Well, my alarm went off at 2.45am NZDT this morning for the privilege of some unmooned viewing, since Luna was setting as I was setting up
.
Rom, I agree about the Crux area. Spent quite some time there today, and at 5-7mm exit pupil (32 and 40mm, respectively), the Coal Sack actually showed some structure in it. Most exquisit when viewed together with the adjoining patch of Milky Way and the Jewel Box near its rim
. Although for the jewels to really shine, they want power, and the 60mm is insufficient. So it's the context here that makes it special. 47 Tuc is certainly a great target, but its alluring core demands more mag and therefore aperture than the little Tak can summon. Omega Cen doesn't give me that feeling, it just looks great at any aperture.
Also observed Centaurus A and the Sombrero Galaxy for the first time
, although I can't be sure if I actually saw the brim or just knew where it had to be, because the orientation of the Galaxy was obvious.
. Cen A required some stabbing around the Zenith, surprisingly awkward with the Manfrotto 410 junior head.
The whole show was concluded by a sunrise in H Alpha over the hills of the Otago Peninsula. Proms and filaments passing by trees and some tall structure. How bloody incredible.
Edit: does unmagnified Venus interfere with night vision? It certainly seemed that way this morning .