NQLD_Newby
13-08-2007, 10:21 AM
High All,
I found out something that amazed me on the weekend. As you can see below my scope is not the biggest on the block, but I found out that that doesn't restrict you to globular clusters, and double stars etc.
It was a typical night of observing for me, starting out with eta carina, the various globs and open clusters and other treats down in this area. After about an hour or so, a thick cloud rolled in covering my entire southern view. I was about to pack up when i noticed that it slowed conciderably, once it had totally blocked my view. I was in withdrawal mode as it had been a week since I had been able to do anything but steel 10 minutes here and there, so i decided to turn my scope to the north. Something I don't normally do as I have a reasonable amountof sky glo in this part of the sky, but as i said i was desperate.
Not knowing this part of the sky yet, mainly because of the above reason, I consulted my Tasco Skywatch programme that came with the scope to find out what was actually there to view.
After setting the filters to not show anything below mag 9 i set the time to around an hour ahead and scanned accross the screen to find several galaxies and planetary nebs in this area, mind you they were all around mag 9 so didn't think that i would actually be able to see anything (specially with the sky glo).
I decided to try for The ring neb M57 mag 9 but easy to find. So i put the 20mm ep X25 in, well i think i almost woke the neighbours, there it was as clear as day (well ok a small smudge) but it was there, i could see it. I changed to the 10mm ep X50 and it was magnificent. Still just a smudge, but the edges were well defined and with overted vision, winding it back and forward through focus and slowly moving the scope using the fine controls, i could see more and more the longer i looked. I was gobsmacked. I never thought i would see anything like this until i upgraded to a larger scope, (probably after chrissy at this stage). Even though this is listed as dimmer than NGC5128 it is much clearer and more visable IMO.
Anyway after taking in the joys of this wonderful site, I consulted the laptop again. Hmmm not far away and higher in the sky is The Dumbell neb M27, and its even brighter mag8.1. Well this time i think i woke the street. Its huge compared to M57, and is much brighter. Using the same techniques as before i could see much more. With overted vision it took on the shape of a bow tie, rather than an oval shape. Although i tried hard could not get it to show me the bow shape with the oval around it, it was one or the other, I had to sit down i was so exited. I never thought it was possible. Afetr a good long look at this spectacular object i had to go back to m57 to compare the two. :lol: How bad is that. Anyway i had a ball for the next hour or more, going back and forward between these two seeing something else in one and having to go back to the other to see whether there was anything else it was hiding. It was great.
Ok time to consult the laptop again. Hmmmm, bit lower on the horizon is The blinking Panetary NGC 6826, listed at mag 10, but hey worth a shot. No glory with this one i am afraid. but thats ok. tried then for The blue snowball NGC7662 listed at mag 9 and a little higher up in the sky. No joy here either I'm afraid, not sure why, but that just gives me another to find on another day.
Ok quick look at the laptop, and updating the time setting showed me that Andromeda was above the horizon. Wow, i been waiting to see this one.
Checked to see if i could locate it naked eye. Wow there it is. I remember reading on here that low magnification is better because it is so large. I popped the 20mm X25 ep back in and lined the scope up on the large smudge in the sky. The anticipation was electric, I could feel the adrenalin racing through me. I then fiested my eyes on the most wonderful views i have had on any object so far. This galaxy is absolutely spectacular. At 25X I could see an extended oval which brightened conciderable in the centre. I changed to 10MM 50X ep. Wow the centre was alittle dimmer now, allowing a distinct ball shape centre to be seen, edges not very well defined but with the above techniques i had some fantastic views. I changed back to 25X and used the techniques again, this time i could see two smaller smudges in the back ground. I didn't know what this was at first so off to the laptop to see. Woohoo m32, and m110. I cannot believe it. I don't understand??? WHen i look at NGC5128 and M104, (both much brighter than the things I looked at tonightExcept m31), there was nothing but a faint glo. This is amazing. I spent hours looking at these three. I couldn't believe that i could see these things.
I guess that just goes to show that until you try for yourself you will never know what is possible with even a small scope. ( needless to say Not much got done on Saturday ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ................. .....
