Observation report 24th aug

[asimov]

seeing: 8/10
trans: 9/10
wind: nil
152mm refractor.

First night of viewing in ages, even if it did only last about 3-4 hrs.

:astron:
Jupiter: Too low, boiling badly & could not achieve decent focus. Oh well.
M55: Nicely resolved @ 50 & 80X.
Lagoon: Pretty nice with the uhc filter @ 50X
Trifid: Nice viewing as usual @ 80X
Omega cent: WOW factor like always! :) @ 50X
M17: Nice view. 50X

Did a bit of general milky way scanning. The moons eventual presence/wind/clouds eventually drove me back in doors. :whistle:

I've had worse nights.

[ving]

omega cent truely is great hey :) I prefer tighter globs but for its sheer size it makes up for it :)

i wonder how close venus and jupiter are going to get to each other?

[Robby]

On the evening of 2nd of September there will be about 1.28° seperating them. That's about the closest we will see them. They do get slightly closer, but during the day of the 2nd.

[ving]

thnx robby :)

[[1ponders]]

Glad to see you making good use of those larger sucker holes asimov.

[h0ughy]

I was in Sydney on a training course in the Olympic complex. I stayed in the Ibis motel opposite Telstra Stadium. Beautiful evening, reasonably calm, losts of planes, nice bright planets venus and Jupiter. Saw a meteor at 6.20 directly to the west burn up and leave a vapour trail. Saw the ISS go directly overhead at around 10 to 7. then I tried my luck with the southern cross, got 4 stars the 5th was very difficult to make out. but thats Sydney isn't it! i should have taken my camera i could have gotten some nice shots through the Olympic Cauldron that nicely positioned showed through the holes venus and jupiter. Just one of those shots that would have made a good image.

[dhumpie]

Have been out the past couple of nights for quick sessions as well. Old jove looks much better in the 80ST these days than in the C6 due to the turbulence as it is getting pretty low. Don't even want to talk about Venus...just a roiling mess! Past two nights have seen very transparent but very poor seeing skies. I mainly used the Orion 80ST on a photo tripod with just one eyepiece (Orion Expanse 20mm), my Orion 2x shorty barlow and the Lumicon UHC. All major DSO's look great (this is my fave time of the year with so many bright and big objects). The lagoon and the trifid look spectacular over head at zenith with just the 20mm and the UHC (20x). Nice green tinge to the lagoon. For the swan/omage nebula (swan shape more apparent at 40x rather than 20x), the eagle, the ring (better viewed as a ghostly doughnut at 40x) and the dumbbell (I like the views at 20x although 40x gives more detail), I used the 20mm expanse with the barlow for 40x for nice bright views. Its amazing how nice bright objects look in a small scope. There are the other bight clusters like M4 9resolved although dim), M22 (nicely resolved), Pavo glob (nicely resolved), Ara glob (nicely resolved) and M6 and M7 :)

Darren

[asimov]

Hi Darren, thanks for the report. I've actually been getting fairly good views of venus, but I have been using a baader contrast booster & the aperture mask on the refractor. If you can catch it just after sunset with the sky still illuminated, I find it the best time.

[dhumpie]

Will try that when I get the chance. Problem is I usually do not get home from the lab/work until after 7.30pm...usually 8pm :(

Darren

[ving]

yeah sunsets the best time. thats the last time i saw venus and it wasnt bubbling at all... no filter or mask!

[dhumpie]

Maybe tonight. Leaving work early as the wife needs to go to the physio and I need to do some light cooking :) Weather has been crap this weekend but guess what...it has cleared to a fine day (always happen's on Mondays!!!!)

Darren