6-7-16
Meade ETX 80 in manual mode. 25 and 9.7 mm plossl, 6.7 mm ES 82 degree. Datyson 3X barlow.
Seeing about 4/5 Transparency 3/5 About 67 degrees F and 65% humidity.
Quickie report. 9:30 to 10:30 pm Sky didn't feel fully dark at 9:30 but it was fairly clear so I set up the ETX 80. Humidity was high but was not expecting a problem with dew.
No preparation, just went out and set-up.
Using the XT8i I found the ring nubula in Lyra the other night. Wanted to see if I could find it with the ETX 80. There is no finder on the ETX 80 so I use a 25/26 mm eyepiece as a 16X finder. 3.2 degrees.
No success but I had not double checked location so I was scanning an area rather than hopping to a specific site. I know it is between Sulafat and Sheliak in Lyra. I also tried the scan with a 9.7 mm plossl (41X) with no success. May have been in the wrong area or maybe just could not see it with the 80 mm in my light polluted skies under these less than ideal conditions. I will go after it another night with the GoTo feature and see if I have more success.
Swung over to Saturn and walked my way up the mag. At 40X I could see the rings. At 60X, 120X and 180X they were progressively better. No detail on the planet but Saturn is always a joy to see
Mars was an orange/yellow fuzz ball at all magnifications. Need better transparency.
Swung to Jupiter O . : .
All the moons were to one side. I could see a couple of cloud bands at 60X and more clearly at 120X Higher than that and it was fuzzed out by the moisture/pollution in the atmosphere.
10:30 I was back in the house. Just a quick fix.
