Joe Bergeron
Vendor - Space Art
Reged: 11/10/03
Posts: 1446
Loc: Upstate NY
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I will, Roger. My only scope will be my little 92mm, but WSP always boasts of a plethora of big high-end scopes, so I have a good shot at it.
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Eight telescopes of a highly diverse nature.
At home beneath the night sky.
My Web Site
English Lessons for Amateur Astronomers
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Argonavis
Vendor
Reged: 12/01/05
Posts: 88
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Quote:
How do you suppose those Dogon's knew about it??
If indeed they did know about it, and it wasn't just misintrepretation of anthropological data, or just made up to sell a book, it was probably a wandering Jesuit missionary spruking the wonders of the modern world.
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ABC
sage
Reged: 10/22/06
Posts: 422
Loc: Heidelberg, Germany
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I know you will not believe it, but last night I could undoubtedly see the pup with my Intes Micro Alter M500 at 70.6x using the 18mm Baader Genuine Ortho. The PA was correct and virtually changed according to the rotation of the diagonal.
It was so clear and rock steady, and my wife who is absolutely unexperienced in astronomical observations easily could see the pup and stated: "what a nice but unequal pair of stars!"
How was it possible?
However, there was high fog and low stratus last night, but the air was rock steady without any turbulences.
Sirius A appeared as a clean tiny pinpoint witout any flares even at higher magnifications. The high fog might have filtered the flares and the huge light intensity of Sirius A, leading to the exceptionally good visibilty of the pup.
I believe, under such conditions, even a good 3" refractor will reveal the pup...
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Kind regards, Christian
Meade 178 ED
Meade 152 ED
Intes Micro Alter M500
Bresser 70/700 Achromat
CGE
EQ-6
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Joe Bergeron
Vendor - Space Art
Reged: 11/10/03
Posts: 1446
Loc: Upstate NY
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Very interesting. With any luck, by tomorrow night I'll be in south Florida with a nice 3.6" refractor. I'll give it a try and disclose my results later.
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Eight telescopes of a highly diverse nature.
At home beneath the night sky.
My Web Site
English Lessons for Amateur Astronomers
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Bonco
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/17/06
Posts: 3036
Loc: Florida
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Quote:
I believe, under such conditions, even a good 3" refractor will reveal the pup...
I totally agree and hope to prove that before long using my 3 inch f/16 refractor.
Bonco
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Ziggy943
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/11/06
Posts: 3060
Loc: Utah
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Quote:
I know you will not believe it, but last night I could undoubtedly see the pup with my Intes Micro Alter M500 at 70.6x using the 18mm Baader Genuine Ortho. The PA was correct and virtually changed according to the rotation of the diagonal.
It was so clear and rock steady, and my wife who is absolutely unexperienced in astronomical observations easily could see the pup and stated: "what a nice but unequal pair of stars!"
How was it possible?
However, there was high fog and low stratus last night, but the air was rock steady without any turbulences.
Sirius A appeared as a clean tiny pinpoint witout any flares even at higher magnifications. The high fog might have filtered the flares and the huge light intensity of Sirius A, leading to the exceptionally good visibilty of the pup.
I believe, under such conditions, even a good 3" refractor will reveal the pup...
Was it also seen with a different eyepiece at a different magnification?
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May your skies always be clear,
Ziggy
War doesn't determine who is right, only who is left..
www.slas.us
4" Mak
#1, 160mm F8 TEC (born 1-18-2007, 27 lbs, 45.5" long), on AP900
6" F17.5 (D&G lens) (first light 6-7-2008)
9" F/14.9 Alvan Clark (1915), on Byers 812
14.25 F/5.5 Newt in a roll off observatory
Others, that have come and gone
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ABC
sage
Reged: 10/22/06
Posts: 422
Loc: Heidelberg, Germany
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Quote:
Was it also seen with a different eyepiece at a different magnification?
Yes, also with TV Plössl 15mm and 11mm, and with Baader Genuine Ortho 9mm and 7mm.
The 18mm Genuine gave the lowest magnification for the visibility of the pup.
Again, it was the filter-effect of the high fog.
At perfect transmission conditions without high fog and stratus I could never glimpse the pup with the M500.
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Kind regards, Christian
Meade 178 ED
Meade 152 ED
Intes Micro Alter M500
Bresser 70/700 Achromat
CGE
EQ-6
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RLTYS
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/18/04
Posts: 4267
Loc: New York (Long Island)
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ABC
What is the diameter of the Intes Micro Alter M500?
Thanks for the info.
Rich (RLTYS)
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10" F4.8 Refl.
4" F5 Refr. (Genesis)
3" F4 Celestron FirstScope
50mm F12 Refr. (Tasco #6TE-5)
12x63 and 10x50 Binoculars.
