[ngcles]

Hi Doug,

Nice report as usual and I'd of course echo the comments about binos being a favourite instrument.

Ausastronomer wrote:

"I have observed M33 naked eye on 3 occasions under superb observing conditions. Twice from Coonabarabran and once near Emerald in central western QLD, about 300km West of Rockhampton."

The first time I saw M33 naked eye was memorable for me too -- it was on the way to the 2002 Ceduna Total Solar Eclipse, at a spot 20-odd kms out of Broken Hill. It was about 30 degrees C, very stilll, essentially zero humidity and extremely dark.

I'd spent about 15mins driving out to where we were observing most of it on high-beams so I could spot the mobs of roos that were all over the place. When I arrived at the little dirt car-park we were observing from I hopped out of the ute and could see M31 naked-eye immediately. It only took a couple of minutes of dark adaptation before I said to a mate, "hey, that's M33" sure enough, there it was and not very difficult to see at all in those conditions.

It was a terrific couple of hours most of which I spent naked-eye observing and sometimes using the 10x50s and a 80mm f/5 richest-field refractor I borrowed to take to the eclipse. We could see hints of spiral structure in M33 with the 90mm refractor and could also see M32 and 100 easily. Off the top of my head, I can only remember a couple of other nights that the sky was that good -- the night after the 1976 eclipse at Bombala in southern NSW and at Coona when using the 40" a few years ago.

Best,

Les D