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Puppy love
Hi John & All,
Seems like you had a terrific session too John.
John wrote:
"Tonight the seeing was better than last night (9/10) so I figured to give the PUP a try."
I didn't have a 'scope out last night (played with my guitar instead). I would have given it an 8, but we are more than two hours drive apart. Still, in the scale of things, an 8 is only seen about 1/30 nights on my reckoning. I think I've only ever rated the seeing 9/10 on maybe 1/2 dozen-odd occasions in the last 16-17 years I've kept a log consistently. Never seen a 10/10. The transparency wasn't much chop and I think there will be a fairly heavy dew in the morning with all the moisture in the air.
John wrote:
"I was able to see 8 Craterlets in the floor of Plato with another that I know of just North of the East Wall Pit hidden in shadow and not visible at this moon phase. The Rille down the middle of the Alpine Valley was also very prominent."
Yes, I must admit (at the risk of getting kicked out of the deep-sky fanatics guild) I looked in on the Moon too and it was showing impressive detail. I only went to x214 but did see 3 craterlets in Plato (the double and the single nearer centre) (these are C&D + A -- I think). The one you are refering to North of the pit is "F" -- and I've never seen it (but I don't often look at the Moon). The rille in the Alpine Valley was, as you note quite prominent. Straight Wall (Rupes Recta) in Mare Nubium was also nice and I also noted the craters Birt A & B nearby and the Rima Birt Rille.
John wrote:
"What is observable of Cassini Division due to the ring plane inclination, was easily visible like it had been sliced through with a router. Clear black space. The crepe ring was easily visible as was the Encke Minima. Surface banding and detail on the planets' disk was stunning. I figured, "this might cop a bit more". I removed the 10mm Pentax XW and stuck the 8.5mm Pentax XF into the powermate for 620X. The view held up beautifully, this time with Encke Division popping in and out just where the rings appear most face on."
Yowser!! With the 12", I went to x313 on Saturn and it was a stable image most of the time. Cassini was easy at the far extensions of the rings and I also noted the Enke _minima_ (but not the Enke division per se). I saw 6 moons but didn't go through the exercise of identifying them (except Titan -- that's too easy). The Crepe ring was easy to see and though it was basically brownish, I also picked up violet hints in it that can be seen when the rings are getting close to being edge-on. At this point (about 10pm), it crossed my mind to get my 18" out, but considering 1/2 hr to assemble + collimate + etc + cooldown, I let it go ...
Eta Orionis was a ridiculously easy split at only x140 and 1.4" -- you could have driven a bus between the space (well, alright a Coaster bus). I think probably 0.7", or perhaps just slightly better at higher magnifications for an exactly even pair might have been possible tonight with 12".
John wrote:
"Unfortunately I have to work tomorrow otherwise I would have stayed out longer, much longer "
You and me both.
Great report, much enjoyed -- glad you saw the pup too. Isn't the Argo/Servocat combo just fantastic!
Best,
Les D
Contributing Editor
AS&T
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