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rustynailz911
super member
Reged: 01/30/08
Posts: 178
Loc: Nova Scotia
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i pulled a bart simpson(bart finds a comet by spinning principle skinners telescope)and found M11 last night.it was my firsttime seeing it and it was by accident i spent about 1/2 hour observing. it is a verry cool cluster first time you see it. im going out tonight and unlocking my alt and az locks and giving it a spin to see what i find.wheel of astronomy...lol.Guys and Gals share your by accident experances id love to hear em.
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Protheus
Vaguely offended
Reged: 09/01/07
Posts: 4643
Loc: Illinois, US
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Well, there was Jupiter; I expected to see something, but whatever I expected, that wasn't it. 
Alberio; for this one I was actually just pushing the telescope around. It's quite amazing to actually notice color in a telescope.
M7 at one point when I was just looking around (through a car window) with a small set of binoculars. Wasn't a good observation of M7, but it was interesting enough to keep me glued to the car window for a while.
Double cluster in Hercules once when I was trying to find the Andromeda Galaxy. It was well worth the observing session, even though I never did find the Andromeda Galaxy that night.
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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dgs©
Postmaster
Reged: 03/29/04
Posts: 13849
Loc: West Monroe, Louisiana
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It is a sparkler, isn't it?
Can't say I've ever seen anything wild duckish about it though. Supposed to get that name from strings of stars forming V's like ducks migrating. 
I'm guessing that in smaller apertures than mine, it may be more obvious.
Some nights, I do nothing but accidental discoveries. I just pan around and find interesting minature asterisms or clusters and such, and never even bother to track down their identity. Sometimes, I just don't want it to feel like work after a long day at the office. 
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- david
8"Ø Newtonian on SVP, Moonlite CR2, Telrad
PST Oberwerk Ultra 15x70 Orion Ultraview 10×50
Hand-me-down Sears Refractor (Discoverer) 60mm×900mm
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world, remains and is immortal." --Albert Pike
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Dylan Gladstone
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 955
Loc: Connecticut, USA
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Quote:
Some nights, I do nothing but accidental discoveries. I just pan around and find interesting minature asterisms or clusters and such, and never even bother to track down their identity. Sometimes, I just don't want it to feel like work after a long day at the office.
One of the best nights out I've had so far was spent like that. I wandered around Sagatarius with binos. Every time I spotted something fuzzy I pointed the scope at it. Unlike you however, later when I went inside I tried to track down what I'd found. I think it's because deep space objects are still so new to me, I wanted names to go with the faces.
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Orion SkyView Pro 127mm Maksutov
Edited by Dylan Gladstone (09/22/08 03:37 PM)
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rustynailz911
super member
Reged: 01/30/08
Posts: 178
Loc: Nova Scotia
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i always track down what i find i like to put names on the faces as well.i use "The Sky" software it has been this newbies guide to the night sky.i use binos to pan the sky to find targets as well a good tip i got from a CN member a while back.i have classic early 80's 10x50 bushnells just like they say "they dont make em like that anymore".all glass and steel and multicoated lenses folding eyecups and hard case.they are 24 years old and M45 is still as clear and bright as the day i got em.
Russ
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RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1575
Loc: Cayce, SC
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Let's see--by accident. I found M22, M29, and the Coathanger (Collinder 399) by accident just poking around at 16x and 32x. Lately I've been doing that in Cygnus. Can't get enough of those star fields. Sometimes I look things up afterwards, sometimes not. It's just relaxing to explore. When I do find something outstanding it's nice to have just run up on it. I liked the Coathanger so much that I repeatedly went back hunting for it. I didn't know what it was til someone on CN told me. Now it's a regular. 
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--Russell
"Akita mani yo." Observe everything as you walk. (--Lakota)
Celestron Celestar 8 Standard SCT, f10
Celestron 80mm Wide View ref., f5
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope, Newt., f8, (c. 1962)
Sears Discoverer 60mm ref., f7, (c. 1973)
Celestron Ultima DX 10x50, 6.5 TFOV
Tasco 7x35 wide
Several mediocre eyepieces
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desertrefugee
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/06/07
Posts: 515
Loc: Arizona
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Quote:
Double cluster in Hercules once when I was trying to find the Andromeda Galaxy.
Chris, I'm sure you meant the Double Cluster in Persius, right?
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"Look now upon the River of Heaven, Sky-Road of the Immortals, White with the star-frost of a billion years".
-Darrell
Reflectors (114, 150, 254mm), Refractors (60, 76.2, 80, 120), MCT (125), too many Binoculars
Cave Creek/Carefree, AZ
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Protheus
Vaguely offended
Reged: 09/01/07
Posts: 4643
Loc: Illinois, US
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Quote:
Chris, I'm sure you meant the Double Cluster in Persius, right?
No no, this was a new one never before (or since) seen. Err. Well, yeah, I meant Perseus.
