
give it a try in difficult
seeing conditions, and last night was pretty washed out due to the
moon.
I initially used my 32mm Plossl and switched to my 20mm, then 10mm.
Swapping the filter in and out definitly made a difference, M57 was
clearly
a ring, although I could not make out the star in the center.
M27 although apparently larger than M57 was fainter, I did not have
much time
on M27 as clouds rolled in at about 1:00 am.
Comment: Star-hopping has been easier since I got the 32mm.
The 'skyglow' filter definitly works.
|
| Observer: | Ivor Barker |
| E-mail address: | ibarker@cisco.com |
| Date and time of Observation: | 9:15 pm PST 5th June 2000 |
| Object Observed: | Mercury |
| Viewing conditions: | clear |
| Telescope | Celestron 4.5-inch Newt |
| Eyepiece | 5mm ortho |
| Observing notes: |
I wasn't expecting to see anything as that
part of the horizon is obscured
by trees and a single story building, but as it was getting dark I
glanced over towards the west and saw a bright star. I checked with my star
charts (Cartes du Ciel) and confirmed it was Mercury.
I started my observations with a 20mm SMA and stepped down to a 10mm SMA, followed by a 5mm
ortho. I could just make out a very light reddish color and part of the
planet was in darkness. My first planet !!
|
| Observer: | Curt Hall |
| E-mail address: | cchall87@hotmail.com |
| Web site: | http://www.angelfire.com/ky2/CurtsAstroPage |
| Date and time of Observation: | 6/6/2000, 10:00pm-12:00 midnight |
| Objects Observed: | Galaxies |
| Viewing conditions: | Clear, mag 5 |
| Telescope | Meade 4500 4.5" Newtonian on GEM |
| Eyepiece | Meade 25mm MA |
| Observing notes: |
Ok, here's what happened when I went
outside at 9:30pm to see my wife off to work; I gave her the usual "good-bye"
kiss, said "be careful", happened to look up at the twilight sky, and I
saw these quaint little points of light that were twinkling. I quickly
turned around to scan the rest of the sky and guess what... there
wasn't a cloud anywhere in sight!! Well, I suppose you know where I headed
as soon as I got in the door - that's right, I went for the telescope. I
hefted the rascal outside, set it up, and began chasing down some
galaxies as soon as the sky got a bit darker (approximately 10:00pm).
I looked all over the house for my barlow, but couldn't find it, so I
did all of my observing at 36x. Not to worry though - the wide angle
views were welcome, considering I hadn't seen a star in ages on account of
weeks of nothing but cloudy skies.
My first attempt this year of the Virgo galaxy cluster netted a few
faint fuzzies. Im pretty sure I saw M87 and M84 in the same FOV. Both
galaxies were round in shape, brighter in the center, and faded out toward
their perimeter. Saw another galaxy that seemed to be brighter than the
other two, but couldn't identify it (different FOV). It looked more
extended and had a relatively bright core. It looked like it could have
been a spiral, but not sure. I was just happy to be bagging some galaxies
with my little scope.
Next up was M51 in Canes Venatici (just below the handle of the Big
Dipper). My 4.5" doesn't deliver what you'd call "bright" images of
galaxies, but I could easily see both components of the system. It looked
like two fuzzy cotton balls, with the main component being the brighter of
the two. Sure could use some more aperture to be able to see more
detail on these "blobs" of faint light.
I wasn't finished with the galaxies quite yet. I decided to try hunting
down M64 (Blackeye galaxy) in Coma Berenices. It took me a while to
find it. Coma Berenices is a rather faint constellation, therefore making
it difficult to see. I didn't even feel like messing with the setting
circles, so I just kept scanning the area between the Gamma and Alpha
stars until I found it. Again, not much detail to see, but fun to hunt
down.
Next stop - M94 in Canes Venatici. It was a lot easier to find than
M64. Just aim the scope to a point that's equi-distant between Alpha and
Beta, then swing the scope a couple of degrees toward Eta Ursa Majoris
(the end of the handle on the Big Dipper) and you can't miss it. M94 is
a bright galaxy with an almost stellar core. It looks like an
out-of-focus star to me.
