M42 magnificent tonight through the 12”

[Startrek]

Just come in from observing a few DSO’s tonight with my Skywatcher 12” GoTo Dob down the south coast
M42 in particular was amazingly clear with nebulosity stretching across most of the FOV of my 21mm Ethos eye piece. Trapezium was tac sharp and could make out the running man men as well
Really good seeing tonight when the cloud finally cleared around 9.45pm
Observed a few open clusters , 47 Tuc and Carina
Very happy with the 12” Dob , tracking is good and goto is very good, this is only my 4th time out using it after buying it in late October

Cheers

[ngcles]

Hi Martin,

Very pleased to hear you are enjoying your new 'scope and it sounds like a very good and enjoyable experience so far.

I've been waiting night after night during the present dark-of-the-moon to get the 'scope out but it has been a mixture of cloud and/or dust + wind that has defeated me every single night. Today looked promising until a gale blew-up just on sunset. It died down around 10.30pm -- when the high cloud moved in. Sigh ...

Best,

L.

[astro744]

I always use stars 5 & 6 (E & F) in the Trapezium as a measure of seeing. In the larger apertures I look to see how clean the split is. In the smaller ones I look to see if I can split star 6. (Need to boost the magnification sometimes).

The Orion Nebula never fails to impress and really is one of the best objects in the night sky. If you have filters it is even more stunning especially with O-III but UHC works very well. H-Beta gives it a different appearance but still stunning.

[mental4astro]

Seeing Trap E & F are a test of good seeing. OUTSTANDING seeing is being able to also see Trap G, H1, H2 & I ! Then you know you are cooking with gas!!! :D Very few people are actually aware of the smaller stars that are also visible in the Trapezium cluster! G, H1, H2 & I are visible from the big smoke too, they don't require a dark sky, some aperture does help, but outstanding seeing s a MUST.

M42 holds sooo many surprises. Quality of both seeing and transparency govern much of this. Your own knowledge of nebulae holds the rest of the key for you to actually "see" what you are looking at. Not understand what is in front of you and you only see half of what it has to offer

From binos through to big dobs, M42 had so much to offer.

Les, I share your pain! Very poor astro conditions for me too :sadeyes: Haven't even been able to do anything with the Moon in weeks as well <sigh>

Alex.

[ngcles]

Hi Alex & All,



Tonight was the last reasonably accessible night for deep sky stuff during this dark-of-the-moon. Finally after two weeks of either high cloud or dust or wind or thunderstorms (that were nearly all "dry", tonight looked good despite Skippy Sky predicting some low cloud.

Set up as the last traces of sunset were leaving the sky at about 10pm and the Moon just setting. Lovely sky, not bad seeing -- started to observe some galaxies in Antlia on ESO plate 373 and had been at it for about 45 minutes when I'm looking through the eyepiece and stars start fading and going out! Look up sure enough cloud was forming right where I was observing in Puppis - Canis Major -Antlia. Within 20 minutes half the sky was socked in and disappointed yet again, I put the 'scope away for another fortnight of moonlit but probably clear nights.

Sigh ...

Best,

L.