Last Night in Melbourne

Robert9 (Robert) · #1 24-05-2015, 09:47 AM

Skies looking good in Melbourne Sat. arvo. Set up rig. Out after tea about 6:00pm.
Winter has advantages.

Aligned scope, bit of high cloud about. Found my target, set up camera. More mist/cloud. Then dew. Packed up at 8:45pm.
Winter has disadvantages.

Robert

jayconnor (Jay) · #2 24-05-2015, 10:42 AM

yeah that sucks! I got my first picture of Jupiter last night! was so pumped!!

pgc hunter · #3 24-05-2015, 10:53 AM

I didn't set up last night as the forecast mentioned "increasing clouds". Same deal for tonight, huge wad of high cloud moving over.

Melbourne in winter is a test of one's sanity for sure.

pfitzgerald (Paul) · #4 24-05-2015, 01:56 PM

I must have been the lucky ones being out North then. I ran a viewing night for some of the kids and their parents from my school's astronomy club out of the drive way at home.

They got to see Venus in quarter phase, Jupiter with Callisto, Io and Ganymede - followed by Europa at the end of the night (9 pm), also Saturn with its rings, the Moon, NGC 5139 and a couple of stars thrown in. All round a good night was had by all - however, if I'd intended to any imaging the results would have been disappointing as the sky quality was quite poor.

Paul

goober (Doug) · #5 24-05-2015, 02:15 PM

I am slowly cleaning off the rust, and got the scope out to show my son (6) a few things. He's doing space this term at school and was pretty pumped to see Io (he has a thing about volcanos - Io and Enceladus are fascinating to him). We viewed Saturn, Moon, Jupiter, Acrux, Jewel Box, Omega Cen, Alpha Cen. This was all around 7:30 and seeing wasn't too bad (all this was with 101mm and a 5mm Nagler).

Tried to find M4 but at 100x I got lost. I now see I was a little too far west. LOL. Rust...

Encouraged, I went back out later and spent a bit of time with the 3-6mm zoom and Saturn held up well at 180x. Easy Cassini and 2-3 bands visible.

Robert9 (Robert) · #6 24-05-2015, 06:52 PM

I was hoping to improve on my last weekend's effort on eta Carina.
http://astrob.in/181694/0/
I could see from the moon that the sky as you said Paul, wasn't that good, but I had to try. I have been put off by weather forecasts before only to get a great night and find myself not set up. I think I was encouraged by some good viewing out to the south like you experienced Doug.
Saw your pic. Jay. Well done.
Robert

pfitzgerald (Paul) · #7 24-05-2015, 07:57 PM

All of our 'good' viewing was more or less out to the North - to the South of West there is a long, non-shielded fluorescent street light. :-(

Paul

traveller (Bo) · #8 24-05-2015, 08:02 PM

I had my rig out for almost two weeks now. Managed to get a clear night last week but not much since.
Looks promising tonight though.

Robert9 (Robert) · #9 24-05-2015, 09:02 PM

Promising of what Bo? Here I have moderate cloud cover with a few brighter stars and the moon showing through as if through a terylene curtain. Heavier cloud cover forecast (but can we believe the bureau?) for the rest of the week as the moon gets ever larger, and brighter than the night before. I've reconciled myself to 2 weeks inside.

I feel relatively fortunate, as I get good viewing (when the skies are clear) to the east for the best part of 180º, NNE - SSW. To the west I have a bright fluoro street lamp and the lights of the city and 'burbs.

Robert

pgc hunter · #10 24-05-2015, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by traveller

I had my rig out for almost two weeks now. Managed to get a clear night last week but not much since.
Looks promising tonight though.

Not at all. Huge mass of high cloud moving in. http://www.weatherzone.com.au/satellite/vic

Tomorrow night looks good though so far.

rustigsmed (Russell) · #11 25-05-2015, 03:53 PM

tonight is looking the goods, probably the last chance for a week.

Robert9 (Robert) · #12 26-05-2015, 10:34 AM

Yes, it was good, and I thought last weekend was the last chance for 2 weeks. Oh well, that's Melbourne weather.

rustigsmed (Russell) · #13 26-05-2015, 10:50 AM

yes despite being extremely tired from a huge weekend, I had to force myself out there. just can't pass up any clear night anymore as 6/7 nights are cloudy! geez i'd love an observatory would make the whole thing more efficient for these one off nights.

dannat (Daniel) · #14 26-05-2015, 11:15 AM

seeing must have been decent last night, i took out the 5" frac & immediately the casini division was easily seen, nice & dark & crisp on both sides of the planet -almost no cooldown

goober (Doug) · #15 26-05-2015, 11:33 AM

I spent 30 minutes with my 10x50 binoculars from Oakleigh. Could must make out M3, although it was very faint in the light pollution. Nice looking at M6 and M7. Centaurus A should have been right overhead - always found this difficult in my 101mm from home, but could just make it out in the binoculars as the faintest smudge. It had been at least five years since I'd last seen this, but the "dipper" of 6-7 magnitude stars from Omega Cen and the isosceles triangle of similar magnitude stars that frame Cen A got me there. Good fun getting back into it.

Andy01 (Andy) · #16 27-05-2015, 09:48 AM

Monday night in Melb was awesome for imaging. I was fortunate enough to collect good data all night for my next imaging project. I enjoy the longer imaging time available in winter

rustigsmed (Russell) · #17 27-05-2015, 10:05 AM

indeed, I try to resist complaining on missing out on taking twilight flats .... because its already night by the time i'm home.