got home from a BBQ at the brother-in-laws place at about 6... much earlier than i get home from work and noted the temperature was still mild... springs coming guys! so under a little protest I decides tht staying out for just a little while wouldnt hurt my cold. besides venus and mercury were up and I hadn't seen them yet this year....
I took the scope out and after 10 mins of forcing the evenings air down the OTA (I was to impatient to let it cool naturally) viewed venus thru my 8" with a barlowed 10.5mm ( you do the calculations). it was very very unstable but this is fairly natural for this planet so i put my skyglow filter on and apperture stop to reslove a lovely disc. same but smaller for its neighbour mercury with out the apperture stop... theres my first ever view of mercury not much but I am ver excited
took the 10.5 out and put in my 15mm SV with the skyglow filter, i really like this EP it seems to work well on my scope except just a bit of chip pinching seagulls at the very edge. time to visit sagitarius... I had a few nebulas i wanted to visit.
first up the lagoon. it shows easy in my finder so its a no brainer to find. nice clear dust lane and really quite beautiful to behold... but no challenges there for me, still very pleasing.
next, the triffid. easy to find in the finder again, but this time becuase of the stars around it. I remember when i first saw it last year i could just make it out but this time it was easier. I could easily make out the dust lanes and the double within it and heaps more stood out with averted vision. i could even make out most detail with out the filter in.
and next the swan.... oops! too far south. viewing a glob... M20 isnt it? looks funny with the filter on. lots of resolved stars tho. i whipped the filter off for another look. much better
the swan. she's a beauty in my scope but I imagine the bloods rushing to her head!
loads of detail and very pleasing to see. standing on her head, up the long slender neck to the plump body... I wonder what swan tases like.
tried all three neb without the filter and they didnt disapear... I love my backyard with the 2 street light shining and the nieghbours flood lights blaring and the milkyway faintly snaking its way accross sky in the early evening.
I headed in at about 7:30 inspired enought to tell you guys... Its been too long since my last observing session. god I love this hobby!
this is life in the outter burbs of sydney at its best!
gee I love observing from home
