Crusader
sage
Reged: 08/14/05
Posts: 391
Loc: Karoo, South Africa
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I'm considering completing an observation log in order to get a merit certificate from the Astronomical Society of SA. In order to do so I need to write some pretty accurate descriptions e.g bright star to NE of cluster etc.
Problem is I'm a bit confused with the directions used. Since I'm using a Newt reflector the directions will be reversed right?
Relating to the EP FOV:
N = Bottom (Down)
S = Top (Up)
E = Left
W = Right
Would that be correct? I've always been totally directionless. 
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Orion Skyquest XT10, 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepieces. New: Orion O-III filter & Shorty Plus Barlow.
Spacewallpapers.net - The Ultimate Free Space wallpapers
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jhors
Riddle me this
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 737
Loc: Tempe, AZ
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I've been using this method with my reflector:
* center the object
* allow the object to drift
* the direction it drifts is west
* north is 90° counter-clockwise from west
Another method I've heard about is to move the scope's tube a little towards Polaris. The starfield in the eyepiece will move from north to south. The edge were new stars appear is north.
I give this advice in the hope that someone will correct me if I'm wrong. I hate to think I've been using the wrong method! 
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-Josh
Florence Junction:
Antenna:
10" Dob
10 x 50 Bino's
I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars -Walt Whitman
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Crusader
sage
Reged: 08/14/05
Posts: 391
Loc: Karoo, South Africa
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Well, Polaris isn't an option for me. The rest might be of help. Let's wait and see if someone more knowledgeable comes along with a better option.
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Orion Skyquest XT10, 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepieces. New: Orion O-III filter & Shorty Plus Barlow.
Spacewallpapers.net - The Ultimate Free Space wallpapers
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jhors
Riddle me this
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 737
Loc: Tempe, AZ
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Quote:
Well, Polaris isn't an option for me. . . .
My bad, didn't check your location before responding.
I asked this question three months ago (here) but didn't get a whole lot of feedback.
I also posted in the sketching forum (here) and got more responses. Hope that helps while we see if someone else comes along...
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-Josh
Florence Junction:
Antenna:
10" Dob
10 x 50 Bino's
I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars -Walt Whitman
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Shawn H
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/16/07
Posts: 1130
Loc: Southern France 43°56'N-4°50'E
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Springbok crusader
You got it! Everything is reversed in our upside down mirros!  You just have to remember that when going from the RACI finder to the ep!  Shawn
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xt10i with Telrad on 4" risers & feather touch focuser & huge Boston Red Sox decal
Starblast
15x70 Celestron Skymasters
35Stratus
27Pan
13 Ethos
8 Ethos
Orion ultrablock
Astronomik OIII
Tele Vue 2x barlow
Antares 1.6x barlow (2")
CATSEYE collimation tools
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Protheus
Vaguely offended
Reged: 09/01/07
Posts: 4643
Loc: Illinois, US
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Quote:
Well, Polaris isn't an option for me. The rest might be of help. Let's wait and see if someone more knowledgeable comes along with a better option.
Well, simply north might work. You could move the scope towards the southern pole, and the star would drift northward in your eyepiece...
Chris
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"To tread the sharp edge of a sword;
to run on smooth-frozen ice,
one needs no footsteps to follow..."
"Well, people sometimes ask me 'how did you get involved in astronomy?' I said 'I got born, what's your problem?'" -- John Dobson
"In discussing the large-scale structure of the cosmos, astronomers sometimes say that space is curved, or that the universe is finite but unbounded. Whatever are they talking about?" -- Carl Sagan
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Crusader
sage
Reged: 08/14/05
Posts: 391
Loc: Karoo, South Africa
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Thanks for the advice guys. I played around in Starry Night for a bit and I think I get it now.
The drifting technique should work perfectly. The object drifts to the W and then north is 90 deg counter-clockwise.
If I mess up I can always double check in SN. The position angle shows the direction (0°=N, 90°= E, 180°=S and 270°=W).
So if you take Jupiter as a starting point at it's current position then M22 is to the West, M54 is to the South and M23 is to the NW. (That's unless I'm doing something wrong).
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Orion Skyquest XT10, 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepieces. New: Orion O-III filter & Shorty Plus Barlow.
Spacewallpapers.net - The Ultimate Free Space wallpapers
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molniyabeer
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/08/05
Posts: 2058
Loc: Central Coast, California
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Crusader,
I think you've got it. By the way, I SO envy your access to objects like Omega Centauri down there! I can catch Omega but it's only a few degrees up from here. Still pretty spectacular, though!
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Steve
16" Meade LightBridge (Beowulf)
10" Hardin DSH, StarMax 127mm Mak, PST H-a
Oberwerk 11 x 70 binocs, Tasco 10 x 50 binocs
Santa Maria Clear Sky Clock
Figueroa Mt Clear Sky Clock
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Lard Greystoke
super member
Reged: 07/27/08
Posts: 197
Loc: Ohio
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Crusader has found the way. Objects always drift to west; south is AWAY (in the eyepiece) from the actual south horizon.
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Lard Greystoke
10" Odyssey Compact
"With Tantor, the elephant, he made friends. How? Ask me not."
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Crusader
sage
Reged: 08/14/05
Posts: 391
Loc: Karoo, South Africa
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Now I only need to put the theory into practice by doing some actual observing. Things look dim though since it seems there's some more cold weather heading my way (including the possibility of some more snow!). So I'll have to see when I can squeeze a session int.
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Orion Skyquest XT10, 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepieces. New: Orion O-III filter & Shorty Plus Barlow.
Spacewallpapers.net - The Ultimate Free Space wallpapers
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jmcdonald
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/01/05
Posts: 1503
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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For north/south I always find it helpful to push the eyepiece a bit in the direction that I know is north (or south, doesn't matter). The side that stars enter from is the direction you pushed it.
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Jerel
Discovery 12.5" modified truss DOB
Orion 100mm f/6 achromat
Garret 15x70 LW Binoculars
22-T4,13-T6
IDA Membership
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Crusader
sage
Reged: 08/14/05
Posts: 391
Loc: Karoo, South Africa
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Quote:
I think you've got it. By the way, I SO envy your access to objects like Omega Centauri down there! I can catch Omega but it's only a few degrees up from here. Still pretty spectacular, though!
Yeah, Omega Centauri and 47 Tucanae are my favourite globular clusters. Omega Centauri is huge... M13 looks miniscule in comparison.
47 Tusanae is slighty smaller that Omega Centauri but very bright. An amazing sight!
Too bad it's cloudy here for the rest of the week. 
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Orion Skyquest XT10, 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepieces. New: Orion O-III filter & Shorty Plus Barlow.
Spacewallpapers.net - The Ultimate Free Space wallpapers
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