[pgc hunter]

Just a short report of my observation of Sirius B on the 17th January 2011.

I was using the 12" dob. Seing was average, nothing special but not bad either. I've had luck on previous occasions using my 3.5mm and 5mm eyepieces, but never attempted lower magnifications. Started off with the 3.5mm (381x), and the pup was quite easy to see. Through the 5mm EP (267x) it proved no more difficult. Then I tried the 8mm (167x), with which the pup was still plainly visible, but Sirius' glare was starting to hinder observation, especially with the boiling effect of the seeing. Then I barlowed the 22mm EP for 121x, and the pup could still be just seen, but only occasionally in moments of steady seeing. Hard concentration was required, certainly no casual looks here! Decided to go one lower, so in goes the 13mm for 102x, and to my surprise, it could still be spotted, although very irregularly, and only in split second instances as the seeing did its dirty work. Anything lower obviously killed it completely, I'm surprised it can be picked up at this lower magnifications.