Obs Report, BSG, 29 Aug 08

[Rob_K]

Just a little obs report from the Border Stargaze!

Time: 7pm-2:30am, Fri-Sat 29-30 August 2008 (UT+10)
Location: Wymah Valley Retreat, Bowna, NSW
Telescope: Tasco 4.5" f8 reflector on Alt-Az mount (+ several other scopes!!!)
EP: 21mm Celestron X-Cel (+ several other EPs on several other scopes!!!)
Transparency: Good – fair
Seeing: Fair

First off, my own gear:

Because I had people with me and there were throngs of people around wanting to look through a telescope (any telescope, apparently ), I went to some of the ‘biggies’. Gobular cluster Omega Centauri NGC5139 was great, a big sparkly coccoon against the black. 47 Tucanae NGC104 was another hit, showing well with its bright central condensation. The dark lanes, nebulosity and bright starfields of the Eta Carinae nebula NGC3372 were very obvious at low powers, and the Butterfly Cluster M6 in Scorpius looked beautiful. Nearby, Ptolemy’s Cluster M7 was just a bit too big to appreciate in the eyepiece, a much better binocular object. The Sculptor Galaxy, NGC253, was a big grey slash in the field and an easy thing for newcomers to see & appreciate. Jupiter was fantastic early one, with two bright moons very close together on each side. I also went to the Dumbbell Nebula M27, a bright, largish patch of grey with some structure evident.

Grabbing a few minutes of quiet, I swung the scope around to the Saturn Nebula, a planetary nebula in Aquarius that I hadn’t seen before. I was surprised at how bright it was – a pale bluish colour, quite tiny in the field, but staring at it revealed what seemed to me to be a ‘knottiness’. I was about to put the 9mm ep in for a closer look when I got ‘waylaid’ again and I never got back to it. Later, I did get a look at M57 the Ring Nebula, a tiny smoke-ring in Lyra, and M13 the Great Cluster in Hercules (globular). The latter was right down in the murk and barely visible – couldn’t resist the opportunity of telling people that this glob is the biggest & brightest visible in the NHem hehehe, not fair really under the conditions and especially after looking at 47 Tuc & OC!

Had a wander round too. Early on, Daniel (Dannat) who was set up next to me gave me a look at Jupiter through his new binocular eyepiece. Great stuff! Queued at the two 18" Obsessions as well. Jupiter was first – great colour and detail. The other Obsession had 3 small edge-on spiral galaxies in the field – great view, nice and bright, but I have no idea which ones they were.

At about this time, transparency went really off, and I cancelled my planned dim galaxy search. The skies came good again at about 1am, in time to see M31 Andromeda Galaxy low in the north. Always spectacular, but definitely better in my binoculars than my scope. Then I stupidly thought I might try to image it at 55mm in the 400D – by the time I’d stuffed around putting the EQ mount together, walking backwards and forwards to the car on the observing field five times to get bits of gear I needed, and rough polar aligning, the clouds were coming in again. The alignment was monstrously out so I gave up – would have been much better spending the hour or so observing!!!!

But all in all a fantastic night!!!

Cheers -

[NQLD_Newby]

Great report Rob, sounds like there was a good turn out. Glad to see I'm not the only one who gets carried away sometimes and does silly things.

[ngcles]

Hi Rob & All,

Great report mate. Sounds like you had a good time despite the clouds not co-operating fully.

The Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009) is a terrific object in nearly all telescopes though it reserves its best for the big telescopes. Brilliant aqua colour and the ansae make it one of the most interesting planetaries in the Spring sky.

Re M13, it actually is a very worthy object -- a nice cluster when the seeing and transparency are working well and overcome some of the effects of its low elevation at culmination. Notwithstanding, I'd probably rate it 7th best in the sky and well worth looking at though no match for the southern hemisphere's big two. M22, NGC 6752, 6397 and M5 are also definitely better than M13.


Best,

Les D

[Rob_K]

Thanks all! Les, I must have another look at the Saturn Nebula. These small PNs never really make my lists (for obvious reasons!) but maybe I should rethink on several of them. I've seen M13 in better skies and it is pretty good - as you say no match for our 'big' southern globs though! But I'd guess that it would be much more impressive viewed at the zenith in dark skies!

Cheers -

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

Originally Posted by Rob_K

Just a little obs report from the Border Stargaze!

Queued at the two 18" Obsessions as well. Jupiter was first – great colour and detail. The other Obsession had 3 small edge-on spiral galaxies in the field – great view, nice and bright, but I have no idea which ones they were.

But all in all a fantastic night!!!

Cheers -

Hi Rob,

Those 3 Galaxies in Grus are NGC 7582, NGC 7590 and NGC 7599.

They are reasonably bright and small and are "just" visible in your 4.5" telescope from nice dark skies and good conditions.

Cheers,
John B

[spacezebra (Petra)]

Hi Rob

Great report and I appreciate the comments. I had all the best intentions of getting my scope out and observing however time got away from me.

For all those that are looking to come back to BSG in 09, I will do my best to make the conditions perfect for next year .

Cheers Petra d.

[Rob_K]

Originally Posted by ausastronomer

Hi Rob,

Those 3 Galaxies in Grus are NGC 7582, NGC 7590 and NGC 7599.

They are reasonably bright and small and are "just" visible in your 4.5" telescope from nice dark skies and good conditions.

Cheers,
John B

Ahh, thanks John! I should have asked on the night! Will check them out...

Cheers -

[§AB]

yay fantastic report mate! It's only been.. like, what, half a year?

Clear again tonite...lets do it