"I want to do more then just look."
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ABC
sage
Reged: 10/22/06
Posts: 422
Loc: Heidelberg, Germany
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Quote:
ABC
What is the diameter of the Intes Micro Alter M500?
Thanks for the info.
Rich (RLTYS)
127mm, f/10, Rumak-Maksutov-Cassegrain:
http://www.teleskop-service.de/Intes/IntesMicro.htm#Alter%20M%20500
(Mine has good optics with 0.975 Strehl ratio and PTV 1/7.4 lambda)
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Kind regards, Christian
Meade 178 ED
Meade 152 ED
Intes Micro Alter M500
Bresser 70/700 Achromat
CGE
EQ-6
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Joe Bergeron
Vendor - Space Art
Reged: 11/10/03
Posts: 1446
Loc: Upstate NY
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Saw Sirius B a couple times last night from Winter Star Party. It was pretty easy and steady in a 10" f/6 Newt at 400X, surprisingly so since it was in or very near a diffraction spike. Then I saw it in an 8" refractor with a little more difficulty and about the same power. I tried for some time with my 92mm refractor but did not see it. The seeing was such that the star was a steady round ball with one diffraction ring and very little to interfere with the view.
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Eight telescopes of a highly diverse nature.
At home beneath the night sky.
My Web Site
English Lessons for Amateur Astronomers
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Bonco
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/17/06
Posts: 3036
Loc: Florida
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Nice report Joe. I've been trying with 6 inch and smaller scopes with no success so far. Guess I'll have to try it in my 10 inch.
Bonco
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RV6
Meade 2045
6 inch f/4 RFT R. Fagin Optics
TV Genesis
2.4 inch Lafayette Equitorial
3 inch Polarex Equitorial
10 inch Zhumell
PST 40mm Solar scope
4 inch F/15 Antares
2.4 inch Unitron Equitorial
Tasco 10K 80mm/1200mm (Carton)
Towa 339 Restored (Carton)
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Ziggy943
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/11/06
Posts: 3060
Loc: Utah
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Joe,
with or without masks?
Do yourself a favor and make a full diameter square mask.
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May your skies always be clear,
Ziggy
War doesn't determine who is right, only who is left..
www.slas.us
4" Mak
#1, 160mm F8 TEC (born 1-18-2007, 27 lbs, 45.5" long), on AP900
6" F17.5 (D&G lens) (first light 6-7-2008)
9" F/14.9 Alvan Clark (1915), on Byers 812
14.25 F/5.5 Newt in a roll off observatory
Others, that have come and gone
Edited by Ziggy943 (02/15/07 06:50 PM)
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Joe Bergeron
Vendor - Space Art
Reged: 11/10/03
Posts: 1446
Loc: Upstate NY
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No masks. If it clears again I'll consider making one if I can locate the crafts supplies.
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Eight telescopes of a highly diverse nature.
At home beneath the night sky.
My Web Site
English Lessons for Amateur Astronomers
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Achernar
Postmaster
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 7805
Loc: Mobile, Alabama, USA
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I've been doing that with my 10-inch ever since I got it without sucess. If the seeing's poor, Sirius B will not be visible. If you can't split Propus, Eta Gemorium or Adhara, Epislon Canis Majoris, you can bet Sirius B will not be visible either. Like Sirus, both of these stars are very unequal, and Propus can be a tough object for a 6-inch, let alone a 10-inch.
Taras
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15-inch F/4.5 Homebuilt truss-tube Dob with Sky Commander digital setting circles.
10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob with JMI digital setting circles.
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
24, 18, 14, 11, 8.8, 6.7, 4.7mm ES 82 degree eyepieces.
21, 13, 8, 5 and 3.5mm Orion Stratus eyepieces.
Two Televue T-1 Paracorrs with tunable tops
Orion and Lumincon Deepsky, Ultrablock, O-III and H-beta nebula filters.
Three curious and needful cats
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cvedeler
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/20/05
Posts: 2203
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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I gave Sirius B a serious try tonight with my new AP160. I first tried Rigel and found that to be a very easy split at 240x. I then tested the seeing conditions by how easily I could detect the F star in the Trapezium. F was sharp and clear. No problem at all. 42 Ori was my next target. I couldn't split this tonight, but it was obviously elongated.
Then I moved on to Sirius. I tried it with my 5mm Tak LE at 240x. I looked and I looked but could see no evidence of it at all. I then put in a 2x barlow (480x) I counted at least 5 defraction rings, with the outer rings showing some instability in the atmosphere. I knew the Pup lives within the 3rd or 4th defraction ring in a 6" scope, but try as I might tonight, I could not honestly say I could see it. Very, very challenging.