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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InkDark
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/29/07
Posts: 1461
Loc: Montreal, Canada
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When pointing in Cassiopeia there was a nice wedge shape cluster but I didn't know what NCG it was. I later discovered that it was M103.
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Jimmy
"Rarely Have So Many Understood So Little About So Much" - Palle Yourgrau
"...since that time, I have not complained about the weather one single time. I’m glad there is weather." – Alan Bean, Apollo 12
What do you mean by “Saving the Earth”? The Earth is not in danger! Don’t worry about the planet it will be here long after we are extinct...
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panhard
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 2535
Loc: Markham Ont.
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Quote:
It is a sparkler, isn't it?
Can't say I've ever seen anything wild duckish about it though. Supposed to get that name from strings of stars forming V's like ducks migrating.
I'm guessing that in smaller apertures than mine, it may be more obvious.
Some nights, I do nothing but accidental discoveries. I just pan around and find interesting minature asterisms or clusters and such, and never even bother to track down their identity. Sometimes, I just don't want it to feel like work after a long day at the office.
Then it should be called the wild goose. They fly in a vee formation. 
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Orion xt10i
8 & 17mm Hyperion eye pieces
koning 32mm 25mm skywatcher eyepieces
lumicon 0111 & antares variable polarizing filters
12x50 binos
A love for this hobby
"What goes around comes around."
"She who must be obeyed."
Herb c
cloudy nights my # 1 site
43.53°n 79.17°w
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auriga
sage
Reged: 03/02/06
Posts: 410
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Quote:
i pulled a bart simpson(bart finds a comet by spinning principle skinners telescope)and found M11 last night.it was my firsttime seeing it and it was by accident i spent about 1/2 hour observing. it is a verry cool cluster first time you see it. im going out tonight and unlocking my alt and az locks and giving it a spin to see what i find.wheel of astronomy...lol.Guys and Gals share your by accident experances id love to hear em.
I found NGC 6712 in Scutum while looking for M11. Very pretty.
Bill Meyers
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werewolf6977
Lord High Smasher
Reged: 12/15/03
Posts: 7408
Loc: Hanover, Ohio
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I found M11, M22, and the Double Cluster whilst idly panning the scope.
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Pete
6" Apogee/LXD55 - "The Beast"
Starhopper 6" Dob - "Shiva"
Spaceprobe 130 EQ - "Spacey"
Bushnell Fatboy
The Abomination
Sun Pak Pro 7500 Platinum Edition
10X25 Bushnell Camo Roofies
7X35 Tasco Classic Plastic (good views though)
7X42 Tasco Rare Bird
10X50 Nikon Actions (Type 7)
15X70 Skymasters - "DroolMeisters"
One ratty old IBM 600E LapTop
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WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2779
Loc: Lodi, California,
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The Wild Duck Cluster (M11) is indeed a great sight. The myriad of stars is just amazing!
Quote:
Double cluster in Hercules once when I was trying to find the Andromeda Galaxy.
A little lost were ya'? 
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Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
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akemag
sage
Reged: 10/26/07
Posts: 427
Loc: Sweden
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First thing i discovered by "accident" was M57. It was perhaps the first time out with my new 70mm refractor just about a year ago.
I remember comming across this strange "hole" looking thing when scanning about. It looked really weird. I must have been at 45x since i only had three ep´s then, and i had scanned with the lowest mag. I remember i tried changing the mag, but i didnt find it after putting my next ep in giving 90x.
Next i found what i believe is the beehive cluster, among other open cluster visible naked eye.
But my most jaw dropping find was M42. I was scanning the south, expecting nothing special, AND COMES ACROSS THIS GIANT SPECTACULAR SIGHT. I almost fell of the chair. I couldnt believe what i was seeing. This was with my new 120mm, so it really looked great. And the strange couple of stars in the Trapezium, what a treat!
I guess nothing can top that chance discovery for me.
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Celestron Omni XLT 120
10" GSO DOB
Bresser Skylux 70mm
5mm Ortho
6.5mm, 25mm, 32mm Plossl
3.6mm, 10mm, 25mm MA
20mm Erfle
4mm, 10mm, RK12mm, 18mm RK20mm Kellner
8mm, 20mm Huygens
1.5-2x Barlow
Orange, Green, Variable Polarizing Moon filter
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dgs©
Postmaster
Reged: 03/29/04
Posts: 13849
Loc: West Monroe, Louisiana
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I should have remembered to mention... the first object I stumbled upon was the first night I ever used a telescope. It was the old 60mmØ refractor and I pointed it at a random brightish star and spent a long time trying to achieve focus. The shaky mount and high magnification were conspiring against me, but I finally figured out how to let it sit a handful of seconds between focus nudges and the smudgey thing settled down to become Saturn! I was completely amazed.
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- david
8"Ø Newtonian on SVP, Moonlite CR2, Telrad
PST Oberwerk Ultra 15x70 Orion Ultraview 10×50
Hand-me-down Sears Refractor (Discoverer) 60mm×900mm
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world, remains and is immortal." --Albert Pike
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