你B
12-11-2007, 01:45 AM
Ok, after no observing for 3 weeks due to a combo of clouds and work, it was time. Finally. I left the scope outside to cool for about an hour while twilight faded. I tweaked the collimation and then went inside to eat. Conditions looked good, transparency and seeing both were favourable in the humid, still atmosphere. However, I was well aware of a forecast of morning cloud and drizzle for Monday morning so I was keeping my eyes out.
Scope: 10" GSO dob
Time: 9:30-11pm
Seeing: 6-7/10
Transparency: 4/5
Wind: nil
temp: 15慢
Dew: nil
47 Tuc
At about 9:30pm, I started off with the sky's best globular. At 39x, it showed full resolution. The 39x view was odd, as the centre of the cluster showed up as a bright, well defined orb made up of ruddy coloured stars while the outer areas were made up of loosely packed bluish stars. At 227x, the view was magnificent, full resolution to the core and the core itself was a hazy glow covered in minute pinpricks. Mum came out for a peak and was blown away! I upped the power to 454x, which is the highest I have, and amazingly, the image quality held. :D Infact, mum preferred the 454x view to the 227x view! Indeed, it was stunning - thousands of tiny pinpricks sprawled across the FOV with a velvet black sky and a misty core for a back drop. Once could carve lanes amongst the stars. And it's exclusive viewing for just us!
Tarantula Nebula
Another old favourite. At 227x, it's spider-like core was well resolved. Mum found it quite intriguing. Using the narrowband filter revealed miles of nebulosity surrounding the core. The core itself appeared to take on a greenish hue. I reduced power to 39x and now the nebula was accompanied by numerous knots and smudges. 3 cheers for the LMC! I then maxed out the power and the core loomed big in the FOV. It was a memorable sight, it just looks so cool, not for arachnophobics! Infact, for the second time now, mum said that the best view was at 454x! Now that must say something about the quality of the optics in this scope. :2thumbs:
NGC 362
Visible in the 8x50 finder as a tiny nebulous knot, just to the NW of an equally bright star. At 39x, I could already hint at some resolution in its extreme outer regions, but remained a hazy orb for the most part. At 166x, the outer third was well resolved, with the inner half starting to show granulation. At 227x, it was still further resolved, and was a pretty sight, with an arc of bright stars within the cluster. Approx the outer 1/2 was resolved. A 454x view didn't show additional resolution over the 227x view, but there was no degredation either. A pretty object for larger apertures. While hunting for NGC362, I inadvertenly entered the SMC and was confronted with an array of nebulous knots and clusters. Nice! :D
NGC 121
Located immediately north of 47 Tuc, this globular lies 180,000 light years away and belongs to the SMC. At 39x, it was easy to pick out as a tiny hazy orb. Increasing the power simply increased the size of the hazy orb but was still interesting to view just from its statistics.
NGC 1365
This Fornax barred spiral has arms which are visible in an 8" scope. So I was eager to find it. I was surprised to discover nothing more than what I took to be its nucleus using magnifications of 104 and 166x. I was wondering if I was even at the right galaxy but according to the MSA I was. Maybe the light pollution here hides the spiral arms.
NGC 247
Alright, this prick of a galaxy has consistantly eluded mine, and several others' attempts to spot it. This object has been a hot topic in Doug's November 7 obs report, with those who tried to spot it - failing. Indeed, it is presented as an inviting, large symbol in the MSA. But that undermines the reality. I quote this line from Doug's Nov 7 obs report: "Stared for 5 minutes with my jacket over my head, nothing." So when I dropped in the TV 32mm plossl for 39x, I wasn't expecting much. But, to my surprise, there it was!!! A faint, stubby streak oriented roughly N-S, along the eastern side of a triangle formed by three 10th magnitude stars! I was ecstatic! :D I hurridly dropped in the 18mm Celestron Ultima to darken the sky and gave 69x and yes, there it was! A stubby, elongated smudge. I ran for my pencil and paper to record this historic moment :D I have sketched it and will post the sketch tomorrow.
