Good evening all.
Been a mighty long time since I've posted here given that I had to put my scopes away for quite some time last year due to
a. inclement weather (curse you La Nina!)
b. Moving houses
c. My slothful DNA.
However, given that I'd managed to score a few days off work around Australia Day, I got all nostalgic and decided to get out the Megrez 90 and see what could be seen from my new viewing area from the lawn in front of my unit block, which is located directly under some hideously wasteful exterior lighting, and 10 minutes from the Adelaide CBD. The below represents a more or less verbatim extract from my observation diary. The things written in brackets with stars (*statement*) represent my interjections and additional comments for reasons of clarity.
***********
25/01/2012 at 10:30pm
Instrument: WO 90mm Megrez
Seeing: 3/10
Transparency: Good.
Wow it's been a while since I had a chance to get the scope out.
Discovered it is possible to switch off outside lights which aids matters greatly (*actually, had to go to the electricity box and switch it off there, but never mind*)
Received all 3 Volumes of The Night Sky Observers Guide as an early birthday present today (*which I'm enjoying thoroughly, and will probably be far more relevant when I eventually get under some properly dark skies with my 10in Dob*).
Nothing like the nostalgic smell of new textbooks.
Anyway given that it had been many months since my last observation (*beginning of june 2011 according to my logs, as a matter of fact
*), and given the limit of my surroundings, I stuck to familiar objects.
Jupiter - No detail in either 24 mm Panoptic or 14mm Radian. Seeing way too unsteady. Unsurprising given the windy conditions and heat radiating off the concrete driveway.
Rigel - Still bright, still blue.
M42 - Orion nebula. Ahh! Very nice. Been a long time since I've looked at it. A check of my previous logs confirms that I had not previously observed the nebula with this scope before. Very impressive given the suburban setting and small aperture. Easily visible with direct vision in both 24mm Pan and 14mm Rad eps. 4 components of the Trapezium visible. Nebulosity distinct and vibrant with averted vision.
Determined to plan a proper night's viewing soon.
******
so there you go. It occurred to me that this was the first time I'd had the chance to use my scope after it'd been adjusted due to some pinched optics upon initial purchase. I was genuinely surprised how good M42 looked in this little scope, and had a surprisingly easy time of using it along with the RDF finder. very pleasing.
If I'd planned things better, I might have even cracked out the sketchbook and paintbrushes and knocked one out. Maybe next time.
I was also relieved that I was able to find what I was looking for (not that I was looking for anything challenging). It's been a while since I've looked up, and my hopping skills and asterism recognition (which were amateurish at best anyway) haven't completely deserted me. This is encouraging.
I'm going to try and take a look at what the visual magnitude limitations are from my new surroundings so that I can get a better understanding of what objects I might be able to see, and what clearly won't be achievable until I get under some dark skies.
anyway;
IIIII'MMMM BAAAACCCKKK!!!! 
dusting off the Megrez 90... and my brain.
