2 weeks under Southern Skies

[Amletico]

Hello everybody.

I live in Italy, and for the first time in my life i will visit a tropical country : just 2 weeks, in a short cruise, along the Maldives islands.

I don't have room enough for a little scope and a tripod, so I will bring with me just a binoculars, and a good star chart.

Can you help me ? first of all , of course, a good -but little- star chart; i'd prefer a round one, i mean a complete hemispere.

But the most important for me is - certainly - a list of nice object to look at!!

Your help and experience is important because i've never seen the southern constellations; so it is difficult to me also the simply recognition of the constellations and stars.

I will stay there the first part of april; i hope to have - at least - 8/10 nights for observing, and make some practice.

What do you recomend me ? what is your list of preferred object, just for binocular 8 X 21 ? and for naked eye ?

What about a list o 10 - 20 object ? do you think it is sufficient ?

thank you, and clear skies

giorgio

[Dennis]

Hi Giorgio

Your planned holiday looks very exciting; I’ve heard that the Maldives are a spectacular destination.

Here is a link to a very nice list from the South African Astronomical Observatory.

http://www.saao.ac.za/public-info/sun-moon-stars/best-sky-objects/

It is in 3 sections and covers DSO's as well as multiple stars:

General Interest
Specialized to binoculars and small telescopes
Specialized to large telescopes and excellent seeing

Don’t forget to post some photos and write about your experience!

Cheers

Dennis

[xelasnave]

Hi Giorgio...
If you do nothing more than run your binos along the Milky Way I think you will find plenty to look at...
I hope you enjoy your trip and find our country enjoyable.
all the best
alex

[Amletico]

thank you, Dennis,
i will print this list, the list for binoculars, and try to find those objects on a star chart.
which are - in your opinion - the most exciting and easy (for a small binoculars) objects of the southern sky ?

hy alex,
i agree : the milky way is astonishing also at my northern latitude (+45°) and a dark sky is the best aid you need. Can you please tell me your preferred objects ? (remember, i have just a 8x21)

clear skies everyone

[erick]

Here are a few suggestions:-

Globular clusters:-

Omega Centauri (NGC 5139)
47 Tuc (NGC 104)

Bright Nebula:-

Carina nebula (NGC 3372)

Dark nebula:-

Coal Sack in Crux
Dark Doodad in Musca

Open Clusters:-

Southern Pleiades (IC 2602)
Jewel Box (NGC 4755) - will be small in your binoculars
The Wishing well (NGC 3532)

Also look for the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.

Let us know how your trip goes and give us a report on your observations.

Eric :)

[Dennis]

Have a look at this post by GlenC on Ice In Space – he is our local font of knowledge and cosmic investigator on catalogues of these objects.

Cheers

Dennis

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=28705

[Amletico]

that's good !
thank you dennis and erick - i hope not to loose myself, with all these diamonds....
i'd like to bring with me a small refractor, but really is not possible - i hope to have a second chance in my future, for the southern sky.

when i'll return in italy certainly i'll write my impressions for the places and - of course - of the stars; i live near Torino, a big town, with light pollution, so now i am dreaming to that dark - dark ocean sky !!!

bye bye, and clear sky !

[Dennis]

Hi Giorgio

If your short cruise is on a reasonably large cruise ship, then I would ask if you can look through the Captain’s binoculars, as I’m sure they would be a reasonable size?

We drove to Torino once, all the way down from the Aosta Valley from Courmayeur when we were mountaineering in the Monte Bianco region, camped in Planpincieux. The Northern part of Italy sure is beautiful and the people were very friendly.

We particularly loved the local bread and cheeses.

Cheers

Dennis

[vespine]

This sounds like exactly what you need. Download the "southern hemisphere" one obviously, and print it out for yourself.

http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

February and March are available now, April will be in a few weeks.

Hope to see a observing report when you are done, enjoy :)

[Amletico]

Dennis,
if you love mountain, you have seen the best part of italy, and aosta valley is the diamond of the Alps.
I hope too to find a good binocular on the ship ! tonight i will test my little binocular (8x21, that i use only in daylight, for mountain trekking) on the sky; maybe it is a little too dark for sky ...

Vespine,
thanks for the link : i'm going to have a look right now. It is really what i need; I will print it and then i sign on it your suggested objects; it's my new companion under the S. sky.

You are really very kind, everybody. But - just one more question :

please, everyone, tell me your BEST object in the souther sky :
the one-not-to-miss !!!

i will sign them on the southern map, and will be easier to me to bring with me and a way not to waste precious time.

[Dennis]

Eta Carina nebula (NGC 3372)

Cheers

Dennis

[alan meehan]

hi amletico as dennis said eta carina nebula its a treasure trove of beauty
have a nice trip.

[glenc]

Attached is the updated list of 90 southern objects (south of dec -20) that Dennis mentioned.
Add the eta Car nebula (NGC 3372) and the Tarantula nebula (NGC 2070) to that.

[Pop Finch]

Hi
I am a member of the ASSA and coordinator of our country group called the NYPpers. I write an article for the local paper and would like to know were I could find a list of objects viewable with bino's, easy, difficult and more challenging.

[Pop Finch]

Hi
I want to build a 1x finder scope any one have any suggestions

[erick]

A "1x finder scope"? Get a piece of pipe and put cross hairs across one end and look through the other? I think we need a bit more detail of what you want here. And I suggest you ask for this to be moved to another part of the Forum - "ATM and DIY Projects"?

[erick]

Hi Pop Finch,

First suggestion - ask for this to be moved to elsewhere on the Forum.

Here is a good book:-

http://www.macastro.org.au/Heavens%20Above%20Book%20Sale.htm

Here is a website which will help:-

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/sskybino/ssbinoc2.html