NGC 55
Once I was finished making personal history, I nudged the scope to NGC 55. By now, it was about 11pm and the clouds were moving in. At 39x, it appeared as a rather bright streak. That's about all I could get in before the very low deck of crap moved in.
It was short, but definately a top evening session! :D And, no more messing with the secondary mirror after tonight's results!
Scope: 10" GSO dob
Time: 9:30-11pm
Seeing: 6-7/10
Transparency: 4/5
Wind: nil
temp: 15慢
Dew: nil
47 Tuc
At about 9:30pm, I started off with the sky's best globular. At 39x, it showed full resolution. The 39x view was odd, as the centre of the cluster showed up as a bright, well defined orb made up of ruddy coloured stars while the outer areas were made up of loosely packed bluish stars. At 227x, the view was magnificent, full resolution to the core and the core itself was a hazy glow covered in minute pinpricks. Mum came out for a peak and was blown away! I upped the power to 454x, which is the highest I have, and amazingly, the image quality held. :D Infact, mum preferred the 454x view to the 227x view! Indeed, it was stunning - thousands of tiny pinpricks sprawled across the FOV with a velvet black sky and a misty core for a back drop. Once could carve lanes amongst the stars. And it's exclusive viewing for just us!
Tarantula Nebula
Another old favourite. At 227x, it's spider-like core was well resolved. Mum found it quite intriguing. Using the narrowband filter revealed miles of nebulosity surrounding the core. The core itself appeared to take on a greenish hue. I reduced power to 39x and now the nebula was accompanied by numerous knots and smudges. 3 cheers for the LMC! I then maxed out the power and the core loomed big in the FOV. It was a memorable sight, it just looks so cool, not for arachnophobics! Infact, for the second time now, mum said that the best view was at 454x! Now that must say something about the quality of the optics in this scope. :2thumbs:
NGC 362
Visible in the 8x50 finder as a tiny nebulous knot, just to the NW of an equally bright star. At 39x, I could already hint at some resolution in its extreme outer regions, but remained a hazy orb for the most part. At 166x, the outer third was well resolved, with the inner half starting to show granulation. At 227x, it was still further resolved, and was a pretty sight, with an arc of bright stars within the cluster. Approx the outer 1/2 was resolved. A 454x view didn't show additional resolution over the 227x view, but there was no degredation either. A pretty object for larger apertures. While hunting for NGC362, I inadvertenly entered the SMC and was confronted with an array of nebulous knots and clusters. Nice! :D
NGC 121
Located immediately north of 47 Tuc, this globular lies 180,000 light years away and belongs to the SMC. At 39x, it was easy to pick out as a tiny hazy orb. Increasing the power simply increased the size of the hazy orb but was still interesting to view just from its statistics.
NGC 1365
This Fornax barred spiral has arms which are visible in an 8" scope. So I was eager to find it. I was surprised to discover nothing more than what I took to be its nucleus using magnifications of 104 and 166x. I was wondering if I was even at the right galaxy but according to the MSA I was. Maybe the light pollution here hides the spiral arms.
NGC 247
Alright, this prick of a galaxy has consistantly eluded mine, and several others' attempts to spot it. This object has been a hot topic in Doug's November 7 obs report, with those who tried to spot it - failing. Indeed, it is presented as an inviting, large symbol in the MSA. But that undermines the reality. I quote this line from Doug's Nov 7 obs report: "Stared for 5 minutes with my jacket over my head, nothing." So when I dropped in the TV 32mm plossl for 39x, I wasn't expecting much. But, to my surprise, there it was!!! A faint, stubby streak oriented roughly N-S, along the eastern side of a triangle formed by three 10th magnitude stars! I was ecstatic! :D I hurridly dropped in the 18mm Celestron Ultima to darken the sky and gave 69x and yes, there it was! A stubby, elongated smudge. I ran for my pencil and paper to record this historic moment :D I have sketched it and will post the sketch tomorrow.
NGC 55
Once I was finished making personal history, I nudged the scope to NGC 55. By now, it was about 11pm and the clouds were moving in. At 39x, it appeared as a rather bright streak. That's about all I could get in before the very low deck of crap moved in.
It was short, but definately a top evening session! :D And, no more messing with the secondary mirror after tonight's results!