I also got a peek at M104 (Sombrero) in Virgo. This galaxy is mag 8 and
very easy to see once you find it. I could just begin to see the dust
lane with averted vision. This galaxy has an evident oblong shape and
there are quite a few stars in the same FOV. Very pretty. I lingered for
a while trying to tease out as much detail as I could. I would love to
see this galaxy through a 12" or larger scope. I'll bet it's awesome!
That was about all for the galaxies tonight. I also went looking for
globular clusters. M13... what can I say - after looking at DIM galaxies
for an hour or more, M13 really jumped out in the EP! What a fantastic
object! I never get tired of viewing this one. While I was still in
Hercules, I found M92. This GC looks like a smaller version of M13. Still,
a very nice cluster. Just for kicks I swung the scope over to Lyra to
get a quick look at M57 (Ring Nebula). Nice little donut. And then over
to M27 (which was only about 30 degrees above the eastern horizon at
the time). As always, this object never disappoints me. Such a large
planetary nebula, and it looked good even at such a low angle.
Well, I just thought I'd share my observations with the group. I was
late with the May OOTM (Virgo Cluster), but as you all know, there
weren't very many opportunities for most of the gang to do much
observing at all last month. Here's hoping that June will make up for
it.
:^)
Clear skies!
|
| Observer: | Curt Hall |
| E-mail address: | curt1958@webtv.net |
| Date and time of Observation: | 30 apr 2000 3:30 EST |
| Objects: | Various |
| Viewing conditions: | Good |
| Telescope | Meade 4500 4.5" newt on GEM |
| Eyepiece | Meade 25mm Modified Achromatic (yielding 36x) |
| Observing notes: |
The first target I homed in on was M57 (ring nebula) and was surprised at how "bright" it was. I didn't bother bringing out my 2x Barlow so I didn't examine it at higher power, but at 36x it looked like a tiny doughnut (sp?). All in all, this is one of my favourite Deep Sky Objects to observe. Can't wait to get a larger aperture to see more detail.
Since I had a planetary nebula theme going, I decided to hunt down M27 (dumbbell nebula). Another nice, relatively bright object to observe. Even at low power this object has the classic shape it is named for. Actually, to me, it takes on a sort of "box" shape. This is a large planetary and looks like a cloud sitting in the FOV. Nice object.
I was in the mood for some galaxies now, but M81/82 were much too low to the NW and the sky glow from Cincinnati, 30 miles north, was too much of a hindrance so I sought out M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) just below the "handle" of the Big Dipper. I could plainly see both galaxies in the EP. It was approximately 40 degrees in altitude from the horizon, but still gave a good high contrast image (considering some of the neighbour's porch lights). Still, not too bad for a 4.5" scope.
M13 was next. What a beautiful globular! The view this morning was stunning because it was at zenith and showed lots of contrast against the black sky. I could just begin to see some granulation with averted vision. This is another one I can hardly wait to see with a larger aperture scope. The 4.5" still does a fine job on some of the brighter Deep Sky Objects though. I had a very rewarding session this morning. Very unexpected, and I didn't have time to map out a tour, but sometimes you just have to be spontaneous. :-) Clear skies! |
| Observer: | Nigel Petrie |
| E-mail address: | nigelp@powerup.com.au |
| Date and time of Observation: | Sat 3 Jun 2000 / 5.30-5.45pm |
| Object: | Mercury |
| Viewing conditions: | Excellent |
| Equipment | 4.5" Reflector |
| Eyepiece | 10mm Kellner (90x) |
| Observing notes: |
Viewed Mercury at twilight as it is one of the only times where the small planet is visible at twilight. Saw clearly the phase of the planet and Mercury glows a bright Orange. good seeing and excellent to see the planet closest to the sun. The best way I coud describe what I saw was a small crescent moon with an orange glow. Comment: I don't think a bigger scope / higher power eyepiece or barlow would make much of a diffrence when viewing Mercury. Obviously you have no chance making out surface features! |
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