For those who have seen it in a 6" or smaller scope, what is the secret? How can this be done? I had about 1.5 arc second seeing tonight with very good transparency and still no sign of the pup.
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Chris Vedeler
Astro-Physics 160EDF
Astro-Physics 900GTO
Q453HR / QHY8 CCD camera
Canon 450XSi
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www.aznightsky.com
Scottsdale, AZ
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ABC
sage
Reged: 10/22/06
Posts: 422
Loc: Heidelberg, Germany
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Quote:
For those who have seen it in a 6" or smaller scope, what is the secret? How can this be done?
From my experiences:
1. seeing must be superb (9/10 or 10/10). A valid a priori test is the ability to cleanly split Propus and 42 Ori. If you cannot split them, you can forget the pup.
2. Although many experienced observers state that high magnifications (350x-500x) are required for glimpsing the pup, my experience is that low and medium magnifications (100-200x) work better because flares and straylight as well as several diffraction rings produced by Sirius A are absent using 100x-200x. (In this regard, I have to mention that I can clearly split Rigel at 40x with my 6" and 7" refractors).
3. the best condition to see the pup is, IME, when high fog and a little bit of high stratus are present, because this will work as a filter which effectively suppresses flares and straylight from Sirius A.
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Kind regards, Christian
Meade 178 ED
Meade 152 ED
Intes Micro Alter M500
Bresser 70/700 Achromat
CGE
EQ-6
Edited by ABC (02/21/07 08:14 AM)
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Ziggy943
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/11/06
Posts: 3060
Loc: Utah
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Quote:
I gave Sirius B a serious try tonight with my new AP160. I first tried Rigel and found that to be a very easy split at 240x. I then tested the seeing conditions by how easily I could detect the F star in the Trapezium. F was sharp and clear. No problem at all. 42 Ori was my next target. I couldn't split this tonight, but it was obviously elongated.
Then I moved on to Sirius. I tried it with my 5mm Tak LE at 240x. I looked and I looked but could see no evidence of it at all. I then put in a 2x barlow (480x) I counted at least 5 defraction rings, with the outer rings showing some instability in the atmosphere. I knew the Pup lives within the 3rd or 4th defraction ring in a 6" scope, but try as I might tonight, I could not honestly say I could see it. Very, very challenging.
For those who have seen it in a 6" or smaller scope, what is the secret? How can this be done? I had about 1.5 arc second seeing tonight with very good transparency and still no sign of the pup.
I have posted this several times. Make a full diameter square mask. Put it right in front of the lens. Corner to opposite corner will be 160mm. This will divert energy from those rings into spikes that can be rotated away from the Pup. It still will require excellent seeing but if we have a shot with this size telescope I think it's the best shot.
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May your skies always be clear,
Ziggy
War doesn't determine who is right, only who is left..
www.slas.us
4" Mak
#1, 160mm F8 TEC (born 1-18-2007, 27 lbs, 45.5" long), on AP900
6" F17.5 (D&G lens) (first light 6-7-2008)
9" F/14.9 Alvan Clark (1915), on Byers 812
14.25 F/5.5 Newt in a roll off observatory
Others, that have come and gone
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ABC
sage
Reged: 10/22/06
Posts: 422
Loc: Heidelberg, Germany
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Last night seeing was pretty good here in the Heidelberg area, and I could glimpse the pup with the Tak FS-128 using the 9mm Baader Genuine Ortho AND the Baader Neodymium Skyglow filter. Without the filter the pup was invisible last night with this particular scope/EP combination.
Obviously, that filter improves the visibility of the pup...
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Kind regards, Christian
Meade 178 ED
Meade 152 ED
Intes Micro Alter M500
Bresser 70/700 Achromat
CGE
EQ-6
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cvedeler
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/20/05
Posts: 2203
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Tonight I hope to try again for the pup. It looks like it will be a very clear night by the looks of the deep blue sky. Thanks Siegfried for the tip on the mask. I'll just print it out on card stock, cut it out and tape it to the front. I may also try with my Orion ultra-block filter to see if I can reduce the glare some. I'll post my results tonight hopefully.
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Chris Vedeler
Astro-Physics 160EDF
Astro-Physics 900GTO
Q453HR / QHY8 CCD camera
Canon 450XSi
----------------------------
www.aznightsky.com
Scottsdale, AZ
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John Fitzgerald
In Focus
Reged: 01/04/04
Posts: 2709
Loc: AR
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Seeing is almost NEVER better than 5 or 6/10 here in the months when Sirius is near the meridian during darkness. I could not even come close to seeing Sirius B last Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, although I did manage to split Adhara on Wednesday at 156x with my 10" Dob (a personal first).
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