Well, after all the cloudy, windy and generally lousy observing weather we have been having I finally fluked a good night!
Out with the scope to let it cool and dig around in observing notes, the planisphere, magazines, etc.
First up was Jupiter but the seeing was not up to high power but the views at 130x were great with some details of the equatorial belts obvious. That kept my boys and their grandfather occupied for a while
Next over to some deep sky stuff.
- Aquila
- Split 15Aql, easy split but I could not detect any of the "purple" colour in the fainter companion star.
- NGC6709 - open cluster
- NGC6781 - planetary nebula, was improved with an OIII filter
- Delphinus
- Gamma Del - nice double to split and picked up Struve 2725, a faint 8th mag double, in the same field of view.
- Vulpeca
- M27 - Dumbell Nebula - easy in the 8" and better with the OIII filter.
- Brocchi's Cluster - the Coathanger, was an easy object but better through the finder scope.
- Sagitta
- M71 - nice globular cluster, an easy find.
- Capricornus
- M30 - 8th mag globular cluster, an easy find with two straight rays of stars extending to the north-west.
- Alpha Cap - did the easy split but could not split either of the other stars which are doubles. Need to pull out the 13" to do that I think.
- Beta Cap - easy split with the companion at 6th mag to the primary 3rd mag.
- Tried for Aquarius and picked up M2 GC, M72 GC, M73 a very loose OC but could not get either of the planetaries, the Saturn Nebula or the Helix Nebula, I think they were lost in the light pollution from Sydney to my east. Will have another go later at night on the weekend.
Overall a good night, pity I couldn't stay out longer but the boss is not that friendly when I come to work with my eyes laying on my cheeks - not a good look.
Keep looking up.
