Log from Tassie - 7/10/2005

davidpretorius · #1 07-10-2005, 06:00 AM

Trans: Excellent
Seeing: Was not far from excellent

Went to bed early, with the wind still blowing, but clear skys. I said to myself that if I really want to look at saturn again, I would wake up without the alarm.

3.30am, I wake up, peek outside to the east and sirius is flashing as always but extra bright. So out i head.

Even taking the scope out to cool with the garage light on, the sky is bright, real bright!

30 minutes of cooling and out i go.

This is the best seeing i have had. Naked eye reveals lots of detail around the keyhole.

Start with mars and get aprox 6 passes on the video. It is north, so easy to keep up with as only really need to worry about one direction with the dob!

On to pleides and over to m38, m36, m37, m35 and my first look at m1 ,the crab nebula

Up to Orion, can i make out more than 4 stars?, One looks to be a double, but very clear So 4.5 stars for mine. This nebula is huge tonight, and the running man can be seen as well (another first!)

Ok down to the horsehead nebula, lower than the star Alnitak a nebula can be seen well , but not above it where there is only faint clouds.

Off to the keyhole and wow, I have now seen the dark lanes. The open clusters in this area are huge.

Point the guide scope to the LMC and i can actually see the LMC thru the guide scope. No needing to look for tarantula! This area looked just like Starry night Pro but with out the colour. The are wisps of nebulas everywhere. The ultra wide had a field day here!

Over to the SMC and again I can see it thru the guide scope. Gee Tuc looks small, hang on.... there is tuc, very big and very bright, NGC362 has made its first appearance for me and i have confused it for tuc!

Down to Saturn and used every eyepiece in the collection to view her. Very nice. I have the toucam focus sorted out, so I will wait until she is higher in the sky to take a video. Because she is low, i found i had the scope almost horizontal, my office chair became very comfortable as i was able to lay back and view thru the eyepiece and stick my legs out. It felt like a hammock! Nice way to be!

Best night yet!

iceman (Mike) · #2 07-10-2005, 06:14 AM

Nice one Dave, it's great to get clear mornings like that. Unfortunately i've got up to try Saturn the last two mornings, but high hazy cloud has stopped me.

I've found early mornings to be some of the clearest and crispest i've experienced.

acropolite (Phil) · #3 07-10-2005, 07:10 AM

Nice report Dave. Thought I could hear someone crashing around at the other side of town. I woke @ 3:30 myself and got up to have a quick peek (naked eye). It was certainly the clearest I have seen here for a long while.

h0ughy (David) · #4 07-10-2005, 07:35 AM

NIce report Dave, we probably won't get clear skies until the full moon. be nice to see saturn again, thats my favourite planet

atalas · #5 07-10-2005, 12:23 PM

Busy morning Dave ! nice report .

Louie

asimov (John) · #6 07-10-2005, 01:16 PM

Good report Dave. I was with you in spirit.

davidpretorius · #7 07-10-2005, 01:20 PM

if i had the money, i would have flown all you buggas in to share it.

surely there is a low cost video that can record exactly what i see!!!!

ving (David) · #8 07-10-2005, 03:01 PM

great report davo. i was out last night, but only for a bit cause the clouds chased me in

Photon · #9 07-10-2005, 08:33 PM

Hi Dave,
My wife told me twice last night how clear the sky looked, and later said "You'd be better off taking your scope out rather than playing with that work stuff". After your report I could kick myself!!!! I did hear something at 0330 was it your scope trolley going past??

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #10 07-10-2005, 08:37 PM

I am jealous Dave! Pouring down here! Still!!

davidpretorius · #11 07-10-2005, 11:21 PM

Yes Ian,

with your dark skys, your wife would have been digging you out of the snail trails as the sun came up!!!

It was a special night!!!