Session Stats Air Mass: 1.9Session started: 00:07 GMTSeeing: I: perfect seeing, No quiverTransparency: ClearMoon: 16 days since New : Phase: 0.98 Orion Nebula M42 NGC 1976, Sh 2-281, Bernes 117 A magnificent sight as always. Looking at my logs the last time I observed M42 was on the 5, November of last year. And within 30 minutes too. With a full moon 30 degrees to the East, I didn’t spend too much time looking…
Observing Session 17/18 November
NGC7789 Caroline’s Rose As October was a complete visual washout, it felt odd being outside under a completely dark and clear sky in almost 2 months. It’s at times like this that I wish I lived on the East coast of the UK, where they seem to moan about only getting 5 or 6 clear nights during the month of October – “you’ve never had it so good guys” It all started to go…
Observing Session: 18, September
NGC 457, Collinder 12, Melotte 7, Raab 3, OCL 321 DSS image 60′ x 60′ FOV Conditions varied throughout the observing session, but improved to the point where there were only a few small isolated clouds. The seeing was very stable. This has been one of the best nights so far of this this Summer/Autumn season. First initial views did not look anything like ET. However I was viewing it upside down so when…
Observing Session: 7, September
While I’m a bit behind writing my observations up, I see that over the last 30 days or so, I’ve managed to find 6 clear nights where observations were possible. I guess we are in a period where the weather is generally more settled and with the nights drawing in, chances are that we are more likely than not we can get out there with the scope. I’ve had a couple of sessions using…
Hexascope First Light: M31
Managed to get out for half an hour with my astronomy club’s home made scope ‘ The Hexascope’. Conditions were not perfect, but the seeing was OK. My log reads Meade Series 4000 26mm Plössl, 48x First Deep Sky views with the Hexascope.Visible extent of Galaxy covers just under one eyepiece worth – about 1 degree. A bright core is tight and small except with averted vision where it seems to grow and resemble…
Observing Session: 5, September
The weather has been pretty good since the BBQ last weekend and my last observing session. Lots of clear bright sunny days and warm with it. Summer has sprung with a vengeance, although I suspect this is more like ‘one last gasp’ before Autumn sets in. Last night wasn’t too bad. The Moon was just starting to come up in the East, which was fine, as I wanted to try and view as may…