I found out something that amazed me on the weekend. As you can see below my scope is not the biggest on the block, but I found out that that doesn't restrict you to globular clusters, and double stars etc.
It was a typical night of observing for me, starting out with eta carina, the various globs and open clusters and other treats down in this area. After about an hour or so, a thick cloud rolled in covering my entire southern view. I was about to pack up when i noticed that it slowed conciderably, once it had totally blocked my view. I was in withdrawal mode as it had been a week since I had been able to do anything but steel 10 minutes here and there, so i decided to turn my scope to the north. Something I don't normally do as I have a reasonable amountof sky glo in this part of the sky, but as i said i was desperate.
Not knowing this part of the sky yet, mainly because of the above reason, I consulted my Tasco Skywatch programme that came with the scope to find out what was actually there to view.
After setting the filters to not show anything below mag 9 i set the time to around an hour ahead and scanned accross the screen to find several galaxies and planetary nebs in this area, mind you they were all around mag 9 so didn't think that i would actually be able to see anything (specially with the sky glo).
I decided to try for The ring neb M57 mag 9 but easy to find. So i put the 20mm ep X25 in, well i think i almost woke the neighbours, there it was as clear as day (well ok a small smudge) but it was there, i could see it. I changed to the 10mm ep X50 and it was magnificent. Still just a smudge, but the edges were well defined and with overted vision, winding it back and forward through focus and slowly moving the scope using the fine controls, i could see more and more the longer i looked. I was gobsmacked. I never thought i would see anything like this until i upgraded to a larger scope, (probably after chrissy at this stage). Even though this is listed as dimmer than NGC5128 it is much clearer and more visable IMO.
Anyway after taking in the joys of this wonderful site, I consulted the laptop again. Hmmm not far away and higher in the sky is The Dumbell neb M27, and its even brighter mag8.1. Well this time i think i woke the street. Its huge compared to M57, and is much brighter. Using the same techniques as before i could see much more. With overted vision it took on the shape of a bow tie, rather than an oval shape. Although i tried hard could not get it to show me the bow shape with the oval around it, it was one or the other, I had to sit down i was so exited. I never thought it was possible. Afetr a good long look at this spectacular object i had to go back to m57 to compare the two. :lol: How bad is that. Anyway i had a ball for the next hour or more, going back and forward between these two seeing something else in one and having to go back to the other to see whether there was anything else it was hiding. It was great.
Ok time to consult the laptop again. Hmmmm, bit lower on the horizon is The blinking Panetary NGC 6826, listed at mag 10, but hey worth a shot. No glory with this one i am afraid. but thats ok. tried then for The blue snowball NGC7662 listed at mag 9 and a little higher up in the sky. No joy here either I'm afraid, not sure why, but that just gives me another to find on another day.
Ok quick look at the laptop, and updating the time setting showed me that Andromeda was above the horizon. Wow, i been waiting to see this one.
Checked to see if i could locate it naked eye. Wow there it is. I remember reading on here that low magnification is better because it is so large. I popped the 20mm X25 ep back in and lined the scope up on the large smudge in the sky. The anticipation was electric, I could feel the adrenalin racing through me. I then fiested my eyes on the most wonderful views i have had on any object so far. This galaxy is absolutely spectacular. At 25X I could see an extended oval which brightened conciderable in the centre. I changed to 10MM 50X ep. Wow the centre was alittle dimmer now, allowing a distinct ball shape centre to be seen, edges not very well defined but with the above techniques i had some fantastic views. I changed back to 25X and used the techniques again, this time i could see two smaller smudges in the back ground. I didn't know what this was at first so off to the laptop to see. Woohoo m32, and m110. I cannot believe it. I don't understand??? WHen i look at NGC5128 and M104, (both much brighter than the things I looked at tonightExcept m31), there was nothing but a faint glo. This is amazing. I spent hours looking at these three. I couldn't believe that i could see these things.
I guess that just goes to show that until you try for yourself you will never know what is possible with even a small scope. ( needless to say Not much got done on Saturday ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ................. .....